strait nature news

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Sunset in Extremadura

Extremadura in June

Leaving straight after guiding a day tour to travel up to Exremadura was quite tiring to say the least. The facy of the matter is that I really love this area and the birds and wildlife that is to be found there. If I get a chance to go up there, even although its more than four hours drive away, Igo. Like the Strait of Gibraltar, it has so much beauty and Natural History to offer as well as being one of the last places in Europe that has huge open spaces that seem to go on forever.

I arrived fairly late in the evening at the Hotel Las Cigueñas in Trujillo where I met Jeff and Adrian, two US birders. Jeff comes from Boston and Adrian now lives in Italy. Both of them work for the same company and when they are in Spain on business, we usually meet up.

Azure-winged Magpie                                                                                 Rock Sparrow

On Friday morning we decided to get up really early to find Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. Stone Curlew or Eurasian Thick Knee as it's now officially called was another challenge on the rolling plains outside Trujillo, but all three species were found within a very short time. Little Bustards gave us some flight displays and an obliging female came in close and landed nearby for a photo opportunity. Spanish Sparrows and masses of House Sparrows showed and a few pairs of Tree Sparrows sat obligingly on fences as we drove to the Santa Marta de Magasca area. Most of the Larks that one would expect were present with Woodlark, Calandra, Short-toed, Thekla and Short-toed Larks in the area.

Montagu's Harrier                                              Great Spotted Cuckoo

Montagu's Harriers and Great Spotted Cuckoo's were seen as were Rollers, Bee-eaters, Azure winged Magpies, Balck Kites, Common Buzzards White Storks Ravens, Carrion Crows, Common Magpies and Griffon Vultures.  Not too bad really for an early jaunt before going for a breakfast of "Churros" - thin, freshly deep-fried, doughnut like strips that are usually dunked in thick hot-chocolate - but we all had coffee. Yes, it really is the cornerston of a nutritious Spanish breakfast!

Trujillo - Home of the Conquistadores                                                                Monfargue National Park

Heading up to Monfrague we stopped to watch some Spanish (Imperial) Eagles near Torrejón del Rubio. Great views were had of two adult birds soaring quite high in the sky. Golden Oriole and Hawfinch were heard and although we searched hard for Hawfinches in the area we didn't see one. Golden Orioles did fly over and we had super views of two males. Booted Eagles and a Short-toed Eagle also came past and Black Kites seemed to be the most commonest raptor. Stonechats, Corn Buntings and Crested Larks lined the wire fences and post along the roadsides.

A Peña Falcon, the impressive cone shaped rock that towers above the carpark on the side of the reservoir, Rock Buntings and Cirl Buntings, Black Redstarts, Blue Rock Thrushes and Serins sang or flitted along the waterside tree-line. Crag Martins and Red-rumped Swallows caught flying insects in the warm air and Black Storks, Griffon and a pair of Egyptian Vultures flew higher along the rock faces, gullies and ridges of the massive rock.

Black Stork                                                         Bonelli's Warbler

Spectacled Warbler                                                                                   Rock Bunting

Spanish (Imperial) Eagle

Dartford Warbler

Marsh Harrier

Eurasian Thick Knee or Stone Curlew

Pintailed Sandgrouse

Bee-eater

Southern Grey Shrike