Birdwatching in Extremadura
Vina las Torres rural hotel - Trujillo - Extremadura - Spain   Phone: +34 927 319 350 Fax: +34 927 319 355
   
Birdwatching in Extremadura  

You could not wish for a better base for exploring Extremadura

Vina las Torres is a comfortable, family run, rural hotel situated in the heart of the Lagares Mountains, in the province of Caceres, Extremadura, just 10 km. outside Trujillo - what an unexpected and delightful surprise.

It is a stately home, which has been carefully restored to provide a warm and comfortable environment..

 

Vina las Torres offers you peace and nature, without forgetting the comforts that modern life requires.
   
..in surroundings where the only thing you have to do is enjoy the forgotten sounds of nature..
  

a stimulating walk, a relaxing sauna, or simply the great pleasure of doing .... absolutely nothing.

 
In our dining room you can sample authentic home cooking, based on the typical dishes of Extremadura, accompanied by local wines.

 
All the eight rooms have a fully fitted bathroom with air-conditioning / heating, television, telephone and minibar. The two lounges, both with fireplace, are the perfect place for reading or for a friendly chat in good company.
       
 
Spacious lounges where you can read and relax and enjoy a friendly chat in good company
  
Careful decoration means that every room has its own personal charm.
 
You can choose what you like best.
 

 

 

 

Extremadura is one of the greatest birding areas in Europe
Extremadura have a great deal to offer the travelling and holidaying birdwatcher with plenty of different habitats with many quality species. These include Spanish Imperial Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture, Black-shoulder Kite, Great & Little Bustard, Black Kite, Montagu's Harrier, Scops Owl, Black Stork, Rollers, both Sandgrouse, and many more. On the wetlands there are numbers of wintering ducks and waders.

 
Vina las Torres, an excellent place for birders
Within 5 minutes walk of the Hotel it is easy to observe Beeater, Stone Curlew, Woodchat, Golden Oriole, Short Toed Eagle, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Azure Winged Magpie (which nest in the garden), Red Kite, White Stork, Serin, Hoopoe, Sardinian Warbler, Cirl and Corn Bunting, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrike, Blue Rock Thrush, Nightingale, and many more (see Bird List) up to 80-90 or so species around the Hotel, some of them occasionally.
  Photos by: www.extremadurabirds.net, Ashley Saunders

 
 
Bird List at Vina las Torres and surrounds
SCIENTIFIC NAME
ENGLISH
SPANISH
NEDERLANDS
Cyanopica cyana Azure-winged Magpie Rabilargo Blauwe Ekster
Tyto alba Barn Owl Lechuza Común Kerkuil
Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow Golondrina Común Boerenzwaluw
Milvus migrans Black Kite Milano Negro Zwarte Wouw
X
 Phoenicurus ochruros Black Redstart Colirrojo Tizón Zwarte Roodstaart
Pica pica Black-billed Magpie Urraca Ekster
Turdus merula Blackbird Mirlo Común Merel
Sylvia atricapilla Blackcap Curruca Capirotada Zwartkop
X
 Larus ridibundus Black-headed Gull Gaviota Reidora Kokmeeuw
Monticola solitarius Blue Rock Thrush Roquero Solitario Blauwe Rotslijster
Parus caeruleus Blue Tit Herrerillo Común Pimpelmees
X
 Phylloscopus bonelli Bonelli's Warbler Mosquitero Papialbo Bergfluiter
Hieraaetus pennatus Booted Eagle Aguililla Calzada Dwergarend
X
 Corvus corone Carrion Crow Corneja Negra Kraai
Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret Garcilla Bueyera Koereiger
Cettia cetti Cetti's Warbler Ruiseñor Bastardo Cetti's Zanger
Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch Pinzón Común Vink
Emberiza cirlus Cirl Bunting Escribano Soteño Cirlgors
Buteo buteo Common Buzzard Busardo Ratonero Buizerd
Cuculus canorus Common Cuckoo Cuco Europeo Koekoek
Falco tinnunculus Common Kestrel Cernícalo Vulgar Torenvalk
Corvus corax Common Raven Cuervo Común Raaf
Saxicola torquata Common Stonechat Tarabilla Común Roodborsttapuit
Apus apus Common Swift Vencejo Común Gierzwaluw
Miliaria calandra Corn Bunting Triguero Grauwe Gors
X
 Ptyonoprogne rupestris Crag Martin Avión Roquero Rotszwaluw
Galerida cristata Crested Lark Cogujada Común Kuifleeuwerik
X
 Sylvia undata Dartford Warbler Curruca Rabilarga Provençaalse Grasmus
X
 Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture Alimoche Común Aasgier
Streptopelia decaocto Eurasian Collared Dove Tórtola Turca Turkse Tortel
X
 Gyps fulvus Eurasian Griffon Vulture Buitre Leonado Vale Gier
Corvus monedula Eurasian Jackdaw Grajilla Común Kauw
Garrulus glandarius Eurasian Jay Arrendajo Común Gaai
Otus scops Eurasian Scops Owl Autillo Europeo Dwergooruil
Merops apiaster European Bee-eater Abejaruco Común Bijeneter
Erithacus rubecula European Robin Petirrojo Roodborst
Serinus serinus European Serin Verdecillo Europese Kanarie
Oriolus oriolus Golden Oriole Oropéndola Europea Wielewaal
Carduelis carduelis Goldfinch Jilguero Putter
X
 Podiceps cristatus Great Crested Grebe Somormujo Lavanco Fuut
X
 Acrocephalus arundinaceus Great Reed Warbler Carricero Tordal Grote Karekiet
Clamator glandarius Great Spotted Cuckoo Críalo Español Kuifkoekoek
Parus major Great Tit Carbonero Común Koolmees
Picus viridis Green Woodpecker Pito Real Groene Specht
Carduelis chloris Greenfinch Verderón Común Groenling
X
 Ardea cinerea Blauwe Grey Heron Garza Real Reiger
Lanius Southern Meridionalis Grey Shrike Alcaudón Real Klapekster
Motacilla cinerea Grey Wagtail Lavandera Cascadeña Grote Gele Kwikstaart
Coccothraustes coccothraustes Hawfinch Picogordo Appelvink
Upupa epops Hoopoe Abubilla Hop
Delichon urbica House Martin Avión Común Huiszwaluw
Passer domesticus House Sparrow Gorrión Común Huismus
Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel Cernícalo Primilla Kleine Torenvalk
Carduelis cannabina Linnet Pardillo Común Kneu
X
 Tetrax tetrax Little Bustard Sisón Común Kleine Trap
X
 Egretta garzetta Little Egret Garceta Común Kleine Zilverreiger
Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe Zampullín Común Dodaars
Athene noctua Little Owl Mochuelo Común Steenuil
X
 Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover Chorlitejo Chico Kleine Plevier
Aegithalos caudatus Long-Tailed Tit Mito Staartmees
Anas platyrhynchos Mallard Azulón Wilde Eend
Anthus pratensis Meadow Pipit Bisbita Común Graspieper
Hippolais polyglotta Melodious Warbler Zarcero Común Orpheusspotvogel
Turdus viscivorus Mistle Thrush Zorzal Charlo Grote Lijster
X
 Aegypius monachus Monk Vulture Buitre Negro Monniksgier
Gallinula chloropus Moorhen Gallineta Común Waterhoen
Oenanthe oenanthe Northern Wheatear Collalba Gris Tapuit
Milvus milvus Red Kite Milano Real Rode Wouw
Alectoris rufa Rode Red-Legged Partridge Perdiz Roja Patrijs
Hirundo daurica Red-rumped Swallow Golondrina Dáurica Roodstuitzwaluw
Columba livia Rock Pigeon Paloma Bravía Rotsduif
Luscinia megarhynchos Rufous Nightingale Ruiseñor Común Nachtegaal
Sylvia melanocephala Sardinian Warbler Curruca Cabecinegra Kleine Zwartkop
Circaetus gallicus Short-toed Eagle Culebrera Europea Slangearend
Certhia brachydactyla Short-toed Treecreeper Agateador Común Boomkruiper
Alauda arvensis Sky Lark Alondra Común Veldleeuwerik
Passer hispaniolensis Spanish Sparrow Gorrión Moruno Spaanse Mus
Sturnus unicolor Spotless Starling Estornino Negro Zwarte Spreeuw
Burhinus oedicnemus Stone-Curlew Alcaraván Común Griel
Sylvia cantillans Subalpine Warbler Curruca Carrasqueña Baardgrasmus
Streptopelia turtur Turtle Dove Tórtola Común Zomertortel
Ciconia ciconia White Stork Cigüeña Común Ooievaar
Motacilla alba White Wagtail Lavandera Blanca Común Witte Kwikstaart
Lullula arborea Wood Lark Totovía Boomleeuwerik
Sitta europaea Wood Nuthatch Trepador Azul Boomklever
Columba palumbus Wood Pigeon Paloma Torcaz Houtduif
Lanius senator Woodchat Shrike Alcaudón Común Roodkopklauwier
Troglodytes troglodytes Wren Chochín Winterkoning
X
 Emberiza citrinella Yellowhammer Escribano Cerillo Geelgors
Cisticola juncidis Zitting Cisticola Buitrón Ibérico Graszanger
 
(X)
 OCCASIONAL

 

Within Extremadura is nowadays the main wintering habitat for the European crane. Each year, between the end of october and the month of february, 45.000 to 70.000 birds visit us. That means approximately 70% of the population in Western Europe.
     

 

Some guest comments....
"The hotel is expertly run by its proprietors and the welcome we received here, as well as the food and hospitality we received over the coming days, was first class. But what about the birding? Well much has been written about the birds of this fantastic region, but this being my third visit to the Trujillo area, it was the 'garden birding' around the hotel that captivated myself ....... All in all this is a fabulous place, incredibly relaxing and bursting with birdlife, and you simply could not wish for a better base for exploring Extremadura. Whether its the garden birding or the beautiful sunset, stunning wildflowers or waking to the sound of Bee-eaters that takes your fancy, Vina las Torres has it all!". Ashley Saunders.
"..... Extremadura is one of the greatest birding areas in Europe. We recorded 161 species in the most delightful surroundings. Viña las Torres; in fact a very spacious, comfortable and, indeed, rather grand hotel in an idyllic setting. Red Rumped Swallows and Azure Winged Magpies were nesting in the gardens and drinks on the patio followed by dinner were a fitting end to our birding day." Simon Harrap.
So "if you want to be serenaded by Scops Owl and Nightingale outside your bedroom window, wake up to Hoopoe and Blue Rock Thrush on the Hotel tower and view the Red Rumped Swallows nesting in the courtyard, then this is THE place." Jim Willson.
How to find our Hotel
From Madrid take the A-5 (trunk road (autovia del Suoeste) to Extremadura). Leave this road at Exit 253 (Trujillo- Logrosan - Guadalupe), and join the EX - 208 in the direction of Guadalupe. About ten kilometres from Trujillo, having just passed the left hand turn for Madroñera you will see, on the right hand side, the signpost "Camino de Buenavista" at the 87.6 km point. Follow the track and you will reach the Hotel in about 900 metres.

 

GPS Position: 39º 24' 10'' N
  05º 47' 18'' W

 

Prices 2008
Prices are per room per night (in euros).
Breakfast is included. VAT is not included (7%).
Low season High season (*)
Single room
57,00
61,00
Double room
69,00
74,00
Junior suite
94,00
100,00
     
(*)
  
15/03/08 al 23/03/08 (both inc.)
  
30/04/08 al 03/05/08 ( " )
  
01/08/08 al 23/08/08 ( " )
  
10/10/08 al 12/10/08 ( " )
  
31/10/08 al 01/11/08 ( " )
  
05/12/08 al 07/12/08 ( " )
  
 
Dinner and packed lunch (available on request)

 

Hotel Rural Vina las Torres

Information and reservations. English spoken:

Phone +34 927 319 350 - Fax +34 927 319 355

e-mail: birders@birdwatching-extremadura.com