The Birdbox - birding in Spain: trip reports and photos
30 September 2009 - Spain Birding: September 2009 update
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“Thank you for a truly memorable holiday. There were so many highlights it would be impossible to pick out just one.The scenery & locations were stunning. Your expertise (and persistence) in locating the birds is second to none and, once seen, you afforded the best views possible, sharing your impressive identification knowledge with us. For us, a totally relaxing & enjoyable time especially with the convenience of the comfortable flat downstairs.
Keep up the good work - we can't wait to come again (possibly the end of May).”
Chris & Jean Cox, UK, 16 - 30 September 2009
This rather wonderful Short-eared Owl, seen on the Ebro Delta, allowed us to drive right up to it - and for once the camera wasn't in the boot! The blur at the bottom is the passenger window (more details and photos below).
An odd month though in terms of migration with the weather being consistently too good to either create migrant bottlenecks or hold anything down for long. Oh well, between the Pyrenees, Steppes, Ebro Delta, Aiguamolls, Cap de Creus, Llobregat and the Garraf, we still got 204 species... it just meant we had to work harder to find them.
After returning from the UK, my autumn birding got straight into full swing with a trip to the Cap de Creus and the Aiguamolls de L'Emporda on the 9th.
This sunrise is taken from Spain's most easterly point and provided a peaceful backdrop as we sat and watched the early morning unfold across the ocean. Small flocks of Balearic Shearwater were already skimming the water's surface when we arrived and more than fifty were seen by the time we left ninety minutes or so later.
Some but not all were caught trailing a circle around passing fishing boats, calmly eeking out their living amongst the panicking throngs of desperate Yellow-legged Gulls. And, for one moment only, a lone Yelkouan (Levantine) Shearwater was distinct from its estranged Balearic brothers as it chose a different determined path, seemingly certain of breakfast as it veered off, and dived into the water before settling upon the surface to devour its catch.
One particular Cory's Shearwater, of the four or so marshaling the Mediterranean here today, was not so lucky however as its dive into the wake of yet another boat was greeted greedily by a watchful Yellow-leg and we watched it being chased for perhaps more than half a kilometre before disappearing (into the sunrise) still holding its quarry.
Eurasian Shag, Northern Gannet, Pallid Swift and singing Thekla Lark and Blue Rock Thrush all filled in the gaps and, although the same species were seen on our return on the 22nd, in truth the forces of wind and weather didn't quite combine to offer up the same spectacular show.
The same could be said of migrants too as the 9th had the best of it again, with a juvenile Red-backed Shrike standing out amongst lots of Common Whitethroat and some very busy Red-rumped Swallows ready for imminent departure. Plenty of Spotted Flycatchers on the 22nd though.
And the excellent show continued on the 22nd at the Aiguamolls de L'Emporda when a small pond set the stage for a host of ducks and waders to entertain us, the best of it being two cocky Water Rail hanging around and bathing in front of the hide. There wasn't too much water about today though but the reliable Mata, as usual, bubbled with busy waders such as Northern Lapwing, Spotted Redshank and Ruff.
The foray into the Aiguamolls on the 9th was brief though - barely giving time to snatch an adult Ruddy Shelduck preening at the Estany de Europa with a moulting Black-necked Grebe diving beside it - as a rare exploration into the coast lands further south, and a very special late summer visitor, were high on our agenda.
As it turned out, the hinterlands of the Costa Brava threw up good numbers of European Bee-eaters gathering on cables ready for the off, whilst local Rock Sparrow and Southern Grey Shrike busied themselves feeding on the ground below. Sightings of passing Honey-buzzard are always a delight, especially when you find one sitting in a tree devouring lunch, and especially when it leads you to a stunning adult, light-phase Eleonora's Falcon sitting in another nearby tree!
It was our main target of the day and in fact was our only sighting. But as it sat in the telescope for more than ten minutes (dead camera batteries!!), resting and preening, before rising up before circling before flapping off towards the coast, this one sighting was more than enough.
Another arrival with the sun, this time to the Ebro Delta, saw the tranquility broken as I softly jammed on the breaks, left the car angled across the track and we jumped out to watch this first distant 'V' flock of Glossy Ibis spear its way over our heads and turn into one of the largest flocks I've ever seen (look closely)...
But by the end of the day even this spectacle would be dwarfed.
In between, as was the case on most of our visits (10th, 12th, 17th and 27th), Black-necked Grebe, Osprey, Kingfisher, Water Rail, Temminck's Stint, Black Tern and Lesser Short-toed Lark were regular.
But the lack of rain meant a lack of water so many birds were either simply moving on or perhaps, in the case of the shorebirds, thinning out and utilising pools and wet patches on field boundaries and elsewhere. Searching these was challenging but resulted in 27 wader species overall, most of which were seen on each visit.
Exceptions were two Golden Plover, one still sporting the black-belly of summer, on the 12th and apparently the last two Black-winged Stilt on the 17th, when we also had the last White-winged Tern.
There were last sightings too for Little Tern and Tawny Pipit (10th) and Little Bittern and Montagu's Harrier (12th).
In general, Common Teal had already begun to arrive by the 10th, Red-crested Pochard progressed out of eclipse into full stunning male breeding plumage and passerines, again thin on the ground, just kept on coming and going without incident.
A quite remarkable change between the 10th and 12th however saw the paddy fields boundaries simply hopping with Bluethroat, which tail-cocked their way right through the month. Some will even stay for the winter.
And, as if this wasn't enough, the 27th saw first sightings of Greylag Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Robin and Grey Wagtail all of which, whether from northern Europe or their inland breeding grounds, make their way here for the winter.
And then, at 1430 hrs, it happened. A distant 'floppy bird', glimpsed whilst watching yet another Osprey over the Fangar Bay and deep into the excitement that had whipped through the group as each fixed their binoculars on it, turned and seemed to head directly towards us. Or was it flying away?
Short-eared Owls are rare but regular passage birds in Catalonia (although some winter and fewer breed) so this would have satisfied all of us. But as it flopped nearer and nearer, being mobbed in turns by gulls, terns and herons, we quite simply couldn't believe our luck.
Not only did it fly almost directly over the car but it then stooped suddenly and landed plum in the next field, just in sight through a bushel of grass. Well why not? Slowly - VERY slowly - we drove the car, well, right next to it...
...and after more than ten minutes we allowed for the belief to sink in (my joy almost doubled by remembering for once to keep my camera with me) we started to breathe again and moved on, leaving the bird in peace, and didn't stop smiling until well into the next day.
Some birds, namely the Little Bustard and both species of sandgrouse, also presented difficulties in finding them this month, although for different reasons than the unusually clement weather.
On the 13th we struggled, only finding a flock of more than 120 mostly Pin-tailed Sandgrouse but with twenty or so Black-bellied Sandgrouse on the fringes and disappearing into the longer grass. Some of each species came in and out, giving us chance to mark their differences in flight, as they went about their feeding but the reason for the difficulty was apparent from the start - it was moulting time.
This day incidentally marked the last Black Kite and it was strange to see the municipal dump (photo below) without the 150 or so birds that frequent it through the summer. Stranger still was the absence of Woodchat Shrike after today, with juveniles usually present until the end of the month.
We missed out on Pin-tailed Sandgrouse on the 18th after extremely heavy night rain rendered many tracks impassable and forced an extensive re-route. Silver-linings and all that, with the place being covered with Northern Wheatear and other migrant passerines, and the exploration of some new old sites coming up trumps with about thirty Little Bustard over all, including the moulting individual above, and fourteen of these were even in the same place by the 24th.
Great Bustard too it seemed had arrived in full force with around twenty beautiful birds casually making themselves at home after moving a little east for the winter. Only two birds were recorded on the 24th however, although exactly the same ground wasn't covered.
Lesser Kestrel seemed to be hanging around a little later than usual with up to a handful of birds seen on each trip and Stone-curlew too, with a maximum of forty birds on the 18th giving way to nineteen on the 24th.
Hobby, Honey-buzzard (inc. one perched at the dump), Golden Eagle, Red-legged Partridge, Little Owl and Black Wheatear were all thankfully predictable but Short-toed Eagle wasn't seen out here after the 18th.
The biggest rain-induced disappointment of the 18th was the inability to track down some Dotterel but an absolutely stunning gathering of seventeen passage birds near Lleida on the 24th melted it away as we stuck around with coffee and cookies to watch them tamely feeding in the rising sunshine.
Other notables include the welcome apparent return of flocks Calandra Larks (18th to Los Monegros, 24th to Lleida), a late group of about a dozen Short-toed Larks (18th, there's always one) and good showings of Lesser Short-toed Larks, with one little chap refusing to leave the tyre-tracks in front of the car.
But one purely magical moment came when we followed a landing Griffon Vulture behind a hill in Los Monegros to discover no less than 57 birds, who proceded to lift off and land a short distance away in an open field. Not sure why they all sat like they are in the photo; will have to research it at the end of the season.
Unfortunately, the somewhat mystifying decision to close the entrance barrier through the summer and, after 15th September, still at the weekends, meant that trips to the Filipines-Remolar reserve meant a long walk in the heat - so we didn't go very often. A wise decision given that there was no water once you got there!
That said, the resulting change in habitat (supposedly resulting from a lack of rain but the adjacent water tracks of La Vidala and St. Climent were brimming!) seemed to be even more attractive for Penduline Tit, Common Waxbill and, from the 16th, Bluethroat.
No surprises that Black-winged Stilt were not seen at all during September and the last Purple Heron was recorded on the 16th but luckily Cal Tet was wet enough and hosted a reasonable supply of waders given the circumstances. Highlights though were a lovely Bonelli's Warbler and Firecrests (11th) and mid-distant views of Cory's Shearwater (20th) from the sea-tower hide.
Between Llobregat and the raptor watchpoint at Collserola, which also suffered the affects of the good weather, Osprey, Honey-buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk and Hobby were all regularly noted, and with the last of the Short-toed Eagles seen on the 25th.
During September in the Garraf the usual specialities such as Black Wheatear, Shag, Rock Sparrow and Southern Grey Shrike continued to show well and all the usual migrants went through too, with a very nice Wryneck close-by on 20th.
Last dates were 16th (Short-toed Eagle), 20th (Bee-eater), 25th (Red-rumped Swallow, Tree Pipit) and the first Honey-buzzard was seen on 15th, with Robin arriving early (16th) and Blackcap (20th).
It has to be said that this has been a good year for Citril Finch, with birds beside us everywhere on each trip; flocks in trees next to the picnic, flocks on thistles next to the car and flocks on the meadow grass next to other Citril Finch.
Common Crossbill, a mass invasion of Chaffinch (on the 23rd) and Bullfinch didn't let us down either, with a family flock of the latter softly munching Rowan berries by the open car window being my personal favourite.
Three other favourites however gave us a mixed reception with Lammergeier acting a little cagey and only a pair on the 29th hung around long enough to truly appreciate them. The strident and quite unique calls of the Black Woodpecker echoed around seemingly on a permanent basis but only on the 14th did one show well enough.
And views of Alpine Chough on the whole were most disappointing, although a couple of their Raven cousins did their best to make up for it by mobbing a Golden Eagle, itself showing well on every trip, as a sideshow for the main Lammergeier attaraction (29th).
More side show entertainment was put on by all of the usual woodland and alpine birds including a range of tits, crests and woodpeckers as well as Short-toed Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail and no less than three Dipper gathering moss and carrying it off under a bridge.
Strangely though, an absence of Ring Ouzel prevented getting 205 species for the month, the September total for the last two years!
More testimonials...
“Stephen: What a fabulous birding trip you provided for us! We were totally delighted by the numbers and quality of the birds we saw, the countryside, the apartment, your family and of course you. We - especially Kelsey - learned a great deal, and want you to know how very much we appreciate your hard work on our behalf. Thank you for everything.”
Dr. David Low, Canada
“I must say again how fantastic the trip was. We really cleaned up on the vast majority of species I wanted to see and got some excellent views. There were tons of great birds, it's hard to single out any particular species. The Black Woodpecker, the Kingfishers, the Black Wheatear, the storks at the dump, the Hobbies being chased by Magpies, the last-minute Bee-eater flock... Thank you for your hard work (especially for finding those Bee-eaters!) and for sharing your extensive knowledge.”
I visited the Ebro Delta October 3rd with Chris. This was my second day tour with him and it was a fine day in the field. I used to work for Massachusetts Audubon Society and have birded and taken guide organized outings around the world and Chris is a real pro. We got an early start before sunrise at a rendezvous in Barcelona and made the 90 minute drive to the exit at the Ebro Delta just as it was getting light. Steve birds his sites regularly and knows exactly where to find each species. He has a sharp ear as well as a sharp eye and he identified many inconspicuous passerines by voice before searching them out. With a scope he scanned the flocks of waders and peep and picked up a few "needles in the haystack". His planning was astute as he got us with the light at our backs for most of the day catching the best light on each of the wetlands and bays. Chris caught a gannet 150 meters offshore with his maked eye while making a U-turn at the shore which I would have needed a scope and scan to ID. The end of the afternoon found us gazing at several hundred flamingos, dozens of godwits, plovers and stints with perfect lighting, As the day faded our last viewing of the day was 5 minutes from the on-ramp to the expressway. We arrived in Barcelona exactly at 17:28 for what was promised to be a 17:30 arrival. A very efficient and well organized day where we missed little and had plenty of pleasant conversation and information about the area and its ecology beyond just IDing the bird. Cudos for Steve.....worldclass!
Mark, many many thanks for this. I'm glad you enjoyed the day, as I did, and look forward to guiding you again.
all the best, stephen
(I'll put the references to me as 'Chris' down to you working too hard again! But, don't worry, I get it all the time.)
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.
