The Tom Gullick Experience

We are delighted to yet again offer these superb short birding trips to Spain, led by the legendary Tom Gullick, who has been showing people around his adopted homeland for over 30 years now. The maximum group size is only four persons, each trip driven by Tom in his comfortable Land Cruiser. These are fast paced birding bonanzas with all the special birds of each region on offer, all delivered with Tom’s enthusiasm, wit and vast knowledge. The ‘real’ Spain is on offer, most of his bird sites are on private estates, and tours based at his own home boast extremely comfortable accommodation plus superb food and include drinks. We are pleased to present the return of his Spanish Pyrenees trips for 2007 too. Retirement really does loom in the next few years so go while you can! Highly recommended.

WINTER WEEKENDS IN SOUTH & CENTRAL SPAIN 2006:

Your early morning flight from London, Luton, on a Friday will arrive at Madrid about 10.00am. Tom will meet you and drive south for birding in the steppes and wetlands.  During the next three days we will tour by Land Cruiser through the wintering grounds of Cranes, Great and Little Bustards, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse.   We will drive through the deep valleys and past the towering cliffs of the Sierra Morena to see Spanish Imperial, Bonelli and Golden Eagles, Eagle Owl, Black and Griffon Vultures, Black-shouldered Kite.  The nearby wetlands will have big numbers of wintering ducks (including White-headed and Red-crested Pochard) with a good chance of Bluethroat and Spotted Crake. Azure-winged Magpie, Chough, Thekla, Crested and Calandra Larks, Southern Grey Shrike, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Hawfinch, Rock and Cirl Bunting, Rock and Spanish Sparrow, Water Pipit and more.  Merlins winter here chasing the larks and pipits. Each night we will return to India Alta for dinner and to your very comfortable bedrooms each with its own bathroom en suite. On the Monday morning we will drive back to Madrid, visiting more wetlands and best chance of Greylag Goose, Penduline and Bearded Tits and Purple Galinule, before your flight back to London in the evening.

Expected species: approx 125

Prices includes: Economy class flights including prepaid taxes, all birding by Land Cruiser, accommodation in spacious rooms with private bath, shower, WC, all meals and ALL DRINKS. Bird checklist.

Price excludes: Travel insurance (available from £20.95), Single supplement £40, tips to Tom’s house staff and items of a personal nature. Deduct £60 per person if joining in Madrid.

NB. If there are three people booking together, you may elect to have a ‘private trip’ with Tom, a supplement of £130 per person will apply.

Deposit: £100

SOUTH-CENTRAL SPAIN  IN SPRING 2007

These short breaks are planned to show you the rarest birds of Spain in the wild and varied steppe, sierra and marshlands, based at Tom’s very comfortable home India Alta, just two hours south of Madrid. You will see such special birds as Spanish Imperial and four other species of eagle, Great and Little Bustard, White-headed Duck, Eagle Owl, Black Stork, two species of sandgrouse, Black-shouldered Kite and more. All bedrooms at India Alta have bathrooms en suite.  There is an extensive garden, from which more than eighty species of birds have been seen including nesting Scop’s Owl. Dinners are at India Alta and lunches in the field.  Wine and all drinks are included in the price and served with all meals.

4 days  (Friday – Monday) *

Departures 27^th April, 4^th & 11^th May   £509 per person (single supp £40)

5 days  (Monday – Friday)

Departures 30^th April, 7^th & 14^th May £625 per person. (single supp £50)

*With Dupont’s Lark extension 18^th – 22^nd May £675 per person (single supp £50)

Itinerary

      DAY 1             Early morning flight from London Luton at ca. 06.45 arriving Madrid ca. 10.15. Drive south through steppe country for Great and Little Bustards, Black-bellied and Pintail Sandgrouse. On to wetlands for waders, terns, ducks and more, including White-headed Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Black-necked Grebe, Gull-billed, Black and Whiskered Terns, Great Reed Warbler, Flamingo, Marsh and Montagu Harriers, White Storks and Black Kites. Continue south to Tom’s house and bird nearby for Great Spotted Cuckoo, Scop’s and Eagle Owls. Dinner at India Alta.

    DAY 2 Morning visit to Cabaneras National Park to see breeding Imperial Eagle, Black Vultures, Black-shouldered Kite, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Roller, Bee-eater and Hawfinch.  Later visit the reed beds and lakes near the Tablas de Damiel for Great-white Egret, Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Squacco and Night Herons, Penduline Tit, Savis Warbler, as well as many ducks, waders and terns; Red-necked Nightjar excursion at dusk. 

DAY 3               A full day in the craggy sierras and  lush valleys of the Sierra Morena. We will seek Orphean, Subalpine, Dartford and Sardinian Warblers, Golden Oriole, Azure winged Magpie and both Rock and Cirl Bunting.  We visit the nesting cliffs of Bonelli’s and Golden Eagles, Black Stork, Chough, Egyptian and Griffon Vultures. Roadside birds include Black and Black-eared Wheatears, Blue Rock Thrush, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Calandra and Short-toed Larks. 

DAY 4               In the morning we return to the breeding lagunas of Purple Galinule and White-headed Duck, terns, Bearded Tit and grebes. We will also check through migratory waders in their fine summer plumage. Finally drive through more steppe country for our final bustards and sandgrouse before returning to Madrid  airport for your late flight back to London Luton, arriving at ca. 2245.

           Extra day  (5 Day departures )

We will drive east into the pinewoods and towering cliffs of the Sierra Segura, at over 5000 feet..  We should see both Red-tailed and Blue Rock Thrush, Western Bonelli’s and other warblers, Tawny Pipit, Firecrest, Crested Tit, Black Redstart and Crossbill.  More eagles, sandgrouse and bustards will be seen en route.

                       Expected species: approx 160

* Dupont’s Lark Extension

This departure will include an extra night (staying in a hotel north of Madrid) searching for the elusive Dupont’s Lark, the very localised Citril Finch, Bluethroat, Wryneck, Ortolan Bunting and other species not usually seen on Tom’s standard itinerary.

                       Expected species: 170 plus

Prices include: Economy class flights including prepaid taxes, all birding by Land Cruiser, accommodation in spacious rooms with private bath, shower, WC, all meals and ALL DRINKS. Bird checklist. Single rooms £40 for four days, £50 for five.

Price excludes: Travel insurance (available from £20.95), tips to Tom’s house staff and items of a personal nature. Deduct £60 per person if joining in Madrid.

NB. If there are three people booking together, you may elect to have a ‘private trip’ with Tom, a supplement of £130 per person will apply.

Deposit: £100

A sample trip report is on our website or available from us.

THE SPANISH AND FRENCH PYRENEES SPRING IN 2007

4 days £600 per person.

Departures 1st, 8^th and 15^th June  2007

5 days  £690 per person.

Departures 4^th ,11^th and 18^th June   2007

These short birding breaks are based at the very comfortable 3 star Hotel Bielsa overlooking the Rio Cinca at Bielsa in the high Pyrenees.  The Bielsa family own and run this special hotel and offer Tom’s guests a wide choice of dishes at dinner.  Spacious bedrooms have baths, w.c., balconies and telephone.  Tom’s guests have stayed here during the last seventeen years.  As usual wine, beer and soft drinks are included in the price and served at all meals.

Itinerary

Day 1  Early morning flight from London (Luton) to Barcelona where you will be met and driven to the steppe country near Lerida soon after mid-day. Heading north with Tom at the wheel, Little Bustard, Lesser Grey Shrike, Roller, Penduline Tit, Black bellied and Pintailed Sandgrouse, Black Wheatear, should all be seen as well as the first Egyptian and Griffon Vultures, Golden, Booted and Short-toed Eagle and Hobby.   Arrive at your hotel in Bielsa for dinner.

Days 2 & 3  In these two days we will visit the breeding sites of the special Pyrenean birds in Spain and France – Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Black Woodpecker, Citril Finch, Snowfinch and Alpine Accentor.   Other birds should include Ring Ouzel, Red- tailed Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Alpine Swift, Crested Tit, Crossbill and many more.  Lunches in the field at Lammergeier sites.  Dinners and nights at Bielsa.

Day 4 An early start for sub-montane birds on the way back south.  Ortolan, Cirl and Rock Buntings, Orphean, Sub-alpine, Melodious and Western Bonelli Warblers, Wryneck and Tawny Pipit. In the afternoon we visit a coastal cliff site where there are breeding Blue Rock Thrush, Pallid Swift, Peregrine and Sardinian Warblers.  Finally visit a marsh reserve just 15 minutes  from the airport – Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, stilts and other various waders, Great Reed Warbler plus a good chance of Whiskered Terns, Mediterranean, Yellow-legged and Audouin Gulls, Balearic and Cory’s Shearwaters. Evening flight back to London, Luton.

Day 5 on the longer trips. During the extra day we will visit more sites, in particular we will have the opportunity of seeing more Lammergeiers in an area in which bones and carcasses are left out to help the population of this beautiful and endangered vulture.

Expected species: approx 160

Prices includes: Economy class flights including prepaid taxes, all birding by Land Cruiser, accommodation in rooms with private bath, w.c., and all meals with wine etc and tips. Bird checklist. Singles available for £40 (4 days) or £55 (5 day trip).

Price excludes: Travel insurance (available from £20.95), other drinks and items of a personal nature. Deduct £60 per person if joining in Barcelona.

NB. If there are three people booking together, you may elect to have a ‘private trip’ with Tom, a supplement of £130 per person will apply.

Deposit: £100