DONANA/EXTREMADURA 18th-25th October (1 Viewer)

18th - 25th October

Just returned from an unforgettable holiday in Spain - Donana & Extremadura - with John Butler of Donana Bird Tours. You can read John's report of our visit and sightings on this link:

http://www.donanabirdtours.com/cgi-bin/web.asp?PageID=61


Not knowing Spain at all, we needed a good guide - and John was excellent. We had about 14 lifers in total, including great & little bustards, griffon vulture & red-knobbed coot. The weather was poor - rain for part of every day. I will be writing a personal report of my own shortly and will put it on this page.

Sandra & Bob
:-O

Nice one Sandra; sounds like you had some dreadful weather. Would you go again at the same time of year or earlier?

John.

john barclay said:

Nice one Sandra; sounds like you had some dreadful weather. Would you go again at the same time of year or earlier?

John.

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The weather wouldn't put us off going at this time again - it really didn't spoil anything. (It was most unusual to have 10 consecutive days with rain at some point, at this time of year) When it was fine we were outside the mini-bus and when it rained we got inside!! The birds were still there. I think John had gone round earlier and nailed one or two to the field so the wind didn't blow them away!

Bob wants to go in Spring next time but that's just so there will be different birds to see, not because of the weather. What amazed me was the sheer number of birds - hundreds of white storks; dozens of vultures; marsh harriers & kites everywhere; hundreds of sparrows in one flock;
20 gt.bustards ( I thought we would see them in 1s or 2s!)

Sandra

Look forward to reading your report Sandra as Extramadura is one of the places Neil and I would love to visit one day.

We were at a meeting a few years ago ( can't remember if it was the RSPB Group or a Wildlife trust one? ) but Neil seemed to be SO impressed by it that it was all he would talk about for weeks!!! Even now, about four years later, he still mentions it in conversations!

Can any one point me in the direction of any trip reports to this area during November please.

Major

major wildlife said:

Can any one point me in the direction of any trip reports to this area during November please.
Major

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Hello Major.

For all of my trip reports from the Doñana region in November 2005, click the following link.

http://www.donanabirdtours.com/cgi-bin/web.asp?pageid=54

John Butler said:

Hello Major.

For all of my trip reports from the Doñana region in November 2005, click the following link.

http://www.donanabirdtours.com/cgi-bin/web.asp?pageid=54

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Many thanks for that John.

Major.