Spanish Steppes - curious

[Stephen C]

Steppes of Lleida

What's wrong with the Steppes! Amazing that all the other site reports I've posted in have had hits but no-one seems to be interested in the Steppes of Lleida, despite it harbouring Dupont's, Lesser Grey Shrike, Sandgrouse and Little Bustard. Is it that no-one has heard of it?

Stephen Christopher
www.catalanbirdtours.com (http://www.catalanbirdtours.com/)

[level seven]

What's wrong with the Steppes! Amazing that all the other site reports I've posted in have had hits but no-one seems to be interested in the Steppes of Lleida, despite it harbouring Dupont's, Lesser Grey Shrike, Sandgrouse and Little Bustard. Is it that no-one has heard of it?

Stephen Christopher
www.catalanbirdtours.com (http://www.catalanbirdtours.com/)

I'm a novice birder with less than three year's experience but I've heard of the Steppes, so would imagine they're well-known enough.

You may have answered your own question when in the original post you mention that many of the most desirable birds are present only in frustratingly small populations.

There must be many people like me who've been to Spain to watch birds but don't know how often they'll be able to do that, either for economic or family reasons, or because the call of other destinations is also strong. The temptation then is to visit more bird-rich, and probably more scenic, parts of Spain in case a return journey doesn't work out.

[Brian Stone]

Whereabouts is this? Very close to Lleida? The Los Monegros area is not far from Lleida and has most of the species you mention I think. Then a little further west is the Belchite area. I should be visiting both in a couple of months time after flying into Zaragoza. Is there anything in the Lleida area that makes it worth travelling that bit further east?