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Message: <blockquote data-quote="john-henry" data-source="post: 906855" data-attributes="member: 15559">Two weeks in Spain… 1st May – 15th May.    (Part 2)3rd - 5th May..The next three days were spent between Santa Cruz and the Ermita de San Frutos, a great area for birding and  the scenery around the Ermita area was alone worth the trip. I’ve never seen so many larks in such a small area and holding 7 of the 8 species in Spain must make it the lark hotspot in Spain. Other birds were well represented, apart from waders and waterfowl which was to be expected in such a dry area, virtually everything seen was seen very well giving excellent opportunities for close study of differences between species, all in all a brilliant place to spend a couple of days.One of the highlights of the trip was waking in the mornings to the dawn chorus from the Hostal window, Great and Blue Tits, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Serin, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Cuckoo, Wood Pigeon, Golden Oriole, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, White Wagtail and Nightingale were all taking part in this orchestra of sound.Over the three days good birds were seen at several road stops on the way to the Hoces de Rio Duraton/Ermita de San Frutos including – Ortolan Bunting, Golden Oriole, and Montague’s Harrier, which I didn’t see along the Ermita track, Rock sparrow, Black-eared Wheatear, Orphean Warbler, etc.Birds along the Ermita track include - Dupont’s, Short-toed, Calandra, Crested, Thekla, Woodlark and Skylark, Tawny Pipit, Corn and Cirl Buntings, Black-eared and Northern Wheatear, Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrows, Blackcap, Orphean (several), Dartford, Subalpine and Spectacled Warblers, Yellow and White Wagtails, Stonechat, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Serin, Wren, Woodchat Shrikes, Nightingale, Azure-winged Magpie, Swifts, Swallows, House and Crag Martins, Red-legged Partridge, Kestrel, Black Kites, 3 Booted Eagles, 1 Short-toed Eagle, 2 Egyptian, 100+ Griffon Vultures (these pass so low over your head you’ve got to duck!), Ravens, Carrion Crows, Jackdaws and 60+ Red-billed Chough. Bee-eaters were noted most days – seemingly still moving north.A short visit to the Rio Duraton just outside Sepulveda produced Subalpine Warbler, Blackcap, Golden Oriole Wryneck, Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Song Thrush and Green Woodpecker.6th May. Left for Villafafila about 8.30am via the E5/A1 to Aranda de Duero, the 122 to Valladolid, the E80 to Tordesillas and the A6 as far as Villapando, where I picked up the minor road to Villafafila. Only problem here was the road to Villafafila had a roadworks sign and barrier across it with a detour, on looking closer the barrier left room for cars to pass and it had a speed limit sign so it couldn’t really be closed, could it, anyway knowing this was the best area for Bustards, and being a Sunday, I ignored all this and drove past the barrier, no problems at all! The road was a bit rough but perfectly driveable, when you got to Villafafila the road was closed but there was a detour track that took you into the town!! Most of the best birding areas are along, or off, this road including a couple of hides and several good tracks and lagoons, this combined with a short trip down the road to Otero de Sariegos gave plenty to see. A drive down the first track I came to produced 6 Great Bustards, one standing on the track itself, several Montagu’s Harriers, a Short-eared Owl hunting over the cereal fields – this was at mid-day so feel sure it must be breeding here, 2 Booted Eagles and a Black Kite overhead. Back on the main road again more Great Bustards were soon seen, (50 + by the time I’d reached Villafafila), several more Montagu’s, 70+ White Storks, another Short-eared Owl, Red and Black Kites, Booted Eagles, Calandra and Crested Larks, Northern Wheatears, Corn Buntings, Yellow and White Wagtails, Spotless Starlings, House, Tree and Rock Sparrows (all three side by side on one of the hides), Fan-tailed Warbler, Turtle Doves, Hoopoe, Red-legged Partridge, Quail, Raven, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Kestrel, several Lesser Kestrels, Swifts, Swallows and House Martins, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Coot, Dunlin, Knot, Sanderling, Ringed and Grey Plovers, Lapwings, Redshank, Greenshank, Black-winged Stilts, Avocets, 15+Whimbrel, Gull-billed Terns, Black-headed, Yellow-legged and one adult/sub-adult Audouin’s Gull – which I think must be unusual for the area.A short drive back along the main road in the evening looking to get some photos of Great Bustards was everything Jules said and more – they were everywhere you looked, singles displaying, small groups of young males fighting, females watching the older well-whiskered males in full display and others just feeding in the cereal fields, some coming quite close to the road, this was what I’d been looking for the past few years, somewhere where you’re at least in with a chance of getting a picture, so I rigged the tripod up in the car and just sat quietly waiting for one or two to come closer, and they did – easy, many thanks Jules.I slept in the car again overnight, there is a hotel in Villafafila but it was a bit too expensive for a single.</blockquote>

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