He is the principal of Boletas Birdwatching Centre and guides most tours. Josele has led over 150 groups in Spain and Morocco. His expertise and in-depth knowledge of these regions is well known to clients from across the United Kingdom and the United States of America.'
Member of SEO-Birdlife, among other conservationist groups. Associated with mountaineering groups in Catalonia since the age of 10, he is well acquainted with the pre-Pyrenees and the Pyrenees and all the good ornithological sites in the Northeast of Spain. In 1984 he moved to England to study English, where he lived for a year and acquired his interest in birds. Since the 80’s he has been a keen visitor to the network of natural areas of Spain, especially Catalonia, Aragon, Picos de Europa and Extremadura, in order to develop his ornithological interest. Nature Guide and educator has collaborated as a mountain and birdwatching guide for individuals and companies: Sheffield Walking Group-UK, Horizon Nature-F, Sherwood Bird Tours -UK, Birdseekers- UK, Dursley Birdwatching Club-UK. Ibis Excursions-DK., Clem Dietze-USA, Challenger Tours-USA. Victor Emanuel Tours-USA, Limosa Holidays-UK, , Heatherlea Wildlife-UK, Aragon Natura-NL, Celtic Bird Tours-UK. Active participant in conservation work and studies of birds in Aragon, monitor of IBA 164 Sierra de Guara.Undertakes frequent personal bird watching trips around the Western Paleartic ( ie: Iceland, UK, Turkey, Israel, France, Finland , Morocco). Fluent in Catalan, English and French.

 

Andy Howes

He will be your contact in Britain for all enquires and help for those who wish to book with us. Tel/ 01162 889318 e.mail AndyHowes@hotmail.com

Andy is based in Leicester and has been birdwatching for almost thirty years. He has arranged more than 60 bird watching trips for his own friends, including several visits to the United States, South and Central America. He has also visited many European destinations, with Spain - one of his favourites - now featuring on a more than annual basis. Suffice to say that he is completely familiar with all our itineraries. If you are coming from the UK then we would like you to contact him direct. He will be able to answer any queries you might have and will co-ordinate both individual and group bookings. This not only helps you, but saves us much administrative time, which will be reflected in the cost of your package.

 

 

Eva Penn-Smith

Born in London in 1934 & grew up in northwest Lancashire. A keen conservationist, she is a member of RSPB and numerous natural history societies. Founder member of Plantlife and a member of the committee of the East Midlands group of Butterfly Conservation. Having been interested in wild flowers from a very early age, she acquired her particular interest in the Spanish flora while living in Gibraltar and exploring Andalucia. Since then she has travelled widely in Europe , botanising whenever possible, and is well known in the Leicester RSPB group. On a week´s birding visit to Andalucia in 1998, she had a list of 260 different plants. She lives in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire where she has a garden and field of over two acres in which, as well as unusual garden plants, she tries to grow as many different wildflowers as possible in order to encourage birds, butterflies and all other wildlife. Already fluent in French, she started to learn Spanish in Gibraltar and now teaches both languages. Actually works as a guide for Boletas leading our flowers tours in the High Pyrenees.

 

 

Steve West

Born in Hampshire in 1963. Member of SEO-Birdlife and local conservation organisation. Qualified ecologist, nature guide and educator. In 1982, he moved to Norwich, where, in between frequent trips to the North Norfolk coast to satisfy his appetite for birding, he studied for an Ecology degree at the University of East Anglia. Has travelled widely around the British Isles and Western Europe on birdwatching trips and in 1987 formed part of an expedition to Turkey to study the White-headed Duck and its habitats. Resident in Lleida, Spain since 1988, fluent in Spanish and Catalan. Author of English-Spanish Ornithological Dictionary as well as articles for Spanish birdwatchers' magazines "Garcilla", "Ardeola" and "Oxyura". Tour guide in Spain for Papyrus Tours-UK, Victor Emanuel Tours-USA, local co-ordinator for Catalan Bird Report of the GCA (Catalan Ringing Group) and monitor for IBA 181 Cogul-Alfes. At present working on a book about the birds of Lleida. Author of the successful book "Where birds are in North-east Spain"

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Alberto Bueno

Born in Huesca in 1962. Member of SEO-Birdlife since 1978. At the age of 14 a group of Dutch birdwatchers employed his services to localize and observe the Dupont's Lark. Well acquainted with all the good ornithological sites in the northeast of Spain, he is considered the first spanish involved in birdwatching guide work. Author of numerous articles about the birds of Aragón and several texts for the book "Where to Watch Birds in Spain" edited by SEO-Birdlife. During many years he has organized private tours and collaborated with different nature tours companies (from Europe and USA) that operate in Spain. Has collaborated with Boletas Birdwatching centre since its foundation working as a bird guide. SInce 1999 Alberto works as a "forest ranger" and naturalist for the regional government of Aragón, and he lives at the steppe area of Monegros, he has a deep knowledge of the steppe birds (mainly bustards, sandgrouse and larks) and where to find them. Since 1997 he co-leader every spring the most comprehensive and successful birding tour in Spain (with a total range of 250 species recorded) for the American company VENT. http://www.ventbird.com/leader/alberto_bueno/

 

 

Cristian Jensen

Cristian was born in Málaga but grew up in Barcelona. Having a Danish father and a Catalan mother, Cristian feels Catalan. He has been an enthusiastic birder since he was 12 years old and has been bird watching all over Spain (including the islands) and half of Europe. He has been working professionally in different aspects of bird life during the last ten years. He has been involved in conservation work like the reintroduction of Peregrine Falcons in Barcelona and worked in Mauritius for Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. He has also volunteered for many years in DEPANA (Nature Conservation NGO). He is a member of SEO/Birdlife and the Ornithological Catalan Institut (ICO). He has worked for ICO, DEPANA and the Iberian Ringing Group (GIA) as ringer or research assistant. He has also participated in educational projects for schools, but the last 3 years he has become increasingly focused on leading birding tours throughout Spain. Cristian is an educated forest ranger and environmental educator. He speaks Spanish, Catalan and English and also basic Danish. He has co-led several tour with Boletas around the Pyrenees and Extremadura.Cristian is the founder of Audouin´s Birding Tours.

 

 

Ernest Leahy

Born in Oxford in 1942 grew up in Middlesex . He has lived in Hertfordshire for the past thirty five years. Member of the RSPB,Herts Natural History Society and many other organisations. Ernest is an established bird, wildlife & landscape artist who has gained a wealth of experience from drawing and painting in the field and studio. He will convey his tecniques and practices with patience and enthusiasm to artists wishing to develop their artwork in these areas. He specialises in field sketching of birdlife and watercolour painting, but also uses pastel, acrylic & ink drawing. He has trained both artists & draughtsmen and gives regular demonstrations. A life long study of wildlife art & artists has given him a broad knowledge of the subject. Ernest has exhibited regularly with the RSPB, annually has a stand in the Art Marquee at the British Birdwatching Fair and has had many one-man exhibitions. He has also illustrated many publications. Ernest has organised many successful art exhibitions and is on the committee for the Hertfordshire Open Studios. His goal is that the artists will get the opportunity to enjoy their observations gaining pleasure, satisfaction and apply some of their new found knowledge to their own artwork. His great sense of humor and human personality will create a perfect atmosphere for a painting holiday in one of the best european nature paradises.

For further information please visit http://www.wildlifewatercolours.co.uk/