CASA RURAL EL RECUERDO Apartado de Correos 28 Phone: +34 927319349 |
Spring Itinerary
We will visit all the important habitats: open plains, oak wood savanna, mountains, heathland, olive groves and wetlands. Depending on the spring migration, the abundance of a few of the species may vary during this period. However, by indicating which species you are particularly interested in seeing, you can be advised on the best time to visit and the itinerary will be tailor-made to focus on your interests. |
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The Tour Day 1 Arrival at Madrid airport and after quickly leaving the outskirts of the city we will be heading south west to Extremadura. For the first part of the journey we head across the cereal plains of Castilla-La Mancha with the impressive Gredos mountains flanking us to the north. Soon we enter Extremadura and the landscape gets more varied. We will start seeing White Stork, Black Kite and Spotless Starling from the motorway. We will take a stop en route at the Arroyocampo reservoir, where a reed bed provides opportunities to see Purple Swamphen, Savi's and Great Reed Warblers, Purple Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and, if we are lucky, Little Bittern. Bird watching around the garden and lanes around Casa Rural El Recuerdo will quickly produce Hoopoe, Bee-eaters, Golden Oriole, Azure-winged Magpie, Red-rumped Swallow, Serin, Sardinian and Melodious Warblers, whilst as night falls the sounds of Scops and Little Owls, Nightingale and, from early May, Red-necked Nightjar, form a wonderful setting to prepare for dinner in the old wine cellar of the house. |
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Days 2-7 The sequence of places visited and the time spent in each will vary according to your particular interests, as well as factors like the weather. Our house is excellently situated to be within easy reach of all the different habitats and best sites, without having to do a huge amount of driving. This tour provides plenty of time to both find and enjoy the birds, as well as to get an insight into this fascinating part of Spain. We will visit the plains (or steppes) near Trujillo and Cáceres and watch the extraordinary spectacle of displaying Great Bustards, as well as Little Bustards. This is the habitat too for Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, as well as Stone Curlew, and we will enjoy the wonderful mimicry of Calandra Lark song as they circle above us. We should see Short-toed and Crested Lark, whilst in rockier and more bushy areas also Thekla Lark. Bee-eaters will be abundant from the beginning of April, whilst Montagu's Harriers will glide with their wavering flight low over the ground. Corn Buntings and Southern Grey Shrike will be perched on the fences along the road, as well as Spanish Sparrow, usually in noisy flocks. Migrant Northern Wheatears will be passing though in early spring, whilst Black-eared Wheatears will also be arriving. We should see the splendid Great Spotted Cuckoos searching for caterpillars on the ground.
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The cork oak/holm oak savanna is called dehesa and is one of the classic landscapes of Extremadura. It is a traditionally managed system, providing acorns for extensively reared pigs, shade for cattle, wood for charcoal and cork for wine bottles. It is also of huge importance for birds, being the breeding area of Black Vulture and Spanish Imperial Eagle, as well as Red Kite, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Woodchat Shrike, Woodlark, Rock Sparrow. We will stop in good dehesa areas and also spend time exploring the rocky valleys and ravines of the rivers that cross the dehesa. This is where we find Cirl and Rock Buntings, as well as Bonelli's Eagle, Black Wheatear, Black Stork and Crag Martins. A sought-after species is Black-winged Kite, which although elusive in the spring, should be seen particularly late in the day at one of its favoured sites. A morning visit to an area of heathland will yield Spectacled and Dartford Warblers, as well as Thekla Lark, Short-toed Eagle and in the nearby oak woodland, we will see Short-toed Treecreeper, the Iberian race of Long-tailedTit and Hawfinch. We will pay a visit to an area of rice fields, where depending on the water level, we may find migrant waders, as well as Collared Pratincoles, Gull-billed Terns, Black-winged Stilts, Little Ringed Plovers, Cattle and Little Egrets, Zitting Cisticolas and Tree Sparrows, and the introduced Red Avadavats. Cetti's and Great Reed Warblers, as well as Nightingales will sing from the wooded river banks.
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At least one whole day will be spent in the amazing Monfragüe Natural Park, home to the world's largest breeding population of Black Vulture, several colonies of Griffon Vulture, as well as Egyptian Vulture, Golden, Bonelli's, Spanish Imperial, Booted and Short-toed Eagles. We will have the opportunity of seeing breeding Black Storks, Blue Rock Thrush, Alpine Swift and even White-rumped Swift on visits from late May. The park holds some of the best conserved Mediterranean woodland in Spain, home to warblers like Western Orphean, and Subalpine. We will stay on one evening to look for Eagle Owl. We will spend one day in the Villuercas mountain range, near the beautiful town of Guadalupe. As well as being an important area for Bonelli's Eagle, we will also encounter species like Bonelli's Warbler and Crested Tit. No visit to the hear of Extremadura would be complete without a visit to Trujillo, our local town. Not only is the town square one of the most beautiful places in Spain to enjoy a drink at one of the pavement cafes, it is also an excellent place to watch Lesser Kestrel, Pallid Swift, Common Swift and White Stork at one's leisure! We will walk up to the old castle and take in the breathtaking views of the plains and dehesa, whilst keeping an eye open for passing raptors. |
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Day 8 Return to Madrid, with a stop on route (time permitting) to savour for one last moment the joy of birding in Extremadura. Price 8 day/7 night itinerary ground price €1420* per person . *Based on minimum group size of two people. Please contact us (info@birdingextremadura.com) for quote for price for single person or for variation in number of days. Price excludes flights, insurance, drinks, entrance fees to historic monuments (optional to itinerary) and other items of a personal nature. All other holiday expenses are fully inclusive: all accommodation, meals, wine with meals, transport, guide fees & taxes. There are no hidden extras. Accommodation You will stay at our house, which has six guest rooms with either double or twin beds. All rooms have en suite bathrooms. One room is wheel-chair accessible. Lunches will be picnics. Transport Transport is by car or minivan (depending on group size). Walks are short and easy. We will enjoy spending time at vantage points for passing birds of prey. |
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What to bring The weather in spring will be variable, with warm sunny days, but still the chance of rainy periods. The evenings and early mornings are chilly. Suncream and a hat are advisable. Other interests Please let us know whether you would like to include into the itinerary visits to historic monuments such as Roman sites in Mérida and near Cáceres, the monastery of Guadalupe. |
So far a total of 209 species have been recorded on these spring tours, all within about an hour’s drive of our home at Casa Rural El Recuerdo. Depending on timing a total for the week should be over 140 species. |