By Steve Richards
(e-mail alan.richards19 at btopenworld.com)
Spain is a magical country for ornithology, and this most recent trip strengthened by belief as Spain being one of the best European countries for birding. My last birding trip to Spain was some three years ago to the Pyrenees and the Ebro Delta. This did not disappoint with large numbers of raptors, wetland species and localised passerines being seen. Given the size of the country, it is hardly surprising to see such a diverse selection of habitats and consequently an impressive array of avifauna.
2004 took me to the other end of Spain, with visits planned to the Coto Doñana National Park in Andalucia, and the Extremadura region of Spain. The habitats here are truly superb with a diverse mixture such as saltmarshes, extensive reedbeds, rolling hills and plains, rocky outcrops, various types of woodland, and heathland. Consequently, we notched up over 150 species in 8 days, with many being scarce or localised birds.
Getting to and around Spain is easy. I travelled with my parents from Luton Airport early morning on the 1st May to Madrid, and returned on the 8th May. The flights were booked over the internet with Easyjet at very reasonable rates. We had also pre-booked a car with Hertz which we picked up at Madrid Airport. Main routes within Spain are usually free of traffic (except around city areas) and it is very rare to get caught up in traffic jams as so often is the case here in the UK.
We had two main bases during our stay : Hotel Toruño in El Rocio, and Hotel Victoria in Trujillo. Both of these hotels were in excellent locations for us to explore the nearby birding areas and were at very good rates offering bed andbreakfast. In addition, both hotels had good restaurants enabling us to get something to eat easily after a long day out in the field. These hotels can be found on the internet and have English speaking staff. Being a fluent Spanish speaker, I was able to converse easier with people in restaurants, bars etc, but generally found that most could at least speak a little English.
Before departing, I had tried to gather as much information as possible on main sites and where to look for my main target bird species. This was very worthwhile and helped me see most of the scarcer species whilst many of the commoner species fell into place around them.
We had hoped for glorious sunshine all week, but the first three days or so were plagued with showers, a rather cool wind and overcast conditions, rather reminiscent of an Autumn day on the East coast. The last few days were much better, with prolonged periods of hot sunny weather and little wind. Nevertheless, this did not stop us enjoying this fantastic country one bit.
The main aim of this trip report is to inform any birders thinking of going to Spain, of some of the best up-to-date sites in which to connect with key species, and to encourage any potential visitors to do so.
If you would like any further information on any of the sites mentioned hereafter, please do not hesitate to contact me at the following e-mail address: alan.richards19(at)btopenworld.com
TRIP REPORT
Saturday 1st May
We landed at Madrid Airport at around 11am and quickly collected our bags and got our hire car. We had hoped to make a quick exit due to the 6 hour drive south towards El Rocio, our base for visiting the Coto Doñna National Park.
We made good time travelling south and caught up with several expected birds from the car including White Storks, Cattle Egrets, Black Kites, Bee-eaters, Crested Larks and Spotless Starlings. A brief stop 3 hours into the journey, near a rocky gorge, saw a few Crag Martins and singing Blue Rock Thrush.
On approaching El Rocio, we also observed a couple of superb male Montagu's Harriers close to the road, including one, which must have been no more than 15 feet away from the car!
We easily found the village of El Rocio, after navigating our way around Sevilla. The sand streets of El Rocio give a reminder of how difficult it must have been to access without a horse many years ago. Due to the rain, it had also created tricky driving conditions, but perfect opportunities for the hundreds of House Martins collecting mud for their nests on the nearby buildings. We found the Hotel Toruño and were thrilled to find that it backed on to a superb lagoon, full of birds. We checked in and went for an hours birding around the lagoon.
Species were quickly notched up with many Greater Flamingos, Grey Herons, Spoonbills, White Storks, Little and Cattle Egrets, Red-crested Pochards, Black Kites, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Collared Pratincoles, Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew Sandpipers, Whiskered and Black Terns being the most notable birds amongst many commoner species.
As the sun went down, we unwinded with an excellent meal and a few beers whilst watching many of the birds of the lagoon head off to roost from the restaurant window.
Sunday 2nd May
After breakfast, we managed to have another look at the lagoon by the hotel before going on our guided tour of the nearby area. This again produced all the above mentioned species, but also a very conspicuous male Little Bittern sat out in the open sat on a low fence looking for fish in the shallows below itself.
At 9:00am we were picked up by John Butler of Doñana Bird Tours which we had booked previously over the internet. The main aim of this was to get to grips with many key birds of the area with local knowledge. Accessing the National Park itself is not possible, unless with a special guided tour. However, the outlying areas of this huge reserve hold just as many birds andoffer superb birding.
We hadn't long left our hotel when we began noting some of the common birds of the area whilst driving through areas of Stone Pine Forest and mixed farmland - Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Red-rumped Swallows, Iberian Wagtails (iberiae race of Yellow Wagtail), Fan-tailed Warblers, Woodchat Shrikes, Azure-winged Magpies and Corn Buntings were all seen in very good numbers. Small numbers of Stone Curlew and Collared Pratincoles were also observed in arable areas, as well as a Little Owl sat on a farmhouse. Black Kites are abundant around the park and were constantly seen throughout the day in all areas.
As we approached the National Park, the habitat increasingly became more open with many damp meadows, patches of reeds, shallow lagoons, and ditches. Consequently, birds such as Montagu's and Marsh Harriers, Night and Squacco Herons, Little and Cattle Egrets, Spoonbills, and White Storks were absolutely everywhere in excellent numbers. The guttural tones of Great Reed Warbler were heard from even the smallest patches of reeds with many birds showing very well, dwarfing their smaller relatives. Many of the roadside ditches also had Purple Gallinules with many of these bizarre looking birds giving surprisingly good views for prolonged periods.
Shortly after, we stopped off at an area with many larger lagoons known as Lucio del Lobo. This fortunately provided us with one of the main target birds of the Park. We hadn't been out the vehicle for 2 minutes when John pointed out the low, rather nasal call of Crested Coot. Within seconds an adult swan out of small patch of reeds at very close range giving superb views. The large reds nodules on top of its head, the blue-grey hue to the bill, and the rounded feathering on the sides of the upper mandible made identification no problem whatsoever with this extremely rare European bird. Whiskered and Black Terns were very common around here and our first Gull-billed and Little Terns of the trip were noted.
As the afternoon descended we made a visit to the Valverde Centre. This centre offers wonderful viewing facilities, along with a café andshop. On approaching the centre, the dusty tracks andarable fields held very large numbers of Short-toed Lark with smaller numbers of Lesser Short-toed Larks giving excellent comparisons next to each other. Our first Calandra Larks of the trip were also noted. The centre itself looks out on to a bird-full lagoon with a huge heronry. Little and Cattle Egrets, Grey, Purple, Squacco, and Night Herons, and Glossy Ibis all breed here in large numbers giving great opportunities to study these birds at the nest. Little Bitterns were also present here with a few birds showing exceptionally well sat near the tops of reeds for prolonged periods. Many Red-crested Pochards and Purple Gallinules were noted around most of these larger lagoons, but these were completely outshined by two Marbled Ducks seen from the centre.
This year a dark phase Western Reef Heron has paired with a Little Egret here. Unfortunately, the bird was not present on our visit and was presumably feeding somewhere out in the vast expanse of marshes.
During the afternoon we saw many of the same bird species with all heron-type birds, waterfowl, Black Kites and Marsh Harriers and a good variety of passerines etc all represented in excellent numbers often at very close range to our vehicle. We also observed many wader species on muddy areas and in the shallower lagoons. Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Ringed, Little Ringed, and Kentish Plovers, Dunlins, Curlew Sandpipers, Little and Temminck's Stints, Redshanks, Greenshanks, Common and Wood Sandpipers, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits and Ruff made an excellent selection for our day list. The most impressive however, were, the many Collared Pratincoles sat on the roadside allowing approach to within a few feet.
The poor weather during the day had hampered our chances of seeing Pin-tailed Sandgrouse which are present near the Valverde Centre, but nevertheless, we could not complain with the variety and sheer numbers of birds seen, along with excellent views of most of them. It was undoubtedly, the best days birding I'd had around any European wetland.
Monday 3rd May
We had nothing particular planned for this day, except for a casual days birding around a few of the reserves close to El Rocio. I was also keen in trying to see a few more raptors which hadn't been possible with the previous days weather.
We started off yet again at El Rocio lagoon next to our hotel where all the usual suspects were seen. We then moved on to the relatively small (in comparison to Doñana) reserve of El Acebuche. This offered various habitats with heathland and scrub, as well as hides overlooking pools with abundant vegetation.
The water level of the pools was very high, and therefore did not support many wading-type birds. Visiting the hides provided us with a Little Bittern, a few Red-crested Pochards, Purple Gallinule and Savi's Warbler being the most notable species.
The improved weather meant that many smaller birds were also showing better. Areas of heath and scrub with adjoining pine forest held good numbers of Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Nightingales, Woodlark,Dartford and Sardinian Warblers, Woodchat Shrikes, Azure-winged Magpies, and many Serins.
One particular good spot, was from the 'Mammal Hide' overlooking a large area of scrub andgiving views to distant large tracts of woodland. As well as the species mentioned above, this location also offered superb views of a male Golden Oriole and our first Southern Grey Shrike of the trip. Waiting for an hour or so proved fruitful here as raptors began emerging. Our first Booted Eagles and Red Kites were seen here, as well as the ever present Black Kites in large numbers.
A casual walk back to the car provided a few Short-toed Eagles in the more open areas, as well as more Booted Eagles and Golden Orioles. We decided to have lunch in the picnic area here. This was a good choice as the Azure-winged Magpies constantly flew around us landing on picnic tables, fighting for scraps and jumping in the bins after disregarded bits of food.
Our next port of call was the Palacio de Acrebon. This is an old palace open to the public with exhibitions inside, and consequently attracts large amounts of tourists - particularly frustrating when waiting for a skulking bird to show and being constantly asked 'what are you filming?', when all I had was a pair of bins and a 'scope. Nevertheless, the area surrounding the Palacio is a haven for song birds, and the extensive damp thickets, tangled vegetation and tall trees ensure a few different species to the pine forests elsewhere. By spending a couple of hours here, we managed to locate numerous Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Savi's, Cetti's, Garden, Sardinian, and Melodious Warblers, Iberian Chiffchaff, Short-toed Treecreeper, and Serins, along with many of the common species reminiscent of woodland in the UK. The most numerous bird, however, was Nightingale. They were absolutely everywhere and in the most unsuspected areas - feeding on paths, sat on handrails andon tops of bushes. I have never seen, let alone heard as many in my life.
As the evening drew upon us, we decided to take a look at the nearby La Rocina reserve. This was a mixture of open pine forest, damp woodland, andlagoons. This produced many of the species already mentioned at the last two sites and included another Southern Grey Shrike, andour first singing Quail of the trip in heathland!
Unfortunately, the weather deteriorated again, and as the sun fell, so did the rain completely destroying our chances of Red-Necked Nightjar. We therefore decided to retreat back to the hotel and prepare for our journey to Extremadura, which would hopefully be full of birds including several lifers.
Tuesday 4th May
The weather had significantly improved since the previous night, so we decided to take advantage and begin the 3½ hours journey to the village of Trujillo, our base for exploring the Extremadura region.
Given the weather, many birds were seen en route. White Storks and Cattle Egrets were everywhere, and large numbers of Black Kites were accompanied by smaller numbers of Red Kites, CommonBuzzards, Booted and Short-toed Eagles. The abundant Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Crested Larks, Red-rumped Swallows, Woodchat Shrikes and Azure-winged Magpies were also regularly observed as we travelled north.
We reached Trujillo at midday andwere overcome by the beauty of this superbly restored and maintained old village. We found the Hotel Victoria, which was of an excellent standard for the cheap rates. By standing outside the hotel, loads of Lesser Kestrels and White Storks passed overhead, coming andgoing to their nests on the tops of the buildings in the village.
As the weather looked favourable, we decided to go in search of a couple of target birds of prey. We made our way towards the village of Torrejon El Rubio, noting more of the regular birds of prey and also increasing numbers of Griffon Vultures due to the fact that we were approaching Monfrague National Park. Our first stop was some 5 km to the south of Torrejon El Rubio where we had been advised that a pair of Spanish Imperial Eagles had nested the previous year. We hadn't been there long when the sinister shape of a huge Black Vulture came directly overhead, accompanied by several Griffons. By waiting around ¾ of an hour, more Black and Griffon Vultures, Booted Eagle, and two Alpine Swifts entertained us, as well as the usual show of Hoopoes, Red-rumped Swallows, Azure-winged Magpies etc. We had decided that as we were visiting mid afternoon, the eagles could be out hunting, so we decided to try for another pair nearby. We passed the village of Torrejon El Rubio and headed west towards Monroy. The habitat around here is miles and miles of 'Dehesa' - vast open plains with scattered cork oak. Almost instantly, we were able to see the huge nest of a Spanish Imperial Eagle right on top of one of the pylons, with the female sat at the nest with her wings open sheltering the young from the glaring sunshine. We continued further down the dusty track, parked by a cattle grid, and walked the short distance across a small field to view the nest across the hillside. The view here was superb and much better as the heat haze had diminished considerably. The female flew around and began searching for food. She then landed on another pylon showing the pale nape and white leading edges to the wings. She once again flew and began spiralling over the Dehesa to go hunting. Whilst watching the eagle, Black and Griffon Vultures were almost constantly overhead. Overjoyed by our sighting, we decided to make to short journey towards Monroy to try for another extremely rare European raptor.
On driving down the road towards Monroy we came to a rather open area of Dehesa with a group of flat pines next to the roadside. There was ample space for parking, and the breeding White Storks on the pines looked down upon us with little interest. We walked down the track here and scanned for our target bird on tops of the trees. Consequently, three Southern Grey Shrikes along with many Woodchat Shrikes were observed. Fan-tailed Warbler was yet again very common in this area. We had walked around 400 yards down the track when I was fortunate enough to locate an adult Black-shouldered Kite sat on a distant telegraph line. The bird flew around showing its beautiful plumage tones before landing back on the line. We were quite lucky with our observation, as other birders had been in the same spot and not connected. Early mornings and evenings are the best times of day to visit. On walking around this area many more birds of prey were seen. Black and Griffon Vultures, Red and Black Kites, Booted and Short-toed Eagles all added to the variety of raptors in this excellent spot.
We began making the 30 minutes or so drive back to Trujillo, extremely happy with our days birding. As we drove just south of Torrejon El Rubio a large raptor was hovering just 10 feet above the ground next to the road - these were the best ever views of a Short-toed Eagle I'd had, as we slowed down to watch this attractive raptor hunt for reptiles.
We returned to base and planned the next day. Surely we couldn't see many more raptors than today? Wednesdays proceedings certainly proved us wrong.
Wednesday 5th May
After an early breakfast we set off towards the Monfrague National Park passing Torrejon El Rubion on the way. Our first stop was an area called Arroyo de la Vid. Here, a bridge runs over a stream which is bordered by scrub-covered hillsides. This is a particularly bird rich area, with a few specialist passerines. Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martins gave wonderful views as they fed over the stream andvisited their nests under the bridge. A Grey Wagtail on the stream was expected as were the ever-present Bee-eaters overhead. A Kingfisher also dashed past and a couple of Cuckoos flew over calling.
A slightly unusual call alerted me to Spanish Sparrows nesting in a hole in a telegraph pole. These gave excellent views often at close range as several birds fed and returned to nests. Even better, were a few Rock Buntings showing well in the area. Quite regularly, they would sit right on top of a bush or rock calling, showing off their subtly beautiful plumage. Less obliging however, were a couple of Dartford and Sardinian Warblers in the low scrub on the hillside.
We continued towards the Park itself and could quickly see the long rocky ridge where the Castillo de Monfrague(castle) sat on top. On approaching this area, our first Egyptian Vulture of the trip was observed, as well as the expected Griffon Vultures and Black Kites. We had decided to drive to the top carpark as the weather was rather overcast and not particularly nice for strolling up from the bottom car park. The unpleasant weather was to strangely work in our favour as many of the birds of prey were very low down. As we reached the top of the steps to the castle, raptors were all around, and very often below us offering wonderful close ups. By sitting at the top of the castle, views of 'Penafalcon' (a huge rock pinnacle) can be had. This houses a very large Griffon Vulture colony, andconsequently, birds pass by every couple of minutes at extremely close range. Black Vultures were also seen in good numbers along with smaller numbers of Egyptian Vultures. Given the rocky nature of the habitat, it was no surprise to see a singing Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Buntings, many Crag Martins and a Chough. It was hard to draw oneself away from such a cracking spot, but we thought it best as there was so much more to explore.
In fact, our next port of call was literally a couple of minutes drive away. We pulled over in the large layby called Salto del Gitano, which was on the road below the castle, and therefore a lot closer to the Penafalcon. From here we could see the vultures nests much closer, but better still was a superb Black Stork sat tightly on its nest towards the bottom right hand side of the rock. A couple of times, the bird stood up, but was reluctant to move far away from the nest. Two more Black Storks were seen spiralling overhead along with a Booted Eagle, whilst another Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Bunting showed well here. As we headed further into the park, the weather once again deteriorated, but didn't stop us from seeing large numbers of raptors.
We made various stops at certain areas including the Fuente de los Tres Caños, Mirador de la Trajadilla, and Mirador de la Bascula. Consequently, a couple of new birds for the trip were recorded notably Western Black-eared Wheatear and a few Western Subalpine Warblers, as well as the ever present vultures, eagles, kites, and impressive selection of aesthetic passerines.
Our final stopping point in the park was the Portilla del Tietar - a rock face rising from the banks of the reservoir. Just before reaching the site, we stopped a couple of hundred yards before to view a small triangular rock just above the waters edge. This held a few Griffon Vultures and another superb Black Stork sat tightly on the nest.
The Tietar cliffs are an excellent place to stop for a couple of hours just to wait and see what passes overhead. Many Griffon Vultures were sat on nests and a few Black Vultures also joined them being sat on top of the cliff. Blue Rock Thrush and Crag Martins were once again common here and a Rock Bunting passed our car at around two yards range! Two more Black Storks passed overhead as we waited and a Cetti's Warbler called from the vegetation on the banks of the reservoir below. Our only Sparrowhawk of the trip was noted here as it characteristically dashed by. These were outshined however, when a sub adult Spanish Imperial Eagle appeared low overhead and landed on bush near the top of the cliff. Shortly after, the eagle took flight again and headed back over our heads. It hadn't disappeared for ten minutes, when it suddenly reappeared, but this time in company with a superb adult Spanish Imperial Eagle. They began soaring together and then decided to attack a couple of Black Vultures that had been passing by. This was absolutely spectacular and lasted at least five minutes, before both birds dropped low over the cliff, presumably to their prospective nest site. We were chuffed by this sighting and decided to have a steady drive back through the park towards Trujillo. The Portilla del Tietar cliffs are also a site for a pair of Eagle Owls, but this year had reportedly been very difficult to observe and only brief flight views obtainable if one waited till dark. We had therefore decided to try for them in a couple of days time when we had a little more time on our hands.
On returning to Trujillo, we made a stop at the bullring. This was certainly not to admire the barbaric 'sport' that takes place here, but instead to get excellent views of the many Lesser Kestrels breeding around its roof. This gave an excellent opportunity to study many of the bird's plumages, from immature and difficult to identify females, to smart adult males. This area also held a few Hoopoes as well as the expected White Storks.
With only a couple of minutes drive back to the hotel, we were able to relax shortly after in the restaurant and have a few beers before getting a relatively early night.
Thursday 6th May
We awoke just before 7:00am and headed straight out towards the small village of Belen, if only 15 minutes drive from Trujillo. We passed through the tiny village streets and were soon out into a cracking area of open steppe and vast arable land. We had been advised to stop not far down the minor road andto take a stroll up the track on the right. This had been good advice as almost immediately, I heard the 'raspberry' call of a male Little Bustard. It only took a few minutes to locate the bird as it sat fully in the open a couple of hundred yards away. It was decided not to approach the bird as to avoid disturbance, but to zoom in to 60x and benefit from the lack of heat haze so early on. We went back to the car and heard two more Little Bustards in longer grass, as well as a few Quail.
We carried on down the road for a couple more kilometres and made another stop to scan a rather open area. I soon located another Little Bustard distantly on the left hand side of the road, but my attention was quickly drawn to another male much closer in the foreground giving excellent views. On scanning to the right of the road a much larger bird was spotted near a large red farmhouse. Yes! a Great Bustard. Shortly after, three more Great Bustards came into view to join the single bird. Yet another Little Bustard was seen to the right of the road, and another flew past the other two Little Bustards on the left hand side. Calandra Larks were also very common around here.
We continued for a few more miles before reaching a large drivable track on the left. It was here where we had the best of the birds. By scanning from the track we were fortunate enough to locate a wonderful flock of at least 25 Great Bustards. This flock included many brilliant males displaying to the less attractive females. A couple of birds occasionally flew around looking rather odd, but nonetheless spectacular. A few more Little Bustards were observed here and Calandra Larks were all around.
All of a sudden I heard a rather bubbling call behind me in the distance. By scanning quickly across the recently ploughed field, I was able to locate a Black-bellied Sandgrouse in flight showing its black belly and primaries and short tail. Unfortunately, it landed just out of site and we were unable to relocate it.
After such a successful morning we headed back to the hotel café for breakfast. A couple of rounds of toast along with bacon and eggs went down a treat as we discussed the morning's bird sightings.
Shortly after, we decided to have a stroll around Trujillo and have a walk to the top of the castle. By walking to the highest point of the town we were able to overlook the beautiful old buildings and take in the ambiance of this historical town. Serins were common around gardens and by overlooking the tops of the buildings, we were afforded excellent views of many White Storks and their chicks, as well as close ups of the coming and going Lesser Kestrels. Due the nice weather there were few Swifts around and we assumed they would be hawking much higher up.
Many books recommended various sites along the Trujillo to Monroy road, so it was decided that we would spend the afternoon stopping along this road at various points to see what we could find.
We made our first stop only a few miles to the north west of Trujillo near a tiny boggy pool and stream. The livestock around here lured in many Cattle Egrets, seemingly oblivious to our presence. By spending an hour or so here proved rather fruitful for birds of prey. Black and Griffon Vultures, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, and Booted and Short-toed Eagles all showed well. This was particularly the case for Short-toed Eagle which was observed eating a snake on a rock before carrying it off to eat in peace. The usual set of passerines was seen here, but was undoubtedly highlighted by a smart adult Greater Spotted Cuckoo, which showed well for over 20 minutes.
As we headed further towards Monroy, we passed through areas of cultivated steppe and open arable land. Consequently, a few Montagu's Harriers were seen as well as a couple of Western Black-eared Wheatears and Calandra Larks. By stopping near a small pool on the left hand side, many more of the expected passerines were observed including a couple of Southern Grey Shrikes sat in conspicuous positions. It was also here that we saw our first Pallid Swift of the trip, giving excellent close views allowing us to study the subtle differences.
We ventured further and stopped near the Rio Almonte just a few kilometres South of Monroy. This spot proved to be an excellent location, with many good species noted. On stepping out of the car, I noticed a Booted Eagle accompanied by two larger birds. It was a pair of superb Bonelli's Eagles, which soared above the hillside for ten minutes before drifting out of view. The weather was now beautiful, so we decided to take a short stroll down the riverside and have a sit for an hour or so. A variety of birds of prey was yet again seen including Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, and the ever-present Black Kites and Griffon Vultures. A Black Stork headed high over the river as we watched the raptors, presumably looking for a good feeding area. A flash of black and white on the other side of the river alerted me to an excellent Black Wheatear feeding around the many rocks on the hillside. We watched this bird for some time and also noted Woodlark, Southern Grey Shrike, Spanish Sparrow, and Cirl Bunting amongst commoner species.
This had been a long, but truly brilliant days birding with quite a few unexpected species being seen. We were all rather tired, so we headed back to the hotel for a well-earned beer or six.
Friday 7th May
This was our last full day. The weather was perfect, so it was decided to head back into the Monfrague National Park again for a full days birding.
Our first port of call was again Arroyo de la Vid. Due to the improved weather, many birds were showing better than a couple of days ago. Bee-eaters, Woodlarks, Sardinian Warblers, Azure-winged Magpies, Spanish Sparrows, and Cirl and Rock Buntings all put on a good show. Rock Buntings were particularly impressive as they offered prolonged views and close approach.
We headed towards the park and made a stop at the lower car park beneath the Castillo de Monfrague, in order to walk up through the scrub and woodland before resting at the top. The area around the car park itself held singing Woodlark and a Short-toed Treecreeper. Obviously, many raptors were noted en route and a Western Subalpine Warbler showed well singing at the top of a bush. On reaching the top car park, an unfamiliar song was heard from a large dense bush - a rather simple, clear verse, with a slightly fluty element. By waiting for ten minutes or so, the bird flew across the path to another bush where it gave brief but good views - At last, we'd found a Western Orphean Warbler! The bird showed on and off, but was generally elusive. The nice weather meant that many Spanish school kids had been taken on a day out to the park. Consequently, as the noise increased, watching smaller, shy birds became very difficult. We therefore decided to let the kids pass and we headed on a small track from the top car park in the opposite direction to the Castillo. We sat for an hour or so watching the coming and going of the feeding hirundaines which included many Crag Martins and Red-rumped Swallows. As the noise level deteriorated, we were able to hear the 'tick' call of a Hawfinch. Shortly after, two adults and a youngster gave great views feeding at eye level as we looked above the trees from our vantage position. The kids had pretty much disappeared so we headed up to the Castillo. Griffon, Egyptian, and Black Vultures, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Red and Black Kites, Rock Bunting and Blue Rock Thrush all entertained us. However, out attention was distracted when another English birder informed us of an Eagle Owl nest on Penafalcon, which we were overlooking. He had also told us the youngster was visible during the daytime, the previous day. We hastily walked down from the Castillo and made the short journey to the Salto del Gitano layby. We walked left down the small track for 40 yards or so, and found a comfortable position to view the left hand side of the cliff. We could clearly see the cave the birder had described and continually watched for a bird to appear. We sat here for well over an hour and the raptors never stopped coming overhead. By scanning left, I managed to locate a pair of Bonelli's Eagles soaring over the hillside. They regularly went down, but often appeared again shortly after, possibly attending a nest. Our excitement increased when a pair of Black Storks passed the same hillside and we were consequently dive-bombed by the Bonelli's Eagles! This was an unbelievable site and rivalled the Spanish Imperial Eagles attacking Black Vultures two days beforehand. On looking back at the cave on Penafalcon, I was sure I could see a large shape moving. By zooming in to 60x, I was able to confirm that the Eagle Owl chick had shuffled into view. The bird was covered in downy feathers, and couldn't have been very old at all. I went to inform other birders on the Salto del Gitano carpark, who were thrilled with the news. We waited for another half an hour but the bird mainly remained in the shade. We therefore drove further into the park.
We stopped near the large bridge at Puente del Frances and took a walk down the side of the reservoir. A couple of Alpine Swifts were seen amongst the hordes of House Martins nesting under the bridge. Birds were generally quiet due to the afternoon heat, but nevertheless, another Western Subalpine Warbler and a few Serins showed very well.
It was now early evening, so we made a slow drive back towards Penafalcon to await our target bird of the day. We had decided to give it till around 9:30pm for the Eagle Owl to show. The youngster was seen again not long after 7pm in the same cave. The light was still strong, so it was no surprise to see many of the raptors still soaring around the area. We also observed increasing numbers of Swifts around the Castillo, but it was just a little to early in May to see the White-rumped Swifts, which utilise old Red-rumped Swallows nests in the cave below the Castillo.
It hadn't even turned 7:30pm when I scanned the across cave area again. I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted one of the adult Eagle Owls sat on the ledge just to the left of the youngster. We could only see the top half of the bird from the track, so we walked back to the road, which was slightly higher, where most of the bird could be seen. This was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip and we watched it for over an hour as it sat almost motionless on the cliff ledge. Absolutely over the moon with this sighting, we headed back to the hotel for our last meal of the holiday, along with a few celebratory beers.
Saturday 8th May
We had to get back to Madrid by late afternoon to catch our flight back to Luton. It was therefore decided, to have a drive to the North of the city of Caceres and then to have a steady drive back to the airport, stopping at convenient places en route. The road between Trujillo and Caceres was rather busy, but nevertheless, we still managed to see a couple of Montagu's Harriers, Southern Grey Shrikes, and numerous White Storks from the car. On passing through the city of Caceres, White Storks and Lesser Kestrels were evident, and a few Pallid Swifts flew low past the car as we waited at traffic lights.
On heading out of the city, we headed towards the village of Brozas. Between this village and Villa del Rey, a successful nest box installation scheme has been undertaken for Rollers. Indeed, we saw many of these beautiful birds perched on telegraph wires and attending nest boxes on the telegraph poles. The arable fields here also held huge numbers of Spanish Sparrow. One flock must have been some several hundred strong. We were also fortunate to observe three Stone Curlews in a ploughed strip of the roadside field as an added bonus.
Birds of prey were still very much in evidence, with Booted Eagle, Red Kite and very many Black Kites soaring overhead.
On heading back, we made a rather brief stop at a small reservoir near the village of Brozas. Little of note was seen here except for many Cattle Egrets, nesting Spanish Sparrows and a surprise Little Tern.
Much of the route heading back towards Madrid was under construction. Therefore, scenic places to stop and look were very few and far between. Our last stop was at the Embalse de Valdecanas - a huge reservoir being bordered by large areas of scrubland and rolling hills. Once again, birds of prey predominated here with many Griffon and Black Vultures, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, and Red and Black Kites being present. It was worth the stop here as right next to the carpark, a Thekla Lark showed admirably, constantly singing from a small mound of rubble and allowing close approach.
We got to Madrid airport in plenty of time and headed for home.
All in all, we had a fantastic week of birding and couldn't have seen much more. I know I will definitely be going back over the next few years and I hope you do to!
