For most of my life when I’ve thought of Spain, Barcelona, bars and beaches have come to mind. My parents had a flat in Denia for many years, so holidays there, plus visits to friends in Sitges in more recent times, fuelled that rather limited view. I have now finally found that Spain has the most amazing nature reserves. And in certain places you can even spot the most elegant wild cats imaginable: lynx.
I had the thrill of seeng lynx in Andujar Natural Park in January with my usual great gang of wildlife watching friends. Iberian lynx used to be fairly common in Spain and Portugal but, as with lots of wildlife, their numbers diminished through habitat destruction, disease, hunting and road accidents. At one time they were on the verge of extinction; thanks to conservation efforts, they are now listed by the IUCN as vulnerable – a small but significant improvement. Spotting them would be a challenge, but we were optimistic.
Awesome Andujar
On arrival, after a three-hour drive from Malaga, we entered the southern part of the park and spent the rest of that day and the next four exploring. The park is truly stunning with rolling hills, forests and scrubland stretching for miles with a meandering river adding to the beauty. For the first two days, our guide drove us around the area with lots of stops and short walks to take in our surroundings. As well as seeing the sensational scenery, we saw eagles, vultures and many other birds, large and small. Mammals included ibex, deer, and horned sheep called mouflon which were new to me. An otter was another delightful sight.
Our chances of seeing a lynx hugely increased on Day 3 as we had booked a hide – at a spot where lynx frequently visit. We had two four-hour sessions, the first starting at 0700. We sat in silence, watching and waiting. I got lots of camera practice photographing birds, some of them very small, hopping around very quickly. Then along came a rabbit. Very cute, and it was a little sad to reflect that he is the lynx’s favourite food by far. Indeed, breeding rabbits and setting them free as food for the lynx is one of the current conservation practices. This one did not entice a predator, and our session ended with no lynx in sight. The other photographers in the hide assured us that lynx were regular visitors and our luck would change.
Lynx at Last
They were right. A couple of hours into the afternoon session a female lynx appeared and walked back and forth across the rocks in front of us. She even caught a small rodent and posed with it (covered in grass) in her mouth. Perfect. I love all cats, but this lynx was the most elegant feline I had ever seen. And as for those tufty ears!
Things then quietened down and, just when we had put all our camera gear away to leave at 7pm, a male appeared. Not my best photos – my excuse: light was low and in the rush I didn’t select the best settings. So, I see them more as arty pictures than sharp shots. But we had seen 2 lynx! And a lesson learned – for those who are keen to see lynx up close, especially for photography, hiring a hide is an absolute must.
Another approach is to pay to go into a private estate, accompanied by one of the estate’s guides. That’s what we did on Day 4. We took our gear and foldaway chairs and set ourselves up on a grassy spot with extensive views. The estate guide pointed out a fenced area ahead of us and a rocky area to our right where a particular lynx often appears. These places were quite a distance away, so it helped that both guides had scopes with them. We spent the next few hours snacking, chatting and watching. Luckily it didn’t rain and, despite it being January, we stayed fairly warm.
Plenty of Scope
Our guide spotted lots of different birds. I took his word for it as, even with my (100-400) zoom lens, they were out of sight for me. Those with binoculars were well entertained and added lots to their growing list of species spotted. Then finally, what we had been waiting for. The estate guide saw a lynx through her scope. It was too far away to see with the naked eye or my zoom lens, so we took it in turns to watch through the scope. Another elegant female. She sat still, listening and looking. Then pounced. Rabbit in mouth, she quickly disappeared back behind the rocks. There, then gone. Lynx number 3. Although it is frustrating not to be closer, there is still something exciting about knowing the lynx are out there, in the wild, happily living their lives. Even if we can’t easily see them.
On our last day we went back to the driving and walking approach. At various points along the road are viewing platforms overlooking popular lynx trails. If you are driving past one of these and come across a bunch of photographers looking very excited and all pointing their lenses and scopes in the same direction, it’s a clue. Seeing such, we stopped and enquired. We were directed towards a distant rocky outcrop and soon scoped two lynx silhouetted against the pale rocks. Cropping and enlarging shots of animals so far away creates a rather blurred result, so the silhouettes came in handy. Lynx numbers 4 and 5. Five lynx in five days. Fantastic.
We spent the rest of the day seeing birds and other beings, including more otters. A wonderful selection. Andujar National Park is certainly well worth a visit.
Malaga’s Magnetism
I like to round off wildlife watching trips with a bit of city life and culture, so our next stop was Malaga. I’d never been there before – despite it having beaches and bars – and again I’d thoroughly recommend a visit. As always, a Hop On Hop Off bus is a great way to get an overview. A walk around the old town is rewarding too. There are some truly iconic sights: the cathedral, Roman Theatre, Moorish Alcazaba and the Castillo. Plus, you can visit Picasso’s birthplace and the Picasso Museum to learn about his life and see lots of his art. There are other museums and galleries which we didn’t visit, so plenty to do beyond the windy beaches and very welcoming bars.
Then a quick flight home to start editing the photos. Did I mention that the lynx are sublime?
And Finally
Many thanks as always to my great friends and travelling companions Sue, Angie and Bernie and also joining us for this trip – and most welcome – Carrie. I didn’t even know there were lynx in Spain until Sue suggested it!
I’ve included some photos in this piece and posted others on Instagram. Do take a look. https://www.instagram.com/allihill.ah
