Sunday 7th June
In the morning we had a trip into Zaragoza to look at the city. A walk by the river saw us looking at a tree holding numerous Cattle Egrets while several flew around, and five Glossy Ibis flew up river. We soon returned to the hotel as it was getting too hot. Later on we ventured out for a short walk round a park next to the hotel. It was a nice surprise to see a Green Woodpecker perched in a tree. As we walked back around the lake we heard a Reed Warbler singing from the reeds at the edge of the lake. Mallards and Coots were on the water, and Swallows and Swifts were in the air.
Monday 8th June
Today we drove back towards Madrid to stay in a golf hotel ready to fly home on Tuesday. At the hotel there were more Swallows, House Martins and Swifts in the air. It was again too hot to venture out so we had to make do with a scan of the golf course and lake from the room. A few Pochards were on the lake and a Red Kite flew over.
The holiday overall had been a great experience, as always with plenty of good birds seen. A Highlight was watching the Bearded Vulture flying around below us and landing on the ground in the Belegua valley. The Short-toed Eagle there was also a great bird and one I love to see. It was good to see most of the species we expected to see in the usual places and the Roller at the bottom of the Fago Valley was a nice surprise.
Trip List – Cattle Egret, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Pochard, Mallard, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Bearded Vulture, Red Kite, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Short-Toed Eagle, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Coot, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Cuckoo, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Bee-eater, Roller, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Crested Lark, Thekla’s Lark, Crag Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Water Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Marsh Tit, Great Tit, Crested Tit, Short Toed Treecreeper, Red-backed Shrike, , Spotless Starling, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow, Red-billed Chough, Alpine Chough, Raven, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Goldfinch, Citril Finch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Corn Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Yellowhammer, Monk Parakeet. 74 species.
