You could say that we had “entered Sierra de Andújar through the back door.” From the former coal-mining town of Puertollano, we climbed slowly higher, the open cast mining landscape replaced by grazing cattle and sheep, passing through the narrow settlement of Mestanza and higher the Sierra Madrona both beautiful and devoid of other road users.
It is here in this remote corner of Andalucia that we find the Northern extreme of the Sierra Andújar.
This is the Province border between Jaén and Andalusia. Obviously, Andalusia is not committed to spending on the road surface and our onward progress very slow as we avoid multiple potholes.
The road does not detract from the view and we have time to ponder our chances of spotting a Pardel Lynx in this vast area, "third time lucky" Um!
Short-Toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
We park and walk along the charming Jándula river, birdsong exploding from all around.
It is about 2.5 kilometers from the picnic area up to the dam, well worth the time as there is usually lots to see like this Short-Toed Treecreeper.
As evening descends there are small gatherings of people close to the dam, they are here in the hope of two sightings, one the pair of Otters that are often seen on this stretch of the river and two an elusive Pardel Lynx.
A Red Deer watches our progress, not at all alarmed by our presence.
No Otters and no Lynx on our first evening.
As the low Winter sun starts to rise on our first morning we are out fresh and alert. The sun had been up 45 minutes when a shadow seemed to move down the hillside on the opposite side of the river.
It was extremely hard to make a positive identity with the light, large boulders, and shrubbery.
"Movement"! and there it is, not the best photograph in the World but it is a Pardel Lynx in the wild.
The tracking collar is looking very warn. Apparently, the collar color correlates to the Lynx given name.
Sadly! gone so fast.
It just disappeared into the undergrowth.
To say they are difficult to see, there were a few guy's only 15 meters away from us and they missed it!
As the best time to see the Lynx is early and late in the day we spent the rest of the day observing some of the other local wildlife.
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
In the forest, this Nuthatch finds a Moth in the Lichen.
Horseshoe Whip Snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis or Coluber hippocrepis)
Horseshoe Whip Snake a non-poisonous snake.
Enjoying the sun on the rocks.
Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanpica cyanus)
There are large numbers of these charming birds, usually found in family groups, they appear to love the stone pines. They are quite shy and alert birds.
Our second day had not started well, the early morning fog was actually getting thicker as the sun was rising.
The previous morning at this time we were photographing a Lynx, it's hard on this occasion to see a Cormorant at 10 meters.
As the fog starts to lift, we scan the right-hand bank but it's not to be today.
As we have said, the Sierra Andújar is a large area, at La Lancha you find the most popular Lynx watching area, at the weekends, watchers line the twisting mountain road with their telescopes and picnic chairs. If you are not lucky enough to peek a Lynx here there are plenty of Red Deer.
The view looking down the Rio Jádula.
A great visit for us and third time lucky.
Lynx watching really is a case of lots of patience and even more luck!
It is here in this remote corner of Andalucia that we find the Northern extreme of the Sierra Andújar.
This is the Province border between Jaén and Andalusia. Obviously, Andalusia is not committed to spending on the road surface and our onward progress very slow as we avoid multiple potholes.
The road does not detract from the view and we have time to ponder our chances of spotting a Pardel Lynx in this vast area, "third time lucky" Um!
Short-Toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
We park and walk along the charming Jándula river, birdsong exploding from all around.
It is about 2.5 kilometers from the picnic area up to the dam, well worth the time as there is usually lots to see like this Short-Toed Treecreeper.
As evening descends there are small gatherings of people close to the dam, they are here in the hope of two sightings, one the pair of Otters that are often seen on this stretch of the river and two an elusive Pardel Lynx.
A Red Deer watches our progress, not at all alarmed by our presence.
No Otters and no Lynx on our first evening.
As the low Winter sun starts to rise on our first morning we are out fresh and alert. The sun had been up 45 minutes when a shadow seemed to move down the hillside on the opposite side of the river.
It was extremely hard to make a positive identity with the light, large boulders, and shrubbery.
"Movement"! and there it is, not the best photograph in the World but it is a Pardel Lynx in the wild.
The tracking collar is looking very warn. Apparently, the collar color correlates to the Lynx given name.
Sadly! gone so fast.
It just disappeared into the undergrowth.
To say they are difficult to see, there were a few guy's only 15 meters away from us and they missed it!
As the best time to see the Lynx is early and late in the day we spent the rest of the day observing some of the other local wildlife.
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
In the forest, this Nuthatch finds a Moth in the Lichen.
Horseshoe Whip Snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis or Coluber hippocrepis)
Horseshoe Whip Snake a non-poisonous snake.
Enjoying the sun on the rocks.
Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanpica cyanus)
There are large numbers of these charming birds, usually found in family groups, they appear to love the stone pines. They are quite shy and alert birds.
Our second day had not started well, the early morning fog was actually getting thicker as the sun was rising.
The previous morning at this time we were photographing a Lynx, it's hard on this occasion to see a Cormorant at 10 meters.
As the fog starts to lift, we scan the right-hand bank but it's not to be today.
As we have said, the Sierra Andújar is a large area, at La Lancha you find the most popular Lynx watching area, at the weekends, watchers line the twisting mountain road with their telescopes and picnic chairs. If you are not lucky enough to peek a Lynx here there are plenty of Red Deer.
The view looking down the Rio Jádula.
A great visit for us and third time lucky.
Lynx watching really is a case of lots of patience and even more luck!
