About the area and us
Up in the Gredos or Bejar mountains you might see the Blue and Rufous-tailed Rock thrushes, or spot a Golden Eagle soaring high above.
A visit to the cereal plains of the Peñaranda area may reward you with the presence of the Great Bustard, as well as Montague’s Harrier or the Black-bellied Sandgrouse.
In the Sierra de Francia with its rich mix of sweet chestnut, oak, and holly and its pine forests higher up it’s possible to see a Crested Tit alongside the tiny Firecrest or the Egyptian Vulture circling overhead.
The Arribes natural park comes as a complete geographical surprise with its steep river valleys and terraced olive and orange groves. Bonelli’s Eagle breeds here as well as the Black Stork, and even in winter you can find Hoopoe here.
Amongst the Holm oaks you can see flocks of Azure-winged Magpies; Dartford Warblers peeping from the scrub and, in summer, Bee-eaters and Black-winged Kites showing off their acrobatic skills. Between October and February, on the shores of the Santa Teresa reservoir hundreds of Cranes gather together every evening to pass the night.
This privileged position means that within a range of 70 miles we can experience five completely different habitats: The Gredos National Park and Sierra de Bejar mountains of the Central System to the south; the cereal plains and wetlands of the Peñaranda area to the north-east; the luxuriant atlantic forests of the Batuecas Sierra de Francia Natural Park to the south-west; the deep Mediterranean valleys of the Arribes Natural Park to the North-west, and in between the hilly open woodland ‘Dehesas’ of ancient Holm Oaks, granite tors, and the River Tormes with its vast lake-like reservoir.
This makes for an incredibly rich assortment of birdlife throughout the year, as well as summer and winter migrants and spring and autumn passage visitors.
Vega Bermejo
Is a trained ornithological ecotourism guide. A keen animal and nature lover from an early age she finally realized her dream of living in the country-side and has been based in the area since 2005. Vega is also a stone-carver and graphic designer, and teaches creative workshops for children and adults.
She has worked as a translator and speaks English, Spanish and French fluently. She was born and brought up in England.
Alfonso Asenjo
Is a trained ornithological ecotourism guide. He is also something of a self-taught amateur naturalist. He speaks Spanish, Italian, French, Gallego and understands Catalan. Alfonso is also a professional actor and musician.
Both Vega and Alfonso have a deep passion and respect for wildlife, which they hope to transmit and share with those they accompany. They’ll be happy to inform you insomuch as they can about much of the fauna encountered on a route, be it reptile, amphibian, mammal, insect, or bird.
Vega and Alfonso are volunteers in the local Seo/Birdlife Harrier campaign, identifying and protecting Montagu and Hen Harrier nests from early harvesting.
