Seven Day Tour - Coto Doņana and Extremadura
Seven Day Tour - Coto Doņana and Tarifa
Seven Day Tour - Tarifa - Gibraltar - Autumn Migration special
Coto Donana and Extremadura
- May 9th - May 17th 2011 - Spring Migration - Ģ950
- Feb 2nd - Feb 9th 2011 - Winter Cranes - Ģ850
What a fantastic combination, this exciting birdwatching tour joins together two of Spain's top birding areas. The 9-day spring tour incorporates many of the best sites in these two prolific regions giving you the opportunity to witness a wildlife spectacular not seen in many other regions of Europe. You will stay on the coast for the first four nights in the heart of Coto Donana and then transfer to the plains of central Iberia, in Extremadura, for the second phase. Extremadura has a vast area of open steppe surrounded by a ring of mountains and provides perfect habitat for many endangered European species.
Itinerary in brief
- Day 1 - arrival at Faro Airport in Portugal, drive into Spain with visits to Formosa Marshes at Faro and Castro Marim on the Spanish / Portugese border
- Day 2 - birding at the visitors centres of Achebuche, La Rocina, El Rocio and several other local sites
- Day 3 - all day visit to the 'Northern Marshes' to see the hidden Donana, Coredor de Verde, Dehesa Abajo, Jose Valverde Centre
- Day 4 - Huelva, Marismas O'Diel, El Portil and Castillo Niebla
- Day 5 - Transfer to Extremadura with many birding stops along the way
- Day 6 - Belen Plain, Casares - Trujillo steppe, Santa Maria de Magascar, Rio Almonte
- Day 7 - Full day at Monfrague National Park,
- Day 8 - Heathlands of Jaraicejo, Rio Tietar, Almaraz and Arroyo de Campo
- Day 9 - Return to Belen Plain then transfer to Madrid with many stops along the way before return flight home from Madrid
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You may see a fantastic variety of species in the marshes of Coto Donana, including: Red-knobbed Coot, Savi's Warbler, Glossy Ibis, Great Egret, Purple Heron, Little Bittern, Purple Swamphen and Great Reed Warbler to name but a few. In contrast, the dry grassy plains of Extremadura, host such birds as Great & Little Bustard, Black-bellied and Pintail Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Calandra Lark, Hoopoe, Bee-eater and you have the added advantage of the numerous species of raptors found in Montfrague Park which include 5 Eagles, 3 Kites, Falcons, Harriers and Hawks.
Both areas are covered in other tour descriptions and further details can be found on the relevent pages, just click here Doņana and here Extremadura for further details.
During the winter tour of February you will still see a vast number of birds including large flocks of Cranes, Bustards, Geese, Ducks, Storks, Larks, Pipits, Gulls and Waders. During March all the winter visitors will still be around but some early summer migrants will be arriving. Birds such as Lesser Kestrel, Gt Spotted Cuckoo, Pallid Swift, Wheatears, Black Kite and many more begin to arrive.
Rice Harvest in Donana and Bustard flocks in Extremadura
Oct 16th - Oct 23rd 2010 - Ģ850
October is a fantastic time to visit Spain, the temperature is just lovely, the birds are beginning to flock and are very showy, the roads are empty, the autumn colours are tremendous and the complete tour is a joy to lead. You also have the added bonus of witnessing the rice harvest in Donana, during this time hoardes of birds flock behind tractors as they plough the rice paddies making ready for next season. The birds gorge themselves on Crayfish and many other crustaceans as they are unearthed during the ploughing process, the birds amass in their thousands a truly wonderful spectacle not to be missed.
In Extremadura you can be confident of seeing large flocks of Little Bustard and smaller flocks of Great Bustard as we explore the grassy plains of Belen and Casares. Other species forming large flocks are Corn Bunting, Spainsh Sparrow, Spotless Starling, Lapwing, Calandra Lark and there will still be many Northern Wheatears and Whinchats passing through and the chances of seeing a Golden Eagle drifting across the plains are good.
A visit to Monfrague Nacional Parque is a must and will be a very enjoyable experience for you. In the Parque we can watch the hundreds of Griffon Vultures at their nest sites, we can look for Black Vulture, Red-billed Chough, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Bonelli's Eagle, Eagle Owl and for the last 3 years we have caught up with White-rumped Swift which are still present in October around the Castillo de Montfrague. We also know of a couple excellent sites where to find Spanish Imperial Eagle and they have never let us down! Add to that the possibility of seeing Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch, Common Crane, Azure-winged Magpie and maybe a late Great Spotted Cuckoo and this could be your best trip ever!
Coto Donana and Tarifa Spring/Autumn Migration
- Sept 2nd - Sept 9th 2010 - Ģ850 - 8 places
- Sept 12th- Sept 19th 2010 - Ģ850 - Full
- Apr 7th - Apr 14th 2011 - Ģ850 - 8 places
- Apr 14th - Apr 21st 2011 - Ģ850 - 8 places
This series of exciting tours combine the wonderful range of habitats and birds found in Donana with the spectacle of thousands of raptors migrating south from the Tarifa peninsular. Donana is a wonderful place to visit at any time but is especially good during migration seasons. This is a time when thousands of migrating birds are on the move to and from Spain, the winter visitors will be on their way to/from northern Europe and many more summer visitors will be pouring to and from Africa. In addition you have have the prospect of seeing active raptor migration at its very best when you visit areas around Tarifa and Gibraltar during the second phase of the tour.
You will spend 3 nights in the superb Coto Donana and explore this vast wetlands area. Visits will be made to Acebuche, El Rocio, La Rocina, the Northern Marshes and Jose Valverde Centre. One day will be spent visiting the fantastic marismas of the Rio O'Diel at Huelva where anything and everything turns up during the migration period. The latter four nights of this tour will be spent staying in a lovely hotel that sits in the hills just above Tarifa, there are spectacular views across to Africa and down to Gibraltar. You are situated immediately below the migration path of thousands of raptors an ideal base from which to visit the many raptor watch points dotted along the coast there. Visits to La Janda, Los Lances beach, the Rio Palmones, The Pine Woods of del Rey and mountainous areas amongst the 'Pueblos Blancos' neaar Ronda will add tremendous variety to this trip and you will see a great number of species.
