29 February 2008 - Spain Birding: February 2008 Summary
Birding in Spain in winter may not give the numbers that it does in spring but no-one would complain about the quality as we waved goodbye to the cold season with pretty much a full set of 'desirables'. Lammergeier, Wallcreeper, Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse - and Dotterel!
This has to be the month of the Wallcreeper, which has been extremely obliging throughout, wing-flicking and butterflying over the crags and cliffs of the GARRAF. Even the spectacle, enjoyed by rotating 180 degrees to face the sea, of Gannets diving between flotillas of gulls and admirably supported by a fringe cast of Balearic Shearwater, Audouin’s Gull and Shag (sub-species desmarestii) was relegated to ‘time-filler’ and the Black Wheatear, Alpine Accentor and mating Peregrines hardly got a look-in.
Just down the road at LLOBREGAT the long-staying vagrant Eider Duck and White-fronted Goose continued to show at CAL TET, the latter shadowing a wintering Greylag Goose as if it had imprinted at birth. The gradual withdrawal of the region's wintering Wigeon, Golden Plover, Common Snipe and Reed Bunting was as apparent as the arrival of Garganey, Glossy Ibis, Wood Sandpiper and Whiskered Tern and the sighting of the first Barn Swallow, on the 26th, is always strongly emotive even though it no longer represents the arrival of summer for me.
A brief foggy trip to THE STEPPES on the 10th confirmed the continuing presence of 5 Dotterel that I originally found on the 29th January. Clearly overwintering, and possibly a first for this area, they are almost certainly those seen by Daniel Diaz in early December. They're photographed above with a 1st winter Golden Eagle but a pair of Stone-curlew, 16 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, a flock of 21 Little Bustard (pre-empting the hundreds locals turned up later) and a stunning male Merlin chasing larks also made an appearance before I got fogged off.
On a lagoon in THE EBRO DELTA a peregrine-like stoop from a Booted Eagle from way on high sent Northern Lapwings splashing everywhere whilst soaring Lammergeier (in THE PYRENEES) and a ghost-grey Hen Harrier flapping off into the twilight proved February is a surprisingly good time for raptors. A single day brought a full set of Great and Little Bustard and Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse but continuing flocks of Siskin (in the garden) and Brambling and a pair of Redwing near the house were too reminiscent of the U.K. not to earn them my personal ‘moments of the month’.
The Redwings marked the end of my involvement for this year in the census for Spain's Winter Bird Atlas, which turned up 85 species, more than 20 above the average, between 15th November and 15th February in the GARRAF alone.
Finally, a client trip report of an easygoing four-day birding break around Catalonia, visiting the Garraf, Llobregat Delta, the Pyrenees, the Steppes and the Ebro Delta can be viewed here: Catalonia guided birding break (Spain Birding, 11-15 Feb 2008).
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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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