NATURE

SANTA MARTA. NATURALEZA/NATURE

Santa Marta de Magasca. NATURE

Santa Marta de Magasca is located in a natural environment of contrasts, very close to the main tourist destinations in Extremadura: Monfragüe, Trujillo, Cáceres and Mérida. It occupies a central position in the peneplain of Trujillo and Cáceres situated between the rivers Tamuja and Magasca. It is together with the neighbouring village of Aldea del Obispo, the only locality that can be found in the vast territory which is situated from the river Almonte on the north to the motorway A-58 on the south, and from the motorway A-V on the east to the A-66 on the west.

This particular location and low population density make this territory an ideal refuge for the Mediterranean flora and fauna. The environmental quality and the high conservation make Santa Marta de Magasca and its surroundings an attractive natural destination.

We can find in these lands three contrasted types of landscape:

- Plains: the area of peneplain has an ornithological wealth. It has a chromatic duality that causes a radical change of the landscape: from the green during the wet period to the golden colour during the summer season.

- Riverbanks. Perhaps the most beautiful landscapes are in the riverbanks. Here the rivers are heavily encased, breaking the uniformity of the peneplain. To the particularity of its morphology of slopes, there is the lush tree density of the most protected areas; it is home of a rich fauna. Our environment is located in the basin of the Almonte. The Tamuja and its tributaries Magasca and Gibranzos, constitute the main river courses.

- Meadow: part of the peneplain is occupied by this traditional form of exploitation of the territory. It consists, in our case, in an oaks forest, where the clear spaces without trees are mainly used for pasture. Other uses are the cultivation of olive trees and forestry (wood, gravel, wildlife products, etc.). Santa Marta has a “Dehesa Boya”l (pasture land), which brings together in the same space the different traditional uses of the land. You can watch the cattle graze, the olive groves and the orchards; we can see hunting species, we can watch birds or collect wild products such as asparagus, potatoes or chillies. Near there, we will find a multitude of pigsties and other vernacular elements of the past, in good condition.

The predominant lithological material is the slate; it is common to see some rocky outcrops known as "dogs’ teeth".

The vegetation is adapted to the climatic extremes in the area. The wooded areas correspond to an oak grove (Quercus rotundifolia) and the Pyrus (Pyrus bourgeana), wild olives (Olea sylvestris) and  broom (Retama sphaerocarpa).  In the shrubby substrate are common species like the lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and the thyme (Thymus spp.). In the course of rivers and streams is usually common the riparian vegetation: Alders (Alnus glutinosa), ash (Fraxinus sp. pl.), poplars, and black poplars (Populus alba, Populus nigra) or elderberry (Sambucus nigra). In the edges grow plants such as aquatic the bulrushes (Scirpus holoschoenus).

  

The fauna of the area corresponds to the characteristic of the Mediterranean environment. The diversity of natural environments allows everybody to enjoy a rich and varied fauna, standing out the species of small game hunting and bird, especially the great bustard, the cranes and the birds of prey:

- Pseudo-steppe birds: great bustard (Otis tarda), little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), pin-tailed sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata), black-bellied sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis), thekla lark (Galerida theklae), Common lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) and calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra).

- Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus), bonelli’s eagle (Hieraetus fasciatus), black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus), red kite (Milvus milvus), black kite (Milvus migrans), eagle owl (Bubo bubo), barn owl (Tyto alba), small owl (Athene noctua), black vulture (Aegypius monachus) and griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus). From April to July, in plain areas inhabits the harrier (Circus pygargus), a bird that comes from Africa to reproduce. Another small bird of prey that deserves special mention is the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), which usually nest in buildings and farmhouses.

- Other birds (sedentary, breeding or wintering) are: white Stork (Ciconia ciconia), black stork (Ciconia nigra), common crane (Grus grus), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), Hoopoe (Upupa epops),  azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus), little tern (Sterna albifrons), red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis), ratchet (Oriolus oriolus), wood lark (Lullula arborea), Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata), red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), etc.

- Aquatic birds: Great crested grebe, Little grebe, black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus), ducks, etc.

They have a special importance because there are a lot of them. They breed in large colonies hundreds of couples of Cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and white storks (Ciconia ciconia) in the nests in the woodland areas. In the meadows areas during the fall and the winter, you can see Cranes (Grus grus) that come from northern Europe and choose these lands to spend the winter.

  The most common species are the woodpigeon (Palumba columbus), the turtledove (Streptopeliaturtur), the song thrush (Turdus philomelos), the wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos), the quail (Coturnix coturnix) and the most emblematic species of the area: the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa).

Mammals: the hunting species stand out, such as the wild boar ( Sus scrofa), the fox (Vulpes vulpes), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and hare (Lepus europaeus). Other species that can be found are the badger (Meles meles), the marten (Tuesday foina), the genet (genetta genetta), and the weasel (Mustela nivalis). There are a lot of small mammals, such as the bats or the mice. Other mammals can be seen, although rarely, are the shrew (Crocidura russala), the otter (Lutra lutra), the dormouse (Elyomis quercinus), the hedgehog (Ericeus europaeus), etc.

Reptiles and amphibians are represented by the spiny-footed lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus), the common lizard (Lacerta lepida), horseshoe snakes (Coluber hippocrepis), Mediterranean turtle (Mauremys leprosa), common frogs (Pelophylax perezi) and a toad species (Pelobates cultripes)

With regard to the  fish species that are found in the rivers, reservoirs and ponds in the area, there are: the barbel (Barbus barbus), the teals (Rutilus lemmingii), the symbolic species of our reservoir: the Tench (Tinca tinca), and the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus); the last one is allochtoon.

Santa Marta de Magasca is surrounded by protected natural spaces. Almost half of the municipal area is a protected area. The figures for the protection of the surroundings of Santa Marta are in the Law of Conservation of Nature and Natural Spaces of Extremadura and the European ecological network NATURA 2000. In addition, the entire environment is listed as Important Bird Area (IBA). The protected spaces in the area are:

- SPAB, ARI (Area of Regional Interest) Levels of Cáceres and Sierra de Fuentes. It is bordered on the west and the north. After the Monfragüe National Park, this is the area that attracts most tourists interested in ornithology in Extremadura. It is the best place of Extremadura to observe steppe birds, such as the great bustard or the little bustard.

- SPAB Magasca. It occupies a great part of Santa Marta. It is surrounded by meadows and influenced by the rivers Magasca and Magasquilla; it houses an important community of steppe birds. It is a zone of reproduction of the black stork.

- SPAB and SCI (Sites of Community Importance) Riberos del Almonte. The riverbed of this river, as well as its main tributaries, have this status of protection. Their riverbeds are home to many species found in these areas of wooded slope and trees as a shelter that the plains do not offer. This factor, along with the beauty of these landscapes and the biodiversity of aquatic spaces, is a great attraction for the nature tourism. The Almonte and its tributaries serve in addition as natural corridors that connect the wildlife populations of Las Villuercas, the Peneplain of Trujillo and Cáceres, and Monfragüe.

In our reservoir, located in the Dehesa de Valdehonduras, it is possible to observe numerous birds (aquatic birds in particular), that nest and feed on its shores. It is a secluded place surrounded by oak groves and along the River Magasca, so it allows you to enjoy a natural environment ideal for nature tourism.