Just a Steppe Away

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.’

Woodchat Shrike

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.

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.

Collared Pratincole