Great Bustards & Calandra Larks
On Tuesday of this week I had the pleasure of providing a day of guided birding for a couple of clients from UK. Both experienced birders and outdoor enthusiasts, they were keen to visit the steppe and lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha, just over one hour´s drive from Valencia. Although a little early for most summer visitors, the key species that we were looking for were both residents…the Great Bustard and Calandra Lark. After a relaxed drive, we stopped for a coffee and prepared binoculars, telescopes and cameras and set out across the vast open fields. Luck was on our side as we found a flock of Great Bustards within the first 10 minutes of the trip. Despite a strong breeze, we were able to shelter beside the van and enjoy some great views of these magnificent creatures. As we were watching them, we also had views of Red Kite and Southern Grey Shrike. We moved on to the first lagoon of the day where we saw Greater Flamingo, Lapwing, Teal, Gadwall and Shelduck. After a short drive to the next lagoon, we were fortunate enough to be able…