Friday 25 February 2011

Imperial Eagle Owl

Black Kite (Neil Kumar)
A special day was had today, as it was the day of a new lifer for me - an Eagle Owl. It was a handsome bird sitting on its nest in a crevice in Montfrague, Extremadura. Most of its head, part of its back and one of its gloriously long ear tufts was visible. It's a species that I have been chasing around Europe for several years that included scanning the same spot last year with each attempt concluding in a miserable nil points.

We also saw a distant Spanish Imperial Eagle sharing the thermals with a host of Griffons. Every time it faced us the creamy forewings were clearly visible. Aside from the Black and Griffon Vultures we also had a couple Egyptian Vultures, Black Kite, Booted and Bonelli's Eagles, Peregrine, Common & Lesser Kestrel and Cranes.

Tomorrow we search for sandgrouse.

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