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EXCLUSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS

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Dates

*Great Bustard - Mar 31st - April 5th 2008/ five people // Cost per persone £ 800.-

*Lammergeier - October TBD /two people // Cost per persone £ 920.-

In the last years we have been visited by the excellent artist Mr. Ernest Leahy, various film makers and ,among several photographers, the amusing Mr. Gordon Langsbury a most eminent natural history photographer who brought with him a group of friends and colleagues, Chris Nights all a character, David Tippling or John Gardner both made an excellent work with Great Bustard. The excellent results and success they achieved, has prompted us to continue in the coming years with our photo tours designed specifically for working with some of the most famous and "handsome" Spanish specialities: Lammergeier, Wallcreeper , Crane or Great Bustard, to satisfy those who pursue the difficult art of photography in the field of wild birds.
In order to achieve the best results from your photo sessions, all sites have their own hides which have been used for several years. We work all the year round at the artificial feeding stations supplying food and using other methods to ensure that the birds are regular visitors to these areas. Most of the species can be photographed at a range off approx 50 metres or closer. Four to six full days is the time you will have to complete your photography, so you will have to be in the hide before dawn and leave just before dusk. Temperature will be very cold at this time of year so do not forget to pack warm clothes, boots, flask, etc.
In 2003 we had 5 photographers who joined our tour in Extremadura for Great Bustard, P Mugridge, Malcolm Schuyl, Gordon Brahman, Dave Watts and Chris Knights, I would like to give them our most sincere thanks for their trust in us.
Here you are a snapshot which will give you an idea of the exciting moments they had.
I would like to specially mention Chris Knights, "the peasant" for making the tour a nonstop laugh-in full of amusing anecdotes.

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Wallcreeper ( Tichodroma muraria) by Jim France and Great Bustard (Otis tarda) by Ph. Mugridge

In order to achieve the best results from your photo sessions, all sites have their own hides which have been used for several years. We work all the year round at the artificial feeding stations supplying food and using other methods to ensure that the birds are regular visitors to these areas. Most of the species can be photographed at a range of approx 50 metres or closer.
Four to six full days is the time you will have to complete your photography, so you will have to be in the hide before dawn and leave just before dusk. Temperature will be very cold at this time of year so do not forget to pack warm clothes, boots flask, etc.

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LAMMERGEIER

This exclusive photographic tour is a dream for most photographers. The beauty and magnificent presence of these handsome creatures soaring in the skies above the landscape of the Aragonese Pyrenees is something unforgetable for those photographers who have had the luck to experience such a combination. This tour is specifically designed for two photographers, preferably friends, sharing a hide at 2000 mts. Weather permitting you will have excellent chances to photograph the birds in flight or on the ground at very short distance. Transport to the hide will be via a rough dirt track in a comfortable 4x 4 vehicle. To complement the hard work of being in a hide all day we will accommodate you in a small Pyrenean village of not more than twenty inhabitants. As part of the Boletas 'style' you will stay in a small guest house producing exquisite home made cuisine, lamb, veal, wild mushrooms and good wine - a perfect finish to the long day.

Airport : arrival & departure Zaragoza or Barcelona

Day 1 .- We will meet you on your arrival in Zaragoza airport.We will then drive to the hides for your first contact with the site where you will have the opportunity to decide where to put the carrion, light conditions etc. Overnight in the Pyrenees.

Day 2, 3, 4,5 - Early morning breakfast , before dawn everybody will be ready in their hide where you will have chances for Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle & Raven. We will stay at the feeding stations until you are satisfied with your work. Once you have finished with your photography and time permitting we will visit other nearby spots looking for other birds; Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor etc. Overnight in the Pyrenees

Day 6- In morning we try for birds we may have missed and in afternoon return to Zaragoza for your flight home.

Chris Nights and Dick Forsman after an excellent Lammergeier photo tour in Nov 04

We´ve been offered work with an association who run a programme of sustainable development in Extramadura. Ih the last 8 years this active group has been working with local farmers in order to maintain the steppe lands, where a good population of both bustards breed in good condition and to ensure their survival. Thanks to the photo tours and the money collected , the farmers allow to this association work on their private lands also stone hides have been built.
The association is also very active in the conservation of species such as Montagu's Harrier & Lesser Kestrel.
If all goes well you will have good chances for bustards displaying & lesser kestrels mating. In previous tours the average success rate has been about 70%

Itinerary

Airport : arrival & departure Madrid

Day 1 .- We will meet you on your arrival in Madrid ariport. We will then drive to La Serena in Extremadura for your first contact with the sites. Depending forecast we will decide which will be our first target. Overnight in la Serena.

Day 2,3,6 .- Early morning breakfast , before dawn everybody will be ready inside its hide. Great Bustard will be displaying so we hope they pass in front of your hide. Also you will have chances for Calandra Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Hoopoe and sandgrouse. Just few minutes before dusk we will collect you from the hides and drive to or base. Overnight in La Serena

Day 4,5 .- After breakfast we will go to see the biulding where Lesser Kestrel breeds, at this time of the year they will be mating so you should get some good photos. Overnight in La Serena

Day 7.- We will do some work around the hotel before driving to the airport for your flight back home, Rock Bunting , Black Wheatear and Blue Rock Thrush breeds in the area. The journey from La Serena to Madrid will take four hours.

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CRANES AND VULTURES in Extremadura

Itinerary

Airport : arrival & departure Madrid

Day 1.- We will meet you at Madrid airport , time permitting drive to La Serena where during the first fornight of December thousands of Cranes arrive on their southward migration for wintering in the extended “dehesa” of Extremadura, acorn is the main food of this elegant birds and hides are settled in the main feeding areas, the shoot nap you can obtain are a combination of green grass dark evergreen tree and the sun of Spain . Overnight In La Serena.

Day 2,3,4,5.- Each day will be panned depending on the weather conditions, our main targets will be Crane and vultures: Griffon and Balck. There are many other interesting birds in the area which you will have an opportunity to photograph including , Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, White Stork, Red Kite, and perhaps Spanish Imperial Eagle in flight. Overnight in La Serena.

Day 6.-We will do some work around the hotel before driving to Madrid airport for your flight back home. The journey from La Serena to Madrid airport will take 4 hours.

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For al above PHOTO TOURS our terms include:

• -Meet/deliver you at the airport.
• -Accommodation in twin-bedded rooms with facilities.
• -Breakfast, dinner , packed lunch & wine
• -Transport from hotel to hides or alternative photo excursions
• -Permissions from local authorities & hides
• -Taxes.

• -Not included flight tickets & travel insurance

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Here you can appreciate the great work done in our photo tours

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Photographers who have joined BOLETAS photo tours

Javier Ara, Gordon Bramhan, Charlie Brown, Ian Brown, Gill Cardy, George Carr, Lesley Carr, Sylvian Cordier, Frederic Desmette, Jasper Doest, Dick Forsman, Jim France, John Gardner, Chris Hatch, Karen Hatch, Chris Knights, Michael Lane, Javier Martin, Philip Mugridge, Richard Price, Dave Richards, Malcolm Schuyl, David Tipplin, Hellen Williams, Dave Watts.

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***Lammergeier Photo tour***

Gordon Bramham

Dear JoseleJust a note to thanks you for organising such a special trip. Works cannot really describe how good it was. I learnt more about this bird in four days than I´ve read in years. It was an ambition fulfilled to see such a HANDSOME bird so close in the wild.

A thousand thanks once again. Gordon Bramham

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