JUNE 2012: NOTABLE SIGHTINGS IN EXTREMADURA

Gull-Billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica). By Juan Carlos Paniagua. 

A list of the most notable June 2012 records sent to the GOCE birdwatching forum. Compiled by Sergio Mayordomo.

- Greylag Goose: Two birds at Cubilar reservoir, Logrosán (Cáceres), on 24/06 (Sergio Mayordomo and Eva Palacios). Probably feral. 
- Egyptian Goose: Seven pairs, one with eight chicks, at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (Sergio Pérez, Miguel Sánchez, Fermín Sierra, Domingo Rivera, Demetrio Vázquez and Ángel Sánchez).
- Shelduck: Two birds at Charca de Esparragalejo (Badajoz) on 07/06 (E. Palacios and César Clemente). At Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) 12 adults and 20 chicks on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, Javier Prieta and C. Clemente) and 18 adults and 39 chicks in 5 family groups on 21/06 (Manuel Flores, José A. Guerrero and Á. Sánchez). Second year running with breeding records at Valdecañas reservoir .
- Wood Duck: One bird on irrigation ditches of Casas de Belvís (Cáceres) on 02/06 (Javier Briz and Alejandro Briz). One drake on a village pond of Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) on 21/06 (C. Clemente).
- Shoveler: One drake at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Red-Crested Pochard: Three birds, two drakes and one duck at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (Joaquín Vázquez and Francisco Montaño). One drake at Soto gravel pit, Valverde de Mérida (Badajoz), on 11/06 (Jesús Solana).

- Pochard: On 01/06 three drakes and one duck seen at El Ancho, Arroyo de la Luz (Cáceres), and one drake at Los Arenales, Cáceres (S. Mayordomo). At Charca del Manantío, Aldea del Cano (Cáceres), 11 drakes and 4 ducks on 02/06 (S. Mayordomo) and 10 birds on 07/06 (E. Palacios and C. Clemente). Seven drakes and three ducks at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 23/06 (S. Mayordomo). One duck with several chicks at Villalba de los Barros reservoir (Badajoz) on 28/06 (José Elías, photograph).
- Ferruginous Duck: One drake at El Manantío, Aldea del Cano (Cáceres), on 02/06 (S. Mayordomo) and on 17/06 (Antonio Ceballos). - Great-Crested Grebe: Over 250 birds at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Glossy Ibis: At Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), 15 birds came into roost on 02/06 (Antonio Calvo), twelve on 07/06 (E. Palacios, C. Clemente and Antonia Cangas) and seven on 17/06 (J. Solana). At Azud de Guadiana, Badajoz, birds were still seen throughout June (Juan Carlos Paniagua and Atanasio Fernández; bottom photograph).
- Sacred Ibis: One bird at Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), on 14/06 (Gerardo Pizarro and Andrea García) and 17/06 (J. Solana).

- Squacco Heron: At Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, up to four birds in breeding plumage seen throughout June (Juan Carlos Salgado, J. C. Paniagua and A. Fernández; photograph). Three birds at Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), on 07/06 (E. Palacios, C. Clemente and A. Cangas).
- Cattle Egret: Flock of about 5000 birds at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (S. Pérez, M. Sánchez, F. Sierra, D. Rivera, D. Vázquez and Á. Sánchez).
- Montagu's Harrier: One dark morph bird between Álcántara and Membrío (Cáceres) on 13/06 (Javier Mahillo, C. Clemente and Carlos López Albar).
- Hobby: One bird at Valverde de Mérida (Badajoz) on 14/06 (F. Montaño).
- Great Bustard: One bird flying north at Castillo de Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 16/06 (Samuel Langlois). One male at Mohedas de Granadilla (Cáceres) on 21/06. Nine females, one of them with one chick, at Llanos de Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) on 21/06 (C. Clemente).
- Crested Coot: One bird marked with a neck collar at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño). Second Extremadura record.
- Lapwing: Two birds at Los Arenales, Cáceres, on 01/06 (S. Mayordomo). 200 birds on the ricefields between Palazuelo (Badajoz) and Campo Lugar (Cáceres) on 12/06 (A. Calvo) and only one bird on 16/06 (Martin Kelsey). 50 birds on Galisteo ricefield (Cáceres) on 13/06 (S. Mayordomo).

- Kentish Plover: 11 birds, including one female incubating three eggs, at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente; photograph by César Clemente).
- Green Sandpiper: One bird at Laguna de Campanilleros, Saucedilla (Cáceres), on 09/06 (E. Palacios). Two birds at Palazuelo (Badajoz) on 16/06 (M. Kelsey). One bird at Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, on 17/06 (J. C. Paniagua and A. Fernández).
- Ruff: One bird at El Batán ricefields (Cáceres) on 22/06 (S. Mayordomo).
- Common Sandpiper: One bird at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 22/06 (S. Mayordomo).
- Dunlin: One bird at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño).
- Collared Pratincole: Colony of about 200 pairs at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (S. Pérez, M. Sánchez, F. Sierra, D. Rivera, D. Vázquez and Á. Sánchez). Colony with over 25 pairs at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Yellow-Legged Gull: 22 birds at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06, including one adult with territorial behaviour in the Gull-Billed Tern colony (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Little Tern: Colony with about 100 pairs at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (S. Pérez, M. Sánchez, F. Sierra, D. Rivera, D. Vázquez and Á. Sánchez). Colony of over 15 pairs at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Sandwich Tern: One bird in the Gull-Billed Tern colony at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 21/06 (M. Flores, J. A. Guerrero and Á. Sánchez). Second record for Extremadura.
- Common Tern: On 21/06 two birds were seen at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) (M. Flores, J. A. Guerrero and Á. Sánchez) and four at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) (M. Sánchez, Joaquín Fernández, Jesús Prieto and Á. Sánchez).
- Black Tern: Two birds at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño). Seven birds at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Whiskered Tern: Two birds at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño).
- Nightjar: One bird in a low-altitude area at Pinofranqueado (Cáceres) on 01/06 (Alberto Pacheco). One bird singing at Montehermoso (Cáceres) on 14/06 (J. Mahillo and C. Clemente).
- Wryneck: Four birds at Dehesa de Aceituna (Cáceres) on 08/06 (A. Pacheco).

- Yellow Crowned Bishop, Euplectes afer. Several birds on 17/06 at Alfarofia ricefields (River Caya, Elvas, Portugal) at less than one k from the border with Badajoz (J. C. Paniagua and A. Fernández, photograph). A small population was found in this area in 2002 comprising at least five pairs, but no records are known from subsequent years; it seems, therefore, as though the species is still hanging on ten years later.
- Carrion Crow: One bird at Santa Cruz de Paniagua (Cáceres) on 24/06 (J. C. Paniagua).
- Spectacled Warbler: One male at Ovejuela, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 16/06 (A. Pacheco). Two males at Refugio del Brezo, Losar de la Vera (Cáceres), on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, Pepe Guisado, J. Prieta and C. Clemente). Ten males at Pitolero, Cabezabellosa (Cáceres), on 22/06 (J. Prieta).
- Song Thrush: one male singing throughout June from a Cedar in the garden of Campamento Carlos V, Jerte (Cáceres) (Iván Solana). Second probable Extremadura breeding record, the previous dating from 1999 at Descargamaría, Sierra de Gata.
- Rock Thrush: At Puerto de Esperabán, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), three males, two adults and a young bird, on 12/06 and one male on 25/06 (A. Pacheco).

- Pied Flycatcher: Five pairs in nestboxes of Poyales pinewood, Losar de la Vera (Cáceres), on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, P. Guisado, J. Prieta and C. Clemente -photograph-).
- Redstart: Several at Aceituna (Cáceres) on 08/06 and one male at Ovejuela, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 16/06 (A. Pacheco).
- Rufous-Tailed Bush Robin. One pair at Rebollar (Cáceres) in a bramble patch between two cherry orchards on 10/06 (I. Solana). First record in Jerte Valley and in cherry orchards, habitat not previously recorded for the species.
- Tawny Pipit: Two birds at Puerto de Esperabán, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 12/06 and 25/06 (A. Pacheco).