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Birdwatching in a big city, Barcelona (2 Viewers)

Hi all

We are planning to spend a week split between Barcelona and Girona in the 2nd half of September this year. It won't be a full-on birdwatching trip but I want to make sure I cover the right parks and open spaces in between the historical buildings and restaurants. Which are the best parks to visit either in, or close to, both cities ? Sounds from this thread that crested tits (probably the commonest european species to constantly evade me !) are fairly common in most of the parks ? Seems Montjuic, Guell and Ciutadella are the 3 key places to visit ?

Already in touch with Stephen regarding a possible all day trip outside the cities...

thanks
Tony
 
Aye, Tony,

You may see crested tits in Parc de la Ciutadella, Parc Guell or Tibidabo. I have never birdwatched on Montjuic, so I cannot comment about that.

In this forum I have mentioned visits to the mouth of Riu Besos, north of the city centre. That area has proved best on spring migration, but a visit there in September might be productive. I combine my visits there with my visits to Parc de la Ciutadella, travelling by tram in between.

I have been to Girona several times, sometimes as day trips from Barcelona and more recently to stay. There are often quite a few birds along the river, both by the old city and a bit north. I also find quite a few birds just behind the Cathedral. Most of my visits to Girona have been in the spring.

Allen
 
For September I would consider Tibidabo rather than Montjuich. Access is a bit trickier unless the Tibibus is running (google the timetable) but if the weather is good there's a good chance of raptor migration and if you watch from the high point of the church you can sometime be quite close to the birds. Crested Tit and Firecrest are probably easiest around the back of the church, which will be obvious when you get there. The steps are 'the front'. Stephen takes some of his clients to a nearby viewpoint for the raptors but this location is much more difficult to get to via public transport.

Montjuich seems hit or miss. I think I've seen Crested Tit there, Serin should be easy and there must be Sardinian Warbler. The eagles last year were a surprise. We hadn't seen raptors up there before.

If you're lucky enough to be there on the weekend of 22nd September there will be some non-birding distractions in the city as well. I'm a fairly crap birder but this really is an area of expertise for me, so feel free to ask if you want tips on one of Europe's most exciting events, the Feste de la Merce.
 
Re Allen's recommendation about Riu Besos, we had Sub-Alpine Warbler there a few years back in September. Redstarts seem more likely. Presumably lots of migrating birds follow the river to the coast. Area is a bit grim but should be ok in daylight.
 
A morning of birdwatching and Gaudí

The heat seemed to me to be like a furnace when I was in Barcelona for the second weekend of May 2012. Instead of visiting my 3 main birdwatching areas in the city all in one day, I decided to go straight to Parc Güell on the first morning, Thursday 10th May. Also, a book called "Homage to Barcelona" by Colm Tóibín mentions the route that the great Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí used to take to work and church when he lived in a house in Parc Güell. There are many Gaudí and other themed routes and tours in Barcelona, so I decided to work out for myself a Gaudí "work and church" route, but starting with a bit of birdwatching in Parc Güell.

I travelled by Metro to Vallcarca and took the steep road and escalators up to Parc Güell. I was there before 09.00 and had the great view point Turó de les Tres Creus (3 crosses) to myself. There was a male sardinian warbler in a tree just below the hillock and I also saw a pair nearby. I observed most of the day's bird species as I walked in Parc Güell: common and alpine swifts, feral pigeons, collared dove, woodpigeons, serins, goldfinches, greenfinch, magpies, house sparrows, monk parakeets, blackbirds, blackcaps and yellow-legged gulls, as well as 4 species of tits - great, blue, coal and long-tailed.

According to Tóibín, Gaudí used to walk to Morning Mass in Gràcia and then to La Sagrada Familia to work. I hadn't been able to find which church it was in Gràcia if, indeed, it survived the Civil War. It was quite a walk to La Sagrada Familia. As usual there were several species of birds in the parks at either end of La Sagrada Familia, and I was pleased to watch a peregrine falcon for a few seconds as it flew by the spires.

Tóibín mentioned that Gaudí walked in the evening to the Cathedral via Passeig de Sant Joan, so I followed that route down to the city centre. Mindful of Gaudí being knocked over and fatally injured by a tram when he crossed La Gran Via at Plaça Tetuan, I took care crossing that road. There are no trams there now, but you'll know what I mean! I let my guard down for a moment on the next road, Carrer de Casp, crossing the apparently empty road with the pedestrian crossing on a red light. A taxi shot round the corner but I managed to reach the safety of the pavement. Nineteen years older and I wouldn't have made it!

I was ill for the rest of the day, partly from the heat but mostly from an old food allergy that I had slipped up on at breakfast. There was no more birdwatching for me that day, leaving the species total at 20.
 
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Parc de la Ciutadella and Port Vell

I still hadn't recovered the next morning, Friday 11th May, but I walked along to Parc de la Ciutadella and spent an hour or two sitting under the trees there.The star bird species for me was a short-toed treecreeper, which was only my second in Barcelona, although I know from #65 that Stephen Christopher reckons that they are quite common there! For me, it was the only one of the holiday.

The top lake had been drained for works and the lower lake was inhabited by one drake mallard and by 23 greylag-type geese, including 13 goslings of different ages. As I watched, common swifts frequently dipped down to drink in the lake. Other species seen in the park were feral pigeons, woodpigeon, collared doves, goldfinch, magpies, house sparrows, monk parakeets, blackbirds, blackcap, great tit, robin, serin, spotless and common starlings, yellow-legged gulls, grey herons (flying over) and swallows. Irritatingly, an egret flew past in the distance that I couldn't identify, although I reckoned that it was probably a cattle egret. I didn't see another egret for the rest of my stay in Barcelona, unusual for my visits to the city.

I then walked round Port Vell before heading up Las Ramblas. On the grass on the way in to Port Vell I saw a white wagtail. Across the port there were about 200 yellow-legged gulls, while swimming nearer to this side was a Mediterranean gull in first winter plumage. I have seen Mediterranean gulls in Barcelona on several previous holidays and had also seen them in Valencia and the Ebro Delta in the previous two weeks, but it was still a good find for me.

Twenty three bird species for me that day.
 
The last day of the holiday

The next day, Saturday 12th May, was my last whole day in Barcelona of the holiday. I travelled by Metro and tram to Central Tèrmica del Besòs, the last tram stop before Riu Besòs. I walked across the bridge, past Parc del Litoral to the beach and then along the paths inland along the river to the second set of bridges. There wasn't the range of bird species that I had seen on my visits earlier in previous springs, with no waders, egrets or herons, except for 2 grey herons that flew over. The water quality didn't look particularly good, with scum on the surface upstream from the second set of bridges.

Probably the greatest surprise was to see no less than 9 treesparrows, one in deciduous trees in Parc del Litoral and the rest dotted about along the river inland. I also saw 3 species of warbler, cetti's, fan-tailed and a sardinian, which was carrying nesting material to dense vegetation. I think that was my first sighting of sardinian warbler by Riu Besòs. Other bird species seen there were common swifts, moorhens, monk parakeets, magpies, feral pigeons, collared doves, swallows, house martin, house sparrows, yellow-legged gulls, black-headed gulls, blackbirds, white wagtails, mallard and spotless starlings.

I caught the tram back a few stops along the line and walked a block to Parc de Diagonal Mar, where the street plan showed a lake. There was indeed a lake, which had lots of metal "pipes" curving over the water and the banks, these being used as perches by some of the 40 yellow-legged gulls present. New species for the day were serins and a woodpigeon, as well as 4 greylag-type geese. Other birds present included mallard, moorhen and white wagtail.

Returning to my hotel, I had a siesta and then went out again in the early evening. Approaching Plaça de Catalunya I passed some police on motor bikes, stopping traffic from reaching the square. More alarming were loud bangs from the square itself, playing havoc with the thousands of feral pigeons that usually congregate there. The inland part of the square was playing host to a demonstration against the cuts in government spending on education and health. The demonstration seemed good natured, the bangs probably being fire crackers rather than anything more sinister.

After watching the stationary demonstration for a while, I headed off to the Cathedral, where the sardana was being danced, followed by some castellers, the Barcelona Falcons, and 2 gegants dancing. I also walked to Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, effectively finishing the route taken daily by Gaudí, as he was accustomed to attending evening devotions in the church there (according to Tóibín). I continued along some of the narrow streets to Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol, where I heard a goldfinch in a tree, before returning to Plaça de Catalunya at dusk. The demonstration had hardly moved. Overhead flew a police helicopter as well as some swifts. These were mostly common swifts but also includes 2 alpine swifts, which gradually flew lower and lower until they were just above tree top level. A parakeet that I didn't identify flew over, silhouetted and with a much longer and thinner tail than that of the monk parakeets. I guess that it was a rose-ringed parakeet, but didn't see any plumage details. Returning to my hotel on Via Laietana I saw 3 grey herons fly over in the gloom.

Twenty four species identified that day.
 
Delta de Llobregat

Before I went to Barcelona I had 2 nights in Sitges. On Tuesday 8th May I joined Stephen Christopher and 3 other guests for a great day birdwatching in Parc de Garraf and Delta de Llobregat. There was quite a range of bird species at Garraf, and then we went to the northern part of Delta de Llobregat, at the southern edge of Barcelona and right under the planes' approach to the airport. We walked to Cal Tet and saw 2 ducks that were "lifers" for me, ferruginous duck and blue-winged teal. The ferruginous duck was a particularly fine bird for me to see, as I had been reading for many years about its marked decrease in S.W. Europe. Another species that we saw there and which I had never before seen in Spain was a eurasian wigeon. Flocks of over 100 wigeon frequent one of my favourite places on the Manx coast each winter, but they generally head north in March and April, so it was a surprise to see one at the edge of Barcelona in May.

I've concentrated on 3 ducks (well, drakes), but we also saw lots of other wonderful birds. Stephen, thanks for another great day.
 
We are considering Barca for my 50th birthday in November. Vall de Nuria seems interesting for Citril Finch which would be a lifer. Are they likley late October early November? How long does it take to get there on the mountain tram?
 
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We are considering Barca for my 50th birthday in November. Vall de Nuria seems interesting for Citril Finch which would be a lifer. Are they likley late October early November? How long does it take to get there on the mountain tram?

I was last up that way in 2005 and have checked a website for the Cremallera (tram) from Ribes de Freser to Nuria. It takes about 45 minutes. The train from Barcelona takes about 2 hours. For information in Catalan and Spanish, the website is www.valldenuria.cat
Click on
Cremallera
then
Horaris i Tarifes Cremallera
and that gives you the timetables and fare tariffs (just in case you don't know that already). I found another bit on the website that said that the Cremallera is closed from 2nd Nov to 1st Dec.

I hope that others will be able to answer your question about the Citril Finch. I've only ever been up to Nuria in August.
 
I was last up that way in 2005 and have checked a website for the Cremallera (tram) from Ribes de Freser to Nuria. It takes about 45 minutes. The train from Barcelona takes about 2 hours. For information in Catalan and Spanish, the website is www.valldenuria.cat
Click on
Cremallera
then
Horaris i Tarifes Cremallera
and that gives you the timetables and fare tariffs (just in case you don't know that already). I found another bit on the website that said that the Cremallera is closed from 2nd Nov to 1st Dec.

I hope that others will be able to answer your question about the Citril Finch. I've only ever been up to Nuria in August.

Thank you for going to such trouble Allen, very good of you :t:

Helps a lot.
 
For September I would consider Tibidabo rather than Montjuich. Access is a bit trickier unless the Tibibus is running (google the timetable) but if the weather is good there's a good chance of raptor migration and if you watch from the high point of the church you can sometime be quite close to the birds. Crested Tit and Firecrest are probably easiest around the back of the church, which will be obvious when you get there. The steps are 'the front'. Stephen takes some of his clients to a nearby viewpoint for the raptors but this location is much more difficult to get to via public transport.

Montjuich seems hit or miss. I think I've seen Crested Tit there, Serin should be easy and there must be Sardinian Warbler. The eagles last year were a surprise. We hadn't seen raptors up there before.

If you're lucky enough to be there on the weekend of 22nd September there will be some non-birding distractions in the city as well. I'm a fairly crap birder but this really is an area of expertise for me, so feel free to ask if you want tips on one of Europe's most exciting events, the Feste de la Merce.

Hi Pandachris

Just realised we have booked the weekend you mentioned, 22-25 Sept !! Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing !! Hopefully it wont mean 1000s of people in the parks frightening all the crested tits, firecrests and sardinian warblers (are they resident or migrant?) away ?!

I've heard Barcelona is a major pick-pocket risk so money belts rather than wallets and handbags will be the order of the day. But will i be ok wandering round the city, underground and parks with an slr and zoom lens over my shoulder ?

Tony
 
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Looks like I will only have the odd hour here and there to birdwatch in the parks. Having distilled the above info I just have a couple of quick Qs to make sure I get the best use of my time;

Parc de la Ciutadella
I can't find this on google maps - where is it, which is the best part of the park to aim for (N,S,E or W?) and which is the nearest underground station ?

Parc Guell
Sounds as though the best place to visit is the "the paths in the wooded area up the hill at the back" - is that N,S,E or W ? looks like the nearest tube is Vallcara ?

Tibidabo
looks like i need to catch the tibibus and then head for the back of the church ?

Thanks
Tony
 
Barcelona risks

I've heard Barcelona is a major pick-pocket risk so money belts rather than wallets and handbags will be the order of the day. But will i be ok wandering round the city and parks with an slr and zoom lens over my shoulder ?

Tony

I suppose that the main thing to avoid being robbed is to be aware of what is going on around about you. A lot of scams involve distracting you, whether by saying that a pigeon has pooed on your back and offering to help you wipe it off, asking you the way or a host of other tricks. When I was in Barcelona in May there was a group of lasses in Plaça de Catalunya who looked like gypsies but who may have just been begging, although I had to divert a grab at my pocket by a similar looking lass on a visit 10 years ago. Some crooks are smartly dressed, like the trio who stole my credit card on the same visit. Another piece of advice is not to look lost. If you need to look at a map nip into a cafe to do so. Barcelona will still be hot when you are there, so you will need a drink anyway. Don't look too obviously like a tourist, either. I try to look reasonably smart like the Catalans do. I don't have cameras with big lenses so I have no experience of that, but I guess that that would put you in risk of being a target. Watch your possessions in crowds, particularly relevant during your visit, I would have thought. Better still, leave valuables locked up in the safe in your room.

Yes, I have been robbed in Barcelona myself but I did not let it put me off visiting what is my favourite city. I enjoy visiting places like the old streets of the city, Sagrada Familia and La Rambla, even, but I just keep going, I don't dither! There are plenty of great bars and cafes in such places if you need to stop. Barcelona is not the only big city in which there is a risk of robbery.

Allen
 
Looks like I will only have the odd hour here and there to birdwatch in the parks. Having distilled the above info I just have a couple of quick Qs to make sure I get the best use of my time;

Parc de la Ciutadella
I can't find this on google maps - where is it, which is the best part of the park to aim for (N,S,E or W?) and which is the nearest underground station ?

Parc Guell
Sounds as though the best place to visit is the "the paths in the wooded area up the hill at the back" - is that N,S,E or W ? looks like the nearest tube is Vallcara ?

Tibidabo
looks like i need to catch the tibibus and then head for the back of the church ?

Thanks
Tony

The nearest Metro station to Parc de la Ciutadella is Arc de Triomf. Walk to the eponymous arch and then continue along the broad walkway to the park itself. As you walk you will see 2 tall tower blocks, which are nearer the sea beyond the park. When I reach the gate to the park I turn left to a quieter part of the park first. From the end of that walk, the lakes are off to the right. I always go to Parc de la Ciutadella fairly early in the morning (well, about 8.30 or 9). I guess that it becomes busier later in the day and birds are more difficult to see.

For Parc Güell the nearest Metro station is indeed Vallcarca. Follow the signs for the park, including up the moving staircases on the left. They will lead to the woods at the top of Parc Güell, including the hillock with crosses on the top. From there I usually "contour" a bit, keeping the open area and the "gingerbread houses" below on my right. The path actually undulates a bit, but you may see a bit up there in September. Again, it helps to be fairly early when you visit there. Also, keep an eye out for birds overhead. You might be lucky with raptors.

From the Tibibus terminal you will need to catch the blue tram up the hill and walk or catch the funicular to reach the vicinity of the church, which I have seen many times from the city but have never visited.

Allen
 
The nearest Metro station to Parc de la Ciutadella is Arc de Triomf. Walk to the eponymous arch and then continue along the broad walkway to the park itself. As you walk you will see 2 tall tower blocks, which are nearer the sea beyond the park. When I reach the gate to the park I turn left to a quieter part of the park first. From the end of that walk, the lakes are off to the right. I always go to Parc de la Ciutadella fairly early in the morning (well, about 8.30 or 9). I guess that it becomes busier later in the day and birds are more difficult to see.

For Parc Güell the nearest Metro station is indeed Vallcarca. Follow the signs for the park, including up the moving staircases on the left. They will lead to the woods at the top of Parc Güell, including the hillock with crosses on the top. From there I usually "contour" a bit, keeping the open area and the "gingerbread houses" below on my right. The path actually undulates a bit, but you may see a bit up there in September. Again, it helps to be fairly early when you visit there. Also, keep an eye out for birds overhead. You might be lucky with raptors.

From the Tibibus terminal you will need to catch the blue tram up the hill and walk or catch the funicular to reach the vicinity of the church, which I have seen many times from the city but have never visited.

Allen

Thanks Allen. How long does it take to walk to Guell and Ciutadella from their respective nearest underground stations ? Think these might be early walking pre-breakfast trips for me + camera ! Guess I might be able to arrange taxis to drop and collect and so avoid spending an hour travelling to and from hotel to the parks.
Not knowing these areas do you think i would be ok walking with camera and big zoom through these areas at say 7am ??
 
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Thanks Allen. How long does it take to walk to Guell and Ciutadella from their respective nearest underground stations ? Think these might be early walking pre-breakfast trips for me + camera ! Guess I might be able to arrange taxis to drop and collect and so avoid spending an hour travelling to and from hotel to the parks.

I would think about 15 mins and about 5 mins respectively, although it might take you a little longer walking to Parc de la Ciutadella if you want to photograph monk parakeets wearing medallions on the way! I often see all sorts of feral parakeets along that section.

Not knowing these areas do you think i would be ok walking with camera and big zoom through these areas at say 7am ??

Now you're asking! To be fair, I have never been to either park that early in the morning so I cannot comment by experience. My gut reaction would be that you would be OK, as the scumbags would tend to swarm where they expect lots of pickings.
 
I would think about 15 mins and about 5 mins respectively, although it might take you a little longer walking to Parc de la Ciutadella if you want to photograph monk parakeets wearing medallions on the way! I often see all sorts of feral parakeets along that section.



Now you're asking! To be fair, I have never been to either park that early in the morning so I cannot comment by experience. My gut reaction would be that you would be OK, as the scumbags would tend to swarm where they expect lots of pickings.

Thanks Allen
 
In Barcelona for a few nights to catch the Festa Major de Gracia. Been here nearly 48 hours and have seen only 5 species excluding pigeon, with Alpine Swifts around the large and IMO vulgar church on Via Augusta and over Placa de la Vila de Gracia being the only one of note, but this morning (what's left of it) we're having a crack at finding our way to the marshes near Prat de Llobregat via public transport.

Whether we'll see anything, given the enduring effects of home-made vodka mamadetas and passive cannabis smoking from the gig we went to last night (well until 2 a.m. actually) is anybody's guess but I'll report back if we survive.

Hot here.
 
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