There are still places in Spain which
seem safe from industrial pressures and changes in agricultural uses. Places
where it is still possible to savour the traditions of people who make
a living from what they grow, from their flocks of sheep and from the work
of their hands. And in the very heart of Extremadura lies one of those
magical examples of the past, a refuge of men and nature in a pure state,
a place where time seems to stand still.
The Llanos de Cáceres are one of the best
steppe habitats in the Iberian peninsula. They span over 250,000 hectares
and limit to the west with the Roman town of Alcántara, to
the east with historical Trujillo, to the south with the hills of San Pedro
and Montánchez and to the north with the Alcántara reservoir.
The area is for the most part a patchwork of cereal
fields and pastures which host a variety of birds living in harmony with
free-range cattle and other domestic animals. Sheltering as they do one
of the most important Spanish populations of Great Bustard and Little Bustard,
the Llanos are, together with La Serena plains nearby, one of the most
important reserves for steppe birds in Western Europe. The Llanos are inhabited
also by the only two species of sandgrouse to be found in Europe, the Black-bellied
Sandgrouse and the Pintail Sandgrouse. The shy Stone Curlew also has an
important stronghold here, forming unusual flocks during the colder months.
And also during winter thousands of cranes fly in from the north searching
for food - one of nature’s great spectacles.
The harsh cold months give way to an explosion
of colour with the blooming of the first spring flowers. Spring comes to
Extremadura sooner than anywhere else in the Iberian Peninsula. Lesser
Kestrels arrive early, well before the onset of the summer heat. They are
followed by Bee-eaters and Eurasian Rollers, splashing the fields with
green and blue hues. Raptors, like Montagu’s Harrier also arrive in time
to breed. Spring is without doubt the best time to visit the Llanos de
Cáceres. The sunny days become longer and temperatures are ideal
to observe the wild fauna.
As if wishing to pull together the western plains
- Llanos de Brozas - with those to the east - Llanos de Santa Marta de
Magasca and Trujillo - the town of Cáceres puts out its arms from
the centre of the region. Hundreds of White Storks nest on the town’s rooftops
as do also Common and Pallid Swifts and a population of over 400 Lesser
Kestrels. It is a perfect communion between man and the winged element.
The town is also over flown by Black Kites, Griffon Vultures, Short-toed
Eagles, Booted Eagles and, of course, by Cattle Egrets.
When the days shorten and the first morning chills
make themselves felt there is a halt to the normal natural bustle of the
Llanos. Raptors, storks and passerines start their migration towards warmer
lands, bound for Africa. It is now when the multitude of small lagoons
take on an importance of their own. They become a place of rest and food
for Spoonbills, Black Storks and thousands of ducks and waders. The following
wetlands are specially important: Charca de Brozas, Los Barruecos,
the Charca de Lancho in Malpartida de Cáceres, the Molano de Arroyo
de la Luz reservoir and the reservoirs of Alcántara, Guadiloba and
Salor.
Nights slowly take over from the days, the cold
from the heat and the clouds dominate the skies. Autumn is here. The first
cranes come back to Talaván, the rare Black-shouldered Kite hovers
in search for voles close to Monrroy and a wayward young Spanish Imperial
Eagle scans the dehesas and fields.
We invite you to get to know this marvellous area
where so much is as it was centuries ago. Just let your instincts take
over and mingle with flavours, smells and feelings which few places still
offer. You only have to come to the Llanos de Cáceres.
Note: (*) Translated from the Spanish by the Wild Spain Editorial Team
