FROM THE COSTAS TO EXTREMADURA & CASTILLA LA MANCHA AND BACK

There is an interesting degree of difference between ‘The Costas’ and the massive areas northwards. It's a different world and the changes are remarkable. The wide open spaces between farmed land, woods and mountains accentuate the differences. The sightings of wildlife increase, and that is not to say it is all safe for them. But we see more as we travel along.

Plasencia is a small provincial town with Roman history and we already had some knowledge of what we could expect when we visited Trujillo four years ago.

The weather was excellent and so we spent time in the area of Arrocampo Ornithological Park, which surrounds the Embalse De Arrocampo y Almaraz.  The information center is in the village of Saucedilla.  We found found information on birding-holidays.com as shown below.

ARROCAMPO  ORNITHOLOGICAL PARK

Arrocampo reservoir is the most important wetland area of Extremadura. Situated in the northeast of the region has been designated an Ornithology Park in the recent times . This is the location of the best population of Black Winged Kite and also some of the less common birds to Extremadura like the Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, Night Heron, Little Bittern, Purple Swamp Hen, Spotted Crake, Gull-billed Tern, Black Tern, Bearded Reedling, Savi’s Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Spoonbill, Red-crested Pochard and Garganey.

There are marked routes and information can be gained from the information near the small town of  Saucedilla. It's an easy area to traverse with solid tracks to walk through or drive. The surrounding areas can be driven around too.

Another area is this one which we didn’t explore on this trip.

ALAGÓN RIVER VALLEY

Alagon Valley a region of intensive farming that has its own interesting birdlife. Several species over winter here including Hen Harrier, Great Egret, Squacco Heron, Avocet, Bluethroat, Stock Dove and perhaps more interestingly Red Avadavat, Common Waxbill, Penduline Tit and the Iberian Yellow Wagtail. The rice fields of Galisteo are excellent for migrating Avocet, Curlew, Little Stint, Dunlin, Greenshank, Shelduck, Redshank and very occasionally Glossy Ibis.

There are other sites that will be found Arrocampo’ is put into Google.

We will do more research and hope to glean more information through Juan and Jose and other sites.

To round our trip up without listing the birds seen and reflecting upon some magnificent sightings here I go.

At Saucedilla we had a swarm of House Martins with Barn Swallows feeding low over the water. This was another indication that we are on the cusp of late summer and autumn. 

Nearby we had a first winter Bluethroat - Pechiazul that we worked hard to see cleanly and to record on Nikon Coolpix P 900 purchased just before we left home. 

We had a cluster of Northern Wheatears - Collalba Gris as we drove along a track. Further on we had a swarm of Spotless Starlings - Estornino Negro.  Our best ever sightings on several occasions were the Azur-Winged Magpies - Rabilargo. They are smart birds to see. Of course there were many others, Eagles & Kites, Vultures and a good number of White Storks - Cigüeña Blanca. Of course there was the Franklin's Gull.

Michelle’s bird of the trip was the day roosting Eagle Owl Búho Real.  For me it was the Osprey- Agüilla Pescador on passage somewhere north down to Gambia and Senegal.

Great memories and we plan a spring visit.  A return to some areas and hopefully to see new areas.