On 7 and 8 May 2005 I could, once again, witness the Spring explosion that takes place in the Sierra de Gredos, the western section of the Sistema Central mountain range.

The Gredos Regional Park is within an easy 2 hour drive from Madrid. The sierra can be reached either through its southern side, crossing the scenic (and very birdy) dehesa of Candeleda, then climbing up to Arenas de San Pedro; or from the more dramatic northern slopes, through Avila and the village of Hoyos del Espino. From this village, a road that ends at the Plataforma de Gredos leads to the trail to Laguna Grande, an alpine lagoon situated at 1,973 m. surrounded by dramatic granite formations.

The lagoon faces the highest peak in the range, Almanzor, with 2,592 m. The hike takes around 2 ½ hours and is a little steep at certain points, but can be made by anyone in reasonable shape.
As many other accessible mountain areas in Spain, it can get really crowded on weekends after 10 pm.

Rock Bunting can be seen right at the bottom of the trail, near the car park. The boulders and the stream to the left hold Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail, and Rock Thrush, all in full breeding display frenzy at this time of the year. The trail crosses some spectacular mountain scenery, with alpine meadows partly covered by broom, where Dunnock and Bluethroat display and establish their territories in the early days of May. Ortolan Bunting, Northern Wheatear, and Skylark add to the birdsong pandemonium.

Rock Thrush can be seen on several rocky outcrops throughout the trail. Especially in the early morning hours, Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica), a spectacular Iberian endemism, can be seen at very close range. Most of the specimens are females; adult males leave the herds in April and wander in small groups, and some of them can be seen around the area.

At the end of the trail, near the lagoon, Alpine Accentor can be found on the highest rock boulders, although they are easier to see in winter, when they descend from the peaks. Iberolacerta cyreni, the Mountain Lizard endemic to this range, is present in a brighter green form than in Guadarrama (see photo in previous section). On sunny days, they can be seen on the lower portions of the trail.

Dunnock

Back to the village of Hoyos del Espino, Bee-eater can be frequently seen on wires at the roadside, and the whole area is excellent for raptors, especially Booted Eagle, Red Kite and Griffon Vulture. The Parador de Gredos (state-owned hotel) is located in the village of Navarredonda, and the pine woods that surround it are a well-known site for Citril Finch, Short-toed Treecreeper and many other forest species.