BEARS AND BIRDS IN SPRING IN SOMIEDO NATURAL PARK, ASTURIAS, SPAIN
BEARS AND BIRDS IN SPRING IN SOMIEDO NATURAL PARK, ASTURIAS, SPAIN
Somiedo Natural Park is located in northern Spain in the heart of the Cantabrian Mountains and its mountains are the natural barrier between Asturias and León, between the humid Atlantic climate to the north and the continental Mediterranean to the south.
While many of its nearby valleys have been influenced by the impact of coal mining, Somiedo has only ever had a small iron ore mine and so remains steadfast to its rustic and cattle-raising traditions. It maintains the essence of what were the Vaqueiros de alzada, cattlemen who during the summer came to take care of the transhumant sheep that came through the royal cattle trails from Extremadura, to enjoy the rich mountain pastures in these mountains.
That is why we can enjoy the cultural historical legacy present in its typical villages and especially represented in the Cabañas de Teito, constructions made with stone walls and broom roofing, very typical of these areas and still used in traditional livestock.
But besides the beautiful landscape that its four valleys, El Lago, Saliencia, El Puerto and Pigüeña offer, the Natural Park of Somiedo boasts a great ecological value, present in its abundant amount of birds, varied orchids and nourished fauna, represented in its greatest number by large ungulates such as the Red Deer, the Cantabrian Chamois and the Roe Deer, but above all it is especially relevant for its famous predators, the Brown Bear, the Iberian Wolf and the European Wild Cat.
Somiedo is undoubtedly the most famous place in Spain for the observation of the Cantabrian Brown Bear, since its valleys are home to a high percentage of the western population of the Cantabrian Cordillera.
People from all over the world come to this beautiful corner of Asturias to observe bears, mainly during their two most representative periods, in the middle of spring during the rut and at the end of summer during the hyperphagia, being these two moments when they are best shown to our binoculars.
It is at the end of April when the bears with cubs begin to come out to the vicinity of their dens, where they will continue to suckle their young cubs until the middle of spring, when they make their first exploratory trips around the area. This is undoubtedly the most dangerous time for them because of the possible infanticides of the reproductive males that will try by all means to put the female in heat.
These large males tend to move deliberately looking for the females through the valleys, while feeding mainly on the newly grown grass in the vertical channels. This is undoubtedly the time of year that offers the most natural behavior while observing bears in the wild, as all kinds of interactions can be seen, from fights due to estrus to mothers feeding their cute cubs.
In addition, the meadows of plants such as orchids that carpet the grounds will delight not only botanists, but also the numerous butterflies and of course the birds such as the colorful Bluethroat or the emblematic Bearded Vulture and the elusive Wallcreeper.
It is for this set of rich natural values that Somiedo offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the nature of northwestern Spain, being the second half of May the best time to enjoy it at its peak flowering.
This six-day tour will start and end at Oviedo airport where our guides will transfer us in vans to a charismatic rural hotel in the heart of the Somiedo Natural Park. We will take advantage of the first hour of the day to make the best observations of brown bears and the rest of the day after resting a little we will visit the most interesting places. In spring the weather can be changeable so we must be prepared for all possible situations, from snow in the morning to the sun in the afternoon, but be that as it may, the landscape is sure to be splendid.
After landing at the airport in Oviedo our guides will transfer us in an hour to the nearby accommodation in Pola de Somiedo, where after a short rest, if time permits, we will make a short interpretive walk or even our first hope for the search of the brown bear, where we will use binoculars and telescope, plus camera, being able to see the animals in the vicinity or in the distance, where they want, as they are wild and are not baited.
At this time of the year, it is best to go early and late in the day, but it is also possible that they are active if the weather is cool during the middle of the day. The weather conditions will make us adapt as well as possible to the trip.
We will start the day at dawn, making our first wait in the village of La Peral, where we will cover a lot of high ground in our observations from the viewpoint of the Prince. This is undoubtedly an excellent area for possible sightings of the European Wild Cat, hunting in the fields.
After a cup of coffee, we will continue to the nearby Puerto de Somiedo looking for interesting birds such as the Bluethroat, the Egyptian Vulture or the Short-toed Eagle.
We will have lunch nearby and depending on how the morning goes we can walk to the Brañas Mumian or make a second wait for the bear in the nearby village of Gua, which is undoubtedly the best known area for the observation of the bear and where eventually, as in the whole territory, there could be occasional observations of Iberian wolf, spring not being the best time to see them because they are very busy and hidden with the breeding of the litter.
We will go back to the hotel for dinner in Pola de Somiedo.
Early in the morning we will drive about fifty minutes to the neighboring Saliencia valley where we will wait for sunrise at La Farrapona, where sometimes with luck we can see several Brown Bears in a single good morning.
After a break we will visit the high of the Farrapona and the beautiful glacial lakes of Saliencia with great opportunities to see the colorful and elusive Wallcreeper as well as the solitary Rock Thrush or the Alpine Accentor among others.
We can take good pictures of the lakes and with patience to the nearby Chamois to then approach the valley of Torrestio in neighboring León and know that less lush part of the mountains, dominated by its impressive Peñas de Las Ubiñas where inhabits the Alpine Sparrow and the Brume hare among other fauna species.
Therefore, we will drive down that road to Puerto Ventana where to look for Snowfinch before keep driving all the way down towards north to Teverga, where we will enjoy deep valleys carved by intricate limestone gorges crossed by crystal clear rivers, where you can also see the Dipper, European Otter, Grey Wagtail, and of course try to spot the Brown Bear.
We will then return to look for the delicate Wallcreeper and continue the day progressively with stops along the way until returning to Somiedo for a well-deserved rest in the hotel garden, enjoying the famous cider and the beautiful views, but as always with binoculars in hand, as bears can appear at any time.
At dawn we will adjust our departure to know the nearby Lake Valley where we will take the opportunity to wait for the sunrise also looking for the Bear and then after a short rest we will take the opportunity to know its wide valley where the El Valle River rises and where sometimes it would also be possible to see the Otter and enjoy its abundant orchids and butterflies.
In the afternoon we will visit the park house in Pola de Somiedo and learn first hand about the conservation work carried out by the Brown Bear Foundation and the positive impact on the recovery of this emblematic and endangered species, which currently enjoys a population of about 500 specimens in Spain and that in the late nineties had barely 70 individuals, having been very close to extinction.
Taking advantage of the fact that we have to head north towards Oviedo to return to the airport and on the way, we can visit the charismatic village of Villardevildas, where it seems that time has stopped and where we can feel the rural essence of its narrow streets and its stone houses.
We will continue our way back to the airport making a short stop on the way before arriving in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, where we will take the plane back to our homes, saying goodbye to a fantastic week of pure and wild nature in the old continent.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To be comfortable while observing the animals, it is advisable to bring good quality binoculars in good condition. It is a good idea to bring a camera and a telescope is optional, as the guide will bring his own. It may be comfortable to bring a small cushion or seat for the waiting time.
Being the trip during the spring, the weather can be very changeable so it is necessary to bring waterproof clothing and preferably dark colors to integrate more with the landscape. It is highly recommended long pants and hiking shoes that allow us to walk and if you consider it appropriate telescopic poles to walk more comfortably.
The pace of the trip is quiet, but also requires good early mornings and patience to search for the animals because they are purely wild, not being guaranteed their observation, but there is a high possibility of seeing them. During the observations we will keep a safe distance from the animals and we will respect the local rural populations.
During the routes we will try not only to observe the animals but also to learn about their ecology and of course their tracks and traces of presence and their significant relevance to humans, from ancient times to the present day.