Inglorious Bustards

Brilliant birdwatching migration trip. Knowledgeable guides, good accommodation and excellent sitings. Would definitely recommend this company.

Hi. So this is my 7th trip with this fantastic company. I get asked "what keeps me coming back"? Well, the Straits never dissapoint, each trip throws up so many different things from masses of raptors, White Storks and numerous other avian delights amassing for the perilous trip across this small stretch of water into and back from Africa, to a wide variety of insects, butterflys, dragonflies flowers and plants. Simon and Niki are tremendous guides with a seemingly boundless wealth of knowledge, not simply on the bird life and nature in general but all manner of local knowledge, the food, issues surrounding the region etc, every trip is a learning experience. The accommodation and food are always first class and locally grown and supplied from sustainable sources . I cannot rate this company highly enough, I will return again no doubt!

We had a fantastic day birding with Niki watching the raptors migrating over the strait and visiting the Barbate salt pans to see flamingos and a huge variety of waders and gulls. Niki was very welcoming and great at sharing her finds with the group. The lunch surrounded by Thekla’s larks was excellent, with the bonus of a great view of a griffon vulture. We would definitely do it again if we were back in the area as Niki’s local knowledge was outstanding and we highly recommend it.

Toby (15)

We really enjoyed our Swift Weekender Tour with Simon and Niki Aug 2024. We felt very well looked after and the expert bird and local knowledge was next to none. We really liked that they were environmentalists through and through, along with having a great sense of humour.
We visited a variety of locations and amassed a good bird count over the few days including all the 5 target swift species as well as a good number of rarities, including two Rüppell's Vultures, a Lanner Falcon, Northern Bald Ibis and White-headed Duck. We also managed to see a few butterflies which was a bonus.
The accommodation was a well sized, comfortable and quiet log cabin set in a nature area, with a nice continental breakfast to start the day. Simon and Niki provided excellent delicious picnics during the day (locally sourced fruits, veg, cheese, breads, fruit juices etc.) Evening meals were provided in a lovely, friendly, and welcoming local restaurant with lots of choices on offer. We enjoyed the evenings chatting about the day with Simon, Niki and the other guests over a few beers.
Overall we had a brilliant time on the trip and would fully recommend anyone taking a tour with Simon and Niki at the Inglorious Bustards, we will absolutely be booking more tours with them.

I had a fantastic weeklong trip with Inglorious Bustards in early March 2024. Centred around watching the northbound raptor migration (which was just astonishing to see), thanks to great guiding by Simon and Niki we had plenty of other truly memorable bird encounters as well. They provided next-level picnics too! ☺️

Well run and organized. Great locations selected for observing numerous species. Very knowledgeable guides. Excellent food and accommodations. I’m booking a second trip with them based upon my first experience with them.

Birdwatching, La Janda, Andalucia: Simon Tonkin + Nicky Williamson are magnificent birding guides. A plethora of knowledge from experienced + dedicated birders + naturalists. Every sound was specified, each eagle eye sighting explained whilst being guided with their telescopes that immersed you into the arena of wading, flying, hunting, perching birds.

What a pleasure to watch + hear the crane festival in the skies + to be witness to the magnificent little Bustards, wonderous Spoonbills, fleeting Kingfishers, speeding Sparrow-hawks enchanting Stone+Chit Chats.

I highly recommend both Nicky and Simon as your professional touring guides on the Peninsula of Spain. It was an inspirational day + photographic delight. What a fabulous way to spend a day engulfed in the avian world.

Thank you.

This was my second time visiting southern Spain with ‘Inglorious Bustards’, aka Simon & Niki and perhaps even more enjoyable than my first trip because I was there for longer. Three days birdwatching (with lots of interest for insect and reptile/amphibian enthusiasts too) with Simon & Niki was followed by six days/nights moth-ing with the addition of the famous moth-er Dave Grundy. Accommodation was excellent; some of us stayed in the Spy House, others in log cabins scattered in the grounds of Huerte Grande, Pelayo. Breakfasts and evening meals were taken up at the reception & very enjoyable, offering a variety of seasonal, locally-produced food. Vegetarians were exceptionally well catered for. The lunches were picnic-style & equally superb; the fresh daily bread and local-sourced cheeses were wonderful and very much appreciated.
In summary, I had a thoroughly enjoyable holiday - Simon, Niki & Dave are all outstanding guides and were so willing to go the extra mile to make sure we all had a good time. I have no hesitation in recommending the experience to other people.