Birding Extremadura in Spring
Partner & Guide
Birding Extremadura offers customised birding holidays in the heart of one of the best bird watching areas in Europe. Extremadura is an unspoilt region of Spain where traditional land use practice and varied landscapes combine to produce a diversity of habitats supporting globally important populations of several threatened bird species, an incredible number of raptors and Spanish specialities: all part of a wonderfully rich Mediterranean avifauna. We can offer spring itineraries (mid March to late May) as well as winter breaks (November until mid-February).
Spring Itinerary
We will visit all the important habitats: open plains, evergreen oak wood pasture, mountains, heath land, river valleys 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. We can also include in the itinerary stops for butterflies and flowers (e.g. orchids in early spring) if requested.
The Tour
Day 1: Arrival
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. Time permitting, we will take a stop en route at the Arrocampo reservoir, where a reed bed provides opportunities to see Purple Swamphen, Savi’s and Great Reed Warblers, Purple Heron, Little Bittern and others. It is a good area for Black-winged Kite.
Bird watching around the garden and lanes around Casa Rural El Recuerdo will quickly produce Hoopoe, Bee-eaters, 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 late April, Red-necked Nightjar, form a wonderful setting to prepare for dinner in the old wine cellar of the house.
Days 2 to 7: Outings Schedule
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 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 also see the splendid Great Spotted Cuckoos.
The cork oak/holm oak wood pasture 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 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.
At least one whole day will be spent in the amazing Monfragüe Natural Park, home to one of 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 mid-May. It is an excellent area for Eagle Owl. The park holds some of the best conserved Mediterranean woodland in Spain, home to warblers like Western Orphean, and Subalpine.
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 heart 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 can 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.
Day 8: Departure
Return to Madrid, with a stop on route (time permitting) to savour for one last moment the joy of birding in Extremadura.
Prices
8 day/7 night itinerary ground price € 1420 per person (up to four people): discounts are available for larger groups.
Price excludes flights, insurance, 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, drinks, 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. Lunches will be picnics. One room is especially adapted for wheel-chair users.
Transport
Transport is by Land Rover or minibus (depending on group size). Walks are short and easy. We will enjoy spending time at vantage points for passing birds of prey.
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 can be chilly in early spring. 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.
NB All Anytime Tour itineraries are essentially drafts - the final itinerary will be arrived at during discussions with the clients and tailored to the client's individual needs and is, of course, subject to the availability of accommodation etc. and any changes in local conditions. Our aim is to arrive at an itinerary which gives you the maximum chance to see the birds [& etc.] you want to see.
October 2011