TRIP REPORT EXTREMADURA, SPAIN 7-4- 2015 TO 15-4- 2015 GLYN & CHRIS SELLORS MALE LESSER KESTREL, TRUJILLO
FACTS & FIGURES FLIGHTS WITH EASYJET LUTON TO MADRID WE COLLECTED OUR CAR FROM EUROPCAR A GOLF DIESEL, & HEADED SOUTH TO TRUJILLO. IT WAS A BRAND NEW GOLF, BUT THE OIL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, SO THAT COST ME 22 & THE NEXT MORNING ANOTHER WARNING LIGHT WAS FLASHING. WENT TO A LOCAL GARAGE & HE SAID IT WAS TYRE PRESSURE THE FRONT NEARSIDE TYRE HAD A NAIL IN IT ANOTHER 33 ( EUROPCAR CREDITED ME FOR THE OIL I M STILL WAITING FOR A CREDIT FOR THE PUNCTURE ) HOTEL & CAR PARKING AT LUTON - 168 ( B. B. & E.M. + CAR PARKING AT THE AUBREY PARK HOTEL, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TAXI 12.50 EACH WAY. EASYJET FLIGHTS - 150 EACH EUROPCAR CAR HIRE AT MADRID AIRPORT - 260 FUEL COSTS IN SPAIN - 100 ACCOMMODATION IN TRUJILLO CASA DE ORELLANA HOTEL - 260 EACH BED & BREAKFAST ( 7 NIGHTS ) KILOMETRES DRIVEN IN SPAIN APPROX. 2000 TOTAL COSTS INCLUDING SPENDING MONEY APPROX. 700 EACH ITINERARY OUR HOTEL WAS IN THE LOVELY CITY OF TRUJILLO ( MORE LIKE A TOWN ) THE STREETS ARE VERY NARROW & THE HOTEL CASA DE ORELLANA WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND THROUGH THE ONE WAY SYSTEM, BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS WE WERE USED TO IT. WE ARRIVED AT MIDNIGHT OUR FLIGHT WAS DELAYED 2 HOURS BECAUSE OF FRENCH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL THE HOTEL MANAGER MET US TO SHOW US THE WAY TO THE HOTEL ( IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A NIGHTMARE TRYING TO FIND THE HOTEL IN THE DARK ) WE WOKE UP ON OUR FIRST MORNING TO TORRENTIAL RAIN GREAT THAT S WHEN THE TYRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS FLASHING, SO WE WERE AT THE LOCAL GARAGE WHILST IT WAS RAINING.
AFTER GETTING THE PUNCTURE REPAIRED WE DROVE A FEW KILOMETRES TO BELEN NEAR TRUJILLO EXCELLENT AREA FOR GREAT & LITTLE BUSTARDS, MONTAGU S HARRIERS, LESSER KESTRELS & BOTH SPECIES OF SANDGROUSE. WE HAD SUPERB VIEWS OF A BLACK VULTURE SITTING ON A ROCK DRYING ITSELF OUT AFTER THE TORRENTIAL RAIN. WE CAME BACK TO BELEN THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE RAIN, CORN BUNTINGS WERE EVERYWHERE & BLACK- WINGED STILTS, HOOPOES, ZITTING CISTICOLAS, WOODCHAT & IBERIAN GREY SHRIKES ETC. ON OUR THIRD DAY WE VISITED MONFRAGUE BLACK STORKS WERE BREEDING AT PENA FALCON & ROCK BUNTING & BLACK REDSTARTS - GRIFFON, BLACK & EGYPTIAN VULTURES SOARED OVERHEAD. A FEW KILOMETRES DOWN THE ROAD WE WATCHED A SUPER SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLE ON ITS NEST OCCASIONALLY IT DID FLIGHT AROUND WITH VULTURES & BLACK STORKS. NEARBY TWO ADULT BONELLI S EAGLES FLEW OVER AS WELL AS BOOTED EAGLES, WHICH WE SAW QUITE OFTEN. AT A ROADSIDE PUDDLE RED- RUMPED SWALLOWS WERE COLLECTING MUD FOR THEIR NESTS. CIRL BUNTINGS & SUBALPINE WARBLERS WERE FAIRLY COMMON. DAY FOUR WE DROVE TO ARROCAMPO, THIS IS A WETLAND RESERVE ABOUT 60 KILOMETRES NORTH OF TRUJILLO A BIT DISAPPOINTING, LOTS OF HERONS, BUT WE COULDN T GET VERY CLOSE TO VIEW THEM LITTLE EGRETS, CATTLE EGRETS, WHITE STORKS, GREAT WHITE EGRETS & PURPLE HERONS PLUS A PURPLE SWAMPHEN. FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS WE REVISITED MONFRAGUE & BIRDED AROUND TRUJILLO & CACERES. A ROUGH TRACK ACROSS THE PLAINS FROM CACERES TO SANTA MARTA WAS EXCELLENT FOR MONTAGU S HARRIERS, BOTH BUSTARDS, CALANDRA LARKS, BEE- EATERS, HOOPOES, SHORT- TOED LARKS, THEKLA LARKS & LESSER KESTRELS. ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE HOTEL WE SPOTTED A SHORT- TOED EAGLE SITTING IN A TREE, IT SWOOPED DOWN SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO CATCH SNAKES - THEIR MAIN PREY. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I WANTED TO VISIT EXTREMADURA WAS TO PHOTOGRAPH LESSER KESTRELS I SPENT SEVERAL HOURS AT TRUJILLO S BULLRING THEY BREED IN THE PANTILE ROOF. I WASN T DISAPPOINTED, THEY SHOWED RIGHT OVER MY HEAD & IT WAS A STUNNING ULTRA BLUE SKY.
I WAS CHATTING WITH ANOTHER ENGLISH BIRDER FROM BUXTON, DERBYSHIRE ( I KNOW, TYPICAL ), BUT HE DID PUT ME ONTO SOME VERY SHOWY MONTAGU S HARRIERS NEAR SANTA MARTA. WHAT AN EXCELLENT AREA, AS WE DROVE DOWN THE ROAD A FRENCH COUPLE WERE WATCHING GRIFFON & BLACK VULTURES FEEDING ON A GOAT/SHEEP CARCASS. WE STOPPED THE CAR & I GRABBED A FEW IMAGES FROM THE CAR THE BEST VIEWS I VE EVER HAD OF BLACK VULTURES IN SPAIN. THE MONTAGU S HARRIERS WERE BRILLIANT, IF YOU USED THE CAR AS A HIDE THEY FLEW VERY CLOSE & EVEN LANDED ON POSTS. THEY WERE SKYDANCING & CALLING C. 15 BIRDS IN THE AREA. GREAT & LITTLE BUSTARDS WERE DISPLAYING OUT ON THE PLAINS AS WELL, THEN I THOUGHT I LL BE BACK IN THE U.K. TOMORROW ALL THAT TRAFFIC & NOT MANY BIRDS IT DOES MAKE YOU THINK IT WOULD BE NICE TO RENT A HOUSE IN SPAIN & VISIT SEVERAL TIMES EVERY YEAR & A HOUSE IN EASTERN EUROPE & NORTH AMERICA. NOT EASY TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF WHEN YOU RETURN FROM A TRIP TO EUROPE. SYSTEMATIC LIST MUTE SWAN GREYLAG GOOSE MALLARD GADWALL SHOVELER POCHARD TUFTED DUCK RED- LEGGED PARTRIDGE PHEASANT
LITTLE GREBE GREAT CRESTED GREBE CORMORANT CATTLE EGRET LITTLE EGRET GREAT WHITE EGRET 2 ARROCAMPO GREY HERON PURPLE HERON C. 4 ARROCAMPO WHITE STORK BLACK STORK SEVERAL PAIRS MONTFRAGUE ONE FLEW OVER THE ROAD WHEN WE WERE DRIVING BACK TO MADRID AIRPORT GRIFFON VULTURE COMMON BLACK VULTURE QUITE GOOD NUMBERS THE BEST VIEWS I VE EVER HAD EGYPTIAN VULTURE A FEW MONTFRAGUE GOLDEN EAGLE A JUVENILE SANTA MARTA & AN ADULT MONTFRAGUE SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLE A FEMALE ON ITS NEST MONFRAGUE IT ALSO FLEW SEVERAL TIMES SHORT- TOED EAGLE 1 MONTFRAGUE & 1 NEAR TRUJILLO BONELLI S EAGLE 2 ADULTS MONTFRAGUE BOOTED EAGLE C. 15 RED KITE BLACK KITE VERY COMMON MARSH HARRIER MONTAGU S HARRIER C. 25 BEST SITE WAS NEAR SANTA MARTA COMMON BUZZARD SPARROWHAWK
BLACK- WINGED KITE DISTANT VIEWS BELEN PLAINS KESTREL LESSER KESTRELS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS STUNNING CLOSE VIEWS AT TRUJILLO S BULLRING WHERE THEY NEST IN THE ROOF ALSO AT NESTBOXES NEAR SANTA MARTA PEREGRINE MONTFRAGUE MOORHEN COOT PURPLE SWAMPHEN 1 ARROCAMPO GREAT BUSTARD C. 20 DISPLAYING BELEN PLAINS & C. 20 NEAR SANTA MARTA LITTLE BUSTARD A MALE DISPLAYING BELEN PLAINS & SEVERAL MALES DISPLAYING & FLYING AROUND SANTA MARTA BLACK- WINGED STILT STONE CURLEW 2 BELEN PLAINS LAPWING GREEN SANDPIPER COMMON SANDPIPER SNIPE BLACK- HEADED GULL COMMON TERN BLACK- BELLIED SANDGROUSE C. 35 NEAR CACERES PIN- TAILED SANGROUSE 1 BELEN PLAINS ROCK DOVE STOCK DOVE WOOD PIGEON
COLLARED DOVE CUCKOO C. 6 SCOPS OWL 1 CALLING IN HOTEL GARDEN LITTLE OWL SWIFT HOOPOE FAIRLY COMMON KINGFISHER BEE- EATER FAIRLY COMMON ROLLER 2 NEAR CACERES & 2 SANTA MARTA CRESTED LARK THEKLA LARK WOOD LARK SHORT- TOED LARK CALADRA LARK VERY COMMON SAND MARTIN BARN SWALLOW RED- RUMPED SWALLOW BEAUTIFUL BIRDS HOUSE MARTIN TAWNY PIPIT MEADOW PIPIT WHITE WAGTAIL YELLOW WAGTAIL DUNNOCK ROBIN NIGHTINGALE
BLACK REDSTART WHEATEAR BLACK- EARED WHEATEAR 2 WHINCHAT STONECHAT MISTLE THRUSH BLACKBIRD BLUE ROCK THRUSH 2 MONTFRAGUE BLACKCAP WHITETHROAT SARDINIAN WARBLER SUBALPINE WARBLER COMMON, BUT STUNNING SEDGE WARBLER ZITTING CISTICOLA SAVI S WARBLER 2 ARROCAMPO CETTI S WARBLER REED WARBLER BONELLI S WARBLER 1 SINGING MONTFRAGUE CHIFFCHAFF FIRECREST HEARD ONLY WREN GREAT TIT COAL TIT BLUE TIT
CRESTED TIT LONG- TAILED TIT NUTHATCH SHORT- TOED TREECREEPER HEARD ONLY IBERIAN GREY SHRIKE C. 6 WOODCHAT SHRIKE C. 15 AZURE- WINGED MAGPIE COMMON, BUT VERY SHY MAGPIE JAY JACKDAW CHOUGH CARRION CROW RAVEN SPOTLESS STARLING COMMON HOUSE SPARROW SPANISH SPARROW FAIRLY COMMON CHAFFINCH LINNET GREENFINCH GOLDFINCH SERIN COMMON SHOWED VERY WELL IN HOTEL GARDEN HAWFINCH CIRL BUNTING CORN BUNTING PROBABLY THE COMMONEST BIRD EVERYWHERE ROCK BUNTING 1 MONTFRAGUE
MAMMALS RED FOX BUTTERFLIES SPANISH SWALLOWTAIL SCARCE SWALLOWTAIL CLEOPATRA REPTILES WALL LIZARD glynsellors@aol.com www.glynsellorsphotography.com IMAGES BELOW
TRUJILLO HOTEL CASA DE ORELLANA
BULLRING, TRUJILLO BREEDING LESSER KESTRELS MONTFRAGUE PENA FALCON BREEDING BLACK STORKS
BELEN PLAINS GREAT & LITTLE BUSTARDS SANTA MARTA BUSTARDS & MONTAGU S HARRIERS
WILD FLOWERS POPPIES
CASA DE ORELLANA HOTEL DOOR
GRIFFON VULTURE
BLACK STORK MALE MONTAGU S HARRIER
FEMALE MONTAGU S HARRIER ROLLERS
A STUNNING BEE- EATER
MALE MONTAGU S HARRIER MALE SERIN
HOOPOE CALANDRA LARK
MALE MONTAGU S HARRIER SPOTLESS STARLINGS, TRUJILLO
MALE SUBALPINE WARBLER RED RUMPED SWALLOW
MALE LESSER KESTREL, TRUJILLO MALE LESSER KESTREL, TRUJILLO
MALE LESSER KESTREL, TRUJILLO BLACK KITE
MALE SPANISH SPARROW MALE SERIN, HOTEL GARDEN
MALE LESSER KESTREL, TRUJILLO
ZITTING CISTICOLA THE UBIQUITOUS CORN BUNTING
LITTLE OWL
DISPLAYING GREAT BUSTARDS, BELEN WHITE STORK
BLACK STORK, MONTFRAGUE BLACK- WINGED STILT, BELEN
BLACK- WINGED STILT, BELEN
BLACK VULTURE, BELEN
MALE LESSER KESTREL, TRUJILLO
MALE LESSER KESTREL, TRUJILLO