A DAY ON THE PLAINS

Sunday last we decided to visit a place we'd never been to before and it turned out to be mindblowing.

The site was Santa Marta de Magasca and all its surrounding plains and Holm-Oak woods, about one and a half hours from our house by car. We arrived at a spot called Las Canteras at about 7:30. As soon as we stepped out of the car we heard 3 or 4 Little Bustards calling and many Calandra Larks singing. We had cracking views of a male Little Bustard in full breeding plumage and we saw the little head shake it makes when it emits its call. They turned out to be very common in the area and we heard them at every stopping point.

In another place we saw a Great Bustard displaying to a female with all his plumage turned inside out, strutting along like a great white two-legged ball. Amazing!!!!! Here we also saw the first Black-Bellied Sandgrouse and Pintailed Sandgrouse. A young Imperial Eagle flew overhead and a friend found this lovely Ladder Snake coiled up under a stone.

The biggest flock of Pintailed Sandgrouse was 47, all of them calling in the air. Really beautiful.

Later we saw an impressive breeding colony of Montagu's Harriers. We watched their tumbling display flights and saw seven males in the air together. It was like watching a tern colony in Norway.

To wind up a fabulous day we found two Long-Eared Owl fledglings. We also saw the adult nearby but didn't get a shot of him/her.