Bird Watching Reports

Ruidera Trip Report 14th to 18th April 2008 by Chris Southgate

The Spanish Imperial Eagle came out of circling in his thermal into a steep swoop. Suddenly a Little Bustard broke cover from the wheat field & tried desperately to evade the eagle’s talons. The eagle twisted & turned to follow the bustard but it had now lost the impetus and began to beat its wings rapidly to no avail. The bustard escaped and the eagle returned to its thermal, gaining height slowly. Two carrion crows began to harass it but it nonchalantly drifted away until it was lost from sight.

Four birders and their guide gasped, recovered and all started to talk at the same time.

This incident occurred on the first full day of our trip to Ruidera in the Castilla La Mancha area of central Spain.

We had arrived on Monday 14 April flying into Madrid from Gatwick & after a smooth transfer to Ruidera and some refreshment in our apartment we had been taken by our guide Peter Staggs to the lower lagoons, where many Marsh Harriers were drifting over the reed beds together with Purple Heron. In the adjacent woodland we found Sub alpine Warblers, Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe, Azure winged Magpie, Cirl Bunting & 3 Great spotted Woodpeckers. Corn Bunting were everywhere and Bee eaters were heard and then spotted - a flock of 30 passing overhead.

We visited a local hostelry before retiring for the night to our very comfortable apartment.

An early start next morning took us to a site where we hoped to find Eagle Owl but all we came up with was a couple of huge pellets. Peter then drove us over a moor land and into a cultivated area where we spotted 13 Black Kite, 6 Stone Curlew and approx. 40 Great Bustard – one displaying -together with a few Little Bustard & 5 Great spotted Cuckoo.

Lunch was taken near a Lesser Kestrel breeding site and more than 7 were counted as they hawked insects in the fashion of Hobby.

After lunch we moved on to some disused salt pans where we found Black winged Stilt, Little ringed Plover, Avocet, Common & Wood Sandpiper & 5 Yellow Wagtail of the blue headed Iberian race. A Red Kite drifted overhead& by the end of the day we had recorded 7 Little Owl, a flock of Callandra Lark, Black & Northern Wheatear, a magnificent male Montage’s Harrier which gave incredible views plus some more common birds to give us a total of 61 species for the day.

Wednesday saw us up & ready at dawn and venturing after vultures & other birds of prey.

At our first stop we found a Little Bustard with Crested Lark & Rock Sparrow around the old buildings. A number of White Stork were seen together with 10 Black Kite and then a Short Toed Lark crossed the track where we had stopped. At least 2 Quail were heard calling “ wet my lips” as Marsh Harriers floated overhead and Black winged Stilt waded through a sizeable puddle. We then sorted out some Spanish Sparrows from the flock of common sparrow before focusing on the vulture flock which was loafing on the ground. Griffons were very evident before we found 4 Black Vultures with their huge frame scattered among the flock. Slowly the vultures began to take flight and soon spirals were forming and passing overhead.

More Bee Eaters were seen and then 3 Common Buzzard before the real excitement started. Raptors came thick & fast and by lunchtime we had seen 2 Egyptian Vultures, 25 Black Vulture, 12 Booted Eagle – 5 pale form & 7 dark form - plus an exceptional view of a Short Toed Eagle which showed us his tramlines and hood .

Raven were occasionally spotted with Sparrowhawk and common Kestrels too.

A Great Grey Shrike showed well on a fence wire before we returned “home” exhausted but very happy.

Thurs. dawned wet with light rain & a cold wind which reduced our chances of an Eagle Owl but we did score with more Harriers, Rock Sparrows, Bee eaters & Azure winged Magpies & Woodchat Shrike before returning for a late breakfast.

Then we set out for a gorge where we hoped to find more eagles, Blue Rock Thrush & Crag Martin. We were successful in two of these quests but instead of Blue Rock Thrush we found a Rock Thrush although the view did not last as long as we might have wished. A pair of Booted Eagles were seen carrying nesting material and a Griffon Vulture nest was scoped with a youngster stretching its neck upward. Before leaving the gorge we found Peregrine, Black Redstart and various tits and warblers in the scrub.

On the way to the gorge I had spotted a Little Bustard and after stopping on the roadside verge and creeping along a track we found two more. We also had cracking views of a male Montague’s harrier, more Bee eaters and Woodchat shrike and a Hoopoe that nearly walked into our vehicle.

Our next stop was beside a large lake where by stalking up to the edge we saw a good number of Kentish Plover with many Little Stint and a varied selection of other waders.

The weather had been cool and damp most of the day and we were glad to return to our apartment before visiting a local restaurant for some area specialities with very generous portions.

Friday was our day to return home and we took a diversion on the way to Madrid to visit another lake where we found a huge flock of Greater Flamingo, a truly spectacular sight.

Migration was in full swing in the morning after the previous day’s poor weather and amongst the many swallows, swifts and martins we spotted two Red rumped Swallows. Then a Black Tern appeared, soon followed by a number of Whiskered Tern.

During our short time at the apartment we saw or heard from our balcony, which overlooked one of the many lagoons in Ruidera, Red crested Pochard, Purple and Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Scops Owl, Sub alpine Warbler, Hoopoe, Bee eaters and Nightingale.

Peter was a first class and reliable guide who knew many very good sites where some Spanish specialities can be found, and his wife Janet made us excellent picnic lunches.

More information can be found at www.ruidera-adventures.com or telephone Chris Southgate on 01284 753940.