BirdingInSpain

The rest of the year, July – December

hotspot birding autumn

This period was mostly spent taking “potshots” at missing species that might be around. Summer waders don’t find much habitat in the region, with Mont-ral being the only realistic site to check. Then to look out for passage Dotterels on the drylands and keep an ear out for any scarce birds turning up at the Estany d’Ivars. I was fixated on finding a Yellowhammer in the north of the Hotspot and was delighted when I did! Missed out on passage Osprey though, and Black-necked Grebes are almost a thing of the past, it seems.

The autumn wader passage on the ricefields was quite disappointing and gave me nothing new.

Temminck’s Stint*
Kentish Plover*
Tawny Pipit*
Curlew*
Glossy Ibis*
Ruddy Shelduck*
Dotterel*
Yellowhammer*
Little Gull*
Ring Ouzel*
Common Whitethroat
Mediterranean Gull*
Citril Finch*
Barn Owl*
Grey Plover*
Red Breasted Merganser*
Black Winged Kite*

Total = 222 species

• Species that I was hoping to see but didn’t: Osprey, Long Eared Owl, Tawny Owl, European Nightjar, Black Necked Grebe, Yellow Browed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler

• Species that were reported but that I didn’t see: Common Gull, Flamingo, Spoonbill, Jack Snipe, Rosy Starling, Great Bittern, Pallid Harrier, Sociable Lapwing … (I’m sure there are a few more)

April – May – June

Hotspot birding 2020 – summer

Wood Sandpiper
Collared Pratincole* (around 1 or 2 sightings a year is normal)
Ringed Plover
Yellow Wagtail
Western Bonelli’s Warbler
Subalpine Warbler
Woodchat Shrike
Nightingale
Bee Eater
Willow Warbler
Black Eared Wheatear*
Tree Pipit
Red Rumped Swallow*
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Black Tern
Little Bittern*
Cuckoo
Wryneck
Turtle Dove
Bar Tailed Godwit* (rare inland; this time a flock of 22!)
Greenshank
Common Redstart
Scops Owl*
Roller
Hobby
Melodious Warbler
Pied Flycatcher
Golden Oriole
Wood Warbler*
Garden Warbler
Ortolan Bunting* (one on migration)
Short Toed Lark
Montagu’s Harrier*
Quail
Purple Heron
Spotted Flycatcher
Northern Wheatear
Whinchat
Whiskered Tern
Black Vulture* (from the balcony!)
Honey Buzzard
Red Necked Nightjar*
Lesser Grey Shrike* (only one site left in the Iberian Peninsula)
Red Footed Falcon*

Black Bellied Sandgrouse* (has almost disappeared from the zone)
Orphean Warbler*
Squacco Heron*
Jay*
Spanish Sparrow* (a new breeding bird – will it stay?)
Common Tern*
Eleonora’s Falcon*
Little Stint

54 species added in this period.
Total so far = 205

Hotspot list 2020

25km hotspot birding around Lleida

In order of appearance:

January – February – March

Red Kite
Collared Dove
Woodpigeon
Chifchaff
House Sparrow
White Stork
Magpie
Rock Dove (domestica)
Crested Lark
Chaffinch
Marsh Harrier
Buzzard
Brambling*
Wood Lark
Robin
Great Tit
Hoopoe
Blackbird
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker *
Grey Wagtail
Kestrel
Goldfinch
Great White Heron
Carrion Crow
Corn Bunting
Linnet
Merlin*
Cirl Bunting
Mallard
Little Owl
Black Redstart
Great Cormorant
Common Starling
Stonechat
Cattle Egret
Yellow Legged Gull
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Black Kite
Spotless Starling
Jackdaw
Serin
Dartford Warbler
Greenfinch
White Wagtail
Song Thrush
Grey Heron
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Common Pochard
Gadwall
Teal
Shelduck
Shoveler
Black Headed Gull
Water Rail
Purple Swamphen*
Coot
Moorhen
Snipe
Kingfisher
Penduline Tit
Bluethroat*
Reed Bunting
Dunnock
Iberian Green Woodpecker
Mistle Thrush
Cetti’s Warbler
Lapwing
Blue Tit
Greylag Goose*
Water Pipit
Skylark
Black Stork*
Iberian Grey Shrike
Meadow Pipit
Red Legged Partridge
Long Tailed Tit
Thekla Lark
Redwing* (large numbers this year)
Hawfinch*
Stock Dove
Red Billed Chough
Sardinian Warbler
Tufted Duck
Tree Sparrow
Goshawk
Ruff
Spotted Redshank
Green Sandpiper
Siskin
Goldcrest*
Short Toed Treecreeper
Mute Swan
Little Egret
Blackcap
Bearded Tit* (breeds at one or two sites in Catalonia)
Wren
Coal Tit*
Calandra Lark
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Rock Bunting*
Rock Sparrow
Dipper*
Crag Martin
Griffon Vulture
Peregrine Falcon
Wallcreeper** (our favourite!)
Firecrest
Fieldfare*
Black Wheatear*
Sparrowhawk
Hen Harrier*
Night Heron
Blue Rock Thrush
Herring Gull* (rare, but somewhat overlooked. Not a big gull fan myself)
Little Bustard*
Stone Curlew
Wigeon
Golden Eagle*
Raven
Crested Tit*
Bonelli’s Eagle*
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse* (only one site in Catalonia)
Dunlin
Golden Plover
Pintail
Eagle Owl*
Common Crane
Common Sandpiper
Red Crested Pochard
Ferruginous Duck*
Moustached Warbler* (breeds at 2? locations in Catalonia)
Zitting Cisticola
Redshank
House Martin
Little Ringed Plover
Sand Martin
Swallow
Black Tailed Godwit
Black Winged Stilt
Dupont’s Lark (the only site in Catalonia)
Lesser Short Toed Lark
Short Toed Eagle
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Garganey
Egyptian Vulture
Lesser Kestrel
Alpine Swift
Booted Eagle
Common Swift

Total for period = 151 species

* Most noteworthy species; either not expected every year, site specific or generally rare
Notes: Visits to Estany d’Ivars, Utxesa, Alfés, Mont-ral, Aiguamolls de Rufea, Lleida dump, Clot de l’Unilla, Santa Anna, Serra Llarga, Lockdown and Torre-ribera