Spain - Part 1

10/04/2014 - After a stressful day at work trying to tie up loose ends, we left the house at 16:30pm setting off down to Surrey to stay overnight at a Hotel near to Gatwick.  The only birds of note on the way down were the usual Red Kites on the M40 and three Ring Necked Parakeets flying over the M25 (my first for the year).

Ring Necked Parakeet

Collared Dove

11/04/2014 - A very early start, while waiting for the Taxi to the Airport we were surrounded by calling Tawny Owls (magical) - Didn't see any though.  After an uneventful journey and bus ride into the centre of Seville we were soon settled into our Hotel which would be home for two nights.  It was an extremely hot day and we settled on the idea of staying cool and just chilling out.  So, we took a leisurely lunch in a nearby park with sandwiches bought in Gatwick and then wandered over to the Alcazar where we spent an amazing afternoon marvelling at the architecture and gardens (which held Collared Dove, Serin and Ring Necked Parakeets).  We finished off the day with some fantastic tapas at a local restaurant.

Seville Alcazar

Seville Alcazar

Seville Alcazar

12/04/2014 - A leisurely start and a cooler day allowed us to walk a bit round the centre.  We headed for the river where we strolled past the Bullring and then onto the Maritime Museum which we choose to visit as we had time (and it was not expensive).  From the top, we observed Black Kites flying past over the river and a Sacred Ibis (presumably of the feral population).  We opted for tapas for lunch and then headed for the Cathedral, which was massive and kept us busy for the rest of the day.  From the top there was a magnificent view, including Lesser Kestrel wheeling past.  Dinner was again tapas accompanied by a local wine.

Lesser Kestrel over Seville

Seville Bullring..mmmm!!