31/5/12

Guadarrama, Sepúlveda y Extremadura 26 - 29 mayo
Guadarrama, Sepulveda and Extremadura 26 - 29 May

Estos últimos días he estado guiando de forma privada para dos hermanos holandeses, Peter y Bert Longmeijer. Grandes pajareros y entusiastas buscadores de mariposas y libélulas. Diseñé los cuatro días de ruta pensando en las aves que querían ver en su visita a España, dejando un día en el medio para dedicarlo sobre todo a observar libélulas en el sur de la provincia de Badajoz. Sus objetivos conmigo era observar verderón serrano, collalba negra, alondra de Dupont, curruca mirlona, elanio común, avutarda, sisón, ganga ibérica, ganga ortega... además de cinco especies de libélulas. De las aves vimos todas, y de las libélulas nos faltó tan sólo una especie. Os dejo con algunas fotos de aves y mariposas. A continuación una entrada especial sobre las libélulas que vimos.

Alcaudón dorsirrojo / Red-backed Shrike - Guadarrama
Totovía / Wood Lark - Rascafría
Mariposa arlequín / Spanish Festoon - Rascafría
Euphydryas aurinia / Marsh Fritillary - Rascafría
Bisbita campestre / Tawny Pipit - Sepúlveda
Alondra de Dupont / Dupont's Lark - Sepúlveda
Pyronia bathseba / Spanish Gatekeeper - Patones
Rabilargo / Azure-winged Magpie - Patones
Melitaea phoebe / Knapweed Fritillary - Patones
Lycaena alciphron / Purple-Shot Copper
Elanio común / Black Shouldered Kite - Arrocampo
Avutarda común / Great Bustard - Llanos de Cáceres

 Ganga ortega / Black-bellied Sangrouse - Llanos de Cáceres
 Ganga iberíca /  Pin-tailed Sangrouse - Llanos de Cáceres
 Sisón / Little Bustard - Llanos de Cáceres
 Criálo / Great Spotted Cuckoo - Llanos de Cáceres
 Rana común / Spanish Pond Frog - Llanos de Cáceres
Rascón / Water Rail - Talaván


I have spent the last few days guiding privately for two Deutch birders and wildlifers, Peter and Bert Longmeijer, very keen in butterflies and dragonflies besides birds. We found all the target birds they had and found, following their instructions a few interesting species of dragonflies mainly in the southern part of Extremadura. We started in Madrid, heading into the Guadarrama mountains and then Sepulveda for Dupont's Lark. The following day we had a very long journey from Sepulveda to Caceres, doing some breaks in the way for Black Wheatears and two dragonflies, Banded Groundling and Long Skimmer. The third day we explored the south part Badajoz province looking for "dragons" and butterflies and in the Alange reservoir. The last day we birded intensively into the Llanos de Cáceres looking for bustards and sandgrouse mainly. These were the main bird species seen: 

Guadarrama: Citril Finch, Black Redstart, Rock Bunting, Black Vulture, Bonelli's Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Pied Flycatcher, Cirl Bunting, Southern Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Honey Buzzard...

Sepulveda: Dupont's Lark, Black-eared Wheatear, Greater Short-toed Lark, Spectacled Warbler, Ortolan Bunting, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Griffon Vulture, Western Olivaceous Warbler (seen well only by Peter and Bert)...

Patones: Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Azure-winged Magpie, Booted Eagle, Western Orphean Warbler...

Arrocampo: Little Bittern, Kingfisher, Great Reed Warbler, Purple Gallinule, Purple Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Spanish Sparrow...

Llanos de Cáceres & Badajoz: Spanish Imperial Eagle, Alpine Swift, Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Stone Curlew, Montagu's Harrier, Roller, Bee-eater, Little Owl...

Monfragüe y llanos cacereños, 19 y 20 mayo
Monfragüe and Cáceres plains, 19 & 20 May

Pocas veces he visto llover en Monfragüe como lo hizo durante la mañana del día 19 de mayo. El autocar nos dejó en el parking cercano al mirador de la Portilla, y mientras nos dirigíamos hacia él (unos 500 metros) comenzó a caer una tromba de agua que nos caló hasta los huesos. Menos mal que luego el tiempo mejoró y pudimos secarnos bien. La intención de esta excursión organizada por Spainbirds y SEO/BirdLife era la de visitar el Parque Nacional de Monfragüe durante el sábado 19 y los llanos cacereños el domingo 20. A pesar de la tromba de agua de la mañana tuvimos un día muy bueno en Monfragüe observando águila imperial ibérica, buitre netro, alimoche, culebrera europea, aguililla calzada, milano negro, vencejo real, roquero solitario, escribano montesino, cigüeña negra... La mañana la pasamos en el mirador de la Portilla, para luego ir a comer a Villarreal de San Carlos. Por la tarde, parada en el Salto del Gitano y subida al Castillo por la solana. La cena y el alojamiento los realizamos en la Hospedería de Monfragüe.
Al día siguiente, ya en los llanos cacereños, vimos carraca, abejaruco, avutarda, sisón, un par de gangas ortegas a contraluz, gorrión moruno, rabilargo, calandrias... La pena fue el tiempo tan frío y ventoso que tuvimos, inusual completamente para esta época del año. Aún así agradecimos no tener temperaturas veraniegas, que en el llano eso siempre supone un problema.

Águila imperial ibérica / Spanish Imperial Eagle - Monfragüe





A weekend trip organized by SEO/BirdLife and Spainbirds Nature Tours into the two most attractive spots for birding in the region: Monfragüe National Park and Cáceres Plains. We had a terrible shower in the morning in the Park and a fairly windy and cold day in the plains, however we managed to find some of the most interesting species in both sites which included Spanish Imperial Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Black Stork, Alpine Swift, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Eurasian Black Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Azure-winged Magpie, Spanish Sparrow, Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse...

De la costa atlántica a los Pirineos, 30 abril - 15 mayo
From the Atlantic coast to the Pyrenees, 30th April - 15th May

Pocas oportunidades tiene uno (a pesar de pasar media vida en la carretera) de visitar en tan poco tiempo el Parque Nacional de Doñana, el Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, los Llanos cacereños, Gredos, la Montaña Palentina, el Parque Nacional de Picos de Europa, las marismas de Santoña, el Parque Natural de los Pirineos Occidentales y las estepas del Campo de Belchite... En estas dos semanas un grupo de 14 viajeros y 2 guías recorrimos todos estos lugares en un viaje organizado por la compañía americana Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours y Spainbirds. El balance arrojó un total de 207 especies de aves registradas (4 de ellas únicamente oídas), y 7 de mamíferos.

La primera parte del viaje, en el sur, tuvimos bastante dificultades para localizar algunas de las especies más emblemáticas, como el alzacola (visto únicamente fuzgamente) o la focha cornuda (ninguna en los lugares donde no suele fallar en anteriores ocasiones). También nos dio esquinazo la malvasía y el mosquitero ibérico, además de la cerceta pardilla, con la que ya prácticamente contábamos teniendo en cuenta lo poco que había llovido hasta ese momento. Sin embargo sí anotamos chotacabras cuellirrojo, avetorillo, garcilla cangrejera, alcaraván, gaviota de Audouin y multitud de limícolas.

En Extremadura mezcla de lluvia, viento y cielos despejados. Aquí sí que vimos todo lo importante incluyendo las cinco especies de águilas ibéricas, buitre negro, alimoche, curruca mirlona, cigüeña negra, collalba negra, vencejo real, avutarda, sisón, críalo, ganga ibérica, ganga ortega, aguilucho cenizo, carraca, collalba rubia... a pesar de estar durante más de dos horas en el castillo de Monfragüe la primera tarde no vimos vencejo cafre, pero a la mañana siguiente uno de los clientes sí pudo observarlo.

El día completo en Gredos, desapacible, una vez más. A pesar del viento y el frío vimos bien pechiazul, verderón serrano, escribano hortelano (al menos 20 aves en un bando mixto con montesinos), bisbitas campestre y alpino, chova piquirroja, pero nos faltó el roquero rojo, que sorprendentemente no veríamos en todo el viaje.

Ya en Fuentes Carrionas no faltaron a su cita camachuelos, bisbitas arbóreos, escribanos cerillos... un día de transición hacia Picos de Europa. En las zonas bajas del valle de Liébana fantásticas observaciones de pico mediano, alcaudón dorsirrojo, colirrojo real, torcecuello... y en Fuente De una cantidad de nieve como nunca había visto en estas fechas. No pudimos llegar al sitio tradicional de los treparricos porque el camino se hallaba impracticable pero al menos vimos gorrión alpino, acentor alpino y dos treparriscos de pasada, aunque bien observados. 

Viaje largo hacia Pirineos haciendo parada en Santoña, donde no vimos gran cosa pero añadimos a nuestra estornino pinto, para algarabía de los participantes... Tanto en Picos como en Pirineos tuvimos el mejor clima del viaje, a excepción de la incursión a tierras francesas en el alto de Sant-jean-piede-port donde nos recibió la niebla y tuvimos que desistir de ver mirlo capiblanco. Sin embargo los días en Pirineos nos ofrecieron excelentes avistamientos de treparricos (donde localizamos un nido con aves supuestamente cebando pollos), picamaderos negro, quebrantahuesos, verderón serrano, águila real, escribano cerillo, curruca mosquitera, carbonero palustre...

Nuestro último día completo fue largo e intenso. Comenzamos a las 5:30 am saliendo de Valle de Hecho para llegar sobre las 8:30 a Belchite. Aquí no tardamos en localizar al menos dos alondras de Dupont, en vuelo y posadas... cuánta presión se quita uno cuando consigue verla. Entre otras especies interesantes en Belchite vimos terreras común y marismeña, criálo y ganga ibérica. Llegamos a Madrid esa misma tarde donde dimos por concluido el pajareo. El viaje finalizó al día siguiente llevando a los clientes al aeropuerto.

La aldea de El Rocio / El Rocío village
Garceta grande / Great Egret
Águila imperial en Monfragüe / Spanish Imperial Eagle in Monfragüe
Carraca / European Roller - Llanos de Cáceres
Culebrera europea / Short-toed Eagle
Gorrión moruno / Spanish Sparrow
 Cigüeña negra / Black Stork
 Golondrina dáurica / Red-rumped Swallow
 Alimoche común / Egyptian Vulture
 Pollo de búho real / Eagle Owl chick - Monfragüe
 Escribano montesino / Rock Bunting - Gredos
 Alcaudón dorsirrojo / Red-backed Shrike - Picos
 Pico mediano / Middle Spotted Woodpecker - Picos
 Chova piquigualda / Alpine Chough - Picos
 Torcecuello / Wryneck - Picos
 Treparricos / Wallcreeper - Pyrenees
  Treparricos / Wallcreeper - Pyrenees
  Treparricos / Wallcreeper - Pyrenees
  Picamaderos negro / Black Woodpecker - Pyrenees

  Quebrantahuesos / Lammergeier - Pyrenees
 Marmota / Marmot - Pyrenees




From the horse-centric, sandy-streeted El Rocío, and Doñana National Park with its spoonbills and flamingos, to the wide open expanses of Extremadura with its bustards on the Caceres Plains, and the soaring heights of the three mountain ranges, we experienced Spain’s diversity in our 3,407 kilometer exploration of this great country. Lammergeier, Wallcreeper, Greater Flamingo, Black Woodpecker, Spanish Eagle, and Eurasian Eagle-Owl are some of the stunning birds we found while traipsing across Spain. The most enduring sound we heard was that of the cuckoo, heard all over the country. Tapas, wine, charming mountain villages, Spanish Civil War ruins, and exceptional hospitality were all enjoyed as well. 

As we pulled into the charming El Rocío, our eyes were glued on the Madre de las Marismas lagoon bordering the south side of town. It was covered with waders, shorebirds, and ducks. Perhaps most coveted of the first bunch of birds were the Greater Flamingos, nearly 300 of the rosy birds feeding with their heads upside down. An elusive Little Bittern and Purple Heron would have to wait for everyone to get a look. Purple Swamphen, Common Pochard, Eurasian Spoonbill, Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Avocet, and Black-winged Stilt were also patrolling the lagoon. 

The next day we discovered a dry Doñana; where verdant marshes should have been, there was seared ground. Spain was in the midst of its worst drought in 70 years. We did find most of the expected species, but in small numbers. Little and Great Crested grebes, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, and Whiskered Terns were all accounted for. One of the drying ponds hosted hundreds of Common Ringed Plovers and a couple of Kentish Plovers. In the agricultural lands surrounding the national park we found plenty of birds. Larks and raptors were most obvious. Black Kites, Booted and Short-toed eagles, Red Kite, and kestrels of two species were all seen. The nesting White Storks on the old smokestack at Villamanrique were some of the more scenic we observed. Near the bustling port city of Huelva the salt marshes were full of birds. With a backdrop of giant tankers in the port, we watched Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Curlew, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Collared Pratincole, Audouin’s Gull, Little Tern, and Eurasian Marsh Harrier to name a few. A pair of Stone Curlews was a good find, but elusive. 

Too soon it was time to depart El Rocío and head north to our next adventure in Extremadura. Monfragüe National Park is home to many raptors. The nesting cliffs at Salto del Gitano and La Portilla held Spanish Eagles, eagle-owl chicks, hundreds of Griffons, Black Stork, and even a Peregrine Falcon. The cork oak woodland was home to new birds as well—Mistle Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Azure-winged Magpie, bee-eaters, and Rock Petronia among them. Out in the wide open Caceres Plains we were treated to nice looks at Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Great Bustard, displaying Little Bustard, Roller, Montagu’s Harrier, Cinereous Vulture, and a Black-bellied Sandgrouse pair (thanks Spike). Lunch in the town Square of Trujillo, Pizarro‘s birthplace, was excellent. Certainly the best wine of the tour was for celebrating Ron’s birthday May 5th; my favorite was Azpilicuetarioja 2008 (thanks Leonie). 

The Gredos Mountains were our next stop. Alfonso and his wife fed us supremely as we enjoyed the wonderful snow-capped mountain scenery. The Bluethroat was not terribly cooperative, but we glimpsed him several times, while Spanish ibex roamed the forbidding cloud-swept ridges above us. 

Due to the misty weather a wayward migrant flock of Rock and Ortolan buntings entertained us lower down the valley. Along the rocky stream at the Plataforma de Gredos, a cooperative White-throated Dipper posed on a boulder, blinking its white eyelids for us. Finches were common in Gredos, with Red Crossbill and the rare Citril Finch noted. 

One luxurious night at the Parador de Cervera, with its wonderful food and wine, was enough to tempt some folks into dreaming up a Parador birding tour of Spain! After departing the Parador we visited an ancient Romanesque church at San Salvador de Cantamuda dating from the 12th century. Our first vista to the Picos de Europa from Piedrasluengas Pass was exceptional; the jagged rocky peaks, still snow-covered, left us in awe. We descended into the Potes Valley through beautiful oak and beech forest just starting to break bud. In the afternoon we visited some charming villages; one hosted a nesting Middle-spotted Woodpecker, a disappointed fox, and a disheveled chicken; the other a beautiful pair of Red-backed Shrikes. The cable car is an easy way to get high elevation species without a day of climbing. We rocketed up, and in three minutes we were in a barren alpine land. 

Yellow-billed Choughs were the first to greet us. Some intrepid folks hiked over the snow to find a distant Wallcreeper, White-winged Snowfinch, and Alpine Accentor. On the way back a more cooperative male Snowfinch allowed for scope views. Lounging about on the snow and feeding on the meager vegetation were chamois. Lower down, in yet another cute village, a pair of Wrynecks entertained us for a quarter-hour, convinced we couldn’t see them. 
Our next mountain range would be the Pyrenees. As the Gredos and Picos before them, the Pyrenees were spectacular and snow-covered. The river at the bottom of the Boca del Infierno raged with angry red water from the snowmelt. The mountain scenery was perhaps our best of the trip, and the rushing streams of the Hecho and Anso valleys were incomparable. A short hike led us to Salto de la Vieja and a nesting pair of Wallcreepers. They returned to the crevice several times, presumably feeding young. 

We watched them creep and flick their wings open on the sheer face before us. Their crimson and black wings carried them out of sight eventually. From the Hotel Uson parking lot a distant pair of Lammergeiers was observed. The next day a pair was seen repeatedly dropping bones along a mountain ridge; unconcerned Alpine marmots chased around in the meadow below. In the forest a Black Woodpecker made a couple of appearances and obliged with scope views. A Firecrest finally revealed itself too. 

Our last day would carry us from the Pyrenees to the Belchite Steppe and on to Madrid. An early start would allow us to bird the steppe before the heat and wind became too bad. A quick breakfast in Fuendetodos, the birthplace of Goya, was all we had time for. Belchite Steppe, the dry grassland that hosts eight species of larks, was alive with song. Skylark, Lesser and Greater Short-toed, Crested, and Calandra larks were all belting out song. The Dupont’s would sing occasionally, only to leave us scratching our heads—where did the song come from? Finally, Santi spotted a skylarking Dupont’s Lark and some folks got on it in the clear blue sky. After watching this bird for several minutes, it made a dive into the cover of the steppe. We walked over to this area and were eventually rewarded with good scope views of a couple of singing birds, one of Europe’s rarest. One last cortado stop on the road to Madrid culminated in a wonderful tour of a diverse country. We saw and heard 208 species of birds in two weeks and had some wonderful dining and wining experiences. 

I hope everyone enjoyed Spain. Thanks for traveling with VENT.

Text by VENT leader Brian Gibbons

30/5/12

Extremadura del 21 al 28 de abril
Extremadura 21st -28th April

Recorrimos algunos de los lugares más bellos de Extremadura la semana del 21 al 28 de abril guiando a un grupo de austriacos pertenecientes a la asociación Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein fuer Kaernten. La primera la pasamos en Castuera, para visitar la comarca de La Serena al día siguiente, mientras que el resto del viaje nos alojamos en la Hospedería de Monfragüe. En nuestro recorrido no faltaron visitas al Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, los Llanos de Cáceres, el embalse de Arrocampo, los Llanos de Belén, los arrozales de Vegas Altas y el embalse de Sierra Brava, Trujillo... por mencionar los que fueron más productivos. Registramos un total de 137 especies de aves, destacando observaciones de águila imperial y águila perdicera, búho real, las dos especies de gangas, ibérica y ortega, avutarda, sisón, carraca, críalo (nos costó cinco días poder observarlo), elanio común, collalba negra, cigüeña negra, collalba rubia... sin embargo nos resultó complicado dar con las sylvias dado el clima tan adverso que tuvimos gran parte de la semana. Apenas cantaban las mirlonas (oídas un único día), y no pudimos ver ni curruca rabilarga ni carrasqueña... algo atípico para estas fechas. También nos faltó el vencejo cafre en Monfragüe. Los primeros parece ser que llegaron una semana más tarde... o al menos fueron observados por primera vez en esas fechas. 

Un grupo maravilloso de personas con inquietudes naturalistas muy profundas... ah, y una mención especial para Erika Hann, que con sus 87 años fue todo un ejemplo de ilusión y ganas de "comerse el mundo". Gracias sobre todo a Peter Wiedner por su sentido del humor y por su facilidad para hacer que todo el mundo estuviera contento. Un cero a ATESA por no saber solucionar los problemas de sus clientes a tiempo.

Os dejo con algunas de las fotos que tomé durante la semana.













A birding & nature tour for the austrian organization Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein fuer Kaernten. A party of 14 travelers came to enjoy the goods of Extremadura on 21-28 April. We recorded a total of 137 species within the region such as Spanish Imperial and Bonelli's Eagle, both Sandgrouse (Pin-tailed & Black-bellied), Great and Little Bustards, Great Spotted Cuckoo (it took us five days before seeing the first!), Collared Pratincole, Black Stork, Eagle Owl, Black-shouldered Kite, Black and Black-eared Wheatear... however we didn't do very well with the small "sylvias" surely in part because the unsual cold and wet wheather we had almost every day during the second half of the trip. We stayed one night in Castuera to explore the following day the steppes of La Serena, having the following nights at Hospedería de Monfragüe (the electricity went off during the second half of the extra time when playing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich the semifinal of the Champions League and couldn't see the penalties in spite of travelling in the middle of the night into the near town of Torrejón El Rubio, where no electricity at all either!). Excellent food and great birding locations made fun for all the members. Special mention for Erika Hann who transmited energy to everybody in spite of her 87, and Peter Wiedner for making my life easier during the week with his great sense of humour and responsability. ATESA, the hire car company, didn't pass the exam when didn't respond to the needs of their clients.