Holiday with some birding! (As much as I could get away with!) Very hot 32-36c All but the largest rivers & Streams were bone dry
Around Trujillo:
Spotless Starling - Very Common and VERY vocal Lesser Kestrel - only the odd one this time of year Short Toed Eagle - occasional, sometimes drifting over hotel pool! Griffon Vulture - as above Swift & Pallid Swift - lots Swallow & Red Rumped Swallow - lots Sardian Warbler - fairly common Spanish Sparrow - common Bee Eater - one flock of 10 birds Cattle Egret/Little Egret - occasional Blue Rock Thrush - 1 or 2 on the Castillo Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Grey Heron and Black-Winged Stilt on the small reservoir (and lots of Spanish Terrapins!)
Trujillo - Belen - Torrecillas:
Hobby - 1 Iberian Grey Shrike - dozens! Crested (and/or Thekla Lark) - common Calandra Lark - occasional Corn Bunting - occasional Hoopoes - common Lesser Kestrel - occasional Common Buzzard - 1 or 2 Red Kite - 6 Griffon Vulture - 50+ Black Vulture - 5 or 6 Short Toed Eagle - 1 Bee Eater - 6 Azure-Winged Magpie - occasional
La Cumbre:
Great Bustard - 12
Monfrague National Park:
Azure-Winged Magpie - common Griffon Vulture - 100+ Black Vulture - 6 Egyptian Vulture - 2 Golden Eagle - 1 Bonelli's Eagle - 1 Spanish Imperial Eagle - 2 Booted Eagle - 2 Black-Bellied Sandgrouse - 1 Sardinian Warbler - common Pied Flycatcher - common Crag Martin - a few
Guadalupe Area (Sierras de las Villuercas):
Rock thrush - 2 Black Redstart - 6 Chough - 20+ Golden Eagle - 2 Bonelli's Eagle - 2 Subalpine Warbler - fairly common
Would like to return in April when the rivers & streams are full and the fields are full of wild flowers. Birds not seen this time but hope/likely to see in spring: Storks (none seen whatsoever!) no harriers, no Rollers, no golden oriole, no woodchat shrike, no little bustard, no black or black-shouldered kites, no black wheatear, no stone curlew, no turtle doves seen, Not that I am disappointed! I probably missed things under my nose and just want to make the point that spring might be the most productive time to visit, overall highly recommended!!
Holiday with some birding! (As much as I could get away with!)
Very hot 32-36c All but the largest rivers & Streams were bone dry
Around Trujillo:
Spotless Starling - Very Common and VERY vocal
Lesser Kestrel - only the odd one this time of year
Short Toed Eagle - occasional, sometimes drifting over hotel pool!
Griffon Vulture - as above
Swift & Pallid Swift - lots
Swallow & Red Rumped Swallow - lots
Sardian Warbler - fairly common
Spanish Sparrow - common
Bee Eater - one flock of 10 birds
Cattle Egret/Little Egret - occasional
Blue Rock Thrush - 1 or 2 on the Castillo
Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Grey Heron and Black-Winged Stilt on the small reservoir
(and lots of Spanish Terrapins!)
Trujillo - Belen - Torrecillas:
Hobby - 1
Iberian Grey Shrike - dozens!
Crested (and/or Thekla Lark) - common
Calandra Lark - occasional
Corn Bunting - occasional
Hoopoes - common
Lesser Kestrel - occasional
Common Buzzard - 1 or 2
Red Kite - 6
Griffon Vulture - 50+
Black Vulture - 5 or 6
Short Toed Eagle - 1
Bee Eater - 6
Azure-Winged Magpie - occasional
La Cumbre:
Great Bustard - 12
Monfrague National Park:
Azure-Winged Magpie - common
Griffon Vulture - 100+
Black Vulture - 6
Egyptian Vulture - 2
Golden Eagle - 1
Bonelli's Eagle - 1
Spanish Imperial Eagle - 2
Booted Eagle - 2
Black-Bellied Sandgrouse - 1
Sardinian Warbler - common
Pied Flycatcher - common
Crag Martin - a few
Guadalupe Area (Sierras de las Villuercas):
Rock thrush - 2
Black Redstart - 6
Chough - 20+
Golden Eagle - 2
Bonelli's Eagle - 2
Subalpine Warbler - fairly common
Would like to return in April when the rivers & streams are full and the fields are full of wild flowers.
Birds not seen this time but hope/likely to see in spring: Storks (none seen whatsoever!)
no harriers, no Rollers, no golden oriole, no woodchat shrike, no little bustard, no black or black-shouldered kites, no black wheatear, no stone curlew, no turtle doves seen,
Not that I am disappointed! I probably missed things under my nose and just want to make the point that spring might be the most productive time to visit, overall highly recommended!!