Rivers and Streams
Press
Rivers and Streams
Recommended Seasons: SPRING AND SUMMER
The river courses can be very different depending on the associated vegetation, the width and depth of the flow and the altitude. The most frequently found trees on permanent water courses are the alder, ash, the poplar and the willow. On the seasonal water courses, almost always dry in the Summer months, species best adapted to the lack of water predominate such as the oleander and the buckthorn.
There are many birds associated with riverbank vegetation such as nightingale, melodious warbler, robin, blackcap, penduline tit, golden oriole and cirl bunting.
On the rivers in the north of the region dippergrey wagtail and white wagtail can often be found, the latter particularly in all types of wetland all over the region.
On the rivers with emergent vegetation small birds breed such as reed warbler, great reed warbler, Cetti's warbler and even exotic species such as red avadavat or the common waxbill. Where the emergent vegetation occupies large areas it is also possible to find populations of purple heron, little bittern, water rail and even much rarer species such as purple swamp-hen or the Savi's warbler.
There are sizeable colonies of heron in the trees along the river banks, some with thousands of birds where cattle egret, little egret, heron, black-crowned night heron and white stork nest together joined at times by squacco heron and spoonbill.
On the sandy river banks sand martin and bee-eater build their colonies joined by kingfisher . At times the nests of these birds are used by roller or rock sparrow .
Among the SPA 's which include river couses are the 'Azud de Badajoz' , 'Embalse de Montijo (Montijo Reservoir) ' , 'River and Pinewoods at Tiertar' , 'Riveros del Almonte' and 'Vegas del Ruecas (Ruecas water-meadows), Cubilar and Moheda Alta' .