BirdingInSpain

Angry birds peck back!

Recently we got another unpleasant surprise when about to visit the Llobregat Delta nature reserve on the edge of Barcelona (previous ones have included reserve closed, being locked in, no water, disturbance by wild boars, etc). We were told that there were now entrance fees established for visiting the Llobregat delta reserve – but that they were only applicable to “professionals”. The argument is that a professional bird guide can obtain an “economic benefit” from the use of the reserve. So, as professional guides ourselves, what do we think?

Sorry, but the whole idea gets a big thumbs down. First of all it’s a very feeble platform that of “those who obtain an economic benefit will have to pay”. For example, what about non-professional guides leading a birdwatching group? Or a visit by the local mayors or town or city councils? Or a photographer who takes a photo of a bird from one of the hides and then sells it to a magazine? And one who doesn’t sell any of his photos? Who is going to decide who, if any, of these will have to pay? The concept just doesn’t stand up to discussion or scrutiny.

And it’s not just because we will have to pay. It’s an arbitrary measure. It’s discriminatory, it’s ineffective, it’s overblown and under-reaching, and it’s not going to be of any benefit to anyone or anything. And sadly it doesn’t mean there will be an improvement in the management of the reserve, or an increase in the services offered to the visitor.

The new management plan for the National Park of Monfragüe also contemplates payment by visitors. But after this general proclamation the considerable divergence between these two “pay per visit” proposals gets wider and wider. The Monfragüe initiative is directed at payment for services, such as car parks, guided tours and access to previously restricted areas. And the income thus generated is to be directed back at management and upkeep of the park. In other words more for more, and not less for more as proposed with the Llobregat Delta initiative.

We believe that the “user” of nature should pay to an extent, but for services, not for just being there in nature. But first of all “exploiters and polluters” should be the ones to pay the most, e.g. a factory that pollutes a river, a company that takes off water from a river for irrigation, bottled water or cooling, logging companies, hotel chains with hotels in areas of natural beauty, and a long etc. The initial focus should be on making the bigger guys pay, because they are the prime “users”, and all too often “abusers” of nature. What is needed is an INTELLIGENT policy of use and exploitation of natural resources, including nature for amenity, but by no means conferring exclusive or prime importance to this aspect when there are so many others that should be addressed first. In the case of the Llobregat Delta why can’t Aena or Abertis pay?

So these people are all with you eh? Let me see…. that’ll be 120 euros. Is there anybody hiding in the reedbeds? 

Furthermore consider this: we have already paid quite a lot for these reserves. Where else did the funds come from that were spent on management tasks, construction of visitor centers and hides, publications, signs etc? From taxpayers and consumers, of course. So we pay as taxpayers and now bird guides are supposed to pay as professionals (though with no signs of any accompanying tax relief), while the polluter, or climate change denier, or environmental detractor, or just general exploiter need not pay. This does not work as a fair-minded concept, which is why we call it discrimination.

While this precept lasts we will not enter the Llobregat Delta reserves because we refuse to pay. We also warmly invite the reserve direction, management and staff to contemplate the advantages and mechanisms of bidding other, wealthier entities to pay for the maintenance of this and other reserves.

Well, almost!

This year at the Rutland Water Birdfair the stand of Catalonia will be decorated with a spectacular 2mx2m photo of an adult Bonelli’s Eagle coming in to land on a tree branch. But it’s not just any Bonelli’s Eagle, but rather one of “ours”! The photo was taken by partner Jordi Bas from our Bonelli’s Eagle hide earlier this season.

The team of the Diputació de Lleida wisely chose this photo to represent part of the richness of birds and birding opportunities that there are in Lleida, one of the four provinces of Catalonia, and the only one without a coastline. What Lleida doesn’t have in terms of sea views it more than makes up for by having the exclusive or a majority stake on many plains and alpine species. And with photographic opportunities like these we have got used to making our own waves.

We’ll be circulating around at the Birdfair this year – so look out for the “mug” and t-shirts if you want a friendly chat.

Q:

“What’s the weather like in May?”

We used to be able to answer that question with some degree of confidence. But nowadays we have to be very careful how we phrase our reply, using “Well, it should be….” or “Traditionally it has been…”, or similar reserved formulas. This year’s weather has been so riddled with extremes that it would be reckless to do otherwise.

For many of us living and birding in Spain it started around mid-February, with rain. “Hooray! Rain!” might have been the initial reaction, especially when the prospects of a continued or repeated drought are the foremost of people’s climatic concerns. But when that rain continues almost without respite for 2 whole months, and when the reservoirs and rivers are close to bursting their banks, even the most aqueous-minded souls among us are stirred to say “OK, that’s enough. You can stop raining now, please”.

Apart from the 60 days there’s also the question of timing. Birders can normally cope with mid-February being wet, but mid-April? When the spring migration should be building to its peak? It’s not just the comfort factor, but more the birds themselves that are the major concern. Migratory birds fly a long way in the spring to reach northern latitudes in order to take advantage of the temporary abundance of food and to breed before making the return migration. In order to establish territories, attract mates, and to recover from the long, demanding journey they need to be fighting fit. And for that they need to feed, and feed well.

Did you hear about Stone Curlews turning up in the UK in poor physical condition? Haggard, thin, exhausted? Stone Curlews are quite numerous in the right habitat in the “drier”, warmer parts of Spain, where they nest on the ground in dry, open, flat areas with sparse vegetation. My experience this spring, and I believe it was similar to other local bird guides, was that Stone Curlews were largely noticeable by their absence. It took a lot more searching than normal to find a Stone Curlew or two.

On reflection that shouldn’t be too hard to understand, for what “dry” areas were left to them? Normally stony or sandy fields and tracts were transformed into mudslides, puddles, mudclots and so on, and God only knows what they could find to eat. So if they couldn’t find the right habitat and conditions in Spain, by the time the Stone Curlews passing through to get to France or the UK had left Spain what sustenance had they found?

Sunshine, poppies and a decent mate. What more could a Stone Curlew ask for? 

Photo by Mark Curley. See more of Mark’s photos taken on the same bird photo trip here.

Around mid-April the sun came out in Spain and warmed us all to a smile and a sigh of relief “At last! Spring has arrived!”. The Stone Curlews responded and appeared in their usual breeding areas and started to, well, breed. When you see a Stone Curlew sitting in a particular spot for several consecutive days it’s usually a good indication that that bird is incubating or will be doing so quite shortly. And you tend to think that things won’t be so bad after all.

An adult Stone Curlew looking quite optimistic about the upcoming season’s breeding prospects   

Photo by Vincent Grau

But then it starts raining again, and it rains for 6 days without respite. And in those 6 days if the adult birds manage to sit tight on the nest, if they are not disturbed by predators, competitors or humans in any guise, and they do not leave the eggs long enough for them to get cold and die, it will be a small miracle.

And that’s only the beginning….

Birding around Barcelona

This could be an important notice for all birders planning to visit the Llobregat Delta reserves, maybe before taking their flight back home from Barcelona airport, or starting their birding trip after flying into the same.

The opening times of the Cal Tet and Remolar-Filipines reserves of the Llobregat Delta are less than convenient, so don’t get caught out like I was recently. It could put an unwelcome slant to your birding plans!

Furthermore, the access road to the Remolar-Filipines reserve has a barrier that is lowered when the reserve is closed, and at weekends, which causes problems of a different nature, namely:

(i) When access is barred you have to walk for about 15 minutes each way if you want to go to the beach and do a seawatch, for example.

(ii) At the same time the only option for parking your vehicle is in an un-manned car park another 5 minutes away. But that’s not all! This also has its opening and closing times, and any cars left inside when the gate is closed remain there until the gates are opened the following day.

(iii) If you manage to drive along the reserve access road to the car park at the entrance to the Remolar-Filipines reserve well done, but don’t be too complacent. Once I was with birding clients visiting the reserve before dropping them off at Barcelona airport and we were locked in! It was my fault – after the reserve closed I suggested doing a very profitable seawatch from the nearby beach, ignoring the fact that the barrier at the head of the access road was lowered shortly after the Llobregat Delta reserve itself was closed.

If you need a translation just send us an e-mail and we’ll be happy to send you one. 

So be informed! Here are the current opening times – you might need a bit of time to study and memorize them, but it could be worth your while. Remember that birding in the Llobregat Delta on the edge of Barcelona can be a rewarding activity. On recent visits with clients we have seen birds such as Greater Flamingo, Purple Gallinule, Yelkouan Shearwater, Common Waxbill, Penduline Tit, plenty of waders, ducks, terns and gulls, and even a group of Bottlenose Dolphins close to shore!

I have a burst pipe in my cellar

I have a burst pipe in my cellar. I think I’ll phone an expert plumber and ask him for free advice on how to fix it.

***

“Hello, is that Worldwide Travels?”

“Yes, how can we help you?”

“Well, we’re in the process of establishing a Travel Agency, and one of our star packages is to Turkey. We know that you have been operating in Turkey for many years now and we were wondering if you could tell us the name of a really good local driver, the best local guide and of course some more information about the itineraries that work the best for you”.

“Of course Sir, and while we’re at it why don’t you copy our name too?”

“Actually, we’ve already done that”

***

Are you interested in contracting guided birding in Spain?

– No.

Would you like to participate in one of our bird photo trips?

– No.

Are you going to participate or have you participated in any birding trip led  by Steve?

– No.

Have you acquired a copy of “Where the birds are in northeast Spain” or “Flying over the Pyrenees, standing on the plains”

– No.

Have you “liked” Birding In Spain on Facebook?

– No.

Have you clicked on any of the links for recommended accommodation on the Birding In Spain website?

– No.

Have you commented on any of the Birding In Spain blog articles?

– No.

The Birding In Spain website has lots of free birding itineraries, recommendations, advice, downloads etc. We hope you enjoy them and that they are useful. It may be tempting to ask for more, but before you do why not ask yourself if you really believe that a family of four can make a living out of  “No”s.

Be positive.

Raptor Special Photo Trip

Although our spring plains birds photo trips are all but fully booked this year, we still have some dates available for a raptor special photo trip this February and March.

These are the dates still available at the time of writing: 

From 11th  to 16th  February

From 6th  to 15th  March

From 24th  to 30th  March

Get more details by downloading the pdf below, as well as a look at the kind of photo you could be taking from our hides.

Then contact us to find out more, and if special conditions can be applied to you or your group. 

Raptor Special Photo Trip with Birding In Spain

Birding around Barcelona

Planning a trip to Barcelona? Maybe a short stop-off in Barcelona city as part of a Mediterranean cruise, or some traditional sightseeing? But you’re reading this because you’re a birder, right? And wherever you go you always think about birds and birding, so…

What are the possibilities and recommendations for birding, or birdwatching, around Barcelona?

On the very edge of Barcelona airport there are some interesting birding options in the Llobregat Delta. A couple of different sites of the Llobregat Delta are good for a spot of birdwatching and are within easy reach of the Barcelona city centre or Barcelona airport. One such birding site is the Remolar-Filipines reserve of the Llobregat Delta.

Inconvenient timetables may mean that the reserve is closed when you get there, or that you will have to walk some distance along the access road and park in an unattended car park, which you may also find closed and locked on your return if you dally too long doing a spot of seawatching from the beach. So be warned! Make sure that you are well informed of the reserve and car park timetables before you start birding this part of the Llobregat Delta.

Water levels fluctuate on the reserve, and the lagoons are prone to drying out. Nevertheless, you could plan to spend a couple of hours here, first visiting the well-built hides and then taking the short walk to the beach for a spot of seawatching. Purple Gallinule, Zitting Cisticola, Cetti’s Warbler are there in the reeds somewhere, and there’s usually a good assortment of waders, ducks and herons in areas with open water. Another, newer birding site within easy reach for birding from Barcelona is Cal Tet. Here the main attractions are water birds along the riverside, the Cal Tet lagoon and whatever birds there may be on flooded fields or along the beach. On the walk itself it is not difficult to detect Common Waxbill and Penduline Tit.

Further to the south, but still not far from Barcelona is the Garraf. The cliffs here at the seafront can be worth a look, as birds like Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush and Sardinian Warbler can often be seen. If you are birding at Garraf in the winter then it is also worth bearing in mind that a Wallcreeper has been recorded here in several successive winters.

Garraf is also the name of the calcareous massif just inland from here, and is protected under the figure of Garraf Natural Park. Check those swifts flying around, because there could well be some Pallid Swifts among them. The superb Bonelli’s Eagle is one of the highlights of this massif, and it is easy to spot Dartford Warbler, Thekla Lark and Subalpine Warbler in the more open areas. Birding elsewhere, in the more sheltered, wooded and cultivated areas of the Garraf massif you can expect Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Firecrest, Cirl Bunting, Crested Tit and Hoopoe, among others.

Photo by Jordi Bas 

Then after your great birding day out you can go back to Barcelona and do something “normal”, like plan a visit to one of Gaudí’s marvellous works such as Casa Batlló, Parc Güell, or the Sagrada Familia, not forgetting the binoculars of course, because even in Barcelona city centre there are more options for birdwatching, like setting eyes on flocks of noisy Monk Parakeets, or perhaps a chance encounter with an Iberian Green Woodpecker.

Eagle Photography with Birding In Spain

Below is a selection of photos from the new Bonelli’s Eagle hide taken by Birding In Spain photography partner Jordi Bas.

Photos taken in Catalonia, Spain.

These eagle photos reflect the activity of this, a very special, week. We have received bird photographers from Germany, Belgium and Spain participating in a special raptor photo trip with Birding In Spain. And we were a little bit nervous, because this was the first week we were using the new Bonelli’s Eagle photographic hide and the Golden Eagle photographic hide with real clients, all keen bird photographers.

For one part we needn’t have worried. Both the male and the female Bonelli’s Eagle came down to within 12 metres of the hide, and all the photographers got excellent photos of these magnificent eagles.

Certainly, though, it’s a nerve-wracking moment when, often after a wait of several hours, the Bonelli’s Eagles suddenly appear as if out of nowhere. The photographers in the hide are sitting tensely, waiting to see what the eagles will do. Will they take fright and fly away if they hear the click of the camera shutter? The female Bonelli’s Eagle seems to be the more wary of the two, but nevertheless she poses nicely, perched in one of the bare trees in front of the hide, while the more daring male Bonelli’s Eagle descends to the rocky platform to feed. Then, when the female eagle seems to be satisfied that there is no danger she flies down to join her mate and to make a meal of what is still there for her. And the day goes with eagle – click – photo, eagle – click – photo …

Photographers in the hide can often spend an hour or more taking photos of the Bonelli’s Eagle, and of course are very pleased with the results of their eagle and raptor photo trip.

By mid-afternoon it’s usually possible to leave the Bonelli’s Eagle hide with hundreds of photos and then to decide what to do next: a short session in the pool hide to photograph passerines, a walk in the countryside around Montsonís, or go back to the warm, cosy apartment and edit and enjoy the hundreds of eagle photos on the camera’s photo card. And before leaving Montsonís, many are already making arrangements for the next photo tour with Birding In Spain.

You can see a selection of Bonelli’s Eagle photos taken by Birding In Spain clients at www.Birdpictures.pro .

Merry Christmas

Florinda and Steve would like to wish all our clients, friends, partners, collaborators and sympathizers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Things have been very difficult for so many people this year, and the prospects aren’t looking much better for next year. Nevertheless, while we have birds, and plenty of them, many of us will have moments of joy, and the possibility to hope for a brighter future.

What can possibly go wrong on  a foreign birding trip?

Not much, well, not really that much, except:

1.The accommodation or food, or both, is lousy.

2.The itinerary, timing or pace of your trip are not quite right and you end up missing a lot of the best birds.

3.You experience car hire problems.

4.You experience traffic or driving problems.

5.Getting lost becomes a habit.

Now I’m sure he said turn left at Catalonia and straight on for Extremadura, didn’t he?

6.You don’t know which tracks are public access and consequently you end up missing some great birding spots.

7.You have an unfortunate encounter with traffic police.

8.You car is broken into and your possessions, passport and money are stolen.

9.Your binoculars are stolen by highway thieves.

10.You suspect you have been overcharged for a taxi ride.

There’s no rush, it’s better watching birds here…

11.The road to the bird is closed due to a sporting event and you have no alternative site up your sleeve.

12.You miss many birds because you are not familiar with their calls.

13.You urgently need to go to an optician’s/doctor/dentist in a strange city, and where they may not speak your language.

14.You don’t like driving around big cities, but there’s no way to avoid it.

15.You’ve had an accident. The car is a write-off. You are on the way to the next hotel. There are no alternative vehicles available. You are leading a group of 7 people. You are by the side of the motorway with 2 Guardia Civils and the driver of the other vehicle.

16.You are suffering from dehydration but don’t know it.

… than from our hotel window. “A room with a view” the brochure said!

All of these situations have either happened to us or have been reported to us as happening to our clients when travelling alone. We’ve learnt a lot about guiding groups and individuals to get the best from their birding in Spain over the last 16 years or so. That’s possibly why many of our clients trust us with the organization of their valuable birding time.

So, choose a number between 1 and 16. Or get professional service and guidance from Birding In Spain.