on safari at Doñana

We were visiting Doñana National Park for the extraordinary wildlife there. Most of the park could be accessed only by tour so at crack of dawn we joined a guide and maybe 20 others to tour the southern part of the park where land met sea.

The guide, who was also our driver, was clearly used to people who were only mildly interested in wildlife. He amused himself by pretending we were on an African safari.

'Today, we shall be viewing lions and giraffes.'

When another minibus came towards us, 'Here we have a green elephant.'

When we passed a group who had got out, 'And here is a group of primates.'

However, despite his idiosyncrasies, he did show us a number of wildlife wonders the most unforgettable of which were a great number of gryphon vultures circling in a tall column, an osprey hunting fish along the shore, and a huge Spanish Imperial eagle sat solemnly beside its nest.

And we certainly would not have seen the last of these on an African safari.