Hoopoes

Back to my trip to Extremadura, Spain last April for Hoopoes. Always a nice bird to photograph, although we were quite limited with the variety of shots we could get from the hide, with one perch near the nest. Luckily they did venture on to the grass below.

Extremadura, Spain. Trip Report. Day 4

Day 4. February 23^rd. Sunny with a little cloud.

The final day would start with a look around the hilltop castle in Alburquerque. A Blue Rock Thrush was perched on the castle walls as we arrived. We climbed up on to the walls and could see Crag Martins flying around with House martins. Over the town there were a few  Lesser Kestrels which would be the first ones to arrive for the breeding season, a good number collect here as summer migrants. 

White Stork

Crag Martin

We would then head for the Gevora River in the vicinity of Alburquerque Birds seen here: Griffon, Egyptian and Black Vultures, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Sardinian Warbler, Hoopoe.

Hoopoe

Crested Lark

Egyptian Vulture

Sardinian Warbler

Serin

Spanish Imperial Eagle

It would then be time for lunch and then our journey back to the airport for flights home.

It was a very intensive four days and with so much to see, my aim of recording the trip with photographs of the birds would be quite a challenge. I hope my shots give an idea of what to expect, if considering a well recommended visit. From a birdwatching point of view it couldn’t be faulted. 124 species in four days is very impressive. Godfried is an excellent tour leader, he knows the area very well and his experience of the birds meant that nothing went unseen. For anyone interested in visiting the area it would be worth contacting him – godfried.schreur@gmail.com

I would like to thank Martin and the Surfbirds team for giving me the opportunity to go on the trip.  It has given me a great insight into the area and I will visit again for a photographic trip.
 
Species List For the Trip

Anser anser	Greylag Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca	Egyptian Goose
Anas strepera	Gadwall
Anas crecca	Eurasian Teal
Anas platyrhynchos	Mallard
Anas clypeata	Northern Shoveler
Netta rufina	Red-crested Pochard
Aythya ferina	Common Pochard
Alectoris rufa	Red-legged Partridge
Tachybaptus ruficollis	Little Grebe
Podiceps cristatus	Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis	Black-necked Grebe
Phalacrocorax carbo	Great Cormorant
Ixobrychus minutus	Little Bittern
Bubulcus ibis	Cattle Egret
Egretta garzetta	Little Egret
Egretta alba	Great Egret
Ardea cinerea	Grey Heron
Ciconia nigra	Black Stork
Ciconia ciconia	White Stork
Platalea leucorodia	Eurasian Spoonbill
Elanus caeruleus	Black-winged Kite
Milvus migrans	Black Kite
Milvus milvus	Red Kite
Neophron percnopterus	Egyptian Vulture
Gyps fulvus	Griffon Vulture
Aegypius monachus	Cinereous Vulture
Circus aeruginosus	Western Marsh Harrier
Circus cyaneus	Northern Harrier
Accipiter nisus	Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Buteo buteo	Common Buzzard
Aquila adalberti	Spanish Imperial Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos	Golden Eagle
Aquila fasciata	Bonelli's Eagle
Pandion haliaetus	Osprey
Falco naumanni	Lesser Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus	Common Kestrel
Falco columbarius	Merlin
Falco peregrinus	Peregrine Falcon
Gallinula chloropus	Common Moorhen
Porphyrio porphyrio	Purple Swamphen
Fulica atra	Eurasian Coot
Grus gruS	Common Crane
Tetrax tetrax	Little Bustard
Otis tarda	Great Bustard
Himantopus himantopus	Black-winged Stilt
Burhinus oedicnemus	Eurasian Stone-curlew
Pluvialis apricaria	European Golden Plover
Vanellus vanellus	Northern Lapwing
Gallinago gallinago	Common Snipe
Actitis hypoleucos	Common Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus	Green Sandpiper
Chroicocephalus ridibundus	Black-headed Gull
Larus fuscus	Lesser Black-backed Gull
Pterocles orientalis	Black-bellied Sandgrouse
Columba oenas	Stock Dove
Columba palumbus	Common Wood Pigeon
Streptopelia decaocto	Eurasian Collared Dove
Clamator glandarius	Great Spotted Cuckoo
Bubo bubo	Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Athene noctua	Little Owl
Apus pallidus	Pallid Swift
Alcedo atthis	Common Kingfisher
Upupa epops	Hoopoe
Dendrocopos major	Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos minor	Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Melanocorypha calandra	Calandra Lark
Galerida cristata	Crested Lark
Galerida theklae	Thekla Lark
Lullula arborea	Woodlark
Alauda arvensis	Eurasian Skylark
Ptyonoprogne rupestris	Eurasian Crag Martin
Hirundo rustica	Barn Swallow
Delichon urbicum	Common House Martin
Anthus pratensis	Meadow Pipit
Motacilla cinerea	Grey Wagtail
Motacilla alba	White Wagtail
Troglodytes troglodytes	Winter Wren
Prunella modularis	Dunnock
Erithacus rubecula	European Robin
Phoenicurus ochruros	Black Redstart
Saxicola rubicola	European Stonechat
Monticola solitarius	Blue Rock Thrush
Turdus merula	Common Blackbird
Turdus philomelos	Song Thrush
Turdus iliacus	Redwing
Turdus viscivorus	Mistle Thrush
Cettia cetti	Cetti's Warbler
Cisticola juncidis	Zitting Cisticola
Sylvia undata	Dartford Warbler
Sylvia melanocephala	Sardinian Warbler
Sylvia atricapilla	Eurasian Blackcap
Phylloscopus collybita	Common Chiffchaff
Regulus ignicapilla	Common Firecrest
Aegithalos caudatus	Long-tailed Tit
Lophophanes cristatus	European Crested Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus	Eurasian Blue Tit
Parus major	Great Tit
Sitta europaea	Eurasian Nuthatch
Certhia brachydactyla	Short-toed Treecreeper
Remiz pendulinus	Eurasian Penduline Tit
Lanius meridionalis	Southern Grey Shrike
Garrulus glandarius	Eurasian Jay
Cyanopica cookii	Azure-winged Magpie
Pica pica	Common Magpie
Corvus monedula	Western Jackdaw
Corvus corone	Carrion Crow
Corvus corax	Northern Raven
Sturnus unicolor	Spotless Starling
Passer domesticus	House Sparrow
Passer hispaniolensis	Spanish Sparrow
Passer montanus	Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Petronia petronia	Rock Sparrow
Estrilda astrild	Common Waxbill
Fringilla coelebs	Common Chaffinch
Serinus serinus	European Serin
Chloris chloris	European Greenfinch
Carduelis carduelis	European Goldfinch
Carduelis cannabina	Common Linnet
Pyrrhula pyrrhula	Eurasian Bullfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustes	Hawfinch
Emberiza cirlus	Cirl Bunting
Emberiza cia	Rock Bunting
Emberiza calandra	Corn Bunting

Extremadura, Spain. Trip Report. Day 2

Day 2. February 21^st
Weather: Sunny.

From the hotel in Olivenza, Lesser Kestrel had been seen and Spotless Starlings were perching on the roof.  The morning would be a trip to the Alqueva reservoir. On the way we would stop off at some cork woods which were very productive for passerines. A good list of birds were seen including: Short-toed Treecreeper, Thekla and Crested Lark, Hoopoe, Cirl Bunting, Hawfinch, Woodlark and Serin.

Cirl Bunting

Short-toed Treecreeper

Short-toed Treecreeper

Hoopoe

Thekla Lark

Thekla Lark

 At the reservoir we saw Cattle Egret, Golden Plover, Osprey, Stonechat, Zitting Cisticola and Hoopoe. A gathering group of Griffon and Black Vultures were high overhead.

Osprey

Black Vulture

After a picnic lunch we headed to Badajoz town which is situated on the Guadiana river, this is the border between Spain and Portugal. Here we would do some “Urban birding”.  Along the edge of the river are a series of long thin islands, these have small trees, scrub and reeds and are home to a great variety of birds. We also saw Otters here. The birds seen here were: Common Kingfisher,  Little Egret, Great Egret, Purple Swamphen, Little Bittern, Penduline Tit, Cetti’s Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff and Common Waxbill.

Chiffchaff

We then headed to the town of Alberquerque. As the sun was setting we would wait for an Eagle Owl, which returns each evening to announce it’s territory on a rocky outcrop near the town. A little dark for photography, but great to see such a bird fly in and sit on the rocks.

My Favourite Images (3)

The third in the series of some of my favourite images.


Hoopoe
This bird turned up in Scotland a few years ago. I decided to make the long journey to photograph it having heard that it was very tame. It certainly was, this being a full frame image taken with a 300mm lens.

Grey Heron
Another very approachable bird, this one was stalking prey at the edge of a lake and let me get well within 10m.

Southern Hawker
When I photograph a Dragonfly I usually start by taking some shots with my 300mm lens, then if they seem settled enough I'll move in closer using a 60mm macro which is how I got this shot.

Gannet
A bit of a theme developing in this post as I have just realised that they are all un-cropped. I like this one because of the dark background which is the shaded sea.

Fulmar
Similar to the previous image with an even darker background, this time it was shaded cliffs giving the contrast.