30 April 2008 - Spain Birding: April 2008 Summary
The month began with a spectacular trip to the CAP DE CREUS that, together with a brief but busy end-of-the-day stop off at Mas Mata in the AIGUAMOLLS, produced 105 species! A thorough run through and some great photos can be viewed here on Zac Hinchcliffe's Blog.
My first Woodchat Shrike wasn't seen until the 10th, next to a stunning and silent Common Cuckoo - both at Cal Tet, LLOBREGAT, but there have been plenty since. The same day also brought the first eagerly-awaited Collared Pratincole and a birding tour on the 19th added Turtle Dove, Knot and a host of other waders including Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone and flocks of Curlew Sandpiper.
A few Spotted Flycatchers began coming through on the 21st to join their Pied cousins that have been around since the beginning of the month. Black-eared Wheatear and Common Redstart, both first seen in March, continued to move through and there were plenty of Pallid Swift in the GARRAF together with a pair of Red-rumped Swallow still hanging around a site where they attempted breeding last year. New arrivals on the 22nd were two singing Nightingale and a pair of extremely close Tawny Pipits.
And on the 23rd, after recording a strange Chiffchaff singing in THE GARRAF, I later confirmed my first Catalan Iberian Chiffchaff. A little fortuitous as I heard it after stopping to allow a car to pass but I got great views at face height, with its more Willow Warbler-like leg colour.
Willow Warblers were everywhere, with groups of up to twenty in each Almond Tree. The fruit seems to attract the insects that in turn attract the warblers, others being Sub-alpine, singing Bonelli's, Garden and a Spectacled in the same tree for four days. Common Whitethroat, Dartford Warbler and of course Sardinian Warbler were all nearby also.
A birding tour to THE STEPPES on the 24th brought my first Whinchat and we also witnessed mating Hoopoe and a male Great Spotted Cuckoo distracting a Magpie whilst the female paid a discrete visit to its nest. However, although the list of key steppe species was complete, the recent scrapping of the subsidies for 'set-aside' seems to have resulted in significantly less fallow ground and noticeably less numbers of both Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Little Bustard. Stone-curlew numbers don't seem to have been affected but I haven't heard a single Quail this year, a drastic change from last year's cacophany.
Back in the Garraf, the last few days of April continued with raptor passage of Honey Buzzard and
Short-toed Eagle, and Scops Owl and European Nightjar arrived to join some very active Bonelli's Eagles. Golden Orioles had already begun singing in the garden, Rock Sparrows had de-flocked and paired up and Ortolan Bunting finally put in an appearance.
A passing Caspian Tern and the final Garganey disappeared from Llobregat but the 30th welcomed a simply stunning Wood Warbler by the car window to kick off the Redfern's birding holiday with a flourish.
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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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