This area deserves to be visited by more birders because it supports the most extraordinary numbers of Great Bustard. It’s also a pretty good wetland area with thousands of wintering waterfowl and there’s a terrific colony of Lesser Kestrels to enjoy.

All the sites in this section are treated, in detail and with precise maps and directions, in my book ‘Finding Birds in North Spain’

If you have any information which you feel would help to update the book, please email me at dave@easybirder.co.uk and I’ll add your observations to these pages

To view more sites in North Spain click here

Villafafila

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

These multi-roofed buildings are characteristic of this area. This one has been turned into an observation centre, overlooking the best of the wetlands

Here’s the view from inside the observatorio.

This vantage point (site 1 in my book) would be so much better if the wall was higher. As it is, Spanish tourists just walk right up to the wall, stand silhouetted behind it and say ‘Nada’. If you look in the other direction you’ll see Great Bustards - how close they are will depend on how many visitors there have been.

This is the view from the ‘hide’ shown above. Imagine how good it could be if it was properly screened.

There’s a visitor centre nearby with this pool behind it. This is a great place for getting close to wildfowl - I’m just not sure how wild they are though.

Lakes for waterbirds, grasslands for bustards - what could be finer?

Park in the village of Otero de Sariegos and stay in your car for terrific views of Lesser Kestrels on the wires (yes, that’s one in the picture) and on the rooftops. You might get great views if you get out of the car but, if everyone did that, the birds would get disturbed.