A season-by-season view of what to see from your base at Casa Rural El Recuerdo near Trujillo.

Every season has its special attractions. This is why many people make return visits to Extremadura.

Although the White Storks are back on nests in Trujillo by January and the first Great Spotted Cuckoos and Lesser Kestrels are arriving in February, it is in March that one really sees the big influx of summer migrants and start of breeding activity for most species. By the second half of March the winter flocks of bustards have broken up, Great Bustards males are starting their extraordinary displays and will continue in full until mid-April, whilst Little Bustard males are starting to call in the fields. Most migrants have arrived by the end of March, although birds like Melodious and Orphean Warblers, Golden Oriole and Roller tend not to appear until mid-April. Honey Buzzards, Ortolan Buntings and Whinchats are moving through on passage. By the end of April, Red-necked Nightjars are back on territory and by the middle of May, White-rumped Swifts can be found again at places like Monfragüe, occupying old Red-rumped Swallow nests. On the irrigated areas, Gull-billed Terns will often follow the plough whilst Collared Pratincole are hawking insects.

Spring is the peak season for birds and through to mid-May the temperature is usually comfortable enough for productive birdwatching even in the middle part of the day. The landscape is full of the colours of meadow flowers, although flowering will have peaked for many species by the end of April and by mid-May the landscape starts to yellow.

Easter is the year’s biggest celebration in Spain and on Easter Sunday the main square of Trujillo is a huge party with music, dancing and traditional costumes. At the weekend nearest to the beginning of May every year, Trujillo hosts the national cheese festival, where cheese producers from all over Spain and from elsewhere in Europe set up stands in the main square. A gourmet’s delight!

Summer (June to August)

Summers are hot and dry in Extremadura, with the landscape changing from the emerald green of spring to the summer parched yellow, where the dehesa trees stand out as an endless dark green sea. Although some migrants, like Great Spotted Cuckoos, leave early, most of the summer visitors can be found, although warblers will be elusive. The White Storks and Lesser Kestrels vacate towns like Trujillo, to feed out in the fields on the steppes on the huge biomass of grasshoppers. The Lesser Kestrels return in the evenings to assemble over the town squares, along with the Pallid and Common Swifts. This is a time of year for birding early morning, taking an afternoon siesta or cooling off in the pool, and then enjoying the long summer evening to be out on the steppes, watching Stone Curlew, post-breeding groups of Great Bustard and the Montagu’s Harriers heading to roost. The begging calls of young Long-eared Owls can be heard from Casa Rural El Recuerdo as well as equally far-carrying Red-necked Nightjar well into June. Thistles in seed attract family parties of Hawfinches, as well as flocks of Goldfinches.

Many of the towns and villages celebrate their annual fiestas during this time. The streets get decked in bunting and there are fun fairs, music and dancing, which really only gets going well past midnight. In Mérida, in the Roman theatre there is an annual drama and dance festival, when one can enjoy an evening watching top European productions in an unforgettable setting.

Autumn (late August to October)

Autumn starts parched and dry, as the rains do not usually start until October. Despite the seemingly barren environment, there is a highly visible autumn passage in Extremadura, as Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers fill the woods and olive groves, along with large numbers of Whitethroats and Garden Warblers. Whinchats are very common passage migrants in open habitats, whilst Willow Warblers are found just about everywhere, include the most treeless of habitats. Large numbers of Lapwings, Robins and Song Thrushes start to arrive for the winter. Scarcer migrants like Bluethroats, Wrynecks, Ortolan Buntings and Grasshopper Warblers make an appearance. Red Avadavats are late breeders and males are at their finest red in early autumn.

By late September, the sound of rutting Red Deer and Eagles Owls can be heard in Monfragüe

Winter (November to February)

By late October, the Common Cranes start arriving and by early November they can be found feeding in their thousands on the rice stubble, along with hundreds of overwintering White Storks, and numbers of Marsh and Hen Harrier. This is one of the finest birding spectacles of the year. Autumn rains have turned the steppes green and large groups of Little Bustard can be found numbering over a hundred strong at times, as well as smaller assemblies of Great Bustard. Huge flocks of Calandra Larks, Spanish Sparrows and Corn Buntings can be found, as well as flocks of Rock Sparrow, whilst Merlin chase errant Meadow Pipits. Black-winged Kites and both species of sandgrouse become much easier to see than in the spring, whilst on sunny winter days one can be lucky enough to watch eagles in their display flights and as darkness falls Eagle Owls will call in rocky areas.

In the nearby Sierra Brava reservoir one of the largest concentrations of wintering duck in Spain can be seen. Tens of thousands of dabbling duck, along with hundreds of Grey Lag Geese, provide a truly remarkable sight.

Black Redstarts become common garden visitors at Casa Rural El Recuerdo, joining the resident Hawfinches and Cirl Buntings, whilst from mid-winter on fine mornings the beautiful sound of Woodlark song can be heard overhead.