April 18-30, 2026 with Godfried Schreur & Willy Perez
This Spain 2026 tour was a real success with a combination of nature, culture and a great group of birders. We started in Madrid with a very nice introductory morning visiting one of the nicest parks in the center of the city, Parque El Retiro, a perfect place to begin our adventure. After experiencing a bit of Madrid, we drove south to La Mancha with several stops that were very productive. The wetland and marshes in La Mancha were full of birds, and the visit to the famous windmills was just fantastic. La Sierra de Andujar mountains were full of nature and a stunning landscape, with the view of Embalse del Jandula a spectacular sight to be enjoyed.
Our first cultural visit in Cordoba was the Roman Bridge, followed by the Cordoba Cathedral, both of which gave us real insight into the past of the people who lived in that area so long ago. Arriving at El Rocio was another surprise, with no paved roads, and horses and riders enjoying the chilled life of this wonderful place. Our visit to Donana proved why it is considered the best place to watch birds in Europe, with its magnificent wetlands and fantastic coast line, a brilliant place to build up our bird list.
Our days in Extremadura was so special, not only for the birds, but also for the rich culture, being in the land of the Conquistadores. Our city tour in Trujillo gave us a clear understanding about the people who left for Central and South América and where they had started out from. The scenery in Monfrague was phenomenal, and watching all the vultures was superb. Last but not least, we went to Sierra de Gredos National Park where we actually saw snow and experienced a bit of cold weather.
So … what about the birds? I have to say that the birds on the entire trip were superb, and with the diversity it was hard for people to choose their favorite. We had European Rollers displaying and some rolled so much that they ended up in a White Stork nest! European Bee-eaters gave us a show of colors and their melodious song was very pleasant to hear.
We also witnessed the unique feeding methods of Greater Flamingos and Slender-billed Gulls. Other birds were appreciated for their unique appearance; here are some examples: Common Hoopoe with its long, curved bill, White-headed Duck with its disproportional bill, and Eurasian Wryneck with its incredible camouflage. The trip was also exceptional for raptors. Five species of Eagles were seen well, the best ones being Bonelli’s and Spanish Eagles. The Vultures at Salto del Gitano in Monfrague were a nice spectacle; Eurasian Griffon, Egyptian and Cinereous gave us a show. For some people, the display of Great Bustard was something to remember, for others the intense yellow of the Eurasian Golden Oriole, or even the elegance and care of the Great-crested Grebe, and the eye-catching throat of the Bluethroat.
Other birds we appreciated were the owls; Little Owl for some, but I really enjoyed the roosting Eurasian Scops-Owl and Long-Eared Owl. They were just fantastic. All said and done, the stand-out winners were the incredible Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse that we got to see so close, which according to Godfried was the best view of this species ever on our tours!
As well as birds, we had a great collection of other wildlife: snakes swimming, frogs calling, lizards sunbathing and mammals running free. Certainly, everyone enjoyed watching them, but the curious Wild Pig and the show-off Iberian Ibex took the prize.
Overall, we had an incredible trip and I would like to thank you all for joining Godfried and me for this wonderful adventure. I have to say that we certainly enjoyed birding with you people and we hope that we will see you again soon.
So, until then, just keep birding!
Other animals along the way.
European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Iberian Hare (Lepus granatensis)
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)
Eurasian wild pig (Sus scrofa)
Common fallow deer (Dama dama)
Western red deer (Cervus elaphus)
Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica)
Iberian pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa)
Red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta)
Wall lizard (Podarcis guadarramae)
Green Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis virescens)
Iberian grass snake (Natrix astreptophora)
Ocellated lizard (Timon Lepidus)
Large Psammodromus (Psammoldromus algirus)
Iberian green frog (Pelophylax perezi)
Iberian spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes)
Old World Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon)
Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/530907
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/spa26TRIPLIST.pdf
-- Abrazos from Dorset, Willy