Spain - Extremadura & Gredos Mountains

This tour combines the contrasting habitats of central Spain — the undulating, sun-drenched steppes and shimmering plains of Extremadura, the rugged oak-forested hills of Monfragüe National Park, and the imposing granite peaks of the Sierra de Gredos. We will explore these exciting and wild habitats during the course of a 2-centre, week-long holiday focusing particularly on the birdlife of the region, but also enjoying the abundant and colourful wayside flora of both the plains and mountains, as well as any butterflies and mammals we encounter during the week.

We begin the holiday with a flight to Madrid, from where we head south-west through rolling hills, olive groves and Cork Oak woodland to the central plateau of Extremadura, where we find extensive sheep-grazed grasslands and Cork Oak forests known locally as ‘dehesa’. For the next four nights we will be based near the beautiful medieval town of Trujillo, an ideal spot from which to explore the adjacent steppes and the magnificent Monfragüe National Park. Flocks of Lesser Kestrels and Pallid Swifts wheel around Trujillo’s beautifully preserved ancient churches, whilst White Storks peer down from their roof-top nests or clatter their bills to greet a returning mate. One of our main goals, however, will be to witness one of the most exciting bird spectacles in Europe, the breeding display of the Great Bustard.

During this, the males — the world’s heaviest flying birds — convert themselves, by a series of bizarre distortions, into huge white balls of feathers that revolve slowly in an almost military step. While they look stately and dignified, the nearby Little Bustards perform an awkward, head-throwing action accompanied by a comical buzzing sound. The two species are certainly the star attractions of this region, but it offers far more besides, including many other grassland specialities such as Quail, Stone Curlew, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, and both Calandra and Short-toed Larks, whilst Bee-eaters, Rollers and Hoopoes bring colour to the scene. In the surrounding Cork Oak dehesa we will look for Great Spotted Cuckoos, Hoopoes, Short-toed Treecreepers, both Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes and Iberian Magpies. Overhead we will keep an eye open for the 16 species of raptor which, with luck, may include the localised Black-shouldered Kite. It is in Monfragüe National Park, however, that we will focus in particular on birds of prey; here Egyptian, Black and Griffon Vultures rise on the thermals with the heat of the day, both Red and Black Kites are numerous, and Golden, Spanish Imperial, Bonelli’s, Booted and Short-toed Eagle all breed. Amongst other specialities are Black Stork and Eagle Owl, whilst the smaller and more abundant occupants of the hills include Alpine Swift, Thekla Lark, Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Subalpine Warbler and Chough.

To the north-east of Extremadura and Monfragüe lies the Sierra de Gredos. This is a rugged and imposing range of granite mountains that rises to 2,600 metres and is a stronghold of the magnificent Spanish Ibex, a species that we will make a special effort to see during our stay. We will spend the second part of our holiday here, based in a very comfortable, boutique-style hotel that boasts a fine view towards the mountains and serves some of the finest food in the province. This will ensure that we are in good shape for our walks in the surrounding hills, forests and mountains!

In the valley below our hotel we will search the pine forests for Honey Buzzard, Goshawk, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher, Crested Tit, and perhaps even Citril Finch and Crossbill. Higher up, above the tree-line, we will search for breeding Crag Martins, Dippers, Bluethroats, Rock and Ortolan Buntings, whilst higher still we will look for Water Pipits, Alpine Accentors, Black Redstarts and Rock Thrushes. Birds of prey are not numerous here, but amongst the species that do pass overhead from time to time are both Black and Griffon Vultures, Golden Eagle and Booted Eagle. The dominant plant of the mountains is the yellow-flowered broom, but along the rivers, streams, roads and tracks of the Gredos — and in the ancient stone-walled hay meadows and grazing pastures — we will find a colourful flora that includes many orchid species. Indeed, by spending most of our time on this part of the holiday exploring on foot, by means of mountain walks, we can hope to see a wide range of wildlife including an excellent flora and attendant butterfly and insect-life.