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