A Month In Spain

[BarbatusOne]

I just had my official birding "coming of age trip."

Armed with a foolish sense of courage, a couple Helm's & Butler Guides and some very helpfull advice from John Cantenelo, I spent a month alone in Spain from early March to early April. It was, overall, an exciting and stimulating time. I was robbed, knocked the rearview mirror off my rental, was stranded in blizzards and rainstorms, and off course lost many times, but would be happy to do it all over again.

All in all nearly 250 species were recorded of which, more importantly, over 120 were life birds.

Highlights included Excellent to Jaw-dropping views of all of the following in no particular order:

Eight Lark Species, including Dupont's; Lammergeier; Black-winged Kite; Spanish Imperial Eagle, Eagle Owl, Black Vulture, Lesser Kestrel, Bonelli's Eagle, Egyptian Vulture; Great Bustard; Little Bustard; Black-bellied & Pin-tailed Sandgrouse; Close up spiritual experiences of Crane; Trumpeter Finch; Levantine Shearwater; Marbeled Teal; (REAL) Red-crested Porchards; White-headed Duck; Red-knobbed Coot; Purple Swamp-hen; Baillon's Crake; Little Crake; Marsh Sandpiper; Moustached Warbler; Great Read Warbler; Savi's Warbler; Stone Curlew; Alpine Accentor; Azure-winged Magpies and many others.

I was just too early for a lot of things (Roller comes to mind) but it gives me an excuse for going back. Anyone interested in a more complete trip report or advice should feel free to PM me.

It's nice to be back where the tea is delicious and the coffee is disgusting.

Blake
Oxford GB & Carmel CA

[Edward]

Nice one Blake, sounds like you really cut your teeth birding in (arguably) Europe's best birding location and you saw some of the region's most charismatic species. I'm off to Spain in a couple of weeks and will PM you for details. Now that you've got the taste for it, where to next?

E

[BarbatusOne]

Now that you've got the taste for it, where to next?
E

The Highland Way!

[Jules Sykes]

Hi Blake
If you ever fancy Spain again I will certainly do a house swap for a couple of weeks. I would love to get back to Monterey/Carmel and do some more sea-watching or another pelagic. BTW glad you enjoyed your time here in Spain, and from your short list you obviously did very very well, nice one. If you are in the mood I would love to see the extended itinerary of your month here.

[jurek]

Where exactly did you see Trumpeter Finch and Dupont's Lark? We chased both around Almeria and finally dipped. :-C

[Chabi]

Hi:

I see that you´re very lucky and you saw a lot of birds. I live in Ricla a village near Zaragoza. I send you a photo who I taken this afternoon in a rocks near my house (5 km).

(Sorry for my horrible english)

[BarbatusOne]

Hi Blake
If you ever fancy Spain again I will certainly do a house swap for a couple of weeks. I would love to get back to Monterey/Carmel and do some more sea-watching or another pelagic. BTW glad you enjoyed your time here in Spain, and from your short list you obviously did very very well, nice one. If you are in the mood I would love to see the extended itinerary of your month here.

Jules

I will file that house swap invitation away in my mental filing cabinet. I may hold you to it one day! If you ever happen to be back in the neighborhood (my neighborhood anyway) feel free to drop me a line and I will take you around to tick some of the local land specialties in addition to the coastal ones. I have reliable places for lots of goodies like Condors, Mountain Quail, YB Magpie, etc. I will send along a detailed trip report in the next couple days I'm still working on it for Surfbirds.

Best,

[BarbatusOne]

Where exactly did you see Trumpeter Finch and Dupont's Lark? We chased both around Almeria and finally dipped. :-C

Jurek

Dupont's Lark was tough and required some shamefull off trail wandering in the Northern portions of the Cabo De Gata Desert- several Miles North of the main road through the park, opposite the main visitors center.

Trumpeter finch I found easy on the cliffs approaching the Cabo de Gata lighthouse, I suspect this may have something to do with a pre-breeding conflagration, or winter flocking behavior, as they seemed very vocal and abundant in contrast to their secretive and elusive reputation.

All the best,

[BarbatusOne]

Hi:

I see that you´re very lucky and you saw a lot of birds. I live in Ricla a village near Zaragoza. I send you a photo who I taken this afternoon in a rocks near my house (5 km).

(Sorry for my horrible english)

Great photo Chabi! I never got tired of looking at Griffon Vultures, very handsome birds. Su ingles no es una problema, es mas mas mejor que mis espanol! I may be back in your neighborhood in a month or so for a couple days as I dipped on Wallcreeper...a low point in the trip and I simply must see it in order to be able to live with myself.

Best,

[John Butler]

I just had my official birding "coming of age trip.

Blake
Oxford GB & Carmel CA

Hi Blake.

Sounds like you had a great time after I saw you in Donana on the 1st of April.
An excellent bird list. Well done.

I hope the book was of some help to you.

Regards from Doñana.

John.

[BarbatusOne]

I hope the book was of some help to you.


John

It certainly was. Indeed I found it the most clear, readable and useful of all those I brought along.

A Pleasure Meeting You,

[John Cantelo]

John

It certainly was. Indeed I found it the most clear, readable and useful of all those I brought along.

A Pleasure Meeting You,

Blake,
I hope my info was useful Blake. I'm just a bit envious, though, as there's a few species in your list I've not (yet) seen in Spain. You've given details of the Dupont's Lark & Trumpeter Finch (two species I've not had a serious look for yet), but where did you get the Marbled Teal? Similarly, where did you see the Crested Coot? I only managed to see neck ringed birds at Espera and none at all at Laguna Medina ... but my birding time was limited. Hopefully if the sale goes through I'll have a bolt hole in Spain, John

[jurek]

Jurek

Dupont's Lark was tough and required some shamefull off trail wandering in the Northern portions of the Cabo De Gata Desert- several Miles North of the main road through the park, opposite the main visitors center.

Trumpeter finch I found easy on the cliffs approaching the Cabo de Gata lighthouse, I suspect this may have something to do with a pre-breeding conflagration, or winter flocking behavior, as they seemed very vocal and abundant in contrast to their secretive and elusive reputation.

All the best,

Thanks,

Shh, I searched for Trumpeter Finches exactly in the same place...

[BarbatusOne]

where did you get the Marbled Teal? Similarly, where did you see the Crested Coot?

Yes John (sorry I got your last name wrong in my original post... I always add extra sylables on to Italian names for some reason) your information was indispensible and I can safely say there were a few species that were it not for your guidance I would have entirely missed, so sincere thanks.

I got lucky with the Crested Coot at the lagoon at Rocio, I, along with several other visiting birders saw it from the old burnt out observatory. The Marbeled Teal (6 of them actually) were at Brazo Del Este on the Guadalquiver. SE1 in Helm. I went to El Hondo, but none were in yet there, although the place was really fantastic and I found Moustached Warbler quite easily there.

Thanks Again,

[Barred Wobbler]

Blake,
I hope my info was useful Blake. I'm just a bit envious, though, as there's a few species in your list I've not (yet) seen in Spain. You've given details of the Dupont's Lark & Trumpeter Finch (two species I've not had a serious look for yet), but where did you get the Marbled Teal? Similarly, where did you see the Crested Coot? I only managed to see neck ringed birds at Espera and none at all at Laguna Medina ... but my birding time was limited. Hopefully if the sale goes through I'll have a bolt hole in Spain, John


I was at Laguna de Medina at the end of February and saw little of note, with very few coots of any description. (Spanish sparrows on the seeded field over the fence from the footpath). Last March, however we did see crested coot there, just next to an incubating purple gallinule, where the path dips down to meet the edge of the reeds and (judging from the mud)occasionally floods. There were also hundreds of common coots at the same time, so the paucity this year may have had something to do with the calendar.

One piece of good news was that in February there were two workmen building a hide in the bushes between the path and the lake, so at last we will be able to get unobstructed views of the water. (The bad news was that the activity and chatter of the workmen cleared the area of birds, apart from a handful of great crested grebes).

I'm off to the Ebro in a couple of weeks, hoping for some ticks, including (with a big slice of luck) Dupont's Lark. Fingers crossed.

[Chabi]

Hi:

In Spain to see wallcreeper I think that a very good site it´s Ordesa National Park in Huesca however in winter the wallcreeper goes to river canyons and small mountains. Two kilometres near my house every winters wintering about 3-4 wallcreeper, there is a great bird¡¡.

[John Cantelo]

Yes John (sorry I got your last name wrong in my original post... I always add extra sylables on to Italian names for some reason) your information was indispensible and I can safely say there were a few species that were it not for your guidance I would have entirely missed, so sincere thanks.

I got lucky with the Crested Coot at the lagoon at Rocio, I, along with several other visiting birders saw it from the old burnt out observatory. The Marbeled Teal (6 of them actually) were at Brazo Del Este on the Guadalquiver. SE1 in Helm. I went to El Hondo, but none were in yet there, although the place was really fantastic and I found Moustached Warbler quite easily there.

Thanks Again,

Er, well actually Blake it's not an Italian name but a Norman-French one! My lot came over just after William the Conqueror settled things down a bit. Don't worry I'm not offended, but just watch out when there's a full moon ..... the name means call of the wolf (cante loupe). I couldn't get out to Brazo de Este when I was in Spain over Easter as I'd hoped - perhaps next time!

Alan, I know exactly where you mean Re Crested Coot at Laguna Medina - I looked there & didn't see them. As for that hide, it is well placed but when I visited not only was it firmly locked, but a party of Spanish school kids on a field trip were playing around under it and along the 'shore line'. Everything was well & truely spooked. I was not best pleased particularly as they seemed to be accompanied by a "field teacher" who didn't seem to care. Not something I'd permit as a part time FT myself! John

[Jules Sykes]

Trumpeter finch I found easy on the cliffs approaching the Cabo de Gata lighthouse, I suspect this may have something to do with a pre-breeding conflagration, or winter flocking behavior, as they seemed very vocal and abundant in contrast to their secretive and elusive reputation.



Hi Blake
Interesting this, as I have currently a couple of birders staying at the guesthouse who looked for Trumpeter's there 2 days ago and saw none, kind of bears out your theory on pre-breeding conflagration. They have done a similar type of thing to you and this is their biggest dip so far.
Fortunately I have a site about 1.5 hour's drive south of here, which I think they may try tomorrow.

[Tim Allwood]

Hey Blake

great stuff

sounds like a very interesting and rich experience and some fantastic bird too

where to next Blake?

Tim

[Edward]

Similarly, where did you see the Crested Coot? I only managed to see neck ringed birds at Espera and none at all at Laguna Medina ... but my birding time was limited.

Hi John

I saw Red-knobbed Coots (can't bring myself to say Crested Coot as the things don't have crests!) at Laguna di Medina (4 non-ringed birds) but a friend went there this spring and found the whole place virtually birdless. I also saw three very close to the Jose Antonio Valverde centre in Donana, again all three without the ghastly white neck rings. All in April 2003.

E

[BarbatusOne]

where to next Blake?



Well in the immediate future about a week in E. Anglia and Scotland to go for Golden Oriole, Reedlings, Cappercallie, White-tailed Eagle, etc. Then once I get back to the states a week in Southern Arizona in early August for Montezuma Quail, Elegant & Eared Trogon, Mexican Jay and things of that ilk. THEN hopefully if I can find a couple more participants and the stars a-line...... the Phillipines over x-mas break with Tim Fisher to try for you know what...(before they are gone!)

Best,
Blake