Extremadura

NaturesLens visits Extremadura on small-group wildlife photography holidays in Spain, with time here planned around Azure-winged Magpie, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Common Buzzard and Golden Eagle rather than general sightseeing. Current itineraries using Extremadura include Birds of Extremadura, with photography shaped around hide, boat-based, flight and night or low-light photography sessions. Extremadura lies in western Spain, close to the Portuguese border, & remains one of the least developed & most sparsely populated regions in the country. Its landscape is dominated by the dehesa, an ancient, low-intensity agricultural system of open holm & cork oak woodland grazed by livestock, interspersed with rolling plains, rocky sierras, & river valleys such as those of the Tagus & Guadiana. This mosaic of habitats, largely untouched by intensive farming, has made the region one of Europe’s most important strongholds for raptors & other wildlife dependent on extensive, undisturbed terrain. The skies above Extremadura are especially rich in birds of prey, ranging from the widespread & adaptable Common Buzzard, Black Kite, & Red Kite to more specialised species such as the Booted Eagle & the majestic Golden Eagle, which favours the region’s remote sierras. Griffon Vultures are a familiar sight riding thermals above crags & gorges, often in large numbers, while the Lesser Kestrel, a colonial falcon associated with old buildings & open grassland, breeds here in significant concentrations. The distinctive Azure-winged Magpie, gregarious & noisy, frequents the oak woodlands & adds a splash of colour & character to the dehesa. Red Fox, opportunistic & widespread, complete the picture of this varied & rewarding landscape.