Embalse de Arrocampo Almaraz and Surrounds

Day Four

We were again out before 8am on Friday 13th May and for the first time we had as much blue sky as cloud. After our visit to Monfragüe we guessed it was going to be a more intensive day to be able to add a substantial number of new birds to our overall list.

We decided to go northwards and towards the eastern edge of Parque Natural de Monfragüe. We used the fast A5-E90 to get us birding as soon as possible. We turned off at junction 207 and crossed the Embalse de Arrocampo Almaraz and travelled towards to Serrejón.

Later we went to Saucedilla where we did Ruta Two. There is an information centre in the town and here we found signposted routes that took past several area of water and where hides had been built. They are clearly marked and lead directly from the town itself. The information in Garcia and Patterson seems to be out of date as we could not find the dirt tracks that they mention.

After leaving this particular part of the area we made our way to the other end of the water at Almoraz. The coordinates for the track leading to the water is as follows: N39.82067 - W5.6433.
It is worth going to even in May, but it could be a good location for wintering birds.

Great White Egret

Savi´s Warbler

OUR NEW BIRDS ARE
Common Cuckoo
Coot
Cormorant
Gadwall - one female
Great White Egrets - several
Gull-billed Terns
Kingfisher
Lapwing - just one
Little Bittern
Little Tern
Marsh Harrier
Moorhen
Purple Heron
Purple Swamphen/Gallinule.

We had to work hard for these, but we were surprised by seeing a Kingfisher and very surprised to see our first Marsh Harrier, a female, after three full days of birding. We still have to locate a site for Montague's.

This whole area is full of birdsong. We heard other calls and in the reedy areas Bryan heard Savi's Warbler and un-mistakenly Great Reed Warbler several times. We have heard Turtle Doves on occasions, but not yet seen. Cuckoo had been heard before and today we saw one fly. Great Spotted Cuckoo has yet to be seen even though the area has a very good number of Magpies.