TRIP REPORT SPAIN SIERRA DE GREDOS & EXTREMADURA 18 APRIL TO 25 APRIL 2018 GLYN & CHRIS SELLORS ROLLER, SANTA MARTA
FACTS & FIGURES EASYJET FLIGHTS FROM LUTON TO MADRID - 135 EACH CAR PARKING AT LUTON AIRPORT - 60 ACCOMMODATION 2 NIGHTS AT THE PARADOR SIERRA DE GREDOS 1 NIGHT AT THE SANTA MARTA HOTEL IN TRUJILLO 4 NIGHTS AT THE PARADOR DE TRUJILLO ( EXCELLENT FOOD ) SPENDING MONEY APPROX. 400 CAR HIRE VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT - 350 INCLUDING INSURANCE DIESEL APPROX. 100 MILEAGE 1080 MILES TOTAL COST APPROX. 2000 ITINERARY WE SPENT OUR FIRST TWO DAYS BIRDING AROUND SIERRA DE GREDOS. THE SCENERY IS SPECTACULAR & THERE WAS STILL QUITE A LOT OF SNOW AS WE WALKED FROM THE CAR PARK THE FOOTPATH WAS IMPASSIBLE AFTER A COUPLE OF KILOMETRES, SO WE MADE OUR WAY BACK DOWN TO THE CAR PARK. ROCK BUNTINGS WERE VERY CONFIDING ASLO BLACK REDSTARTS, BLUE ROCK THRUSHES, CRAG MARTINS, WATER PIPITS, GRIFFON VULTURES & A HERD OF SPANISH IBEXES WALKED ACROSS THE SNOW. I THINK WE WERE TOO EARLY FOR BLUETHROATS & ROCK THRUSHES - & WE ONLY SAW ONE ORTOLAN BUNTING ( THAT WAS AT THE PARADOR DE GREDOS ). LOWER DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VALLEY WE CHECKED THE PINE WOODS ETC. SHORT-TOED TREECREEPERS, FIRECRESTS, CRESTED TITS & BONELLI S WARBLERS WERE SINGING. IN THE OPEN MEADOWS WE SAW CIRL BUNTINGS, SPANISH WAGTAIL, WOOD LARKS, SERINS & BLACK KITES ETC.
FROM SIERRA DE GREDOS WE DROVE TO TRUJILLO IN EXTREMADURA VIA MONFRAGUE. AT MONFRAGUE I STOPPED AT A SMALL CLEARING WHERE I HAD SEEN ORPHEAN, SUBALPINE & SARDININIAN WARBLERS IN 2015, & SURE ENOUGH ALL THREE WARBLERS WERE SINGING & EVENTUALLY SHOWED WELL. IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON, SO WE MADE OUR WAY TO TRUJILLO A LOVELY MEDIEVAL TOWN IN EXTREMADURA, THIS WAS OUR BASE FOR THE NEXT 5 NIGHTS. WE STAYED HERE IN 2015 I DECIDED TO BOOK A DIFFERENT HOTEL THE SANTA MARTA ( IT WAS A SUPERB HOTEL, BUT THE CAR PARKING WAS A NIGHTMARE WE COULDN T USE THE PLAZA CAR PARK BECAUSE OF A CHEESE FESTIVAL THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THE NEXT MORNING WE CHECKED OUT & BOOKED FOUR NIGHTS AT THE PARADOR DE TRUJILLO MUCH EASIER CAR PARKING ( IN FACT, I PAID EIGHT EUORS PER DAY TO USE THE PARADOR S PRIVATE CAR PARK ) TRUJILLO S OLD BULLRING HAS A BREEDING COLONY OF LESSER KESTRELS IN 2015 I SAW C.20 BIRDS, BUT I ONLY SAW C. 6 BIRDS ON THIS VISIT. FORTUNATELY WE VISITED ANOTHER BREEDING COLONY AT AN OLD CHURCH FURTHER SOUTH NEAR VEGAS ALTAS AT LEAST 20 LESSER KESTRELS SHOWED WELL & THEY ARE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF A TRIP TO EXTREMADURA. WE MADE TWO TRIPS TO THE VEGAS ALTAS AREA CRACKING VIEWS OF 20 GREAT BUSTARDS OFF THE EX 355 ROAD FROM CAMPO LUGAR ALSO CALANDRA LARKS, HOOPOES, LITTLE BUSTARD CALLING, CRESTED LARKS ANOTHER COLONY OF LESSER KESTRELS WERE BREEDING IN AN OLD BARN NEAR SIERRA BRAVA RESERVOIR. SOME NICE VIEWS OF MONTAGU S HARRIERS ( INCLUDING A DARK PHASE MALE ) AT A SMALL NATURE RESERVE NEAR MADRIGALEJO A PURPLE HERON FLEW OUT OF THE REEDBED ALSO 3 GREAT WARBLERS WERE SINGING. AS WE DROVE PAST THE NATURE RESERVE SIX COLLARED PRATINCOLES FLEW UP FROM THE ARABLE FIELDS. BACK AT MONFRAGUE BLACK STORKS WERE BREEDING AT PENAFALCON LARGE NUMBERS OF GRIFFON VULTURES & A FEW EGYPTIAN VULTURES TOO. BLACK REDSTARTS, BLUE ROCK THRUSHES, ROCK BUNTINGS & SERINS WERE SINGING. I TRIED THE SMALL CLEARING AGAIN JUST UP THE ROAD FROM PENAFALCON SARDINIAN & SUBALPINE WARBLERS SHOWED WELL AGAIN, BUT THE ORPHEAN WARBLER WAS VERY ELUSIVE. IN 2015 I VISITED THE BELEN PLAINS JUST OUTSIDE TRUJILLO UNFORUNATELY THEY HAVE BUILT A NEW ROAD & IT WAS NOT VERY PRODUCTIVE WHAT A SHAME.
ON MY LAST TRIP IN 2015 I WANTED TO PHOTOGRAPH GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO ( WE DIDN T EVEN SEE A ONE ) THIS TIME I DID SEE AT LEAST TWO UNFORTUNATELY THEY NEVER CAME CLOSE ENOUGH TO PHOTOGRAPH NEXT TIME, THEN LOVELY BIRDS THOUGH. THE MONROY ROAD TO SANTA MARTA JUST OUTSIDE TRUJILLO IS ONE OF THE BEST BIRDING PLACES IN EXTREMADURA. THERE WERE TWO LARGE COLONIES OF SPANISH SPARROWS VERY SKITTISH I COULDN T GET NEAR THEM, EVEN USING THE CAR AS A HIDE. LOTS OF CALANDRA LARKS, SEVERAL LITTLE BUSTARDS WERE DISPLAYING & MAKING THEIR FARTING-LIKE CALLS. ONLY ONE GREAT BUSTARD, BUT WE HAD SEEN 20 NEAR VEGAS ALTAS. BLACK KITES, GRIFFON VULTURES, THREE BLACK VULTURE, HOOPOES, BEE EATERS, SOUTHERN GREY & WOODCHAT SHRIKES. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO SEE MONTAGU S HARRIERS THESE SUPER BIRDS SHOW REALLY WELL NEAR THE SANTA MARTA T JUNCTION. JUST OUTSIDE SANTA MARTA THE LOCALS HAVE ERECTED LOTS OF NEST BOXES FOR LESSER KESTRELS & ROLLERS PROBABLY THE BEST PLACE TO GUARANTEE SEEING ROLLERS. I DO LIKE THIS PART OF SPAIN & I M SURE IT WON T BE TOO LONG BEFORE WE REVISIT. SYSTEMATIC LIST MUTE SWAN GREYLAG GOOSE MALLARD GADWALL SHOVELER RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE PHEASANT LITTLE GREBE
GREAT CRESTED GREBE CORMORANT CATTLE EGRET A FLOCK OF C. 75 VEGAS ALTAS AREA LITTLE EGRET GREY HERON PURPLE HERON 1 AT A SMALL NATURE RESERVE NEAR MADRIGALEJO WHITE STORK VERY COMMON BLACK STORK SEVERAL PAIRS BREEDING AT PENAFALCON, MONFRAGUE GRIFFON VULTURE COMMON BLACK VULTURE 3 NEAR SANTA MARTA & A FEW OTHERS EGYPTIAN VULTURE 2 AT MONFRAGUE GOLDEN EAGLE 1 SAT ON A ROCK MONROY TO SANTA MARTA ROAD SHORT-TOED EAGLE 2 BOOTED EAGLE RED KITE BLACK KITE VERY COMMON MARSH HARRIER MONTAGU S HARRIER C. 20 COMMON BUZZARD SPARROWHAWK KESTREL LESSER KESTREL TRUJILLO BULLRING - PARADOR DE TRUJILLO ( OVER THE PARADOR ) SANTA MARTA AREA SIERRA BRAVA RESERVOIR & ACEDERA CHURCH TOWER MOORHEN COOT
GREAT BUSTARD 20 SHOWING WELL EX. 355 ROAD FROM CAMPO LUGAR & 1 NEAR MONROY LITTLE BUSTARD 4 MONROY TO SANTA MARTA ROAD 2 EX. 355 ROAD FROM CAMPO LUGAR BLACK-WINGED STILT STONE CURLEW BREEDING PAIR EX. 355 ROAD FROM CAMPO LUGAR COLLARED PRATINCOLE 6 NEAR MADRIGALEJO LITTLE RINGED PLOVER COMMON SANDPIPER GREENSHANK REDSHANK BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE FLYING - MONROY TO SANTA MARTA ROAD PIN-TAILED SANDGROUSE FLYING MONROY TO SANTA MARTA ROAD ROCK DOVE STOCK DOVE WOOD PIGEON COLLARED DOVE CUCKOO GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO 2 NEAR THE MONROY TO SANTA MARTA ROAD T JUNCTION JUST OUTSIDE TRUJILLO SCOPS OWL 1 CALLING SWIFT HOOPOE FAIRLY COMMON BEE-EATER ROLLER C. 10 BREEDING IN NEST BOXES NEAR SANTA MARTA GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER SIERRA DE GREDOS
CRESTED LARK COMMON THEKLA LARK FAIRLY COMMON USUALLY AT HIGHER ALTITUDE THAN CRESTED LARKS WOOD LARK FAIRLY COMMON I MANAGED TO TAKE SOME NICE IMAGES OF THESE LOVELY LARKS SHORT-TOED LARK CALANDRA LARK VERY COMMON, BUT DIFFICULT TO PHOTOGRAPH CRAG MARTIN FAIRLY COMMON SWALLOW RED-RUMPED SWALLOW HOUSE MARTIN WATER PIPIT A FEW AT SIERRA DE GREDOS SPANISH WAGTAIL GREY WAGTAIL DIPPER SIERRA DE GREDOS DUNNOCK VERY COMMON SIERRA DE GREDOS ROBIN NIGHTINGALE BLACK REDSTART FAIRLY COMMON WHEATEAR WHINCHAT STONECHAT BLACKBIRD BLUE ROCK THRUSH BLACKCAP
WHITETHROAT ORPHEAN WARBLER SEVERAL ONE SHOWED WELL AT MONFRAGUE SARDINIAN WARBLER COMMON SUBALPINE WARBLER ONLY A FEW, STUNNING CETTI S WARBLER REED WARBLER GREAT REED WARBLER 3 AT A SMALL NATURE RESERVE NEAR MADRIGALEJO CHIIFFCHAFF BONELLI S WARBLER ONE SHOWED WELL AT PARADOR DE GREDOS SEVERAL SINGING FIRECREST SIERRA DE GREDOS WREN PIED FLYCATCHER GREAT TIT BLUE TIT COAL TIT CRESTED TIT THESE LOVELY BIRDS ARE QUITE COMMON AT SIERRA DE GREDOS LONG-TAILED TIT NUTHATCH SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER COMMON SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE WOODCHAT SHRIKE AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE FAIRLY COMMON DIFFICULT TO PHOTOGRAPH MAGPIE
JAY JACKDAW RAVEN SPOTLESS STARLING GOLDEN ORIOLE ONLY HEARD SINGING HOUSE SPARROW SPANISH SPARROW 2 LARGE BREEDING COLONIES ON THE MONROY TO SANTA MARTA ROAD VERY SKITTISH ROCK SPARROW 2 SHOWED WELL AT THE PARADOR DE GREDOS CHAFFINCH LINNET GOLDFINCH GREENFINCH CITRIL FINCH C. 6 AT THE PARADOR DE GREDOS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS SERIN COMMON CROSSBILL ORTOLAN BUNTING 1 AT THE PARADOR DE GREDOS I THINK WE WERE TOO EARLY MOST ORTOLANS ARRIVE IN LATE APRIL CIRL BUNTING CORN BUNTING ONE OF THE COMMONEST BIRDS IN EXTREMADURA ROCK BUNTING COMMON AT SIERRA DE GREDOS, BUT CRACKING BIRDS & VERY CONFIDING
glynsellors@aol.com www.glynsellorsphotography.com CRESTED TIT
CRESTED TIT MALE CITRIL FINCH
MALE ROCK BUNTING YOUNG SPANISH IBEXES
SPANISH WAGTAIL & GREEN LIZARD A LOVELY MALE BLACK REDSTART
FEMALE BLACK REDSTART FEMALE CITRIL FINCH
A CRACKING MALE CITRIL FINCH CRAG MARTIN
GRIFFON VULTURE MALE ORPHEAN WARBLER
BLACK KITE SPOTLESS STARLING
CORN BUNTING ROLLER
AN IMPRESSIVE CALANDRA LARK
THEKLA LARK MALE MONTAGU S HARRIER
DISPLAYING MALE LITTLE BUSTARD MALE LESSER KESTREL
MALE LESSER KESTREL FEMALE LESSER KESTREL
MALE LESSER KESTREL HOOPOE
A GREASY SPOTLESS STARLING GRIFFON VULTURE & CHICK
CRAG MARTIN COLLECTING MUD MALE SUBALPINE WARBLER
MALE SARDINIAN WARBLER MALE SERIN
BLACK STORK BLACK KITE
MALE & FEMALE LITTLE BUSTARDS WHITE STORK
MALE SPANISH SPARROW GRIFFON VULTURE
THEKLA LARK A PRISTINE WOOD LARK
SINGING CORN BUNTING MALE MONTAGU S HARRIER
MALE MONTAGU S HARRIER MALE MONTAGU S HARRIER