Raptors found near Sierra de Aracena
RURALHOLIDAYS
This report was from Ian Williams who stayed here in July 2011.
Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche
The hills of Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche
have been my temporary home for a couple of days now,
and the patchwork of mixed oak woodland and sunny,
open meadows have brought some great birdwatching.
Today we’ll take a look at some of the birds of prey of the region…
and where better to start than with one of southern Spain’s most spectacular species,
the Griffon Vulture.
have been my temporary home for a couple of days now,
and the patchwork of mixed oak woodland and sunny,
open meadows have brought some great birdwatching.
Today we’ll take a look at some of the birds of prey of the region…
and where better to start than with one of southern Spain’s most spectacular species,
the Griffon Vulture.
Griffon Vulture
The Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus is a truly immense bird.
With a wingspan over over two and a half metres they’re noticeably larger than most eagle species,
and watching them soaring over the hilltops around the refuge has
been a highlight of the trip so far.
With a wingspan over over two and a half metres they’re noticeably larger than most eagle species,
and watching them soaring over the hilltops around the refuge has
been a highlight of the trip so far.
Griffon Vulture
Elsewhere in Europe numbers have declined but they remain reasonably
common in Spain and Portugal.
They have responded well to a reversal in the regulations controlling the disposal of livestock carcasses,
which has once more allowed farmers to leave this critical source of food out for vultures to scavenge.
They have responded well to a reversal in the regulations controlling the disposal of livestock carcasses,
which has once more allowed farmers to leave this critical source of food out for vultures to scavenge.
Griffon Vulture
Common Buzzards Buteo buteo and Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus
have also shown well,
patrolling the valley even through the hottest hours of the day…
close enough to get the IDs,
but frustrating my attempts at photography!
Thankfully a pale-form Booted Eagle Aquila pennata proved rather more forthcoming,
and there are some interesting points to look out for in the images shown here.
patrolling the valley even through the hottest hours of the day…
close enough to get the IDs,
but frustrating my attempts at photography!
Thankfully a pale-form Booted Eagle Aquila pennata proved rather more forthcoming,
and there are some interesting points to look out for in the images shown here.
Pale form Booted Eagle
With its bright white plumage and the contrasting black band along
the back of the wing,
this colour variant is often one of the easier raptors to identify.
However, note also the thin, translucent trailing edge to both the wings and the tail,
and the pale patch on the inner primaries,
giving the wing a characteristically notched appearance –
helpful details when dealing with the trickier darker form of this species.
this colour variant is often one of the easier raptors to identify.
However, note also the thin, translucent trailing edge to both the wings and the tail,
and the pale patch on the inner primaries,
giving the wing a characteristically notched appearance –
helpful details when dealing with the trickier darker form of this species.
Pale form Booted Eagle
Last but by no means least today,
our first ever images of a bird of prey that has made a notable recovery back in the UK in recent years.
The Red Kite Milvus milvus is still a fairly common but declining species in Extremedura…
the 300 or so breeding pairs are heavily outnumbered by the closely related
Black Kite, Milvus migrans.
our first ever images of a bird of prey that has made a notable recovery back in the UK in recent years.
The Red Kite Milvus milvus is still a fairly common but declining species in Extremedura…
the 300 or so breeding pairs are heavily outnumbered by the closely related
Black Kite, Milvus migrans.
Red Kite
Sadly the bird is now absent as a breeding species from most of
Andalucia: of the 25 or so pairs recorded in recent years almost all are
found in Donana. Regional numbers increase hugely in winter as many
arrive from northern Europe, with maybe 10,000 wintering in Extremedura
alone, but again this seasonal influx has also decreased. Fanastic to
have this raptor on the list for the summer then, and the views I had
were typical – this particular individual was scavenging at a service
station!
Red Kite
The oppurtunity to go birdwatching in a new, unspoilt area has been a
wonderful experience, and we hope very much to be offering excursions
here soon. We’ll keep reporting on all our birdwatching news as the
summer rolls on so please keep checking our posts
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