The Osuna Steppe lies
in the province of Seville and is about an hour’s drive from Cordoba. The May
Day holiday gave us the chance to visit the area and also to escape the rain in
Cordoba.
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| Juvenile Buzzard |
From Ejica we took the
A-351 towards Osuna and we spotted numerous Buzzards perched by the road along
the way as well as Black Kites, Red-Legged Partridges, Calandra Larks and
Crested Larks. Our first stop was at Laguna de la Ballestera, which is just off
the A-351 and well sign posted. As we started on the track towards the lagoon
we saw a group of about 10 Lesser Kestrels hunting over a field. Arriving at
the lagoon we were pleased to see that there was plenty of water, not
surprising after all the rain we have had this spring. The water was a hive of
activity. Greater Flamingos were present in large numbers as were Black-headed
Gulls and Black-winged Stilts. The latter are aptly named with their 14 inch
long red legs allowing them to walk through much deeper water than other birds their size.
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| Black-winged Stilt |
Avocets, famous as the symbol of the RSPB,
were also feeding in the shallows with Shovelers and a lone Kentish Plover.
Gull-billed terns squawked as they hawked insects in the air and an Iberian
Grey Shrike was seen in the bushes along the shore.
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| Avocet |
After a while we
headed on towards Osuna and took the SE-715 which runs along the railway line. After
crossing one of the bridges we stopped at the side of the road to look for
Great Bustards and were able to see one in the distance before it disappeared
into an olive grove. As it started to rain we decided it was a good time to
have lunch. A hare ran across the field in front of us and minutes later a
female Marsh Harrier flew over the car and landed in the same field scattering
larks as it came in to land. A Hoopoe was also seen in the field searching for
insects on the ground. As we finished our lunch the storm began to pass and we
headed back towards the SE-715. On the way we spotted a Little Bustard standing in a field
by the side of the road, its brown colouring camouflaging it well.
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| Hare |
Back on the SE-715 a
Montagu’s Harrier flew across the road in front of us and over the fields. We
stopped where the road crossed a small stream and saw Linnets, Goldfinches,
Serins, Yellow Wagtails, Barn Swallows, Collared Pratincoles and Bee-eaters.
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| Bee-eaters |
We drove on towards
Lantejuela, reducing our speed due to the large number of rabbits darting out
in front of us. And the bird count continued to rise: White Storks, Cattle
Egrets, Collared Doves, Crested Larks, Red Legged Partridges,
Stonechats, Corn Buntings, Spotless Starlings, Ravens, Buzzards, Common Kestrels, Black Kites, a Booted Eagle, Woodchat Shrikes and Iberian Grey Shrikes were all seen on the way to Lantejuela. Shrikes are usually quite visible as
they like to sit on an elevated perch from which they hunt insects, small birds
and amphibians. They often impale corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a larder,
earning them the nickname of the ‘butcher birds.’
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| Woodchat Shrike |
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| Iberian Grey Shrike |
Our next stop was at
the hide at Laguna del Gobierno in Lantejuela. Unfortunately the hide was
closed (it seems to be permanently closed) so we had to peer over the wall. The
difficulty was increased by the sun which was shining directly in our eyes. However
we were able to see Coots, Common Pochards, Red-crested Pochards, White Headed Ducks
as well as Little and Black-necked Grebes.
Just a little further
along the road is the start of a track called La Carraca. We were unsure if
this was to be walked or driven but we decided to drive the first 500metres or
so stopping by an asparagus field full of Collared Pratincoles. They arrive
here in April and spend the summer here before heading back to Africa in
October. When seen on the ground they appear quite dull at first. But a closer
look reveals a bright red base to their bills and a distinctive black necklace.
They look tern-like in flight with their slender, pointed wings helping to give
them the agility needed to hunt insects on the wing.
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| Collared Pratincole |
After a while it was
time to head back to Cordoba. The steppe around Osuna, with its scattering of
lagoons had provided us with a wide variety of interesting birds for the day.
It is definitely somewhere we will go back to.
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| Collared Pratincole |
