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Message: <blockquote data-quote="john-henry" data-source="post: 907380" data-attributes="member: 15559">Two weeks in Spain… 1st May – 15th May.    (Part 4)9th May…Drove down to the well known Black-shouldered Kite site near Monroy but no luck, evenings are best. White Storks still nesting in the pines, many with young, plenty of House and Spanish Sparrows nesting in their nests. Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Raven, Sardinian Warbler, Serin, Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike and Red-legged Partridge were also seen.From here I took the first Talavan road seeing Great Crested Grebes on a small lake and a few larks by the road, I was heading for a picnic site I’d found on a previous visit along the Hinojal road. Good for Orphean Warbler, several singing and one seen down to 10ft. Bee-eaters were very much in evidence sitting on overhead wires, I spent most of my time here photographing them and a Woodchat Shrike that joined them. Woodlarks and Crested Larks, Hoopoe and Red-rumped Swallow were also present.Carrying along the road I turn left for Santiago del Campo seeing Crested, Thekla, Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Hoopoe etc before reaching the Arroyo de Talavan and stopping for a while. A Spectacled Warbler was singing from the top of a small tree on the left and a Great Spotted Cuckoo sitting inside a tree on the right, Kingfisher, Spotless Starlings, Spanish Sparrows, Black Kites, Griffon Vultures and a pair of Kestrels were seen before I moved on. A quick look at the lake near Santiago del Campo had a family of Little Grebes on it and a Grey Heron with a huge bulge in its neck and the tail of a fish just showing in its mouth. The rest of the road down to the CC-912 is not very interesting. On reaching this I turned left to go back to the old original Talavan road and the hide at the edge of the reservoir, it was hot again and some shade was needed. Swallows were again nesting in the hide apparently this was their second attempt; someone pulled the first nest down. Great Crested and Little Grebes could be seen sitting on their nests in front of the hide and a Great Reed Warbler sang non-stop. Gadwall, a few Mallard and a White Stork were the only other birds seen on the water while Stonechat, Southern Grey Shrike, Crested Larks, Fan-tailed Warbler, another Great Reed Warbler, Crag Martins, Red-rumped Swallows, Water Rail and a Golden Eagle were seen on the other side of the road here.From here I took the Monroy turning, seeing very little until I reached the Santa Marta de Magasca turn, carrying on to come out on the EX-208 I did manage a couple of Little Bustards, Crested and Calandra Larks, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, a pair of Great Spotted Cuckoos near a White Storks nest on a building beside the road, a male Pied Flycatcher here as well, another pair of Great Spotted Cuckoos several kilometres further along where there is a small pool, also here Sardinian Warbler, Red-rumped Swallows and a Stonechat, a few Black Kites and White Storks were also noted overhead along the way.10th May… Drove from Torrejon el Rubio to the Santa Marta de Magasca road off the CC-912 seeing a pair of Rollers in the nest-box area after the Rio Almonte valley plus Hoopoe, Crested Larks, etc. Along what I call “rotten road” because the surface is pretty rough, it was in 2002 and it still is! Good for birds though, 2 Great Bustards started the ball rolling, soon followed by 3 more and 2 Little Bustards. 2 Black vultures overhead plus one sitting on a rock,(this was one of many times I wished it wasn’t so hot, the heat haze ruined photography) several Griffon Vultures overhead, Red and Black Kites, Kestrels, Buzzard, Montagu’s Harriers, Southern Grey Shrikes, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Stonechat, Crested, Thekla, Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Great Spotted Cuckoo, 2 or 3 Rollers, 3 Little Owls, Raven and Jackdaw - these are gradually taking over the Roller nest-boxes along here which is not good news.On joining the N-521 I turned towards Caceres and to the Embalse de Guadiloba. I had a brief visit here in 2002 and thought it had great potential so took this opportunity for another look, it was well worth it, Sub-adult Imperial Eagle, 4 Black, 2 Griffon Vultures, Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Black Kites, 2 Little Bustards, Crested, Thekla and Calandra Larks, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes, 3 Great Spotted Cuckoos, several Golden Orioles, Hoopoe, Cetti’s, Sardinian and Subalpine Warblers, Nightingale, Azure-winged Magpies, Common Magpies, Stonechats, White Stork, Grey Heron, Little and Cattle Egrets, Water Rail, Swallows, Swifts, Crag Martin, Raven, Pratincoles, Redshank, Black-winged Stilt and Little Ringed Plover were seen.Not only was the birding good but the trees gave some excellent cool shade for a couple of hours in temperatures of about 30 deg C – phew, far too hot for me. After this and some excellent views of Golden Orioles I set off for Santa Marta de Magasca village, hearing a couple of Little Bustards ‘farting’on the way, and then back down to the N-521 closer to Trujillo, highlights being several Montagu’s Harriers, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes, Red-legged Partridge, etc.Driving towards Trujillo Belen came into my head, so that was where I headed for next. I’m a great believer in these spur of the moment decisions, over the years they’ve led to finding some excellent birds. A couple of hours later I was on the way to Torrejon having seen 18 Great Bustards, 7 Little Bustards, a pair of Stone Curlew, pair of Great Spotted Cuckoos, Calandra, Crested and Thekla Larks, Hoopoe, Black Kites, White Storks and a Montagu’s Harrier sitting in the road. But the day was not over yet, 2 Red-necked Nightjars were along the Jaraicejo to the EX-208 road and another on the EX-208 about 1km from where I joined it.</blockquote>

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