I was out on the
plains at first light with a mission to complete. I will leave no road unturned
until I find Black-bellied Sandgrouse! I sat in a hide for the first hour where
I had company in Barn Swallow that were prospecting for a nest site. It will
get busier in here as the months roll on guys!
This area is on the
Trujillo Caceres plain border and an area I had not spent a great deal of time
in. I saw a group of Little Bustard a pair of Hen Harrier and a stack of gulls
that were beyond scope range. I then moved further up the plain on the rough
road in the hope of connecting with Sandgrouse.
True to form the
Pin-tailed were the first to give themselves up so I decided to set my stall up
to see if other Sandgrouse joined them. There was a lot of movement of single
birds above the feeding area and after about twenty minutes I thought I heard a
bubbling call and two birds were circling. I could not get a good view and the
birds set down on the plain. The next five minutes were spent questioning what
had happened but one thing was for sure I was staying put!
Forty minutes later
the Pin-tailed were moving about again but there were four birds that were not
calling flying in low from behind me. Binos, camera, action, in a very quick
order. Yes at last Black-bellied Sandgrouse! Woo Hoo!
After a celebratory
breakfast I moved on to Delietosa and Las Villuercas areas to look for Thekla
Lark. This species breeds at higher levels than Crested Lark and the habitat of
mountain ridges with valleys and mid level fields and orchards fitted the bill
nicely.
I drove a route
described in Where to Watch Birds in Spain. The 100 Best Sites by Montero,
Juana and Barrio. This is a very useful guide with route maps and lists of
expected species for all seasons. I don’t think Thekla Lark have read it!
Tomorrow is my last
full day in Extremadura and Thekla Lark I’m coming after you!!
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