BirdingInSpain

Lockdown balcony birding

In Catalonia, as in Spain, we were under strict lockdown for more than a month, from mid-March. Some exceptions were phased in, such as allowing access to non-commercial allotments, followed by a return to mobility for work purposes.

In practice that meant that the only safe birding to be had during the peak spring migration period was balcony birding. I have to say that it was enormously frustrating, but not without its interest. If only I had maintained my balcony list which I started when we moved into our apartment, more than 15 years ago!

During that time I would spend many an hour pacing up and down our balcony, scrutinizing the sky for anything that moved. There was always something, if only Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves and Greenfinches. It was also interesting, and at times a little unnerving too, to compare notes with other birders doing the same from their balconies around Spain via the Facebook Covid-19 birding page.

Covid balcony birders

Inevitably those birding in the south of Spain would have announced the arrival of birds such as Common Swift or Willow Warbler well in advance of us birders up north. Nevertheless, we usually caught up in the end, and once again I was extremely grateful that our balcony view to the north has relatively wide-open views, because of the public square where no buildings have been erected.

Balcony birding in Lleida

The only unique Hotspot species that I added, and still have yet to see elsewhere, was a surprise Black Vulture. But raptor interest was the main ingredient of my diligence, with quite remarkable observations of no fewer than 4 eagle species, with Bonelli’s Eagle, Golden Eagle, Booted Eagle and Short-toed Eagle! Then there was a distant Merlin, a Peregrine (thanks swallows for alerting me to that one!), three Goshawk days, a couple of Alpine Swifts, Stone Curlews and Hoopoes, a single male Common Redstart, and calling Scop’s Owls and Red-necked Nightjars. The last species of note was a Purple Heron, and small flocks of Honey Buzzards heading north on the 1st May.

Red-necked Nightjar photo by Eva Solanes

One morning Florinda said “The only thing that gets you out of bed early is your balcony birding”, and you know, as usual, it was true.