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!!
