A colorful Woodchat Shrike takes flight on the Coto Doñana. Photo: James Lidster
The richness of Spain’s birdlife is unmatched anywhere else in the Mediterranean. Our new short tour takes in some of the best birding this beautiful country offers—and our relaxed pace leaves us plenty of time to truly relish the countryside and its birds. We begin in Extremadura, home of the highest concentration of raptors in Europe, then explore the fragile wilderness and famous birds of the Coto Doñana. From old cork oak woodlands with Black-shouldered Kites overhead to the vast open plains where Great Bustards still gather and Imperial Eagles still soar, this gem of a tour is packed with great birds. And we’ll be sure to take time for shady picnics, declicious local meals washed down with good Spanish wine, and encounters with the unique Spanish way of life.
Day 1: Our tour begins this morning in London with a flight to Madrid, from where we’ll make our way west towards Extremadura. As soon as we leave the airport we’ll start to encounter typical roadside birds such as White Stork, Cattle Egret, Spotless Starling, and Thekla Lark. If time allows, we’ll see what birds we can find close to our hotel; a nearby area of farmland may hold Great Bustard, Black-shouldered Kite, or Black-bellied Sandgrouse, while the songs of Nightingales and Corn Buntings should fill the afternoon air. Night near Trujillo.
Days 2-3: We’ll split our time between Monfrague and the steppe-like plains around Trujillo. The highlights of any birding trip to Extremadura are visits to Monfrague National Park, home to such sought-after species as Spanish Imperial Eagle, Black Vulture, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Black Stork, and Black Wheatear, while the wealth of many other typical species make this a great place to just wander around. Raptors are a speciality here, with Golden, Booted, Bonelli’s, and Short-toed Snake Eagles all possible, as well as Egyptian Vulture and both Red and Black Kites. As the morning warms up we can watch lazy groups of Eurasian Griffon Vultures take to the wing, or maybe see a Peregrine stooping at the local pigeons.
The low cistus scrub and wooded lake sides are home to Serin and to Western Orphean, Sardinian, Subalpine and Cetti’s Warblers, while Blue Rock Thrush, Black Redstart, and Rock and Cirl Buntings sing from more prominent perches. Rocky outcrops are also favored by Alpine Swift, Crag Martin, and Red-rumped Swallow.
We’ll spend a day driving through the rolling steppe farmland in search of Great and Little Bustards, Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, and Roller, while Common Quail, Calandra Lark, and Corn Bunting will surround us with song. The grasslands here support large numbers of Montagu’s Harrier, and Southern Gray and Woodchat Shrikes are likely.
Scattered oak woodlands are home to Great Spotted and Common Cuckoos, Azure-winged (Iberian) Magpie, Eurasian Hoopoe, Woodlark, and maybe an elusive Eurasian Wryneck or Hawfinch, while open areas hold Little Owl, Stone Curlew, Red-legged Partridge, Tawny Pipit, and Rock Sparrow. Nights near Trujillo.
Day 4: After breakfast we’ll stop briefly in Trujillo to make sure we’ve had good views of Lesser Kestrel and Pallid Swift, not to mention noisy, bill-clattering White Storks. From there we’ll continue south towards the famous Coto Doñana. Our hotel in Doñana lies alongside the wonderful El Rocio lagoon, where Greater Flamingo, Glossy Ibis, and Eurasian Spoonbill can all be seen, while Collared Pratincole, Black-winged Stilt, Whiskered Tern, Purple Swamphen, and Great Reed Warbler are also likely. Night in El Rocio.
Day 5: We’ll leave early and journey to the center of the National Park, where the songs of Savi’s and Great Reed Warblers compete with the noisy but much less musical heron and egret colony. Here we can see Glossy Ibis and Purple, Black-crowned Night, and Squacco Herons at close quarters, as well as Greater Flamingo, Red-crested Pochard, Black-necked Grebe, Cattle Egret, and maybe a Little Bittern.
In some years there may be a Great Egret, Red-knobbed Coot, White-headed Duck, or Slender-billed Gull in this area, with Marbled Duck also possible, although these species have become scarce in recent years. Western Olivaceous Warbler is another possibility, though Melodious Warbler is more likely. The drier areas we pass may hold Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Spanish Sparrow, and Lesser and Greater Short-toed Larks.
Raptors will once again feature—there aren’t many days in Spain when they don’t!—and the open vista provides the perfect opportunity to scan for Booted and Short-toed Snake Eagles, Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers, Red and Black Kites, and if we’re really lucky, another Spanish Imperial Eagle or Black-shouldered Kite. Night in El Rocio.
Day 6: We’ll check areas close to El Rocio, where mixed woodland should have Golden Oriole, Iberian Ch iffchaff, Western Bonelli’s and Melodious Warblers, Firecrest, Crested Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, and possibly the endemic race of Green Woodpecker, a potential split as Sharpe’s Green Woodpecker. As we move to an area of small lagoons, more herons, ducks, and maybe even Penduline Tit will grab our attention before we change habitats to visit the salt pans near Huelva. During migration, these small pools can be visited by Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Kentish Plover, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, and Little Stint, while nearby is the breeding site of the first Spanish mainland Osprey pair in recent times. A coastal breakwater here is a good site for Audouin’s Gull, and migrants in previous years have included Rock Thrush and Ortolan Bunting.
Day 7: After a last look at the lagoon or the nearby woodlands, we’ll transfer to Seville airport in time for our return flight to London.
Updated: 07 August 2010
Prices
- 2011 Tour Price : $4,320*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $460
Notes
* The dates for this tour were adjusted in September 2010.
This tour is limited to seven participants with one leader, 14 with two leaders.
Participants who prefer to meet the group in Madrid should contact the WINGS office.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.