MAY 2011: Notable bird sightings in Extremadura

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Talaván Reservoir, Cáceres. 14.05.2011 (Eva Palacios).

A list of the most notable bird sightings in Extremadura in May 2011, most taken from the GOCE birdwatching forum. Compiled by Sergio Mayordomo

- Greylag Goose: flock of 7 adults and 2 chicks at Alqueva Reservoir(Badajoz) on 11/05 (Ángel Sánchez). First breeding record in Extremadura, although feral birds cannot be ruled out.
- Barnacle Goose: one bird seen during April at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) still there on 02/05 (Eva Palacios, Paco Ramírez, Javier Prieta, Miguel Ángel Muñoz and Sergio Mayordomo).
- Shelduck: up to 18 pairs seen at Valdecañas Reservoir (Cáceres)on 05/05 and a pair with 2 chicks on 11/05 (Á. Sánchez, Francisco Hurtado, José Guerrero and Manuel Flores). First breeding record for Extremadura.
- Shoveler: 1 drake at La Albuera lakes (Badajoz) on 01/05 (José Guerra and Marc Gálvez). Three drakes and 1 duck at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo). One drake at Valdecañas Reservoir(Cáceres) on 05/05 (Á. Sánchez, F. Hurtado, J. Guerrero and M. Flores). One at Talaván Reservoir (Cáceres) on 20/05 (Antonio Núñez).
- Red-Crested Pochard: 5 drakes and 1 duck at River Guadiana, Talavera la Real (Badajoz), on 04/05 (G. Schreur). 10 drakes and 2 ducks at Alange Reservoir(Badajoz) on 17/05 (Á. Sánchez).
- Pochard: one drake at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo). 2 drakes at Aldea del Cano (Cáceres) on 13/05 (S. Mayordomo).
- Tufted Duck: one pair at a small reservoir Zorita (Cáceres) on 11/05 (Á. Sánchez).
- Cormorant: 250 occupied nests counted at La Serena Reservoir Badajoz) in 2 colonies of 240 and 10 nests on 15/05 (Mª José Valencia and Xurxo Piñeiro) and 262 nests at the first of these colonies on 26/05 (Á. Sánchez, Domingo Rivera and Luis Lozano). This gives a total of 272 nests on this reservoir.
- Spoonbill: two new breeding colonies discovered, one with an estimated 12 nests at Valle del Tiétar on 04/05 (J. Prieta) and another at Valle del Alagón with 3 nests on 20/05 (César Clemente).
- Squacco Heron: one bird at Arrocampo Reservoir (Cáceres) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo), 2 on 11/05 (J. Prieta) and 1 on 15/05 (J. Briz). This makes at least 3 pairs present at this reservoir in spring 2011.
- Hobby: one at Dehesa Boyal de Montehermoso (Cáceres) in early May (Javier Mahillo). One at the dam of Valdecañas Reservoir(Cáceres) on 14/05 (G. Schreur). One at Alange on 18/05 and another at Santa Marta de Magasca on 19/05 (Martin Kelsey). Three birds seen at Talayuela (Cáceres) on 22/05 (Jesús Calle). One bird at Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres) on 28/05 (Dave Langlois).
- Purple Swamphen: one at River Guadiana, Talavera la Real (Badajoz), on 04/05 (G. Schreur).
- Lapwing: over 10 birds at La Albuera lakes(Badajoz)on 01/05 (J. Guerra and M. Gálvez) and 7 with breeding behaviour on 04/05 (G. Schreur). One at Torremejía Lake (Badajoz) on 02/05 (A. Núñez). One at Campo Lugar (Cáceres) on 14/05 (M. Kelsey). Three at Galisteo ricefields(Cáceres) on 22/05 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
- Kentish Plover: about 10 birds at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo).
- Black-Headed Gull: 20 pairs with breeding behaviour at Alange Reservoir(Badajoz) during May (Á. Sánchez). 81 birds at Madrigalejo (Cáceres) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo). 40 birds on Yelbes ricefields(Badajoz) on 07/05 (Jesús Solana). 5 breeding-plumage adults at Portaje Reservoir(Cáceres) on 21/05 and 8 breeding-plumage adults at Galisteo ricefields(Cáceres) on 22/05 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
- Yellow-Legged Gull: 4 nests at Valdecañas Reservoir(Cáceres) on 05/05 (Á. Sánchez, F. Hurtado, J. Guerrero and M. Flores). Some immatures at Alange Reservoir (Badajoz) on 17/05 (Á. Sánchez).
- Long-Eared Owl: one at Alconchel (Badajoz) on 02/05 (J. Guerra and M. Gálvez).
- White-Rumped Swift: as well as numerous Monfragüe records, one bird was observed at Guijo de Santa Bárbara (Cáceres) on 08/05 (G. Schreur) and 22/05 (Jesús Calle) and 4 at los Canchos de Ramiro (Cáceres) on 22/05 (C. Clemente).
- Yellow Wagtail: several males singing at Casas de Hitos ricefields(Badajoz) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo) and 1 bird on 14/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Tree Pipit: One territorial male singing at Dehesa de Abajo, Tornavacas (Cáceres), on 10/05 (J. Prieta). Third likely breeding record for Extremadura.
- Skylark: several birds seen at Puerto de Tornavacas (Cáceres) on 02/05 and one at Garganta la Olla (Cáceres) (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo). One bird at Llanos del Convento, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 07/05 (Alberto Pacheco).
- Chiffchaff: one male singing in Holm Oaks next to Arroyo Fresnedoso, Talayuela (Cáceres) on 04/05 and another in a pinewood at Dehesa de Abajo de Tornavacas (Cáceres) on 10/05 (J. Prieta).
- Iberian Chiffchaff: one male singing at Puerto de Miravete (Cáceres) on 24/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Spotted Flycatcher: one at River Almonte, Trujillo, on 09/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Rock Thrush: one pair at Puerto de Esperabán, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 05/05 (A. Pacheco). 2 males and 1 female at Pico Villuercas (Cáceres) on 13/05 (Fergus Crystal and Juan Pablo Prieto). One pair at Pitolero, Cabezabellosa (Cáceres), on 21/05 (Eric Quin) and 1 male in the same place on 22/05 (R. Montero).
- Redstart: several pairs at Pinofranqueado (Cáceres) during May (A. Pacheco). One male at La Codosera (Badajoz) on 06/05 (G. Schreur). Two males in a pinewood at 1550 m at Dehesa de Abajo, Tornavacas (Cáceres); 2 males in same place on 10/05 (J. Prieta) and 1 different male on 24/05 (Iván Solana and J. Prieta). At Brezo mountain refuge, Losar de la Vera (Cáceres), one male on 14/05 and 3 on 21/05 (D. Langlois). Three males at Sierra de Alor, Olivenza (Badajoz), on 15/05 (Juan Carlos Paniagua). One pair in a Cork-Oak wood at Sierra de Santa Catalina, Serradilla (Cáceres), on 20/05 (Alfredo Gómez).
- Wheatear: one pair at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 19/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Crossbill: one male singing at 1520 m in a pinewood at Dehesa de Abajo, Tornavacas (Cáceres), on 10/05 (J. Prieta) and a young bird seen there on 24/05 (I. Solana and J. Prieta). Second certain breeding record and site for Extremadura.

LINGERING WINTER VISITORS AND SPRING MIGRANTS
- Teal: One drake at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo) and a pair there on 13/05 (Godfried Schreur).
- Osprey: One bird at Arrocampo Reservoir(Cáceres) on 08/05 (Javier Esteban) and 09/05 (G. Schreur). One bird mobbed by a Raven at Borbollón Reservoir(Cáceres) on 11/05 (Rafael Vicente).
- Hen Harrier: one bird at Valverde de Leganés (Badajoz) on 04/05 (G. Schreur).
- Golden Plover: 3 birds in breeding plumage at Santa Amalia ricefields (Badajoz) on 02/05 (Fernando Yuste).
- Ringed Plover: 4 birds at a pond at Alange (Badajoz) on 11/05 and on 18/05 and two at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 14/05 (M. Kelsey). 14 birds at Galisteo ricefield (Cáceres) on 18/05 (S. Mayordomo).
- Black-Tailed Godwit: one bird at La Albuera Lakes(Badajoz) on 01/05 (J. Guerra and M. Gálvez).
- Redshank: one bird on a pond between Alange and Almendralejo (Badajoz) on 11/05 (M. Kelsey). One bird at Guadiloba Reservoir on 24/05 (S. Mayordomo).
- Marsh Sandpiper: one bird at Casas de Hitos ricefields (Badajoz) on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo).
- Green Sandpiper: one bird at Galisteo Lake (Cáceres) on 18/05 (S. Mayordomo).
- Dunlin: one bird in breeding plumage at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz)on 02/05 (E. Palacios, P. Ramírez, J. Prieta, M. Á. Muñoz and S. Mayordomo) and 7 birds at Torremejía Lake(Badajoz) (A. Núñez). Two birds at a pond between Alange and Almendralejo (Badajoz) on 11/05 and one at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 14/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Curlew Sandpiper: one bird at La Albuera lakes(Badajoz) on 01/05 (J. Guerra and M. Galvez). One bird at a pond between Alange and Almendralejo (Badajoz) on 11/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Little Stint: 4 at Torremejía Lake(Badajoz) on 02/05 (A. Núñez). Two birds on a pond between Alange and Almendralejo (Badajoz) on 11/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Sanderling: one bird on a pond between Alange and Almendralejo (Badajoz) on 11/05 (M. Kelsey).
- Lesser Black-Backed Gull: 2 birds at Torremejía lake(Badajoz) on 02/05 (A. Núñez). One bird at Yelbes ricefields (Badajoz) on 07/05 (J. Solana). Several at on Alange Reservoir(Badajoz) on 17/05 (Á. Sánchez). One immature at Galisteo ricefields (Cáceres) on 22/05 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
- Black Tern: 3 at Portaje Reservoir (Cáceres) on 21/05 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
- Whiskered Tern: 6 at La Albuera lakes (Badajoz) on 01/05 (J. Guerra and M. Gálvez) and 5 there on 04/05 (G. Schreur). Ten at Valdecañas Reservoir (Cáceres) on 05/05 (Á. Sánchez, F. Hurtado, J. Guerrero and M. Flores). Two at Valdesalor Reservoir on 06/05 (S. Mayordomo). One at Portaje Reservoir (Cáceres) on 21/05 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
- Whinchat: One female at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 09/05 (G. Schreur), another female at Galisteo (Cáceres) on 13/05 (S. Mayordomo) and another at Cabezabellosa on 21/05 (E. Quin).
- Garden Warbler: 20+ birds feeding on blackberries in the hedgerows of River Guadiana at Talavera la Real (Badajoz), up to 9 birds in one bush, on 02/05 (G. Schreur).
- Sedge Warbler: one bird under the Roman Bridge of Mérida (Badajoz) on 11/05 (M. Kelsey).

BREEDING CORMORANT COLONIES IN EXTREMADURA

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). Plasencia Reservoir, Cáceres. By Javier Prieta.

The Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a recent coloniser in Extremadura. It must have been a scarce winter visitor for much of the twentieth century, becoming common only as from the 1980s (e.g. a count of 804 in 1986). Since then numbers have soared; witness the two national roost-based wintering Cormorant counts, one held in January 1996, producing a figure of 8656 (25% of the Spanish total) and another in January 2003 with 12,265 (18%). In both cases Extremadura was the region with most wintering Cormorants in Spain (Prieta, 2007).

It didn't take long for the first nests to be found in Spain (del Moral and de Souza, 2004). Before 1990 only a few one-off breeders were known from the Medas Islands off the coast of Girona in Catalunya. The first inland record was a failed breeding attempt in Santillana Reservoir, Madrid, in 1989. The first breeding record in Extremadura involved a weakly-flying pair that produced two chicks in Valuengo Reservoir, Jerez de los Caballeros, in 1993 (F. Gragera). Similar one-off cases recurred in other parts of Spain until, in 1997, the first breeding colony was found on Navalcán Reservoir, Toledo. By the beginning of the C21st there were several established colonies, adding up to over 40 breeding pairs. The first Extremadura colony of 10 breeding pairs was found in 2002 on La Serena Reservoir(Prieta, 2007).

Cormorant Colony (Phalacrocorax carbo) on La Serena Reservoir, Badajoz, in 2007 (photos: Carlos Sunyer).

The first and only national count of breeding Cormorants dates from 2007 (Palomino and Molina, 2009), producing a total of 532 pairs in 11 Spanish sites. The main population has built up in Toledo, with 4 colonies and 214 pairs, the lion's share of them in Rosarito Reservoir (202 pairs). Badajoz accounts for the second-biggest population, 3 colonies with 132 pairs: 102 at La Serena Reservoir (on dead Holm Oaks where the River Esteras flows into the reservoir, in the municipal district of Capilla), 26 pairs at the reservoirs of Valuengo and La Albuera (River Ardila, Jerez de los Caballeros) and 4 pairs on the River Guadiana (Valdetorres). The only breeding record in the province of Cáceres was a failed attempt on the River Tagus in the National Park of Monfragüe; a pair built a nest on a dead Eucalyptus tree in May 2006 without any signs of an ensuing clutch (J. Prieta).

By 2011, four years after the abovementioned count, news has come in of the three Extremadura "colonies", although it should be made clear that there has been no official regional count of the species. La Serena Reservoir recorded unprecedented figures. In mid-May Xurxo Piñeiro and María José Valencia counted 250 occupied nests in two colonies: the traditional one on an islet with 240 nests on 29 trees, nearly all Holm Oaks, plus a much smaller colony with 10 more nests. Some days later, on 26 May, personnel from the Regional Council of Extremadura counted 262 occupied nests in the first colony, broken down into 3 subcolonies of 248,11 and 3 nests (Ángel Sánchez, Luis Lozano and Domingo Rivera). This is therefore without doubt one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the whole of Spain. Conversely, the other two sites recorded in the 2007 count, Guadiana-Valdetorres (Jesús Solana) and Valuengo-La Albuera (Antonio Nuñez), seem to be empty. Or rather they did not even exist any more, since there were no signs of any nests or nest remains in either site. It might well be the case that the so-called colony of the River Guadiana, recorded in 2007, never existed, arising from a mistake in the interpretation of the figures. As for Valuengo, we lack precise information on 2007 and the following years, but it would seem in principle that the 2007 figures were valid.

In sum: the known breeding Cormorant population in Extremadura in 2011 is confined to a single site (La Serena Reservoir) with 272 nests shared out in 2 colonies of 262 and 10 nests. This is the biggest known figure for the species, so the trend is still upwards.

Sources:
- Del Moral, J. C. and de Souza, J. A. 2004. Cormorán Grande invernante en España. II Censo Nacional. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
- Palomino, D. and Molina, B. 2009. Aves acuáticas reproductoras en España. Población en 2007 y método de censo. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
- Prieta, J. 2007. Aves de Extremadura, vol. 3. Anuario 2001-2003. ADENEX. Mérida

OUR FIRST BIRTHDAY!

Just like birds themselves, time flies. Hard as it is to believe for some of us, this blog you've now got on screen first took off one year ago. We hope it has achieved its objective, as expressed in the first blog-presentation entry published on 9 May 2010: appeal to a wider public by giving the breaking news on Extremadura's birdlife. The final say is the readers'. But the number of hits over the last year seems to justify our endeavour and encourages us to continue. There are no figures on the first feet-finding months, but, Spanish version, from July 2010 the site has clocked up over 25,000 hits, with a peak of nearly 4000 in March 2011. True it is that the blog took some time to get going, not topping 1000 monthly hits until September 2010 and 3000 in January 2011. The English version has registered 6500 hits in the same period, with a much slower upward trend, not topping 1000 monthly hits until March 2011, peaking at 1100 in April. Between both versions, therefore, some months have clocked up over 5000 hits (lots or few, according to the yardstick used).

The second entry of "Bird of Extremadura", and the first with content after the presentation, was entitled "Winter Hotspots", dealing with the provisional species-richness map after the fieldwork of the SEO/BirdLife-brokered Atlas of Wintering Birds in Spain. The definitive map has just been published in SEO's Bird Monitoring Survey 2009-2010 (Escandell et al., 2011). The picture hasn't changed much, although in the later version actual figures for the number of species in each grid are given, with red hues for those with over 50 and blue hues for those with fewer. The importance of Extremadura, especially Cáceres and North Badajoz, still stands out, but another notable feature is the species richness of some of the rivers. It's easy to pick out the course of the rivers Duero, Ebro, Guadalquivir, Guadiana and Tagus, and even some of the bigger tributaries like Jarama, Alberche and Aragón.


Acknowledgements: This first anniversary would not have been possible without the collaboration of many people, especially Dave Langlois and Sergio Mayordomo. The first has translated nearly every entry into English while the second has painstakingly recorded all the sightings of interest in Extremadura to compile the month by month summaries. This blog would probably not exist but for the Goce birdwatching forum, a lively virtual meeting and debating ground for Extremadura's bird lovers, always teeming with ideas and information that this blog has drawn on constantly. I'd like to give my thanks to all the participants in this forum and also those from elsewhere who have chipped in from time to time. Many thanks to one and all. Javier Prieta.

Escandell, V.; Palomino, D.; Molina, B.; Leal, A.; Remacha, C.; Bermejo, A.; De la Puente, J. y del Moral, J. C. (Eds.) 2011. Programas de seguimiento de SEO/BirdLife en 2009-2010. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.

WINTERING HERON COUNT, JANUARY 2011: EXTREMADURA RESULTS

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis). Galisteo, Cáceres. Javier Prieta

As already mentioned in this blog, the National Count of Wintering Herons was held last January. As usual the overall result will be published by SEO/BirdLife. For the moment, however, we can give you a foretaste of the Extremadura results.

The chosen methodology was to count birds in communal roosts. The main date was the weekend 15-16 January, although some counts were held a few days later. No information was obtained for the abundant but non-roost-forming Grey Heron. The same goes for the scarcer heron species (Squacco Heron and Bittern) or the ones that are nocturnal or difficult to detect (Little Bittern).

RESULTS BY SPECIES

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis). 30,917 birds (22,315 in Badajoz and 8602 in Cáceres) in 38 roosts (23 in Badajoz and 15 in Cáceres). Eleven roosts held over one thousand birds, the standout ones being Azud de Badajoz (6103), River Zújar in Villanueva de la Serena (4200), Valuengo Reservoir (2700), Madrigalejo (2400) and River Guadiana in Montijo (2000). The attached map, plotting the location of the roosts, brings out the obvious importance of the River Guadiana and its surrounding meadows, which account for the lion's share of the regional population.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta). 1273 birds (823 in Badajoz and 450 in Cáceres) in 38 roosts (20 in Badajoz and 18 in Cáceres). Seven roosts held over 50 birds, the biggest being Valuengo Reservoir (230), Madrigalejo (125) and River Guadiana in Montijo (100).

Great White Egret (Egretta alba). 67 birds in 18 roosts (31 in Badajoz and 36 in Cáceres). The biggest roosts were on the River Tiétar in Malpartida de Plasencia (15), Arrocampo Reservoir (9), Valdecaballeros Reservoir(7) and River Zújar in Villanueva de la Serena (6).

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). 52 birds in 5 roosts, all on the River Guadiana in the province of Badajoz. The most important roosts were Montijo Reservoir in Mérida (29) and Azud de Badajoz (10).

TREND

There's nothing specific to go on in terms of wintering herons in Extremadura. In January 1992 and 1993, however, two Iberian counts were conducted, giving the results by catchment areas (Fernández-Cruz and Farinha, 1992; Sarasa et al., 1993), but without breaking down the figures by regions or provinces. Working from the maps shown in the 1992 count, we estimate about 53,000 Cattle Egrets and 1500 Little Egrets in Extremadura. The 1993 figures were lower but the estimate is rougher because there is no map to go on; maybe the figures were about 42,000 and 700 respectively.

The number of Cattle Egret roosts has fallen from 64 in 1992 to 37 in 2011, a 40% drop. The fall in the number of birds was similar, about 35% on the mean figure for 1992-1993. This decline is much more notable in the Extremadura part of the Tagus catchment area (-60%) than in that of the River Guadiana (-20%). This figures should not really be taken in isolation, however, since the wintering population of the southwest Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal and Morocco, tends to behave as a metapopulation acting as a whole unit. Due consideration also has to be given to the possible differences in the censusing effort in the two years and the big swings from year to year and even month to month. Thus, in January 2011 5200 Cattle Egrets were counted in the Cáceres catchment area of the Tagus; only a few months earlier, in October 2010, two roosts alone pooled over 3000, this figure falling to 700 in January 2011 and then soaring to no less than 6000 in November 2007. Some districts with heron roosts in autumn were also empty by the following January. Although the information on previous years is bitty, it might well be a habitual practice for the Cáceres catchment area of the Tagus to have a bigger Cattle Egret population in autumn than in winter. What has been clearly recorded is a marked fall in some roosts associated with landfill sites; witness the case of the roost near the capital city of Cáceres capital, which was Spain's biggest in 1992, with nearly 8000 birds; by 2011 the number had dropped to one thousand.

As for the Little Egret, it is difficult to establish a clear trend due to the big difference in the estimated figures for January 1992 (1500 birds) and January 1993 (700). The number of roosts was almost the same 1992 (37) and in 2011 (38) and the number of birds in 2011 (1273) is 15% up on the mean figure for 1992-1993 (1100). Unlike the Cattle Egret, the Little Egret's wintering population has risen sharply in the Tagus catchment area since 1992, with a slight fall in the Guadiana. Another factor that has to be taken into consideration here is the possibility of confusion in some counts with the abundant Cattle Egrets; some small Little Egret roosts might even go totally unnoticed.

According to the annual January Wildfowl Count the trends in Spain (Molina, 2011) for the four heron species are:
- Cattle Egret: reduction in the 1991-2009 period and especially in 2000-2009
- Little Egret: sharp increase from 1991 to 2009, flattening out in 2000-2009
- Grey Heron: increase in the 1991-2009 period
- Great White Heron: sharp increase in the 1991-2009 period.

Lastly, neither in 1992 nor in 1993 were Night Herons or Great White Egrets detected in Extremadura; they would therefore seem to be new winter visitors to the region.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The National Wintering Heron Count is a project of SEO/BirdLifes' Bird Monitoring Area, run by Juan Carlos del Moral. In Extremadura the survey was coordinated by José María Traverso (Badajoz) and Javier Prieta (Cáceres). The fieldwork involved the collaboration of the 59 following collaborators: Pablo Caballero Javier Prieta, César Clemente, Javier Mahillo, Sergio Mayordomo, Eva Palacios, Jesús Montero, Manuel García del Rey, Emilio Pérez-Balsalobre, Javier Briz, Vicente Risco, Laura Alicia Rodríguez, Carmelo López, Helios Dalmau, Colin Jewitt, Marcelino Cardalliaguet, F. Javier Caballero, José Luis Caballero, Martin Kelsey, Jesús Solana, Juan Carlos Paniagua, Emilio Costillo, Casimiro Corbacho, Fernando Yuste, José Gordillo, Pedro Schreur, Godfried Schreur, Jesús Morena, José Antonio Fimia, Maria Jesús Tarín, Alfredo Mirat, Jesus Rojas, Carmen Galán, Álvaro Martín, Chema Traverso, Álvaro Sánchez Arribas, Antonio Núñez, Diego González Romero, Raquel Rangel Vanessa de Alba, Toribio Álvarez, Celsa Agudo, José María Abad, Patricia Gordon, María Jesús García-Baquero, Manuel Parejo, Raquel García Hierro, J. Elías Rodríguez, Juan Luis Soriano, María Luisa Villoslada, Juan Antonio Barquero, Elvira del Viejo, Juan Villalobos, Antonia Cangas, José Ángel Salas, Gerardo Pizarro, Emilio Jiménez, Agustín Sanabria.

Sources
- Fernández-Cruz, M. & Farinha, J. C. 1992. Primer censo de ardeidas invernantes in la península Ibérica and Baleares (1991-92). Airo 3:41-54. [download PDF]
- Sarasa, C. G., Bartolomé, J., Fernández-Cruz, M. & Farinha, J. C. 1993. Segundo censo de ardeidas invernantes in la penínsulas Ibérica and Baleares (1992-93). Airo 4:41-50. [download PDF]
- Molina, 2011. Censo nacional de aves acuáticas invernantes, Enero 2009. In, Escandell, V.; Palomino, D.; Molina, B.; Leal, A.; Remacha, C.; Bermejo, A.; De la Puente, J. and del Moral, J. C. (Eds.). Programas de seguimiento de SEO/BirdLife in 2009-2010. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid. [download PDF]

APRIL 2011: Notable bird sightings in Extremadura

Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana). El Torno, Cáceres. Javier Prieta.

A list of the most notable records in Extremadura in April 2011, most taken from the GOCE birdwatching forum. Compiled by Sergio Mayordomo.


-Barnacle Goose: one bird at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 24/04 (Godfried Schreur, Martin Kelsey).
- Egyptian Goose: possibly the same bird seen at two ponds in Oliva de Plasencia (Cáceres): at Valverdejo on 11/04 and at Fresnedillas on 14/04 (Ricardo Montero).
-Garganey: one drake at Galisteo Lake(Cáceres) on 5/04 (Sergio Mayordomo).
-Red Crested Pochard: possible breeding; 5 drakes and one female at a small reservoir in northern Badajoz on 24/04 (Ángel Sánchez and Ángel Luis Sánchez).
-Glossy Ibis: 2 at Montijo Reservoir (Badajoz) on 3/04 (Jesús Solana).
-Grey Heron: colony with 185 nests on the island of Borbollón Reservoir(Cáceres) on 12/04 (Jes·s Montero, Javier Prieta and S. Mayordomo).
-Osprey: single birds on passage at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 2/04 (César Clemente and Javier Mahillo), 6/04 (G. Schreur) and 30/04 (José Guerra and Marc Gálvez). One bird at River Tiétar, Valdeíñigos (Cáceres) on 2/04 (Pepe Guisado and Pilar Goñi). On 7/04 one bird at Casas de Belvís (Cáceres) (C. Clemente) and another at Campo Lugar (Cáceres) (M. Kelsey). One at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 20/04 (G. Schreur).
-Long-Legged Buzzard (rarity; pending acceptance): one bird at Belén, Trujillo (Cáceres) on 3/04 (Stephen Daly) and 2 adults at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 24/04 (Javier Esteban).
-Goshawk: single birds at Salto del Gitano, Monfragüe (Cáceres), on 2/04 (Eva Palacios, Jesús Porras and S. Mayordomo), 9/04 (S. Mayordomo) and 27/04 (M. Kelsey). One at Monfragüe on 14/04 (Juan José Díaz).
-Montagu's Harrier: melanistic bird at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 5/04 (R. Montero).
-Purple Swamphen: first record for Talaván Reservoir (Cáceres): one bird on 30/04 (J. Guerra and M. Gálvez).
-Baillon's Crake: one bird at River Gargáligas on 8/04 (J. Muddeman) and on 13/04; on the latter occasion another Baillon's Crake or Little Crake was seen nearby (Steve Fletcher).
-Lapwing: 2 pairs at Galisteo Lake (Cáceres) on 5/04 (S. Mayordomo), 3 birds on 12/04 (J. Prieta) and one on 15/04 (S. Mayordomo). Two birds at Brozas (Cáceres) on 6/04 (Á. Sánchez). Single birds at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 7/04 and 12/04 (M. Kelsey). Ten pairs at La Albuera (Badajoz) on 18/04 (Á. Sánchez and J. Fernández).
-Kentish Plover: 2 birds at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 8/04 (John Muddeman), 8 on 12/04 and 2 on 21/04 (Martin Kelsey).
-Curlew: one bird at Montijo Reservoir (Badajoz) on 3/04 (Jesús Solana).
-Bar-Tailed Godwit: female in summer plumage at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 21/04 (M. Kelsey).
-Great Snipe (rarity; pending acceptance): first record for Extremadura: 3 birds at Madrigalejo (Cáceres) on 1/04 (Roberto Cabo, Uwe George).
-Spotted Redshank: one at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 24/04 (G. Schreur and M. Kelsey).
-Wood Sandpiper: one bird at Galisteo Lake (Cáceres) on 5/04 (S. Mayordomo) and two on 12/04 (J. Prieta).
-Curlew Sandpiper: 2 at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 8/04 (J. Muddeman).
-Temminck's Stint: one at Galisteo Lake (Cáceres) on 22/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
-Common Tern: 4 birds at Sierra Brava Reservoir(Cáceres) on 8/04 (J. Muddeman).
-Black Tern: one at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 21/04 (M. Kelsey) and 5 at Portaje Reservoir (Cáceres) on 23/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
-Whiskered Tern: summer plumaged bird at River Guadiana, Mérida (Badajoz) on 2/04 (M. Kelsey). 8 birds in breeding plumage at Valdesequera (Badajoz) on 9/04 (Á. L. Sánchez). 12 birds at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 12/04 (M. Kelsey). 15 at La Albuera (Badajoz) on 18/04 (Á. Sánchez and J. Fernández). Several at the lakes of Torremejía (Badajoz) on 21/04 (Á. Sánchez). On 23/04 8 birds were seen at Arroyoconejos Reservoir(Badajoz) (Antonio Núñez), several at the Roman Bridge of Mérida (Badajoz) (Á. Sánchez) and one at Portaje Reservoir (Cáceres) (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
-Long-Eared Owl: adult with 2 fledgling chicks at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 3/04 (D. Langlois, J. Muddeman and S. Langlois). One seen on an island of Borbollón Reservoir (Cáceres) on 12/04 (J. Prieta and S. Mayordomo). One bird heard at Valcorchero, Plasencia (Cáceres) on 13/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo) and another at Montehermoso (Cáceres) on 18/04 (C. Clemente and J. Mahillo).
-Short-Eared Owl: one bird at Campiña Sur (Badajoz) on 23/04 (A. Núñez).
-Wryneck: at least one bird seen and heard at Villanueva de la Vera throughout the whole of April, with a peak of 3 on 16/04 (Dave Langlois and Sammy Langlois). Two males singing at Valencia de Alcántara (Cáceres) on 10/04 (J. Prieta).
-Bearded Tit: single birds at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 3/04 and 8/04 and two on 23/04 (M. Kelsey).
-Iberian Chiffchaff: one bird at Valdecañas Reservoir(Cáceres) on 8/04 and another at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 24/04 (M. Kelsey).
-Grasshopper Warbler: one bird at Valcorchero, Plasencia (Cáceres) on 13/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo), another at River Guadiana, Badajoz, on 15/04 (J. C. Paniagua) and another at Plasencia Reservoir(Cáceres) on 22/04 (J. Prieta).
-Sedge Warbler: one bird at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 3/04 (José Antonio López and Óscar Llama). Single birds at Valdefuentes gravel pit, Galisteo (Cáceres), on 5/04 (S. Mayordomo) and 12/04 (J. Prieta). One bird in a wheat field at Campo Lugar (Cáceres) on 7/04 (M. Kelsey). One bird at River Gargáligas, Vegas Altas (Badajoz), on 8/04 (J. Muddeman). One bird at River Guadiana, Badajoz, on 14/04 and two on 23/04 (J. C. Paniagua). One bird in an oats field at Torrequemada (Cáceres) on 15/04 (S. Mayordomo).
-Moustached Warbler: One bird at River Guadiana, Puente Viejo, Badajoz, on 2/04 (J. C. Paniagua).
-Garden Warbler: 2 birds at Vegas Altas (Badajoz) on 12/04 (M. Kelsey). At Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres), one bird on 16/04 and 17/04 (D. Langlois and S. Langlois). One bird at Valdastillas (Cáceres) on 27/04 (J. Prieta).
-Ring Ouzel: one bird at Los Canchales Reservoir(Badajoz) on 6/04 (J. Muddeman).

-Whinchat: 2 males at Casatejada (Cáceres) on 7/04 (J. Prieta). On 8/04 3 females and one male were seen at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) and 4 males at Belén, Trujillo (Cáceres) (S. Mayordomo). One bird at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 9/04 and another at Belén, Trujillo (Cáceres) (M. Kelsey). One male at Oliva de Plasencia (Cáceres) on 14/04 (R. Montero). One male at Cáceres on 18/04 (S. Mayordomo). Ten birds between Almendralejo, Hinojosa and Ribera del Fresno (Badajoz) on 21/04 (Á. Sánchez). One female at Mirandilla (Badajoz) on 27/04 (J. Ledo). Two birds at Belén, Trujillo (Cáceres), on 28/04 (M. Kelsey).

-Tawny Pipit: 5 birds at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 4/04 (M. Kelsey). 4 birds at Brozas (Cáceres) on 6/04 (Á. Sánchez). On 8/04 one bird at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) (S. Mayordomo), another at Arrocampo (Cáceres) (M. Kelsey) and another at Trujillo (Cáceres) (J. Muddeman). On 9/04, 2 birds at Acehúche (Cáceres) (Iván Solana) and one at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) (M. Kelsey). At Cáceres 3 birds on 16/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo) and 5 on 18/04 (S. Mayordomo). On 28/04, 2 at Valdesalor, Cáceres, (S. Mayordomo) and another at Belén, Trujillo (Cáceres) (M. Kelsey).

FIRST SUMMER VISITORS
-Honey Buzzard: one bird at Grimaldo, Cañaveral (Cáceres), on 15/04 (Raúl Guzmán) and one on passage over Plasencia on 28/04 (J. Prieta).
-Hobby: one bird at Galisteo (Cáceres) on 15/04 (S. Mayordomo) and another at Villanueva de la Vera on 16/04 (D. Langlois and S. Langlois).
-Little Tern: 2 birds at Badajoz on 23/04 (J. C. Paniagua), another 2 at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 24/04 (G. Schreur and M. Kelsey) and another 2 at Cornalvo (Badajoz) on 26/04 (José Ledo).
-Gull-Billed Tern: 30 at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 7/04 (M. Kelsey) and over 40 on 8/04 (J. Muddeman).
-Turtle Dove: one bird at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 14/04 (M. Kelsey). On 17/04 one was seen at Santa Cruz de Paniagua (Cáceres) (J. C. Paniagua) and another at Belvís de Monroy (Cáceres) (G. Schreur).
-White-Rumped Swift: one at Salto del Gitano, Monfragüe (Cáceres), on 27/04 (M. Kelsey) and several on 29/04 (R. Montero).
-European Nightjar: one singing at Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres) on 26/04 (D. Langlois).
-Red-Necked Nightjar: one at Pago de San Clemente, Trujillo (Cáceres), on 10/04 (M. Kelsey) and another at Serrejón (Cáceres) on 12/04 (Manuel García).
-Golden Oriole: 2 birds at Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres) on 11/04 (S. Langlois) and three on 13/04 (D. Langlois). One bird at Casas del Castañar (Cáceres) on 13/04 (J. Prieta).
-Melodious Warbler: One bird at Casas de Hitos (Badajoz) on 8/04 (J. Muddeman) and another at Valencia de Alcántara (Cáceres) on 10/04 (J. Prieta).
-Whitethroat: birds on passage: one at Mérida (Badajoz) on 6/04 (J. Muddeman) and two at Belén, Trujillo (Cáceres)on 8/04 (S. Mayordomo). In breeding habitat: 2 males at Piornal (Cáceres) on 8/04 (J. Prieta).
-Spectacled Warbler: on 5/04 one bird was seen at Piornal (Cáceres) (J. Prieta) and two at Jaraicejo (Cáceres) (J. Muddeman). Two birds at Jaraicejo (Cáceres) on 10/04 (M. Kelsey). One male at Cáceres on 18/04 (S. Mayordomo).
-Rock Thrush: 12 birds on passage in the central sierras of Badajoz on 16/04 (Á. Sánchez). In breeding habitat: one bird at Garganta la Olla (Cáceres) on 20/04 (G. Schreur).
-Spotted Flycatcher: present at Montehermoso (Cáceres) on 29/04 (C. Clemente).
-Pied Flycatcher: birds on passage: one male at Mérida (Badajoz) on 6/04 (J. Muddeman). Another at Parque del Príncipe, Cáceres on 10/04 (R. Montero). In breeding habitat: one male at Garganta la Olla (Cáceres) on 15/04 (J. Prieta) and 10 territorial males at Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres) on 23/04 (D. Langlois and S. Langlois).
-Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin: on 28/04 3 pairs were seen at Montehermoso (Cáceres) (J. Mahillo) and one bird at Ahigal (Cáceres) (R. Montero).
-Redstart: one female at Campo Lugar (Cáceres) on 7/04 and one male at Cabañas del Castillo (Cáceres) on 10/04 (M. Kelsey). One male singing at Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres) on 14/04 (D. Langlois). Another at La Codosera (Badajoz) on 16/04 (G. Schreur). One pair at Santa Cruz de Paniagua (Cáceres) on 17/04 (J. C. Paniagua). Two males at Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres) on 23/04 (D. Langlois and S. Langlois).
-Ortolan Bunting: one bird at Piornal (Cáceres) on 15/04 (J. Prieta). One bird at Garganta la Olla (Cáceres) on 20/04 (G. Schreur). One bird on passage at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 25/04 (M. Kelsey).

LINGERING WINTER VISITORS AND SPRING MIGRANTS
-Wigeon: pair at Sierra Brava Reservoir(Cáceres) on 8/04 (J. Muddeman).
-Pintail: pair at Sierra Brava Reservoir(Cáceres) on 24/04 (G. Schreur).
-Teal: pair at Galisteo Lake(Cáceres) on 12/04 (J. Prieta).
-Hen Harrier: one bird at Badajoz on 18/04 (Á. Sánchez and J. Fernández) and one bird at Talaván (Cáceres) on 21/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo). Breeding cannot be ruled out.
-Crane: one bird at Mohedas de Granadilla (Cáceres) on 1/04 (Alberto Pacheco). One bird at Arrocampo Reservoir (Cáceres) on 8/04 (M. Kelsey). One bird flying with difficulty on the island of Borbollón Reservoir (Cáceres) on 12/04 (J. Montero, J. Prieta and S. Mayordomo). One juvenile at Dehesa Boyal of Talaván on 21/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo) and on 24/04 (J. Esteban).
-Snipe: one bird at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz), on 12/04 (M. Kelsey), three at Galisteo Lake (Cáceres) on 15/04 (S. Mayordomo) and one bird at Riolobos (Cáceres) on 22/04 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo).
-Chiffchaff: one male singing on the island of Borbollón Reservoir(Cáceres) on 12/04 (J. Montero, J. Prieta and S. Mayordomo).
-Wheatear: two females at Llanos de Cáceres on 28/04 (S. Mayordomo).
-Meadow Pipit: 5 birds at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 7/04 (J. Prieta). 6 at Belén, Trujillo (Cáceres), on 8/04 and three at Torreorgaz (Cáceres) on 14/04 (S. Mayordomo).
-Reed Bunting: one female at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 3/04 (J. A. López and O. Llama).

BALTIC GULL IN EXTREMADURA

Baltic Gull (Larus fuscus fuscus). 04.06.06. Eggegrund, Gastrikland, Sweden (photo: P. Aspenberg). Bird ringed in Villanueva de la Serena on 22.02.06 por J. M. Traverso.

Some of our recent blog entries have dealt with species seen for the first time in Extremadura. Or rather the first known and conscious sightings of said species. On this occasion we are recording what we believe to be the first ever certain record in Extremadura of a particular subspecies of the otherwise common Lesser Black Backed Gull (Larus fuscus). The nominate subspecies of this gull is called the Baltic Gull (Larus fuscus fuscus). This race has a very dark, almost black back; field observations are never accepted, only of ringed birds in the hand. The photo of the Baltic Gull alongside was taken on 4 June 2006 on the Baltic coast of Sweden, in Eggegrund, Gõvle, Gastrikland (P. Aspenberg). What's so special about a Baltic Gull seen on the Baltic coast, where, as their name suggests, they're abundant. Well, the remarkable fact in this case is that the bird was ringed in Extremadura two years earlier, on 22 February 2004. At the time the bird was classed as an immature female; it was captured and marked with a white ring (code N548) on the landfill site of Villanueva de la Serena by Chema Traverso. The information published here would never have come to light without the collaboration of Javier Marchamalo, who passed on crucial data.

The Lesser Black Backed Gull is traditionally divided into three subspecies in Western Europe:
- graellsii: slate grey mantle, breeding in the British Isles and the centre and west of Europe; this is Extremadura's commonest wintering gull
- intermedius: darker mantle that phases into the other two races at both extremes; also turns up now and then in Extremadura; its range is the North Sea so it is intermediate not only in mantle colour but also in distribution
- fuscus: very dark mantle, breeding in the Baltic Sea and wintering in Africa, migrating through Eastern Europe; it is considered to be a rare vagrant on the Iberian Peninsula.

A few pundits choose to divide the bird into two species: Lesser Black Backed Gull (Larus graellsii, with two races, graellsi and intermedius) and Baltic Gull as a species in its own right (Larus fuscus).

BIRD MONITORING SURVEY, 2009-2010

SEO/BirdLife has just brought out a new booklet on the various bird monitoring projects it runs for the two-year period 2009-2010. As on previous occasions this hard-copy booklet is issued free of charge to all voluntary collaborators in the various long-term bird monitoring schemes run by SEO/BirdLife (Common Breeding-Bird Census and Nocturnal Bird Monitoring Scheme) while the online English version can be downloaded free by just clicking on the cover.









The contents of this 36-page survey, crammed with priceless information, are the following:

- Spring Common Breeding-Bird Census (showing the population trends of common breeding birds)
- Winter Common Bird Census (initial results)
- Nocturnal Bird Monitoring Scheme (population trend of nocturnal birds)
- Breeding Bird Monitoring Ringing Plan
- BIRDS AND CLIMATE (records of first arrivals of migrating birds)
- Spanish Wintering Wildfowl Count. January 2009
- Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Spain (provisional results)
- National Census of Woodland Raptors (population estimates and sighting frequency maps for nine species: Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Red Kite, Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Short-Toed Eagle, Goshawk, Sparrow Hawk and Hobby)
- The Fuerteventura Stonechat (world census 2005-2006)
- The Lesser Grey Shrike (2003-2010 censuses)