I think at times one
can try too hard to see certain species. You have to put yourself in the right
habitat and at the right time of year to maximise the opportunity of connecting.
Prior knowledge of a species presence also narrows the field down and Spain is
a massive playing field!!
I have failed in the
past to see Black-bellied Sandgrouse on Lanzarote and with two more days in
Extremadura, Spain is heading the same way. I have seen large groups of Pin Tailed
Sandgrouse and I thought this would be the trickier species to find. I must add
that two hotspots for Black-bellied have been put out of bounds due to road
closures! Perhaps I am trying too hard!!
I have also been
seeking out Bonelli’s Eagle working on the same principles and it took a moment
of luck or skill which had me turning into the car park at Monfrague Castle to
seek refuge out of the piping hot sun. I saw an Egyptian Vulture and then the
first of two Bonelli’s which appeared to be using the rock face as a resting
point.
Earlier on in the
day I stopped at the Monfrague Picnic site and had lunch whilst keeping an eye
out for any eagle that moved. Whilst scanning the rock face for Bonelli’s Eagle
I spied a couple of Black Stork on a small ledge. During this vigil I saw a
Peregrine Falcon that joined the wheeling Vultures. I think they must have
thought I was their lunch!
My other sightings
of note on the Trujillo Plains were Great Spotted Cuckoo whom I flushed
from the roadside as I approached in the car. A pool further along produced a couple
of male Garganey, Teal and an adult Yellow Legged Gull.
The signs are that
some of the summer visitors are arriving which makes me wonder if I should return
to Madrid via Extremadura towards the end of the month!
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