A half-day birding trip to Central Spain
John Muddeman
28/12/2009 11:54:17
A dry day between rain gave good sightings for a half-day birdwatching trip in Madrid
Posted in: Birds | Madrid | Mainland Spain, Central Spain
The wet weather fortunately continues, returning today after a lull yesterday which allowed a good half day trip out to see some of the special birds in Madrid. If you wonder while I say the rain's fortunate, the maps of rainfall on the Spanish Meteorological Service website say it all, since until 20th December, most of C and E Spain is either classified as dry or VERY dry, with approximately half of Spain having received only up to 50% of the normal rainfall expected from the beginning of September!
Yesterday, with largely clear skies overnight, the temperature at sun-up fell to below freezing in most of the community, and on the NW side of Madrid in the Manzanares River valley, freezing mist coated everything white in a very chilly -2 or -3ºC. This was particularly chilly for my two student visitors from Taiwan!
Huge numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were leaving their roost on the reservoir, possibly even the same ones laughingly alleged by some daft website a few years ago to be UFOs (!). On this occasion, flying out low in the morning they were easy to identify. A group of 10 Egyptian Geese passing over among them were a big surprise, but like the Ruddy Shelduck occasionally seen here, appear to be free-flying birds from the Madrid zoo. Plenty of Eurasian Jackdaws, thousands of Woodpigeons, plus a few passing Stock Doves, a couple of dowdy Black Redstarts and lone Little Egret and Common Kestrel made up the bulk of the birds present, though as we were about to leave, so a large -40 or more- flock of Iberian [Azure-winged] Magpies appeared, and gave great views in the early morning sun.
Being slightly higher, the fields NE of Madrid were already frost free, and a few small birds were soon noted, including a Southern Grey Shrike and several Corn Buntings on wires as we passed. Our first stop, despite watching the first of several local hunters walking the fields and disturbing (almost) everything -including the first of several Red-legged Partridge, but which they failed to see!-, turned up trumps with passing Red Kite, Eurasian Marsh Harrier and a hunting male Hen Harrier, 32 Great Bustards standing quietly in a field off to one side, and most surprisingly -given the quantity- well over a 100 Rock Sparrows in a twisting flock, which fortunately landed on the wires before soon rushing off again, though leaving a few behind and next to a couple of Corn Buntings for comparison.
Another stop shortly ahead revealed a rough corner with a large mixed flock of Common Chaffinches, Eurasian Goldfinches, Eurasian Linnets, Eurasian Tree Sparrows and Spotless Starlings, plus 100s of Eurasian Skylarks passing overhead, but these were all soon flushed for good by a couple more hunters, who also spooked a small group of European Golden Plovers. The road back gave great views of a mixed flock of Spotless and Eurasian Starlings in winter plumages.
After a quick comfort stop and a couple of Common Buzzards in some trees, we tried another area of open plains. While the views towards the Guadarrama mountains were superb, we only noted one bird! However, this was a calling Black-bellied Sandgrouse, which after passing high over twice, then reappeared and showed off its contrasting underside pattern! It was still cloudy and chilly here though, so we headed a little north towards clear skies. Five White Storks adorning an old church tower en route looked stunning against the blue sky, and made fine photographic subjects.
A small gorge to the N -here in the sun- was greatly enjoyed, despite a couple of noisy rock climbers present, and Rock Buntings, a wintering Dunnock, flighty Song Thrushes, a Blue Rock Thrush (also familiar to them from Taiwan!) and several very wild-type Rock Doves were present. A calling Thekla Lark refused to show, but after a couple of false starts, a super female Sardinian Warbler gave great views, and just as we were leaving, a smart Grey Wagtail flew over and dropped into a drainage channel, where we watched it a close range.
Time was now running out however, and we started to return. Some distant dots looked interesting though, so deviating a little from our planned route we got close to some circling raptors. A small group of Eurasian Griffon Vultures was accompanied by a Red Kite and a White Stork. More vultures then started spiralling up from dehind a small ridge, using the first small breeze we'd noted all day, and as we waited (despite getting back in the car at one point), so some twenty Griffons went past, but this time with a single immature Eurasian Black Vulture in tow, it's huge grey feet easily visible against the black underside!
We'd now run out of time, but given the relatively good weather, decided to take one last look at a site on our way back. Good numbers of Eurasian Griffon and Eurasian Black Vultures were gliding or soaring around, but there, distantly, and circling low against the snowy mountains was a superb adult Spanish Imperial Eagle! After soaring up it started to drift off, only for us to notice a second, but when both started their see-saw display flight, it was no surprise when a third, a huge female with broad white shoulder bands, also joined in the act and made a terrific sight! Finally pulling ourselves away we headed back towards town, only for a male Iberian race Green Woodpecker to land close by, giving good views from the vehicle.
A superb end to a great morning's birding, and all within 50 minutes of the edge of Madrid!
For more details of short-term, day and 1/2 day birding trips to C Spain and Extremdura, please click here.
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