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WINTER TOUR FOR PHILIP AND MAVIS HENDREY |
ITINERARY Day 1: Friday 16th February Pick-up Madrid: 10.30 Day 2: Saturday 17th February Day 3: Sunday 18th February Plains west of Trujillo and Santa Marta de Magasca Day 4: Monday 19th February Plains west of Trujillo, Monfragüe National Park and Jaraicejo Day 5: Tuesday 20th February Cabañas del Castillo and the Villuercas Mountains. Return to Madrid for evening flight.
TRIP REPORT Day 1 Martin met Philip and Mavis in downtown Madrid, just off the Paseo de Prado at 10.30. It was a mild, sunny morning and we headed out of Madrid in good time and soon were on the relatively empty A5 motorway heading south-west to Extremadura. We stopped at the reed and great reed mace-fringed reservoir of Arrocampo for a lunch stop and a chance to bird in one of the best wetland habitats in Extremadura. Cetti’s Warblers were singing in the brambles beside the road and we quite quickly found a male Penduline Tit, feeding on the seed-heads of Great Reed Mace. It then flew into a bare willow tree and gave us superb views as it moved slowly through the tree. Small skeins of Grey Lag Geese flew over head, as did a party of Sand Martins. The waterside vegetation seemed alive with Chiffchaffs. Whilst trying to get views of Cetti’s Warblers, we had good views of a Squacco Heron in flight, as well as a pair of Black Vulture and several Marsh Harriers and Purple Swamphen. After lunch we walked around the edge of the wetland on the western side, reaching one of the newly built hides. A Great White Egret foraged on the far shore. A nearby Cetti’s Warbler called and eventually showed itself in the fringing vegetation. Bushes held flocks of Spanish Sparrows. The wind picked up and the weather front which had been threatening to the south-west got closer, with a spectacular black sky, flashes of lightening and soon very strong winds. We attempted to visit the remaining viewing areas, but little ventured out from the shelter of the reeds and as it started to rain we decided to call it a day and head for our final destination, Casa Rural El Recuerdo, in time for tea in front of the log fire. Day 2 Although there was a fine drizzle as we left Casa Rural El Recuerdo after breakfast, that quickly cleared and we had a day of changeable weather: sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy, but staying dry with a moderate wind. We headed south, through the small town of Zorita, across the Zorita steppes to the rice growing area around Madrigalejo. First of all we took the road towards Palazuelo, an area where most of the rice fields were ploughed in the autumn and with the winter rains, provide a good habitat for waders. We walked along the banks of the River Ruercas, hearing an amazing density of Cetti’s Warblers, which afforded us merely tantalizing glimpses. Flocks of Red Avadavats were also present and a pair of Kingfishers. On the rice fields were small parties of Common Crane, White Stork and we had an opportunity to compare Water and Meadow Pipits. Lapwing were numerous throughout. In one small area we found a wonderful selection of waders: over 80 Avocet, two Kentish Plovers, about 1500 Dunlin, several hundred Black-tailed Godwit and Golden Plover. A walk beside a strip of rice stubble yielded over 30 Common Snipe. As we left Palazuelo, we stopped to admire an orchard of peach blossom and our attention was drawn to a Hoopoe in a fig tree, we then noticed a Red Avadavat in the same tree, when all of a sudden a Wryneck came into view! We then drove onto the Zorita Steppes, from the village of Campo Lugar. Flocks of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were present, as well as Calandra Lark and Corn Bunting. Some aerial activity caught our attention: a Merlin was in pursuit of a Skylark. The Skylark evaded the falcon and then swerved round to mob it, with the Merlin then drifting across above us. Stopping for lunch, a scan revealed a group of 15 Great Bustard. Further along the road we were able to get excellent views of them as they foraged. We then stopped near the old railway station of Madrigalejo and saw 6 Stone Curlew fly into an old stubble field. We continued to make a brief visit to the rice fields and arable fields of Vegas Altas, there were few cranes, but the visit was well rewarded by a wonderful flock of over 300 Pintail feeding in roadside pools and several small groups, totalling about 20, of Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Our final port of call were the rice fields of Casas del Hito. Again small groups of Common Crane were present and we had a lovely view of a pair of Black-winged Kite and a fine male Hen Harrier. However it was the smaller birds were took pride of place: excellent views, at last, of Cetti’s Warbler, huge flocks of Spanish Sparrows, a colourful party of Common Waxbill and Chiffchaffs everywhere, darting for insects in the afternoon sunshine. Day 3 A Hawfinch in song heralded us as breakfast was served at Casa Rural El Recuerdo. It was a fine day and we headed north-west from Trujillo on the small country road towards Monroy. Within a kilometre we were enjoying superb views of two Great Spotted Cuckoos. Out on open plains, we found a small group of Little Bustard, typically in pasture that is not too closely grazed, so that cover is provided by old dry stems from last summer. Stopping beside the Rio Tamuja, south of Santa Marta de Magasca, we watched Crag Martins hawking insects around the bridge, whilst Chiffchaffs sallied from the riverside bushes. A stop on the plains east of the village yielded a fine view of a Woodlark singing at the edge of the dehesa. Returning to the plains on the Monroy road, we searched for Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, but with a strengthening wind and Philip feeling unwell, we returned to Casa Rural El Recuerdo having just heard, tantalizingly, a couple of distant calls. Day 4 With Philip feeling better, we set out to do a quick return visit to the Monroy road, but with the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse still eluding us (we did however see a Merlin), we headed to Monfragüe Natural Park (to be designated in just a few days afterwards as a National Park). We stopped at the imposing entrance of Pena Falcon, where the River Tajo cuts through an impressive gorge with colonies of Griffon Vultures on both sides. We then drove straight through to the other side of the park, where the River Tiétar comes in from the north, at a place called the gateway (Portilla). Here we had prolonged views of a perched Spanish Imperial Eagle preening and an incubating Eagle Owl, almost hidden in her nest tucked behind a rock on the cliff facing us. We had an excellent view of a fox walking along the water’s edge. Lunch was taken in the shade of pines near the dam, where we had excellent views of Crested Tit. A stop near the Puente de Cardenal produced a spectacular view of a soaring and then stooping Bonelli’s Eagle. Leaving Monfragüe, we went to the heathlands near Jaraicejo where we had good views of a male Dartford Warbler as well as Thekla Larks. Day 5 The day dawned wet and in the rain we made a final visit to the plains west of Trujillo near Santa Marta de Magasca. The visibility was poor, but we managed to see seven Great Bustards in flight. We then headed east, via Deleitosa, to the Villuercas mountains. As we drove through the village of Retamosa we found a party of Rock Sparrows on roadside wires. Stopping in the rain in cork oak woodlands south of Cabañas del Castillo, we located a mixed species flock (titmice, Nuthatches and Short-toed Treecreepers) and had brief views of a Firecrest which busily hovered high in the trees searching for insects. The clouds were low as we then climbed to the village of Cabañas del Castillo and in the mist found a male Black Wheatear, which despite the bad weather, afforded us excellent views. Mission accomplished, we returned to Casa Rural El Recuerdo for a late lunch, gathering the luggage and thence back to Madrid airport for the evening flight home.
BIRDS RECORDED Excellent results were obtained in this short winter break, despite bouts of bad weather with an overall list of 116 species were recorded.
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CASA RURAL EL RECUERDO Apartado de Correos 28 Phone: +34 927319349
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Martin Kelsey |
