cywong

I would like to thank KYShum and Eling for sharing their birding trips to Extremadura in this forum and introducing to us this good birding place and an experienced bird guide, Martin Kelsey.   I also want to thank EricB who provided very useful birding information on this area.

I am grateful to my friend, Kayi who arranged this birding trip to Extremadura and joined this trip with me.  Both of us enjoyed this trip because we saw many birds that were new to us. It’s a pity that I could not take decent photos for many of these birds mostly because they were very far from us and there were some rainy days during this trip. Of course, some photo opportunities were lost due to my slow responses!

We had 6 days and 1 short morning session for birding in Extremadura (3 –9 Apr, 2012).  Here are some of the birds seen:

GREAT BUSTARDS
Female and male

Male

Male and female

Male




LITTLE BUSTARDS
Male displaying

Male (flying)

Male and female

Male





BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSES – male and female




RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE



SHORT-TOED LARK


CALANDRA LARK


THEKLA LARK



CRESTED LARK



CORN BUNTING



WOODCHAT SHRIKE



SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE


SPANISH SPARROWS
Male

Female


HOUSE SPARROWS
Male

Female


NORTHERN WHEATEAR
Male

Female


BLACK WHEATEAR


BLACK REDSTART - male


LITTLE OWL



COMMON CUCKOOO


MEADOW PIPIT


COMMON STONECHAT - male


LINNET


RED AVADAVAT


SPOTLESS STARLING


COLLARED DOVE


ROLLER


BEE-EATER



HOOPOE


WHITE STORK




BLACK STORK



GRIFFON VULTURE



BLACK VULTURE



EGYPTIAN VULTURE



MONTAGU’S HARRIERS
Female

Male


Dark morph


WESTERN MARSH HARRIERS



LESSER KESTRELS
Male

Female

Male

Female

Male and Female




COMMON KESTREL - female


COMMON BUZZARD



SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLE



SHORT-TOED EAGLE



BOOTED EAGLE



RED KITE


BLACK KITE



SQUACCO HERON


LITTERN BITTERN


PURPLE SWAMPHEN


RED-RUMPED SWALLOW



PALLID SWIFT


ALPINE SWIFT




HOUSE MARTIN



CRAG MARTIN



CHIFFCHAFF


WILLOW WARBLER


SUBALPINE WARBLER


SARDINIAN WARBLER


WESTERN ORPHEAN WARBLER


SPECTACLED WARBLER


DARTFORD WARBLER


PIED FLYCATCHER


SERIN


CHAFFINCH


GREAT TIT


BLUE TIT


CRESTED TIT


SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER


JACKDAW


IBERIAN MAGPIE



NUTHATCH


GREENFINCH


GOLDFINCH


SCOPS OWL




Thanks for viewing!

[ Last edited by cywong at 22/06/2012 00:26 ]

cywong

Thanks for all your replies.

cywong

Hi Eric,

Thanks for introducing to us the Greek island of Lesvos and sharing your stunning bird photos from Lesvos.

It seems that a heavy lens (500mm or longer)is required for taking good bird photos in Lesvos, as in Extremadura.

For the trip to Extremadura, I brought a 400mm F4 lens and teleconverters and a DSLR camera and this set of equipment is quite heavy for me.

Is there any good birding place in Europe that the birds are more approachable and I can take reasonably good photos with just a 400mm F5.6 lens?

Cherry

cywong

Hi Eric,

Many thanks for introducing all these European photographic opportunities. They are so attractive! I really hope to visit some of the places mentioned.

Sorry that I have mistaken you for Kit Day. I am very pleased to get to know an expert in ornithology - Dr. Eric Barnes.

Best regards.

Cherry

[ Last edited by cywong at 22/06/2012 07:26 ]