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Which area of Spain End of Oktober ? (1 Viewer)

albatross02

Well-known member
Hello together,

I have 10 - 15 days time yet.
I want to see bird migration, but I have also some target birds.
Which region of Spain or maybe Portugal is recommend for this target birds ?

Thekla and Dupont Lark
Iberian Magpie
Spanish Imperial Eagle
Marbled Duck
Black winged Kite

Lanner
Baillons Crake
Purple Swamphen
Red knobbed Coot
White headed Duck

Calandra Lark
Rufous tailed Scrub Robin
Black Wheatear
Western Oliveous Warbler
Iberian Chiffchaff

Common Rock Sparrow
Balearic Shearwater
Glossy Ibis
Cinneous Vulture
Booted Eagle

Thank very much.


Best regards
Dieter
 
Hello Dieter, just to get the ball Rolling: Many of these would be available between Gibraltar and the Portuguese border (Donana etc.), and some of them would likely continue into Portugal along the coast. I had my black Vulture and my Rufous tailed Scrub Robin in Portugal, near Castro Verde. I had my Dupont's Lark near Zaragosa.

Booted Eagle for example should be everywhere in Breeding season, and I would expect still easy along the south of Spain/Portugal at your time.

Niels
 
Late October, Catalonia, Spain

Hi Dieter

You would do well to first look in a reference book, even a field guide, as many of these species are not present at the end of October, which is also quite late for raptor and other migration.

FYI, I've added notes below for those present in Catalonia (or adjacent Aragon for some), the region around Barcelona.

[ By the way, if the current political situation here is a concern, then don't worry, life here is entirely normal I assure you. ]

Thekla Lark / Calandra Lark- widespread in Steppe areas
Dupont's Lark - very localised in Steppe areas
Spanish Imperial Eagle - 1 or 2 post-breeding/Wintering birds usually
Black-winged Kite - handful of post-breeding/Wintering birds
Baillons Crake - few around now but probably gone by the end of the month
Purple Swamphen - very common wetland species
Black Wheatear - localised, often on fringes of Steppe areas
Common Rock Sparrow - Winter flocks in farmland areas
Balearic Shearwater - visible off shore (weather depending)
Glossy Ibis - common in some wetland
Cinereous Vulture - central Catalan Pyrenees
Booted Eagle - over-Wintering birds in localised areas

Here's some info on the best sites: Ebro Delta, Pyrenees, Steppes for example -

http://www.catalanbirdtours.com/Spain birding/spain birding winter.html

PM me if you require further help.

All the best
 
Hello Niels and Steven,

thank You very much for the information.

My first ideas combination some days Tarifa area and Monfrague/ Estremadura.
But for 12 days its a long way to drive.
I seems best flight connection from Munich is to Malaga.
Because this maybe is better to concentrate on area around Malaga and Tarifa.
Cote Donana is not far from this area, but maybe difficult access ?

Alternativ only Monfrague Estremadura.
But maybe this is more interesting in spring ?


Best regards
Dieter
 
Last edited:
Hi Dieter,

My notes, which I sent to you recently, covers the when these species are present but for the benefit of those that don't have them, a good idea of the status and passage periods of these and other Spanish species can be found at content/uploads/GUIADEAVESDELESTRECHOEdicionRevisada2012.pdf?

Similarly, for the benefit of others, I'll annotate your list -

Thekla Lark – should be reasonably easy to find in any mountainous/hilly area in the region
Dupont Lark – very scarce bird in Andalucia so sites in north & central Spain are the place to look; others can advise you on exactly where although they will be much harder to find in autumn/winter.
Iberian Magpie – widespread in Extremadura and easy on the Coto (largely absent from Cadiz & much of Malaga). I've found them pretty common in Andujar at the famous Iberian Lynx site
Spanish Imperial Eagle – these days usually not hard to find on La Janda; also Andujar
Marbled Duck – much scarcer in winter but sites in the lower Guadalquivir would be your best bet
Black winged Kite – now widespread so you've a good chance of encountering the species anywhere in Extremadura, Cordoba, etc; La Janda is usually a good bet
Lanner – mainly a rare passage migrant peaking in Aug/Sept mainly in the SW; you need a lot of luck to see one
Baillons Crake – rare; only c10 records in October 1970-2009
Purple Swamphen – now common & widespread on the lower Guadalquivir where pretty much all wetlands have the species(and elsewhere)
Red knobbed Coot – restricted range; Espera is a classic site (others in my notes) but no longer present on Laguna de Medina which was once a stronghold.
White-headed Duck – present on a number of sites in the area (see my notes) Lantejuela is often a good bet as is Espera, etc
Calandra Lark – widespread – I find the Medina Sidonia area (see my notes particularly good for them)
Rufous tailed Scrub Robin – long gone
Black Wheatear – Llanos de Labar & Grazalema always comes up trumps for me
Western Oliveous Warbler – long gone
Iberian Chiffchaff – pretty much all of them will have gone south by late October & replaced by Common; even if you do find a “contender” it will be very difficult to ID a silent bird
Common Rock Sparrow – I find them patchily distributed but Llanosede Libar is usually good
Balearic Shearwater – movements of Balearic aren't I think fully understood but you could try looking off sites like Cape Trafalgar
Glossy Ibis – large numbers on the Lower Guadalquivir – rice fields can be excellent
Cinneous Vulture – Shouldn't be a problem at the popular sites in Extremadure or in Andujar
Booted Eagle – a scarce but regularly wintering bird particularly along the coast
 
Hello Niels and Steven,

thank You very much for the information.

My first ideas combination some days Tarifa area and Monfrague/ Estremadura.
But for 12 days its a long way to drive.
I seems best flight connection from Munich is to Malaga.
Because this maybe is better to concentrate on area around Malaga and Tarifa.
Cote Donana is not far from this area, but maybe difficult access ?

Alternativ only Monfrague Estremadura.
But maybe this is more interesting in spring ?


Best regards
Dieter

Most of the species you mention (the exception being Iberian Magpie & Cinereous Vulture) can be seen in Cadiz province (Sanlucar area, La Janda, Espera etc) & Seville (Brazo del Este). I'd work on a circuit as follows - head north from Malaga on the A 45 to Cordoba then east on the A 4 to Andujar where the magpie & vulture should be easy. You could then head west on the A4 motorway turning south at Ecija for Lantejuela/Osuna (good for White-headed Duck & Black-winged Kite, Calandra lark etc). From there it's an easy run to Los Palacios & Brazo del Este (possibly an area for Marbled Teal) and then on to exploring the eastern side of the Guadalquivir (Lebrija/Sanlucar/Espera). Then head south for Cadiz Lagunas/La Janda/Tarifa etc) which would put you a couple of hours from Malaga airport (Guadalhorce often has wintering Booted Eagles).
 
Hello together,

Thank You very much for all advices.
Very kind, to propose a prepared route.
Unfurtunetely my mother had an accident today.
She is 86.
So I will pospone this travel to next year.


Best regards
Dieter
 
Hello together,

Thank You very much for all advices.
Very kind, to propose a prepared route.
Unfurtunetely my mother had an accident today.
She is 86.
So I will pospone this travel to next year.


Best regards
Dieter

I'm very sorry to hear that your mother has had an accident, Dieter. I, and I'm sure that all of the other posters here, hope that she recovers as quickly as possible and fully. If you postpone to 2018 then I suggest that a spring trip, if equally convenient, would be rather more productive for your wanted species. If so then please don't hesitate to contact me for any advice or help.
 
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