I recently made a trip to Extremadura and had the opportunity to photograph griffon vultures and cranes. Its a beautiful area with wide-open vistas, warm sunshine and fantastic wildlife. The cork oak and holm oak trees provide a nature-friendly habitat for a host of animals to forage for food and make a home. Watching great numbers of cranes commute from their feeding areas to roost at dusk and back again at dawn is an especially wonderful sight. They’re a nervous bird and will get quite agitated if you even slow you car near them, so photographing the birds in flight at the edges of the day makes a much more relaxing experience for both the birds and photographer! Griffon vultures are common in Extremadura, but it pays to visit Monfragüe National Park – the birds can be seen close-up as they soar overhead or even below if you climb up to the castle.

Griffon Vulture

Peña Falcon at Monfrague National Park

Holm oak trees on open plains in Extremadura - home to wintering cranes

Dead Holm Oak Tree on grassy plain

Common Cranes - Extremadura, Spain

Common Cranes commuting at dusk

Stonechat enjoying winter sunshine in Extremadura, Spain