I finally felt fit enough after surgery to get out and and have some birding adventures, and where better than in Extremadura. This underpopulated Region holds a variety of unspoiled habitat & is undoubtedly the best all-round part of Spain for birding. Elena and I stayed in the beautiful and historic town of Trujillo, a convenient and delightful base from which to make daily excursions.
We made a few stops en-route looking for particular species, and although the weather was poor with heavy cloud cover and intermittent rain all day, we did have some success in the Arroyo Marin near Archidonna. Here I was looking specifically for Golden Oriole and Hawfinch, and sure enough we found both. Unfortunately it was raining when we spotted a nice male Hawfinch so my photo does not do it justice.
Hawfinch - coccothraustes coccothraustes
Golden Oriole - oriolus oriolus
Captive Golden Oriole - oriolus oriolus We struck "Gold" however with the Oriole. There were so many around, juveniles calling for their parents (squawking) and the adults were quite vocal in reply (calling). I decided I would join in using playback from my iPhone & using the car as a hide. This attracted the attention of a superb male who appeared to be curious about the "Interloper". Thus I managed to get my first decent photo of a Golden Oriole, a very difficult bird to capture. However I initially picked out the wrong image (left) by mistake. Amongst the RAW files in my Oriole folder was one I had forgotten from a strange place in Isla Mayor where they had birds in captivity. The bird from Arroyo Marin is above.
Other birds seen and heard here were nesting pairs of both Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, but although we saw and heard them they were too wary to be photographed.
Moving on then, and after a restful night in a super hotel in the historic heart of Trujillo, we headed North to Monfrague, first stop the iconic Pena Falcon. Amazingly we were the first to arrive as the resident Griffon Vultures were only just showing signs of life with a few trying to catch an early thermal. Also the World's most watched Black Stork's nest had three very advanced chicks, and a couple of Egyptian Vultures took flight & wheeled around the rock face. Otherwise there was little to see.
Other birds seen and heard here were nesting pairs of both Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, but although we saw and heard them they were too wary to be photographed.
Moving on then, and after a restful night in a super hotel in the historic heart of Trujillo, we headed North to Monfrague, first stop the iconic Pena Falcon. Amazingly we were the first to arrive as the resident Griffon Vultures were only just showing signs of life with a few trying to catch an early thermal. Also the World's most watched Black Stork's nest had three very advanced chicks, and a couple of Egyptian Vultures took flight & wheeled around the rock face. Otherwise there was little to see.
Egyptian Vulture - neophron percnopterus
Black Stork Chicks - ciconia nigra
The month of June is too late really, only a hard core of resident birds remain here, but one thing I do like about June is the number of young birds around, still finding their feet, or wings so to speak. This young male Blue Rock Thrush for example made a nice picture on the silvery branches of a dead tree...
Blue Rock Thrush juvenile - monticola solitarius
 Woodchat Shrike juvenile - lanius senator | .....and here a newly fledged Woodchat Shrike shows well, a common sight at this time of year as they have no fear of humans. The photo below is one of a group of at least six Kingfishers that we enjoyed observing on the banks of the Rio Tamuja, to the west of Trujillo. |
Kingfisher - alcedo atthis
Kingfisher - alcedo atthis
This chap is I believe quite young, "He" sat in deep shade in a large tree overhanging the river, but allowed me to approach very close without taking fright and departing, something I believe an adult bird would not have done. It was very dark in there but the photo is not bad after some manipulation in Photoshop.
Here's one of the adults, perched on a rock on the opposite bank. We spent a very happy hour quietly watching them fish in very pleasant surroundings. There were at least six birds, perhaps all one family, I don't know. Anyway, back to the Pena Falcon in Monfrague. The only other bird of note seen here was the White Rumped Swift, I managed to capture this record shot from the Castillo and post it as it was a "Lifer" for both of us.
White Rumped Swift - apus caffer
| That evening I passed time watching the Lesser Kestrels nesting on the roof of the Bullring. This site attracts birders from far and wide to watch and photograph these amazing birds bringing food to their young, reared between the terracotta tiles of the roof. This fact has not escaped the attention of authorities and it is now designated a special conservation site. It also enhances tourism and brings much needed visitors to the Town. |  Lesser Kestrel Chick |
Lesser Kestrel - falco naumanni
Lesser Kestrel - falco naumanni
It is easy to forget here that Lesser Kestrels are a threatened species, mainly due to habitat degradation through agricultural intensification. The replacement of grazed grasslands, extensive dry cereal and pulses with taller and denser crops e.g. sunflower, maize, vineyards and other perennial crops has led to reduced abundance of large insects and decreased access to prey. The increased use of pesticides of course has reduced prey populations further. However some formerly declining populations in France and Iberia have now increased following the implementation of conservation measures.
Lesser Kestrel - falco naumanni
Lesser Kestrel - falco naumanni
Other birds show up of course, Lesser Kestrels are happy to share their space with Starlings, Sparrows & Doves, but were not pleased when a Booted Eagle flew over, they harrassed it but were perhaps too late as I could see it was already clutching something that looked like a chick in its talons.
Spotless Starling - Sturnus unicolor
Booted Eagle - Hieraaetus pennatus
Next day we drove along the C-99, a country road that cuts West from just North of Trujillo towards Caceres, through some wonderful natural steppes, dehesa, oak woodland and pasture, across rivers and streams. It is an amazing birding route, perhaps the best in all of Spain. With luck one can see steppe species such Great and Little Bustard and Sand Grouse, but in my experience this would be unusual. However I have never missed with Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black Vulture, Griffon, Roller, Spanish Sparrow, Black Kite, Buzzard, Grey and Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe and White Stork. Other birds I can recall seeing along here include Common Cuckoo, Little Owl, Montagus Harrier, Short-toed, Booted, Golden and Bonellis Eagle, Red Kite, Sparrow Hawk and smaller species including Melodious Warbler, Kingfisher, Sand Martin and many more that are too numerous to mention.
Greater Spotted Cuckoo - clamator glandarius Great Spotted Cuckoo is an enigmatic and exciting bird, always a pleasure to see and I have the impression that it has become more common & widespread in Spain recently, judging by the number and location of sightings reported.
Spanish Sparrows - passer hispaniolensis
It is well worth looking closely at the numerous Sparrows that feed in flocks along the roadside. Many will be Spanish, the males being much more handsome and striking than a standard House Sparrow. One doesn't need to hear him say "Ola, que tal" to recognize that he is indeed a Spanish Sparrow.
Griffon & Black Vultures - gyps fulvus & aegypius monachus Black Vultures are not common birds but we always see them along this route at what appears to be "Muladares", feeding stations where dead livestock is put out specifically for vultures. It was formerly common practice for farmers to dispose of their dead livestock this way, but BSE (Mad Cow disease) put paid to this and it is now strictly controlled. There are exceptions for vulture feeding thoughI have no official information but we see two of these Vulture Restaurants along this relatively short route, fantastic news for birders, but not entirely good news as John Cantelo recounts in his excellent "Birding Cadiz province" when discussing such Vulture Restaurants.,
Evidently, their use has meant an increase in competition in the more solitary Lammergeier and a consequent decline in breeding success. Similarly, the increase in crows opportunistically using the ‘restaurants’ has cause a sharp decrease in the breeding success of passerines near these sites. Furthermore, it’s altered the habits of vultures who, rather than cruise the skies in search of food, are now more likely to loaf around near the more certain sources of food. There’s also been a worryingly large increase in the levels of veterinary drugs in Spain’s vultures. Presumably, this reflects the change in the origins of available carcasses and it’s not yet clear what the long term impact of this might be (although, fortunately, the banned drug, diclofenac, which has decimated Asia’s vulture population, is not amongst the drugs found). The days of these ‘restaurants’ may yet be numbered since a recent report suggests that the current tight regulations regarding the disposal of carcasses should be relaxed or even abandoned.
Evidently, their use has meant an increase in competition in the more solitary Lammergeier and a consequent decline in breeding success. Similarly, the increase in crows opportunistically using the ‘restaurants’ has cause a sharp decrease in the breeding success of passerines near these sites. Furthermore, it’s altered the habits of vultures who, rather than cruise the skies in search of food, are now more likely to loaf around near the more certain sources of food. There’s also been a worryingly large increase in the levels of veterinary drugs in Spain’s vultures. Presumably, this reflects the change in the origins of available carcasses and it’s not yet clear what the long term impact of this might be (although, fortunately, the banned drug, diclofenac, which has decimated Asia’s vulture population, is not amongst the drugs found). The days of these ‘restaurants’ may yet be numbered since a recent report suggests that the current tight regulations regarding the disposal of carcasses should be relaxed or even abandoned.
Black Kite - milvus migrans
Black Kites are incredibly common in Extremadura, there is almost always at least one visible somewhere along this route. I sometimes wonder if its success has been to the detriment of the Common Buzzard which seems to be in steep decline in my opinion.
Short Toed Eagle - circaetus gallicus
We are fortunate in Spain to have quite a variety of raptors, of which the Short-toed Eagle is one of the more handsome species. This one flew over as we watched the Kingfishers down by the Rio Tamuja. I was surprised at how pale this one was but of course it is is a juvenile. It will develop more pronounced spotting and become darker overall in time.
Roller - coracias garrulus
The last time we were here was three years ago and we very much enjoyed watching the birds that use the nest boxes placed on telegraph poles along the roadside. I do remember thinkingthat the boxes were getting quite decrepit. Well it was very pleasing to see that they have all been replaced with brand new Schwegler Nest Boxes that are being put to good use by the Rollers and Lesser Kestrels.
Roller - coracias garrulus
Trujillo at sunset, seen from the West.
