BirdingInSpain

Think again, take the train?

Most birders arriving in Spain from other countries arrive by plane. This is through flights to Barcelona or Madrid airport usually, although some may arrive at Málaga, Sevilla, Bilbao, or one of the smaller airports, depending on where they hail from.

Then, they either hire a car, or wait to be picked up by their guide or tour leader. Very few visiting birders ever think about getting the train.

To get to Spain can pass through from France by train, but this article is aimed more at travelling around the fast train network within mainland Spain.

AVE Fast train in Spain

The Spanish national railway network is run by the national company, Renfe. Their website is the one to consult to get train prices, schedules and to plan and book your journeys. Have a look at www.Renfe.com to see how it works. You can see the web in English if you desire.

One disadvantage of this easy to navigate site is that you can’t book trains for more than 3 months in advance, so bear that in mind.

There’s another thing too: the different types of trains may be confusing to the travelling birder. That’s easily remedied …

AVE – This stands for “Alta Velocidad Española” and coincidentally “ave” is also “bird” in Spanish! How about that, eh? A good omen, surely.

AVE trains are the fastest and most modern, and usually the most expensive too. The AVE can reach speeds of just over 300km/h, which means it can do the trajectory Barcelona – Madrid in 2hours 30 minutes (500km) or Lleida (where we live) to Sevilla in around 4hours 30 minutes (735km, or approximately 10 hours by road).

It’s a challenge to identify birds at that speed, but even so I always try to book a window seat and give it a go …

Black Kite at 300km/h

One advantage of the AVE trains is their punctuality compromise, which I have benefitted from on two occasions, once when my train was late by 40 minutes, and another by just over an hour (full money back on both occasions). Then they usually have a cafeteria carriage, and if you don’t mind the slightly higher prices for beverages in paper cups you can be sure to get the caffeine hit you may need to continue your journey once you get to the station.

Spanish intercity train network

Then there’s also Alvia and Avant. These are essentially cheaper versions of the AVE. Alvia uses both the high speed and the normal network, while Avant uses only the high speed one. Both are usually lower priced than the AVE, but that may depend on demand and the timing. Worth checking out when available. There are also Intercity and regional express trains, but that’s another story …

Our Spring across Spain tour (you can find it in our brochure here) is unique in that it connects the northeast and the southwest of Spain birding areas with the fast train between Sevilla and Zaragoza. Check it out …enjoy the birds AND the journey. 

An excerpt from Flying over the Pyrenees, standing on the plains

Even before I had reached him I heard the calls ringing out in the clear blue sky, and so I realized what he had seen. I lifted him in my arms so the little guy could get a better look at what he had so astutely observed: a flock of about one hundred Common Cranes approaching from the south in their typical V-formation, emitting loud, trumpeting and bugling calls. We watched in silence as they circled around, gaining height, and then straightened their course to continue northwards over the roof of our block of flats.

Common Crane

Of toes and eagles

An excerpt from the book “Flying over the Pyrenees, standing on the plains”

And what did the English come up with? Puffed with pride as possessors of a language with the richest vocabulary in the world, unrestrained by the anachronistic dictates of a fogy old Royal Language Academy, doted with the flexibility and hybrid vigour resulting from close contact with hundreds of different cultures, they produced … wait for it … Short-toed Eagle. How inspired! What an incredibly poetic, evocative name! Images of a stately pale bird sailing effortlessly over the mountain tops jump to my mind every time I pick up the nail-clippers.

Why should I consider northeast Spain for my next bird tour?

Northeast Spain we interpret as Catalonia, Aragon and Navarra

Catalonia has the coastline – Costa Brava, Costa Daurada, and the Ebro Delta. Follow the Ebro River inland past rocky mountains and gallery woodland and you get to the edge of the Ebro Valley drylands. Further north you have the Pre-Pyrenees, and the Pyrenees.

Aragón has the central Ebro Valley, the Pre-Pyrenees and Pyrenees. Navarra has the western part of the same.

But that’s not all…

There’s Mediterranean scrubland, inland wetlands and rivers, rock faces and escarpments.

Along the coast, in particular at the Ebro Delta the birds you can find are Greater Flamingo, Collared Pratincole, Purple Swamphen, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Savi’s Warbler, Audouin’s Gull, Slender-billed Gull, waders, terns, gulls, herons and wildfowl.

Inland gallery woodland has Wryneck, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Penduline Tit, Eurasian Hobby and Golden Oriole.

Search the Ebro Valley drylands and plains for a host of special birds, which include Great and Little Bustards, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, Calandra Lark and Dupont’s Lark, Spectacled Warbler, Little Owl, European Roller, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black-eared Wheatear and Iberian Grey Shrike. Rocky slopes nearby may be home to Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow and Rock Bunting.

In the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees you can find Bearded Vulture, Black Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, Booted Eagle, Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor, Alpine Chough, Citril Finch, White-backed Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker and Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, among many others.

Then on the scrub and slopes look for Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Western Subalpine Warbler, Western Orphean Warbler, Ortolan Bunting, European Bee-eater, Woodchat Shrike, Dartford Warbler, Egyptian Vulture, Eurasian Hoopoe.

For a closer look check out the detailed itineraries on our website: here

And if you’re looking for something in addition to the birds then … Barcelona, Pamplona, the Costa Brava, adenture sports, cycling, wine, extra virgin olive oil, and so much more.

Why do I need a guide?

Birding is better with a guide

A bird guide is about finding and identifying birds, right? And you are good at identifying birds, so you don’t need a guide, right?

Hmm…

Do you know all the birds’ calls?
Do you know the birds’ habitat and how they use it?
Do you know how they interact with other species?
Do you know how their movements are timed throughout the year?
Do you know if the habitat or the bird is still there?

Then there are other considerations …

• How to design the most efficient itinerary, getting the most birds for the least time and effort while maintaining a pace that suits you
• How to drive on Spanish roads full of Spanish drivers and road signs
• Where it may not be safe to park or leave a vehicle
• Do you know all the tracks and back roads?
• Do you have alternative sites for the species you came to see?
• Can you speak the language for whatever occasion (and don’t be surprised but a lot of people don’t speak English)
• Do you know what is private property and what is not?

Then, a good birding guide with roots in the country and culture will also have extensive knowledge of

• Food and drink
• History and culture
• What else is there to see or to do apart from the birds
• Where to stop for a good coffee and croissant or sandwich

Birding in Spain with your group and our guide

So in our opinion the question shouldn’t be whether you can afford a guide, but rather whether you can afford to come on the holiday of a lifetime and not to have one.

Nappies and Lesser Grey Shrikes

An excerpt from “Flying over the Pyrenees, standing on the plains”

We drove on a little and, doing my best to ignore the smell, I made another short stop to look at a party of Bee-eaters, circling and gliding and effortlessly picking flying insects from the air. Back in the car though the atmosphere was choking. I had to relieve us of the worst of our load, and as I passed an empty sheep pen I saw an opportunity. As quickly and as casually as I could I raised the dark brown nappy with my fingertips and tossed it awkwardly into the pen, leaving the scene of the heinous crime with prudent speed.

Wallcreepers and wall-clingers

I counted 40 rock climbers actually clinging to the rock faces at the Mallos de Riglos one Sunday morning in November. And 4 Wallcreepers, one per 10 rock-climbers. So, I have to admit it, it seems that the Wallcreepers are relatively unfazed by these rival rock-clingers.

Happy birders at riglos after seeing Wallcreepers

Riglos is the only place where I have seen 3 or 4 Wallcreepers in a single morning. I’ve even heard Wallcreepers singing here, and watched them make sullies from the safety of the rock face to trap a flying insect before returning to a ledge to dismember and swallow it. I’ve seen Wallcreepers  chasing each other in what I interpret as a struggle to assert their dominance over a temporary winter territory.

Riglos has been good to me over the last two decades. Nevertheless, I can’t help feeling nervous as we park in the car park and I raise my binoculars to survey the majesty and the extent of the rock faces here. And do I really believe that the Wallcreeper, with all that rock at its disposal, will hop and flit around just above our heads? Why should it bother?

Riglos cliffs and church

Fortunately, the birders and photographers that I escort here behave with the right sense of occasion. They too eagerly scan the rock faces up and down, left to right, and blessed be he or she who first calls out “Wallcreeper!” or “There’s one!”. I hurriedly raise my binoculars to check that it is indeed a Wallcreeper and not a Black Redstart or an Alpine Accentor and give my thumbs up and an almost audible sigh of relief. Yes, today I’m a believer! Again!

As a special treat you can click here Gorgeous Wallcreepers chapter  and download the free chapter on Wallcreepers from the book “Flying over the Pyrenees, standing on the plains”.

Right, so now we’ve focused on why birding in Spain is such a great idea, and also what areas of Spain are best for your bird tour to centre on, the next question arises: when to go birding in Spain?

Short-toed Eagle in flight

Well, spring birding is hard to beat anywhere, and that includes Spain. The weather, the flowers, the butterflies … Go on a spring birding tour to catch up with some of the summer migrant birds that may only be passing through, maybe a late winter visitor or two, and of course the migratory and resident birds of Spain, which are busy displaying and defending territories.

So, when is spring in Spain? That question is not as innocent as it may seem, as for one thing, early and peak migration in the south of Spain (Andalucía) can be between one and two weeks in advance of northeast Spain (Catalonia, Aragón and Navarra). That could be interesting to bear in mind if planning a longer tour to visit two separate regions, such as our Spring Across Spain tour.

So, generally speaking, the best spring period is throughout April and up to mid-May.

However, you can’t be everywhere in spring, so are there any other times suitable for your bird tour to Spain? Summer, for example?

Ordesa National Park in the Pyrenees of Spain

Hmmm, summer… Summer can be very hot, with temperatures reaching up to 40ºC in some parts. However, if you’re planning to spend most of your time in the mountains – the Pyrenees, the Sierra de Gredos, the Picos de Europa, etc – then you can usually escape the worst of the heat and get a good variety of birds, especially some of the high altitude birds such as Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch, Alpine Chough, Citril Finch and more.

The autumn means migration for most. While wildfowl, waders and songbirds migrate through Spain on a broad front soaring birds such as birds of prey (Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and others) and Black and White Storks are funnelled through to the shortest sea crossing over to Africa, at the Straits of Gibraltar. The area around Tarifa then becomes the main focus of birders’ attention, from August until October.

Admiring the views over the Straits of Gibraltar

The short, colder days of winter may not appeal for a bird tour to Spain, at first sight. However, it is a good time to catch up with wintering species (flocks of Common Cranes, waders, wildfowl and gulls) and, above all, those altitude migrants, which descend from the high mountains, especially the Wallcreeper and Alpine Accentor. On the plains there are flocks of larks, sandgrouse and bustards too. In this period the best months would be November and February to March. So if you’re looking for a winter birding break this is an excellent option, above all to combine with an extension for a bit of culture in Barcelona or Madrid, for example.

Wallcreeper in flight

When to go on a birding tour in Spain? When it’s most convenient for you. 

So, we’ve decided: we’re going on a bird tour to Spain. But where in Spain exactly?

There’s no easy answer to that! Let’s start by separating the Canary Islands (eg Tenerife), and the Balearic Islands (eg Mallorca), from mainland Spain, and focus on the latter.

Map of best birding regions in Spain

The most popular birding destinations in mainland Spain are Extremadura, Andalusia, northeast Spain (Catalonia, Aragon and Navarra), and the Cantabrian mountains, especially the Picos de Europa.

Why?

• Extremadura has steppes, inland waterways, lots of raptors and above all the Monfragüe National Park.
• Andalusia – has the Coto Doñana National Park (currently struggling with drought and lack of water due to agricultural activities), the south coast around Tarifa, and the Sierras north of Sevilla.
• Northeast Spain has the Pyrenees mountains, the Ebro Delta wetlands, the Ebro valley plains and quite a lot of forest.
• The Cantabrian mountains are best known for access to high mountain species, but also as the home of Brown Bears and Iberian Wolves.

So what are the special birds of each region?

Spanish Imperial Eagle

Extremadura – Spanish Imperial Eagle, Cinereous Vulture, Iberian Magpie, Black Stork, White-rumped Swift, Great Bustard, Black-winged Kite…

Andalusia – Northern Bald Ibis, Little Swift, Marbled Teal, White-headed Duck, Red-knobbed Coot, Collared Pratincole, Rüppell’s Vulture…

Northeast Spain – Wallcreeper, Bearded Vulture, Alpine Accentor, Citril Finch, Dupont’s Lark, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Audouin’s Gull…

Of course there are many interesting bird species common to two or more of these regions, and a birding tour of ten days or so at the peak period of early to mid-spring should take you to over 200 bird species.

AVE, the fast train service in Spain

It’s also worth thinking of doing a bird tour which includes two of these different regions say, for example, the south of Spain (Andalusia) connected with the northeast (Navarra, Aragón, Catalonia). It’s a long drive from Sevilla or Málaga to Barcelona, Lleida or Zaragoza, but it’s only several hours by the fast train service. Our Spring Across Spain tours offer the visiting birder that very possibility. Think about the possibilities.

Birding In Spain spring bird tour: Spring across Spain

Birding In Spain, Europe?

Absolutely! Now, you’re not going to compete with the tropics for the number of bird species – European wildlife was the first to bear the brunt of industrialization after all, and the temperate climate zone can never be so productive in terms of bird species and variety.

So what’s special about Spain for a birding tour?

Well, Spain is well-known as a holiday destination – mostly due to its warm, sunny climate with little rain, reasonable prices, beaches …

However, as travelling birders we scratch well below the surface, don’t we? However, before we talk about the birds themselves…

Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe – I bet many of you didn’t know that. There are mountain ranges all over the place, with peaks in the Pyrenees of over 3,000m, and the Sierra Nevada in the south at almost 3,500m.

Castles in Spain, are not just castles. There are Roman remains, medaieval walled cities, monuments such as the Alhambra in Granada, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, cathedrals, romanic churches, and soooo much more.

Castles in Spain: Loarre castle

It’s easy to get to Spain, with international connections at major airports Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Málaga. Then getting around Spain is easy and fast, with excellent road and rail links connecting cities and different regions.

Map of Barcelona city, Catalonia, Spain

Spain is a safe place to travel in, especially if you take commonsense precautions. Normal people don’t have guns, they drive more or less sensibly, they respect other people and their belongings.

Spain is well known for its good red wines – not enough so in our opinion – and almost every valley has its own cheeses, olive oil, wine, bread, regional dish, etc.

There are so many hotels and other accommodation types to choose from that you cannot possibly compare Spain disfavourably to any other European country.

Landscapes – mountains, valleys, plains, olive groves, wetlands, coastal headlands – landscapes and more landscapes.

The professional services of people engaged in making your stay as enjoyable as possible – hotel staff, transport workers, caterers, and of course professional birding guides. We at Birding In Spain have been leading, designing, and operating bird tours around all parts of Spain since 1996. That’s a long time to learn how best to deliver what the visiting birder needs to make his or her visit a successful one.

The Birding In Spain team – Florinda and Steve

Oh! We forgot to mention the birds! That’ll have to be in another blog entry. See you there!

Images: red wine, olive oil, cheese, barcelona, us