I'm almost certain to drop the Gibraltar part of my trip. There just isn't enough time to do it all justice. In some places I will need more time to stop, go out birding (sometimes with a guide) and evn just rest. I'm not top notch enough as a birder or biker to blast through the whole journey.
I still plan to return to Extramadura (as I promised myself I would) to visit Monfrague, those wonderful Azure-winged Magpies and try for Bustards on the steppes. After that, instead of Gibraltar, I'll "short cut" via Madrid to the Pyrenees. There, I plan to stop for a few days with a local bird group & have some guided days birding for Lammergeier & the rest. I'm not sure if April 19th - 23rd is too early for these upland areas. Anybody know?
Here is a rough map of the new route. For a better itinerary (showing the original route at the moment) follow this link (it takes you away from this page though); http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/bikingwithbirds/1/tpod.html
More pics to follow of bike preparation; I've got a screen & pannier racks ready to fit. Lots of bits still to buy and lots still to organise. Bye for now.