Extremadura briefly!

21 April - A full day's birding in Extremadura courtesy of Carles Oliver, and a superb tally for a single, warm, sunny day, albeit windy. Early morning at Arrocampo reservoir and an impressive array of Herons - Night Herons flying to roost, Little, Cattle and Great White Egrets in the air - several Squacco Herons and a good number of smart Purple Herons, one of my favourites, struggling into the strong wind. Gull-billed Terns were feeding over the nearer part of the lake. Unseen warblers singing included Savi's and Reed, together with Fan-tailed. Black-winged Stilts and a Glossy Ibis were feeding in the adjacent lagoon. Next stop Santa Marta de Magasca, one of the highlights of the day - and excellent views in the low morning light of several pairs of stunning Rollers, displaying around nestboxes and presumably fairly newly arrived. Beautiful, and worth the trip for these birds alone. Also a female Montagu's Harrier hunting, with Calandra Larks singing and overflying Sandgrouse. The drive to the dramatic Penafalcon and Castillo at Monfrague was enlivened by more typical Extremaduran birds - Red-rumped Swallows and Azure-winged Magpies, and raptors soaring including Booted Eagles and many Black Kites, together with White Storks. Monfrague itself produced good numbers of Black Storks, including a nest on the cliffs, and amazing numbers of raptors - many Griffon Vultures and a few Blacks, with a supporting cast of Short-toed Eagle and Peregrine, in addition to numerous Black Kites. A Blue Rock Thrush sang from a rocky perch, and Crag Martins and Alpine Swifts fed overhead, the Alpines giving close views in the wind. The journey back to Madrid was punctuated by a stop at a roadside Bee-eater colony, in addition to more RR Swallows, Storks and raptors. A full but successful day........