Autumn Getaway

In early December I had the chance to visit an area than has been on my to-do list for a while - Sierra Madrona. This mountain range is part of the Sierra Morena and lies just beyond the provincial limitis of Cordoba in Castile-La Mancha. This was the perfect time of year to visit as autumn had turned the landscape a mixure of ochre yellows, oranges and browns. 

Autumn in Sierra Madrona

Leaf litter

Song Thrushes prefer areas of leaf litter to look for invertebrates

One of the nicest walks we did was near the hamlet of Ventillas and which followed a path alongside the curiously named Arroyo de Nueve Veces.

Soon after leaving the car a juvenile Spanish Imperial Eagle circled above us for a few minutes before disappearing over a nearby hill. 

Spanish Imperial Eagle

A little further ahead a fox sat and watched us for some time before practicing its hunting technique with playful jumps. A group of Jays were busy collecting acorns for their winter stores. 

Jay

Another hoarder, the red squirrel, was also preparing for the colder months. We eventually came the Rio Montoro and the remoteness of this area meant there was nobody else around to disturb the silence. 

Red Squirrel

 

Acorns are buried by Jays for the winter months

In other parts of Sierra Madrona people were out picking mushrooms. The recent rain seemed to have led to an abundance of fungi of varying shapes and colours.

Cauliflower mushroom

Witch's Butter

Numerous rivers and streams wind through the landscpae, bringing life and colour to the area, before spilling their waters into the rivers Guadiana or Guadalquivir.

Shades of green

Ruins of a farm house

Sierra Madrona also has numerous Neolithic cave paintings dipicting scenes of ritual dance, hunts, and chasing bulls and goat.This area easily accesible, although in varying states of preservations.

Cave paintings at Peña Escrito

Despite being so close to Cordoba, Sierra Madrona offered something a bit different. The variety and colours of the landscapes felt a world away from the monotonous olive groves of Andalucia. It was rich in flora and fauna. And it felt remote without being desolate. However I felt I still have so much to see so it is definitely an area I'll return to.