Mammals, birds and butterflies in the Cantabrian Mountains

During our wildlife trips to the Cantabrian Mountains, we will look for a wonderful variety of wildlife, including mammals like the Iberian Wolf, Wildcat, and Brown Bear. Moreover, we will scan the alpine meadows for butterflies and birds like the Wallcreeper.

In this amazing wildlife tour, we will explore the Cantabrian Mountains. These mountains are the last stronghold for the Cantabrian Brown Bear, an endangered subspecies of the widespread Brown Bear. They are usually hidden in thick forests but in late summer they venture to the open and rocky hillside to feed on berries. This top endangered predator is recovering from near extinction through hunting and habitat destruction. The estimated population of approximately 250 bears.

Southern Chamois, Red Squirrel, Iberian Wolf, Stoat, and Wildcats are also among our targets in this wildlife trip. We will combine morning and evening stakeout with nice and steady walks during midday to discover birds, butterflies (please check our butterfly and wildlife gallery on Instagram), and reptiles such as the endemic Schreiber’s green Lizard or the Seoane’s viper.

Day 1 – 7. Cantabrian Mountains (mammals, birds and butterflies in NW Spain)

After a bit more than 2 h drive from Santander airport, we will be in our rural hotel ready to check-in and leave for our first Wildcat and Iberian Wolf stakeout.

At the end of summer Brown Bears that are dispersed in the inaccessible valleys and mountains, move to a specific location in search of berries of Alpine Buckthorn Rhamnus alpinus, Bilberries Vaccinium myrtillus and  Red Currants Ribes rubrum. That gives us the chance to find this elusive mammal above the tree-line on the higher mountain slopes. At this location, they are much more visible than in the forests.

After the morning stakeout, we will take a nice stroll searching for migrant birds, butterflies among the lush meadows and reptiles. Later, after lunch and a nap, we will go for another walk before the evening skateout.

Regarding birds, some of the species we might watch during the trip include alpine species. For instance Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Alpine Accentor, and Yellow-billed Chough. Besides in the meadows, there will be Yellow Hammer, Water Pipit, Red-billed Chough, and Rock Bunting. In addition, Iberian Chiffchaff, Crested Tit, Bullfinch, Marsh Tit, Egyptian, and Griffon Vulture are often seen. The park also holds a few pairs of Peregrine Falcon and Golden Eagle. We will always keep an eye on the steppes hillside which bears visit regularly to feed on berries.

At the end of the summer, farmers cut the hay from the fields to feed the cattle during the cold winter. This leaves many rodents exposed to the Wildcats which come out of the forest to feast on them, even in daylight. Thus, this area holds one of the best and healthy Wildcat populations in Europe.

We will spend the following days looking for Iberian wolves. In order to find this elusive mammal, we shall spend early mornings and evenings scanning the area in order to find the packs. The rest of the day will be spent looking for birds and insects in the surroundings, but there will be also time to rest and recover for the early start.

Not only birds and mammals but also butterflies

In addition and depending on the season, we will also keep an eye on the astonishing variety of butterflies that can be observed in the meadows.

Some of the butterflies we might see include: Meadow Brown, Marbled White, and False Ilex Hairstreak. In addition, there will be a lot of Fritillaries: Queen of Spain, Marsh, High Brown, Heath and Weaver’s. Furthermore, we will also look out for Garvarnie Blue, Brown Argus, Long-tailed Blue, Lang’s Short-tailed Blue, Small Blue, Grizzled Skipper, Large Skipper, Red-underwing Skipper, Mallow Skipper, Mountain Clouded Yellow, Black-veined White, Brown Small Heath, Chapman’s Ringlet, etc.

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Price of the tour: mammals, birds, and butterflies in the Cantabrian Mountains

1300 € /people (4-6 people)

Single supplement: 150€

Please find our last mammal trip report to the Cantabrian mountains here.

Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit our tour calendar!

What is included:
– Travel from Bilbao or Santander airport in modern, fully seat belted, air-conditioned vehicles. On the last day, you will be transferred to Madrid airport.
– 6 Nights accommodation in beautiful rural hotels. 3 different locations.
– All meals included, picnic for lunch and traditional Spanish evening meals
– Tour guided by professional bird guides
– Basic travel insurance
– Fuel

What is not included:
– Air fare (Low cost companies operate daily flights to Bilbao and Santander from several European airports) Easyjet flights from London Stansted.
– Drinks and other items of a personal nature