Best birds of prey in Western Europe, displaying bustards and stunning vistas.48uep6bbph|00000E4E|Spey_BESQL3|HolidayTypes|Subheading
48uep6bbphidval|EXTREPAINTING
| Day 1 | Fly from London to Madrid and transfer to our delightful country hotel, Vina Las Torres, near Trujillo, Extremadura (approx. three hour drive).
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| Day 2 | Our introduction to sketching in the field begins in the hotel grounds, where we will find Hoopoes, Woodchat Shrikes and Azure-winged Magpies, while Red Kites and Booted Eagles soar above the Olive groves and Serins and Red-rumped Swallows fill the air. Even the Starlings have no spots!
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| Days 3-7 | Further afield, daily excursions will take in a variety of beautiful Extremaduran landscapes. In May, the Holm Oak woodlands are often carpeted with blue French Lavender and play host to Woodlarks and Great Spotted Cuckoos and the surrounding fields are ablaze with Spring flowers. We look for Little and Great Bustards on the relic steppe land of the Caceres and Belen plains, as well as hunting Montagu's Harriers and Little Owls - Bee-eaters and Rollers will add colour to the palette.
For a change of pace, we can sharpen our architectural drawing in the charming streets and squares of medieval Trujillo, where Lesser Kestrels and Pallid Swifts fill the air and every church tower has its own pair of White Storks.
For lovers of birds of prey, Monfrague National Park is home to five species of eagle, rare Black Vultures and countless kites. We'll visit the rugged cliff faces that host large colonies of Griffon Vultures, which are always fun to draw and look for a supporting cast of Egyptian Vultures, vivid Blue Rock Thrushes and irridescent Black Storks. We may even find an Eagle Owl at it's daytime roost.
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| Day 8 | Today we shall have to tear ourselves away for our drive back to Madrid and return flight to the UK.
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