Overnight at the Alcollarin Reservoir was magical and song of Red-necked Nightjar punctuated the still calm ... so far it had been wonderul to have revisited these landscapes with their very many special species that inhabit them ... but there was one species that was on my mind and one that I had never seen ...
... that species has a limited range including southern Spain and a restricted area of North Africa ... this summer migrant was said to arrive late, not until into May ... it is Western Olivaceous Warbler (aka Isabelline Warbler) split from Eastern Olivaceous Warbler a decade and a half ago ... and I was keen to see it ...
We headed south to an area near the Guadiana River where the lush riverine vegetation was the source of a cacophany of the songs of Great Reed Warblers, Nightingales and more ... then, with a little help from my friend (Martin) the song of the warbler came through the other sounds ... unlike Eastern Olivaceous, with its cyclical changes in tone, this bird started with low harsh notes and then went straight to higher warblings ... it was clearly doing circuits of some of the taller trees ... and then appeared, looking tentative in a tall willow ...
... appearing occasionally among the leaves before hiding away again, then off ...
... more listening and waiting was followed by some song coming from dense vegetation close by ... and just time for a quick recording ...
... then, as birds sometimes do after a patient wait, it perched out nicely and started to perform ...
... just a perfect view and great experience ...
... then heading back north aross the plains some Black-bellied Sandgrouse flew by and a Little Owl perched up prominently ...
... and back in Alcollarin village some Spanish Sparrows were busy at their nest sites ...
... near to the church a large square building hosted some Lesser Kestrels
Returning to the Campos Lugar steppe a single Great Bustard was in display mode ...
... and after many brief fly bys and distant views a Hoopoe finally perched up obligingly ...
... but better still a Great Spotted Cuckoo remained perched on a fence, looking around all the while, to give some wonderful views ...
... and back in Alcollarin the Lesser Kestrels put on a fine aerial display ...
Then the following day it was off to the Trujillo steppe towards Santa Marta ... some Pintailed Sandgrouse flew over and a distant Great Bustard flew along the ridge ...
Callandra Larks were active again but reluctant to show well or at close range ...
... then a surprise group of eight Great Bustards worked their way along the distant ridge and over the horizon ...
Leaving the searing heat of the plains the next and final port of call was the green valleys of the Cordellera Cantabrica where an Iberian Chiffchaff sand briefly and Choughs fed in the lush fields ...
... and the ubiquitous Black Redstarts sang from the tops of buildings ...
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