I had read that February was a good time to observe species like Redwing, Ring Ouzel and Alpine Accentor in the mountains of Grazalema, more precisely near Puerto de las Palomas. I decided to hike along the Cerro Coros route, where these species had been seen before around this date.

I was welcomed by a mountain goat that was cheerfully walking in the middle of the road but soon skilfully jumped onto the safer rocks. The viewpoint at Puerto de las Palomas was inaccessible due to maintenance. A pity, because there were a lot of Griffon Vultures flying relatively close. There would be more opportunities later to photograph them though. As soon as I opened the door of the car, I realised there was a very strong and cold wind. It was only 11 AM, so I was hoping the sun would shine through the clouds soon, but things only got worse as I started the climb. Should have checked the weather forecast!

In some video that I had watched the day before, somebody recommended the route for a family trip. It is true that the route does not require an excellent physical condition, but I don't think bringing kids along to this place is a brilliant idea. It might be better on calm days with maybe only a gentle breeze, but during the first few hundred metres of my visit I had to focus on the path, in order not to get dizzy or distracted by the gaping depth. The cold wind made it even tougher.

The views were absolutely worthwhile, but there was no sign of any birds, apart from dozens of Griffon Vultures circling above my head. On one side of the mountain there was a quiet spell every now and then, which allowed me to hear some birds. However, the only one I could identify with certainty was the Blackbird. And a Sardinian Warbler, maybe.

After a relatively easy walk of over an hour, I reached two signs. I instinctively followed to the right, knowing that it was time to get to the top of the mountain before heading back.

What followed was without any doubt the scariest part of the route. Apart from a few loose rocks, the path is in good condition, but climbing along a steep cliff with fierce gusts trying to knock you off your feet every five seconds made it a scary experience. I had to kneel down a few times holding on to some big rocks as not to lose my balance. The Griffon Vultures didn't seem to be bothered at all about my precarious situation.


With a lot of effort I managed to get past this treacherous part and made it to a part where there was some shelter from the wind. It was there where I spotted some other birds, at last. I saw several Alpine Accentors, which did not seem to be bothered very much by human presence.

It was my first ever encounter with this beautiful bird, which is a resident in the higher mountains.


Other birds present on this high part of the mountain were Woodlark and Black Redstart.


I found myself at an altitude of 1330 meters, on one of the highest mountains of the province of Cadiz. I approached a rocky border at the very top and caught a very quick glimpse of the valley beneath. Just a few shots of the willingly posing Griffon Vultures and then I made the wise decision to start the descent, back to safety.




Needless to say that I was happy when I arrived at my car. Another unique experience and some great footage were the rewards! Along the curvy downhill road I witnessed another great moment involving two mountain goats.



See you soon, Grazalema mountains!
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