Mining basins

Mining basins

ITINERARY

A tour of some of the most surprising landscapes in this area.

LAS PARRAS RESERVOIR, MARTÍN DEL RÍO, MONTALBÁN, OBÓN, RIVER MARTÍN, ALCAINE.

SPECIES

RESIDENTS:Golden Eagle, Griffon vulture, Peregrine falcon, Red billed chough, Goshawk, Blue rockthrush, Blue tit, Great tit, Crested tit, Coal tit, Goldcrest, Common buzzard, Kingfisher, Greater spotted woodpecker, Mistle thrush, Iberian grey shrike, Cirl bunting, Eagle owl, Grey heron, Goldfinch, Serin, Linnet, Mallard, Shoveller duck. 

SUMMER VISITORS: Egyptian vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Golden oriole, Common rock thrush, Northern wheatear, Black-eared wheatear, Dartford warbler, Subalpine warbler, Garden warbler, Orphean warbler, Spectacled warbler, Wryneck, Nightingale, Beeeater, Black kite, Red-rumped swallow. 

WINTER VISITORS: Cormorant, Grey heron, Greater crested grebe, Teal, Gadwall.

PASSAGE MIGRANTS: Osprey.

DESCRIPTION

BEST TIMES OF YEAR: All year  Avoid the hottest days in Summer

HABITATS: From reservoirs and wetland to woodland, riverbanks, gorges and rocky cliffs.

The Parras reservoir is in a beautiful landscape and as one of the few wetlands in the area it attracts some interesting birds.  Em

The water and rocks of Hocino de la Rambla, in Martín del Río make up a beautiful landscape of great biological value.  There are mediterranean riverine species, mountain goats and many Griffon vultures.  The route then takes us through a landscape of pines, Juniper trees and Holm oaks before reaching Peñarroya where the route either passes rocky cliffs or winds between Poplars, Willows, pines and other tree species.  Here we can the typical birds present in these ecosystems.    

Downstream from Obón, the River Martín and its tributaries has carved a series of defiles and cliffs.  This is a fantastic area with ancient rock paintings (pinturas rupestres), and several rock dwelling bird species and one of Aragón´s biggest Griffon vulture colonies.   

The water and, particularly, the large stand of Tamarisk bushes at the end of the reservoir is a wonderful area for seeing this parto f the River Martin´s  the geology and birds.  We can observe many bird species from the hide here which looks out over the water.