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Extremadura
4th-11th May 2005
Duraton |
Sierra de Gredos |
Monfrague |
Trujillo |
Alvaraz Lagoons |
Puerto de Navacerrada |
Sierra de Gredos
From Duraton we headed up into the Sierra de Gredos mountains. We stopped off in the area of the Parador de Gredos Hotel and had an unsuccessful search around the woodlands for Citril Finch, but a female Iberian race Green Woodpecker put on a bit of a display for me in the early morning. This race lacks the black markings around the eye which are a prominent feature of the nominate race.
Female Iberian Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis sharpei)
Serins were common, but typically quite shy.
Serin (Serinus serinus)
After breakfast we headed up into the mountains in search of Ortolan Buntings and Bluethroat. The Ortolan's were pretty easy to find and practically the first bird we saw was a singing male...
Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana)
Unfortunately, every one we saw was backlit and wouldn't allow us to circle around them, so the lighting on these photos is not ideal.
Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortula)
Sierra de Gredos
Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)
The car park at the end of the road is an easy place to see Rock Buntings at close range as they come down to scrounge bread crumbs, but we should have put the crumbs in a more photogenic location than the tarmac of the car park.
Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia)
Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia)
Spanish Ibex were also quite common at the higher altitudes...
Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica)
Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica)
Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica)
Lizards were plentiful on the rocks and walls including a gorgeous Ocellated Lizard...
Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus)
...and a very co-operative Spanish Rock Lizard that allowed me to get really close for some extreme macro shots.
Spanish Rock Lizard (Iberolacerta cyreni)
Spanish Rock Lizard (Iberolacerta cyreni)
Spanish Rock Lizard (Iberolacerta cyreni)
A roadside ditch held a small colony of displaying Iberian Water Frogs.
Iberian Water Frog (Rana perezi)
Iberian Water Frog (Rana perezi)
| Duraton |  |
 |
Monfrague |
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