Extremadura & La Mancha Wetlands Dec 2003 (1 Viewer)

Paul Hackett · Dec 3, 2003

Was lucky enough to vist Spain recently and took a few days off for Birding with a very good Bird Guide friend of mine, Santiago Vilas who is based in Madrid, We saw many of the species of Bird associated with this time of year in the two areas

Black Shouldered kite ( 3)
Griffon Vulture ( numerous )
Black Vulture ( 5)
Bonelli's Eagle ( 3)
Golden Eagle ( 1)
Spanish Imperial Eagle (2)
Red Kites ( Numerous)
Common Kestrel ( numerous )
Sparrowhawk ( 3)
Buzzard ( numerous)
Blue Rock Thrush ( 4)
Azure Winged Magpie (numerous)
Hoopoe (numerous)
Sardinian Warbler
Blackcap
Fan Tailed Warbler
Chiffchaffs
Purple Gallinule ( 2)
Great White Egret (1)
Common Crane (400+)
Crag Martin ( 8)
White Stork

I have attached some pictures from the trip, Coolpix 4500, Zeiss 85 scope with 20 - 60 zoom lens set between 20 & 30 times magnification

Adey Baker · Dec 4, 2003

Great shots to brighten up a dull December day, Paul!

Edward · Dec 4, 2003

And miss Stockport County's first home win of the season, Paul?
The very name Extremadura is magic to my ears and you got some great shots there. I especially like the Griffon Vulture and Bonelli's Eagle together. Where was that taken, Portilla de Tietar in Monfragüe?

E

robinm · Dec 4, 2003

Great shots. Brought back some wonderful memories of Monfragüe in particular.

Steve G · Dec 4, 2003

Hi Paul, Where did you take the image of the Bonelli's eagle? Despite a few visits to Extremadura I've never managed anything other than poor views of this bird. I gather that Winter into late February are the best times to catch up with them. Never managed a winter trip to Spain...........yet.

Cheers,
Steve

Paul Hackett · Dec 4, 2003

Edward & Steve G

Yes Edward, the place was Portilla del Tietar just inside the Monfrague National Park at the viewpoint overlooking the reservoir, and the birds were on the opposite rock formation, the bonelli's was joined by the vulture and it was looking intently at the griffon for a couple of minutes then started to relax a little, a curious picture dont you think ?

The black vultures never landed on the rock staying to the air and thermals with the other Griffons, the Griffons coming into land from behind us made an amazing sound, and on further observations was noted that the undertail feathers were rustling as they started to brake and retract their wings as they slowed themselves down to land, the sound was loud and distinctive on such a quiet day !

Steve G -
if you get the chance GO in winter !!!!

we saw 3 Bonelli's eagles displaying and the griffon Vultures displaying also, the thing i liked most regarding digiscoping was NO HEAT HAZE ! temp @12 C - 13 C so taking pics was easy despite the distance, the birds were poss @ 200yards plus ?

Steve G · Dec 4, 2003

Paul Hackett said:
Edward & Steve G

Steve G -
if you get the chance GO in winter !!!!

we saw 3 Bonelli's eagles displaying and the griffon Vultures displaying also, the thing i liked most regarding digiscoping was NO HEAT HAZE ! temp @12 C - 13 C so taking pics was easy despite the distance, the birds were poss @ 200yards plus ?

Thanks Paul. I'll need to try & get there in winter. I got great views of Eagle Owls & youngsters in late May 2002 at Portilla del Tietar with nesting Black Stork & nesting Egyptian vultures in a nearby cave...-its a cracking site; but I never saw Bonelli's there.
cheers,
Steve

sparrowbirder · Dec 4, 2003

Paul,see you got Bonellis eagle,,thats a bogey bird of mine still need it!!

Jane Turner · Dec 4, 2003

I want to go the La Serena in march.... The cranes starting to get frisky and great bustards turning themselves inside out, Calandra and Thekla Larks singing their lungs out.

Edward · Dec 4, 2003

Jane Turner said:
I want to go the La Serena in march.... The cranes starting to get frisky and great bustards turning themselves inside out, Calandra and Thekla Larks singing their lungs out.

I hear you Jane, but they're pretty frisky in April too and I couldn't do without my Rollers. A friend of mine has visited Extremadura in December, April and June. Without wishing to state the obvious he thought April was the best, but said December was great for steppe birds although it was freezing, June was hopeless for steppe birds (sweltering and heat haze from dawn to dusk) but had White-rumped Swifts in Monfragüe. Basically every season has its attractions.

Yes I thought I recognised Portilla de Tietar Paul, where I saw my favourite raptor, Bonelli's Eagle displaying this spring, and an adult Eagle Owl with chicks. Two great lifers within 30 seconds! My bogey bird in Extremadura is Great Spotted Cuckoo grrr!
E

Jane Turner · Dec 4, 2003

I foolishly attempted the Steppe birds in August. Hot doesn't do it justice. I set off very early morning trying to find a Great Bustard... and after only 30 mins decided it was way too hot so I headed back to the car and its air conditioning. I was panting and drinking litres of water when one of the brown roadside stones suddenly sprouted a head and walked off hautily! Of course if I hadn't got out of the car I wouldn't have seen a flock of 200 Calandra Larks!

Pie Face · Dec 4, 2003

I and a couple of friends saw Bonelli's at Portilla del Tietar in late May. We had excellent flight views one of my favourite birds of an excellent five days. We also saw 2 juv Eagle Owls many Griffon's and a couple of R-n Nightjars.

Mark

CGK · Dec 4, 2003

Paul,
Some excellent shots, I am glad to see you have took the time to visit the La Mancha region of Spain, it is often overlooked by birders intent on visiting Extramadura to the south and the Pyrenees etc to the north.

It can produce some superb birding ,we spent a week last May travelling around that region alone and notched up a trip total of 162 species.
The wetlands particularly those around the town of Alcazar de San Juan and Daimiel can produce an excellent passage of Waders and the White headed Duck is a fairly common bird in La Mancha.
Both Bustards and Sandgrouse were fairly easy to locate in the fields south of Madrid.
Raptors were superb, with Spanish Imperial Eagle fairly easy to see at Cabaneros Natural Park,[an area that hold some 120+ pairs of Black Vulture] ,an afternoon in the Sierra Morena produced fifteen species of raptor including a pair of Bonellis Eagle at the nest and several pairs of Black winged Kite.
The suprising bird here however was White rumped Swift, with two-three pairs found breeding in disused mine workings alongside Red Rumped Swallow.
I found the La Mancha region as good if not better than Extramadura,with the added bonus of wetlands for waders and wildfowl , finding birds took more effort, but as this region is fairly underwatched it provides a great oppurtunity for turning up the odd suprise.

sparrowbirder · Dec 5, 2003

Really must give the spanish steppes a go,still afew ticks i need in that part of the world!!

Edward · Dec 5, 2003

CGK said:
The wetlands particularly those around the town of Alcazar de San Juan and Daimiel can produce an excellent passage of Waders and the White headed Duck is a fairly common bird in La Mancha.

Hi CGK,

I stopped off at Las Tablas de Daimiel in April and it seemed pretty impressive although we were short of time. Collared Pratincole and Red-crested Pochard were lifers there and there were plenty of Purple Herons, Whiskered Terns, Savi's Warblers, Water Rail, and much more besides.

Sparrowbirder, the Spanish steppes provided one of my greatest ever birding experiences, but don't go in summer (see Jane's mail above). I went in April to the superb La Serena, the landscape was vaguely Icelandic, as was the weather (10-12°C) but instead of Whimbrels, Golden Plovers and Meadow Pipits everywhere there were abundant Calandra Larks, plenty of Lesser Kestrels and splendid birds such as Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Stone Curlew and Roller all easy to find. Happy days.

E

Extremadura & La Mancha Wetlands Dec 2003 (1 Viewer)

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