November 17, 2006
Ebro Delights
A friend Sam Shippey recently drove us to the Ebre Delta for a days bird watching.
We turned off from the N340 at Sant Carles de la Rápita and headed along the road to the La Tancada, stopping at various places where we saw some bird activity.
Note – I´ve given the Castellano names for the birds after the English names.
Our first stop was to admire some Slender Billed Gulls (Gaviota picofina) resting amonst the more numerous Black Headed Gulls (Gaviota reidora). The rosy breasts of the Slender Billed Gulls stood out in the early morning sunshine.
Other birds in the area were one Caspian Tern (Pagaza piguirroja) sitting with Sandwich Terns (Charrán patinegro). the old salt pans were good feeding places for a variety of waders – some 50 or so Spotted Redshanks (Archibebe oscuro) , 15 Greenshanks (Archibebe claro), smaller numbers of Curlew (Zarapito real),Common Redshank (Archibebe común),Dunlin (Correlimos común) and a couple of Common Sandpipers (Andarrios chico).
Another place we stopped was were Sam had counted over a hundred Great White Egrets (Garceta grande) on a recent visit.
There were not as many today, but still at least 40 or 50 birds.
Grey Herons (Garza real), Cattle Egrets (Garcilla bueyera) and Little Egrets (Garceta común) were everywhere, and there were some more Common Sandpipers (Andarrios chico) feeding along the ditches, in company with lots of White Wagtails (Lavandera blanca).
We then travelled along the sandy spit leading to the Observation Tower at Punta del la Banya. At least 150 Mallard (Anade azulón) were resting on the spit and three Grey Plovers (Chorlito gris). Then we noticed another bird sitting on the ground?
It turned out to be a juvenile Merlin (Esmerejón), it looked fairly tired, perhaps just flown in.
Arriving at the lookout tower we scanned the area to see if we could spot the reported Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco enano) – no chance!
There were about 10,000 plus Greater Flamingos (Flamenco común), as far as the eye could see, even with the scopes we couldn´t get a close view of them.
There wasn´t much else in the area except a hundred or so Audouin´s Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin). So we moved on.
Before we left the sandy spit we came across a small group of birds – 14 Kentish Plovers (Chorlitejo patinegro), 9 Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo grande) and 8 Dunlin (Correlimos común).
We stopped off at the Observation Tower at La Tancada.On the water were more Mallard (Anade azulón) and a few thousand Common Coots (Focha común) – with no chance of picking out a Crested Coot (Focha moruna), too far away, and a few Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo lavanco).
Grey Herons (Garza real),Cattle Egrets (Garcilla bueyera) and Little Egrets (Garceta común) were round the edges of the water.
We moved on and drove slowly along the coast road to the Reserve of Riet Vell. We were hoping to see Lesser Crested Larks (Terrera marismeña) amonst the short coastal vegetation, but there were none to be seen. We did see plenty Crested Larks (Cogujada común).
A bonus was a Southern Great Grey Shrike (Alcaudón real) which flew off just as Sam set up his camera!
The Hide at Riet Vell provided us with some close up views of Purple Swamphen (Calamon), as an adult fed in front of us.
There were at least eight other adults and juveniles in the area.
A couple of Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho lagunero occidental)
flew over the pools and scattered Coots ((Focha común), Moorhens (Gallineta común) and Little Grebes (Zampullín común).
Some Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero común), Cetti´s Warbler (Ruiseñor bastardo) and a late Reed Warbler (Carricero común) were feeding in the vegetation nearby, and a Booted Eagle (Aguililla calzada) drifted overhead.
After we had admired the birds around the pools Sam suggested we go and look for the flock of 150 Glossy Ibis (Morito común)
he had seen on a previous visit. So we headed for the car ferry that takes you from one side of the Ebro river to the other, at Deltebre.Once on the other side we took the road heading towards the coast at Riumar.
The roads in and around the Ebre Delta are quite complex and similar, so I wasn´t surprised when Sam had difficulty remembering where exactly he had seen the Ibis before?
We then had a stroke of luck. We saw a flock of medium sized waders land in some rice fields – turned out to be 150 Black Tailed Godwits (Aguja colinegra)! - So we drove as near as we dared to avoid putting them up, and then set up our telescops.
As well as the feeding Godwits there were Ruff (Combatiente),
Wood Sandpiper (Andarríos bastardo), Green Sandpiper (Andarríos grande), Common Snipe (Agachadiza común), Curlew (Zarapito real), Spotted Redshank (Archibebe oscuro) and Greenshank (Archibebe claro), plenty to see.
Then bingo, Sam spotted two Glossy Ibis (Morito común) feeding. They both had white colour rings, and we were close enough to make out the numbers. Then a second bit of luck, a Common Kestrel (Cernícalo vulgar) flew over the Ibis and put them up.
We watched them circle round and land in another rice field, and then followed in the car.
As we approached them, Sam said “this is where I saw the big flock of Ibis,” and there round a corner behind some trees were at least 65 Glossy Ibis (Morito común), nice one.
We set up the telescops plus cameras and clicked away.
Just in time as it happened, because one of the locals drove by and gave us a glare – we were only taking a small part of the road up honest! He then drove past the Ibis and put them all up, guess he wasn´t a bird watcher then.
As the time was pushing on we decided to call it a day and head back home to our long suffering wife´s.
Another delightful day at the Ebro.
Posted by Flamingo at November 17, 2006 3:39 PM