Advice needed about trip to Spain in early June... (1 Viewer)

[Tedb4]

Hi everyone-

I'll be visiting Spain for the first time as a birder in early June - renting a car in Malaga and then taking a day or two to drive up to Madrid to meet a nature appreciative but non-birding/no very early mornings family member. Then we will spend a couple days in Madrid before we head back down to the coast to head over towards Gibraltar and end up back in Malaga. I'll have a couple of days by myself between Malaga and Madrid (or in or around either one) to do some more focused birding as well as another 5 days or so along the coast. I'm looking for advice on where to base myself for two days/nights as I'm birding independently (I could be open to get a guide for a day as well) as well as other general advice about suggested places to stop. Here's my target list - I know some of them are likely not possible, but hoping to see as many as I can. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Ted

1. European Serin
2. Spotless Starling
3. Melodious Warbler
4. Iberian Green Woodpecker
5. Western Bonelli's Warbler
6. Red-legged Partridge
7. Red Kite
8. Iberian Magpie
9. Crested Tit
10. Western Subalpine Warbler
11. Iberian Chiffchaff
12. Iberian Grey Shrike
13. Dartford Warbler
14. Western Orphean Warbler
15. Audouin's Gull
16. Western Black-eared Wheatear
17. Western Swamphen
18. Spectacled Warbler
19. Black Wheatear
20. Red-necked Nightjar
21. Great Bustard
22. Spanish Eagle
23. Western Olivaceous Warbler
24. Citril Finch
25. Black-bellied Sandgrouse
26. Eleonora's Falcon
27. Marbled Duck
28. Plain Swift
29. Tawny Owl
30. Balearic Shearwater
31. Mediterranean Short-toed Lark
32. Eurasian Eagle Owl
33. African Blue Tit
34. European Pied Flycatcher
35. European Storm-Petrel
36. Scopoli's Shearwater
37. White-winged Snowfinch
38. Dupont's Lark
39. Barbary Partridge
40. House Bunting

 

[John Cantelo]

As I'm sure you're aware early June isn't the best time of year to look for birds as it can be very hot and many passerines will have stopped (or greatly reduced) singing. Your best bet for all the (relatively) common birds listed is to use E-bird for the latest sightings.

Plain Swift, African Blue Tit & Barbary Partridge are not found in mainland Spain (other than as rarities) although the latter can be seen on Gibraltar. House Bunting is restricted to urban areas in Algeciras. Iberian Green Woodpeckers are often elusive BUT your best chance of seeing one is in Madrid's large urban parks where they can be quite tame. Several species should be unmissable - Serin, Spotless Starling, Red-legged Partridge. It would be easier to give you advice if you could provide some idea of your priority species to see and where you're flying out from.

With regard to your few days available for birding, on balance - and I'm biased here - I think your best chance is to forget some of the species found only or mainly in the north and focus on seabirds & wetland species in the SW. If you PM me with your email address I can provide a detailed site guide to Cadiz Province (with some sites in Seville/Malaga) which should help.

 

[NickBrown]

Hi, the easiest place for Iberian Green Woodpecker is Retiro park in Madrid. A day driving around the mountains north of Madrid should easily get you: Western Bonelli's Warbler, Crested Tit, Western Subalpine Warbler and Iberian Magpie. Pied Flycatcher breed in the mountains to the NW of the province and Citril Finch is pretty straightforward around there too. Stopping in the dehesas around Colmenar and/or Valdeloshielos should get Spanish Eagle, Iberian Grey Shrike, Red Kite, Western Orphean Warbler and Melodious Warbler. Red-necked Nightjar is also easy in Valdeloshielos after sunset. Around Colmenar is one of the easiest places to see Eagle Owl.

Both Great Bustard and Black-bellied Sandgrouse are doable at Valdetorres in Madrid but it may be worth stopping at a site for them in Castilla la Mancha on the route between Madrid and Malaga instead.

White-winged Snowfinch and Dupont's Lark would require large detours to the Pyrenees or Zaragoza steppes respectively.

Birds not mentioned are easier found in Malaga / Cadiz.

If you require locations for any of the species mentioned above, drop me a PM, otherwise ebird is very popular in Madrid and should provide lots of information for good spots to look.

 

[Tedb4]

Many thanks John and Nick - this is just the kind of advice I was looking for to help me set up a rough plan to refine as I go. I know June isn't optimal, but it's the only time I've got. I use Ebird a lot, so will be sure to check for last sightings of target species.

I'll cross Plain Swift, African Blue Tit, White-winged Snowfinch and Dupont's Lark off the list.

I'm flying in and out of Malaga I think I arrive mid morning on a Thursday, so maybe I'll spend that day and the next morning around Malaga and then head up to Madrid (maybe stopping in Castilla la Mancha) and then dedicate most of the following day driving around the mountains north of Madrid, and then see what I can do from there. I can probably get out for a couple hours in the early mornings and walks in the parks should definitely be manageable and will see how the rest goes. Will definitely touch base with some more questions as I get time to plan.

Any additional advice is always appreciated.

Very much appreciated!

 

[occasional]

Although it is clearly not on your list the lagoons at Fuente de Piedra might be worth a visit.

 

[Tedb4]

Although it is clearly not on your list the lagoons at Fuente de Piedra might be worth a visit.

Absolutely - hoping to have time for this Thanks!

 

[Tedb4]

Although it is clearly not on your list the lagoons at Fuente de Piedra might be worth a visit.

Thank you! Anywhere else near Malaga that you would recommend?

 

[reosarevok]

If it's something that might be of interest to you and your family member as a non-birding activity, the Caminito del Rey walk near(ish) Málaga is pretty cool, and for what it's worth I did happen to see a Black Wheatear during the walk (in the middle of the day at a "bad birding hour"). Does probably need booking in advance though, and I did it in April when it was less hot, it might be worse in June unless you do it early.

 

[occasional]

If you like vultures the south end of the reservoir above EL Chorro can provide unusually close views.
Additionally when travelling between Malaga and Madrid the Tablas de Damiel may, or may not, be interesting. And on a non-birding note the central plaza in Almagro is very attractive.