Eagle Photography with Birding In Spain

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.

Bonelli’s Eagle photography

Bonelli’s Eagle photography

 Bonelli’s Eagle photography

Bonelli’s Eagle photography

 

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 …

Bonelli’s Eagle photography

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 .

Lammergeier photography with Birding In Spain

Lammergeier photography with Birding In Spain

Lammergeier photo trip with Birding In Spain

Photo by Franck Renard

Lammergeier photography in Spain is becoming more and more popular, especially among European photographers. And the demand for getting a great photo or many photos of Lammergeiers is nowadays justification enough for making a photo trip to Spain.

 Lammergeier photo trip with Birding In Spain

Photo by Franck Renard

In 2007 Steve West of Birding In Spain initiated a partnership with travel agent’s Montiline and local wildlife photographer Jordi Bas to satisfy part of the growing demand for bird photo trips using photographic hides. At that time we decided that the priority bird species for hide photography were the Little Bustard on the plains and the Lammergeier in the Pyrenees. Of course the Lammergeier also came with its inseparable colleagues the Griffon Vulture, and quite often the reintroduced Black Vulture too.

Black Vulture in flight by Jan Pedersen.

Photo by Jan Pedersen

When we started ours was the third hide for Lammergeier photography in the Pyrenees of Spain, and the first private site. Now new sites for Lammergeier photography are popping up like mushrooms, as too are local companies who offer something akin to the photo trip format that our work and our clients taking great photos of Lammergeier, vultures, bustards etc have made a reality.

Lammergeier photo trip with Birding In Spain

Photo by Frank Dröge

Without knocking the competition who are delving into bird photo trips, setting up hides for Lammergeier photography, hides where you can photograph Little Bustards, etc., we sincerely believe that they are largely missing the point. Why? Well, if we explained that in too much detail we might help them to find the edge they are missing! What we really recommend is that you book your own bird photo trip with us – Lammergeiers, vultures, Bonelli’s Eagle, Little Bustard, etc –  and find out for yourselves what makes us different, and better.

 Lammergeier photography with Birding In Spain

Photo by Chris Schenk

We are very proud that many of our Birding In Spain photography clients have returned to us for their third or fourth trip. We are also proud of them, and would like to extend our thanks to all those discerning bird photographers who have enjoyed our bird photo trips over the last 5 years. A big seasonal greeting goes out to you from Steve West, Ramon and Jordi, and we hope to see many of you back with us in Spain in 2013.

Digging in the snow to get to the Lammergeier.

Photo by Chris Schenk 

Remember! Participants of photo tours with Birding in Spain www.birdinginspain.com are also encouraged to display their work, or at least some of their good bird photos, on www.Birdpictures.pro.

If you’re new to this concept, but would like to know more contact Steve West at www.birdinginspain.com for more information about photographing Lammergeier and other photo tours.

Christmas Greetings

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.

Christmas greetings

 

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.

Things that can go bump on a birding trip

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.

Don’t get lost while birding in Spain

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.

Birding from the car is a possibility when birding in Spain

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.

 Maybe we can see a Lammergeier through the square window?

… 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.

Cómo informar de una rareza por los canales oficiales

Un día…

Un hombre entra en un edificio de muchos pisos.

Oficial: ¿En que le puedo servir?

Hombre: Quiero denunciar una desaparición.

Oficial: Ah, entonces pase a la sección de personas desaparecidas.

Hombre: Verá, es que no se trate de una persona.

Oficial: ¿Cómo no? ¿Pues, de que se trata?

Hombre: Es…es un poco difícil de explicar.

Oficial: Mire señor, no dispongo de todo el día. Así que si no me lo puede o no me lo quiere explicar le aconsejo que vuelva más tarde cuando lo tiene más claro. ¿De  acuerdo?

Hombre: Vale, vale. Pues se trata de un chorlito dorado americano (Pluvialis dominica) que vi en unos arrozales. Estuvo durante unos 15 minutos, se marchó y después no lo podía encontrar.

Oficial: ¿Un dolido chico americano? Mire, si ha venido a gastar una broma y…

Hombre: No, no, por favor. Un chorlito dorado americano.

Oficial: ¿Y esto que es exactamente?

Hombre: Es una limícola  neártica divagante a Europa.

Oficial: ¿Una limícola neártica? Si me lo hubiera dicho antes habríamos ahorrado mucho tiempo. Tenga. Hay que rellenar este formulario, A421 “Limícolas Neárticas Extraviadas“.

El joc “Rapinyaires” ja està a la venta – El juego “Rapaces” ya está en venta

Rapinyaires – Rapaces

Ciutadans de Catalunya! Ja ho tenim aquí! Per fi, desprès de la seva concepció més de 6 anys enrere, ha nascut el joc “Rapinyaires!“.  El part ha anat molt bé, a més dels pares Birding In Spain i La Sabina, també han assistit la Diputació de Lleida, el Plus Fresc, l’Ajuntament de Lleida i el web de micromecenatge Verkami.

Desprès de la seva presentació de “com a casa” i informal aquest dissabte passat a Montsonís el joc ja està a la venta. PVP 16.5 euros, si compres 2 el preu és de 15 euros per a unitat.

A més del joc en si, que dona varies possibles modalitats de joc instructius i divertits, també hi ha un manual que explica més coses sobre els rapinyaires de la Península Ibèrica. No perdis aquesta oportunitat d’aconseguir el teu!

Rapinyaires joc educatiu - Rapaces juego educativo

 

Ya lo tenemos aquí! Por fin, después de su concepción hace más de 6 años ha nacido el juego “Rapaces!”. El parto ha ido muy bién, además de los padres Birding In Spain y La Sabina también han asistido la Diputación de Lleida, el Plus Fresc, el Ajuntament de Lleida y el web de micromecenazgo Verkami.

Después de su presentación “como en casa” e informal este sábado pasado a Montsonís el juego está en venta. PVP 16.5 euros, y si compras 2 el precio baja a 15 euros la unidad.

Además del juego en si, que da varias modalidades de juego instructivas y divertidas también hay un manual que explica más cosas sobre las rapaces de la Península Ibérica (en catalán, pero cuenta con un manual on-line en castellano).

Presentació del joc Rapinyaires - Presentación del juego Rapaces

Assistents joves i no tan joves a la presentació del joc de Rapinyaires 

Hotels renew their links with Birding In Spain

Hotels renew their links with Birding In Spain

Birder-friendly hotels on the Birding In Spain website

If you’re a birder and you’ve been birding in northeast Spain, you may have stayed at one or more of the hotels that form the network of Birding In Spain Recommended Hotels.

If you don’t know which hotels form part of the Birding In Spain network then just check out the Sites and Itineraries section: for most of the itineraries there will be one or two links on the left-hand side that will take you to the hotel websites.

If you have stayed at any of these birder-friendly hotels please let us know about the experience. Your feedback is very useful: if the hotels are doing a good job then it’s important and gratifying to give them a pat on the back and to encourage them to keep up the good work; if you have detected or experienced any shortcomings then reporting these in a constructive manner will also help them to improve.

Here’s a shortlist of the hotels that have collaborated with Birding In Spain for a number of years, and which have opened their doors to the international birding community for another year.

Birder-friendly hotels on the Birding In Spain website

 

Monestir de les Avellanes

Montsonís

Delta Hotel

Rincón del Cierzo

Hospedería de Loarre

Hostería de Guara

Metsola Apartments

Mas del Rei

Hotel Roca Blanca

Hotel Edelweiss

Mas del Joncar

Hotel Mediodía

 Birder-friendly hotels on the Birding In Spain website

Times are hard and getting harder in Spain. These hotels welcome birders and are keen to receive more. You can help them, us, and yourself too, by checking them out when planning your first or your next birding trip to northeast Spain.

If you have already stayed in one of these hotels you could also write a review on Trip Advisor.