Golden Eagle at Cantalejo

Golden Eagles ride the thermals above the limestone outcrops and wooded hillsides surrounding Cantalejo, where the northern edge of the Iberian plateau meets the farmland of Segovia. April offers the best conditions for photography, as rising warm air columns encourage the eagles to soar at accessible heights and angles against the Castilla y León skies. This corner of north-central Spain is visited on the Birdlife of Northern Spain holiday, giving photographers a genuine chance to frame this powerful raptor against a landscape of rolling farmland and rugged terrain. Patience and a good long lens are essential, as these birds command wide territories and reward careful observation of the thermals along the plateau's edge.