A large area of some of the best steppes plus fringing dehesa in Extremadura, extending from the three roads radiating from Santa Marta de Magasca Vlillage , westwards to N of Cáceres. This is an outstanding area, largely falling within a ZEPA, sometimes as good as La Serena for seeing the speciality species, and part of an enormous complex including Belén, Trujillo to Monroy , the steppes north of Cáceres , and the Embalse del Guadiloba . In short, , Black Stork, Black, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Golden, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Red and Black-winged Kite, Montagu´s Harrier , Lesser Kestrel, Stone Curlew, Great and Little Bustards, Pin-tailed and Black- bellied Sandgrouse, Roller, Bee-eater. Great Spotted Cuckoo, Calandra, Thekla and Short-toed Larks, Black-eared Wheatear, Spectacled Warbler, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Azure-winged Magpie and Spannish Sparrow are all present at varying times.

Leaving the N-521 at K.10.4 the road first passes through dehesa with Booted Eagles, Red-legged Partridge, Hoopoe, Woodlark, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes and Azure-winged Magpie, before passing broom-covered steppe and then reaching open arable field to the right. Great and Little Bustards and Black-bellied Sandgrouse are frequent from here,and Montagu´s Harrier breeds in numbers in spring, While after c.4.5 km a small driveable ( but best walked) track also leads off to the right, Stone-curlews has been recorded. A very large, readily driveable track also leads off th the right about 0.4 km ahead (1) . Stopping at he entrances to these provides excellent viewpoints over the fields while Great Spotted Cuckoo, Hopooe, Thekla Lark and Azure-winged Magpie are frequent in the dehesa behind.

0.4 km ahead the road enters open dehesa and winds through a long series of curves where Roller and Great Spotted Cuckoo are particulary frequent, while it reaches more open fields again 2.7 km ahead. Great Spotted Cuckoo is again characteristic here, through Red Kite, Booted Eagle and Red-legged Partridge can often be preent. 1 km ahead, past a line of Eucaliptus trees lining a driveway, a pool is present down to the right in a field (2). Although a scope is necessary, various herons, ducks and waders are present.

The road then continues for another 4 km until reaching the edge of Santa Maerta de Magasca Village. Trno left c.50 m oast the “ Bar la Piscina” on the left, and following the road where it jinks right,0.4 km ahead it reaches a T-junction with a widened and improved road. Turning right leads out to the N of Santa Marta to Trujillo- Monroy road, while left heads SW towards the N-521. This avoids entering the town which has a complex system of narrow roads.
Turning right leads past the town and then into dehesa, through stopping is difficult. The area is generally bird-rich, through the main interest lies 3.2 km ahead where a bridge crosses the río Magasca (3). Park and look up and down river. Kingfisher, Thekla Lark, Red-rumped Swallw and Nightingale, Crag Martin (winter), Southern Grey Shrike , and Raven are all frequent , while Sardinian, Subalpine and Orphean Warblers have been recorded . This leaves dehesa after another 2.7 km, reaching rolling speppe and agricultural land until ending at this road a further 2.3 km ahead.

Turning left leads through dehesa down a winding road to the Río Tamuja at 2.6 km. It is possible to stop on the right just past the bridge (4). Turtle Dove, Thekla and Wood-Larks , Hopooe, Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow and Azure-winged Magpie are frequent, while Hawfinch occurs in winter. The road then climbs out through gradually thinning dehesa, where Little Owl is regular and Roller and Bee-eater occur in spring, and at 5 km enters open poor-quality steppe.
1.5 km ahead the road then passes into complementely open Steppe and arable fields, and fron here, Montagu´s harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Great and Little Bustards, Pin-tailed and Black bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlews, Calandra, Crested and Short-toed Lark and Black-eared Wheatear may all be present in spring, while occasional Rock Sparrow are seen and Spanish Sparrow often feed in flocks in grain fields.
This road ends 14.4 km after Santa Marta at k 31.0 of the N-521, with possibilities for all these species throughout its length. However, a single road leading west after 12 km leads through excellent steppe and due to the less disturbance, is often more productive.
Drive and Stop and scan as appropriate though the following points are of special interest.
(5) c.0.2 km after starting, stop where a large arable field begins on the left. This gives good views around, with Montagu´s harrier often breeding in numbers in surrounding grain fields and a small pond in rough vegetation below notable for Gadwall and Little Grebe. The fields around here should be carefully scanned for both bustards ( particulary Great9, while raptors are frequent overhead, including Black and Griffon Vultures and Red Kite.
(6) At 4.7 km, a broad valley is evident to the left and the thistly steppe and fallow lands are specially attractive to Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Little Bustards , while Great Spotted Cuckoo and Black-eared Wheatear are frequent in spring.
(7) Another large thistly field with short vegetation from c.8.0 km can have both sandgrouse, while Great and Little Bustards and Black-eared Wheatear also occur in small numbers. A good viewpoints is at 8.7 km on a distinct left-hand bend where a shallow gully runs away below you to the left . Birds can appear on both sides of the road here, and both Black and Griffon Vultures frequent “loaf” in this area in small numbers, and Short-toed Eagle is regular.
(8) The road then drops, and enters a small stream at 12.1 km. Parking can be difficult, but Spectacled Warbler is especially notable here, and although it can be hard to find, sometimes occurs in the densest areas of bushes along the roadside.
(9) Working its way through generally more undulating and taller-grass steppe, another good area where both bustards and Black-bellied Sandgrouse aften occur in the area around 14.4 km, and despite rather restricted views at times, should be checked carefully.
(10) Finally the road reaches open dehesas, and where power lines cross at 22.8 km, nest-boxes on the posts are higly attractive to Roller, while Kestrel and Jackdaw are also gfrequent occupants, and Southern Grey and Woodchat Shirkes regular in the dehesa. Egyptian Vulture and Booted Eagles occasuional cruise over this area in spring.

The road ends at a T-junction with the EX_390 north of Cáceres , and turning either way along this road for several km gives very good further opportunities for Roller.