Extremadura Bird list 176 Species

Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiaca
Ruddy Shelduck	Tadorna ferruginea
Common Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna
Eurasian Wigeon	Anas penelope
Gadwall	Anas strepera
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
Northern Pintail	Anas acuta
Northern Shoveler	Anas clypeata
Red-crested Pochard	Netta rufina
Ferruginous Duck	Aythya nyroca
Tufted Duck	Aythya fuligula
Red-legged Partridge	Alectoris rufa
Common Quail	Coturnix coturnix
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus
Black-necked Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
Little Bittern	Ixobrychus minutus
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
Great Egret	Egretta alba
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea
Black Stork	Ciconia nigra
White Stork	Ciconia ciconia
Eurasian Spoonbill	Platalea leucorodia
Black-winged Kite	Elanus caeruleus
Black Kite	Milvus migrans
Red Kite	Milvus milvus
Egyptian Vulture	Neophron percnopterus
Griffon Vulture	Gyps fulvus
Cinereous Vulture	Aegypius monachus
Short-toed Snake Eagle	Circaetus gallicus
Western Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus
Montagu's Harrier	Circus pygargus
Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis
Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus
Common Buzzard	Buteo buteo
Spanish Imperial Eagle	Aquila adalberti
Booted Eagle	Hieraaetus pennatus
Lesser Kestrel	Falco naumanni
Common Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus
Eurasian Hobby	Falco subbuteo
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
Purple Gallinule	Porphyrio martinicus
Eurasian Coot	Fulica atra
Little Bustard	Tetrax tetrax
Great Bustard	Otis tarda
Black-winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus
Collared Pratincole	Glareola pratincola
Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius
Common Ringed Plover	Charadrius hiaticula
Kentish Plover	Charadrius alexandrinus
Northern Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus
Black-headed Gull	Larus ridibundus
Gull-billed Tern	Sterna nilotica
Black-bellied Sandgrouse	Pterocles orientalis
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse	Pterocles alchata
Rock Dove	Columba livia
Common Wood Pigeon	Columba palumbus
Eurasian Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto
European Turtle Dove	Streptopelia turtur
Monk Parakeet	Myiopsitta monachus
Great Spotted Cuckoo	Clamator glandarius
Common Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus
Eurasian Scops Owl	Otus scops
Little Owl	Athene noctua
Tawny Owl	Strix aluco
Long-eared Owl	Asio otus
Common Swift	Apus apus
Pallid Swift	Apus pallidus
Alpine Swift	Apus melba
White-rumped Swift	Apus caffer
Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis
European Bee-eater	Merops apiaster
European Roller	Coracias garrulus
Hoopoe	Upupa epops
Eurasian Wryneck	Jynx torquilla
European Green Woodpecker	Picus viridis
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos major
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos minor
Calandra Lark	Melanocorypha calandra
Greater Short-toed Lark	Calandrella brachydactyla
Lesser Short-toed Lark	Calandrella rufescens
Crested Lark	Galerida cristata
Thekla Lark	Galerida theklae
Woodlark	Lullula arborea
Eurasian Skylark	Alauda arvensis
Sand Martin	Riparia riparia
Eurasian Crag Martin	Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Red-rumped Swallow	Hirundo daurica
Common House Martin	Delichon urbicum
Tawny Pipit	Anthus campestris
Meadow Pipit	Anthus pratensis
Water Pipit	Anthus spinoletta
Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea
White Wagtail	Motacilla alba
Winter Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes
Dunnock	Prunella modularis
European Robin	Erithacus rubecula
Common Nightingale	Luscinia megarhynchos
Bluethroat	Luscinia svecica
Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros
European Stonechat	Saxicola rubicola
Northern Wheatear	Oenanthe oenanthe
Black-eared Wheatear	Oenanthe hispanica
Common Rock Thrush	Monticola saxatilis
Blue Rock Thrush	Monticola solitarius
Common Blackbird	Turdus merula
Mistle Thrush	Turdus viscivorus
Cetti's Warbler	Cettia cetti
Zitting Cisticola	Cisticola juncidis
Savi's Warbler	Locustella luscinioides
Sedge Warbler	Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Eurasian Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Great Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Melodious Warbler	Hippolais polyglotta
Dartford Warbler	Sylvia undata
Spectacled Warbler	Sylvia conspicillata
Subalpine Warbler	Sylvia cantillans
Sardinian Warbler	Sylvia melanocephala
Western Orphean Warbler	Sylvia hortensis
Common Whitethroat	Sylvia communis
Garden Warbler	Sylvia borin
Eurasian Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla
Western Bonelli's Warbler	Phylloscopus bonelli
Common Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita
Goldcrest	Regulus regulus
Common Firecrest	Regulus ignicapilla
Spotted Flycatcher	Muscicapa striata
European Pied Flycatcher	Ficedula hypoleuca
Bearded Reedling	Panurus biarmicus
Long-tailed Tit	Aegithalos caudatus
European Crested Tit	Parus cristatus
Coal Tit	Parus ater
Eurasian Blue Tit	Parus caeruleus
Great Tit	Parus major
Eurasian Nuthatch	Sitta europaea
Short-toed Treecreeper	Certhia brachydactyla
Eurasian Golden Oriole	Oriolus oriolus
Southern Grey Shrike	Lanius meridionalis
Woodchat Shrike	Lanius senator
Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius
Azure-winged Magpie	Cyanopica cyanus
Common Magpie	Pica pica
Red-billed Chough	Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Western Jackdaw	Corvus monedula
Carrion Crow	Corvus corone
Northern Raven	Corvus corax
Spotless Starling	Sturnus unicolor
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus
Spanish Sparrow	Passer hispaniolensis
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus
Rock Sparrow	Petronia petronia
Common Waxbill	Estrilda astrild
Red Avadavat	Amandava amandava
Common Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs
European Serin	Serinus serinus
European Greenfinch	Carduelis chloris
Citril Finch	Serinus citrinella
European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
Eurasian Siskin	Carduelis spinus
Common Linnet	Carduelis cannabina
Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra
Hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Cirl Bunting	Emberiza cirlus
Rock Bunting	Emberiza cia
Ortolan Bunting	Emberiza hortulana
Corn Bunting	Emberiza calandra

Extremadura Butterfly List

Speckled wood

Small Copper

Small Heath

Cleopatra

Spanish Festoon

Queen of Spain fritillary

Red Admiral

Painted Lady

Large tortoiseshell

Brimstone

Clouded yellow

Portuguese dappled white

Swallowtail

Blackeyed blue

Green underside blue

Brown Argus

Panoptes Blue

Large White

Orange Tip,    

Warm Sunday

The patch was extremely quiet first thing again, but on the sea were 23 Common Scoter. 4 Sandwich Tern a Whimbrel, Ringed Plover, Great Crested Grebe and 3 Harbour Porpoise. A Lesser Whitethroat in the church grounds and Yellow and White Wagtails COSW. Nothing else of not on the rest of the site. I didn't bother going back out in the afternoon it was just too warm and there was very little moving.
In the garden a lovely day flying moth Pyrausta purpuralis.

Spoonbills

Had my first Swifts this week at work but still none on the patch. Red Kite over Loddon was a nice bird and things are happening.
Back on patch today it started off very quiet but maybe as I was out early the birds weren't.
A Common Sand was a year tick on Corton beach, 5 Oystercatcher were on groins by Radar Lodge. Nothing in the bush's and just Common Whitethroat and Linnet in the Compound of Radar.
Back at COSW I was getting frustrated, Common and Lesser Whitethroat and a Northern Wheatear was it. Then Danny rang and I was just telling him how crap things were when 2 amazing and low flying Spoonbills flew South just offshore, a brilliant patch tick Yeeehaaa. So I had to hang up to put the news out. I rang Danny back and whilst talking a nice Whimbrel went south too, then a Fulmar.
Yellow Wagtails upto 5 were in the long grass and occasionally showing.

Back in the Garden 2 Nice Holly Blue Butterflies.

Back on patch in the afternoon and I missed a Spot fly and saw pretty much nothing else.

Stone Curlew

So here I am trying to start the Extramadura trip report but the patch keeps drawing me onto it.
I did have a lie in this morning as I need to catch up with some sleep from the full on trip to Spain.
So I left the house about 930 and stumbled upon my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year singing from the front garden of a neighbours tree.
I got to COSW and could hear a distant Cuckoo, a couple of Common Whitethroats and a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. I moved onto Radar lodge to look for yesterdays Ring Ouzel but there was no sign, it must have moved on. Swallow numbers had now built up and my first House Martins of the year were going through in small numbers.
In the Compound of Radar were a couple more Common Whitethroats and a Greenland Wheatear.
Walking to the north of Radar lodge the grass cutter flushed 4 Yellow Wagtails from the field they flew over very low and at least 1 was a Blue Headed Wagtail, semi patch tick.
I then looked down the field to a strange bird heading towards me, a chap was down there too so my initial thought was he had a captive raptor flying. The closer the bird came the more I realised that it was only a beautiful STONE CURLEW, a very rare bird to lizard land but my 3rd in the 3 years I've been here. This time I managed a record shot as the bird flew past and south along the cliffs.

Returning home via COSW, more Yellow Wagtails over, House martins, Swallows and Whitethroats but nothing to top the Stone Curlew.

Ring Ouzel

Got back from Extremadura today after a massive trip with Keith, a mate from Cumbria.
So I have to find some time to sift through the thousands of pictures I took to pick out a few of the best ones. In the meantime it was back on the patch where this beautiful male Ring Ouzel was showing, showing nicely in the warm sunshine too. A few Swallows and a Yellow Wagtail too.

My first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was singing from a service station rough patch on my way home from the airport.

Now to start piecing together my Extremadura report.

Cromer and Sherringham.

Started on the patch but it was still very quiet. A Whimbrel was my first of the year and so was a Common Whitethroat both at the OSW.
The rest of the patch was quiet James had a Willow Warbler at the NSW but when I got there they had already passed through. 3 Wheatear still in the NSW compound.

Come late afternoon we were really bored so took a trip up to North Norfolk heading for Cley stopping at Salthouse where I had a distant probable Blue Headed Wagtail but it didn't show outside the long grass.
We moved onto Cley beach carpark where I immediately spotted this cracking Blue headed Wagtail.

Then another year tick was 2 very nice Little Ringed Plover.

Whilst watching the Plovers it was great to hear flocks of Sandwich Terns heading towards the point.
It was amazing to see 30-40 Wheatears all along the coast from Salthouse to Cley.

Cley windmill looked great as ever. Digiscoped from the beach carpark.

We then headed to Sherringham for a cracking evening on the sea front watching the sun go down as we ate our fish n chips.

Then we finished the day with a Beer and an ice cream on Cromer pier, just love it awesome evening.

Oh how good it is to just be an hours drive from our favourite locations.
Back home the moon was stunning.

Local

Started early on the patch and it was flaming still raining, when will it ever stop. I did a bit of a Seawatch but it was very quiet until 2 Fulmar flew North together. otherwise bugger all.
I reached Radar lodge and still had saw nothing and I stood hoping something would drop in for ages. The rain stopped and the sun shone briefly and that's when the birds started. Small flocks of Goldfinch and Linnets. I then started back towards Corton when a Male Wheatear dropped out the sky onto the fence and then flew to the Gun turret base and then onto the golf coarse.

 A Swallow then flew over and a few Sandmartins started flying around.
Back at COSW 50+ Sandmartins was the pick of nothing still.

The railtrack hosted bugger all so did the pond. James had found some Wheatear and a Black red by the entrance to the NSW, so ended my day there still pouring with but there were 8 Wheatear and the Black Redstart still to save the day.

I'm due something proper soon its far too quiet and it becoming very frustrating.
I did take a quick pic of a Kestrel.

Just hope tomorrows better.