L A Scott Photography Austin Texas: Extremadura Spain and Birdwatching!

Birdwatching in Extremadura, Spain With Camera and Birdwatching Scope in Tow

Imagine This

www.turismoextremadura.com for all of you who know Spanish

For general information about tourism in Spain

As you all know I traveled to Spain to expose birdwatching possibilites in Extremadura for The Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago....

All the species there were new to these American eyes! Incredible! Bonelli's Eagle, Black Stork, White Stork, Griffin Vultures, Black Vultures, Great Bustards....only to name a few.

I want you all to see a bit of Spain through my eyes and with the aid of my camera. Let us start with the landscape....naturally beautiful all on its own--a sensory overload. Expectations exceeded!

I look at these photos and feel like I am still there. I hope they take you there.

Now that I have put you there....let us talk about the birdwatching adventure itself and everything in between. I will tell you about the different villages, parks visited, birds in each area complete with pictures!

With Just One Look

When I first arrived in Spain, I was met by my driver and off we went to Plasencia...a city in Extremadura~~

It is...A walled market city on the bank of the Jerte River. Plasencia has a historic quarter that is a consequence of the city's strategic location along the Silver Route, Ruta de la Plata. Since the 15th century, the noblemen of the region began to move to Plasencia, defining its current appearance. Palaces, ancestral homes and significant religious buildings make up the unique old quarter.

On route to the Hotel Alfonso in Plasencia I was pleasantly surprised that my birdwatching adventure had already begun. A beautiful white stork flew over...and then further on down the road there were storks sitting in very large nests on top of street lights, columns, and construction cranes. What a magnificant sight! Attached are two photos taken by a very talented artist, Nikolai Kraneis. To see his art go to birdsart.de. Attached are some of Nikolai's sketches!

When we arrived at the hotel and I was settled into my room, I looked out my window and was so pleased with my view. I could see exactly what the city was about with one look. Just as the description above states*. Take a look at the attached photos and see for yourself! I was also delighted to see what looked like a stork or perhaps a crane flying over the palace in one of the photos. Maybe one of my birdwatching friends on the trip can tell me for sure?

Spring is in the air...I have my own little birdshow going on here at home. The swallows are back and they are starting a family on my front porch for the third year in a row.

Rain in Spain

The beauty of Spain is that even if it rains it is beautiful!...even if it mainly stays on the plain;)

It did rain the first day of the trip quite a bit. But it was still a beautiful adventure. We visited beautiful Sierra de Gata and Camp De Gata. Sierra de Gata is a mountain range in Sistema Central, Spain. Camp De Gata is an ecologically friendly camp in the area with many activities including birdwatching for the entire family.

The first few photos are pictures along the way--beauty everywhere~~~ enjoy!

Also as part of along the way, we were fortunate to visit a beautiful walled city called

Robledillo de Gata. I searched my "experience" there to write a description and instead found this on their website. While reading, it took me back...

Robledillo is hidden at the bottom of a narrow valley, and embedded his own secret, aware - insconciente of his being, an original point to nearby villages, equally as beautiful, so silent. Gata Robledillo evokes gold or tin from the deep veins, the sound of waterfalls, the light that recreates itself in penumbra games, an air of intimate greens and, above all, the miracle of an architecture without architect overboard, in its apparent neglect, perfection. There is a viewpoint of nature, because the inside is: no distance, but consubstantiated merger. The terraces or "benches" exquisite enter the vision of the Arab tile overhang, the irregular sequence of slate walls, like playing cards cut in the dark tunnels of air flowing into the light. And the water is alive, not only in its sound, but its actual occurrence (across a footbridge over the stream, by following a sudden the meandering street that seems going to the end of the world ...)

I could not have said it better.

The remaining two photos are from Borbollon Reservoir. A beautiful body of water.

The target birds for that area were: Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Crag Martin and Black Redstart. Birdwatching in Extremadura Spain!

I was the best saving for a rainy day I have ever had...

It is All About Lines

While in Spain and with many other European countries...there is so much texture and so many interesting lines. Some appear as a juxtaposition as with the first photo, some are simplistic and frame the subject as with the second photo... Some lead you through the doorway of a very warm inn(3rd photo) ...others might lead you down a road lined with beautiful lavender... Lines can also appear to be supportive as with the container of water. In the last photo, look carefully, the tree seems to be dividing the depth of field of two subjects doing the same thing...incredible.

Monfrague National Park and a Roman Bridge

On the third day in Spain we visited Monfrague National Park, Extremadura and were very fortunate to see many species of birds including vultures waking up in the morning(1st image), Black Storks nesting(2nd image) and many others such as Spanish Imperial, and Golden and Bonelli's Eagle.

We also visited the Bird Fair FIO The International Birdwatching Fair(see images of the town with cobblestone streets where the fair took place). It was quite the experience with so many bird enthusiasts in one area with the din of many languages from around the world. The UN of the bird world! I talked extensively with an organization that rehabilitates The Lesser Kestrel and was very impressed with what they were about. Go to: www.demaprimilla.org and leave Pepe Antolin a note. He is very passionate about the plight of the Kestrel. Thank you for that Pepe! Someday I hope to visit there!

We moved onto the town of Merida :

Established by the Romans in 25 B.C., Merida was the largest Roman city in the Iberian Peninsular. Merida retains an extensive collection of Roman ruins. See attached image of a bridge built by the Romans in Merida! Beautiful bridge...talk about infrastructure!

A Little Bit and A Lot of Everything

This is the part of a series about Spain. We walked on tour of Sierra de de los Pinos and a rural guesthouse Sierra de Mampar...so beautiful!

I loved the fact that there were small and big bits of beauty all around. It was a very windy day...red alert winds from a nearby hurricane that was stirring. We still managed to see many species of birds and beautiful landscape. I loved the opportunity to be with so many avid birdwatchers from around the world....(1st photo) Had to take it through the window of the bus but it shows you so much enthusiasm.

The pictures I have attached have bits of beauty ...an olive from one of the many, many olive trees .... a bulb flower(I found beauty in the bulb--take a look and see)... You can look at the little Bits that are all parts of the Everything in the 4th photo. You can zoom in on objects or zoom out...it is all beautiful...do it with your camera or do it with the naked eye. I do both.