The Ebro Delta, Catalonia, Spain

[Iben]

Living on the edge of the Ebro Delta in NE Spain (Catalonia), I consider myself lucky. The Ebro delta is the most important wetland area on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, and the second largest in the Iberian Peninsula. It is situated 200 km southwest of Barcelona as an extensive, flat marsh area at the mouth of the river Ebro. The delta is formed by sediments transported seawards by the river, a process which began hundreds of years ago and still continues to change the shape and appearance of the land.

The delta contains several natural habitat types such as lagoons of varying salinity and depth, dunes, shallow beaches and bays, as well as the river and its riparian woodlands. However, the delta is dominated by human activities, and the vast majority of the land is used for agricultural purposes. Rice fields are dominating, but the delta also contains small fruit plantations and salt pans, all adding to the delta’s diversity. The delta attracts millions of birds throughout the year and is well worth a visit at any time of the year.

Breeding birds and their offspring dominate the area during the summer months, offering close views of parental behaviour as thousands of shorebirds, gulls and terns raise their chicks in the relatively open areas. One of the few breeding colonies of Greater Flamingo in the Mediterranean region is situated in the southern part of the delta, as is the World’s most important breeding colony of the rare and beautiful Audouin’s Gull. Big colonies of Common, Sandwich and Gull-billed Terns are found mainly in the northern part of the delta. The delta also holds large breeding populations of Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Night Heron, Little Bittern, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Red-crested Pochard, Purple Gallinule, Slender-billed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Collared Pratincole, Avocet, Kentish Plover and Black-winged Stilt. Great White Egret and Glossy Ibis are also breeding here, although in lower numbers. The passerines of the delta are less conspicuous, but always present. Apart from the more common species - such as Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler and Zitting Cisticola - Savi’s Warbler, Moustached Warbler and Reed Bunting (ssp. witherbyi) can also be found in the extensive reed beds, whereas several species of larks can be found in the more open areas. Crested Lark, Lesser and Greater Short-toed Lark and Skylark are commonly encountered here. In the riparian woodlands species like Penduline Tit and Scops Owl are often found.

The winter months are partly dominated by a whole new set of birds, although several of the breeding birds remain in the delta throughout the winter. The area holds big wintering populations of Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Starling and Spotless Starling. Other interesting winter visitors include Great Cormorant, Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Booted Eagle, Merlin, Lapwing, Short-eared Owl, Water Pipit, Richard’s Pipit (rare), Bluethroat, Black Redstart, and several species of ducks and shorebirds. Yelkouan and Balearic Shearwaters can be seen from the coast throughout the winter, and some Arctic Divers usually remain close to the coast.

[Iben]

After a couple of dry months, the Ebro Delta is now again flooded and ready for the forthcoming rice season. The channels and rice fields are full of water, and the birds have immediately spread out from the lagoons and bays to once again occupy every single corner of the delta. Most of the breeding birds have returned from their winter quarters, and others are visiting the delta on their way further north. All the herons and egrets are back, along with other breeding birds such as Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, and Great Reed Warbler. Even the pair of Lesser Crested Tern is back at Fangar, blending in well with the numerous Sandwich and Gull-billed Terns in the breeding colony.

A visit yesterday to the Riet Vell reserve run by SEO/Birdlife revealed a group of four Temminck's Stints among the Kentish and Greater Ringed Plovers in the organic rice fields. Wood Sandpipers and Ruffs were also seen here, along with Audouin's, Black-headed and Yellow-legged Gulls. Common and Whiskered Terns were foraging in the little lagoon, joined briefly by a single Caspian Tern, whilst a very cooperative and photogenic (unfortunately the camera was not mine :C ) Baillon's Crake was preening itself in the reeds just below the observatory. A couple of Rollers were seen along the road in the exact same spot as last year - perhaps they will finally settle down and breed here this year? I'll keep you posted...

[Iben]

Today I was offered the rare opportunity of entering one of the most restricted areas of the Ebro Delta: Punta la Banya - the southern tip of the delta, and the only place in Catalonia with salt pans and breeding Flamingos. The reason for entering was the yearly nest count, today with special attention to Common and Sandwich Terns, Avocets, and other shorebirds. As most of these birds are quite sensitive to disturbance, the main colonies are found inside the restricted area of the salt pans.

The number of birds in Punta la Banya is so impressive that it is at first difficult to comprehend. The shallow water of the salinas provide food for thousands of birds, and the pink colour of the water is reflected in the feathers of most of these. Little Egrets, Yellow-legged Gulls, and Avocets are all foraging side by side, and even the Audouin's Gull is common here (Punta la Banya holds the world's biggest colony of this species, with over 12 000 pairs!). The salt pans host a large colony of Greater Flamingo, where almost 2000 nests were built this year. After last year's total lack of breeding attempts, it was a great relief to see the many brown juveniles huddling in their creche next to the colony this morning.

The terns were in some places nesting so close to each other that you could hardly spot a piece of bare sand in the colony, and some nests even held eggs from more than one species. Avocets were breeding in close association with the terns, and their well-camouflaged eggs and chicks were placed in every suitable location. In addition to the more numerous breeding species of the area, we also saw Slender-billed Gull, Little Tern, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Kentish Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Dunlin.

As we were making our way back out towards the beach, I was (and not for the first time) wondering about the possibility of letting people in and showing them the wonderful areas behind the barrier. As usual, though, my thoughts immediately came to a halt when I saw the state of the beach. Cars parked randomly all over the place, dogs running loose, people sunbathing in brightly coloured swimsuits with the car radio on to keep them entertained - all of these things being completely incompatible with the colonies on the other side. So I guess we'll have to leave the salt pans to the birds and enjoy them from the designated spots and observatories; luckily all of the species in question can be seen equally well from there, usually even accompanied by their young offspring.

[Iben]

This weekend a long planned and well-organised operation took place in the Ebro Delta. 400 of this year's Flamingo chicks were to be ringed, measured and checked by a team of veterinarians, and close to 200 volunteers participated in the event. The overall coordination was done by the team from the Ebro Delta Nature Park (Parc Natural del Delta de l'Ebre), and the local experts were assisted by their counterparts from Fuente de Piedra where the largest Flamingo colony in Spain is situated.

After an instruction meeting on Saturday afternoon, we all met at 4 am on Sunday morning. Coffee and croissants were distributed, and we then made our way to the salt pans surrounding the breeding colony. In the deep dark Spanish morning, we surrounded the flamingos in their creche, and later, in the dim, multi-coloured morning light, we gently led them to the funnel-structure designed to catch the chicks. Around five hundred, or roughly half of the young flamingos, were kept in the corral from which they were to be handed to the carriers, and it was amazing to see these peculiar birds close up.

As the sun rose above the Mediterranean, we started the ringing. Five groups were going through the same procedures simultaneously - ringing, measuring, weighing, and release - whilst a 6th group was in charge of taking medical samples for later analysis. In each group a number of people were assigned to the job of carrying the birds to the ringers, and this job inevitably meant very close contact with the chicks.

Most of the captured flamingos had reached a height of around one meter and a weight of 2-3 kg, and some of them proved quite a challenge to handle. Although they were still unable to fly, both their legs and their wings were incredibly strong, and being a flamingo carrier was not always easy! My first assigned youngster was highly aggressive and kept pecking at my arms and hair, and I was unable to do anything about it as both my hands were busy keeping the long legs under control. However, after a while the long neck was curled up, and the bird relaxed like a little angel in my arms.

The whole ringing session only took a couple of hours, and soon after the rest of the captured flamingos were released. Seeing the flock run out of the corral was in some weird way rather emotional, and we all stood speechless as they ran towards the rising sun and the rest of their group. We quickly packed up and made our way out of the area, leaving the birds in peace.

So now, for anyone visiting the delta or any other area with resident or visiting flamingos, there are 400 more reasons to check out those long legs and have a look for rings. This year the rings of the Ebro Delta chicks carry an X and a three-digit number starting with 5. So go look for them...X531 was my clear favourite, by the way! Very well-behaved.

Pictures of the Flamingo ringing in 2004 (and perhaps later also this year's operation) can be found at the website of the local photographer Juan Gil: http://www.deltadelebro.org/principal.htm

[Bubbs]

Iben, thanks for these wonderful posts; we are all very jealous as to where you live....are there any bed and breakfasts rooms near you????


John.

[Iben]

Hi John

Thanks for your message. There are plenty of small hotels and rural cottages in the area, both in the delta itself and in the surrounding towns and villages. You are welcome to contact me for further recommendations if you are interested in visiting.

Best wishes,

Iben

[Iben]

This weekend's birding trip in the Ebro Delta was yet another testimonial to the area's year-round birding qualities. In the crazy summer heat, a Danish birder arrived with his family, and - despite the high temperatures and the baking sun - he was determined to get out and photograph some of the birds in the delta. A total of 84 species were recorded during the day, and Claus actually succeeded in getting good shots of most of them!

Apart from Squacco Heron and Little and Cattle Egrets, which were abundant in the rice fields, our first bird of the day was nothing less than a Scops Owl spotted at its roosting site by the river. After this first encounter, we went on to the observatory at l'Alfacada, where Glossy Ibis and Great White Egret were numerous. A group of six Marsh Sandpipers were foraging in the low lagoon of Illa de Buda, where Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, and Spotted Redshank were also spending the morning.

Signs of a stir in the shorebirds of northern Europe are becoming evident in the delta, and we recorded the first Lapwings of the season along with Curlew, Whimbrel, Green and Wood Sandpipers, and large numbers of Little Ringed Plover. The reedbeds at El Clot proved to be teeming with Little Bittern, and Kingfisher, Penduline Tit, Savi's Warbler and Reed Bunting (ssp. witherbyi) also showed up in the midday heat. While the Purple Gallinules were posing for the camera, the Purple Herons seemed to take off at the slightest release of the car's accelerator, and despite their ubiquity it was hard work to find a suitable subject for a photograph.

At Pont del Través we experienced the drama of the day, as three Black-headed Gulls successfully hunted the ducklings of a Red-crested Pochard. She started out with four youngsters and was left with just two, whereas the young gull learned a lesson and earned a meal. Tough stuff, but a regular happening in the life of a delta duck. The many channels of the area provide herons and gulls with easy prey during the breeding season, as the steep edges in most places prevent the ducklings from escaping.

After lunch we headed for the northern part of the delta, where we encountered numerous Gull-billed Terns with their chicks. The Gull-bills were resting alongside Little, Common, and Whiskered Terns, making comparison easy, and plenty of Great Reed Warblers were singing all around us. Flamingo, Slender-billed Gull, Grey Plover, and Bar-tailed Godwit, were foraging in the bay, and in the dense vegetation we had the opportunity to study the two local subspecies of Yellow Wagtail; iberiae and cinereocapilla.

On our way through the rice fields, we spotted a Little Owl hiding between the tiles of a broken roof; staying out in the open just long enough for us to enjoy its sleepy appearance. A group of Collared Pratincole was seen close-up at the Encanyissada, where large chicks and adults seemed to be socialising more than anything. The last half hour before dinner was spent hunting for larks in the salty vegetation at la Tancada. Crested Lark and Skylark were the most abundant, yet with a bit of patience both Greater and Lesser Short-toed Larks showed up. The last sighting of the day was a flock of Whimbrel crossing the rosy sky, disappearing somewhere over the Tancada lagoon.

[Bubbs]

Great atmospheric report, Iben. Keep them coming please.

John.

[Iben]

Waking up to yet another sunny day in the Ebro Delta, we headed out for a morning of birdwatching in the southern part of the delta with Michelle and Francesco from Zürich. As they were staying in the village of Eucaliptus, we started off in the nearby organic rice fields of Riet Vell. Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, and Curlew Sandpiper, were present among the usual Black-winged Stilts and numerous Black-headed Gulls, and we stayed for a while observing them as they were foraging in the early morning light.

From Riet Vell we continued on towards the lagoon of Alfacada, and on the way we stopped at an experimental field which is currently empty of crops. The field was practically swarming with shorebirds, and the first scanning of the field was almost stressfull - carefully checking out each bird is not always easily combined with the desire to scan for anything unusual, particularly as several American vagrants have been seen in the delta this summer! In addition to the species encountered in Riet Vell, this site held Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Little Stint, and even a single Temminck's Stint. A couple of Marsh Sandpipers were foraging alongside the varicoloured groups of Ruff in the field, and Curlew Sandpipers in all shades of red were interspersed between the numerous other shorebirds. A group of Glossy Ibis passed overhead, and Purple and Grey Herons were foraging in the surrounding rice fields. After watching the spectacle for a while, I suddenly discovered an unusual bird next to a couple of male Ruffs. Smaller, with paler legs and a distinctly striped breast; the Pectoral Sandpiper was still to be found in the delta! A great surprise for Francesco, who wasn't aware that a Pectoral Sandpiper was around, and a new species for me, who had so far managed to miss this bird on numerous birding trips. :king:

We went on to the tower at Alfacada in high spirits. One of the first birds entering our field of view was a Great Cormorant passing the observatory, from where we also had great views of Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, and Little Bittern. Whiskered Terns were hunting elegantly over the channel along with Barn Swallows and Sand Martins, and several groups of Black Terns passed by the beach. Purple Gallinules followed by their large and long-legged offspring demonstrated their foraging techniques, and a Kingfisher was calling repeatedly from its hiding place somewhere below the observatory.

On the other side of the channel, on Illa de Buda, a group of Flamingos added a touch of pink to the drab colours of the numerous moulting ducks foraging in the lagoon. The first Greylag Goose of the season had settled down on the island, and the Ruddy Shelduck seen since the 28th of July was also still present. Yellow Wagtails occupied every little bush, and a group of Avocet were foraging in the shallow water. An adult Mediterranean Gull in winter plumage testified to the fact that summer is coming to an end, but nevertheless we were happy to see it.

Our next stop was at Pont del Través, where we encountered both Little and Great Crested Grebes with chicks. Although relatively common to most birders, the sight of a Little Grebe feeding an even smaller one is always worth an extra few minutes. Some Red-crested Pochards slowly paddled along, and large groups of Coots were starting to form in the open areas of the lagoons of Encanyissada and El Clot.

Our last stops were around the salty lagoon called La Tancada. Here, we added Slender-billed Gull, Sandwich Tern, and Lesser Short-toed Lark to our list, and we also had superb views of Avocets with their young at close range. Just before lunchtime we called it a day and agreed to meet again soon. Thanks to Francesco and Michelle for a great morning.

A full species list for the day can be found here (http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=ebrodeltaaugust).

[Stephen C]

As we were making our way back out towards the beach, I was (and not for the first time) wondering about the possibility of letting people in and showing them the wonderful areas behind the barrier. As usual, though, my thoughts immediately came to a halt when I saw the state of the beach. Cars parked randomly all over the place, dogs running loose, people sunbathing in brightly coloured swimsuits with the car radio on to keep them entertained - all of these things being completely incompatible with the colonies on the other side.

Iben

I have to agree here and have never understood why its allowed to go on. Surely it can't be that difficult to stop people leaving all that litter; even a few signs would probably make a difference as, as disgraceful as it is, most people do it without thinking.

By the way, I'd love to help out with these counts, surveys or anything else that's coming up.

Great reports by the way.

All the best

[Turuno]

Iben

I have to agree here and have never understood why its allowed to go on. Surely it can't be that difficult to stop people leaving all that litter; even a few signs would probably make a difference as, as disgraceful as it is, most people do it without thinking.

All the best

But you live in Spain (as do we now) so are you rally surprised? When we first arrived we too were horrified but we have been told (by Spaniards) that although they keep their own homes spotless, everywhere else is always someone elses responsibility - so , for instance, after a beach BBQ we have seen families just leave their rubbish scattered around!

It would be *extremely difficult* to change them!

[Stephen C]

It would be *extremely difficult* to change them!

On the contrary, I have a lot of faith in humanity still, despite my long years! I remember as a child the same thing in the UK, but I think things have improved immeasurably there over the years.

Also, look at the dramatic decrease in road deaths over the last few months since the campaign and introduction of the 'points' system and before that the new smoking laws reduced cigarette sales.

People do stuff because everyone else does and this is the greatest weapon. Change a few then everyone follows.

Hope I've changed your mind a little but I do take your point.

All the best

[Andrew]

A handful of those birds up here in Devon would be just the ticket.

Nice birding.

[Iben]

Unfortunately I think the potential problem in the Ebro Delta right now is much more than a litter question. The mass tourism that has rolled down the coast of Catalonia for decades has now almost reached the delta itself. The people here have been waiting for this for years, and many farmers want to sell their land to the highest bidding construction company. The tourists want new, unspoiled places for enjoying beaches and paellas, and the Ebro Delta is perfect for this purpose. The sandy beaches are truly gorgeous, and the paellas are wonderful too. However, a unique place like the delta with its finely tuned ecology (although dominated by man), will not remain wonderful for long if the tourism is not guided in the right direction. Considering the huge extension of the delta, it is difficult to determine just how much concrete-covered earth is too much - until it is too late - but the area certainly needs some degree of protection to maintain its status as an amazing, year-round, bird haven.

It is not necessary to build holiday apartments in the middle of the delta, nor is it necessary to have campsites (legal or illegal) directly on the beach. The last remains of river forest need not be cut down to create a building complex with superb views of the river. But, although such buildings will most likely remain empty throughout the winter and only be full during the months of July and August, all this is not far from happening.

Luckily, another thing is happening too. A group of local organisations and companies, including the Ebro Delta Nature Park, are trying to promote and develop sustainable, nature-friendly tourism in the area. Birdwatching and other outdoor activities can easily be combined with paellas and beaches; it is the respect for and attitude towards the area that is so immensely important. Only very few people believe that this is the way forward, so if you're visiting the area for its natural values, please make sure that the people in hotels or restaurants know why you're here. Sadly, most of them need money on the table to believe in conservation of natural values and litter-free environments!

[Stephen C]

...including the Ebro Delta Nature Park, are trying to promote and develop sustainable, nature-friendly tourism in the area.

As I said above Iben, although I live near barcelona, I'm keen to help. Do you have a contact for the above group?

All the best

[Iben]

Hi Stephen

Sorry I forgot to answer your above post - I got kind of carried away with the tourism issue.

Help is often appreciated for the counts and surveys in the delta, particularly as these things are often organised in the last minute. I will let you know if anything is planned well in advance, so you will have a chance to get down from Barcelona.

Currently the group of local companies, farmers and organisations is only just getting started. Cristian and I were invited to participate as we live in the area and run a company with an obvious interest in keeping the delta as wild as possible. It is not possible to join the group as such, but we will surely keep you in mind if any possibility for collaboration comes up.

Thanks very much for your interest, it's nice to know that other people appreciate the area as much as we do!

Best wishes,

Iben

[Stephen C]

Help is often appreciated for the counts and surveys in the delta, particularly as these things are often organised in the last minute. I will let you know if anything is planned well in advance, so you will have a chance to get down from Barcelona.

It is not possible to join the group as such, but we will surely keep you in mind if any possibility for collaboration comes up.

Iben

Great, you can get my email address from this forum or my website. I also liked the point about letting people on the delta know why you're there so from now on, when I use the restaurants, etc. I'll make sure they know I'm doing birding tours.

Look forward to hearing from. Meanwhile, perhaps we'll meet on the delta.

All the best

[Iben]

The pictures of the Flamingo ringing 2006 can now be viewed online at www.deltadelebro.org. The series contains more than 400 pictures, so you need a lot of time to see them all - but at least take a quick look! It really was a spectacular day!

Here is a direct link to the Flamingo photos (click on 'Adelante' to see the following pages):
http://www.deltadelebro.org/anellament2006/base0.html

Enjoy ;)

[Iben]

On Friday morning (August 18th) we met with Martin, Tina, and Roshni, at the train station in L'Ampolla. Our aim was a full day of birdwatching in the Ebro Delta, and we headed straight for the nearby lagoon of Les Olles. Hardly out of L'Ampolla, we noticed our first Squacco Heron, and the elegant Whiskered Terns were all out looking for their first meal of the day. As we stopped at the lagoon we were surrounded by birds, and both Moustached and Cetti's Warblers were singing in the reedbeds. Both these species are much more numerous in the delta in winter, and this was indeed just the first of a number of indications that winter is approaching rapidly - however weird it does seem at almost 30ºC! The next winter visitors passed us at high speed and with shrill, high-pitched calls; a pair of Kingfishers made their way along the channel. Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Savi's Warbler, and Great Reed Warbler (one of the indications that summer is not yet over!) were all actively foraging around the path, and a single Hen Harrier was seen gliding over Les Olles.

Although the water level was rather high (considering the lack of tidal movements in the Mediterranean), we encountered numerous shorebirds along the Fangar Bay. Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Dunlin were resting on the mudflats, and a group of Flamingos were present in the shallow water of the bay. A single Whimbrel was spotted in the distance, and a mixed group of Pallid and Common Swifts were circling overhead. Little Terns were hunting over the bay, where Slender-billed and Black-headed Gulls lay rocking on the subtle waves.

A coffee break and numerous Little Egrets later, we found ourselves at the Garxal hide. Here, the egrets included Great White for easy comparison, and the shallow water appeared to hold fish of a very impressive size. After checking all the coots and ducks for any unusual visitors, our attention was attracted by a fast-moving shorebird flying past on the other side of the lagoon. The flash of a white rump, a glimpse of reddish brown wings - the Collared Pratincoles hadn't all left after all! Whilst following the pratincole, a second white rump entered our field of view and stole the limelight; a young Montagu's Harrier went in for a morning roost in the reedbeds surrounding the lagoon. Luckily a second pratincole soon appeared; this was one of the few species that Martin and Tina had particularly wanted to see.

After lunch we headed for the currently best field for shorebirds in the delta. An incredible variety of birds seem to forage continuously in this field, and we were not disappointed. Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, and Temminck's Stint, were interspersed with the more numerous Ruff and Black-winged Stilt, and a large group of Black-tailed Godwit stood quietly in the opposite end of the field. One of them was marked with a number of colour rings matching the codes currently used in the Netherlands, so now we are waiting for news on the origin of this individual. Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, and Green Sandpiper, all added to the diversity of the scene, and with a bit of patience a few of both Common Snipe and Lapwing were found near the edges of the field. A single Shelduck was also present, seeming huge and slightly out of place among all the sandpipers and stints.

At the tower of Migjorn we finally encountered a group of Glossy Ibis. This species is rather unpredictable at this time of year, as they tend to form large groups which forage together at seemingly random sites, so we were happy to find them. Little Bittern had already been added to our list, but at Migjorn we had the chance to really enjoy this beautiful little heron - a male stopped on a large branch on the other side of the channel, and he stayed out in the open long enough for everyone to have a good look. In Illa de Buda we saw Avocet, Spotted Redshank, Purple Gallinule, and Mediterranean Gull, but there was no sign of the Ruddy Shelduck present earlier this month - perhaps it has moved into the central part of the island!?

Although the departure of the train was rapidly approaching, we decided to go to Pont del Través to finish the day. Little and Great Crested Grebes were present in the small channels surrounding El Clot, and Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, and Gadwall were found in the lagoon itself.

As we made our way out of the delta, we saw a Common Kestrel which finished off our day list and landed us on a total of 85 species. We said our goodbyes at the train station of L'Aldea and agreed to meet again somewhere, sometime. Thanks for a great trip to Roshni, Tina & Martin - we had a lovely day!

A full list of species recorded can be seen here (http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=ebrodeltaaugust2).

[Iben]

Yesterday, as the sun was setting behind the Montsià mountain chain, we slowly made our way towards the bird observatory at Pont del Través. It had been a long day in the field, with eight birdwatchers from four different countries, but the light was just right so we decided to make the most of it. Passing an empty field, a group of ringed plovers attracted our attention. Closer examination of the field revealed three larger birds which were very well camouflaged in the dry field, and a quick group council voted that I should get out the scope and check out those three birds. As I scanned the field, a sneaking suspicion came over me that I was about to make a new addition to my local patch list! :eek!: As soon as I saw the birds through the scope, I knew that I was right: Dotterels! A very pretty shorebird which unfortunately only visits the delta very briefly each autumn. There was one juvenile and two adults, and all of them walked quietly about, totally unaware of our presence. We all took our time to enjoy them, called a few friends who had never seen this species before, and then we went on to the lagoon of El Clot. Here we were rewarded with both Little Bittern and Kingfisher perched in the reeds next to the observatory, plus a couple of Hoopoes sitting on the path leading to the small SEO/Birdlife reserve by the lagoon. A large, swirling flock of starlings came in to roost in the reedbeds like a black liquid running off the roseate sky, and their spectacular show was a nice finale to another wonderful, although rather windy, day on the delta.

[Iben]

Time for a long overdue report from the Ebro Delta. Let me first say that my long absence from the forum has been due partly to bird tours and partly to the lack of internet at home - if I'm not mistaken, Telefonica has already been mentioned once or twice here for something similar, but this time their reluctance to help seems permanent (that's the downside of settling down in a beautiful little village in the mountains, I guess...).

The Ebro Delta has changed markedly during the last few months. Late September brought the harvesting of the rice, and all the fields are now left water-filled and empty of crop. Someone seems to have planted little white egrets everywhere instead, and the fields are literally swarming with birds! Most of the wintering birds have arrived in big numbers, which among other things has boosted the raptor population of the area. Marsh Harriers are again patrolling every piece of reed bed in the delta, and at night they roost communally in a few chosen places which are visited each night by hundreds of birds. Common Buzzard, Osprey, and Booted Eagle, are all regularly seen perched in tall trees (although the lack of tall trees in the delta often forces them to use less favourable posts such as electricity towers) or scanning their surroundings for a quick meal. Particularly the Booted Eagle, with its taste for small passerines, is often followed by mobbing hordes of Starlings, so check out those big moving flocks. Bluethroats move about in their skulky ways along with Moustached and Cetti's Warblers, and the usual little winter flock of Richard's Pipits has arrived to the Tancada area. White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits are numerous in the muddy fields, and most lagoons are filled with large groups of ducks and coots spending the winter in dense aggregations.

A few individuals of Purple Heron and Little Bittern are still around, perhaps fooled like many insects and flowering plants by the mild autumn. Temperatures still reach 20 ºC during the day, which - in combination with the October rains, which cleared the air and watered every inch of the delta - gives the impression of springtime. Birds are singing, butterflies are seeking out flowering plants, and the trees and bushes are setting new leaves. Despite these signs of spring, the delta has had its first eastern vagrant already; a Yellow-browed Warbler caught in Illa de Buda on the 26th of October. Last winter brought both Dusky Warbler and Dusky (Naumann's) Thrush to the area, so we are hoping for more visitors to follow the yellow-browed. In the meantime we'll have to do with our 'sedentary rarities' - the Lesser Flamingo and the Reef x Little Egret hybrid - or simply sit back and enjoy the wealth of bird life that dominates the delta throughout the seasons and never gets boring...

[Iben]

This weekend, winter has finally arrived to the delta. Temperatures have dropped, some nights almost reaching 0ºC now, and the birds are moving into even denser flocks. The lagoons hold millions of Coots, and Red-crested Pochards cover large parts of the surface of El Clot and l'Encanyissada. Although signs of winter have been appearing sporadically since August, we still missed a couple until just a few days ago - the wintering flocks of Stone Curlews and Golden Plovers.

Starting the morning with showy Purple Gallinules and Great White Egrets, soon to be followed by no less than 150 Glossy Ibis flying over the Alfacada natural reserve, we introduced Paco and Soledad from Murcia to birdwatching in good style. Hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits left their hiding place at Illa de Buda to visit the surrounding rice fields, and we got a rare opportunity to watch a Merlin catch a little (unidentified) songbird at less than 20 metres' distance. A recently ploughed (or, 'mudded', as they say here) field with just a thin layer of water seemed to be touched by a wind that did not stir anything else; at least a thousand Little Stints were foraging in a flock so dense that their movements resembled those of flowing water. As we stopped to enjoy the little shorebirds, we saw the first group of Golden Plovers - hundreds of birds flew over, and landed in a field nearby. Visiting La Tancada, we took our time to enjoy the Flamingos; the only bird on Soledad's wish list. Stone Curlew was the last bird on our list that day; around 40 birds were well camouflaged in their usual winter quarter and only revealed themselves during brief flights.

[Iben]

This afternoon, as Cristian and I stopped to scan a field full of gulls in the Finca La Palma, we were met by a great surprise: A Grey Phalarope in winter plumage swimming around just next to the road, apparently completely unaware - or at least unconcerned by - our presence. We watched it for an hour and a half, and managed to convince just two other people - David Bigas and Yago Brugnoli - to join us in the cold afternoon breeze. This is only the second record ever of this species in the delta, so we were all pretty exited :bounce:

Pictures of the bird can be seen here:
http://www.pbase.com/cristianjensen/ebro_delta

[Iben]

With a minibus full of birdwatchers waiting to celebrate the New Year at our house, we made our way to the Ebro Delta early in the morning on the 31st of December. It was a beautiful morning, with both the sun and the surrounding mountains reflected in the water-filled rice fields. The first bird on our list was a Richard's Pipit - foraging amongst Meadow Pipits and White and Yellow Wagtails around the rice fields of Finca la Palma - an unusual place to find this species, which is a regular winter visitor in other parts of the delta. These fields had also attracted large groups of Lapwings, and Chaffinches were moving across the mud like miniature shorebirds.

Our friends Antonio and Adriana both missed all the divers, as well as some of the delta's other wintering seabirds, so we headed for the Fangar point, which currently offers the best chances for seeing these species. As we reached the arm leading to the big dunes of Fangar, we were quite surprised by the width of the road - or path, rather - constituting the magic pass. Half of it was gone, and left was just enough space for a car. A quick council (present company excluded) in the car decided that we'd be okay, and I cowardly offered to be the one watching from outside - just to keep Cristian on the right track. Even before entering the narrow part of the pass, I had to stop him. There was about five centimetres of sand left on each side of the minibus, and the track was bordered by Mediterranean waves on one side and a canal on the other, so the only way to go was back. In a straight line!!! Unfortunately, the sand began to slide under the left wheels of the car :eek!: (towards the canal, not the sea, luckily), and everyone got out rather quickly to help keep the car in place. Just as we were beginning to think that we'd have to get hold of a friendly farmer with a tractor, a family party with two jeeps and towing ropes appeared and offered to help us out. The lady in the jeep was cool as ice and pulled out the minibus without problems, whilst I was distracting myself by showing an elderly member of the family a Grey Heron in my telescope.

We decided not to go for a second try and instead made our way around the inside of the Fangar bay. Thousands of shorebirds are now present here, and we enjoyed watching them forage in the shallow water. Little groups of Curlew, Grey Plover, and Greenshank, were surrounded on all sides by Little Stints and Dunlins, and Turnstones appeared here and there in the moving flocks. A pink cloud of Flamingos drifted overhead, and the bushes around us were alive with Chiffchaffs and other little birds. Whilst some of us were releasing a Robin caught in a fish trap (on land, that was), others spotted a little group of Razorbills, along with both Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, resting calmly in the bay.

After an excellent organic 'Arroz negro' (the tinted version of paella) in the village of Els Muntells, we headed for the tower at l'Alfacada. On our way there we spotted a large flock of Golden Plovers, and we stopped briefly to check for any odd ones - but they all appeared to be European. Just as we entered the Migjorn tower, a group of more than 70 Glossy Ibis flew over, and after a few rounds above the tower they settled down in Illa de Buda. Apart from the newcomers, the species on the island included Great White Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Flamingo, Greylag Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Shoveler, Purple Gallinule, Water Rail, Snipe, and the (un)usual little wintering group of Black-winged Stilt. Marsh Harriers were ubiquitous; one even performed a little hunting dance along one of the channels, and we had great opportunities for studying this beautiful raptor closely. We stood and watched the sunset until we got too cold - although day temperatures still reach 15ºC, it gets fairly cold at night - and then headed home for tapas, cava, and hot showers.

Later in the evening, another friend came by our house with a Kestrel nest box, which he placed in one of the electricity poles behind the house. Watching him climb up the pole in the dark, with climbing ropes, a torch, and the nest box, was weird and exciting at the same time, and the whole performance seemed somehow ritual - a year was coming to an end, another one beginning, and in the new year we might be lucky enough to get a new neighbour. Happy new year to all :t:

[scfmerlin]

Great info Iben,
Its been a few years since my last visit and I had forgotten how good the area was. Keep the the reports coming, I view with great interest and envy.
regards
Merlin


With a minibus full of birdwatchers waiting to celebrate the New Year at our house, we made our way to the Ebro Delta early in the morning on the 31st of December. It was a beautiful morning, with both the sun and the surrounding mountains reflected in the water-filled rice fields. The first bird on our list was a Richard's Pipit - foraging amongst Meadow Pipits and White and Yellow Wagtails around the rice fields of Finca la Palma - an unusual place to find this species, which is a regular winter visitor in other parts of the delta. These fields had also attracted large groups of Lapwings, and Chaffinches were moving across the mud like miniature shorebirds.

Our friends Antonio and Adriana both missed all the divers, as well as some of the delta's other wintering seabirds, so we headed for the Fangar point, which currently offers the best chances for seeing these species. As we reached the arm leading to the big dunes of Fangar, we were quite surprised by the width of the road - or path, rather - constituting the magic pass. Half of it was gone, and left was just enough space for a car. A quick council (present company excluded) in the car decided that we'd be okay, and I cowardly offered to be the one watching from outside - just to keep Cristian on the right track. Even before entering the narrow part of the pass, I had to stop him. There was about five centimetres of sand left on each side of the minibus, and the track was bordered by Mediterranean waves on one side and a canal on the other, so the only way to go was back. In a straight line!!! Unfortunately, the sand began to slide under the left wheels of the car :eek!: (towards the canal, not the sea, luckily), and everyone got out rather quickly to help keep the car in place. Just as we were beginning to think that we'd have to get hold of a friendly farmer with a tractor, a family party with two jeeps and towing ropes appeared and offered to help us out. The lady in the jeep was cool as ice and pulled out the minibus without problems, whilst I was distracting myself by showing an elderly member of the family a Grey Heron in my telescope.

We decided not to go for a second try and instead made our way around the inside of the Fangar bay. Thousands of shorebirds are now present here, and we enjoyed watching them forage in the shallow water. Little groups of Curlew, Grey Plover, and Greenshank, were surrounded on all sides by Little Stints and Dunlins, and Turnstones appeared here and there in the moving flocks. A pink cloud of Flamingos drifted overhead, and the bushes around us were alive with Chiffchaffs and other little birds. Whilst some of us were releasing a Robin caught in a fish trap (on land, that was), others spotted a little group of Razorbills, along with both Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, resting calmly in the bay.

After an excellent organic 'Arroz negro' (the tinted version of paella) in the village of Els Muntells, we headed for the tower at l'Alfacada. On our way there we spotted a large flock of Golden Plovers, and we stopped briefly to check for any odd ones - but they all appeared to be European. Just as we entered the Migjorn tower, a group of more than 70 Glossy Ibis flew over, and after a few rounds above the tower they settled down in Illa de Buda. Apart from the newcomers, the species on the island included Great White Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Flamingo, Greylag Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Shoveler, Purple Gallinule, Water Rail, Snipe, and the (un)usual little wintering group of Black-winged Stilt. Marsh Harriers were ubiquitous; one even performed a little hunting dance along one of the channels, and we had great opportunities for studying this beautiful raptor closely. We stood and watched the sunset until we got too cold - although day temperatures still reach 15ºC, it gets fairly cold at night - and then headed home for tapas, cava, and hot showers.

Later in the evening, another friend came by our house with a Kestrel nest box, which he placed in one of the electricity poles behind the house. Watching him climb up the pole in the dark, with climbing ropes, a torch, and the nest box, was weird and exciting at the same time, and the whole performance seemed somehow ritual - a year was coming to an end, another one beginning, and in the new year we might be lucky enough to get a new neighbour. Happy new year to all :t:

[Iben]

Friday night in Barcelona, the kings made their way around the city in a big parade. One black, one white, and one red king. Children were excited at the thought of the presents that the kings would leave for them, and they were eagerly fighting for the sweets thrown generously in the streets. I didn't manage to catch any sweets, and didn't wake up to a mountain of presents either, but today it became apparent that the kings hadn't entirely forgotten about me. One black, one white, and one red(dish) surprise awaited me in the delta just before sunset ;)

After a long day of birdwatching (and becoming slightly sunburnt, of all things - we are in December, aren't we??) in the delta, Cristian and I met up with some friends near the Alfacada reserve to enjoy one last hour of birding. The open water in Illa de Buda was covered with moving black dots which turned out to be Glossy Ibis - at least 200 were foraging together in the fading light, looking almost artificial with their shiny plumage and long, curved bills. Another dense flock stood out among the loosely formed groups of ducks and geese; this one a white, shivering flock with bills of an equally strange appearance to those of the Glossy Ibis. Spoonbills! Around 40 of them, foraging in the distance at first, but later approaching us and mixing in with the black dots in front of the Migjorn tower. My first record of Spoonbill this winter.

Next up was a new species for our friend, Pep. A Bittern lifted itself out of the dense reedbed and landed at the opposite edge of the channel. Although its colours blended in perfectly with the reeds, we managed to keep our scopes on it for almost half an hour, and only reluctantly did we move from the spot once the bird had disappeared. Standing below the tower, a second Bittern flew over us, and I ran back to the tower and followed the bird until it landed somewhere deep in the reedbeds of Illa de Buda. I sincerely hope that 2007 will bring breeding Bitterns back to the Ebro Delta and complete the 'collection' of herons and egrets in the area.

P.S. Thanks to you, Merlin, for your comment - I am very happy to hear that someone actually reads (and enjoys) these posts!

[Iben]

After a long day of birdwatching (and becoming slightly sunburnt, of all things - we are in December, aren't we??) in the delta
:clap: :clap: :clap: No, we are not...luckily I got to answer my own question before anyone else noticed ;)

[jurek]

I was in Ebro Delta hitchhiking, long ago, and enjoyed it greatly.

good birding!

[Iben]

Since last week's count of the delta's wintering birds, I have made a point out of not counting the number of individuals in the flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover, and I have enjoyed scanning a field full of shorebirds just to look at them, yet this weekend I was drawn to the delta by another bird count! This time it was the monthly census of seabirds, which is done from the beach near Illa de Buda. In the winter census, the delta was criss-crossed by 4x4's from the nature park, and all shorebirds, herons, egrets, ducks, geese, and coots, were counted. Others, such as Cormorant, Marsh Harrier, and most of the gulls, were counted at their roosting sites, some of which contained more than a thousand individuals (so don't imagine quiet evenings watching the sunset!).

Anyhow, a marine count involves no criss-crossing, just standing and staring at the sea ;) An initial scan of the surface revealed no less than 54 shearwaters resting on the water near the coast. Most were Balearic, but at least 6 of them were Yelkouan Shearwaters. Near the shearwaters, a group of more than 600 Mediterranean Gulls bobbed up and down on the softly moving waves. A Kittiwake (my 190th species in the delta) and several Black-headed Gull were mixed in with the group, and we had about 15 minutes to enjoy them before an Arctic Skua caused them all to take off and thus create an impressive spectacle of glittering white - with the dark skua chasing single individuals away from the safety of the crowd.

Whilst Sanderling and Kentish Plover foraged along the beach, numerous terns (mostly Sandwich Tern, but a single Caspian Tern also made its way down the coast) and gulls (including Lesser Black-backed, Yellow-legged, and Audouin's Gulls) flew across the water. Great Crested Grebe and Razorbill continually dived and resurfaced, occasionally joined by a fishing Cormorant. Towards the end of the census, a Great Skua flew north, only to be followed minutes later by a second individual much closer to the coast. Another great experience entirely unregistered by the family having a barbeque lunch nearby...

To finish off the day, in the light of a wonderful sunset, a Peregrine Falcon appeared above a flock of starlings and went for the chase. Four Marsh Harriers witnessed the hunt with us, but apart from that we were completely alone. We watched the falcon until it disappeared behind the trees of Illa de Buda, presumably in search of an easier evening meal - the starlings somehow managed to escape and disappear in the reeds without losing any group members to the Peregrine :eek!:

[Iben]

This weekend's birding trip started out at the harbour of Sant Carles de la Rapita, where we had our first views of Audouin's, Yellow-legged, Black-headed, and Mediterranean Gulls. The unseasonal rain that had poured down all night was gradually turning into showers, and as we entered the delta we were met by a Water Rail right out in the open, foraging among Moorhen in a muddy field. A female Kestrel watched us carefully from her post above our heads but decided against flying away in the rain, so we had an excellent chance of studying this little raptor right up close. Our next stop added Common Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, and Hoopoe, to our list; the latter perching helpfully in a tree until everyone had seen it. Common Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting were the most numerous passerines encountered on our way around the delta, but a couple of male Bluethroat and several Black Redstart also showed very well. A flock of Crag Martin foraged happily in what had now been reduced to a drizzle, and a Kingfisher hung mid-air like a hummingbird; presumably hovering over an easy meal in the half empty channel.

At the tower of Pont del Través we were met by hundreds of flamingoes in the Encanyissada lagoon, and equally large flocks of Red-crested Pochard in the Clot. Singing Cetti's Warbler provided the soundtrack as we watched a Marsh Harrier repeatedly chase up a flock of Common Snipe from the reed bed below the observation tower, and grebes continually reappeared from below the surface only to disappear seconds later for another foraging bout.

In the Tancada lagoon we had great views of several hundred Avocets in a single group on the shore. Ducks and coots dotted the surface of the lagoon, and on a strip of land a shining white Spoonbill stood majestically amongst a group of Great Cormorant. Redshank and Greenshank were foraging along the edges of the old saltpans, which had also attracted several egrets and herons. A Slender-billed Gull with a beautiful pink flush, and several Lesser Black-backs resting in a field, completed the gull list for the day, and we decided to head for a quick (and rather late) meal at a nearby restaurant. As the sun was now out, we did not intend to waste time on eating anything fancy, but when Elise and David saw the paella at the table next to us, well...we changed our minds! The paella was great, made of organic rice from the Riet Vell farm, and we set out after the meal more than satisfied.

We decided on finishing the day at the Migjorn tower, and we did not regret our choice. On the way there, we spotted a dark morph Booted Eagle circling above the trees in Illa de Buda, and we stopped to enjoy the show. A Common Buzzard flew past, and moments later a second, this one a light morph, Booted Eagle joined the first one. After a while we left them to it, and headed for the beach. From the tower we had great views of several Balearic Shearwaters flying north, and a subadult Northern Gannet was headed the opposite way. A group of Common Scoters came in to land just off the beach, where a flock of Sanderling were running up and down in perfect synchrony with the waves. When Elise spotted a Great Bittern crossing the channel, we felt that our visit to Migjorn had been completed and headed for the bay of Fangar. It was almost dark, the sun just setting in a dramatically low line of clouds, yet we managed to catch a glimpse of the shorebirds and ducks resting in the bay, and we added Dunlin, Grey Plover, and Brent Goose - a local rarity! - to our list. We had by then seen a total of 82 species during the day, most of which were new to Elise and David, so everyone was content despite the somewhat challenging weather.

For the full species list, click here. (http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=119)

[Iben]

The Ebro Delta is changing these days. Nothing dramatic, but definitely changing, and it has nothing to do with the recent rains having filled up the river so much that the owners of the little car ferries have been forced to take an extra vacation. Instead, it has to do with the departures and arrivals of birds. The change is so subtle that at first you don't notice it much. You still see Flamingoes and lots of Cattle and Little Egrets everywhere, and the Chiffchaff is still ubiquitous in reed beds and road sides. The wintering shorebirds and raptors are still present, and Purple Gallinules can be spotted anywhere with a bit of water left. But then suddenly you notice that the Grey Heron taking off is really a Purple Heron, and that the little warbler in the bush is actually a Willow Warbler and not a Chiffchaff. Next thing you realise might be that the numbers of Black-winged Stilts and Whiskered Terns have increased dramatically during the last weeks, or that the Kingfishers have disappeared from most of the channels, and then your mind starts working. The Bluethroats and Reed Buntings are almost all gone, there are very few Marsh Harriers compared to the winter months, and flocks of big black birds are now almost more likely to be of Glossy Ibis than Great Cormorant. Woodchat Shrike, Pied Flycatcher, and Subalpine Warbler, are back, and migrating Hoopoes have boosted the resident population to almost double the usual number. The Scops Owls are back in their nest boxes, Swallows and Sand Martins are flying over the lagoons, and the first ducklings are already following Mama Mallard around. Now we just have to wait a couple of weeks to see the flooding of the rice fields, the Collared Pratincoles, and the noisy Great Reed Warblers, and then it will really be springtime in the delta!

[Barred Wobbler]

I'll be flying over in three week's time for a fortnight based on the Ebro, but ranging far and wide from there. It can't come soon enough.

[Jules Sykes]

Hi Iben

Hope you and Christian are well, and keeping busy?.

Was there about 10 days ago and found a nice drake Ferruginous Duck at Bassa del Canal Vell, plus loads of the usual suspects. What a fantastic place it is.

Take care and hope you both have a good Spring.

Kind regards Jules

[Iben]

Alan - your visit is very well timed! The beginning of May is a beautiful time in the delta, and most of the breeding birds should have arrived by then. I am sure you will have a great time here :t:

Jules - thanks, we are both well & lots of things are happening for us this spring. I hope the same for you! Well done for finding the Ferruginous Duck; it is a great bird, and although regular not that easy to see in the delta. Did you also see the pair of Little Crakes at Riet Vell? They are showing really well on most days now.

All the best to both of you, and hope to see you in the delta at some point.

Iben :hi:

[Barred Wobbler]

Alan - your visit is very well timed! The beginning of May is a beautiful time in the delta, and most of the breeding birds should have arrived by then. I am sure you will have a great time here :t:

Jules - thanks, we are both well & lots of things are happening for us this spring. I hope the same for you! Well done for finding the Ferruginous Duck; it is a great bird, and although regular not that easy to see in the delta. Did you also see the pair of Little Crakes at Riet Vell? They are showing really well on most days now.

All the best to both of you, and hope to see you in the delta at some point.

Iben :hi:


Thanks Iben.

I've been to the delta in early May for the past two years. This will be my third visit. I love it. Let's hope the Ferruginous duck stays around for me. I looked for one in Almeria last summer without success.

Last May I was hoping to see the Wilson's phalarope at Fangar, but it must have been in a creek when I was there because I missed it. I did get lucky with terns though, with nine species for the trip, including Caspian, Lesser-crested and White-winged black tern as well as the commoner species.

A surprise at Canal Vell was a collared crested coot. Until I saw it through my scope, I hadn't even realised there was a release scheme in progress. How is it going?

[Iben]

Hi Alan

The Crested Coots were not released here in the delta, but occasionally one or two turn up here (with or without collar). There has been a release scheme in the Llobregat delta, and also in Valencia and Andalucia, but I think that all the projects have come to an end now. The Crested Coot will move very long distances to find water, and particularly in dry years it can be found far out of its normal range. During the winter census this January we found one in Illa de Buda, but I don't know whether this bird is still around.

When you get here, have a look for the Little Crakes in Riet Vell, they are really fantastic little birds to observe up close!

Good luck,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Hi Alan

The Crested Coots were not released here in the delta, but occasionally one or two turn up here (with or without collar). There has been a release scheme in the Llobregat delta, and also in Valencia and Andalucia, but I think that all the projects have come to an end now. The Crested Coot will move very long distances to find water, and particularly in dry years it can be found far out of its normal range. During the winter census this January we found one in Illa de Buda, but I don't know whether this bird is still around.

When you get here, have a look for the Little Crakes in Riet Vell, they are really fantastic little birds to observe up close!

Good luck,

Iben

Interesting information on the crested coot, Iben. When I saw the collar I just assumed that it was from a local programme. Could a cross-ocean trip from S'Albufera in Mallorca also be considered? They had a release programme there a few years ago, although I could see none of the birds on my last visit there.

I'd be really interested in looking for the little crakes, they would be a life-tick for me. Do you have any detail on the best place to look for them? Are they near the tower, or in one of the little pools by the path from the restaurant to the tower? I had an idle fancy to see one along there last year - but no luck - I was just fantasising.

I'll probably be on the Delta at least twice on my trip, but I'm going to be moving about a bit, with visits to Los Monegros and the Pyrenees fitted in as well as more general nosing about on the river and the general area around Mora/Flix.

[Iben]

Hi Alan

The crakes are at Riet Vell, not Canal Vell. Riet Vell is the organic rice farm belonging to SEO/Birdlife, situated next to the village of Eucaliptus in the southern part of the delta. The birds have been walking around in the open just below the observatory during the past few weeks.

Best regards,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Hi Alan

The crakes are at Riet Vell, not Canal Vell. Riet Vell is the organic rice farm belonging to SEO/Birdlife, situated next to the village of Eucaliptus in the southern part of the delta. The birds have been walking around in the open just below the observatory during the past few weeks.

Best regards,

Iben

Ah, thanks for that Iben. I know where Eucaliptus is. I'll look around for the observatory.

[Barred Wobbler]

Off to the airport in the morning. I'll let you know how I get on.

[Barred Wobbler]

Well, just back from the airport tonight. No luck with the little crakes. I gave it a good try on three different days, commencing with Sunday 29th April. The last report in the reporting book in the hide was for 23rd April.

I did see a collar-ringed crested coot at El Garxal- quite possibly the same bird I saw at Canal Vell last May, I suppose.

The flooding of the rice fields seems to be a little late this year, they were opening the sluices in the first of them on 2nd May. This may have been the reason that the numbers of whiskered, black and gull-billed terns were much lower than I've noticed at the same time in the past two years when I've been to the delta.

I saw an adult Bonelli's eagle nearby yesterday. I was travelling down a track that starts as the Cami del Coll de la Mola on the C44 between Rasquera and El Perello. I followed it beyond the torre (at which point I've turned back in the past) and had an inkling from the condition of the track that it was well-used and that it was going to lead me somewhere near to L'Ampolla, so I followed my hunch. Near to its southern end, next to the road leading up to the windfarm the road runs along a rambla. Shortly after entering it I saw an adult Bonelli's eagle rising over the hill just west of the track.

[Iben]

Hi Alan

Yes, the flooding of the rice fields came very late this year, and so did the arrival of several of the breeding birds. I have just returned from two weeks in Andalucia, and it is great to finally see some water in the delta. I haven't been birdwatching there yet, but this afternoon I am off to check it all out ;) Yesterday, as we were driving home from the train station, we saw a couple of farmers out seeding the rice, so everything should be green before long.

Sorry that you didn't see the crakes at Riet Vell. I was there on the 28th of April without luck, but the volunteers told me that the female had been seen on the 26th, so perhaps they have just switched to a more secretive (an optimist might even suggest breeding?!) behaviour...

I will keep you posted.

Best wishes,

Iben

P.S. Congratulations on the Bonelli's Eagle, most of the mountains surrounding the delta hold breeding pairs, so we are very fortunate in this area!

[Barred Wobbler]

I had a very good trip, despite the almost wintry weather in the first week. An overnight stay in the Pyrenees added to the enjoyment. 180 species (provisional - I haven't checked the list properly yet) fot the fortnight. I'll post a trip report when I get time.

I saw a very interesting greater flamingo asleep at La Tancada. It was a deep orange colour, almost vermillion. I almost disregarded it as a dumped traffic cone at first until I realised it was a bird.

[Iben]

Hi Alan

I have somehow missed your last post until now. The Flamingo you saw has been here for almost a year now, and it is presumably a (no longer) captive bird of the American subspecies Phoenicopterus ruber ruber. Their stronger colouration makes them more attractive for zoos and animal parks.

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Hi Alan

I have somehow missed your last post until now. The Flamingo you saw has been here for almost a year now, and it is presumably a (no longer) captive bird of the American subspecies Phoenicopterus ruber ruber. Their stronger colouration makes them more attractive for zoos and animal parks.

Iben

That explains it. It was the same size as the other flamingos and was a deep vermillion, so I knew immediately it wasn't a lesser. When it eventually woke up it had the same bill colour and pattern as a greater flamingo. I've put a very poor heat-affected photo of it on my trip report in the vacations thread.

[Iben]

Time has flown, and suddenly it has been several months since I last updated you on the birds and happenings of the Ebro Delta. Obviously this doesn't mean that nothing's been going on here - anyhow, I'll skip the last months; the autumn migration, arrival of the wintering birds; the change in temperature, weather, and number of beach tourists, and get straight to the point: An above average Monday morning in the Ebro Delta :t:

This morning I got up early to join the team from the Ebro Delta Nature Park for the first day of the annual winter count of waterbirds, raptors, and other species of special interest. We set out from the head quarters in Deltebre just as the sun broke the thin layer of clouds, and the morning was absolutely beautiful. My group was assigned an area of rice fields in the northern part of the delta, and as always we were instructed to cover every square inch marked on our map. This is what I love most about the winter bird count: Devoting all my attention to a seemingly uninteresting piece of the delta, giving equal importance to Lapwings and Little Owls, and forsaking my usual ways around the place - for some reason my usual paths always seem completely unrecognizable on a map!?!

Grey Herons and Great White Egrets seemed to be present in almost every single field, usually accompanied by a number of Cattle and Little Egrets (these are counted at their roosting sites), whilst Lapwing was by far the most numerous shorebird of the day. Green and Common Sandpipers chased along channels, and in places the muddy fields seemed to come alive with flocks of Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, and Meadow Pipits. It always amuses me to see these passerines forage like little shorebirds, and I was quite happy that we were not expected to keep count of this myriad of birds! Hoopoes, Magpies, and Little Owls were added to the count sheet, and near the edge of our area we encountered no less than 14 White Storks, which is a relatively rare visitor in the delta. A Peregrine Falcon was spotted on the ground very close to the car, and luckily we did not scare it off - we just counted it! Three Merlins and lots of Buzzards, Marsh Harriers, and Kestrels later, we made our way back to Deltebre for lunch, happy to know exactly what had been present on our little patch this morning.

At this point, Cristian, who had been out all morning with a couple of Spanish birders, called us to give a brief review of his tour of the delta. One Pectoral Sandpiper :cool:, two Bewick's Swans, a Common Gull (not so common here!), four Richard's Pipits, an Osprey, and a handful of Spoonbills...but no Merlins, Little Owls, or White Storks. I guess you just can't have it all - not even here...

[Stephen C]

The Crested Coots were not released here in the delta, but occasionally one or two turn up here (with or without collar). There has been a release scheme in the Llobregat delta, and also in Valencia and Andalucia, but I think that all the projects have come to an end now. During the winter census this January we found one in Illa de Buda, but I don't know whether this bird is still around.

We saw a collared one a few metres from the sluice gate at the bridge on El Clot on the 22nd December 2007. Beautiful bird but of course spoiled by the huge collar.

The re-introduced population at Cal Tet, Llobregat is certainly still being monitored but I don't know if they are releasing more birds. I see individuals there occasionally.

Happy New Year

[Barred Wobbler]

The crested coot photo in the post above was the bird I saw at Canal Vell in 2006, posted just before my 2007 trip. I thought that it may have been a one-off, but I was surprised a short while later when I was in the Delta on 29th April 2007 to see a similar bird (possibly the same one - who knows?) near Riumar at the western end of El Garxal.

I've been making my arrangements for my trip to the Ebro for this spring, lateApril/early May again. Maybe I'll get the hat-trick.

By the way Iben, in one of those strange coincidences that occur now and again, my wife called me over to her computer last night and drew my attention to a spanish birding site she was looking at. It was yours and when I recognised the name I went back through the pages of this board to show her the posts from last year. I remarked at the time that there had been no posts since May and wondered what had happened. Within half an hour you had put up your new post! Eerie.

[Iben]

Hi Alan

I was probably cursing my internet connection when you and your wife looked through the thread - if Telefonica offered better reception here, I might even have added my post half an hour earlier to make everything even more eerie :eek!:

The Crested Coot currently present in the delta wears a white collar with the letters UT, and it has been seen here for at least three consecutive winters now. Have been told it was ringed and released in Valencia, but am still waiting for an official response. I don't remember seeing it during summer, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't stay here. Other individuals have also visited the delta (with and without collars), but this one has been seen much more frequently than any of the others. I can't make out the letters on your bird, but perhaps you were able to see the code in the field? Or can you see it on the original photo?

Thanks for your post and hope to meet you out here this spring!

Best regards,

Iben

P.S. The highlights of my counting carreer today were two wonderful Peregrines (one repeatedly hitting an apparently immortal Lapwing in the air, the other perched in a tree five metres from our car!), and a Brambling hanging out with the Chaffinches in the rice fields ;) The hardest part of the day was trying to identify hundreds of egrets coming in to roost after sunset...ended up with at least 400 in the Little/Cattle-category, I'm afraid! They all just looked like flying ghosts flocking to the reeds o:)

[Barred Wobbler]

The coot was far too distant to make any detail out on the neck-ring on each occasion that I saw it and heat-haze in 2007 made matters worse, so I cant help with the ID I'm afraid.

We'll be staying at Mora for a couple of weeks again this year, so I expect that I'll be at the delta for at least two or three visits. Lets hope your little crakes are more co-operative this time.;)

Regards

Alan

[Iben]

Lets hope your little crakes are more co-operative this time.;)

Yep, let's see which one turns up this year ;) We've been through all the 'common' ones now, so perhaps it's time for a really big rarity this spring?

[Iben]

The Crested Coot currently present in the delta wears a white collar with the letters UT, and it has been seen here for at least three consecutive winters now. Have been told it was ringed and released in Valencia, but am still waiting for an official response.

I have now received some reliable information about the Crested Coot (UT). It was released in the Llobregat Delta with 19 other birds in April 2003, but already in November 2003 it was seen for the first time in the Ebro Delta and has not been seen anywhere else since then. There are no reported sightings of the bird between March and November, but it has been seen here every winter since 2003.

Best regards,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Thanks for that Iben. I'll look out for it at the end of April when I'm back there.

It seems likely to me that the bird I saw on 29th April 2007 was this bird, although it was too distant to read the neck-ring, so unofficially and unconfirmed, it appears to have made it beyond March and into April.

[Iben]

Yesterday was officially the last day of the winter census in the Ebro Delta, and when the groups headed out in the morning mist we all agreed to meet up for lunch later on.

My group started at the Garxal lagoon, where we counted thousands of Coots, hundreds of Mediterranean Gulls, and relatively few grebes, herons, and shorebirds. The morning was rather dull, the sea calmer than ever, and even the ever-moving Kentish Plovers on the beach stood motionless among the Sanderlings. An easy day, we thought; perhaps even a slightly boring way to end the week :-C

But...our next stop was at Mas de la Bombita, a strictly private and very large finca with absolutely no entry unless you have a really good excuse to go there. It is kept as a hunting reserve by a hunter who only comes down a few times each year, and throughout the rest of the year it is a sacred haven for the birds of the delta - Agustín, the guard, makes sure of that! He looks (and is) friendly, but he does not like intruders of any kind!! Luckily he thought our excuse was one of the better ones, and he let us in with a smile and a friendly chat. The sun came out, the wind picked up, and that was when our easy morning came to an end! The rice fields were teeming with ducks, including masses of Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Gadwall, and of course the ubiquitous Mallards, and we stood counting in one spot for almost an hour before agreeing on the final numbers. A group of 35 Spoonbills passed overhead, followed by a young Sacred Ibis, and they all settled in a field near the Bombita lagoon, where they were later joined by a group of another 14 Spoonbills. We continued our quest into this wonderful finca, and we were closely watched by a low-flying Booted Eagle when we stopped to admire the Sacred Ibis up close. No rings or other signs of a past in captivity on the Ibis, but who knows where this particular individual has come from!?!

Spotted Redshank, Green and Wood Sandpipers, and impressive numbers of Common Snipe and Lapwing, revealed themselves in the fields, along with Grey Herons and Great Whites, and a group of almost 200 Ruff were encountered in one of the smaller fields - a typical delta sighting; so much empty space and then suddenly hundreds of birds all squeezed in together. Lunchtime was getting nearer, and we reluctantly headed for the exit - any birder would be reluctant to leave this place! - without having seen the wintering Bewick's Swans. I don't know when I will return to Bombita, but in fact I am happy that the access is so limited - obviously the birds love the tranquility there, and this particular finca adds enormously to the delta's value as a bird's/birder's paradise the way it is!

We had lunch in the village of Els Muntells and later continued on to the tower at Migjorn/L'Alfacada to admire the duck spectacle at Illa de Buda. On the way there, and particularly once having climbed the steps to the top of the tower, we realised that this was a bad decision. The wind was now blowing at very high speed, all the birds were doing their best to find shelter and hide, and it was impossible to hold the scopes still even for a second. Home was the best place to go, and so we did...but on Monday we're at it again, this time counting gulls, gulls, and nothing but gulls (a group of birds which we have happily ignored these past days - except the rarer ones; numbers of Black-headed and Yellow-legged Gulls are almost frightening here in winter :eek!:).

[Iben]

The first analysis of the data from this winter’s waterbird count in the Ebro Delta suggests that the number of birds wintering in the delta has reached a new peak. Never before has Illa de Buda harboured so many wintering ducks, and never before have the flocks of shorebirds and coots been quite so large – at least not for the last 25 years! A total of more than 338 000 birds were registered during the census this year!

Every year since 1972, the staff at the Ebro Delta Nature Park have carried out standardized bird counts during the first half of January to assess the value of the delta as a wintering site for waterbirds. Bird numbers have always been high, but the results have never come out quite as impressive as this year’s. A total of 292 600 wintering waterbirds and more than 45 000 gulls were recorded, with record-breaking counts of both ducks and coots. Skulky birds such as Purple Gallinule, Common Moorhen, and Water Rail are not included in the census as numbers are too great and impossible to assess this way.

Mallard and Teal were the most numerous ducks this year with some 107 000 individuals between the two species (thus comprising more than half of the duck total), and no less than 32 000 Common Coot were present in the lagoons and bays of the delta this winter. Shorebirds were represented mainly by Lapwing and Dunlin, and constituted almost a quarter of the recorded birds (more than 65 000 individuals!). Herons, egrets, and flamingos, were also counted by the thousands, and lower numbers of large birds such as Crane, White Stork, and Bittern, helped bring the species total up to almost 100 – without including any of the wintering passerines! – and once again demonstrate the importance and value of the Ebro Delta as a wintering site for a great variety of birds.

:t:

[Barred Wobbler]

Impressive numbers Iben. I'm pleased I wasn't counting the mallard,teal, lapwings and dunlins!

I see from Ricard Gutiérrez's site that a lesser flamingo was reported on a couple of occasions at Punta de la Banya. Did you pick this one up in your survey?

What is the current thinking on the status of lesser flamingo? They seem to be making more appearances in the records lately and I believe a pair bred successfully at Laguna de la Fuente de Piedra at Antequera last year. Are they all escapes, or is there a wild element to the reported sightings? (I saw one at Fuente de Piedra in 2004, so I have an interest).

[Iben]

Hi Alan

Yes, it can be quite stressful counting such large numbers - particularly when you're a perfectionist and prefer to count things one by one ;) One day I was discussing with my group whether we were looking at 65 or 66 Flamingos in the Fangar Bay, and I was happy when we all agreed that there were in fact 66...however, the discussion later seemed rather pointless as the total number of Flamingos reached almost 9000 that day :eek!:

In fact, I was probably counting those 66 Flamingos on the northern side of the river when Ferran Blanc - one of the rangers in Punta la Banya - found the Lesser Flamingo among the 5500 Greater Flamingos (!!) in the salt pans. In the afternoon my group was sent there to count roosting Cormorants, and although we were practically surrounded by flamingos we did not spot the Lesser Flamingo.

As far as I know, the Lesser Flamingo is still on the Spanish E list, and it has bred on at least one occasion in Fuente de Piedra, like you said. It is also listed as a D species (i.e. a possible A species), but there is still no real proof regarding the origin of the individuals seen in Spain. Having read lots of Flamingo rings and later received the most incredible life histories, I would say that the Lesser Flamingo could well have arrived in Spain by following Greater Flamingos on their long-distance movements over the years, but of course this will never be known unless it is proven by ringing.

The Marabou Stork is considered in the same categories as the Lesser Flamingo, and this species has apparently been seen crossing the Strait of Gibraltar with White Storks (so I was told in Doñana) - so perhaps/hopefully further evidence of a wild origin will appear in the future!??

Best regards,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Thanks Iben.

[Iben]

Thanks for that Iben. I'll look out for it at the end of April when I'm back there.

It seems likely to me that the bird I saw on 29th April 2007 was this bird, although it was too distant to read the neck-ring, so unofficially and unconfirmed, it appears to have made it beyond March and into April.

Seems that it didn't even make it into February this year...have just seen on the Birding Catalonia (http://www.birdingcatalonia.com/) website that our Red-knobbed Coot (UT) has been seen in the Llobregat Delta since February 1st!

[Stephen C]

...about the Crested Coot (UT). It was released in the Llobregat Delta with 19 other birds in April 2003, but already in November 2003 it was seen for the first time in the Ebro Delta and has not been seen anywhere else since then. There are no reported sightings of the bird between March and November, but it has been seen here every winter since 2003.

Hi guys

I think the number, according to Ferran at Llobregat was 20 (12 males and 8 females).

I saw the bird at Pont de Traves on 22nd December 2007 and 10 January 2008, just for the record.

All the best

[Iben]

It was released in the Llobregat Delta with 19 other birds

I think the number, according to Ferran at Llobregat was 20 (12 males and 8 females).

What's the difference?

[Stephen C]

What's the difference?

Iben, thats a very good point. Consider my wrist slapped.

All the best

[Iben]

Iben, thats a very good point. Consider my wrist slapped.

:-O :-O :-O

[Bubbs]

Hi John

Thanks for your message. There are plenty of small hotels and rural cottages in the area, both in the delta itself and in the surrounding towns and villages. You are welcome to contact me for further recommendations if you are interested in visiting.

Best wishes,

Iben

Hi Iben, I am making palns for the Ebro in May and any accommodation contacts would be usefull.

Regards.

John.

[Bubbs]

Iben, thanks for these wonderful posts; we are all very jealous as to where you live....are there any bed and breakfasts rooms near you????


John.


Hi Iben, I am making plans for the Ebro in May. Any accommodation contacts would be welcome.

John.

[Iben]

Hi Iben, I am making plans for the Ebro in May. Any accommodation contacts would be welcome. John.

Hi John

I am happy to hear that you are coming to the delta! May is an excellent time for birding here, and it is not a very busy time regarding beach tourists :t:

As I mentioned in my earlier post, there are lots of options for accommodation in the area. I don't know exactly how you plan on travelling/staying nor what you wish to include in your holiday apart from birdwatching, but I will give you some general advice and you are of course welcome to get back to me for more info. All the accommodation mentioned below can be linked to from our Ebro Delta website (click and scroll down) (http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=ebrodelta). Birdwatching in the delta without a car is difficult, but most of the places I've mentioned below have at least some good birding spots nearby if you feel like walking a bit.

The village of Eucaliptus in the southern part of the delta has great birdwatching opportunities within walking distance (Riet Vell, Tancada, and Platjola) and is also situated right on the beach, which is great if you are visiting with your family or other non-birders. In Eucaliptus there's a campsite (Camping Eucaliptus) and a small two-star hotel (Mediterrani Blau), and there are also plenty of private properties for rent.

Sant Carles de la Ràpita is on the southern edge of the delta and is a good option if you'd like to experience a bit more of the local life and visit nice restaurants in the evenings without having to drive. In town you can find relatively cheap hotels like Llansola and Juanito Platja, and on the road following the Alfacs Bay (going into the delta) you have the Tancada campsite. The harbour in Sant Carles de la Ràpita is very good for gulls, particularly in the afternoons when the fishing boats come in!

Poblenou is a charming village situated between Sant Carles de la Ràpita and Sant Jaume d'Enveja, and here you have a wide selection of rural accomodation (and good restaurants, too). If this is the type of accomodation you are mostly interested in, I can get you some contacts, but only a few of these places have websites of their own. Poblenou is situated on the edge of the Encanyissada lagoon and within walking distance of the Alfacs Bay.

In the northern part of the delta you can find good hotels in Deltebre, for example Delta Hotel and Hotel Rull, and there are lots of houses for rent in Riumar. In Riumar, which is situated right on the beach (like Eucaliptus on the southern side), you also have birding sites within walking distance (Garxal, El Niño Perdido), and you are surrounded by the great dunes leading towards the Fangar peninsula.

Hope this helps you!

Best regards,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Bad news for the Ebro Delta. It appears that the water transfer scheme hasn't gone away.


http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_15033.shtml

[Iben]

Bad news for the Ebro Delta. It appears that the water transfer scheme hasn't gone away.

That IS just 'Typically Spanish'!! :C

Things like that never seem to go away here, they just go under cover for a while! The discussion regarding the passerine trapping with glue is also still going on in the Ebro/Montsià area; luckily our local bird and conservation NGOs are keeping an eye on these things, and hopefully they will continue to win the fights.

Interestingly, I just read in the Wild Spain website (http://www.wild-spain.com/wsbriefs.php#465) that the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente/Ministry of Environment are planning to de-regulate the Spanish rivers where possible, and that at least some of the artificial barriers are likely to be removed. Let's hope Cristina Narbona keeps her position - assuming that diverting the Ebro River to Valencia/Murcia is also considered a form of regulation!!? You just never know...

You can see the full article in Spanish here:
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/01/24/ciencia/1201179782.html

[Iben]

Despite it's relatively small size, it always seems that lots of things are going on at the SEO/Birdlife reserve at Riet Vell. This time good and bad stuff has happened at more or less the same time (don't know whether to put an angry or a happy smiley, so won't put any at the moment!).

Early yesterday morning, the volunteers (have just spoken to them on the phone) woke up to the surprising sight and sounds of the reserve's reed bed burning :C!! Any management of the reeds at Riet Vell is always done by cutting, so they instantly knew that this was not meant to be happening, but they could do nothing to stop the flames that eventually destroyed one third of the reeds (one of my favourite ringing sites :-C). This happens after a recent hunters' demonstration in Amposta, where the daily leader of Riet Vell was declared persona non grata in the delta, and unfortunately it seems that the fire was started intentionally. So what springs to mind?

The good news is that two male Little Crakes were found today in the lagoon, and they seem just as cooperative as last year (so far). ;) So come get 'em, Alan!

I will know more tomorrow, as I am going to the usual Saturday ringing session in Riet Vell - don't know where we'll ring, but there will be a place somewhere else, I hope.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR :C:C:C (Okay, there they were!)

[Barred Wobbler]

Hang on to the crakes Iben. I'll be there 27th April in the hide.

Tie them up if need be!

Terrible news about the fire. Even worse, the attitude of the locals. Very sad.

[Stephen C]

Iben Hi

Many thanks for passing this on - its devastating. I was disappointed when I initially registered the shortness of your post as I knew it wasn't going to be one of your rather excellent reports but I didn't expect this.

Can you tell us more about the situation with the hunters, the demonstration, etc? Is it the pressure to get the law enforced re spring hunting or something more specific? I've come across a few head cases my self but never anything like this.

Please keep us posted on any developments.

All the best and keep up the good work.

[Iben]

After spending the day at Riet Vell, I now know a bit more about the incident. Apparently the fire was started intentionally at two places at the same time, and it moved quickly with the strong winds that have swept across the delta this last week. This meant that 2 hectares - the equivalent of half of the reedbed - was destroyed in a very short time, and it was only possible to stop the fire once it was forced to turn back on itself (at the end of the reedbed) and go up against the wind. The staff and volunteers at Riet Vell initiated the battle against the flames, and later the fire brigade arrived and made sure no smouldering bits were left. You can not really see the affected area from the public area, but if you take the back road from Eucaliptus to Els Muntells it is really obvious.

Today, in the middle of the burnt area, I saw what appeared to have been a Mallard nest with 13 eggs in it. The nest was burnt, all the eggs were black, and I noticed that they all had strange holes in them. I took a closer look and realised that inside the eggs were fully developed ducklings which had all attempted to make their way out of the eggs during the fire. Needless to say, they failed. :-C

Can you tell us more about the situation with the hunters, the demonstration, etc?

Stephen, the situation here is really complex. The demonstration in Amposta was related to the national one in Madrid last week, where hunters were demonstrating against the changes in the 'Biodiversity Law', but it also included a strong element of local indignation and a wish to maintain the old traditions of the delta area. These include a wide array of seemingly unrelated activities such as fishing, bull running, spring hunting, and hunting with bird lime, and the activists had also managed to include issues such as water restrictions, farming methods etc. to attract a variety of people to the demonstration. But only 522 people turned up - a relatively small demonstration - and it was not given much attention. The daily leader of Riet Vell and one of the rangers in the delta were declared unwelcome (mildly put) in the delta, and it is almost certainly no coincidence that the reeds in Riet Vell have now burned for the first time in seven years, less than three weeks after this demonstration!

Hang on to the crakes Iben. I'll be there 27th April in the hide. Tie them up if need be!

Alan, doesn't seem necessary to tie them up at the moment, they were visible at close range throughout the day, and one of the volunteers even saw a Spotted Crake walking alongside them at one point this afternoon. :t:

[Iben]

Two male Little Crakes were found today in the lagoon

These two birds have now been joined by at least one female, and possibly another male - all of them very user-friendly near the hide :t:

You can follow reports on these and other rare/interesting birds in the Ebro Delta on this webpage, which is updated on a daily basis. (http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=birdsightingsebro)

[Barred Wobbler]

Great stuff, Iben.

Thanks for the link.

[Barred Wobbler]

Hi again Iben.

I see that your website http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=birdsightingsebro hasn't recorded any little crakes since 6th April.

I'll be there next weekend. Have I missed the show for another year?

[Connor Rand]

I'll be visitng the Ebro Delta in July and cant wait, sounds like a great area!

Connor

[Iben]

Have I missed the show for another year?

Hi Alan

I do not know of any recent sightings of the Little Crakes, but they might still be present. Yesterday, Laurent (volunteer at Riet Vell) saw a crake in the lagoon, but the view was very brief and it could have been any of the two smaller species, he said. When forced to hazard a guess, he said it might have been a female Little Crake. Anyway, while you're there waiting for the crakes to show up, the other birds in the lagoon will keep you well entertained. Flamingo, Grey and Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Little Bittern, Purple Gallinule, Audouin's Gull, Whiskered Tern, Black-winged Stilt, Common Snipe, Collared Pratincole, Yellow Wagtail, Moustached Warbler, and many more, are usually present there these days ;)

The flooding of the rice fields was initiated yesterday, and so far just the corners of the fields have received water. The mud is already attracting flocks of gulls, herons, and shorebirds, and next week will be even better! I am really looking forward to seeing the delta flooded again, it is just so much more beautiful than during the dry months!

Best regards,

Iben

[Iben]

I'll be visitng the Ebro Delta in July and cant wait, sounds like a great area!

Hi Connor

It IS a great area, you have lots to look forward to :t:

Best regards,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Hi Alan

I do not know of any recent sightings of the Little Crakes, but they might still be present. Yesterday, Laurent (volunteer at Riet Vell) saw a crake in the lagoon, but the view was very brief and it could have been any of the two smaller species, he said. When forced to hazard a guess, he said it might have been a female Little Crake. Anyway, while you're there waiting for the crakes to show up, the other birds in the lagoon will keep you well entertained. Flamingo, Grey and Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Little Bittern, Purple Gallinule, Audouin's Gull, Whiskered Tern, Black-winged Stilt, Common Snipe, Collared Pratincole, Yellow Wagtail, Moustached Warbler, and many more, are usually present there these days ;)

The flooding of the rice fields was initiated yesterday, and so far just the corners of the fields have received water. The mud is already attracting flocks of gulls, herons, and shorebirds, and next week will be even better! I am really looking forward to seeing the delta flooded again, it is just so much more beautiful than during the dry months!

Best regards,

Iben


That's good news Iben. They were late flooding the fields last year and the water was just starting to flow from the sluices by the time I was leaving the area.

Thanks for the update on the crakes. I'll be in the hide looking, and you're right about the other birds there, there's always something to catch the eye.

[Iben]

That's good news Iben

Even better news for you: Today a female Little Crake was seen and photographed at Riet Vell :king:

[Barred Wobbler]

Excellent!!!!!!!!

[Barred Wobbler]

Iben, I'm less than an hour after being back home from Catalonia, and what an excellent trip it turned out to be. Thanks for all your help and information.

The little crakes (male and female) put on a great show at Riet Vell, but they were upstaged by the appearance of a Baillon's crake. While I was photographing the Baillons, someone noticed that the male little crake had appeared, so they were both in view at the same time!

While I was waiting to photograph a great reed warbler at Canal Vell the following day I looked over my shoulder just in time to see a falcon close-by in silhouette. It looked sufficiently unlike a kestrel to make me want a better look. It was a male red-footed falcon that obliged by landing on the power line that runs from the restaurant towards the mirador. It perched on the line at least three times, allowing close approach and dozens of photos until it flew off when a bird-scarer fired. I see from your website that you had one at La Tancada the other day - perhaps the same bird?

The Delta however seemed to be holding fewer birds in total than in previous visits at this time of year. Terns in particular (black terns especially) seemed to be in greatly reduced numbers and there seemed to be fewer squacco herons around. Is this just a migration timing variation or is there something else?

[midlandbirder]

Hi, im off to the aiguamolls and the ebro delta wednesday morning, thanks stephen for your help.

Are the crakes still present and showing? and also is it easy to find riet vell once i am there?

[Barred Wobbler]

Riet Vell is easy to find. Go onto the south side of the delta at Amposta, heading for Sant Jaume. After a short distance ( a couple of km or so) bear right onto the road to Eucaliptus. The carpark for Riet Vell is about 500m short of Eucaliptus on the left hand side of the road, next to a thatched building. Follow the path through the farm to the hide.

[midlandbirder]

Thanks Alan, when was the last date that you saw the crakes?

[Barred Wobbler]

I only saw them on the 27th April (my first visit of the trip). They were seen after that, but i didn't see any when I went back on other occasions.

Having said that, the last time I was there (6th May) I was so busy photographing a male little bittern at a range of about 4 yards right in front of the hide that I doubt if I'd have noticed an ostrich walk by, never mind a little brown skulking crake!

[midlandbirder]

thanks alan, i have just been speaking to my friend who i am going to spain with, it seems he is meeting you tomorrow! what a coincidence.

[Barred Wobbler]

That would be Dave. :)

[Iben]

Iben, I'm less than an hour after being back home from Catalonia, and what an excellent trip it turned out to be. Thanks for all your help and information.

Hi Alan

I am glad you had a great time here, and of course also delighted that you finally managed to see the crakes :t:

Lots of unusual birds have appeared in the delta lately, as you might have seen in our website (http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=birdsightingsebro), and it has been a very good year for Red-footed Falcon (also further north). In fact, it is the first time I've seen one in the delta! White-winged Terns are currently present (my bogey-bird for years, and then on Sunday I found two when I was on my way to l'Aldea without binoculars!!! Luckily one of them nearly landed on the car, so I got a really good look at them anyway ;)), along with Red-knobbed Coot, Temminck's Stint and Broad-billed Sandpiper.

I think the lack of birds that you mention is partly due to a slightly delayed migration, but also due to the birds' behaviour at this time of year. Just when the rice fields have been filled with water, they are relatively empty of food items for the birds. It takes a while for them to become full of invertebrates, fish and frogs, and the birds show little interest in most of the fields. Then you find a field that has been recently worked on, or perhaps water-filled for a while, and then you suddenly see hundreds or even thousands of birds. The other day, as I went for an afternoon drive in the delta, I was wondering about the complete lack of shorebirds - and then, just as I was going home, I spotted a small flock of Ringed Plovers in a field. I stopped, and out of the mud appeared a flock of Little Stints, more Ringed Plovers, and three Temminck's Stints. And then, a little further back, hundreds of Curlew Sandpipers and more Little Stints, etc. etc. - and of course, the fields had been ploughed earlier that afternoon! The Squacco Herons are also moving in little flocks; the other day a friend of mine saw more than 20 standing together in a field, but numbers seem 'normal' to me.

Having said that, perhaps something IS a bit different this year, because the Flamingos and several of the egrets and herons have been very late starting up their colonies, but hopefully they will have a succesful breeding season anyway. I will keep you posted.

Are the crakes still present and showing?

I am afraid the crakes are no longer showing off by the Riet Vell hide, but they might still be around. The female Little Crake was last seen on May 1st.


Best regards to you both,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Thanks for the reply Iben. I had a really good trip.

The male little crake appeared camera-shy. Every time I pressed the shutter, he hid his face.

The red-footed falcon was an absolute surprise. A bird I was not expecting to find there at all, but subsequent events seem to suggest it was part of a "fall", with large numbers further north.

Two years ago I was on the tower at the north side of El Clot scanning the lake, which was covered with hunting terns, mainly whiskered, but with good numbers of black terns among which was a breeding plumage white-winged black tern. It was the icing on the cake because it was the ninth species of tern I'd seen on the trip. A week earlier I saw lesser crested tern (a lifer). The tern list for the trip was; whiskered, gull-billed, little, common, caspian, sandwich, lesser crested, black, and white winged black.

I watched the whiskered terns feeding over the rice fields last week and they were taking crayfish. I'm attaching an (out of focus) photo of one losing its catch in flight.

I was kicking myself about the broad-billed sandpiper because I forgot to look for it when I was at El Golero on my final visit to the delta last Thursday (8th)- I'd seen reports of it from a couple of weeks before, but forgot about them at the time. I'd probably have missed it anyway - it's a big place and I was on my way back for dinner at the time.

I saw the collared red-knobbed coot at Canal Vell on the same day, but the combination of wind and showers meant it was a waste of time attempting to read the collar.

PS, A friend of mine called Mark was on one of your trips last week - I think it was 1st May.

[Iben]

Good news! :t:

Following a turbulent and rather unusual start to the breeding season, a record-breaking number of Flamingos have now settled down in the Trinitat salt pans in the Ebro Delta. 2.454 pairs of Greater Flamingo have initiated nesting attempts; this is over 600 pairs more than the previous years, where 1.800-1.900 pairs have bred in the delta.

The Flamingos habitually start pairing up and nesting in late March, but this year the first two attempts of starting up the colony were disturbed and failed, and for a while it was thought that no Flamingos were going to breed this year. The breeding had already failed in the biggest Spanish colony at Fuente de Piedra due to drought, so the colony in the Ebro Delta was the only hope for the Spanish Flamingo generation anno 2008. It was therefore with great relief that the staff of the Parc Natural del Delta de l'Ebre watched a third nesting attempt initiated in early May, this time spread out over three new locations in the salt pans. The three 'cores' within the colony were not completely synchronized, and thus the chicks will probably hatch at different times over the summer, but they all look well established.

Perhaps some of the birds from Fuente de Piedra has settled down in the Ebro Delta instead, perhaps the youngsters from the last 15 years of Flamingos breeding in the delta has suddenly boosted the colony; regardless of the reason, it is a great relief that this emblematic bird species has found peace and space to breed also this year in the delta.

Source: Parc Natural del Delta de l'Ebre, June 2008.