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Birding in Extremadura (1 Viewer)

International Bird festival FIO in Extremadura

FIO will take place in Villareal de San Carlos, Monfragüe, Feb 28th – March 2nd. See website www.fioextremadura.es

Also Photocontest: Conditions only in Spanish available via above website.
Summary:
*Closing Feb 13, 15.00 hrs.
*Max 3 pictures over 4 categories (Extremadura birds, Spain birds, special Habitat, special technique, people under 21), max 2 photos in one category.
*Jpeg, minimum 4 Mb.

Hopefully you visit Extremadura and the stands where we as Discover Extremadura will participate: Birding in Extremadura ( governmental), Guidex (professional bird-guides in Extremadura) and GeoVilluercas (.tourist companies in Geopark Villuercas).

And if you are lucky you can enjoy Cranes still! Here some photos, that we made last week from our special Crane-hides.

All the best, Dutch birder - Henk
 

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Jump into the air once

As the Dutch poet John O’Mill stated as his translation of “spring is in the air”.

After a period of strong northern winds, Cranes and Greylags are now heading north in large flocks. We can see and hear them coming over our place.
Migration started a week or so later as normal.

Here Chiffchaffs are singing, also do Blackcaps, Blackbirds, Mistle trushes, Corn buntings, Rock buntings, Cetti’s warblers (although, sings all year round), the first Black storks, Barn swallows, Egyptian vultures, Short-toed Eagles and Great crested cuckoos are back. So we have to prepare for a new interesting year of birding. Join us!

dutch birder - henk
 
Geopark Villuercas as birding destination

Start of the Project: Geopark Villuercas as birding destination.

On the international bird fair FIO, that will take place in Monfragüe N.P.,
28th of Febr, 1th and 2nd of March, this project will be launched.
I will give a short presentation, talking about the habitats, birds and observation points.

We produced a clear Map, Folder with tips-where-to-go-for-what-species and a nice Flyer with some detailed maps of routes, all in Spanish and English.

In the future we will develop a more ample bird guide, with also info about the
features of the Geopark itself, where it should be relevant to understand the
habitats.
More info about the FIO: www.fioextremadura.es

ciao
 
Villuercas birds

Today a little tour through the Western part of this mountain range:
Vultures: Griffon, Black and Egyptian
Eagles: Golden, Short-toed, Bonelli's and Booted
Kites: Red, Black and Black-shouldered
Kestrels: Common and Lesser
Buzzards: Common and Honey
and also
Peregrine, Sparrow hawk.
Along the rivers: Nightingale, Black Stork.

Sitting on the terrace at 8.30 , still 18 degrees, some Owls:
Eagle, Tawny, Barn, Scops.

To mention some.
ciao
 
Planes of Madrigalejo and Zorita

This week I did a 7-day- photo-trip with the German bird photographers Steffen Hoffmann and Rolf Then.
We used the hides for Vultures and Raptors, went to Monfragüe N.P. (see photo), the Wetlands of Arrocampo, La Serena and the steppes (planes) between Aldeacentenera and Belén.
The last day we went through the dehesas South of Logrosán to the planes between Madrigalejo and Zorita.

Some nice recordings here:
Griffon, Black and Egyptian Vultures;
Short-toed Eagle, Common Buzzard, Montagu´s harrier, Marsh Harrier, Black and Red and Black-shouldered Kite,
Common Kestrel and Lesser Kestrel;
Spoonbill, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Common Crane;
Black-winged Stilt, Green Sandpiper, Ruff, Sandpiper, Snipe;
Cuckoo, Great spotted Cuckoo, Southern grey Shrike;
And all those White Storks, Larks, Warblers, Tits, Sparrows, Buntings, Swallows, Swifts, Starlings,
Raven, Little Owls, Azure-winged Magpies, Great and Little Bustards, Hoopoes and Blue Rock Thrushes!

OK?
bye, henk
 

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April 4th in Extremadura

Bad weather, but nevertheless a tour with a client from the UK.
Some highlights:
Monfragüe:
Displaying Blue Rock Thrushes, good views from the Castle of Monfragüe.
Eagle Owl feeding young
Flight show of the Spanish Imperial Eagle-pair
Displaying pair of Black-eared Wheatear
Mating Black Storks.
(no Black Wheatear, helas)

Arrocampo:
Bee-eaters (my first this year)
Redshrank
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Black-winged Stilt
Black-shouldered Kite
Mars Harrier
Spoonbill
Great and lesser Egret
Cattle Egret
Sqaucco, Purple and Grey Heron
Savi’s and Cetti Warbler
Purple Swamp Hen
Glossy Ibis.

On the way back through steppe area, heavy rain:
Great and Little Bustard
Short-toed Eagle
Stone Curlew
Great spotted Cuckoo.

Thank you,
henk
 
I'd be grateful for Extremadura updates this week as I have 2 days for birding there Fri and Sat.
Planning Arrocampo / Monfrague / road from Trujillo to Vegas Altas with Sierra Brava and Campo Lugar / Sta Marta de Magasca (N of the Caceres motorway) area and surrounds.

Any up to date info on specialties appreciated.

thanks.....

cwpbirder
 
Hi cwpbirder,

All summer birds are back again, I only miss Booted Eagle and some swifts around.

In Monfragüe is the look-out `Portilla del Tiétar` the best, with displaying
Imperial Eagles, Egyptian Vultures, Eagle Owl with young, fishotters in the river etc.

In Arrocampo I recommand the environment of look-out nr 1, with Little Bittern,
Purple Herons, Sqaucco-Heron, Purple-swamp Hen, Savi’s Warbler etc.

In Santa Marta de Magasca I prefer to start lookig directly after the way/out of the motorway,
and also I should go a 8 kms North of the pueblo, there is a superb spot to see
Montagu´s Harriers.

The Sierra Brava reservoir itself is less interesting in spring and summer, but if you take
The bad road to Campo Lugar and the tracks West of the main road between Madrigalejo
and Vegas Altas, those are good for all kinds of Steppebirds, with good chance for
Black-shouldered Kites and Rollers too.
Don’t forget to take the road from Madrigalejo towards the new Solar energy plant: along
that road are some interesting lagunes.

Hope this will help,
henk
 
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Little owls

Extremadura is extremely good for Little owls, with all those opportunities
to breed and still sufficient supply of sparrows.
Here a little photographic proof of Steffen Hoffmann and Rolf Then.
With these 2 photographers we counted one day in La Serena over 25 !
 

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Henk
an excellent w/e thankyou - many highlights.......Arrocampo, Savi's W, Purple and Squacco Herons, 2 Great spotted Cuckoos. Monfrague, Alpine Swift, 3 Black Storks. Santa Marta de Magasca area - 14 Montagu's Harriers, 3 Rollers, Great Bustard. Sierra Brava -Black-eared Wheatear. Vegas Altas - 30 Collared Pratincoles. Plus Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black Vultures.........and Bee-eaters and Red-rumped Swallows as back up. Superb, and excellent photo opportunities........
 
cwpbirder said:
Henk
an excellent w/e thankyou - many highlights.......Arrocampo, Savi's W, Purple and Squacco Herons, 2 Great spotted Cuckoos. Monfrague, Alpine Swift, 3 Black Storks. Santa Marta de Magasca area - 14 Montagu's Harriers, 3 Rollers, Great Bustard. Sierra Brava -Black-eared Wheatear. Vegas Altas - 30 Collared Pratincoles. Plus Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black Vultures.........and Bee-eaters and Red-rumped Swallows as back up. Superb, and excellent photo opportunities........
Click to expand...

Sounds great. I'm visiting Extremadura over the coming Easter weekend, so I'm really looking forward to looking for the specialities (and hopefully seeing them!).

Any luck with Eagle Owl at Portilla del Tiétar?

And any other recent gen would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Mike
 
Hi Darren,

till now no sightings of the Spectacled Warbler, last year the first one was
( 15th of April) along the road from Madrigalejo to the new solar plant, there are some interesting lagoons with bushes. Good luck,
henk

PS Eagle Owl in Monfrague, lookout nr 6, Portilla del Tietar, still good to be seen,
as also the Spanish Imperials.
 
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