16th – 20th – The Iberian Lynxn’t

The following morning at 0915 I was picked up by a guide, and after picking up a Norwegian pair elsewhere in Malaga we were off on a 3-hour drive north past Cordoba and east to Andújar. Arriving at around mid-day we grabbed lunch packs and went on. 

 Fox.

The goal for the next four days was to find the Iberian lynx which roams the area. There isn’t a national park where you have to register somewhere and enter the area; instead the natural park Sierra de Andújar north of Andújar is protected and otherwise freely accessible by public roads. It is worth noting that the roads around here are mostly gravel and very windy so unless you are coming here to look for lynx (or any other wildlife) you wouldn’t venture into these parts. There are places where chances to see them are higher than others, so there are parts of the roads where you see cars parked with people carrying cameras around looking out into the landscape. These places were mostly places you have a good view of rock formations where the lynx comes by to rest on, or view points covering a large open area where you’ll be able to spot the lynx even from a long distance. It is worth noting that the large open area is still hilly and full of shrubs, bushes and trees so seeing a lynx is still very much depending on luck and timing. Especially also because their territories are fairly large and there will only be one mail and (maybe) one female in each. So the density is very low in a hard-to-see environment. Good luck!

Having picked up lunch we drove for another hour or so along windy roads before reaching the area to spot the lynx. The procedure was such that we found a place, left the vehicle and walked along the road for a bit seeing if anything interesting would appear. An hour or two later we would return to the car, drive somewhere else and repeat. Maybe confer with other camera-carrying people to hear if they had spotted anything (they hadn’t) before continuing the slow wander or silent watching of the landscape.

Red robin.

When it started getting dark we returned to Andújar and checked in at our hotel. The hotel was owned and run by a couple and we received a very warm welcome on arrival and we were soon seated in their basement previously used to storing wine and olive oil where we every evening were served a 3-course dinner. It was delicious including the wine and local olive oil and the atmosphere was warm and cozy. Breakfasts were also served here, being more of a buffet with the usual cereals, yoghurts, breads, danishes and cakes and eggs. Being very early in the lynx season and not summer (lynx season is mainly January) there were only a few other people staying at the hotel so it never felt crowded having our meals in an otherwise slightly limited space.

Common redstart.

Armed with our lunch packs we left in the early morning while it was still cold and dark, so when we arrived at the lookout points the sun had come out and we could get the most use of the light. So today – Tuesday – we stayed around the rocks and lookout points; spending the early morning at the rocks and later we moved on to get a wider view where also quite a few others had positioned themselves. And suddenly there was a yelp from one of the others, and far out in the distance, walking up a hill away from us a lonely lynx was moving. And a few seconds later it was gone. That was it. We were looking eagerly into the distance where it had disappeared, but it was completely out of sight again. And the rest of the day was spent looking without finding anything.

One far-away lynx-butt being presented to the photographers. 

Iberian ibex.

The following day we went to the Encinarejo reservoir as lynx sometimes is spotted there and the chance of seeing otters. There were no lynxes (surprise) but a few otters swimming around in the lake and plenty of birds. We also visited La Lancha, the town where people lived when the damn was built at the reservoir, now a ghost town. Walking around and sitting having lunch we were met by a small group of Iberian ibex, something that isn’t guaranteed at all so we had that going for us. In the afternoon we returned to the usual overlooked area, and meeting some of the other people there we were informed that they saw two lynx in the morning and could follow them for almost 45 minutes crossing the road and wandering around in the open. I was genuinely happy for them but... damn.

Kingfisher.

 

Otter.

The last day we spent the morning back at the usual lookout points with out seeing much. While the mornings and evenings had been chilly the middays and afternoons reached above 20 degrees with very little clouds so it got very warm. Around 11 this morning it started raining and we decided that it was the signal for us to pack up and return to Malaga. With lunch along the way we retuned in the afternoon, dropping off the Norwegians and then me, saying goodbye to our excellent guide promising him that I’ll be back some day to have another go at seeing the lynx.

On the lookout.

Dinner was had near the hotel, checked out the following morning, took the train from the nearby station to the airport, checked in and flew home without a single issue.

 

 Out there, somewhere, there's a lynx.

I enjoyed the trip, despite not seeing much of the lynx. Not having visited Malaga before this trip was new to me, and despite the downpour on the first day the weather was excellent to walk around the city. A couple of colleagues also did the run so meeting up with them on the Sunday evening was nice – especially because I take joy in the fact that I was far from the sorest from the run. And funny enough I don’t feel too bummed about not really seeing much of the lynx; I assume it was/is a combination of the ease of returning (don’t have to go far like to India or similar), the tour was cheap and probably also because I just needed some time off and away from work, so even staring idly at some rocks for the 4 days out of the city would have felt rewarding. In any case, I feel that I may be back at some point for another attempt.

Full album can be seen here.