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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Looking for a Madrid Local (1 Viewer)

vfrokjer

Member
HI i am coming in a few weeks, March 20th to March 25. Myself and a friend are wanting to go birding during the week. I am looking for a local who would like to come along and show us around? We will provide lunch and transportation and a fun time birding!

I also have questions. The Extremadura area is a popular area. Can you day trip to this area from Madrid and still see the birds or is this an area we should stay over night for the early morning birding. Is there a local that would like to go birding here also? OR can you find most of these birds in the Madrid area?

Also looking for more detail instructions of where to go in Monfrague National Park and Cacares Plains area.

my contact info is [email protected] Thank you for any help.
Valerie
 
Not a local I'm afraid, but have done two birding based trips there in the last few years so might be able to offer a little insight.

Did you have any particular target species in mind? Some are done very easily from Madrid without really needing much assistance - others, particularly steppe birds - probably need a bit more familiarity.
 
HI Alexjh1,

All birds i see will more then likely be lifers. The bigger raptors are always fun, owls (but i have the worst luck with those at home), bustard display dance (can this been done closer to Madrid of Extremadura is the best bet?). Thinking about going to Las Tablas de Daimel also. Just not sure where the hotspots are in March. Thank you so much for any help.
 
I'm afraid that my visits were a little later in the year, so not entirely applicable in terms of migrants (and in April I was still too early for some of them including Roller, Golden Oriole and White Rumped Swift) but hopefully I can give you something of use.

Depending on how long you've got, I would recommend El Pardo as a good place to start (not to be confused with the Gallery Museo Del Prado, which is worth a visit if that's your thing) - it's only a 20 minute cheap bus journey from the center of Madrid, but should hopefully set you up with a few of these big raptors and a good cross section of the commoner birds to save you from having to pay them as much stead when you head out elsewhere. The headliner is Spanish Imperial Eagle which I saw pretty quickly after crossing over the river at the one bridge and just carrying on until the road ran out. Eurasian Griffon and Eurasian Black Vulture should also be around as well as Black and Red Kite for your raptors. If you then head back down the hill and follow the river North as far as you feel like, that should give you decent opportunity to rack up both river and more general species, herons, tits, finches, short-toed treecreeper, eurasian nuthatch, hoopoe etc.

Bustards are very definitely around Madrid itself but would probably recommend finding someone who knows the specifics of where to look. The first trip I had a paid for excursion which netted us very close views of Little Bustard and a very distant view of Great Bustard, which was apparently very bad luck in that regard in addition to I think 12 raptor species through the morning (Griffon+Black Vulture, Hen, Marsh, Montagu's Harriers, Buzzard, Common+Lesser Kestrel, Booted+Golden Eagles, Black+Red Kites). The second trip was

In terms of Daimel, I was considering the same option but was suggested Laguna Navaseca instead of the main body of Daimiel, which I was very pleased with. It's a small body of water but when I was there at least was stuffed full of Flamingo, White-headed Duck, Black-necked Grebe, Black-winged Stilt and a great selection of more typical european waterbirds. Also had sightings of Spanish Sparrow, Purple Heron and Purple Swamphen, which were all then lifers for me. In terms of Owls, there were also a pair of little owls roosting on the roof of the abandoned barn to the East of the Road leading to the carpark from the South.

As for Monfrague - the park itself is pretty much a single road going through it so there is not much option in the way of going through it, but there are several points you can stop that overlook different points of interest. I have a feeling you may be unfortunately a little early to get the best of it but Black and Griffon vultures should be about I believe and some of the eagles (specifically Golden, Bonelli's and Spanish Imperial) should be around, though need a bit of patience. Unfortunately, I think you may be too early for Egyptian Vultures and Black Stork, though someone may be able to correct me on that.

If you are doing Monfrague, it may also be worth stopping off at Arrocampo on the way back - it's more or less on the way and it has I think the complete set of European Herons (not sure about Great Bittern) plus Black Winged Kites, better opportunities for Purple Swamphen and various other wetland birds.
 
The only owls I specifically saw were the Little Owls I mentioned.

There are European Eagle Owls that apparently nest on the cliffs south of the city near Rivas-Vaciamadrid, but despite keeping an eye out on my visit there, I didn't see them; they are a huge section of cliffs and you'd probably have to know where they are to stand a decent chance. There should be other species in the region according to my birdbooks, (Barn, Tawny, Long-eared and later in the year, Eurasian Scops) but I'm afraid I have no idea of specific idea where.
 
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