Griffon vultures

I hadn't (yet) been seen

3 Griffon vultures on their ledges overlooking the broad vista of the Central Spanish plateau (or Meseta = high plains). I see I have posted this one before - and not so long ago either.

The rock is white because that's what vulture guano does to granite over 10,000 years or more! La Sierra de La Cabrera, Madrid Province. That's it from me folks for a couple of weeks. On my return I hope to have fresh Cornwall material to show! Have a good summer!!! Apologies, I now see that I have posted this twice. Oh well ...

Vultures doing vulture-ry things on El Cancho de La Bola, Sierra de La Cabrera. Three are about to come into land. There will be a fierce squabble over landing rights lasting about 20 seconds and then all will be at peace again.

The preferred roost of griffon vultures but I have scared them all away! El Cancho de La Bola, guano stained for close on 10,000 years!

Always hoping I'd fall from a great height and yet I find them life-affirming in a way!

Sierra de La Cabrera. Here you see the main path, but it's much more fun to get in among those granite rocks and perhaps sometimes get close to a family of Griffon vultures!

In the distance can be seen the guano-stained vulture home at El Cancho de La Bola and - on full screen, please - you can just about see vultures circling above it.

Sierra de La Cabrera. Pure granite.

Cancho de La Bola, their favourite perch, and turned white due to 10,000 years of guano stains. Sierra de La Cabrera. The view is of the immense plateau of Castilla La Mancha, here seen on the border of Madrid and Guadalajara Provinces.

Sierra de La Cabrera, Cancho de La Bola. Unedited. I have lost the hard drive of my old computer and although the external hard drive seems to be OK and it is where my photos are, I can't associate it with my new laptop. Google has dumped Picasa, so my editing tool has gone. I had it on my old computer but that is history. How does Picmonkey work? Until I am able to associate my external hard drive with my new laptop, I will have a limited supply of uploads, and no new photos for a while.

Cancho Largo from Cancho Gordo, Sierra de La Cabrera.

Sierra de La Cabrera above the fog. Spot the Griffon vulture. Peñalara, the highest point in the Sierra de Guadarrama(2428m, 7975 feet) is on the horizon, nearly dead centre. I am at approx 5,000 feet, so considerably above Ben Nevis.

Sierra de La Cabrera.

Sierra de La Cabrera, below Cancho Largo.

One of the very best days in these mountains. Peñalara, the highest peak in the Sierra de Guadarrama can be seen, snow covered, to the right on the horizon.

On Cancho de La Bola, looking across to Pico de La Miel which looks much closer that it actually is. Sierra de La Cabrera granite country.

Taken from the summit of Cancho de La Bola, Sierra de La Cabrera. Always worth the effort to scramble up here! Best on full screen.