31 May 2009 - Spain Birding: May 2009 Update
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
“Over the moon. Fantastic. Couldn’t fault it!”
“If you really want quality birding then I have no hesitation in recommending Stephen and Catalan Bird Tours - his dedication and knowledge is second to none. The whole tour was relaxed and very friendly and, important to my self, I was able to get clear identification (so you could see the birds' eyes!) and at the end of the week was able to identify many species through song as well. Thank you for a fantastic week. Hopefully I shall have the opportunity to visit you again.”
Alan Baxter, UK, 23rd – 30th May 2009
The sheer volume of birding tours and the sheer volume of birds that made this May one of the most exhilirating month's birding of my life also makes doing it justice impossible. From mixing it with Marsh Sandpipers on pretty much my only day off on the 1st, to the nights spent with nightjars during the last days of the month, I spent more hours standing agog, gasping and gaping than I could believe possible in the space of a few weeks. Wow. What a month.
["Come What May" - a special report on a relaxed day off hunting Wryneck and Red-throated Pipit and a summary of May's birding trips to the Cap de Creus and Aiguamolls de L'Emporda]
THE STEPPES OF LLEIDA and LOS MONEGROS
Without a doubt this is where most of the Wow! happened with displaying Little Bustard, scrub-top serenading Spectacled Warbler, sky-dancing Lesser Short-toed Lark and a handful of wide-eyed Stone-curlew showing extremely well, along with Black Wheatear, Southern Grey Shrike, Golden Oriole, Black-eared Wheatear, Red-billed Chough and LOTS of Roller, on every single one of the five visits during the month. And we only missed our usual amazing car-side views of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse on one day, the 5th, because of an enforced scheduled late morning start!
Disappointingly, one particular group of 12 evenly-sexed Gangas, as they are called locally, was apparently reduced to four half-way through the month after their fallow field was tilled over by the farmer. Making the locale for Xurras, or Black-bellied Sandgrouse to you and me, second-choice meant late-morning success, with good views of apparent breeding birds, on only three of the five occasions, as it heated up noticeably towards the end of the month.
Rather thrillingly though, after last year's total absence, Common Quail were seen, and often more than once, on every single birding trip, the best of which was a bird flying window-side before turning its head to look at me! It then banked to the right and landed plum-centre of the only gap in the dense scrub (field side) and allowed me to lock-on with binoculars before it sauntered off back into obscurity.
Great Spotted Cuckoo was yet another species that everyone got to see well, with many sat unperturbed by the proximity of the car. Strange how the juveniles gather in small flocks after leaving their adoptive Magpie parents but even stranger when, on the 29th, we observed a flock of four black-capped young mixing it up with two grey-headed adults. At least one of these young also seemed to be associating closely with a pair of nearby Carrion Crow, although we didn't witness any direct contact. This is apparently a less-frequently used host bird for the species but I for one have never come across it in reality.
Equally superb views of nest-building Penduline Tit were rudely interrupted after their dome-shaped pendulum was vandalised and, rather surprisingly and unlike last year, other candidates were not particularly forthcoming. Bonelli's Warblers, amongst others, however were easy to pick-up up until the 19th and we even had a single Western Orphean Warbler pass through noisily (how else?) on the 26th.
It was the raptors however for which, not surprisingly, we reserved our biggest Wows with the successful breeding again of Montagu's Harrier in a particular Lleida patch topping off a wonderful month that included more-than-usual sightings of Egyptian Vulture (thanks to the dump?) and lots of hunting activity and even accommodatingly perched individuals of Lesser Kestrel, Honey-buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Red Kite, Hobby and a first-winter Golden Eagle.
However, the harvest of the wheat crop, usually capitalised on by small regular flocks of Red-footed Falcon as they pass through, was about two weeks later than last year and so a single insect-eating male was the only showing for this year out in Los Monegros, although a family holiday in the UK put paid to any research into the tail-end of their usual window of opportunity. Still, the silver-lining hopefully is a longer refuge for the other steppe birds that breed amongst the growing cereals.
Wow! On the 19th just over the border in Los Monegros, further to the discovery of two day-time singing males on 21st April 2009, I found a third Dupont's Lark close-by as it dropped out of its song flight like a stone and landed in some nearby grass. A patient (!) wait of a few minutes saw it perched up on a rock and singing again out in the open before walking in and out and along the edge of a section of taller grass until doing exactly the same on a similar rock about fifteen metres away. A final song flight later (again witnessed on the 26th) and it was gone. But we did have time to scribble down the position and colour of its leg rings.
“Thank you for the 4 days birding in Catalonia. I enjoyed every minute and admired your expertise in locating so many species and putting me onto them. I greatly appreciated your help and the accommodation had all the facilities one could wish.”
Chris Rutt, Spain (5th – 8th May 2009)
THE EBRO DELTA
From the endless marshes, lagoons and rice fields flooded with shoals and schools of almost all of Europe's wader-species that brought the month to a truly spectacular start, by the 25th many had taken it in turns to pick their own 'last seen date' and had moved on to breed in pastures new. Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew and rather late Whimbrel were some of the last to make up their minds but also of note were good numbers of Oystercatcher hanging around the Trubacador and a personal favourite of summer-plumaged Red Knot (below) poking their noses into some beach-business along the Fangar until the 12th.
Amazingly close views of Temminck's Stint could be seen in front of the hide at Riet Vell until at least this date, shortly after which the waters were allowed in to flood the mud favoured by migrants and prepare the site for the serious business of aiding the region's breeding birds.
Typical stock for the coming months include Little Bittern and seven other herons, Glossy Ibis, Audouin's Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Gull-billed and Caspian Tern, Collared Pratincole and, representing the passerines, singing Short-toed Lark and quite startlingly good and routine views of reeling Savi's Warbler.
Lesser Short-toed Lark and Common Cuckoo also provided regular highlights to go along with one-off notables such as the last Garganey at Riet Vell (7th), a summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe diving into L'Encanyissada (12th) and a Northern Pintail roosting at the Gola de Mijgorn on the 25th.
My moment of the month here though was a savage and vicious fight between three Common Coot, again at Riet Vell on the 25th, with two dominant males holding a third under water almost to the point of death! And my disappointment? Where were all the White-winged Terns? Unlike last year's deluge, this year, no rain.
THE LLOBREGAT DELTA
A similar pattern and a similar story with this wetland reserve (actually two sites either side of the airport) with a full set of shorebirds gradually being reduced to last appearances of Bar-tailed Godwit (15th), Spotted Redshank (18th), Ruff (21st, no summer-plumaged males this year) and, on the 22nd, Red Knot and Curlew Sandpiper.
Hobby, Gull-billed Tern and others continued to pass through (last seen 28th), with a notable single Roller at Cal Tet on the 8th, and Common Waxbill were seen on a regular basis, especially bouncing along the riverside reeds of the St. Climent.
But, even set against the huge numbers of Audouin's Gulls apparently planning to stick around this summer, without doubt the highlight was a breeding pair of Little Ringed Plover, actually just outside the reserve boundary, with two fluff-ball chicks apparently making it thanks to the aggressive and tireless efforts of their parents fighting and chasing off anything that landed within a stone's throw.
“Excellent 3 days guided birding in Spain with Stephen Christopher (both Sandgrouse spp, Lammergeier, Lesser Kestrel, Audouin's Gull, 6 Lark spp inc Dupont's Lark, Rock Thrush, Citril Finch, etc. etc.)”
I'd had several birding trips around Catalonia but never managed to catch up with the rarer species so it was time to ask for help! Stephen rose to the challenge during 3 excellent days of guided birding. He confidently found all my key targets but I suspect even he was surprised with such superb views of Dupont's Lark! Next time I must have the camera ready...”
Roger Payne, UK (18th – 20th May 2009)
THE PYRENEES
Except for a near rain-spoilt day on the 13th, the Lammergeier, and for the most part a pair of adults, showed up gratefully and thrillingly as-and-according to schedule, from its 10 to 11 a.m. window around the cliffs towering over the local farm, via its lunch-time slot - and closer views - at 1400m a.s.l. and a last-chance majestic soar above the tree line from 3 p.m. onwards.
Reliable too were pink-flushed Water Pipit, Alpine Chough (on one occasion mobbing a Peregrine), Rock Bunting, Dipper (nesting under the bridge), Bonelli's Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail, Firecrest, Alpine Swift, Common Cuckoo and (Rufous-tailed) Rock Thrush, although in the case of the latter the late snow melt is probably the reason for less breeding pairs this year.
The same snow also locked us out of the forest tracks and explains the apparent absence of Citril Finch until we finally found them noisy and much-appreciated in their usual patch from the 13th onward, once the bulk of the snow had melted. Red-backed Shrike wisely waited until the 20th therefore to make an appearance but they wasted no time in catching up on the nuptials.
Common Crossbill were also harder to find, with only a handful of birds obliging on each birding trip, and Black Woodpecker only put in one decent appearance, on the 20th, although again the snow had prevented us probing the better tracks until the second half of the month. This same day also welcomed Garden Warbler, the start of more regular sightings of Golden Eagle and a passage Booted Eagle.
But it was Ring Ouzel that seemed most affected by the unusually late winter, with my first sighting not coming until a single bird threw its head into soft lush grass a few metres from the car in the search for worms on the 27th.
“Thank you very much for hosting and guiding us through so many wonderful habitats! The birds were fantastic and I appreciated you sharing your expertise and knowledge with us. We very much enjoyed Spain, especially the birding trips to the Ebro Delta, Pyrenees and the Steppes.”
“Thank you for your hospitality. We both learned from you and your efforts to show us different birds in different regions of Spain makes us want to return to see more. Thank you for bending to my food needs also. That took extra thought and effort. We both hope your business blossoms and prospers.”
Scott and Joyce Cox, USA (12th – 14th May 2009)
THE GARRAF
Wow. I didn't get chance to get into my local patch until the 8th but what a day. After first seeing an unusual Great Spotted Cuckoo flying across the bonnet and watching the local pair of Peregrines chasing dozens of local Pallid Swifts over the ocean (where a lone Shag was the only disappointing sighting this month), I went out with my friend Blake to check out a potential European Nightjar site.
We'd been told about the site at the end of last season, too late to confirm, but this time the farmer, Ricardo, came with us and pointed to the exact spots where he'd discovered and protected two nests, complete with eggs and sitting birds, last year. Looking around at the sandy soil and spaced-out garrufes trees, I couldn't help but wonder if the nightjars he'd seen were not in fact Enganyapastors, or European Nightjar, as he claimed, but Siboc. And as we walked about, despite taking care to stick to the paths and avoid treading beneath the canopies, up flew confirmation in the form of a single stunning rufous form that flushed and flew low, up and over an adjacent wall and sent ripples through all three of us - I have Red-necked Nightjar near my house! Not wanting to disturb any more birds, we retreated and I wasn't able to visit the site again until early in June (absolutely amazing, see June 2009).
New sites for Red-rumped Swallow, two in fact, also followed during seven other birding trips into the Garraf this month with passing Yellow Wagtail (18th), Woodlark, Sand Martin and Roller, all last seen on the 23rd, and Honey-buzzard, last seen on the 21st toying with a local pair of Bonelli's Eagle, being the highlights. Numbers of passing warblers and other species however were noticably down on last year when higher rainfall brought in record sightings.
Spotted Flycatcher was the last summer breeder to arrive to join the Black-eared Wheatear, Turtle Dove, Bonelli's and Melodious Warbler (top photo), Nightingale and Golden Oriole that had been settled for some time, the latter in my garden. And the pick of the residents included Cirl Bunting, Southern Grey Shrike and Spotless Starling, which seemed to be ever-present for a change.
Sightings of Short-toed Eagle were up, with a perched juvenile enjoyed for several minutes on the 28th, and Audouin's Gulls too, along the coast, mirrored their increase at nearby Llobregat. Common Cuckoo were especially prevalent earlier in the month, with a strange calling adult perched on a low bush by the car on the 13th, but a Wryneck calling on the garden as I put out the riubbish on the 18th somehow managed to avoid being seen as I tracked it to the end of the road before it fell silent and I was left standing in my shorts-only and carrying a smelly bin bag.
But the last Wow is reserved for an impromptu and test- tour on the evening of the 28th. Scheduling night tours poses problems but the approach of the end of the season and enthusiastic clients meant I summoned up enough energy and, in situ at my old Programa Noctua census station by 21.30, a communal and synchronised intake of breath accompanied the sudden appearance of wing-clapping European Nightjars as they floated and flapped, at one point, even around our ears! We were treated to a spectacular show for thirty minutes or more, with one bird churring from an open branch before springing up to hawk for insects, until the light finally faded and their ghostly silhouettes evetually merged perfectly into the dark black of night and we made our way home, thrilled. A thrilling month.
“A day spent with Stephen was a worthwhile and memorable experience. He knows the region like the back of his hand and took us to just the right places to spot dozens of new birds for my life list. He is engaging and personable besides being an expert and knowledgeable guide, which made for a wholly pleasant and successful birding outing.”
Dawn Hooker, USA, 21st May 2009
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25 May 2009 - Come What May (Spain Birding, 2009)
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
“Many thanks once again for a fantastic holiday.”
Liz and Mike Bunting, UK (23 May - 3 June 2009)
A day for firsts. The first of the month marked the first pleasure-only, leisure-only, responsibility-free, non-working birding day for more than a little while. Even a friend, who I'd arranged to meet for a lazy day chasing come-what-may in the AIGUAMOLLS DE L'EMPORDA and CAP DE CREUS, had been given strict instructions not to ask for anything. 'O.K.,' he'd e-mailed back totally empathising with my outlook on the day, 'but it would be nice to see Orphean Warbler, Ortolan Bunting, Red-throated Pipit, Wryneck and Marsh Sandpiper.' 'And I wouldn't mind Roller or Red-rumped Swallow.'
In truth I too was out to get my self a few year-firsts, some of those aforementioned included, but as I sat in the thankfully-lonely hide at Vilaut at 0720, I had already achieved my main objective for the day. This 'close', or pasture surrounded by trees, that floods naturally in perfect time to attract passing waders, terns and others, is my favourite place in the world to be alone. I poured my self a coffee, opened up a packet of 'Chips Ahoy' cookies and settled down to begin the scan - if I was working, it would have been the other way around.
I'd already walked under a flock of bubbling European Bee-eater, made eye-to-eye contact with a Nightingale and received a warm welcome from a Reed Warbler posted at the hide door before a flock of paddling White Stork, three Greenshank and smatterings of Mallard made up the precursory glance as I perched my self in excited expectation ready to pan from right to left. I didn't care what I saw, I told my self, but this was the place of many lifers over the ten years I've been coming, not least of which was a small flock of never-to-be-forgotten Red-throated Pipit busying themselves beneath the lip of the hide window, so I'm not sure I was entirely convincing, or convinced.
The silhouette of a Wood Sandpiper stepped first into the water and then into the light, a male Garganey shared some synchronised up-ending with a pair of moulting Common Teal and a Common Cuckoo was, peacefully, the only soundtrack. At least until my phone bipped with a text that read, 'I'll be there in ten minutes.' The white hook on the neck of a Northern Pintail caught my eye as it preened in the shallows and a single apparently cold Collared Pratincole just sat there, even when the sun glowed across the water to bathe it in orange and even when I left, nearly two hours later, in the company of said friend.
Although famed for the unexpected and unpredictable, Vilaut is a reliable site for the late-arriving Roller and as we neared the track's end, the familiar rowing action flapped across our bows and landed in a conveniently leafless tree. A furtive Garden Warbler was betrayed by a mischievous relative, as a singing Sardinian Warbler attracted our attention, and provided a second year-first in as many minutes.
Little more than ten minutes later and we exited the car on the edge of the Cap de Creus National Park and a little under ten paces later on we were marvelling at a stationary Western Orphean Warbler singing loudly from the underhang branches of an adjacent cork oak. Reliable site this. For Wryneck too, and two more Orphean Warblers later, including a ringed individual, we heard one kreeching, kestrel-like across the way and made our way over to track it. No luck. It didn't call again and our chance had fled.
Stopping along the way, we picked off Pied Flycatcher, Cirl Bunting and almost unprecedented numbers of Greenfinch, seemingly craving our attention as much as the warmth as they perched in the shafts of sunlight piercing the shady canopy of the surrounding pines.
Upon reaching another favourite spot, I was momentarily surprised to see space where usually there was scrub, or maquis. However, my joy, at witnessing the apparent start of an active clearance programme to combat the dominance of the maquis and its encroachment into the open spaces many birds depend upon, disappeared as sure as the birds themselves as I noticed the rows and rows of recently planted sapling trees. Man has become so good at preventing the regeneration caused by natural fires that, just as in the Garraf where such burn back hasn't happened for nearly thirty years!, many species such as Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Tawny Pipit and Spectacled Warbler are struggling to keep a foothold.
As if to emphasise the value of re-creating these open spaces, however unintentional in this case, the enchanting and enigmatic short-song of an Ortolan Bunting was quickly tracked to reveal two stunning males frolicking amongst the torn up roots and newly-exposed dirt and, when one flew to the dead branch of an old tree to sing again, its yellow throat lit up in the sunshine and swelled as if it was going to burst. For some reason, the optimism flooded back.
This was my fourth year-first of the day so far, the late-season arrival of three of them inspiring this trip in the first place. Targets five and six, however, were passage visitors only and both were reaching the end of their respective windows of opportunity.
So imagine my excitement when, almost written-off given that the majority are seen in late March or early April, not one but two wonderfully sleak, needle-billed Marsh Sandpiper were the first birds I was drawn to amongst the train-station-like throngs criss-crossing over the shallows of Mas Mata back in the Aiguamolls. Dwarfed by the Common Redshank, Ruff and Black-winged Stilt, it was a breathe-in-and-savour-it thrill to see their black-spotted plumage so close and watch them slalem their way gracefully between the legs and bodies of their taller rivals.
I was hooked for the next sometime-and-more - truly one of my all-time favourite birds - and confess to paying scant attention to the Red Knot, Spotted Redshank, Grey Plover and the rest, until the tick-tock of time tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Don't forget you promised me a Red-throated Pipit.'
For year-first number six and a full set for the day (not counting the White-winged and Black Tern window of opportunity that was only just opening), we strolled over to and along the edges of the adjacent field to scour the patch and each blade of grass where Red-throated Pipit are seen each and every year. Indeed a flock of twenty-one and many more sightings had been reported recently so our expectations of getting the sometimes-offered binoculars-down views of arms-reach birds began to rise... and then fall. All twenty-one and their mates were obviously in hiding. And after a few minutes, where became apparrent as a single dark-throated bird rose vertically up from the mass of impenetrable carpet of grass, drawing-out a diagnostic call of mischief, before teasing a iberiae Yellow Wagtail off a bordering fence-post and settling down back into obscurity.
Very unsatisfactory. But after the leisurely day-off of relaxing, responsibility-free birding I'd had, I wasn't complaining. Not one bit. Roll on the rest of May and roll on the getting back to work.
P.S. We also got the Red-rumped Swallow, skimming the crop-tops in a field back near Vilaut, completing the circle literally, as we made our way back to our respective cars, and birding-wise, as the Roller showed up again to see us off.
24th May, 2009
My optimism regarding the Ortolan Bunting proved founded as two males were still singing in exactly the same place on my only other trip to the region this month. Lots of Red-rumped Swallow too, well spread across the Cap de Creus National Park and very encouraging as this species is still rather localised in Catalonia.
Western Orphean Warbler continued to show well, particularly a marvellous pair singing and playing right by the car as we drank coffee, and its cousin, the Melodious Warbler, seemed to post singing sentinels everywhere we went. Wryneck at last improved on its rather poor showing so far this year with two heard calling and one seen well, if brief, close to a good spot for Dartford Warbler.
Over a dozen immature Shag and a spectacular pair of Honey-buzzard over the car proved to be the most interesting additions on the trip from the first of the month but the mean time, whilst not quite drying up the water in El Mata in the Aiguamolls, certainly saw a reduction in wetland species overall, signalling the beginning of the end of the migration season and the start of getting down to breeding business. A pair of Mute Swan chasing a Eurasian Spoonbill out of their patch of water confirmed the process was well under way.
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30 April 2009 - Spain Birding: April 2009 Summary
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
“I had a great time during my four days with you.
I enjoyed every day out to a different habitat but if I had special favourite it was the Steppes, from the start it went really well and your knowledge and fieldcraft enabled us to see both Sandgrouse, Little Bustard and Montagu's Harrier plus many more all with fantastic views. I'm sure that any trip you lead for people cannot fail to provide first class birding with your local knowledge and people from new starters to the more experienced would benefit from your expertise.
Best Wishes and hope we get to go out again one day, I certainly have gaps still to fill from this great birding region.”
Michael Curry, UK
 I spent the first half of April listening to clients moaning about the rain - fair enough, I joined in too - and yet throughout it all the birds kept coming and the birds kept on going.
For these Slender-billed Gulls (top photo), it was simply a matter of waiting to take advantage of a gap and getting on with the job in hand! No moaning. Ever since I was a kid I've learned from birds - if a Kestrel can focus that hard with a headwind smacking it in the face then I can jolly well get my head down too and do some revision! Sad but true, I actually remember thinking that - and so, like the gulls and all the birds around them, we simply got on with it and, where many before us may have faltered, we reaped rewards aplenty! O.K. and we moaned a lot too.
THE STEPPES OF LLEIDA and LOS MONEGROS
A special review of the month in the Steppes, including the positive start to the breeding season, can be viewed here: April in The Steppes
THE GARRAF
A positive start to the month in the GARRAF too with a resident pair of Black Wheatear, at a nesting location threatened by dog-walkers and beach-goers, apparently happy to give it a go for another year. I started successfully too with my annual personal challenge of always locating at least one singing Common Cuckoo per trip with a tree-top bird easing me into it on the 5th. The day before also noted the first Woodchat Shrike.
Not much opportunity to explore through much of the month and, by the 23rd, Eurasian Bee-eater, Nightingale and plenty of Turtle Dove had already settled in. Lone Spanish Yellow Wagtail and Woodlark were probably only passing through though but the day will always be remembered spent comparing the size, shape, plumage and screams of over a hundred Common, Pallid and Alpine Swifts doing what they do best around my head at a scenic spot along the coast.
LLOBREGAT DELTA
The 4th recorded my first Whimbrel, two more Osprey setting the trend for a good month at all locations and a brief but welcome motorway-side Honey-buzzard, although as I write I have yet to see another.
The 12th added a pair of exhausted Collared Pratincole, with their numbers continuing to rise slowly through the month, and continued a curious trend of groups of late Eurasian Wigeon that began on the Ebro Delta and went on at least until the 13th in the Aiguamolls de L'Emporda.
All locations also offered the chance to compare Yellow Wagtail heads, with the rain falling in groups of flavissima (Britain), cinereocapilla (Italy, above) and iberiae (Spain of course) as well as the nominate flava (Central Europe).
The poor weather did seem to dampen the spirits of the warblers however and I can't believe Great Reed Warbler hadn't arrived until we located a proud singing individual on the 15th (in good company with a superb passage male Montagu's Harrier at Cal Tet). A pair of Temminck's Stint, increasingly common in the area, dropped in a day later.
A spectacular morning trip on the 28th provided one of the best sessions of the year with 17 species of wader flying in and out of Ca L'Arana beach. Individuals, small possies and larger flocks mixed and collided with each other with a lone Whimbrel and summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit and the stunning Grey Plover coming in close runners-up to the bird-of-the-day - no less than eight Red Knot scampering across the sand in various shades of rufous.
Common Waxbill, Pied Flycatcher, Great Reed Warbler, Squacco Heron, Garganey, Mediterranean Gull, Audouin's Gull and four absolutely charming Little Gull, two complete with smart black hoods, were also about and eight very excited and exciting Little Tern added a year first to an already very worthwhile trip.
Temminck's Stint were back on the 29th, giving touching-distance-who-needs-binoculars views on El Campo. Four Sanderling, including a summer plumage bird, didn't seem to mind my proximity at Remolar either and we shared the beach as I watched Little and Common Tern diving over the ocean. Three male Golden Oriole chased each other over the car park whilst a pair of Whinchat watched on before I headed home, already looking forward to May.
THE EBRO DELTA
A pair of Temminck's Stint visited Riet Vell also, on the 7th, along with repeated stunningly close views of Moustached Warbler and both helped to ease the disappointment of the no-show Little Crake, which I haven't seen since March and I think has moved on. There's always a chance of more though, at least until early May.
Overall this was a truly great day though with limited space meaning the highlights will only have to include Spoonbill, three Osprey, pink-breasted Water Pipit, Bonelli's Warbler, late-ish Northern Lapwing and year firsts of Common Tern, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whinchat, Black-eared Wheatear and a Savi's Warbler reeling a backdrop soundtrack to this flyby Squacco Heron.
But on the 10th the Trubacador really came into its own with a fifteen-minute, post-rainfall dash up and down the beach in the four by four revealing numerous Whinchat, Black-eared Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, and a sneaky male Sub-alpine Warbler sharing a bush with the Common Redstart below.
We also noted the Wigeon (see above) at Canal Vell, where we also ticked off Reed Warbler to add to the year-first Gull-billed Tern, which had arrived to swarm across the Fangar.
AIGUAMOLLS DE L'EMPORDA
A year-first male Golden Oriole on the 13th, three days before they were seen and sang in the Steppes, was my personal highlight of the month's only trip to the Emporda but other notables included a full-of-life Little Gull that charmed all eyes away from the swarms of black-bellied Whiskered Tern,
no less than four drake Garganey chasing a lone female into the long grass (and they haven't even reached their breeding grounds yet!), my first real sighting of a Nightingale this year...
and I know the simply envious sight of yet another Osprey landing in an adjacent flooded field and proceeding to bathe...
THE PYRENEES
Two very contrasting trips began with a sun-covered jaunt through the high altitude specialities on the 6th when almost the first birds we saw were a pair of Lammergeier circling over head. When they weren't around we made do with a pair of adult Golden Eagle that seemed to follow us all day, although Citril Finch made us work hard before we finally found two pairs feeding amongst the snow-gaps on the Orris meadow.
A continuously shrieking and drumming Black Woodpecker did manage to avoid our attentions in the thick of the trees however but the moment of the day for me more than made up for it with a superb black-and-white Pied Flycather startling me from the adjacent bush during lunch - almost a month before I usually record them this far inland.
Disastrous and un-predicted weather on the 12th however meant we couldn't ascend to the high meadows despite two attempts - where we only found a small group of snow-eating Common Crossbill - and so we amused ourselves with the lowland offerings such as Dipper, Hawfinch, Rock Bunting and Cirl Bunting, Bonelli's Warbler, Firecrest and Short-toed Treecreeper before giving up and heading off to finish the day at Llobregat.
Bet these Crag Martins wished they could have joined us...
With sunshine warming our expectations on the 22nd, ultimately they were to be cooled by a raging wind that threatened to literally blow the car door off. So, except for a hovering Short-toed Eagle, there were few raptors. Although, whilst listening to a cocky Nuthatch singing in a spot where a pair bred two years ago, one did show up, in the form of a male Sparrowhawk, to streak past and snatch its victim before our eyes. I don't think they'll be breeding there this year.
The wind restricted most sightings equally brief throughout the day with a fleeting glimpse of an albeit very well snow-lit and striking Alpine Accentor being typical of many of the passerines. But extreme proximity to a pair each of Crossbill and Bullfinch, along with singing Nightingale, good views of single representatives of Red-billed and Alpine Chough and thrilling flocks of Siskin and flavissima Yellow Wagtail twisting around our heads on different occasions sent us home re-warmed and satisfied.
Thanks to Michael Cox for the photos from his four day trip. You can read and see more on Michael's Blog.
"Thanks for your efforts, despite/because of the weather, we thoroughly enjoyed this part of our first Spanish birding holiday.
Stephen really worked hard to see as many species as possible, a characteristic of our time with him and something we remain very grateful for. We also learned a lot about the birds we saw, their habitat, field identification tips, etc., which has already proved very helpful to us.”
Michael and Helen Cox, UK
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21 April 2009 - Spain Birding: April in The Steppes
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
"You gave us lots of options and answered emails promptly and put yourself out for us.
On the day we were thrilled to see so many new birds in such a short space of time, without causing them any significant disturbance. You clearly knew the area very well and took us to the best places. It was fascinating to not just tick off the 'firsts' (16 in our case) but to learn about the birds and understand them. The star bird was the Black Wheatear, but the Great Spotted Cuckoo was special and the eagle above the petrol station was a wonderful end to a memorable day."
David and Carol Bradley, UK
Drizzzzle all the way along the AP2 en route to THE STEPPES OF LLEIDA on the first day of the month had the unavoidable effect of lowering our expectations but Catalonia thankfully has a knack for ignoring such negativity, even in the amounts given off by three cynical Brits, and we were immediately rewarded upon our arrival with several quite lovely flocks of white Cattle Egret against the dark grey sky, welcoming us and tempting us to follow.
Follow we would, but later. They were on their way to the municipal dump for breakfast and, as usual, I first had to earn mine by finding at least one of the area's three key steppe species. As it turned out we got two for the price of one as a pair of Stone-curlew flushed up to land in a nearby field and spooked a single male Little Bustard, who thankfully settled no more than a skip and a jump from it's point of take-off. It landed in cover so we pointed the scope at the two nervous Eurasian Thick-knees, as the world has rather annoyingly started to call Burhinus oedicnemus, and David and Carol excitedly gulped down their first ever sighting, big yellow eyes and all. I gulped down my coffee and cookies and kept my big brown eyes on the Little Bustard.
Before long the wailing of the Stone-curlew was joined by the quick ventriloqual fart-raspberry of the Little Bustard and we were able to pick him out and watch on like voyeurs, a sight that was thankfully to be repeated throughout the month with up to six territorial males in this fragment of pseudo-steppe. After pecking off seeds from the neck-high weeds, he began to swell up his throat and throw back his head, letting out his peculiar flatulent nuptial noise in his attempt to lure a female, but during the time we were there he had no obvious success. No, it doesn't work with me either.
Not wanting to risk too much disturbance at this time of year, we left him with his disappointment and headed off, accompanied by the sight and soundtrack of chinkling Calandra Lark, to one of this season's 'likely' fields for the last of the magic three. Magic indeed, as the first stop and the first scan revealed no less then four pairs of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse grouped together and motionless twenty metres from the car, invisible to the naked eye but glorious in their colourful camouflage once three sets of binoculars were pointed in their direction.
It only took a couple of minutes for them to habitualise to us and proceed to walk the short steps their specially-adapted short legs would allow, picking off seeds from weeds just as the Little Bustard had. They froze momentarily as a ring-tail Hen Harrier flapped and zig-zagged its way over and again we managed to leave them without flushing, an important consideration given their precarious breeding status in the area. For the record, a maximum of twenty-six birds, mostly in pairs or evenly sexed flocks, were counted during April.
Actually, by the time of my visit on the 16th, this flushed Montagu's Harrier, looking back at the photographer above, had not only replaced the wintering Hen Harrier but also had been seen on every visit, sometimes in the apparent company of a female. After last year's almost total absence in this patch I'm hopeful that they will stick around to repeat the success of 2007.
Back on the 1st, the Hen Harrier seemed to track us through the day giving us many thrilling encounters but a miserable Common Buzzard perched in a tree-top bode warning of a poor-weather day, short on raptors. However, like the harriers, not all birds of prey are built for gliding and soaring and a spectacular Osprey passed over head to our delight, especially as we'd already added Red-billed Chough, Red-legged Partridge and, moments before, three Bonelli's Warbler.
Almost to the day the year before, we'd had an Osprey at nearby Utxesa lake and so a visit here was planned for the day anyway but a second was too much to ask for and we had to 'settle' for Alpine Swift, Southern Grey Shrike and four Red-rumped Swallow sharing the restricted airspace above the reeds with their Barn Swallow and House Martin cousins.
This feeding frenzy reminded us of lunch and we tucked in and reflected on the mornings highlights, which included White Stork, Red Kite and Black Kite at the dump, a truly beautiful male Marsh Harrier and a passage Blue-headed, flava, Yellow Wagtail whilst making comparisons between the local Crested Lark and Thekla Lark.
But the moment of the morning for me had been all three of us tracking the curious cackling erupting from the pines near the Alfes timoneda. We lost count as perhaps more than six Great Spotted Cuckoo repeatedly broke cover and, always in pairs, sprinted low over the grassy field from opposite boundary trees. With a little patience and some manouvering we feasted on fantastic telescope views of three particularly helpful birds, one of which possessed a black rather than the grey head of the adult, indicating it was a first summer individual. And all this whilst four Hoopoe chased each other around seemingly unable to decide who was with whom for the summer.
As we reached Cogul, after seeing yet more Little Owl sunning themselves on the way, the skies had begun to clear increasing our hopes of seeing the local breeding Short-toed Eagle. Mean time a short walk into the sunshine brought out lots of Linnets, a pair of Blue Rock Thrush and the day's second Black-eared Wheatear, again the white-throated form. A stunning pair of resident Black Wheatear also obliged and completed the set as passing Northern Wheatear had already been recorded earlier in the day.
And finally we were indeed gifted great views of a Short-toed Eagle - but not until we were halfway home and an awesome individual sailed right over the car as I was filling up with petrol!
The local bird, however, proved more helpful on all five of my other visits, on 5th, 11th, when the picture below was taken, 16th, 20th and 21st.
These visits also included the nearby LOS MONEGROS, targetted for Black-bellied Sandgrouse and, continuing the positive theme, were seen in numbers (max. 40), active and frolicking on all but one brief search. The weather during the month was pretty awful to say the least, not necessarily putting off the birds, as the soaking wet Pin-tailed Sandgrouse below will testify, but making birding slightly less enjoyable, and harder work, than usual.
But in the end, after the apparent shock-wave of last year's agricultural upheaval, it was a month full of hope, as things seemed to have settled back into the struggle of normalcy, with numbers of displaying Little Bustard up on the previous year, sandgrouse just about holding their own and both Montagu's Harrier and Quail (finally seen after countless invisible tempters on 16th, and again on 21st) returning to at least give it a go. Plenty of Red-rumped Swallow too, even away from their known and localised breeding spots.
But in a rather magical moment whilst watching a first-winter Golden Eagle being mobbed by two Raven I shushed my two clients and allowed my apparent imagination to materialise into not one but two singing Dupont's Lark, no further than ten metres from the car, in a location I'd never heard them before and at 11.30 in the morning.
Other notables included returning Penduline Tit and Golden Oriole on the 16th, several singing Spectacled Warblers around both Cogul and Los Monegros throughout the month and a sun-soaked break in the rain on the 11th that provided the year firsts of Bee-eater (top photo), Tawny Pipit and singing Nightingale. Hobby, however, was rather oddly not seen until two birds on 21st.
Thanks to Michael Cox for supplying photos from his trip on the 11th. More - and better quality - photos, together with his full account of his three-day trip, can be seen on MICHAEL'S BLOG.
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31 March 2009 - Spain Birding: March 2009 Summary
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
"I was very pleased and impressed with Catalan Bird Tours. I saw 153 species in three days, some fantastic birds, including a number of lifers. I’d definitely like to revisit.
By the time you've booked accommodation, hired a car (4x4 was a must), bought breakfast and lunch, paid for fuel and the numerous road tolls I doubt you would save much money over the quoted cost. When you then factor in the time it would take to find the places by car, even before you start looking for birds, it really starts to look good value and money well spent. I shudder to think how long you could drive around the Steppes without seeing the target species if you didn’t know the exact fields to scan for them.
Stephen Christopher was an excellent guide, knowledgeable about the birds and where best to find them."
Martin Cracknell, UK.
LLOBREGAT DELTA
Tonsilitis, courtesy of my son's nursery school, choked any chance of getting out early in the month and by the time I got to Cal Tet, Llobregat on the 13th Black-winged Stilt, Garganey and (about a month after the first House Martin and Barn Swallow) Sand Martin had already arrived. Two birds of dubious origin, a Barnacle Goose (again on 25th) and a Bar-headed Goose, were still present, whilst a single Water Pipit (photo of another from the Ebro Delta below) had yet to depart for its breeding grounds in the Pyrenees and a fantastic flyover Great Bittern created a personal latest winter record by three days after a previous 'best' in 2006.
GARRAF MASSIF
Other local 'noteworthies' included a 100 plus gathering of full summer-plumage Mediterranean Gulls on Vilanova beach and, on the 14th, of the winter visitors, I was left with just two garden Siskin, a couple of Blackcap and a Robin. A few adult Northern Gannet added a splash to the coastline until the 25th and, during a family lunch on the 22nd, I finally saw my first Short-toed Eagle as it floated past the window of the local restaurant. Singing Cirl Bunting throughout the Garraf indicated an end to the spectacular wintering flocks of passerines.
EBRO DELTA
Anything I missed out on during the first half of the month however was more than matched on the 17th by the welcome return of Riet Vell's seemingly very own Little Crake showing extremely well as usual on the Ebro Delta. We entered the hide expectantly and to my joy caught one of my favourite birds on the far side even before I could sit down. We ate our way through lunch, Glossy Ibis, a beautiful male Common Redstart, several frisky Purple Swamphen (photo) and Spanish Yellow Wagtail whilst awaiting its repeated forays out into the open.
A single Willow Warbler, several more Hoopoe and Squacco Heron than usual and two dozen species of wader including Little Ringed Plover, Temminck's Stint and lots of Curlew provided other migrant highlights to add to great views of resident Water Rail, fishing Caspian Tern (below) and the presumed Little Egret x Western Reef Heron on the Trubacador.
Of the wintering birds yet to depart perhaps a pink-flushed Water Pipit by the car was the pick but a small flock of female Red-breasted Mergansers, good numbers of Robin and Black-necked Grebe (still there in summer plumage on 23rd along with Northern Pintail and two pairs of late-ish Wigeon), a few of the regular overwintering Whiskered Tern and a handful of Bluethroat were also noteworthy.
A remarkable and stunning RED-spotted Bluethroat passed through on the 23rd (most, including those overwintering, are the white-spotted variety) and seemed to be set for bird of the day until a cheeky Spotted Crake crept out into the scope to upstage even its Little Crake cousin, which was still showing very well. Today finally saw Purple Heron, with several close encounters, enter my year list.
No crakes on a (very) quick visit on 31st though but a Hen Harrier showed well at Riet Vell whilst we were waiting (to follow a light-phase Booted Eagle en route) and I had a year first sighting of Curlew Sandpiper on El Golero.
PYRENEES
A thrilling and sudden party of around sixty Alpine Swift swarming around the car on the motorway en route from the Pyrenees were the only sign of summer migrants on the 18th but the day did confirm the return of Water Pipit and singing Dunnock after spending the winter at lower altitudes. The month's still generous covering of snow wasn't quite enough, it seems, to keep the flock of Snowfinch that has been entertaining us over the last couple of months but it was enough to prevent us penetrating the forest tracks for the best sites for Citril Finch so we were left with only sightings of Siskin, Bullfinch (both on 25th) and a regular party of Hawfinch flying betwixt and between the tree tops of Baga.
However, just as we were debating the absence of raptors given the gloriously sunny day, we looked up to see five Griffon Vultures just over our heads with a spanking orange adult Lammergeier at their centre. After watching it float away we had the fortune to witness a second an hour or so later soaring over the cliff-horizon of the Greixer Valley. Also worth a mention are the endless chorus of Short-toed Treecreepers singing from nearly every tree, a very confiding Dipper, Alpine Chough chirping like passerines as always and at a brief but glorious Black Woodpecker.
THE STEPPES
Out in the The Steppes on the 24th we found a world on the cusp of the breeding season with at least three territories of summer-plumage male Little Bustards near Lleida but only a flock of nineteen birds still clothed for the winter in Los Monegros (photo below), although I admit it didn't occur to me to check to see if they were all females until it was too late.
After a winter of over 120 local wintering birds, this pair of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (two above) around Lleida were the only obvious evidence of the species, implying the onset of nuptials, whilst their Black-bellied Sandgrouse cousins seemed seasonally inspired with much activity and numerous small flocks viing for our attentions out in Los Monegros. Great Spotted Cuckoo (top photo), Stone-curlew, Black Kite and Lesser Kestrel all appeared to be well-established too but a gandful of Red Kite, a winter roamer to these lowlands, and only a single Short-toed Eagle hovering over Cogul showed that the boundary between the seasons was still in flux.
The highlight for me though, after last year's apparent turmoil caused by changes to European farming rules dispensing with subsidies for 'set-aside' land, was a single calling bird giving an early indication that Common Quail might just be back after last year's TOTAL ABSENCE!
Many thanks to Martin Cracknell for his excellent photos (Fan-tailed Warbler from the Ebro Delta below).
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31 January 2009 - Spain Birding: January 2009 Summary
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
"Thank you for a great day's birdwatching. We really enjoyed it and it was, by far, the best day of the trip. And you were an excellent tour leader. Gail and Gwyn, U.K."
Following a winter flock of vagrant clients, my year list for 2009 very quickly held the likes of White-winged Snowfinch, Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor, Lammergeier, Moustached Warbler, Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Balaeric Shearwater and Common Crane.
And there's possibly even been the surprise of the year already with a Snow Bunting popping its head up over a rock in a sea of snow in the PYRENEES.
For a full report of a spectacular January in the Cadi-Moixero Natural Park see "WINTER IN THE PYRENEES" here.
Another vagrant, so famous it even made the local news, was a long-staying White Pelican that shared its time between the church tower of Torres de Segre and the local Lleida dump after first turning up in the EMPORDA near Girona. The photo at the top of the page is from the 18th.
Nearby, in the STEPPES OF LLEIDA and LOS MONEGROS, winter's theme - flocking of course - was evident from the 4th, with monthly maximums of 47 Great Bustard, 52 Little Bustard (upped by a passing Red Kite), over 120 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and, bucking the trend a little, only about 20 Black-bellied Sandgrouse. But all were seen, as usual, grounded, close and feeding so there were no complaints about the views.
Booted Eagle, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Little Owl, Southern Grey Shrike, Red-billed Chough, Rock Bunting and a host of larks were all present and correct with particular highlights being a huge flying carpet of Cattle Egret on the 4th and, on the 18th, a rock-top party of four Black Wheatear next to the car, a roaming flock of Fieldfare and a long string of hundreds upon hundreds of Brambling lining the bushes and trees along the Lleida-Zaragoza motorway.
The surprises though seemed to come all at once with overflying Eurasian Spoonbill, Common Crane and, my personal favourite, an unusual overwintering and probably very lonely Common Whitethroat all seen on the 4th.
But if you want winter flocks, it's on the EBRO DELTA where the fields and skies are really full of wings.
Cattle Egret, Little Egret and Black-headed Gull taking advantage of a little help with the digging.
Just part of a large flock of Black-tailed Godwit that periodically swooped up and swarmed through the air like bees, taking all the fringe birds, like these Ruff in the foreground, with them. Over twenty species of wader spend the winter on the Ebro Delta with even an increasing number of Wood Sandpiper and the odd Black-winged Stilt.
Other increasingly common birds that used to be counted as summer visitors only are Purple Heron, Squacco Heron and Whiskered Tern. Booted Eagle and Bluethroat however are strictly winter-only and provide that extra bit of seasonal excitement, with the latter being spread right across the delta and not too difficult to find still sporting its colourful coat.
One place in particular is the Riet Vell reserve where, on the 3rd, one joined our other treats of the day, Water Rail, Moustached Warbler and a small group of Penduline Tit.
Over a dozen Red-breasted Merganser gathered together in Alfacs Bay, accompanied by larger numbers of quick-diving Black-necked Grebe, and back in fields hundreds of Glossy Ibis filled their own particular niche, their unique bill-shape allowing them to take invertebrates that the Grey Heron and other birds couldn't reach.
Of course many of the same species can be seen around the wetlands of Barcelona's LLOBREGAT, with Night Heron, Eurasian Spoonbill and Water Pipit usually affording hide-side views and Common Waxbill bouncing along to provide a noisy bonus.
Twelve species of duck were also seen at close quarters, including Northern Pintail and more bonuses of Velvet Scoter and Eider Duck bobbing along in the River Llobregat. About face and you could even glimpse the now long-staying vagrant Slavonian (Horned) Grebe, which was better seen from the beach-side viewing tower.
Additional moments of note include, on the 2nd, the first sighting of a juvenile Goshawk that visited periodically, the many but always mentionable sightings of Bluethroat, confirmation of over-wintering Stone-curlew, with five present on an adjacent field on the 28th, and two short-stay Wood Sandpiper and quite unusual winter Temminck's Stint in pouring rain on the 31st.
Verification of the continued presence of the Wallcreeper in the GARRAF on the same day was also welcome as it butterflied over from an initial mid-distant sighting to land and creep on the crag in front of us before flying off (nervously for us, that Peregrine is somewhere about) across the sea-cliffs to disappear south.
Northern Gannet, Balaeric Shearwater, Eurasian Shag, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Bunting variously provided while-you-wait entertainment with even the odd Audouin's Gull popping by every now and then and a quick trip inland for Rock Sparrow or Alpine Accentor, most notably on the 2nd, was always an option.
"A most enjoyable day of birding. Going out with a local guide is certainly the way to go."
Heather Bunner, USA
""Thank you so much for showing us so much. So many birds. Great memories of the snowfinch bluethroat, hoopoe, etc etc etc etc...... Another thank you for the footie match. What a treat!!!
How wonderfully relaxed it all was - not having to think about where we were going and just being able to enjoy the scenery and look for the birds was about perfect and then lunch was served."
Dilys and Eric Powell, U.K.
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18 January 2009 - Winter in the Pyrenees (Spain Birding)
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
On 11th January, we were staring up towards the rock face in front of us, binoculars gripped at at-the-ready-chin-height and waiting for the next white flashes to explode into the clarity of the blue-blue sky before arching and falling back down into the obscurity of white-on-white – Snowfinch on snow.
At officially up to 3cm longer than a Chaffinch, there’s no deception at how big these long- and white-winged relatives seem when set against the contrast of the sky, even at this distance, and it all just adds to the thrill. We ‘ooo-ed’ and ‘argh-ed’ like children around a bonfire, calling ‘there!’ and ‘this side!’ as each small flock threw itself up and dropped back down. Occasionally, again just like fireworks, we lucked upon one or two on the ground and gleefully gathered our telescopes around to watch them feeding.
The post-breeding movements of (White-winged) Snowfinches, which can start as early as late July, is always unpredictable, depending upon the weather as it does, but this has been a good year. Out of the total of 613 birds rung in the Collada de Toses between 2005 and 2009, 328 have been rung this winter, with none in the two years previously.
‘Wait a minute,’ I mumbled as I was scanning the rock face, and headed for my telescope to confirm an overactive imagination. But, ‘Wallcreeper!’ Max shouted before I got there and sure enough the apparent peering head, that I may have dismissed as fantasy without a back-up pair of eyes, turned out to be a crazy lone pela-roques, in Catalan, eeking out a lunatic living on the freezing cold, snow-covered cliffs of the magical, magical Pyrenees.
In turns, it was seen fluttering out way over our heads to disappear into thin air, avoiding the high-mag gaze of our scopes with some sleight-of-wing, and dropping like a Peregrine the whole height of the cliff only to be suddenly sucked onto it’s sheer surface just metres from certain death as if it was suddenly magnetised. Wallcreeper are supposed to descend to lower altitudes in weather like this and, although it breeds at up to 3000m above sea level, I would hardly call the snow-covered 2000m at which we were now perched a descent!
Unlike (White-winged) Snowfinch, which rarely drop below 1500m, Wallcreeper are regularly found wintering even at sea level (see Garraf in the January 2009 Summary) so it was really the former that inspired the trips up from Barcelona and, a few days before, on the 6th, we’d been lucky enough to watch more than one-hundred work their way down this same hill, rolling over each other back over front (like a slinky if you remember the seventies!), over our heads and settle along the edges of the melting snowline a few metres below us. With us too engrossed and the flock restless, we didn’t think of photos but when we drove right into a small group a couple of hours later, we jammed on the brakes and clicked away as about a dozen skipped their way onto a roadside bank and grazed fearlessly at window-level as we followed on in first gear. Worth the trip alone.
With a distinct feeling of dejà vu, and six kilometres, twenty-minutes and a three hundred metre drop in altitude later, we were doing exactly the same thing with a half-dozen disinterested Alpine Accentor. What a plumage. What a place.
Alpine Accentor had been observed on the 11th too, sneaking between the feet of the Snowfinch, but a little too far to truly appreciate. No matter, Alpine Accentor, again unlike Snowfinch, also make winter trips to low-level mountains ranges and can be found quite easily in the same spot in the Garraf, for instance, along with Wallcreeper.
And anyway, another better surprise was yet to come.
Having been sent packing by a swarm of woollen hats and skis, we found ourselves tracking the white wings and tail edges of what we thought was a lone Snowfinch dipping and diving over the contours and corners of the winding road cutting it’s way through the deep snow of the Moixero Natural Park. When it finally stopped, we did likewise, this time even managing a photograph – of a Snow Bunting! The average for Catalonia is less than one per year so we were lucky we found a whole one.
In all the excitement it might have been easy to forget another rather startling moment of discovery. Whilst enjoying the cliff-side matinee described earlier we were treated to a honking Raven flying low overhead. Only to fill in time, or perhaps out of habit, we all raised our binoculars to the remarkable – and for me never-seen-before – sight of the underside of a Raven lit in a bounced snow light that revealed more shades and tones of brown than I’d ever seen. I swear I could see every feather and will never think of a Raven as a black bird again.
Now fast forward to the 17th and we’re back again…déjà vu…as, standing in almost exactly the same spot, the same reflected snow light paints every contour of the underside of a truly majestic (there is no other word for this bird) low-flying, adult Lammergeier. Orange. Beard. The lot. For a fleeting moment I contemplated the fifteen metres between my self and the camera (in the boot of the car of course) but in the end thought, ‘sod it’ and just enjoyed it. Wow. It actually hung around for an hour or so, at one point deigning to land - but immediately taking off in the moments that it saw me glance towards my camera bag.
The snow remained but this encouraged the skiers as well as the Snowfinch, now estimated at around sixty birds, to hang around so the former made the job of tracking the latter much harder and unusually it took us until the afternoon. In the meantime, the usual Peregrine, Griffon Vulture, Crossbill, Firecrest, Dipper and array of tits kept us entertained, we successfully out-waited the Alpine Accentors at their regular spot and a lovely flock of eighty chirping Alpine Chough floated around us and landed noisily on the road ahead.
It was clear that many birds, Wallcreeper included, found it hard to tear themselves away even in times of harsh and ruthless weather and on each and every visit, as we left the slope of the village main street and upped the gears onto the road back to Barcelona, I had no difficulty understanding why.
Photos by Dilys Powell, Max Andrews, Darren Shirley and Stephen Christopher.
"Thank you so much for showing us so much. So many birds. Great memories of the Snowfinch (our favourite), bluethroat, hoopoe, etc etc etc etc...... Another thank you for the footie match. What a treat - Please thank Anna for that!!!
How wonderfully relaxed it all was - not having to think about where we were going and just being able to enjoy the scenery and look for the birds was about perfect and then lunch was served.
Hope that you have a good year with lots of bookings. Thanks again."
Dilys and Eric Powell, U.K.
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8 December 2008 - Spain Birding: December 2008 update
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
7th December: With strict instructions to 'be back for dinner' I left Barcelona early and made a late decision to divert to the Vall de Nuria in the Catalan Pyrenees, a location that, I decided, I had neglected.
Not in the mood for the cremallera rack train and the skiers, I engaged the four-wheel-drive and worked my way up a track towards Fontalba. Cold, but sunny, I had to wait to get to 1600m before a flock of about 200 Chaffinch teased me to stop the car and get out, lest it contain hidden delights. And delights there were, in the form of a couple of small parties of Siskin clung to thistle heads scattered amongst the grassy meadow, a handful of Linnet keeping watch from a lone leafless tree and a single winter-plumaged Water Pipit calling for my attention from the tip of an adjacent bush as I surveyed all around me.
'Keep watching,' it seemed to say and, after taking some time to appreciate its courage and northern grit at remaining amongst the snow when most of its species had descended to the lowlands, I picked out first one and then possibly eight Brambling, the first time I'd seen this species in this area. When the whole entourage was disturbed, a stunning male perched on top of a nearby pine where it waited until I'd set up my camera and was about to click...
Another 400m in altitude and a short walk produced several flocks of Crossbill, mostly perched tree-top and tame, individual sightings of Crested, Coal, Blue and Great Tit and a moment, when I flushed four Grey Partridge from beneath my feet, that I don't know who was more excited. Probably me. Although I didn't crap myself as I left, like they did, so may be not.
Feeling the cold and having had my fill of 'pleasure-birding' and peanut sticks (don't ask, I'd forgotten my breakfast) I clicked into work mode and focussed on the job of the day, which was to see if there were any Snowfinch in the Cadi-Moixero Natural Park.
As I headed down the mountain in search of relative heat, I stopped to watch the curious sight of a huge Griffon Vulture flapping vigorously - if Griffon Vultures can ever flap vigorously - towards my windscreen. The next five minutes saw over 20 birds, all doing the same and all heading, almost in a line, straight towards me. As they arrived directly above my head, they rested and allowed themselves to be carried upwards into a neat, ever-ascending circle. Finding a thermal wasn't quite what I had intended when I went in search of a little warmth but it was gratefully received and provided a rare moment when I find these birds interesting. Well let's face it, they don't exactly do much usually, do they?
Unfortunately the hour's drive to Cad-Moixero turned out to be a waste (almost) as the area was covered from head to toe in woolly hats, gloves and ski-boots - as well as my breakfast, I'd also forgotten it was a bank holiday!
Oddly enough an almost exact repeat of my vulture experience fortuitously provided my moment of the day as, having been watching yet more low-thermalling Griffons, I suddenly looked up at a chirp above my head to see my self almost smothered in about 140 circling Alpine Chough (below).
How they managed to get so close without me seeing them I don't know but I watched and listened until they drew away from the thermal, lined up and noisily left the intruding snow-revellers to find a bit of peace and quiet.
And so did I.
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30 November 2008 - Spain Birding: November 2008 Summary
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
A male Hen Harrier floated across our eye-line whilst watching a flock of about 80 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse feeding nearby. As it passed it put up a mixed flock of passerines including Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Linnet and House Sparrows.
This trip to THE STEPPES OF LLEIDA on the 21st had started slowly in thickish fog, with barely more than a lone Little Bustard flushed in front of the car, a perched Merlin ignoring passerine-snacks galore and a flock of about fifty Red-billed Chough. But the sighting of these Pin-tailed Sandgrouse signaled a change in fortunes.
With each careful step that Mark Hiley, the photographer, took the sandgrouse followed suit and collectively waddled away. Not wanting to flush them he returned to the cover of the car after a few paces and we marvelled at their plumage through scope and bins.
Even when a Peregrine flew over and landed in the next field they barely stirred, only raising their heads and, for a few moments, froze. After they returned to business-as-usual we set about scanning for Little Bustard and a fortuitous Common Kestrel landing on a post gave away two heads poking up over the vegetation.
When they flew, which they did for reasons unknown, a magnificent twenty-four shot up into the air and circled over our heads, rather unusually taking some time before they landed back where they started and eventually began to spread out in a line to feed on the field boundary.
This in turn caused the Peregrine to take flight and, as it inadvertently passed directly over the Sandgrouse, they too were spooked, this time taking the opposite flightpath but again circling overhead before disappearing into the distance.
After finishing up lunch, we made a late decision to move onto LOS MONEGROS and, with barely an hour left of daylight, caught up with a flock of 10 Black-bellied Sandgrouse with a lone, evidently smaller Pin-tailed Sandgrouse keeping them company.
We spent some time distinguishing Thekla Lark, shown below in two photos with the distinct breast streaks and smaller bill that distinguishing it from the similar Crested Lark...
Amongst the trip's other highlights were several Little Owl, Red Kite swooping over the car, and Southern Grey Shrike keeping watch seemingly throughout the day. A Hoopoe, always welcome, and a cheerful Dartford Warbler also put in appearances but my favourite was a single Fieldfare looking forlorn beside a fruitless orchard.
A fantastic and much-welcomed outing, after having to take a couple of weeks off through illness, on what turned out to be a bright, fresh November day.
Elsewhere, a last-day dash up to the Emporda was the pick, despite missing out on the seemingly resident Sociable Lapwing after searching through flocks of hundreds and hundreds of Northern Lapwing and Golden Plover near Pals.
Peppered between them were almost as many passerines including several Water Pipit amongst the Meadow Pipit, a handful of Cirl Bunting amongst the Reed Bunting and blankets of Tree Sparrow and Chaffinch.
Winter of course is typified by flocking and it provides opportunitities both for us to watch and study species behaving differently and for raptors to glean the benefits by way of day-long snacking. Common Buzzard were on every post it seemed and one was observed, mid-field and grounded, feasting on what looked like a Common Starling. A post-top Common Kestrel was also seen eating a small passerine, a handful of Marsh Harrier were ever-present and a male Sparrowhawk alternated between resting on a ploughed soil-sod nearby and swooping up to help me spot the Sociable Plover in spooked flight with the fields other occupants.
More flocks, of Eurasian Curlew (pictured below), Monk Parakeet (above) and gulls galore were much appreciated once I arrived at the Aiguamolls reserve for a quick look at the beach.
Two flocks of around a dozen Balearic Shearwater each flapped past the beach as I stepped onto the sand but I couldn't get my camera out quick enough but at least the flocks kept on coming, if never again so close, for the next hour. Between time I enjoyed the 6 adult diving Northern Gannet offshore, fly by Sanderling, Sandwich Tern and Grey Plover - all seeming to take offence at my presence - and a lone Red-throated Diver playing hide and seek in the bob and swell of the Mediterranean waves.
My surprise of the day however was reserved for a single and particlarly late-leaving Pallid Swift weaving between a pair of Crag Martin at the water treatment works near the main reserve.
P.S. The 29th saw the return of Siskin, albeit briefly, to the garden feeders.
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30 September 2008 - Spain Birding: September 2008 Summary
Please browse 'archives' under the 'links' heading in the right hand column for date-ordered trip reports and monthly summaries.
Barcelona and the wetlands of Llobregat and Ebro Delta
September sees the real start of the raptor migration down the coast and, if you're anywhere near Barcelona, that means regular visits to the raptor viewpoints at Collserola Park. The usual overhead array of southbound Honey Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and Hobby are joined by the occasional Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Black Stork and, this year on the final day of the month, a quite amazing Greater Spotted Eagle (to be ratified).
Some of these, especially Osprey and Marsh Harrier, also take the lowland route through the Llobregat wetland reserves and are often joined by Montagu's Harrier, the last of which was seen on the 16th at Remolar-Filipines and on the 18th hugging the Garraf coastline.
Many passerines are also passing through at this time of year of course and Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear, Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler can be seen at most sites, joined by coastal accumulations of spanish Yellow Wagtail and Roller (last seen on 19th in Llobregat and on the 20th in the Ebro Delta, where a single individual put on a spectacular blue-flashing, bug-catching, car-side display).
Last entries for Little Bittern (10th), Squacco Heron (20th) and Purple Heron (20th, mostly juveniles latterly) were also recorded, although the latter two species in particular are increasingly seen over winter. Many such as Reed and Great Reed Warbler won't finally leave until next month of course and resident breeders like Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Common Waxbill and Penduline Tit were seen to gradually spend more time at Llobregat as the month progressed.
“Brilliant. Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable day in Barcelona.
Without your help and experience we would never have been able to find those sites. The day was a perfect contrast to the inevitable hustle and bustle of the city and yet just 15 minutes on the metro to your pick-up point."
Betty & John Winnard, U.K. (Llobregat and Collserola, Barcelona)
Joining them, even at this early juncture, ready for the onset of winter, were Black-necked Grebe (although a stunning summer-plumaged individual was seen on the Ebro Delta on the 9th), Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Common Snipe and, amongst the many thousands of arriving ducks, you may pick out a brief passage visit, as we did, from the regal Northern Pintail.
The advance of the month sees a change in another duck as the moulting Red-crested Pochard were first seen coming out of their eclipse and into the splendour of their full breeding plumage from the 20th. This day, on the Ebro Delta, also saw the famous Western Reef Heron x Little Egret hybrid at close quarters, up to 100 Glossy Ibis feeding in a nearby muddy field, flocking Lesser Short-toed Lark, a rather ill Hobby sulking in a tree, several fish-eating Osprey and the first sighting of one of my most eagerly-awaited winter arrivals, the enigmatic and surprisingly cryptic Bluethroat - singing!
The usual seabirds - including Audouin's Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Caspian Tern and juvenile Black Tern - were visible throughout and most species of European wader were quite easily picked off, especially on the Ebro Delta. Particular highlights however were one or two Temminck's Stint close at hand, a cluster of three Marsh Sandpiper (9th) and the continuation of the rather incredible influx of vagrant Pectoral Sandpiper that Catalonia, and Spain for that matter, has seen over the past few weeks (last sighting, 20th).
"We thoroughly enjoyed our three days with you. You certainly know your Spanish birds and where to find them. An additional plus was the fact that our birding treks with you took us to some interesting off-the-beaten-track locations. Thanks for a very productive birding experience."
Julian & Lynn Lee, New Mexico (Ebro Delta, Steppes, Llobregat, Garraf)
Away from the wet - the Steppes and the Garraf Massif
The departure of Black Kite from the Steppes are timed perfectly to accommodate their Red Kite cousins dropping into the lowlands to occupy the same niche for the winter. Similarly Montagu's Harrier, a male and female last seen on the 8th, move over for the imminent arrival of Hen Harrier as they sprawl over the countryside.
Golden Eagle too, mostly white-windowed first-winters and other immatures, are evicted into the massive expanse of non-irrigated flatlands and are joined by Griffon Vulture and of course the usual movement of migrant hawks, buzzards, falcons and eagles. The highlight was a rather late and beautifully lit male Lesser Kestrel refusing to take flight from the car-side on the 23rd.
The even-closer Little Owl put on regular performances of doing nothing but staring as they believed themselves to be camouflaged against rock and ruins but their stillness was contrasted with the antithesis of scampering flocks of Dotterel, observed in the same loyal patches year after year.
But of course it's always the steppe birds that hold centre stage and the disappointment of my first two visits was finally melted away by the sight of eight male Great Bustard having arrived at their wintering grounds in Los Monegros, their tail fluffing and wagging presumably an assertion of hierarchy as the group builds in numbers and settles in for the winter. Now they will be easily found until at least February.
September is a difficult month for Little Bustard however as the disadvantages and consequences of their moult renders them harder to find, as is the case with Stone-curlew (Eurasian Thick-knee) as their numbers shrink as the month grows older and expand instead at coastal sites. Black-bellied Sandgrouse, on the other hand, were generous in their presence, even if they didn't always provide us with the thrill of close ground views, and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse only failed us on one occasion. The intricate feather-detail of this bird on the ground is truly a sight to behold.
No danger either of disappointment from the representatives of the Alaudidae, with Calandra, Thekla, Crested, Sky-, Wood- and both Lesser and Greater Short-toed Larks all putting in regular appearances and, on the 23rd, a juvenile Woodchat Shrike put in a farewell appearance on behalf of its species.
We were similarly accommodated by the residents of the Garraf Natural Park, with Bonelli's Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Blue Rock Thrush, Southern Grey Shrike, Crested Tit, Rock Bunting and Rock Sparrow all making us feel welcome. Audouin's Gull and resting mediterranean Eurasian Shag were also regular highlights and there were last-sightings for Bee-eater (19th), Golden Oriole (10th) and Red-rumped Swallow (10th), two juvenile of which were perched on a cable above the car and confirmed a good year for this localised and uncommon breeder.
“We had a great day! When we’re back in the area I'll be sure to get in touch.
Our main target species was Great Bustard and we got excellent views of a number of birds, both on the ground and in flight. In addition we also saw several firsts for Europe - Bluethroat, Calandra Lark, Purple Swamphen and Black-bellied Sandgrouse.
All in all, a fascinating and enjoyable day with a knowledgeable and interesting guide. The hurried (FREE add-on tour!) visit to Llobregat at the end of the day was a definite bonus.”
Julie and Chris Dawson, U.K. (Steppes and Llobregat)
The Emporda
I only had the opportunity to visit this area once in September but a short adventure in the hinterland of the Cap de Creus Natural Park on the 24th threw up most of the usual migrant passerines together with a number of entertaining Pallid Swift and Woodlark.
Most of the day was spent in the Aiguamolls de L'Emporda however and it couldn't have started - or the month ended - much better with no less than twenty species sharing a small pool overlooked by a raised hide. Initially a Glossy Ibis was the star attraction, with Spotted and Common Redshank, Green, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Ruff, Common Snipe and Greenshank all scuttling about the shallows and water-edges around it like a gathering of awe-struck teenagers.
But a sneaky entrance from not one but two bold Water Rail soon upstaged them all and the opportunity to study its plumage and feeding habits for over half an hour was only challenged for excitement by an absolutely pristeen Bluethroat flying in and landing right by the side of one of them.
Several attempts to tear ourselves away failed but we were rewarded, when we finally did so, by Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit and a swarm of nervous Linnets seemingly unable to decide just where to settle for a late breakfast. Other moments to mention were yet more migrating raptors including Honey-buzzard and Short-toed Eagle, a small group of mainly juvenile Red-rumped Swallows hawking over the fields around Tres Ponts and a field of cryptic Stone-curlew appearing like magic one by one until a passing truck encouraged take-off - and there was almost 100 of them!
“Just a quick note to thank you for a nice day in the field. You certainly nailed some good spots and id’d many species that I would have missed or been totally unable to make out.
This was a nice itinerary, ideally varied for someone like me. I'll give you a pre-advice of when I will be back in Barcelona.”
Mark Harris, USA (Cap de Creus, Aiguamolls)
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About Me
I now spend my life birding in Spain, taking every opportunity to head out on my own even when not working as a professional bird guide.
Most of the birding trip reports and photos will be from my local patch, The Garraf Massif and Llobregat Delta around Barcelona, but I also visit The Ebro Delta, The Steppes of Lleida, Los Monegros, The Pyrenees, Cap de Creus and Aiguamolls de L'Emporda.
Please e-mail me if you would like to be placed on the mailing list for this blog and I'd be happy to help with information if you're planning a bit of Spain birding your self.
If you're looking for birding holidays, short breaks and day tours in Catalonia, for families and serious birders, details can be found at www.catalanbirdtours.com.
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