Birdlocations - Spain N/E

[cjannic]

Hi all - Help and suggestions wanted.

Just started planning my sommer vacation to the northern and eastern Spain and the Pyranees in my autocamper.
I can see in this forum that there's a lot of interesting places and locations. Has anyone got coordinates to use with my navigator for some of the places - t.ex.

- Aiguamolls de L'Emporda
- the Llobregat Delta
- Ordesa National Park

Other suggestions are very velcome. I'm planning to spend about 4-5 weeks in the area off Northern and eastern Spain (Barcelona) and the pynanees. I would like to get some informations about the good birding sites and some camping-sites in the area too.

Last summer I spent in Portugal and fell in love with the Northern Portugal and especially the National Park Serra Do Geres, where we found a camping site on the top of the mountains - just beside the intrance to the national park. I would like to do "the same stunt" this summer - but in the area off the Pyranees.

[Jules Sykes]

Hi
Sorry cannot be much help as regards using satellite navigation, but the areas you are looking at can be found by obtaining a decent site guide, Steve West's 'Where the birds are in North East Spain' is very good and up-to-date. Another suggestion would be to message (PM) Stephen Christopher, or do a search here since he has posted a lot of information recently on these areas. I am quite envious you are getting to spend such a long time in this fantastic part of Iberia. Good luck with the holiday, I hope it goes well.
Regards Jules

[Iben]

Hi,

I would definitely recommend you to visit the Ebro Delta, situated on the Mediterranean coast 200 km south of Barcelona. This area is a superb birding site, and it holds many interesting and unusual species. There are also several good camping sites in the area. Just inland from the delta, you have some excellent mountain sites in the mountain chain of Els Ports. There are good hiking possibilities here, and lots of wildlife. You can find more information about both sites in my web (see below), or you can send me an e-mail if you're interested in specific information on birding or camping sites. You can write to me in Danish.

Best wishes,

Iben

[cjannic]

Hi Jules and Iben
Thank you very much for your replies. They gave me some good ideas (I think :-) ). I guess I have got some quite good site guides through DOF i Denmark and also the very good site descriptions in this forum. Great. And to you Iben - I'll write back in danish in a few seconds.
The plan right now is to about a little week in the Pyranees - a week (or little more) in the Ebro delta, a little week in the Barcelona area with the family and then the rest of the Holiday in Extremadura and Monfraque.
I also have got fingers in a campingsite-book with coordinates of some camping-sites in the above areas. Summer come soon............
Thanks again!

[Keithec]

Hi,

I would definitely recommend you to visit the Ebro Delta, situated on the Mediterranean coast 200 km south of Barcelona. This area is a superb birding site, and it holds many interesting and unusual species. There are also several good camping sites in the area. Just inland from the delta, you have some excellent mountain sites in the mountain chain of Els Ports. There are good hiking possibilities here, and lots of wildlife. You can find more information about both sites in my web (see below), or you can send me an e-mail if you're interested in specific information on birding or camping sites. You can write to me in Danish.

Best wishes,

Iben

Nothing to add really but just wanted to second all of the above. The delta is amazing and so are some of the areas inland. I spent some time there a couple of years ago. PM if you would like further info.

Keith

[Allen S. Moore]

Hi all - Help and suggestions wanted.

Just started planning my sommer vacation to the northern and eastern Spain and the Pyranees in my autocamper.
Other suggestions are very velcome. I'm planning to spend about 4-5 weeks in the area off Northern and eastern Spain (Barcelona) and the pynanees. I would like to get some informations about the good birding sites and some camping-sites in the area too.

Last summer I spent in Portugal and fell in love with the Northern Portugal and especially the National Park Serra Do Geres, where we found a camping site on the top of the mountains - just beside the intrance to the national park. I would like to do "the same stunt" this summer - but in the area off the Pyranees.
In the parks in Barcelona (esp. Guell, Ciutadella) you will see bird species that you may not be used to seeing further north in Europe. Well, for me the crested tit and firecrest were unusual, while at migration time I have seen woodchat shrike (inc. at Port Vell). The sea front at Port Vell is always worth a check (eg. med. gulls). I have seen alpine swifts in the city a few times, too.

[cjannic]

Thanks for your replies. It sounds great! I just found out that the Llobregat Delta lies in Barcelona - just beside the Llobregat airport - Great! Barcelona got "more points".

I would like to get as much information as possible about the birding sites and camping possibilities in the area. Even though that I would be a tourist myself - I would like to camp in places with as few tourists as possible........

[cjannic]

To Keithec - I've tried to mail you through BirdForum - but with no luck :-(
Maybe you can give further information in this forum?

I surely would like some further info about the Ebro Delta and the good birding sites in the area. You wrote that you have been in the inland too. Can you tell me about some good places there. I'm a photographer and would like to know as much as possible about the area.

[njlarsen]

The traditional entry point to Natl Park de Ordesa is through the little village of Torla, which contains three campgrounds (AFAIRemember). Taking the road through the village to a T-intersection, you will take a right to the park or a left into the next little side valley (Bujaruelo?) with yet another campground that actually might be easier to navigate with a camper. Especially if compared to Camping St Tomas which I have been at, with tent, situated on the side of a steep hill. The whole area is very beautiful. You should also consider the area further west around the village of (H)Echo (two different spellings used locally) for more beautiful areas and good birds.

HTH
Niels

[Stephen C]

Hi all - Help and suggestions wanted.

Just started planning my sommer vacation to the northern and eastern Spain and the Pyranees in my autocamper.
I'm planning to spend about 4-5 weeks in the area off Northern and eastern Spain (Barcelona) and the pynanees. I would like to get some informations about the good birding sites and some camping-sites in the area too.



Hi

You can find information on the following sites:

Ebro Delta (aka Delta de L'Ebre)
Aiguamolls de L'Emporda
Llobregat Delta, Barcelona
Cap de Creus (aka Cabo de Creus)
Pyrenees (Cadí-Moixeró Park)
Garraf Massif, just south of Barcelona
Steppes of Lleida

including key species, if you search Bird Forum.

There are also some very good parks in and around Barcelona if you venture into the city itself, where there are several Camp Sites.

If you want to mail me privately about any site in Catalunya, I'll do my best to oblige.

All the best

Stephen Christopher
www.catalanbirdtours.com