TRANSFER FROM FINCA SANTA MARTA, EXTREMADURA TO MADRID AIRPORT
The last day of the Tour had arrived, ir was cold as usual at 8am when we went for breakfast, but it was a bright clear morning. The Twany Owl failed to call this morning to bid us farewell but Laura the manager of the Finca stood in for the owl.
We left at 9am and after 10 minutes we stopped to check a site for Black-eared Wheatear which most of the group had not seen yet, in fact, it was only me that saw one during the tour. Despite our greatest efforts we never saw one today either! We did see Eurasian Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike, Sardinian Warbler, Black Kite, Coomon Stonechat and Serin.
The rest of our sightings we from the bus seen along the autovia as we travelled to Madrid, White Storks, Montagu's Harrier, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Raven, both Eurasian and Iberian Magpies and lots of Corn Buntings.
A coffee stop midway was our last of the trip, we arrived at Madrid Airport just after midday, I dropped Robin & Steve at terminal 4, they had been with me since the Morocco Tour on the 20th March, Paul and Carolyn also got off the bus with them. Lastly I drove round to terminal 1 where Gerald left for an Easyjet flight to Edinburgh.
I had a relaxed afternoon typing this blog, catching up with e-mails etc before at 9pm I returned to the airport to collect Nigel, who is my second driver on the tour that begins tomorrow. Yes, I collect a group from the Oxford RSPB Members Group at 11am tomorrow to begin another Extremadura and Coto Donana Tour (in reverse this time). Watch this space for a summary of this forthcoming trip.