Trip Report: Extremadura (Spain), May 15-29, 1998

Neil Money, United Kingdom; Neil.Money-CASE@BTInternet.com

Itinerary

BASED: near Navaconcejo in Jerte Valley. Within easy reach of Monfrague (40 minutes) but not well placed for early morning visits to steppe habitats such as La Serena.

Madrid to Navaconcejo by the 501 via Arenas and Jarandilla to Plasencia. During stay visited wide area of northern Extremadura with day trips south to La Serena, steppes south of Caceres and Guadalupe.

A cool wet spring by Extremaduran standards with late migration. Rain in most 24 hour periods often with thunder storms late evening.

Species List

  1. LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis
    Widespread in suitable habitat
  2. GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus
    Pair with young Embalse de Talavan 20th
  3. GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
    1 lagoons at Almaraz 26th
  4. LITTLE BITTERN Ixobrychus minutus
    Common and very visible at the Almaraz lagoons 26th
  5. CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis
    Small flocks seen North of Trujillo; La Serena 27th; Brazos 28th. Large colony Embalse de Borbollon
  6. LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta
    10 Madrigalejo rice fields 25th; 4 Almaraz 26th; La Serena 27th
  7. GREY HERON Ardea cinerea
    Widespread in all suitable habitats
  8. PURPLE HERON Ardea purpurea
    3 Almaraz lagoons on 26th
  9. BLACK STORK Ciconia nigra
    Nesting at Pena Falcon, Monfrague; 1 Valdeinigos 21st; 1 pools near Brazos on 28th
  10. WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia
    Very common throughout area
  11. GADWALL Anas strepera
    1 Embalse de Talavan 20th
  12. MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos
    2 Embalse de Talavan 20th; 4 pools near Brazos 28th
  13. TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula
    3 Embalse de Talavan 20th
  14. EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD Pernis apivorus
    1 north of Arenas 15th
  15. BLACK KITE Milvus migrans
    The common roadside raptor. Some large concentrations e.g. 100 La Serena
  16. RED KITE Milvus milvus
    Common throughout area
  17. EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus
    Seen only at Monfrague where breeding
  18. GRIFFON VULTURE Gyps fulvus
    Large numbers in Monfrague but seen throughout the area
  19. MONK VULTURE Aegypius monachus
    Breeding in Monfrague 2 nests; 1 north of Serradillia 24th
  20. SHORT-TOED EAGLE Circaetus gallicus
    1 Monfrague 18th; 1 Serradillia 24th & 26th; 1 La Serena 27th; 1 Brazos steppes 28th
  21. MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus
    1f Almaraz lagoons 26th
  22. MONTAGU'S HARRIER Circus pygargus
    Widespread in steppe habitats. Max 10 together La Serena 27th
    [NORTHERN GOSHAWK Accipiter gentilis
    Two possibles Jerte Valley 18th]
  23. EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus
    1 Jerte valley 18th
  24. COMMON BUZZARD Buteo buteo
    Jerte Valley 17th; Monfrague 18th; Madrigalejo 25th; La Serena 27th
  25. SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLE Aquila adalberti
    Breeding Monfrague; 1 La Serena on 27th
  26. BOOTED EAGLE Hieraaetus pennatus
    1 near Arenas 15th; 1 Granadilla 19th; 1 Embalse de Salor 20th; 1 Jerte Valley 21st; 1 Serradillia 26th
  27. LESSER KESTREL Falco naumanni
    Common in towns and villages and surrounding countryside in steppe areas
  28. COMMON KESTREL Falco tinnunculus
    Common in small numbers
  29. PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus
    1 Monfrague 23rd
  30. RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE Alectoris rufa
    Small number seen in steppe areas and at Puerto de Honduras
  31. COMMON QUAIL Coturnix coturnix
    Heard near Monroy 24th; Madrigalejo 25th; La Serena 27th
  32. WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus
    1+ Almaraz lagoons on 26th
  33. MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus
    Common in Madrigalejo rice fields
  34. PURPLE SWAMP-HEN Porphyrio porphyrio
    2+ Almaraz lagoons on 26th
  35. COMMON COOT Fulica atra
    4 Embalse de Talavan 20th; 2 Pool near Brazos 28th
  36. GREAT BUSTARD Otis tarda
    10 Valdesalor 20th; 40 La Serena 27th
  37. BLACK-WINGED STILT Himantopus himantopus
    Small number in rice fields around Madrigalejo
  38. STONE-CURLEW Burhinus oedicnemus
    1 on CC911 north of Panto de Navabuena 21st
  39. COLLARED PRATINCOLE Glareola pratincola
    14 La Serena 27th
  40. LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius
    2 Granadilla 19th
  41. COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleucos
    1 Granadilla 19th; 2 Rio Tormes, Salamanca 22nd
  42. GULL-BILLED TERN Sterna nilotica
    2 Madrigalejo 25th
  43. WHISKERED TERN Chlidonias hybridus
    1 lagoons at Almaraz 26th
  44. BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger
    2 Embalse de Talavan 20th
  45. BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE Pterocles orientalis
    One flight 20+ La Serena on 27th
  46. WOOD PIGEON Columba palumbus
    Common in suitable habitat
  47. TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia turtur
    Common in suitable habitat
  48. GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO Clamator glandarius
    2 Monfrague 23rd
  49. COMMON CUCKOO Cuculus canorus
    Common and widespread
  50. EAGLE OWL Bubo bubo
    1 Monfrague on 23rd
  51. LITTLE OWL Athene noctua
    1 CC911 north of Panto de Navabuena 21st; 1 near Hinojal 20th; 1 near Monroy 24th
  52. TAWNY OWL Strix aluco
    Heard in Jerte Valley
  53. EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus europaeus
    Heard Puerto de Piornal on 22nd
  54. COMMON SWIFT Apus apus
    Common
  55. ALPINE SWIFT Tachymarptis melba
    Small numbers in hill areas often associated with road bridges
  56. COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis
    Present in most suitable habitats
  57. EUROPEAN BEE-EATER Merops apiaster
    Common throughout area
  58. EUROPEAN ROLLER Coracias garrulus
    Fairly common in steppe land habitats
  59. HOOPOE Upupa epops
    Common throughout area
  60. GREEN WOODPECKER Picus viridis
    Common in Jerte Valley
  61. GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos major
    Common in Jerte Valley
  62. CALANDRA LARK Melanocorypha calandra
    Locally common in steppe land habitats e.g. La Serena, Valdesalor, Talavan
  63. SHORT-TOED LARK Calandrella brachydactyla
    Small numbers near Embalse de Talavan 20th and La Serena 27th
  64. CRESTED LARK Galerida cristata
    Common in steppe land habitats
  65. THEKLA LARK Galerida theklae
    Positively identified near Embalse de Talavan 20th -- probably overlooked with Crested Larks elsewhere
  66. WOODLARK Lullula arborea
    Common in suitable habitats e.g. Jerte Valley and Monfrague
  67. SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia
    ca 50 Rio Tormes, Salamanca 22nd
  68. CRAG MARTIN Ptyonoprogne rupestris
    Locally common in suitable habitat
  69. BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica
    Common and widespread
  70. RED-RUMPED SWALLOW Hirundo daurica
    Common and widespread
  71. HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbica
    Locally common in towns and occasional at road bridges
  72. GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea
    ommon along rivers
  73. WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
    Common
  74. WREN Troglodytes troglodytes
    Common and widespread
  75. HEDGE ACCENTOR Prunella modularis
    4/5 pairs above Puerto de Honduras 17th
  76. ROBIN Erithacus rubecula
    Common and widespread
  77. RUFUS NIGHTINGALE Luscinia megarhynchos
    Common and widespread
  78. BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros
    1 Puerto de Honduras 17th; 1 Salamanca 22nd; 1 Monfrague 23rd
  79. COMMON STONECHAT Saxicola torquata
    Common in suitable habitat
  80. NORTHERN WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe
    1 Puerto de Honduras 16th
  81. BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR Oenanthe hispanica
    Single birds seen: Puerto de Honduras 17th, Granadilla 19th, La Serena 27th; Brazos steppes 28th
  82. ROCK THRUSH Monticola saxatilis
    1 Puerto de Honduras 17th
  83. BLUE ROCK THRUSH Monticola solitarius
    1 Monfrague 18th & 23rd; 1 Serradillia 26th
  84. BLACKBIRD Turdus merula
    Common and widespread
  85. MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus
    Common and widespread
  86. CETTI'S WARBLER Cettia cetti
    Common in suitable habitat
  87. FAN-TAILED WARBLER Cisticola juncidis
    Locally common e.g. Embalse de Talavan 20th, Embalse de Salor 20th, Serrandilla 24th, Madrigalejo 25th, Almaraz lagoons 26th
  88. SAVI'S WARBLER Locustella luscinioides
    2 singing males Almaraz lagoons 26th
  89. REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus
    3 singing Rio Tormes, Salamanca 22nd
  90. GREAT REED WARBLER Acrocephalus arundinaceus
    2 Embalse de Talavan 20th; 3 Madrigalejo 25th; 2 Almaraz lagoons 26th
  91. MELODIOUS WARBLER Hippolais polyglotta
    Common in Jerte Valley
  92. DARTFORD WARBLER Sylvia undata
    Common in scrub at Puerto de Honduras and Puerto de Tornavacas
  93. SUBALPINE WARBLER Sylvia cantillans
    Singing male Monfrague 18th
  94. SARDINIAN WARBLER Sylvia melanocephala
    Common and widespread
  95. COMMON WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis
    Common in scrub at Puerto de Honduras
  96. BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla
    Common and widespread
  97. WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER Phylloscopus bonelli
    Common in higher oak woods above Jerte valley
  98. SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Muscicapa striata
    2 Near Serrandilla 24th
  99. PIED FLYCATCHER Ficedula hypoleuca
    1 La Dehesa de Candelario 19th
  100. LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalos caudatus
    Small family parties Jerte Valley 18th; La Dehesa de Candelario 19th
  101. COAL TIT Parus ater
    2 Puerto de Piornal 22nd
  102. BLUE TIT Parus caeruleus
    Common and widespread
  103. GREAT TIT Parus major
    Common and widespread
  104. EUROPEAN NUTHATCH Sitta europaea
    Common in Jerte Valley
  105. SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER Certhia brachydactyla
    2 Jerte Valley 21st
  106. GOLDEN ORIOLE Oriolus oriolus
    Common and very visible Jerte Valley
  107. SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE Lanius meridionalis
    Widespread in suitable habitat
  108. WOODCHAT SHRIKE Lanius senator
    Common and widespread
  109. EURASIAN JAY Garrulus glandarius
    Common in Jerte Valley
  110. AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE Cyanopica cyanus
    Common and widespread
  111. MAGPIE Pica pica
    Common and widespread
  112. RED-BILLED CHOUGH Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
    Small numbers in Monfrague
  113. CARRION CROW Corvus corone
    1 Jerte valley 18th; 2 CC912 road bridge Rio Almonte 20th
  114. EURASIAN JACKDAW Corvus monedula
    Locally common in hilly areas
  115. COMMON RAVEN Corvus corax
    Common and widespread
  116. SPOTLESS STARLING Sturnus unicolor
    Common
  117. HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus
    Common
  118. SPANISH SPARROW Passer hispaniolensis
    Common. Breeding in nests of White Stork and Black Kites
  119. TREE SPARROW Passer montanus
    10 Rio Tormes, Salamanca 22nd
  120. ROCK SPARROW Petronia petronia
    3 Monfrague on 25th
  121. COMMOM CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs
    Common in higher woodlands
  122. EUROPEAN SERIN Serinus serinus
    Common and widespread
  123. GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris
    Locally common
  124. GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis
    Common and widespread
  125. LINNET Carduelis cannabina
  126. CIRL BUNTING Emberiza cirlus
    1 La Dehesa de Candelario 19th; 1 Arroyo de la Vid 25th
  127. ROCK BUNTING Emberiza cia
    Fairly common Puerto de Honduras and Puerto de Tornavacas
  128. ORTOLAN BUNTING Emberiza hortulana
    3/4 pairs Puerto de Honduras and 1/2 pairs Puerto de Tornavacas
  129. CORN BUNTING Miliaria calandra
    Common and widespread

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This page served with permission of the author by Urs Geiser; ugeiser@xnet.com; July 20, 1998; updated November 6, 1999