“This
year’s grand tour of Spain was quite simply outstanding, with good bird after
good bird, seen in a variety of landscapes - from the snowy, frozen Pyrenees to
the sunny shores of the Straits of Gibraltar.
On our first morning we enjoyed scope views of a male Wallcreeper,
closely followed by our first Lammergeiers (a displaying pair which were just 2
of a dozen seen that day), drumming Black Woodpeckers and close up views of
Citril Finch, Alpine Choughs and summer plumaged Water Pipits.
Two
nights around Sepulveda rewarded us with a Dupont's Lark on view for ten
minutes (although it was a good job several of the group were over 6’ 4 or we
may not have seen it!) as well as singing Western Orphean, Spectacled and
Dartford Warblers, a couple of Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, striking Western
Black-eared Wheatears, Golden Eagle, an adult Great spotted Cuckoo, flocks of
Rock Sparrows and displaying Calandra Larks, dwarfing (and drowning out) the
Short-toed Larks.
During
our journey south towards Extremadura we stopped for views of our first Purple
Swamphens and Purple Herons, groups of Lesser Kestrels, and a fly over Goshawk
with a Red Kite, the next day the same site produced a Black-shouldered Kite. Monfrague was shrouded in mist and rain on
our first morning but we were not to be put off so we waited by the Portillo
del Tietar and in a break in the weather were rewarded with displaying, calling
and perched Spanish Imperial Eagles.
Then an adult Eagle Owl flew past, sat in the open for several minutes,
tried a couple of other perches before disappearing back into the cliff
face. And if this wasn’t enough, we
also had brilliant views of Egyptian and Black Vultures, Black Storks, Rock and
Cirl Buntings and a Bonelli's Eagle. On
one evening we enjoyed Great Bustards turning themselves inside out in display,
while a couple of male Little Bustards called from the flower covered
hillsides.
A full
day spent in similar habitat produced several flocks of Sandgrouse, with
Pin-tailed out-numbering Black-bellied.
This was exciting, but Santi was even happier when Dave picked up a 1st
summer male Red-footed Falcon, about the 3rd record for Extremadura
and a new bird for Santi. At times it
shared the scope view with Lesser Kestrel, Montagu's Harriers and flocks of
Sandgrouse! A Golden Eagle made a
couple of appearances over our heads during the day, and we saw at least 5
Rollers along the wires, some of which kindly obliged by rolling for us.
Coto
Donana had more water than last year, although the best birding was split
between the large heronry in front of the Jose Antonio Valverde centre, which
was stacked with Glossy Ibis, Purple Herons and Cattle Egrets and the small
lake nearby where Marbled and White-headed Ducks shared the same scope view.
Also Red-knobbed Coot were seen among over 100 Black-necked Grebe and hundreds
of Terns included Gull-billed, Whiskered and Black; while Avocets and
Black-winged Stilts mobbed a Marsh Harrier.
Nearby we saw more White-headed Ducks and Red-knobbed Coots, flocks of
Audouin's Gulls and on the east side of the river were rewarded with more
Greater Flamingoes, Slender-billed Gulls and 3 Red-necked Phalaropes, including
two striking females.
The south
coast was just as exciting and we enjoyed rare European breeding birds such as
Little Swifts and Rufous Scrub Robins alongside migrant Honey Buzzards, an
Ortolan Bunting and a couple of Black Wheatears. Of course these were just some of the special birds and Spain is so
bird rich that rarely a moment went by when there weren’t raptors overhead,
Nightingales and Cetti's Warblers singing, or Woodchat Shrikes and Bee-eaters
to be admired.
The tour
was made all the more enjoyable with great company, good food, plenty of local
wine and of course Santi’s local knowledge.”
James Lidster.
Bird List:
This is a list of all the species seen during the last four
tours to Spain.
Column
A = Number of tours on which this species has been recorded.
Column
B = Number of days this species was seen on the last tour.
Column
C = Maximum daily count for this species on the last tour.
H
= Heard only
|
4 |
Little Grebe |
7 |
20 |
|
Tachybaptus ruficollis |
|
4 |
Great Crested Grebe
|
7 |
12 |
|
Podiceps cristatus |
|
4 |
Black-necked Grebe
|
3 |
100 |
|
Podiceps nigricollis |
|
3 |
Cory's Shearwater
|
2 |
5 |
|
Calonectris diomedea |
|
2 |
Balearic Shearwater
|
2 |
3 |
|
Puffinus mauretanicus |
|
4 |
Gannet |
3 |
15 |
|
Morus bassanus |
|
2 |
Great Cormorant |
2 |
3 |
|
Phalacrocorax carbo |
|
4 |
Grey Heron |
10 |
5 |
|
Ardea cinerea |
|
4 |
Purple Heron |
5 |
20 |
|
Ardea purpurea |
|
3 |
Little Bittern |
3 |
4 |
|
Ixobrychus minutus |
|
4 |
Night Heron |
4 |
30 |
|
Nycticorax nycticorax |
|
4 |
Squacco Heron |
2 |
4 |
|
Ardeola ralloides |
|
4 |
Cattle Egret |
8 |
200 |
|
Bubulcus ibis |
|
4 |
Little Egret |
7 |
50 |
|
Egretta garzetta |
|
3 |
Great Egret |
2 |
2 |
|
Egretta alba |
|
4 |
Black Stork |
1 |
6 |
|
Ciconia nigra |
|
4 |
White Stork |
11 |
200 |
|
Ciconia ciconia |
|
4 |
Eurasian Spoonbill
|
4 |
50 |
|
Platalea leucorodia |
|
3 |
Glossy Ibis |
2 |
200 |
|
Plegadis falcinellus |
|
1 |
Bald Ibis |
|
|
|
Geronticus eremita |
|
4 |
Greater Flamingo |
4 |
65 |
|
Phoenicopterus ruber |
|
4 |
Greylag Goose |
3 |
1 |
|
Anser anser |
|
3 |
Shelduck |
1 |
1 |
|
Tadorna tadorna |
|
4 |
Gadwall |
6 |
40 |
|
Anas strepera |
|
3 |
Eurasian Teal |
2 |
3 |
|
Anas crecca |
|
2 |
Marbled Duck |
1 |
3 |
|
Marmaronetta angustirostris |
|
4 |
Mallard |
10 |
4 |
|
Anas platyrhynchos |
|
2 |
Pintail |
1 |
2 |
|
Anas acuta |
|
1 |
Garganey |
|
|
|
Anas querquedula |
|
4 |
Shoveler |
4 |
12 |
|
Anas clypeata |
|
4 |
Red-crested Pochard
|
4 |
70 |
|
Netta rufina |
|
4 |
Pochard |
4 |
100 |
|
Aythya ferina |
|
4 |
White-headed Duck
|
2 |
27 |
|
Oxyura leucocephala |
|
3 |
Black-shouldered Kite
|
1 |
1 |
|
Elanus caeruleus |
|
4 |
Black Kite |
14 |
40 |
|
Milvus migrans |
|
4 |
Red Kite |
10 |
25 |
|
Milvus milvus |
|
4 |
Lammergeier |
2 |
12 |
|
Gypaetus barbatus |
|
4 |
Egyptian Vulture |
7 |
10 |
|
Neophron percnopterus |
|
4 |
Griffon Vulture |
12 |
150 |
|
Gyps fulvus |
|
4 |
Black Vulture |
4 |
25 |
|
Aegypius monachus |
|
4 |
Short-toed Eagle |
9 |
8 |
|
Circaetus gallicus |
|
1 |
Hen Harrier |
|
|
|
Circus cyaneus |
|
4 |
Western Marsh Harrier
|
7 |
10 |
|
Circus aeruginosus |
|
4 |
Montagu's Harrier
|
7 |
20 |
|
Circus pygargus |
|
1 |
Northern Goshawk |
2 |
1 |
|
Accipiter gentilis |
|
4 |
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
|
6 |
8 |
|
Accipiter nisus |
|
4 |
Common Buzzard |
10 |
6 |
|
Buteo buteo |
|
1 |
Long-legged Buzzard |
|
|
|
Buteo cirtensis |
|
2 |
Honey Buzzard |
2 |
45 |
|
Pernis apivorus |
|
4 |
Spanish Imperial Eagle
|
1 |
2 |
|
Aquila adalberti |
|
3 |
Golden Eagle |
6 |
3 |
|
Aquila chrysaetos |
|
4 |
Booted Eagle |
10 |
22 |
|
Aquila pennatus |
|
4 |
Bonelli's Eagle |
1 |