Very hot and Howard and I were sharing a hide that was just about big enough for us, the camera gear, drinks and the rudimentary air conditioning (a small fan). The other hide also held a couple of other photographers.

To call it cosy in the exceptional heat would have been an understatement but then we like to think we are wildlife photographers and can accept such inconveniences!!!

After the guide had departed, the first to appear from the nearby farm buildings were Spotless Starlings, squabbling just like the Starlings in the UK.

But the main attraction was a family of Hoopoes. Personally, I find these birds absolutely fascinating and most entertaining, even more so when a family of two adults and three youngsters put on a show. A youngster begging for food

an adult feeding a youngster,

and an adult and youngster checking me out.

And finally, for me, the shot of the session showing the full plumage of the breed.

A Little Owl appeared but only showed well for a short time.

So, despite the hot weather, I was happy with the resulting shots.

Early starts are going to be the norm due to the unseasonally hot weather so there we were at 05:50 climbing up a ladder into a hide that overlooked the pantiled roof of a large barn. The main target were a colony of Lesser Kestrels that nest under the pantiles.

First to show was a female having a stretch in the early morning light.

A Roller settled on the edge of the roof but did not stay long.

The Lesser Kestrels were constantly going back and forth with food for the young in the nest.

yet still found the time to indulge in a little mating.

and even posing for the camera.

Several Jackdaws were also nesting in the roof, also coming and going with food for the young.

and finally a Roller gave a close flypast.

Loads of photos taken as there was always something happening to tempt the trigger finger. What is very time consuming is editing down from 2,400 photos to just 14 for this website.

And I have another load to edit from the afternoon session too.

After lunch in Villacanas, it was too hot to do anything but spend the afternoon stuck in our hotel room in the air conditioning. Outside temperature was hovering around 40C.

A late start again was the order of the day, not arriving at El Taray until 6.00pm. We went to a wooded area with a couple of hides overlooking a feeding station and could immediately see the problem. Very bright sunshine and very dark shadows.

Still we set up and very soon the feeding area was inundated by what we call 'little brown jobs'!!! Great Reed Warblers dominated at first

interspersed by the odd Nightingale

and Common Reed Warblers.

Quite frankly, an identification nightmare in the circumstances but Merlin also identified a Savi's Warbler on just one visit as far as we could tell.

More obvious was the occasional visit from a Cetti's Warbler

and a pair of Spanish Sparrows

As the evening progressed, we had several visits from a Hoopoe

but it was not long afterwards that we gave up as the light was too dark and contrasty. A great pity as there were still birds coming in.

Never-the-less, a very interesting evening.

A very early start. We were taken to a hide on the far side of the El Taray estate, the main objective being the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle that, apparently, only comes in after first light. As a test, I took my first photo (of a Marsh Harrier) at 06:08 - F7.1, the fastest speed of my RF 100-500 lens at 500mm, 1:250th sec, ISO 12,800.

Not long after, the Spanish Imperial Eagle appeared on a distant dead tree and perched surveying the scene, having noticed the guide installing us in the hide and putting out food. After a time, it flew in - flight shots worth keeping were just not possible - and landed on it's usual perch.

Being very cautious, it checked us out before starting to feed.

Unfortunately, it decided to depart before the light was good enough for flight shots.

That left us with a succession of Marsh Harriers. Amazing that while considered a rarity in the UK, they are very common on El Taray. I took well over 2000 photos but was able to discard the early ones taken in poor light.

As the light improved, close flight shots became rather routine.

The session ended at 11.00am but, by then, it had become very quiet.

What was disappointing was the very early start resulting in poor light for the Eagle. The explanation was that the very hot spell was limiting photo time to 06:00 to 11:00 and 18.00 to dusk.

Some days, the daytime temperature rose to almost 40c. Not a lot would happen in that temperature!!!.

We left northen Spain and headed south - a 6 hour drive - to our destination for the second week just south of the town of Villacanas to El Taray, a large estate set up for wildlife photography

After settling in to our hotel in Villacanas - very basic but clean - we headed for El Taray for our evening session in hides located about a couple of hundred metres from the farm buildings. A pond with two two people hides and all set up for the evening show.

First to arrive for a drink was a pair of Collared Doves

and a Crested Lark

Several flocks of Sparrows were almost constant - House Sparrow

and Tree- Sparrows, now quite a rarity in the UK.

Jackdaws were regular visitors as they were nesting in custom-built nestboxes close by.

But the whole set up was disturbed for a time by a Marsh Harrier that landed in front of the hide.

But for me, the stars of the show were Spotless Starlings, a new species for me and also virtually constant and very entertaining.

By 20:30, the light was beginning to fade and tiredness was setting in after the long drive so we headed to the hotel for dinner at a local restaurant and a good nights sleep in readiness for an early start in the morning.