Extremadura April 2008 (1 Viewer)

Hi,

I'm off to Extremadura for a week in early 2008, yes lucky me!

Can anyone recommend a good road map that will a. get from Madrid to the area and b. let me explore the region.

I've read a number of trip reports (including Ruby's excellent trip report for last May 2007) and have a copy of the Crossbill guide to the area, unfortunately I failed in my search for the Muddeman bible. Is there any other good literature to read before I get there?

One final question is there a top five of sites to visit, perhaps members can help before I finalise my itinerary.

Any other tips to birding the area will also be warmly received.

Thank you,

Bill

I got round using the Michelin 1:400,000 sheet and Where to watch birds, Southern & Western Spain.

If you go nowhere else, get to;

(a) The Monfrague Natural Park (reached in about 50 minutes from Trujillo on the Ex208 road). Three species of vulture, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Golden eagle, Eagle owl etc, etc. Call into the visitors' centre at Villareal de San Carlos for a brochure. Miradors have been built to park and watch at some of the best spots.

(b) The steppes west of Trujillo. I found the area north of the Trujillo-Caceres road to be most productive at the end of February. Head west out of Trujillo, then after about 11km take the turn north to Santa Marta de Magasca. 4km up this road stop and scan. At one stop in 10 minutes I had Great & Little Bustards, Great Spotted Cuckoo and a fly-over Black-bellied Sandgrouse. A little further on I stopped to look at some golden plover the following day and found Pin-tailed sandgrouse amongst them. Continue on this road to Santa Marta then turn left onto a road that runs south-west towards the main road again. Stop wherever you can - I had g bustard close by here and another GS cuckoo. Thekla and Calandra larks are everywhere.

Before the road reaches the main road, take a right turn onto an unsurfaced road that runs west to come out eventually on the EX390 north of Caceres. More G Bustards, larks and a flock of about 150 pin-tailed sandgrouse disturbed by a marsh harrier. By April ypu may get roller on the road north of Caceres.

In addition to the superb areas Alan mentions, I'd also recommend the steppes of La Serena a bit south of Trujillo, one of the best places I've had the fortune to go birding. The road leading north of Castuera was particularly good, especially if you can find a track leading off it onto the plains. Great Bustards and Little Bustards a plenty, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Calandra Larks abundant, and my first ever Roller. Extremadura is one big birding site and you'll have a great time.

E

Just remember that NO map in Spain seems to be entirely accurate with good well established roads omitted, now non-existant tracks included as public roads and newly built roads not shown! Personally I also check any map against 'Google earth' images!
John

Edward said:

In addition to the superb areas Alan mentions, I'd also recommend the steppes of La Serena a bit south of Trujillo, one of the best places I've had the fortune to go birding. The road leading north of Castuera was particularly good, especially if you can find a track leading off it onto the plains. Great Bustards and Little Bustards a plenty, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Calandra Larks abundant, and my first ever Roller. Extremadura is one big birding site and you'll have a great time.

E

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I was along that track across La Serena a week past Thursday, Edward, but I started at the far end (at the Santuario de Belen) and ended up back in Castuera (surprising, because Garcia and Paterson's book seemed to suggest that it should have come out about 3km north - perhaps I missed a turn) The Santuario had loads of Spanish sparrows and the car park ar Benequrrencia (east of Castuera) gave 4 or 5 black wheatears dotted along the crag above.

The steppe was strangely devoid of bustards and sandgrouse on my trip (not to say they weren't there, I just didn't see them), but there were plenty of larks, a great-spotted cuckoo and a pair of Egyptian Vultures passed overhead.

I was staying in Merida so I called in at the Embalse de Cornalvo and Embalse de las Muellas on the way back. Great views of a short-toed eagle just overhead with a snake's tail danging from its mouth at the first reservoir and a flock of about 2 dozen common waxbills (and more Spanish sparrows) at the second.

John Cantelo said:

Just remember that NO map in Spain seems to be entirely accurate with good well established roads omitted, now non-existant tracks included as public roads and newly built roads not shown! Personally I also check any map against 'Google earth' images!
John

Click to expand...

You are right John.

There is also the added difficulty of the Spanish messing about with road numbers. Often the road identity numbers on roadsigns and kilometre posts bear no relation to the road numbers shown on the map, and the bird guidebook info is often somewhere between the two.

Endless fun can be had with a map, an inexperienced navigator and the Spanish road system.

(PS The main roads on the other hand are getting ever better - mile after mile of new, almost empty motorway-standard dual carriageways paid for by generous EU funding)

Alan, John, Edward,

Thank you for your help and the sites mentioned.

I got hold of the Michelin road atlas today and have started to put names to places and places to itineraries. I think I can probably fill about a month's worth of birding without trying to hard! Already I'm thinking that my trip will have to be a familiarisation week with further visits to be planned for the future!

Of interest, the Crossbill guide shows a circular route for La Serena and a couple of interesting walks for the area. I'm not sure how accurate the Crossbill maps are- I'll let you know as I will probably try and follow a couple of the suggested routes!

regards,

Bill

I'm biased as I have a small role in the Crossbill organisation, but as Dirk Hilbers, the principal author of the guides, lived in Extremadura for a while I'm sure you'll find the maps in the guide accurate,

John