21 images of the captivating Wildlife & Birdlife of Toledo

Published on September 7, 2019

A Lesser Kestrel Perched On A Tree Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

Graham was one of the group of guests that joined myself & Dan in Spain during July 2019, to photograph the fabulous Wildlife & Birdlife of Toledo – we had a superb group of guests join us, who were a lot of fun, totally engaged & there to make the most of the week of photographic opportunities; along with the superb organisation skills of our hosts, this made for a most enjoyable time.

A Crow Comes In To Land In Front Of The Hides Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

Graham was lucky in that he captured a few species & behaviours that others didn’t have the chance to experience including crows mobbing the larger raptors at the the various raptor & harrier hides in El Taray …

A European Bee Eater Perched On A Branch Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

… & the bee-eaters; sadly the bee-eater nesting had all failed earlier in the summer, the birds tried for a second nesting, but this too failed; the end result of this was that the population of the colony had begun to migrate & disperse earlier than normal. This meant that opportunities with the bee-eaters were to be cherished & made the most of – & Graham did so.

A European Roller Perched On A Branch Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
A Europen Roller Tosses A Fly Before Eating It Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

As noted elsewhere, on previous blog posts, the rollers were increasing in activity through the week, with some hides working well earlier in the week, & others becoming highly active in the latter part of the stay; this meant that many of the guests were able to experience the birds in all their glory, & for Graham to capture the quintessential image of a roller tossing an insect into the air to catch in it’s mouth!

A Hoopoe Hops Onto A Stoney Outcrop Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
A Hoopoe Hops Onto A Stoney Outcrop Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
A Hoopoe With Freshly Caught Prey On A Stoney Outcrop Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

When I left, leaving the group with Dan & Luis, the hoopoes were increasing in activity, Graham took advantage of this with a number of visits to the hoopoe photography hides, resulting in some really beautiful images as shown above.

A Lesser Kestrel Perched On A Tree Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
A Lesser Kestrel Takes Flight From The Rootfop Of The Building Which Houses Their Colony Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

We had timed the trip perfectly for the action on the roofs which the Lesser Kestrel colony have made their nests within, & Graham capitalised upon this, with perched & in flight shots being added to his portfolio.

A Lesser Kestrel With Freshly Caught Prey On The Rootfop Of The Building Which Houses Their Colony Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
A Perched Lesser Kestrel On The Rootfop Of The Building Which Houses Their Colony Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
An Adult Lesser Kestrel Feeds One Of Its Young On The Rootfop Of The Building Which Houses Their Colony Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

One of my favourite behavioural moments with Lesser Kestrels is food retrieval, the adults bringing insects back to their young or during the incubation period, the males to the females – the activity on the rooftops was frenetic, with the young demanding food, & the adults making content forays for insects, which they gently passed to the young.

A Stone Curlew Drinking From One Of The Estates Many Water Holes Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
A Gorgeously Reflected Stone Curlew In One Of The Estates Many Water Holes Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
A Stone Curlew Strides Towards One Of The Estates Many Water Holes Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

As with each of the other guests, the Stone Curlews at the ware holes were a firm favourite, the drinking shots below, I think capture the pbehaviour of this bird throughout the week perfectly.

One Of The Estates Many Passerines Grips On A Reed Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
One Of The Estates Many Passerines Perches On A Reed Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
One Of The Estates Many Passerines Perches On A Stoney Mound Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday

As a wrap-up, a few images of the smaller birds & passerines of the estate put on a good show, enabling our guests to capture some great images of them, whilst on a larger scale, the raptors, both harriers & buzzards made their presence known at the hides whilst Graham was ready with him camera.

One Of The Estates Many Raptors Comes In To Land In Front Of The Hides Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
One Of The Estates Many Raptors Lands On A Perch In Front Of The Hides Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
One Of The Estates Raptors Comes In To Land In Front Of The Hides Photographed During The Natureslens Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday
  • NaturesLens wildlife photography holidays are structured around photographic opportunity — every schedule decision is made around light, behaviour, & access.
  • Small groups of 4–8 photographers ensure unhurried positions & individual guidance.
  • Single occupancy accommodation is included as standard across the majority of our trips.