Easter in Extremadura (Trujillo & Caceres, 16-17 April)

Extremadura seemed a good destination for Megan and I to visit to celebrate our 25 wedding anniversary, albeit two weeks early.  We flew with easyJet from Gatwick to Madrid on Wednesday 16 April arriving at 11:00.  We collected our hire car, a small Hyundai i-10, and drove to Trujillo.  The 275 km journey was on dual carriageway virtually all the way and took slightly over 3 hours due to encountering the only heavy traffic of the holiday leaving Madrid.  In Trujillo we were taken to our very central apartment (Apartementos Arquillo, just off Plaza Mayor with its White Storks and Lesser Kestrels), settled in and went out to do some shopping.  We walked around the old town and outside the walls seeing Crag Martin, 2 Red-rumped Swallows and 50 Spotless Starlings, the latter much more tuneful than ours.  That evening we caught a Semana Santa parade taking a 'float' with a religious figure from one church to another.  It was more atmospheric than I was expecting - I was particularly taken by the accompanying spaghetti western style music - and stayed light to 21:30.

White Storks breeding by Trujillo's Plaza Mayor

Jackdaw coming in to land

It wasn't light until 07:15 and we had a slow start, heading out onto the plains after breakfast taking the scenic route to Caceres.  The road to Santa Marta de Magasca was excellent although not all the stops were unanimously appreciated!  In Caceres we visited the old town and coincided with a daytime Semana Santa parade.  We returned to Trujillo, had an early evening walk around and outside the city walls and caught the 21:00 parade.  Birds seen included 20 Griffon Vultures, 2 Montagu's Harriers, 35 Lesser Kestrels, 2 Great Bustards, 80 Pallid Swifts, 3 Bee-eaters, 4 Rollers, 6 Hoopoes, Calandra Lark, 4 Southern Grey and 3 Woodchat Shrikes, 5 Azure-winged Magpies, 3 Serins and 50 Corn Buntings.

Golden Eagle on the Trujillo/Magasca plains.   I had come to Spain hoping to see Spanish Imperial Eagle (having seen Eastern in India in 1980) and seeing this at our first stop on the plains thought I might be in luck.  It was not to be lacking white on the shoulders and having coarsely barred tail but a good start all the same.

old buildings in Caceres

Plaza Mayor from Caceres old city wall

with superb views out over the surrounding plains

the old city walls

The Plaza Mayor (main square) in Caceres wasn't to remain empty for long

it soon filled up as the parade approached

I estimated that at least 80 men were carrying this 'float'

and one with a pointy hat directing proceedings

the girls had a smaller 'float'

black widows and more pointy hats and also a band were part of the parade

then it was the ladies turn

any of these ladies could have been in an advert for L'Oreal hair colouring

view east over Trujillo's Plaza Mayor, most of the taller buildings were home to White Storks 

this was one of the more viewable nests

two small chicks seemed to be the norm

religious figures from the evening's procession

 

Old Lodge (13 April 2014)

Sunday 13 April.  Highlights of a pleasant morning at Old Lodge with John King were 2 Wood Lark, 2 Tree Pipits, 4 male Redstarts, Treecreeper(s) visiting a nest site with moss, a Raven tangling with a Buzzard, flocks of 15+ and 2 Brambling, 2 Redpolls and a male Crossbill.  We heard a Cuckoo but it was never close and not in an area that was approachable.  An afternoon walk around Mill Hill with Megan was almost birdless.

Redstart at Old Lodge

one of our most attractive summer visitors

its gape is as bright as its underparts

a brilliant bird

Willow Warbler

Brambling

we saw a flock of at least 15 soon after arriving at Old Lodge and later two together of which this was one

Common or Viviparous Lizard, the smaller of two seen in close proximity, it was about 2.5" long.

the larger lizard, this one was about 4.5" long

Seaford and Beachy (12 April 2014)

Saturday 12 April.  I sea-watched at Seaford from 06:15-09:30, mostly with John King and Bob Self in a light southerly with good visibility but a fog bank forming down channel. We saw the following (flying east unless noted otherwise):  6 Red-throated Divers, 1 Black-throated Diver, 11 Gannets, 5 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 27 Common Scoter, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 7 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew (west), 1 dark morph Arctic Skua,  14 Black-headed Gulls, 27 Sandwich Terns, 2 Razorbills (+ 1 on sea), 6 unidentified auks and 2 Swallows in.  The birds didn't really merit the length of stay but the company, especially as joined by Matt Eade in the later stages did.  John King and I went on to Beachy where we saw Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Peregrines, Tawny Owl, a female Redstart (but missed two males), 4 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler and 2 Ravens.  A low tide visit to the Adur produced a Normandie ringed Greater Black-backed Gull and 2 Swallows north.  After some deliberation I decided Flamborough was too far to go for a Crag Martin, something I hope to see soon in Spain.

viewed from the green bottle ...

about to rest on one leg

lovely bird

Normandie Greater Black-backed Gull 77K

it is the 10th colour-ringed GBbG from this scheme that I have seen on the Adur in just over three years.  This one hatched in Le Havre in May 2012 was seen at nearby Houlgatethat August and seems to spend the winter in Cornwall with sightings at Padstow in December 2012 and on the Hayle in March 2014

Monday-Friday 7-11 April.  A reasonable week cycling to and from work with a Peregrine seen on the Power Station chimney most days, a Wheatear on Portslade Beach on 7th and 3 on Southwick Beach on 9th, 4 Purple Sandpipers and 22 Turnstone roosting off Shoreham Harbour's East Arm also on 9th and 2 Swallows in off the sea at Sothwick Beach on 10th.

Littlehampton, Greatham & Pulborough (6 April 2014)

The forecast was not promising so I decided not to venture far.  Little was moving on the sea off Shoreham Harbour from 06:45-07:45, just 2 Gannets, 3 Fulmars, 31 Brent, 7 Scoter, 4 Curlew (west) and 2 Sandwich Terns.  2 Purple Sandpipers were on the inner jetty, 9 Turnstones on e west arm and a Peregrine on the Power Station likely to get a good view of the Brighton Marathon.  

I headed for Climping, parked by the school and a circuit down to the beach, along to the river mouth and around the top of the golf course.  I saw a Sparrowhawk, 24 Sanderling, the Kumlien's Gull, a male Wheatear, Mistle Thrush, 6 Chiffchaffs and 20 Linnets.  Other Chiffchaffs and several Blackcaps were heard.  The Kumlien's Gull soon appeared by the river mouth where it landed on the retaining wall.  I was keen to see it again as i may never see another.  Its plumage was looking less coarse/more faded than when I first saw it although the darker tail base was as prominent.

Kumlien's Gull at Littlehampton.  This image just about shows the darkest feathers to be at the base of the tail

this image shows the darker primaries well

Next stop Greatham where I saw the small Cackling or Aleutian Canada Goose, Peregrine, 4 Gadwall, 2 Pintail, 6 Shoveler and my first Willow Warbler of the year.  It even gave a short burst of song.  The small Canada goose was also calling at one stage.

Cackling or Aleutian Canada Goose at Greatham.  Clearly much smaller than 'normal' Canadas but not evidently any darker on this view?

despite the prominent white collar at the base of the neck I'm not sure its bill is stubby enough for an Aleutian?  Not a part of the world I've been too, so I've really no idea.  perhaps I should pay more attention to what they've got (had!) at Arundel.

Finally Pulborough RSPB.  I'd almost not bothered going as I usually find it quite disappointing at this time of year - unfulfilled promise or unreasonable expectations?  Not this time as I saw 4 Avocets, 3 Little Ringed Plover and my first migrant Swallow of the year.  The waders were closer than usual, although still rather distant but my visit was made by superb views of a pair of Jays feeding on the ground and a superb male Bullfinch feeding on hawthorn buds.  Two very under-rated species in my opinion.

Two of the three Little Ringed Plovers at Pulborough.  Almost too far to see an eye-ring despite being on the nearest island 

with a Ringed Plover hiding in the vegetation

one of four Avocets at Pulborough

two (a pair?) seemed quite interested in this island

 

male Bullfinch at Pulborough, one of my favourite birds

one of two Ground-Jays at Pulborough

Henderson's?

Biddulph's?

Pander's?

Pleske's?

or maybe a groundpecker (although they are now considered to be tits)

brighter than them all (not that I've seen most) ...

and at times quite comical

our Jays are brilliant

Seaford Seawatch (5 April 2014)

Saturday 5th.  An enjoyable seawatch at Splash Point, Seaford from 06:30-10:30 with Martyn Kenefick, Bob Self, Dick Gilmore and others produced for me the following flying up-channel: 25 Red-throated Divers, 1 unidentified diver, 76 Gannets, 1 Little Egret, 171 Brent Geese, 2 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, 3 Eider (one male), 279 Common Scoter, 5 Velvet Scoter (a pair and then 3 pale-bellied juveniles), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Curlew, 2 Great Skuas (09:05 & 09:55), 2 Arctic Skuas, 13 adult Mediterranean Gulls (and a second-summer W), 27 Little Gulls (mostly adults), 8 Common Gulls, 54 Sandwich Terns and 5 distant auks.  Also 6 juvenile Mute swans and 5 Black-headed Gulls flew W.  Martyn and I went on to Beachy where a Stonechat and Corn Bunting vied for best bird for me.   Martyn saw a Willow Warbler which trumped both.

Monday 31 March-Friday 4 April.  One or two Peregrines seen on the Power station chimney most days on my daily commute.  Also a Wheatear seen in silhouette on 31st. The fenced of area of beach used as a dumping ground has been cleared and most of the fence removed.