ORNTHOLIDAYS’ TOUR TO SPAIN – COTO DOÑANA & EXTREMADURA

20 – 29 April, 2003

A Personal Diary by Mike Witherick

Brochure

Sunday, 20 April

Those members of the party leaving London on Easter Sunday were checked in the best part of three hours before our scheduled flight departure. Happily, our outward journey, which included meeting up with Graham and Anne at Seville Airport, went extremely smoothly. We eventually reached our hotel at El Rocio around 10.30pm. After a quick check-in, we crossed the sandy road to the restaurant for a welcome, if late (even by Spanish standards), evening meal. The seafood soup was absolutely delicious and the inclusive Rioja went down a treat. Most of us were probably in bed just the right side of midnight.

Monday, 21 April

Harry was probably the first out, but the light was not really ‘do-able’ until about 7.45pm. The morning was a bright and calm one; the marismas were extensively flooded, testimony to the wet weather that had prevailed in these parts over the last four weeks whilst ironically the UK experienced drought conditions. Early sightings included Spotless Starling, Greater Flamingo, Whiskered Tern and some over-flying Bee-eaters. We went in for buffet breakfast at 8pm and met an hour later for a short walk along the promenade. One immediate success was spotting a Crested Coot, but made all that much easier by its white collar! The water level was rather too high for waders, but nonetheless there were large numbers of Black-winged Stilts and in the distance good numbers of Avocet. On the duck front, there were Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Gadwall and Mallard. Our first raptors were Marsh Harrier, Red and Black Kites.

After driving down to Acebuche to confirm our Park tour tomorrow, we spent the rest of the morning at La Rocina. Here we enjoyed an excellent mix of birds. Down on the lagoon, there were Purple Swamphen, Squacco Heron, Green and Common Sandpipers. Nightingales sang from almost every piece of thicket and were occasionally seen. Cetti's Warblers were also vocal and at least one was glimpsed. In the pines there were Serin, Crested Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper and Tree Sparrow, the last taking advantage of a generous provision of nest boxes. Our raptor list included Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black and Red Kites. We recorded our first Griffon Vulture, Sardinian Warbler and Woodchat Shrike. A field of well-pruned peach trees provided a wonderful array of perches for quite a large number of Bee-eaters.

We consumed our packed lunches in a car park close to the Acebron Palace, which we duly visited. The museum is an interesting one and good views of Doñana can be obtained from the roof. Once back at the minibuses, we decided to move in the direction of Mazagon after a tip-off about White-headed Duck. It has to be said that we did try, but equally we did fail in this quest. But at least it took us to a new corner of Spain. It also has to be said that apart from Purple Heron the excursion did not add any new birds.

The remainder of the field day was spent in two locations. First, at the head of the marismas, where we saw another collared Crested Coot and secondly out the far end of El Rocio where we saw Ringed Plover, Little Stint and Dunlin, Yellow and White Wagtails. We returned to the hotel around 7pm.

The log was called at 7.45pm in the foyer. Afterwards we moved across to the restaurant, but were told that the cook would not arrive until 8.30pm. We had no alternative but to while away the time in the bar. Harry came up trumps with two bottles of white wine to celebrate his haul of lifers! The meal was a very acceptable one and it was around 10pm when the group began to disband.

Tuesday, 22 April

It is impossible to put a positive gloss on the reporting of this morning’s weather.  We were subjected to thunder, lightning and torrential rain. In the event, we divided into two groups. Roger took some of the party around the hides at Acebuche and in the circumstances did manage to do some birdwatching. The highlights for them were Golden Oriole, Azure-winged Magpie, Red-legged Partridge and Purple Swamphen. I drove the remainder back beyond Mazagon in search of the small lagoon we missed yesterday. We found the piece of water with its promise of White-headed Duck, but the heavens opened and we sat in the bus in the forlorn hope that the rain would ease. This it did not and the thunder and lightning became more menacing. Eventually, we gave up and drove back to meet up with the others at Acebuche. Here we took the decision to go back to the restaurant and to consume our picnics in comfort and above all in the dry.

As for the afternoon, the best that can be said on the weather front was that the rain did stop for short periods and that these spells mainly coincided with stops along our 80km drive through Doñana National Park. Actually, the view was that the weather had done us at least one favour by driving a large number of gulls and terns to loiter on the tide line. The highlights so far as gulls were concerned were our close views of good numbers of Audouin’s and of a pair of Slender-billed. At one point, we encountered a small flock containing five species of tern - Sandwich, Common, Roseate, Black and Little. When it came to land birds, there was a clear winner in the form of a pair of Spanish Imperial Eagles perched no more than 150 yards away. Later one was seen in flight. Alan and Harry spotted a Hobby, whilst Roger drew our attention to an Ortolan Bunting. Our guide and driver for the 4-hour tour was Gonzalo, whose command of English, his sharp eyes and good sense of humour make him a 'must' for visiting Ornitholidays' groups. Two species of deer were well seen - Roe and Red - and a number of Wild Boar. As regards the last, the best sighting was of a sow and a litter of perhaps five youngsters still in their pyjama-type attire.

We eventually returned to the hotel at 7pm. The sandy, normally dry and dusty roads of El Rocio were now greatly scored by rivulets of water. We met up an hour later for log call in the foyer followed by dinner served on the other side of the stream now separating the hotel from the restaurant. Despite the weather, our evening together was a most convivial one.

Wednesday, 23 April

St George's Day and befittingly the dawn promised much better weather. Indeed it was to remain fine and sunny throughout the day. Most of the day was occupied by driving out to and back from the Valverde visitor centre, remotely located out in the middle of the Northern Park. Although each time I visit this area, there is evidence of yet more land being brought into cultivation (mainly for the benefit of the tasteless Spanish strawberry), with its mixture of essentially wetland habitats, it remains very bird-rich.

It is difficult to know where to start in terms of reporting our bird observations. The visitor centre itself, which we patronised during the lunch break, came up with a rush of goodies, mainly in the form of Marbled Duck, Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis and Black-crowned Night-Heron. The densities of Cattle Egret and Purple Heron occupying the nearby reed-beds were staggeringly high.

During both legs of the journey, we worked hard at the larks, and identified Crested and Short-toed in the morning, and Lesser Short-toed and Calandra during the afternoon. On the raptor front, Marsh Harrier and Black Kite were most common, but we also spotted a lone ring-tail Hen Harrier. Common Buzzard, both morphs of Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Kestrel were also spotted, as well as good numbers of Griffon Vulture. The sheer abundance of White Storks was amazing; Spoonbill, Little Egret and Grey Heron were seen in good number. A pair of Stone-curlew showed well, much to Helen’s joy; we encountered our first Spanish Sparrows.

On the return leg, apart from the larks, three species proved to be particularly memorable, namely the great numbers of Collared Pratincole and a flock of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, first spotted by Harry. Thirdly there was the vocal and quite obliging male Spectacled Warbler that kept us on our toes for some minutes. Alan seemed particularly delighted to have caught up with the species. There were plenty of Bee-eaters hawking close to the ground for prey, but they proved rather uncooperative when it came to Anne and Jim trying to photograph them. 

 We arrived back at the hotel a little before 6pm and this left a couple of hours in which to do the tourist bit around town. We met in the foyer at 8pm for log call. It has to said that the wine flowed tonight, and thanks to some client generosity we rounded off the evening with three bottles of Rioja from Cáceres area (our destination tomorrow).

Thursday, 24 April

Today was transit to Trujillo day. Our departure from El Rocio was a little staggered in that I had to call in at the Acebuche office to alter a booking for the next group, whilst Anne had an urgent phone call to make to the UK and this could only be done after 9.15am. However, the timings worked out wonderfully and both vehicles soon met up outside the gates to Acebuche.

Happily, Acebuche was on the route to where we wished to make our first stop. The fact that we were heading south rather north was not due at all to Terry's map reading, but to the fact that we wanted to give the lagoon near Huelva a third and final try. Luck was on our side and a male White-headed Duck was spotted to sighs of relief and satisfaction all round!

During the next two hours, one new species was added, namely Crag Martin. We made a late morning stop for coffee and convenience and then some time after 1pm eventually found a place where we could leave the main road and enjoy our picnic lunch.

Soon we linked up with the recently opened motorway that led us to and around Merida. Beyond Merida we saw our first Montagu’s Harrier and Roller. A pair of Black Vultures proved to be a surprise sighting. After yet another brief comfort stop we headed for the fields near Madrigalejo where we soon made contact with quite large numbers of Red Avadavats. The sighting of a Melodious Warbler in amongst a small party of this introduced species was a bonus. Long-tailed Tit was seen by some of the group. On the final leg of the journey to Trujillo we saw yet another Roller and our first Lesser Kestrels.

We eventually reached our comfortable hotel at Trujillo around 6pm, having covered some 460km during the transit. We were quickly checked in and this left a couple of hours' leisure before meeting in the salon for log call. The wine before dinner tonight was by kind permission of Rosie.

Friday, 25 April

We breakfasted at 7.30am and left the hotel an hour later. Despite the cloudy sky, the weather looked as if it would remain dry. Most of the morning was spent on the Belen steppes. Bustards were very much to the fore, with many males of the larger species definitely in display mode. It is incredible how they seem to almost turn themselves inside out and become great white fluffy balls. Little Bustard males were seen in display flight and were also quite vocal. We saw our first Thekla Lark, whilst Calandras impressed us with their vocal aerial displays. With many Magpies in the vicinity, we eventually caught up with Great Spotted Cuckoo. Other species of note included Stone-curlew, Little Owl and Lesser Kestrel. Hearing the calls of a distant Scops Owl was a bit of a surprise, whilst the distant corpse of a sheep attracted the attentions of Monk and Griffon Vultures, as well as Raven and Magpie. A Quail called very close to my vehicle and it was seen briefly in flight. Jim found a rather lethargic viper. On the botanic front, we admired Bug Orchid, Field Gladiolis, Star of Bethlehem and Broomrape. The rich carpets of wild flowers created great splashes of colour, particularly of blues and yellows.

Late in the morning, we drove back through Trujillo and out onto the Cáceres steppes. Here we encountered an amazing number of Montagu's Harriers, particularly when we turned off onto a dirt track. We had hoped to find sandgrouse, but our luck was not in. Instead we found a pleasant spot at which to consume our picnic lunches. Afterwards, we returned to the metalled road and made a stop where the road crosses the Magasca River. From the bridge we enjoyed looking down on the Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martins that were busy building their nests beneath it.

By mid-afternoon, the sun had broken through and this had a muting effect on bird-life. So we decided to return to the hotel and so allow time for members of the group to enjoy the sights of Trujillo's historic nucleus. The numbers of Lesser Kestrel and White Stork were impressive. It is mildly encouraging that there are man-made environments that have some appeal to wildlife. Other species seen around town included Serin, Pallid Swift and Barn Owl.

We met in the salon at 8pm for log call followed by dinner and consumption of a few bottles of the local wine.

Saturday, 26 April

We awoke to a damp and misty morning, and to add to our depression the TV weather forecast was for light rain all day. Nonetheless, we decided to press ahead with our plan to spend most of the day in the Monfragüe NP. Making us feel even more out of sorts was the closure of a section of the road leading directly to the Park. Indeed, we had to make a dogleg diversion to the east. However, no sooner had we neared the ridge that marks the beginning of the Park, than the drizzle ceased and blue patches began to appear in the sky. And that was the way the weather was to stay for the rest of the day - sunny, warm and calm.

Our first stop at the bridge over the Rio Vid brought us two new species for the list - Rock Bunting and Kingfisher; Cirl Bunting and Wood Lark were heard. Crag Martins and Red-rumped Swallows showed well. The next stop was at the Sanctuary or Castillo perched high on the rocky ridge. We drove as close as we could, but there was no avoiding the long flight of steps to the summit. As they patrolled along the ridge, Griffon Vultures glided by just above our heads. A Golden Eagle was briefly seen, whilst Blue Rock Thrush and female Cirl Bunting showed rather better. As we made our way back to the vehicles, the first Alpine Swifts were spotted and a pair of Red-billed Chough flew over, calling as they went.

Our third stop was opposite the impressive cliffs at Penfalcon. Here we watched Black Storks collecting nesting material. In amongst the many Griffon Vultures, at least one Egyptian Vulture was seen. Rosie spotted a fine male Black Redstart. It was good to see how many Spanish people were being drawn to this excellent birdwatching spot - hopefully it augers well for the future protection and conservation of Spanish birds.

We lunched at Villareal - a good spot because of its picnic tables and loos. A number of the group indulged in some retail therapy - tee shirts adorned with vultures or owls were a popular choice.

Our first stop of the afternoon was at a cliff renowned as an Eagle Owl nesting site. The location did not disappoint today and allowed us fine views of two almost fully-fledged chicks and an adult bird sitting in a nearby tree keeping a parental eye on the youngsters. Well content with our views, we decided to go for a change of habitat and to visit a section of the dehesa to the west of Torrejon. Our run of good luck continued and we were able to watch a Black-shouldered Kite for some time as it busily preened, first on a power line and then on a treetop.

Our return to Trujillo was via Monroy (a compact settlement devoid of direction signs save for one, which is wrong!). We were hoping to spot some sandgrouse, but whilst we failed in that regard, sharp spotting by Alan brought us close views of a pair of Great Spotted Cuckoos. A recently killed Montpellier snake was the cause of another stop.

We reached the hotel around 6.15pm and the rest of the day followed its now established pattern.

Sunday, 27 April

Another calm and sunny day dawned. With breakfast at 7.30am, we left the hotel an hour later, but not before Helen had received an unsolicited reprimand about removing some kiwifruit from the fruit bowl in the restaurant last night! Was it Harry who had blown the gaff?

This morning we took advantage of the Madrid motorway to deliver us to Monfragüe NP, travelling via Almaraz. After an hour and a quarter, we reached the Eagle Owl site. Only one head was viewable at the nest. Clearly it was not yet hot enough for the youngsters to move forward into the early sunshine. However, this species was not to be the centre of attention this time. Rather it was the pair of Bonelli's Eagles perched nearby in full view. Twice they took to flight, and it became obvious that one of the birds was a young adult and not quite into full adult plumage. Other birds seen during our time at this delightful spot were Subalpine Warbler, Rock Bunting, Jay, Greenfinch, White Wagtail, Black Stork and, of course, many Griffon Vultures.

After about an hour, we moved on to Villareal to take advantage of the loos there before heading north to Monfragüe station and then following the rural track that leads round to Serradilla. Several of the group, led by Graham, sneaked away to buy ice creams. On the way to Seradilla, we made a number of stops. Perhaps the most memorable one was where we observed a great spiral of birds comprising several hundred Griffon Vultures and over 60 Raven. In amongst them, we spotted two Honey-buzzards. Other new sightings were Mistle Thrush and Wood Lark.

We lunched on the summit of a rocky ridge, from which we saw yet another pair of Bonelli's Eagles. Crested Tit was heard. An interesting floral observation was of several clumps of the parasitic plant Cytinus that grows on the roots of White Cistus.

The first stop after lunch was at a roadside pool. Here we did well with sightings of Goshawk and Melodious Warbler, as well of a number of Spanish Festoon butterflies. The second stop was on another rocky ridge where some heard and briefly glimpsed a Black Wheatear. Blue Rock Thrush and Black Redstart occupied strategic rocks along the summit.

Serradilla proved to be yet another of those maze-like settlements that defy navigation. However, thankfully we eventually emerged only to be presented with some 3km of churned-up road. We stopped briefly at the bridge over the Rio Tajo that provided a fine nesting site for hundreds of House and Crag Martins. Soon we were back on the fine new road to Torrejon, but then had to face another stretch of road undergoing improvement. We eventually arrived back at the hotel a little before 5.30pm. Just before log-call, a number of the group were summonsed from the bar to watch Pallid Swifts circling above the hotel.

The evening proved to be another good one for Spanish viticulture!

Monday, 28 April

The weather forecast was good for the day, but the sight of high cloud as we ate breakfast suggested that the forecasters might have got it wrong. As it turned out, by afternoon the weather had become overcast and windy. We left the hotel at 8.30am and with sandgrouse at the top of the agenda we made for the Cáceres steppes. Happily, we were to meet with considerable success during the next two hours. Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse were both seen well and called sufficiently for us to be able to distinguish them on call alone. But there was much more besides, and this included good views of Great and Little Bustards (the former often in majestic flight), Stone-curlew, Black-eared Wheatear and one, possibly two Tawny Pipits. A pair of Marsh Harriers was a bit of a surprise in this habitat dominated by their cousins, the Montagu's.

After that early spell of success, it has to be said that the rest of the day's birding was rather quiet by comparison. We tried to extend the warbler list, but failed. Basically, after a successful negotiation of Monroy, we completed the southern half of the Monroy loop. Given that we were struggling somewhat with the birding, we decided to make an early return to the hotel, arriving there just after 4pm. At least, those wishing to do some shopping before tomorrow’s return to the UK appreciated our early return.

The log was called in the saloon at 8pm. Afterwards, and as usual, we enjoyed a substantial meal helped down by plenty of local wine. It was sad to think that this was our last evening together.

Tuesday, 29 April

We allowed ourselves the luxury of an 8am breakfast. By 9.30am everyone seemed keen to get going, so we set off for Madrid. Alan, staying on for the next tour, was dropped off on the outskirts of Belen - we all hoped that his sense of direction would prevail and that he would be seen again!

We made good progress on the motorway, stopping for coffee just over half way to Madrid. Thereafter, Terry did sterling work with the navigation and as a consequence we made our way safely and directly through the maniacal traffic and directly to Terminal 1. Eventually, we managed to park up the vehicles in the Returns compound, and the group, led by Roger, were allowed to check in early for their return flight to London.

Mike Witherick
Ornitholidays
29 Straight Mile
Romsey
Hampshire
SO51 9BB
Tel: 01794 519445
E-mail: ornitholidays@compuserve.com 
June 2003

Our next tours to Coto Doñana and Extremadura will be from the 18 – 27 April and 27 April – 06 May 2004 and will be led by Tony Pym and Andy Smith.  The cost per person in a twin/double-bedded room is £1,299.00 and £1,399.00 per person in a single room.

Itinerary and Weather

© Ornitholidays

Full trip list and commentary (pdf)

Brochure