BirdingInSpain

A Citril Finch has recently been found on Fair Isle, making it the latest “first” on the British list. Of course its finding has sparked a lot of interest, comments and hurried plane and ferry bookings!  Especially seeing  that it has been kind enough to stay  around and let the  twitchers catch up with it (is it still there?).

Naturally, conjectures fly about where it came from and how it got to the remote Fair Isle in the North Sea. It seems unlikely that we will ever know what strange mechanism was at work to make a Citril Finch, a short distance and vertical migrant with the nearest breeding areas located in Switzerland, to take flight, head northwards over Europe and then out over the North Sea to Fair Isle.

There is a possibility that the Citril Finch in question did not originate from Switzerland, but rather from even further afield, from the Spanish Pyrenees. I wouldn’t be surprised. When I was with the Naturetrek Catalonia tour on the edge of the Aigüestortes National Park on the 9th May we saw a good number of Citril Finches. And not at the normal altitudes of 1,800m or above, but rather around the nearby villages and at altitudes of 1,300m, and even less.

What’s more, at the beginning of June the Park’s guards had to postpone the traditional census of Ptarmigan and Capercaillie because of the inaccessibility of their mountain haunts. Apparently the north-facing slopes had 2 metres of snow!

Wouldn’t that be reason enough for a Citril Finch to get the wander lust?

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We are back from a four day tour in eastern Spain and I’d like to thank you for your excellent web site - very useful. We had several days with strong winds which made listening complicated and kept the birds down. At 24th we were at El Planeron; the larks were singing frequently and the main objective - Dupont’s Lark was ticked.

The strong winds were of course disturbing in the Ebro delta - we had e.g. no Savi’s or Great Reed Wabler. But we did get close views of a Little Crake at Riet Vell and a Spotted Crake at Canal Vell the 25th. At the latter site a Little Bittern showed up briefly and a Black Tern flew past. At El Garxal there were lots of waders including some Marsh Sandpipers and among the Black-headed Gulls a single Mediterranean.

In Els Ports at the 27th we had good views of Griffon Vulure and Short-toed Eagle but didn’t see Bonelli’s. A Montagu’s Harrier was interesting to see at this height. We usually have it in Sweden at lowland. A single Rock Bunting was all we managed but three Blue Rock Thrushes were more comforting. One species we missed in the mountains was Black Wheatear.

We were 8 participants and the other 7 had never been in Spain for birdwatching. But they got really excited about birding in Spain and will for sure go back.

Kent Öhrn
Värnamo, Sweden

Popularity: 45%

With a mixture of pride, apprehension and expectation BirdingInSpain.com can finally announce that the brand new section on Birding in Mallorca is now on-line.

Birders new to the charms of Mallorca should be pleasantly surprised to see that Mallorca is an important birding destination which has a good number of interesting birds such as Black Vulture, Eleonora’s Falcon, Balearic Warbler, Balearic Shearwater, Audouin’s Gull, Crested Coot and so many more. And that all the birding itineraries described in the eastern half of the island also take the birder through attractive and at times dramatic scenery.

Birders already versed in the birding delights of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, can discover new itineraries, contemplate photographs of scenery and birds, look for the most suitable rural accommodation in the areas closest to the birds and download free maps.

BirdingInSpain.com could not have brought this new section to the international birding public without the help of our webmasters, Pol and Marc Rué. Two professionals who know their business and to whom we are extremely grateful. Thanks guys!

Popularity: 48%

This is just a brief but punch-packed announcement that very very soon the BirdingInSpain.com website will have a brand new section covering the best birding sites in Mallorca (or Majorca if you prefer).

As with the original section dealing with birding in northeast Spain there will be free downloadable birding itineraries, habitat and bird photos, maps, recommended accommodation and more. Get informed about birds and birding in Mallorca, one of the most popular birding-while-you-holiday destinations in Europe.

Popularity: 45%

CATALUNYA, NORTH EASTERN SPAIN - End of March, 2008.

It’s moonscape scenery – as dry and arid as one can imagine with stunted bare branched shrubs hugging the ground either side of the dust track road.    There’s a flicker of movement and a triumphant, muted call from Steve who’s pointing vigorously.   We’ve found the Spectacled Warbler, although it’s determined not to make too easy viewing.

We are in the driest part of Spain, north of Candasnos and we’ve gone into western Aragon, (Eagle Owl territory according to Steve) but the real surprise lies only a short distance away.  Suddenly we drive into an irrigated field on the edge of the plateau, and the colour tableau changes from grey and brown to lush green and colours of spring flowers;  on either side of the road a flock of Yellow Wagtails flicked their tails and showed off their brilliant colour, between 20 & 30 of them. What a contrast!

Earlier in the day in the drylands, we’d spent minutes watching both Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse after disturbing a young Bonelli’s Eagle from the ground.

If your birding is a part of  exploring varied scenery (& therefore habitats), then NE Catalunya with its plains, drylands, & the lower ranges of the Pyrenees is a place to visit.    The contrast is complete with a half day spent in the Montrebei Gorge which is a well trodden pass through the Montsec mountain range – fast running river, steep wooded cliffs with flowers, butterflies and our objective, the Wallcreeper.   En route we encounter Cirl Buntings, Rock Buntings and numerous Black Redstarts on their migration. Exactly on cue and deep in the gorge, a Wallcreeper displays for us on rocks opposite a convenient bench while we enjoy our sandwiches.

Three days of great birding guided by Steve achieving over one hundred species, that was real holiday.  (It did start to rain just as we arrived back at Lleida railway station to catch the Ave back to Barcelona – good timing!). I must mention the Great Spotted Cuckoos if only because the guru taught us that they parasitize on Magpies – what a useful bird – and the flock of Little Bustards who clearly quite enjoy posing for Steve’s clients.  I suspect that some of the quieter winter period may have been devoted to a little training!

Go to northern Catalunya in the spring migration season;  if you don’t know the region already you’ll get some surprises.   Thanks Steve.

Rupert Ormerod
Exmouth,
Devon.

Popularity: 47%

Some appreciative words from Jim Mori, an American birder living in Japan:

On March 1, 2008, I had a great day in the drylands of Lleida with the pleasant company of Steve West. He is very adept in finding the birds and most species are easy to see in the open terrain of the region. The early morning was slightly overcast but pleasant, and the many flowering almond trees provided a fragrant and colorful backdrop. Among the various birds, we had good scope views of larks to sort out the Crested and Thekla Larks. Later, the Calandra Larks were much easier. There were also Red-legged Partridge, Bullfinch, Spotless Starling, Red-rumped Swallow, Chough, Southern Grey Shrike, and a flock of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse.

We returned to the atmospheric La Garbinada hotel for a full breakfast,
which included a glass of the local wine. Feeling pretty mellow for the
rest of the morning, I was not greatly disappointed in missing the Little
Owl we were looking for. There were many birds for the rest of morning,
including good views of Great Spotted Cuckoo, Red Kite, and a flock of
Little Bustards. We saw numerous raptors with Buzzards, Merlin, Marsh
Harrier, Hen Harrier, and a Golden Eagle.

In the afternoon we headed for the Montsec area. Along the cliffs there
were Rock Bunting, Alpine Accentors, Black Wheatear, and a pair of
Peregrines. Close by along the Noguera River there was a beautiful
Penduline Tit in bright plumage.

As the light was fading, I was impressed that Steve could find a Stone
Curlew while driving and scanning the fields. The bird is not so easy to
see even when you know where it is. It was especially gratifying to end the
trip with this bird since we had been searching for it all day.

With recent splits and lumps it is sometimes hard to figure out what is a
seperate species. Using various field guides and webpages, I decided the
Red-rumped Swallow was not a new species for me, since we have the same
bird in Japan. However, the Buzzard turned out to be a new bird since it is
split from the similar Eastern Buzzard in Japan. Overall, the exciting day
had over 50 species with 21 new ones for me.

Jim Mori

Popularity: 60%

From the end of February to mid-May BirdingInSpain will have been directly responsible for filling at least 100 hotel bed nights in the Montsec area. That might not sound like much, but it is 100 more than nothing, which is approximately what there would have been without our interest in promoting birding in the area.

100 is the figure that we can count, because we have had direct dealings with it. Then there are the “unseen ones”, birders or their families who have used the information on itineraries and places to stay on the BirdingInSpain.com website and have gone ahead and put together their own holiday. Hopefully their number will grow in coming years.

For such birders, and other users of the website, we have a simple request: when you book your accommodation following the “looking for the best accommodation?” links it will really do birding and conservation a great service if you let the proprietors know why you are coming (birding) and how you found them (through the BIS website) . If local people, establishments and tourism entities see that people are coming to birdwatch it will give a great boost to conservation efforts: birds can bring money to the local economy and so they and their habitats should be protected and respected.

Unlike other local birding “enterprises”, BirdingInSpain.com has not received a cent of public funding. So every birder that comes to Montsec through us is a net contributor to the local economy.

Popularity: 57%

Not a bird photographer myself. Would like to be (who wouldn’t?) but just haven’t got the patience. Sitting quietly in the same spot and waiting for that precious moment is rather too much like fishing for me.

But I admire the people who do it, especially if they achieve excellent results.  Right now two very accomplished bird photographers, Joan Gil from Valencia and Jan-Michael Breider from Sweden (see their respective websites) are in the drylands of Lleida capturing some great images of displaying Little Bustards and other avian gems.

A few days ago they were with me couped up in little hides (them, not me) and busy photographing Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture if you prefer), Griffon Vulture and Black Vulture (3 different birds - nice surprise!) in the Pre-Pyrenees of Lleida.

They are the first participants of a specialist’s photographic trip to these parts organised by BirdingInSpain.com, Jordi Bas (a renowned bird photographer) and CastellsdeLleida (a local travel agent) in order to photograph these difficult and emblematic species. And anything else that falls within the reach of their lenses (like Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Bonelli’s Warbler and others).

In view of this year’s success we’ll be looking to make this tour a regular fixture. I look forward to seeing the results shortly, and if the photographers let me I will try to show the birding public some of their results.

Popularity: 58%

During my recent northeast Spain birding trip with a Swiss group we stayed at the Rincón del Cierzo, Lécera (only 20 minutes from the Dupont’s Larks). The location is ideal, the hotel was good, clean and the food just right. And the service was friendly - with real smiles.

Just before we left Olga, the proprietor, handed me a card which she had been given the week before by a couple of British birders. On it I read “The Biggest Twitch” and the names Alan Davies and Ruth Miller. When I got home I checked them out. See their story for yourselves at www.thebiggesttwitch.com  (I wonder if they have problems with that double “t”).

It would have been nice to bump into them, but alas it could not be. Apparently they lucked upon the hotel. There’s no reason for you to do the same, as the BirdingInSpain.com website has a direct link to the hotel’s website where you can see the details for yourself.

It’s there, use it!

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A quick breather between tours. And so a quick note on some of the birds just seen on a birding tour organised by BirdingInSpain.com for Beat Ruegger, a well-known Swiss birder and tour leader for Liberty Bird.

The route: Barcelona - Ebro Delta - Lleida - Belchite - Plan in the Pyrenees of Aragón. All in northeast Spain.

The dates: from 12th to 20th April

The tour participants: a total of 14 birders, including myself and Beat Ruegger as the bird guides.

The numbers: 196 bird species detected, in spite of 2 days strong winds and 2 days of rain (we really need rain here in Catalonia so I won’t complain!).

What’s behind the numbers: we managed to see all of the special target birds the group was interested in seeing. And there were quite a few pleasant surprises along the way. And quality encounters all through.

Some of the birds:

No fewer than 6 Dupont’s larks were seen (yes, seen!) on the Belchite steppes, including 2 parent larks with 2 young Dupont Lark offspring. Additionally, two singing Dupont’s Larks allowed themselves to be watched at leisure by all in the birding group.

16 Lammergeiers (not a total, but all at once!) in the sky in the Ordesa National Park. And scenery to remember for a long time.

A last-minute Wallcreeper on the edge of the village of Plan, after we were turned back by the snow when trying to reach a known site for this incredible bird. In the same place as two Alpine Accentors the previous day!

About a dozen male Little Bustards fighting, chasing and displaying on the drylands of Lleida on a pre-breakfast outing.

A pair of Bonelli’s Eagles drifting over our heads in Montsec.

Then the surprises: a Baillon’s Crake watched at leisure in the Ebro Delta on the 12th April (what a way to start! Could we keep it up?).

A Red-necked Nightjar on the second day, again in the Ebro Delta. This time while we were eating our picnic lunches!

A Broad-billed Sandpiper in the Ebro Delta just before we made our way inland towards Lleida.

A Ring Ouzel in the Montsec range in the morning (only the third I’ve seen in the area after more than 15 years of regular birding around Lleida). Then a Red-necked Phalarope at an inland lake in the afternoon. Too much!

Two days later there was a late Crane by the River Ebro to the south of Zaragoza. And on the last day an early Ortolan Bunting on the edge of Plan.

One day all birding trips will be made this way!

Popularity: 37%