[Barred Wobbler]

Just back from an excellent trip to Northern Spain. Here's the report. It's lengthy, so I've split it into episodes. I hope it's of some use to anyone thinking of visiting the area, so I've included a bit of detaill on some of the locations visited that doesn't appear in the books.

Here goes for Part 1



Catalonia & Aragon Trip

28 April to 12 May 2007

Based at Mora

Our second trip of the year and our third birding visit to this region. We’ve gone there at this time for the past two years before this trip and the area still has plenty to offer. It’s a world away from the clutter and golf-courses of Southern Spain.

Easyjet again from Newcastle at 10.10 on Saturday 28th April. This is a more civilised time for a take-off than our 6.30 flight to Malaga in February and I even got some sleep the night before. The downside is that it would be late afternoon before we arrived at our destination, Mora on the River Ebro – a town perhaps better known to British visitors for its excellent fishing for large wild carp and the huge European catfish. My first trip here for a week and a half in spring 2005 gave me 150 species and a love for the area. We came back in 2006 for two weeks and 174 species, building on earlier experience, so I was hoping for a similar total this time, with a few lifers sadly missed on earlier trips perhaps added in for good measure.

Car hire was pre-booked and paid for with the flights through Easyjet and came to around £194 for the two week’s hire of a diesel Fiat Punto (Barcelona is one of the dearer airports); just the right size for the narrow Spanish roads. For a major airport the car-hire collection at Barcelona is abysmal. The Europcar desk is under-sized and even though there were only about 10 customers in the queue before me it took 45 minutes to get away from the desk with my key. This is normal for this airport. The car was immaculate with only 2700km on the clock, although it went back with a considerably higher mileage when I returned it.

Our base was a small apartment with good facilities in Mora, a double town which straddles the Ebro about 30 miles upstream from the delta and 20 miles from the coast. It’s not at all touristy, (the “real” Spain as those awful travel programmes say – ugh!) but there are a number of apartments etc available because of its popularity with anglers. I chose it because it was handy for the Ebro Delta and also some steppe sites to the north. At two and a half hours to the closest part of the Pyrenees, the mountains are just about reachable. Other bases may be more suitable for the latter, but I’ve grown to like it.

Even though we were quickly off the plane and our bags were some of the first that came off the conveyor the delay in collecting the car meant that it was 3pm before we left the airport. The late start for the 90 mile drive with a promise of a visit to a supermarket at the end of it made me change my mind about popping into El Prat de Llobregat for a quick look as we left the airport. This in hindsight was a mistake. A cream-coloured courser was seen on the beach 3 days earlier and photographed the day after that, but I didn’t know about this until we got back to the UK. Ho, hum.

Day 1, Saturday 28th April 2007.
Weather , Fine, mainly clear skies, 24C.

Barcelona airport to Mora d’Ebre.

A 90 mile drive, mainly on motorway gave little opportunity for sightings beyond the common stuff such as sparrows, pigeons, spotless starlings and swifts, but we did spot our first Woodchat Shrike of the trip sitting on roadside wires. Our arrival at the apartment just after 5pm with our shopping from the supermarket saw Yellow-legged Gull, Black Kite, White Wagtail, Bee Eater, Little Egret and various swallows, martins and some mallard added to the list. We settled into the apartment and had a relaxed meal of Pinxos, spuds and veg with a bottle of Rioja to shake off the trip. Dusk saw us down by the riverside for an aerial display from a Red-necked Nightjar, joined by Scops Owl, followed by a return to the apartment, a bottle of Sangre de Toro and a couple of Bacardis before a well-earned night’s sleep.

Total for the trip – 24 species so far.

Day 2. Sunday 29th April 2007.
Weather. Dull and damp am, 15 deg. Fine later, cool for the time of year at 20 deg.

Ebro Delta

A quick look at the river before we left Mora gave us our first Cattle Egret, sitting sullenly in the rain and mist in a tamarisk bush in the river, which was in flood following one of the wettest springs for many years.

Ignoring the most obvious route to the delta I chose the quicker one, down the road to Rasquera before cutting across to the N340 at El Perello and getting onto the delta just past L’Ampolla, so avoiding the town centre and going straight to the Laguna de les Olles on the southern side of the town. A short visit to the tower hide gave us Zitting Cisticola, Black-headed Gull, Black Winged Stilt, Marsh Harrier, Whiskered Tern, Purple Heron, a fly-past of seven Night Heron, Red-crested Pochard, Coot, Cormorant, Little Tern and finally a Caspian Tern which flew across the lagoon directly towards us.

Driving from here to Deltebre and on to our next stop at Canal Vell, I was struck at how dry the area was. By now the rice fields usually have all been flooded and are covered with thousands of feeding terns. On this visit every field was bone-dry and many were still being worked to a tilth by tractors. The tern species were present, but the numbers were only a fraction of what they would normally be at the end of April. The drive gave us Gull-billed Tern, two Lesser Kestrels, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper and Squacco Heron.

Canal Vell held its normal complement of coots and Greater Flamingo along with Black Redstart, Audouin’s Gull, Wood Sandpiper, Purple Gallinule, Great Crested Grebe, four Great White Egrets, Great Reed Warbler, Tree Sparrow, Dabchick, Spotted Redshank, Slender-billed Gull, Glossy Ibis, Black Tern and a group of 8 or 9 night herons that were loafing about on the small island in front of the tower.

El Garxal on the north side of the river mouth as usual held a good stock of birds, including greater flamingos, purple gallinules, egrets, herons, ducks and waders. Among the hundreds of coots one stood out by virtue of the white plastic collar band that it wore, indicative of a Crested Coot from one of the release schemes in various parts of Spain (but not, curiously, the Ebro Delta). This could well be the bird that I spotted at the same time last year on Canal Vell. Other new birds for the list included Gadwall, Crested Lark, Hoopoe and Willow Warbler.

Breaking with my habit of only doing one side of the delta in a day we headed off to the south side. This was made easier by the absence of avian distraction on the dry rice-fields and I was keen to visit the hide at Riet Vell at Eucaliptus, where a pair of little crakes had been reported putting on award-winning performances in the open for the crowds throughout most of April. We added a Mediterranean Gull to the list on our way.

Riet Vell was impressive. I’d previously had no idea it was there, but I’d passed by the entrance without noticing it many times. I know better now.

We spent the rest of the day in the excellent hide eagerly awaiting the appearance of the little crakes, but to no avail. The record book in the hide had its latest entry 6 days before on St George’s day (a big day in Catalonia) and one of them had showed then. No news is good news, so I waited on in the hope that the absence of recent records was because of the absence of observers rather than the absence of crakes. The dry rice field behind the hide held about a dozen Collared Pratincoles, well camouflaged against the dry earth. The field on the other side of the path contained over two dozen purple gallinules. The lake was alive with life. A terrapin about the size of a dinner plate loafed on a log and didn’t budge even when a moorhen walked up the log with the sole intention of annoying it by pecking at its tail and left hind leg. A Redstart hopped around the hide. Egrets, herons and glossy ibis stalked the water. A small group of flamingos fed over to the left, where whiskered and black terns fed over the water. Mallard, gadwall, red-crested pochards and dabchick fed in front of the hide where a wood sandpiper dropped in to allow us to admire its spangled back at close range. The occasional fly-over by a marsh harrier kept the pool’s birds on their toes. The walk back to the car after a crake-less two or three hours added Spotted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher to the list.

Back at Mora the raptor count was increased by two Common Buzzard.
Total species so far – 66.

[Barred Wobbler]

Part 2.


Day 3. Monday 30th April 2007.
Weather. Fine. 25 deg pm.

Mora to Garcia Station.

We decided to stay relatively local today to check out the sites close to base, going first along the riverside upstream from Mora d’Ebre, starting with the park and picnic area beneath the ruined castle. The first Monk Parakeet made its noisy appearance as soon as we got out of the car and a stroll along the bank got us views of the Cetti’s Warbler and Nightingale that had been serenading us. While waiting for one of the vocal Golden Orioles to put on an appearance (didn’t take long) I heard a Wryneck calling nearby. Following the call brought us to great views of the bird calling from the top of a tree. Next came our first Sardinian Warbler, followed by two Penduline Tits in the tamarisk bushed that maddeningly varied from too far to too close for my digiscope.

Moving on up the roadside river towards the closed-down Garcia Station (perhaps the separation of the station from Garcia village by the width of the River Ebro, a Field and the main C12 road had something to do with its demise) took us through a mixture of natural overgrown river bank and fields of fruit trees. Birds included lesser kestrel, Great Tit, Serin, Blackcap, Jackdaw, Raven, Linnet, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit and Jay.

Flix

We retraced our path to Mora and took the C12 for the 19km drive upstream to Flix. At first glace as you drive down the bank out of town, passing a large industrial works with various aromatic odours and heading towards the dam that holds back the river you could easily be put off.

Don’t be.

Take the road across the dam and pay attention! Immediately on leaving the dam you’ve got to take a hard left turn into the nature reserve that lies along the north bank. The entrance track is well hidden, lying between the bridge parapet and an automatic car wash. If you are in the carwash car-park you’ve overshot. Take the track next to the bridge and it runs immediately through an area where there are some civil engineering works going on, together with large pipes lying next to excavations taped off with plastic tape, further giving the impression that you’ve taken the wrong turn. You haven’t.

The track soon sorts itself out and runs some distance alongside the reed-bed lining the river until it comes to a visitors’ centre where you can park the car and pick up a pamphlet. A path leads from behind the centre along a boardwalk through the reeds to a hide overlooking a pool. The kingfishers I saw here last year were absent, but a marsh harrier passed by and a great reed warbler went mad from its perch in the reeds.

Back at the car park you have a choice. You can drive on along the track, or you can walk. I prefer to walk. Last year I watched a wryneck calling from wires at a distance of only about 30 yards. The groves of trees in the fields hold larks and other birds. Black kites are low overhead and you get a taste of what’s to come in the form of White Storks that fly around the small colony a mile or so upstream. The walk brought us storks (including one nest) and Greenfinch, Cuckoo, woodchat shrike, and golden oriole before we arrived at the stork colony just to the left of the track. There is another hide here overlooking another reedy pool. A stork was on its nest on the roof of the hide – totally unconcerned at our presence. A black kite sat in a tree opposite, nicely in digiscoping range until I got my gear set up and somebody started up a chainsaw nearby and flushed it before I got a shot.

This disappointment was more than made up for by a small bird that flew across the front of the hide and started feeding actively in the reeds to the right. Chalk up one Savi’s Warbler.


Castellet de Banyoles

Back down to Mora and a short diversion along the road towards Hospitalet de L’Infant for a kilometre or two before turning off at the top of the hill into another well-hidden track that leads to the site of the ruin of this fort that once defended the bend on the river between Mora and Miravet. The limestone track is in good condition and takes you through an area of woodland and bare ground. It’s well worth going along to the end for the view over the river. It generally has something of interest and in the past I’ve had wryneck, honey buzzard and green woodpecker here. Not today though. We saw the expected woodchat shrike and also the species we’d called in for – a Woodlark singing from the power-lines.


Cami del Coll de la Mola

Quickly onto the road south again, but only as far as Rasquera, where we turned off towards El Perello, traveling until we turn off onto a limestone road southwards, just west of the 7km road marker. It’s posted as “Pintures Rupestres 4.2km” from the west, but the approach from the coast shows a grand signpost giving the road its full title. It runs through olive and almond groves for a while and then climbs through an area of low scrub before entering a mixture of farmland and woodland.

One of the first birds we saw was a woodchat shrike that flew up into an olive tree carrying what looked like a centipede that was at least as long as the bird itself. Unfortunately I didn’t have the presence of mind to get the camera onto the scope for a photo. Moving on through the scrub gave us Subalpine Warbler and Dartford Warbler just next to the road. Further on, near a farm called Bedrock Ranch (honest) we saw Corn Bunting and golden oriole, before traveling on to a place with some small fields on the left of the road, separated by dry-stone limestone walls. Here we had great views near to the car of a bird I never tire of looking at – the male of the dark-throated version of Black-eared Wheatear – the prettiest thing on two legs (almost). Two ravens flew overhead and a Red-legged Partridge made its way onto the trip-list. A cuckoo called nearby before flying over. We traveled on until we reached the tower known as Torre del Fullola (well marked with footpath signs pointing along various routes) then turned round and back home for dinner.

So far the day had gone well, but this was not to last. After dinner we went out to a local bar, where over a glass or several of Estrella Damm we watched Newcastle United once again humiliate themselves before the Sky-watching millions as they put on a typically gutless display away to Reading. To round off the evening perfectly we trudged our way back to the apartment through a thunderstorm with rainfall sufficient for those of a more cautious nature to go looking for gopher wood with which to build a boat.

Total species so far - 95

[Barred Wobbler]

Part 3


Day 4. Tuesday 1st May 2007.
Weather. Poor! Dull after overnight rain. 12 deg at mid-day, struggling up to 15 in the afternoon.

We awoke to find with relief that our decision not to build an ark had been the right one, even though the river was up on its already swollen level. The first day of May had however heralded the return of winter to Catalonia and also to Aragon as we were to find out as we made our first foray of the trip into that ancient land. My chosen attire of T-shirt with a lined fleece over it was not quite up to the conditions and a shirt would have been of use, but being of hardy north-eastern stock I endured. My wife, having more sense had chosen her clothing more wisely and elected to stay in the car at most of the stops we made.

Los Monegros

On our way north beyond Flix to Fraga, we stopped off briefly at a spot 6km north of the village of Maials for a quick look along a track I know, adding Thekla Lark, Carrion Crow and Great Spotted Cuckoo to the list. We then traveled on to the village of Candasnos on the Zaragosa road west of Fraga where our day’s birding began in earnest.

A look at the bird-books will tell you what a great place Los Monegros is. It contains good numbers of most the steppe species – little bustard, both species of sandgrouse, eagles, larks (including Duponts), etc etc. This is nonsense of course, for the simple reason that there is no such bird as the little bustard. It is mythical. As I said in my report from Malaga & Cadiz in March I’ve looked here in Aragon, I’ve looked on the Catalonia steppes, I’ve looked in Andalucia from Almeria to Cadiz and they do not exist (I’ve still to visit Extemadura to prove their non-existence there). Anyone looking for little bustards may as well go Phoenix-watching. They’d be better off. On the presence of the other birds, however I vouch that the books are correct.

The books also tell you that Dupont’s larks are active at night, dawn and dusk. This may be so, but fortunately not all the larks have read the books and some have difficulty sleeping during the day, so don’t give up hope. Our first stop was on the road from Candasnos towards Alcolea, just out of the village, between the new motorway and the railway. I heard (but didn’t see) a Dupont’s lark here two years ago in the middle of the day. Today, as last year I heard only silence.

We went on towards the railway and took a cami rural off to the left, which took us under the railway and northwards for a field before turning east along the bottom of an escarpment. The first field brought us lesser kestrels, Calandra Lark and a pale-throated male black eared wheatear (almost as pretty as the black-throated version that also abounds here). A little further on a male Spectacled Warbler showed in scrub at the bottom of the scarp. Moving further on and turning right at a T junction the road started to climb the slope where we saw a bird in flight display above the road in front of the car. It settled next to the gate to the small reservoir and revealed itself as a second male spectacled warbler. Next was our first Stock Dove and one of the many Thekla larks we were to see. At the top of the scarp we turned south-west and almost immediately my wife saw a large bird flying low, left to right about 4-500 yards away. Stop the car, out with the bins, Golden Eagle in the bag. (My wife did the same thing in this area a couple of years ago, spotting a golden eagle as it took off only a hundred yards from the car – could be the same bird?)
A little further along the track and we came across a mixed flock of finches and three Turtle Doves that flew down from some wires into some of the rare bush-cover in the area. Further along we added Griffon Vulture and Chough to the list. Yet another marsh harrier passed by. Low scrub as we crossed back over the railway line on a bridge gave us Lesser Short-toed Lark. We carried on south, rejoining the main N11 road at a picnic area some 4km west of Candasnos at the same time as a Red Kite flew overhead.

We then headed west to the Laguna de la Playa to have our sandwiches for lunch in the wild hope that we might repeat an experience of last year.

(A brief aside about Dupont’s larks, which are as everyone knows, nocturnal and crepuscular. Further north from Candasnos there is another cami rural, of which more later. Following the experience of 2005 (when we heard a Dupont’s from the nearby roadside north of Candasnos), we had taken this track in 2006 and after half a km stopped to scan the fields for bustards or sandgrouse. As I got out of the car I heard another Dupont’s lark singing from the bank just above us! Two in the middle of the day in consecutive years only a mile apart!

It was to get better. I returned to the same spot a couple of days later to hear another burst of song and I looked up to see a Dupont’s lark bounce overhead before dropping onto the top if the bank and scurrying away to dissolve into a clump of thyme as I watched through my bins. At last I could tick it.

Not finished yet. The next day we came up through Caspe into Los Monegros and went cross country to a place that was just along the road from Laguna de la Playa. We stopped at the ruin at the west end of the dried up lake to eat lunch and I got out of the car to kick some scrub next to the old Salinas below. As I walked across the hard lake bed I was amazed to see twenty yards in front of me a second Dupont’s lark giving a workable impression of a clockwork mouse as it scurried across the lake bed, running to take cover in the scrub I was approaching. Two in two days, in the middle of the day. As I said before not all the larks have read the books).

Brief aside over. This was the experience it would have been nice to repeat this trip. Of course it was not to be. For the first time there was actually some water in the lake, albeit only in a few small pools. These had attracted about a dozen greenshank, which were about the only birds on offer, other than a Southern Grey Shrike.

After our lunch we tracked back to Candasnos, went north again and checked the pool just past the railway, where a Little Ringed Plover strutted its stuff. We carried on, turning right onto the second cami rural beyond the railway – a road I have come to love after a great couple of days birding along it last year. We stopped at the spot where I’d seen my first Dupont’s lark in 2006 more in hope than expectation to hear nothing – except the bubbling call of five Black-bellied Sandgrouse as they flew off over a barley field to the south. Beyond this the road turns south and down, passing beneath the railway again, where I got out to scan the area. I could hear the calls of another group of black-bellied sandgrouse behind a low raised field edge behind me so I drove a way up a track heading west in the hope of getting a view of them, discovering in the process a new patch of good looking scrub habitat that I hadn’t known about. Here two Stone Curlews and a Northern Wheatear were added to the list. Coming back down I stopped to look for the sandgrouse, but my attention was taken by the most curious spectacle, a giant white feather duster was traveling through the air 40 feet up, across the track before us, propelled by a wholly artificial looking wingbeat. Nothing in nature flies like that. The black head at the front looked like it had been put on by an amateur also, altogether un-natural. It flew on for a couple of hundred yards where it dropped to land in the edge of a barley field, where only the black artificial head showed before it melted into the grass. Somebody was having a laugh. It couldn’t be a Little Bustard, because little bustards don’t exist except in myth.

While the shock of finally seeing one of the little b’s was still sinking in the group of 4 sandgrouse I’d actually been looking for broke cover and headed off in the same direction as the myth. “Whey ye bugger!” as we say in these parts.

On we went along the cami, which I found out last year eventually comes out at Ballobar.
A group of sparrows by the roadside turned out to be a mix of house sparrows and Rock Sparrows. A Short-toed Eagle sat on a rock long enough for me to get a few photos while it preened. I bided my time and got a final shot just as it took off towards me. A Little Owl watched us pass from one of the many ruined farm buildings that litter the area. Last year it seemed as if every ruin had a little owl (except one that served as a perch for two rollers). This year we only saw one. A great spotted cuckoo took a dust bath on the ground next to the track ahead, but it departed when I thought that it might make a good subject for a photo or two. I drove on slowly past low barley with the car windows open, despite complaints from the passenger seat about the cold and I was rewarded as we passed a patch of herbs about the size of a tennis court. From a distance so close it sounded as if the bird were sitting on the wing mirror, the loud, drawn out “ tree-weeuuih” (as Collins has it) of the second phrase of a Dupont’s Lark call. I stopped the car. It couldn’t be dawn, nor dusk. No it was precisely 2.14 pm. Although the area of herbs was so small three-quarters of an hour of searching did not reveal the bird, although at intervals there were further snippets of song – just phrases, never the full song, unlike when I’d heard it on the other occasions. I’d already had views of one last year, so this time, unlike in 2005 I was happy to tick the song. This tiny patch of habitat amongst the barley illustrates what a great place for birds this area is. As well as the invisible Dupont’s lark it held highly visible lesser short-toed larks, Thekla larks, Calandra larks and corn buntings.

The Dupont was still calling when I popped back an hour and three-quarters later.

Onward towards Ballobar without any new birds until we came down off the plateau past a bee-eater colony into the river valley west of the village. Here we saw Sparrowhawk, and doubling back along the dried river Blue Rock Thrush, but no sign of black wheatear.

Time to go home, but on the way out of Ballobar it was interesting to see that the garage workshop that stood beneath the cliff at the edge of the village was now only partly standing under the cliff, a large part of which had come down through the roof. A van stood in the garage with a rock as big as itself rearranging its upper profile.

Passing Garcia on the way back a Hobby flew along the river next to the road as we passed.

Total species so far – 120. Lifers 1.


Day 5. Wednesday 2nd May 2007.
Weather. Fine, 25 deg.


Ebro Delta, South side

My wife declared a girl’s day off to spend sunbathing on the terrace and pottering around the shops, so I set off early alone for the delta, arriving at Riet Vell hide by 9am, still hoping for a show by the little crakes. After the chill and cloud of the day before, today was beautiful, clear and calm (wind got up in the afternoon). The water was like a mirror and the only sounds were the calls of the birds. Bliss.

The birds were much as they had been on Sunday, save that the pratincoles were now hawking over the water, swooping in front of the hide. A squacco heron rested on a pole and two glossy ibises wandered about almost within spitting distance of the hide. New birds were Shoveler and a pair of Little Bittern that flopped into the reeds 50 yards away. A cuckoo moved around for an hour or so, adding its own bit to the proceedings. Three hours of peace later, I reluctantly gave up on the crakes for the time being and moved off.

The trip along the north side of El Clot produced a Reed Bunting, but the tower hide there wasn’t available for a stop today because of two van-loads of workmen. The tower between El Clot and L’Encanyissada added a Reed Warbler, while the reeling of a Savi’s warbler was audible over the sound of water running through the sluice. The defunct salt pans on the south side of the road past La Tancada held Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stints, Ringed Plover and Dunlin. A stop at the big white shed to scan the tern roost on the main lake gave Sandwich Tern, little tern, and towering over the sandwich terns, not to mention the little terns were four more Caspian terns.

Next I took to the beach, having an entertaining ten minute’s drive on the hard-packed sand road along the spit towards Punta de la Banya, collecting more slender-billed gulls and Kentish Plover on the way. A mile walk from the car park along the beach brought me to the fence beyond which none may pass and the substantial wood tower hide that overlooks the breeding colonies on the salinas. Here were Sanderling, Oystercatcher, Common Tern, Avocet, Shelduck, hundreds of flamingos, Audouins gulls, slender-billed gulls and out at sea a Balearic Shearwater passed by.

Passing north past La Tancada’s eastern side produced another great white egret and the reddest (or orangest – take your pick) greater flamingo I’ve ever seen. As I scanned the lake I overlooked the bird for a moment, thinking it was a discarded traffic cone or other debris on the opposite bank.

I then set off for the Illa de Buda, collecting a small flock of wagtails on the way, Blue-headed Wagtails of the Iberian race with an Ashy-headed Wagtail. This was only the second ashy-head I’ve seen, the first being on the Northumberland coast over 20 years ago. A Green Sandpiper flew up from a roadside ditch. The tower at Illa de Buda added 3 Spoonbill. Home for dinner.

Species so far, 139 (140 if you count the Ashy headed wagtail).


Day 6. Thursday, 3rd May 2007.
Weather. Dull am, 15 deg. Wet pm, 10deg

South along the Ebro to Els Ports and beyond

After a brief spell of summer yesterday, winter returned today we set off on what was initially intended to be a shortish trip, but a bit of optimistic map reading extended it into the northern tip of Valencia. I had intended to go to Els Ports de Beceite, but in the event I got diverted on the plain beneath the mountains and eventually headed off to the neighbouring Els Ports – Maestrat over the border in Valencia.

We started off with a short trip along the river from Mora to the imposing Knights Templar castle at Miravet. Two years ago the castle wall above the car-park held a breeding colony of rock sparrows, last year I saw none. Today there was one on the wall overlooking the bend in the river during our brief visit. We also had out first Crag Martin of the trip. We pressed on over the back road, joining the main road at Benifallet and following it to Roquetes, where we turned west to head towards Mont Caro in the Els Ports de Beceite. On the way the road crosses a concrete storm intercept channel shown on the maps as the Canal de Xerta (although in reality it comes to an end just south-west of Xerta). A road runs alongside this canal (that contains no water) and crosses several dry stream valleys on the back of the aqueducts built to carry the drain. The groves alongside the canal gave us Cirl Bunting, Chaffinch, Orphean Warbler, woodchat shrike and Thekla lark. The gathering cloud around the tops made it a waste of time to press on back to Mont Caro, so we kept going south towards the El Maestrat mountains west of the village of Cati. Doing so moved us into an area that I hadn’t visited before and also into an area of rain where the temperature plunged from the dizzy high of 15 that we had enjoyed at 10am to 10 degrees by mid afternoon. Despite this we picked up a few new birds. Stonechat* near Anroig, and on the northern outskirts of Cati a pair of Montagu’s Harriers flying together. We followed the road up from Cati to where it ended in the village of L’Avella., gathering views of Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit and another male Monty on the way. By now the rain was becoming persistent, but in the hope that it would pass over we went through Cati and headed uphill for Tirig and over to Sant Mateu. The rain didn’t pass until after we had, but nevertheless this bit of road got us two more buzzards, a couple of ravens and a pair of Goshawk. Near Sant Mateu I went along a track in open wood, but saw nothing more than a Sardinian warbler, a host of the ubiquitous serins and female Monty that was showing no sign of a ringtail, presumably because it was too sodden from the constant rain. Home for dinner to find that back in Catalonia north of the delta the sun was shining.

* I don’t know what it is with Stonechats in this part of Spain. Down in Andalucia they are perching on every available bush, but up here they are few and far between.

Species so far, 148

[Barred Wobbler]

Day 7. Friday, 4th May 2007.
Weather. Generally fine, temperature variable, depending on location.

A Pyrenean break

I’d decided before we left the UK that I’d try a bit harder in the Pyrenees this year. Day trips on our last two visits had brought Alpine chough and lammergeier from the closest part of the mountains to our base, the beautiful mountains and lakes of Parc National d’Aiguestortes I Estany de Sant Maurici. On our last trip black woodpecker had been tantalisingly close, with milk-carton sized holes in pine trees by the paths, but no sign of the birds. More time was needed and I’d decided to book a night in the mountains to spread the opportunities. Black woodpecker and citril finch (another mythical bird, said to haunt picnic sites, only visible to virgins at the time of the new moon) were the target species, but when I heard that wallcreepers had again been seen at Infierno I moved my sights further east and decided to go to the area around Jaca for our mission. Mentioning this to a friend he said that he was going to be in Jaca for a few nights at about the time of our visit with some other Northumbrian birders, arriving Thursday, so I plumped for a Friday visit so we could perhaps compare notes over a pint. Jaca was significantly further away from our base at three and a half hours, plus time to reach Hecho, emphasising the need for an overnight stay. With hindsight I wish we’d stayed another night.

I pre-booked a room from home at the Hotel Real in Jaca. A double room with television in what turned out to be a clean, modern comfortable hotel cost 55 euros.

Jaca was not at all what I expected. I had visions of an Aviemore-style place, with 60s flat roofs and arcade machines – nothing like it. It’s a beautiful mediaeval town of picturesque narrow streets, although the outskirts have a bit of modern ugliness. The impression was strengthened as we drove through the town late morning. The place was full of men on foot and on horse clad in leather armour and carrying various weaponry, from blunderbusses to battleaxes. The women and children were all dressed in colourful flowing dresses and tunics. We had landed in the middle of a feria, where they celebrate the first Friday in May each year by dressing up, having tournies and mediaeval fairs, closing most of the businesses and filling the bars.

The weather forecast on the Spanish television the night before hadn’t been too promising, advertising some sun with showers and more rain en las montañas del norte. Friday, however dawned clear and sunny, but cool as we made our preparations and hit the road at half past seven. It stayed clear on the journey north apart from a few fog patches north of Lleida.

We made good progress and I was keen to keep going, despite the presence of a pressure build-up in the front pelvic region as we passed Huesca. I hoped to make it in one, but after about three and a quarter hours and with Jaca tantalisingly close at only 7km it became clear that a pit-stop was required now. I pulled off on a side road and took advantage of the first available quiet spot. Relief flowed and my ears began to take in the sounds of the rolling foothills. One bird song in particular stood out. It was close and its structure told me it was likely to be a bunting, but it was unfamiliar. Up came the zip and back to the car for the bins. There only thirty yards away, singing his heart out in the top of a bush was a male Ortolan, a species that had up to now eluded me. The second lifer of the trip made my relief -stop even more of a pleasure.

Encouraged by this we went on through Jaca and west to the Hecho valley, seeing more griffon vultures (including a group of 40), black kites, ravens and crag martins as we went. Just north of the turn-off to Hecho I stopped to look at a feeding flock of 100 Alpine Swifts with two pale Booted Eagles soaring over them. The short trip between Hecho and Siresa gave us four Egyptian Vultures low over the road. We arrived at the pull-in just before the pass at Infierno at about noon to find another English couple already there. The weather here was a bit difficult to say the least. Although it was fair so far the sun had gone behind heavy clouds that tumbled around the tops, the temperature was down to only 10 degrees and the moderate wind coming down the valley was concentrated by the high-sided pass to gale force They had seen no sign of wallcreeper so far, but as we talked a Great-Spotted Woodpecker flew over us into a tree and a sparrowhawk glided over the woods. A Dutch couple passed by from further up the valley to say that they had no sign of wallcreeper when they were her earlier. After a while the other couple moved on up the valley and I took up a lonely chilly vigil beneath the overhang before the tunnel, where the shape of the cliff provided a slight respite from the wind. My wife sensibly sat in the car and read her book. Two red kites passing over in close formation were the only other living things in sight from the confines of the gorge. After about an hour and a half I decided to cut my losses and head back to San Juan de la Peña to try for black woodpecker. The English couple had heard them there but hadn’t seen any.

Stops on the road winding up to the monasteries produced a few tits and finches, with griffon vultures following the ridge. We added Chiffchaff and Nuthatch to the trip list. As we approached the new monastery I wondered how best to approach the hunt for woodpeckers. Should I wander through the woods, using ears and eyes, or take up a vantage point and hope to see one in flight over the trees below. I pulled up in the car-park and as I reached into the back seat of the car for my gear my dilemma was solved. From close behind I heard a squawk and turned to see what appeared to be two jackdaws stick themselves onto a tree about 30 yards away. Problem over, Black Woodpecker in the bag and my second lifer of the day.

Unlike in the Infierno gorge the weather was beautiful here and we had great views across to the snowcaps of the high Pyrenees. We also had views of the black storm clouds on the far side of the mountains that the local news on the television back at the hotel was to tell us brought severe flooding to towns and villages in neighbouring Navarres over the mountains, with houses flooded to head height and the streets washed away as huge concrete slabs were dislodged. Despite the sunshine where we were it appears that the weather forecast had been right after all.

We however strolled through the woods in breathless wonder. (The breathlessness was a function of the altitude, although those of a more poetic nature may have still been breathless despite this). The woods produced Robin, Short-toed Treecreeper, Crested Tit, two unexpected Woodcock and Western Bonelli’s Warbler for the list, but sadly no citril finch. Perhaps this was due to a shortage of virgins combined with the wrong phase of the moon which, having just passed full was nowhere near new. No news is good news as they say– more incentive to come back next year.

The afternoon was growing old, so we headed back to Jaca, taking the scenic route and looked for our hotel which turned out to be better than I’d anticipated – very nice. They even had energy saving lights in the corridors. It was strange walking along to our room with lights switching themselves on as we approached as if by magic, but actually by the action of motion-sensing switches. My efforts to contact the other birders came temporarily to nought, hindered slightly by the fact that Andy had left his phone in the UK. We had a walk around the town, taking in the beauty of the old architecture and the mood of the mediaeval revellers as they made their merry way between bars, accompanied by the explosions of the bangers so beloved of Spanish children at times of celebration.

After leaving a note at the others’ hotel to say we’d arrived we went to find something to eat and after passing a few restaurants we chose one to enter. Walking in we found that the only other customers so far were our quarry who were in the process of ordering their meal. I ordered the entrecote. It was grilled over an open fire in the restaurant itself, as were other similar meals and it was huge. It must have been at least two inches thick and a pound and a half in weight. Families sit down to less for Sunday dinner. It was also delicious, as was my wife’s duck. The restaurant filled, drink flowed and a great time was had by all.

I didn’t know how to take the news that the others had seen a wallcreeper at Infierno at 9am. On the one hand I’d dipped by three hours, but on the other it at least confirmed the presence of the birds, which had been absent for several years until last year.

An early start was called for in the morning, but in the meantime eat, drink and be merry.

Day over. Species so far, 161 (3 lifers total)


Day 8. Saturday 5th May 2007.
Weather. Bleak!

The wallcreeper hunt was on! Out of the hotel and on the road by 7.00, stopping only on the roadside between Hecho and Siresa to fight the wind that threatened to make the photography of a group of Egyptian vultures in a cow pasture next to the road impossible. I got a few photos despite the gale, and just in time, because as I packed up my gear a shotgun discharged as a man who came out of a farmhouse in the field let fly. Whether the gun was fired at the vulture flying low overhead (I doubt it, he couldn’t have missed), or at one of the half dozen birds in the field, or simply a shot to scare them off, I don’t know and wouldn’t speculate. Strange behaviour though.

On to the gorge, where the gale force wind still tore through the gap, but this time with the addition of showers and a temperature that struggled to reach 8 degrees. Spain in May. I gave it from 8am to 10.30 without seeing anything other than a black redstart, but over the roar of the rapids I could hear snatches of song that sounded like rock thrush. Eventually it was time to give up and look up the valley to see if we could find any sign of the breeding-plumage water pipits that the others had seen the previous day.

As we came out of the short tunnel and the valley opened out the wind-speed decreased from almost intolerable to merely unpleasant and as we travelled on towards the dead-end just short of the French border the temperature plunged from the relatively balmy heights of 8 degrees to a jaw-aching 4. It also began to rain properly. The river banks produced Dipper and Grey Wagtail, but no water pipits. A flock of about 200 Alpine Chough worked their way over the meadows and as I watched them through my binoculars, wondering if they would get close enough for photos a pair of Rock Thrush engaged in a tail-chase flashed into view as they flitted between the boulders and bushes. Further up the valley Yellowhammers sang from the bushes Black redstarts were all over the place and a dunnock-like bird on the pasture turned out to be nothing more than a Dunnock. The rain had stopped by now and there was even a threat that the clouds might clear. On the way back down the valley the Alpine chough had got close enough for me to grab a few wind-affected photographs and an opportunity which I jumped at to lose my only shutter release cable as I packed my stuff away.

We went back to the gorge for lunch and gave it another go for the wallcreeper. No luck. Imagine my delight to get a text a few days later from Andy (by now back in the UK) asking if I’d seen it on Saturday, because not content with gripping me off at having seen it on Friday, they went back on Sunday morning and got it again!

We drove down to Hecho and travelled across to the Anso Valley before leaving the mountains. Travelling a short distance up the valley gave up a collection of raptors, black kite, red kite, short-toed eagle, griffon vulture, our only Lammergeier and an all-too brief glimpse of a falcon that didn’t give me enough to be sure of peregrine, a bird that we somehow managed to avoid for the duration of the trip.


Back to Mora in glorious weather, the temperature climbing from 4 degrees at the head of the valley to 8 at Hecho, 14 at Jaca and 22 from Heusca onwards. The wallcreeper and citril finch will have to wait for another time, when the moon is new and there is an ample supply of virgins.

Birds so far – 168.

[Barred Wobbler]

Day 9. Sunday, 6th May 2007.
Weather. Summer’s here. Fine, but breezy. 17 degrees am, 25 degrees pm

Estepas de Lleida.

Another solo trip, this time to the steppes south-east of Lleida, an area of mixed fruit and olive groves, cereal fields and pockets of natural steppe habitat just over an hour’s drive north from Mora.

I turned off the main road for the village of Torrebesses, and bypassing it, turned left onto a track that passes a large agricultural shed and leads north cross-country to Alcano. This track has produced some good birds for me in previous visits. Today there were Thekla lark, lesser kestrel, black-eared wheatear and southern grey shrike almost straight away, but when I travelled up the gentle slope to where the olive groves gave way to a patch of natural habitat where I would expect lesser short-toed lark, I found instead a Caterpillar 360 degree backhoe excavator, articulated dumptrucks and a roller that were parked up for the weekend from their task of transforming the herb-covered lark habitat into what appears to be a water storage reservoir about a hundred yards or so in diameter and about twenty feet deep. A trench six feet wide and ten feet deep was being cut into the limestone, leading off northwards in the direction of Lleida and sections of large diameter pipe stood ready to be laid in it. Such is progress.

I drove on, eventually reaching the road on the outskirts on Alcano and after stopping to have a look and listen for the green woodpecker (or one of its friends or relations – I’m not fussy) that I saw here a couple of years ago to no avail, I headed to El Cogul, where I hoped to fine black wheatear. The map, like many maps of Spain is slightly inaccurate. It shows a road running from the centre of the village eastward along the River Set. In fact you leave the village and turn east only after crossing the river bridge – a minor but important point. The road soon goes from tarmac to limestone, but is wide and in good condition. After a couple of km I stopped and scanned the boulder cliff I already knew that runs alongside the road, and sure enough, there he was, patrolling the crest and the tops of the boulders, a smart male Black Wheatear. A very pale short-toed eagle loitered in the area and further on golden oriole and a Melodious Warbler sang from the tops of the trees and in the case of the warbler, a prominent perch high in a bush. A little further on, just before the track came out onto the L’Albages – Castelldans road a surprise swooped into view above the reed-lined dry river. A Red-rumped Swallow. I also became aware that the large flock of starlings feeding on the roadside and in the grass and bushes had a familiar sound. They were not the expected and by now invisible to me spotless starlings, but our own Common Starling, an altogether more unexpected bird in Spain in summer. I really must pay more attention in future before dismissing birds out of hand.

On reaching the main road I turned north towards Castelldans, but before I reached that village I turned off left on a road which leads to the village of Aspa. Once more the map was at fault, because on the map no such road exists. Two years ago it was a broad, smooth limestone road. Last year it was having some work done on it. This year it is tarmac throughout – another indication of the gradual change that is occurring in the steppe. After a short distance I noticed a limestone road leading off to the right, and following my nose and the adage that it does no harm to be nosy in these places when investigating tracks I went along it. It swung away further and ran along the base of a superb scrub-covered slope for a good distance. It came eventually to a farmstead, at which point I turned and went back. I didn’t find any of the hoped-for sandgrouse, but that’s not to say they weren’t there. I did have lesser kestrel, short-toed eagle and a superb display of aerobatics by a pair of hobbies as they came across the crest and swooped and climbed in front of me as they crossed the road and headed off south.

Next I headed to Alcano via El Cogul (still no green woodpecker) and went straight through the village, taking a road that on the map runs to a crossroads at the C230 to run on to Sarroca de Lleida. This is almost true, but the crossroads bit is misleading.

On the outskirts of the village the tarmac gives way to limestone and the road runs between olive and almond groves which at this time of year stand in a blanket of poppies and other wild flowers. The track was also intersected by the same trench I’d seen further south earlier with its collection of water pipes awaiting placement. The only bird of note at first was a great spotted cuckoo, but things were to change. As I went along between two groves of almond trees a bird walked casually out of the long grass on the left hand side of the road and sauntered along the centre of the road 20 yards in front of my slowly moving car, before going into the grass on the right hand side and stopping as I stopped the car.

I could hardly believe it. There in front of me stood another male little bustard. As I set my video camera rolling the black neck gradually sank into the grass and as I stepped out it took off over the almond trees, allowing me to get tape of its strange flight action.

Bustards! They’re just like buses. You wait years for one, then two come along in a matter of days.

A hundred yard further on the groves gave way to a small field of short green barley that stretched on either side of the track. I remembered that last year I saw a marsh harrier hunting here. The thought wasn’t out of my mind when I looked off to the right and déjà vu struck in the form of an adult male marsh harrier hunting the field before being shown off the premises by a magpie. Another couple of hundred yards and the track swung through 90 degrees north to intersect the C230 (this is where it confuses the map). It is also where I came across a pair of adult Rollers swooping onto a field of flattened vegetation as they hunted.

I crossed the C230 to Saccora, but only by travelling a quarter of a mile south to the real junction, and went on to Embalse de Utrexa. The lake was quiet. A few purple herons, terns, woodchat shrike, marsh harriers, stock doves and great reed warblers were the only things of note, until I was almost back at Saccora and another pair of hobbies put on an amazing performance as they harassed a flock of swallows.

Following the bus-like example of the little bustard, my first red-rumped swallow from this area was followed by two more that crossed the road in front of the car as I headed south towards Flix.

Species so far – 173 – getting close to last year’s total of 174 for the fortnight already.



Day 10. Monday, 7th May 2007.
Weather. Summer’s here to stay Fine, 25.

A day off from the birding and we went on a train ride to Barcelona to pound the pavements of the city. Barcelona’s about 90or a hundred miles by rail from Mora, a two and a quarter hour trip on clean, modern electric trains. The price? 17 euros each, return.

Birds were necessarily limited. Turtle dove in the suburbs and monk parakeet screeching around the city centre.

We toured the streets taking in the sights and eventually I spotted something that may be of real use. A photography shop, where I was able to buy their only shutter release cable for 5 euros, replacing the one that I’d lost in the Hecho Valley, which had been sorely missed when I was trying to digiscope birds the day before. Up to Placa de Catalunya, down La Rambla, across to Avinguda del Paral-lel where we had a (not remarkable) Chinese meal. Up to the top of Montjuic, where the Joan Miro museum was closed, back down the hill and through the Old Town to where the Picasso museum was also closed (something about it being a Monday), so we had an ice cream and wandered down to the harbour.

Some of the yachts there had to be seen to be believed. I looked a couple up on the internet when I got home. One modern beauty, the Floridian is available for hire or charter, crewed, for the bargain sum of $400,000…….a week. Another, the Talitha, an altogether more elegant boat with proper masts and twin funnels, built in 1929 by Krupp, but refurbished with a deck-top Jacuzzi among other attractions is available for the altogether more reasonable rate of only $350,000.

I’m thinking about it for next summer.


Day 11, Tuesday 8th May 2007.
Weather. Summer’s still here. Fine, 25.

A policy decision was taken to change the pace of the holiday for the last few days. Summer was here at last, a spot of relaxation was called for and a look at the list so far and the opportunities available showed that the law of diminishing returns was about to kick in. Since we’d already had most of the steppe birds, for instance it wasn’t worth the trail to Belchite (which I’d thought of going to on the way back from the Pyrenees had there been time on Saturday, which there wasn’t) just for pin-tailed sandgrouse. My wife wanted to go around the shops looking for shoes and I still had a tiny glimmer of hope for the little crakes, so once more we went our separate ways as I set out for the delta for one last try. After today it would be birds in the morning and off to the beach in the afternoon.

I spent another pleasant couple of crakeless hours or so at Riet Vell and looked around the south side of the delta before finishing off on the north side at Canal Vell in the late afternoon after a spell catching the sun on an empty beach on the south shore. La Tancada produced the only new bird of the morning – a beautiful breeding plumage Grey Plover, while Canal Vell had a small group of Meadow Pipits for the afternoon contribution..

The delta had a very different look from that of the previous Wednesday when I was here. The opening of the sluices had taken effect and most of the rice fields were a sea of water, but there hadn’t been time yet for the insects to take advantage of the change and the terns that fed on them were still staying away in great numbers.

Species so far – 175, beating last year.

[Barred Wobbler]

Day 12, Wednesday 9th May 2007.
Weather. Fine & hot. 29 – 32 degrees in the afternoon.

We initially intended to stay local this morning, with another look at the park in Mora to try to get some pictures of the penduline tits at reasonable range, but this failed. They were either too close or miles away. This was followed by another run up to Garcia station 3 miles or so upstream. We then made the short trip to Flix looking for kingfishers from the first hide, but only great reed warblers were there.

I slipped into plan B and decided to go back to the Alcano/Saccora/El Cogul area to try using my new release cable to capture some of the photos I’d failed to get on Sunday when I was having to fire the camera by hand, using a 20x eyepiece to minimise shake with only limited success. I managed some better shots of the black wheatear and a short-toed eagle that obligingly sat on a rock close to the road. Passing back along the track west of Alcano, it was clear that the absolute peace of Sunday was not to be repeated. On a working day farmers were occasionally using the road with their tractors and workmen from the pipe-laying operation at the trench passed by in vans and pick-ups. The rollers were still there, this time joined by two more, juveniles, making four in total. As if in acknowledgement of the fact that I was once again fully equipped they obstinately stayed up-sun and backlit when in range and on the occasions that I saw a well-lit bird close enough for photos, it would make off from the power-line perch as soon as the camera came out.

The beach beckoned and we travelled down to the coast and basked in the afternoon heat until hunger told us it was time for dinner. No new birds for the day.



Day 13, Thurdsay 10th May 2007.
Weather. Fine & hot. 31 degrees in the afternoon

A beautiful clear and calm morning told me it was a good time to have a look at Els Ports again, this time taking the road to the radio transmitters at the top of Mont Caro The view when we got there was stunning and the conditions were perfect, windless and 20 degrees even at the summit, 4,640 feet up. No ibex on the roadside this time as there had been the first time I came up here into cloud in 2005, but a red squirrel scampered away from the car as we passed. Woodchat shrike on the lower part of the climb, griffon vulture overhead and perching on the crags and in the pine forest we saw Bonelli’s warbler, Firecrest and Coal Tit. Rock Buntings flicked between the trees, scrub and boulders on the way both up and down the mountain.

Back down to the beach after lunch.

Species so far – 178

Day 14, Friday 11th May 2007.
Weather. Fine & hot. 31 degrees in the afternoon

We set off to look at the small area around the Castellet de Bunyoles near Mora again, but nothing new came of it, followed by another trip along the Cami del Coll de Mola. This time I varied the route. As we reached the scrub area I turned off the main track, taking the track marked Pintures Rupestes. It was worth it. We climbed through scrub alive with Dartford warblers and subalpine warblers and the odd rock sparrow to an empty car-parking area where a sign told us that a footpath would take us after 10 minutes to the first set of caves and if we were up to it another 15 minutes climb would lead us to some prehistoric caves. The park led upward, overlooking a basin of unspoilt mountainside, warm, peaceful and windless (although the view east over the adjacent wind-farms told me that this would not always be the case. It would get windy). The first caves consisted of a narrow cleft that took me three or four yards in, and another fenced off and locked hole that looked as if it might be the entrance to a pothole. We decided that the climb up to the prehistoric caves could wait until another time and made our way back to the car.

On the way down I stopped to photograph a Dartford warbler that had chosen a group of small dead pine trees among the scrub next to the road as a singing post. At first it was perfectly posed, but as the camera came out it took up a new perch up-sun and it was an hour before I could get it down-sun for some final heat-affected but reasonably lit shots.

We then took the original track, where a scan of some trees revealed Long-tailed Tit and this time we ventured beyond the Torre del Fullola, where I usually turn, on the basis of a hunch that the road would “come out somewhere”. After a few more kilometres I confirmed this when I saw a couple of locals working on there olive trees next to the rambla that the track had entered. Taking a guess I asked if this was the road to L’Ampolla, and they confirmed that indeed it was. Hearted by the reply I’d hoped for I pressed on around the corner and spotted the last new bird of the trip, an adult Bonellis’ Eagle.

Species for the trip so far - As Tony Green on television would say, “One Hundred and Eigh-tee”

[Barred Wobbler]

Species List

1 Little Grebe, Tachybaptus ruficolus. All over the delta
2 Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus. On a few of the delta lagoons
3. Balearic Shearwater, Puffinus mauretanicus. A single bird passing Peninsula de la Banya
4. Cormorant, Phalcrocorax carbo. Odd birds at the delta
5. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus. A pair at Riet Vel.
6. Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax. Groups at various locations in the delta
7. Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis. Scattered
8. Squacco Heron, Aedeola ralliodes. Widespread in the delta, often at close range
9. Little Egret, Egretta garzetta. Common, especially near water.
10. Great White Egret, Egretta alba. Singles at several location on the delta. One group of four
11. Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea. Common at the delta and along the Ebro
12. Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea. Common at the delta and along the Ebro
13. White Stork, Ciconia ciconia. A small breeding colony at Flix, odd birds north of there in the Lleida area.
14. Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinallus. Scattered at various locations in the delta
15. Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia. Three at the south end of the channel at Illa de Buda, on the Delta
16. Greater Flamingo. Phoenicopterus ruber. Large numbers on the larger bodies of water at the delta
17. Shelduck, Tadoma tadoma. On the reserve area at Punta de la Banya
18. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos. Common and widespread, even in steppe areas,
19. Gadwall, Anas strepera. Common on the delta
20. Shoveler, Anas clypeata. Riet Vell and one or two other places
21. Red-crested Pochard, Netta rufina. Widespread on the delta
22. Lammergeier, Gypaetus barbatus. One near Anso
23. Griffon Vulture, Gyps fulvus. Els Ports, Los Monegros and Pyrenees
24. Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus. Hecho and Binies, west of jaca
25. Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, One, north-west of Candasnos
26. Short-toed Eagle, Circaetus gallicus. Widespread
27. Booted Eagle, Heiraaetus pennatus. Surprisingly only two were seen, Hecho Valley
28. Bonelli’s Eagle, Heiraetus fasciatus. Single birds in hills west of L’Ampolla
29. Red Kite, Milvus milvus. A single bird at Candasnos, numerous in the Pyrenees
30. Black Kite, Milvus migrans. Widespread and common
31. Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus. Common on the delta, but also on the steppes south of Lleida and at Los Monegros
32. Montagu’s Harrier, Circus pygargus. Only four birds near Cati and Sant Mateu. Normally to be seen elsewhere, such as Els Ports, Lleida and Los Monegros
33. Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo. Small numbers in several locations
34. Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus. Los Monegros and Hecho
35. Goshawk, Accipiter gentiles. Two over woods near Tirig
36. Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus. Common and widespread
37. Lesser Kestrel, Falco Naumanni. Widespread, but no flocks, only pairs were seen
38. Hobby, Falco subbuteo. A single bird over the river at Garcia and pairs near Castelldans and Saccoro
39. Red-legged Partridge. Alectoris rufa, Widespread in large numbers, particularly in Los Monegros
40. Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus. Common on water anywhere
41. Coot, Fulica atra. Widespread on any water body and in very large numbers at the Delta.
42. Red-knobbed (crested) Coot, Fulica cristata. A single bird with neck collar at El Garxal on the delta
43. Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio porphyrio. Common on the delta
44. Little Bustard, Tetrax, tetrax. Single males north of Candasnos and west of Alcano
45. Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus. One at Peninsular de la Banya
46. Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta. Present at several locations in the south of the delta
47. Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus. Common at water bodies
48. Stone Curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus. Pairs at Los Monegros
49. Collared Pratincole, Glareola pratincola. Small groups on the Delta, particularly at Riet Vell
50. Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius. Los Monegros and the delta
51. Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula, Small numbers on the delta
52. Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus. Small numbers on the delta
53. Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola . One at La Tancada on the delta
54. Sanderling, Calidris alba. The beach at la Banya on the delta
55. Dunlin, Calidris alpine. Small numbers near La tancada
56. Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea. Small flocks in the south of the delta
57. Little Stint, Calidris minuta. Small groups with curlew sandpipers
58. Wood Sandpiper. Tringa glareola. Odd birds on the delta
59. Green Sandpiper, Tringa ochropus. Odd birds at on the delta
60. Common Sandpiper, Tringa hypoleucos. Odd birds on the delta and occasionally elsewhere
61. Redshank. Tringa tetanus. Common at wetlands
62. Spotted Redshank, Tringa erypropus. Small numbers on the delta
63. Greenshank, Tringa nebularia. On the delta and at Laguna de la Playa.
64. Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola. Two flushed from woodland near San Juan de la Peña
65. Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus. Common and widespread
66. Slender-billed Gull, Larus genei. Common in the southern part of the delta in particular
67. Mediterranean Gull, Larus melanocephalus. One with Audouin’s gulls at Sant Carles de la Rapita
68. Yellow-legged Gull, Larus cachinnans. Common and widespread
69. Audouin’s Gull, Larus audouinii. Southern part of the delta
70. Little Tern, Sterna albifrons. Common at various parts of the delta
71. Sandwich Tern, Sterna sandvicensis. Delta beaches and La Tancada
72. Gull-billed tern, Sterna nilotica, Good numbers on the delta
73. Common Tern, Sterna hirundo. Small numbers at the delta
74. Caspian Tern, Sterna caspia. One at L’Ampolla, 4 more on tern roost at La Tancada
75. Black Tern, Childonias niger. Small numbers amongst the whiskered terns, but more localised
76. Whiskered Tern, Childonias hybridus. Common all over the delta
77. Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pterocles orientalis. Two groups of 5 & 4 north of Candasnos
78. Rock Dove, Columba livia. Feral pigeons common,
79 Stock Dove, Columba oenas. Los Monegros and Sarroca
80. Woodpigeon, Columba palumbus. Common in wooded areas
81. Collared Dove, Streptopelia decaocto, Common and widespread
82. Turtle Dove, Streptopelia turtur. Various locations with pine trees, Mora, Pyrenees, Los Monegros
83. Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus. Single birds at various locations
84. Great Spotted Cuckoo, Clamator glandarius. Several locations, especially near olive groves north of Flix & Los Monegros
85. Little Owl, Athene noctua. Perched on ruin, Los Monegros
86. Scops Owl, Otus scops. Anywhere after dusk
87. Red-necked Nightjar, Caprimulgus ruficollis. Mora riverside
88. Common Swift, Apus apus. As the name says, common
89. Alpine Swift, Apus melba. Flock of 100+ Hecho Valley, none elsewhere at places I’ve seen them before, such as Maials.
90. Hoopoe, Upupa epops. Flopping about all over the place
91. Bee-eater, Merops apiaster. Almost anywhere
92. Roller, Coracias garrulous. 4 between Alcano & Sarroca
93. Monk Parakeet, Myopsitta monachus. Mora & Barcelona city centre
94. Black Woodpecker, Dryocopus martius. Near the new monastery, San Juan de la Peña
95. Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopus major. One at Infierno gorge
96. Wryneck, Jynx torqilla. Mora, Flix & elsewhere
97. Crested Lark, Galerida cristata. Common and widespread
98. Thekla Lark, Galerida theklae. Common at higher levels, Los Monegros etc
99. Woodlark, Lullula arborea. Castellet de Banyoles
100. Short-toed Lark. Calendella brachydactyla. One near Cati
101. Lesser Short-toed Lark, Calanrella rufescens. Los Monegros & Steppes south east of Lleida.
102. Calandra Lark, Melanocorypha calandra. Los Monegros
103. Duponts Lark, Chersophilus duponti. One calling at exceedingly close range, Los Monegros.
104. Sand Martin, Ripatia riparia. Common, especially ar El Garxal
105. Crag Martin, Ptyonopregne rupestris. Present sporadically in smaller numbers than expected.
106. Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica. Widespread
107. Red-rumped Swallow, Hirundo daurica. One east of El Cogul, two more north of Flix
108. House Martin, Delichon urbica. Common, especially at eye level in front of our apartment
109 Tawny Pipit, Anthus campestris. Fields above Cati
110. Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis. Canal Vell, Ebro Delta
111. White Wagtail, Motacilla alba. Widespread and common, particularly near water
112. Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava. Mainly birds of iberiae race with one cinereocapilla (ashy-headed), south side of the delta
113. Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea. Hecho Valley
114. Dipper Cinclus cinclus, Hecho Valley
115. Dunnock, Prunella modularis. Hecho Valley
116. Robin, Erithacus rubecula. San Juan de la Peña
117. Nightingale, Luscinia megarhynchos. Singing 24 hours a day anywhere there was room to perch
118. Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Riet Vell & Eucaliptus
119. Black Redstart,Phoenicurus ochruros. Common and widespread in Pyreness, single birds elsewhere such as Canal Vell, Ebro Delta.
120. Wheatear. Oenanthe oenanthe. Los Monegros and Peninsula de la Banya, Ebro delta
121. Black-eared Wheatear. Oenanthe hispanica. Bird of both black-throated and pale throated forms widespread in suitable habitat.
122. Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, One male east of El Cogul
123. Stonechat, Saxicola torquata. In contrast to the south of Spain, surprisingly few and far between.
124. Blue Rock Thrush, Monticola solitarius. Los Monegros, near Ballobar & Pyrenees
125. Rock Thrush, Monticola saxatilis A pair in the Hecho Valley, another singing at Infierno Gorge
126. Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos. Mora
127. Mistle Thrush, Turdus viscivorous. River Ebro fruit groves and woods
128. Blackbird, Turdus Merula. Common and widespread
129. Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla. Common and widespread.
130. Orphean Warbler, Sylvia hortensis, In overgrown olive grove, Canal de Xerta
131. Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala. Common and likely to be encountered in any area of scrub
132. Spectacled Warbler, Sylvia conspicillata. Two males, one displaying over a road north of Candasnos
133. Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia canillans. Common in scrubland along the Cami del Col de La Mola
134. Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata. Common in scrubland along the Cami del Col de La Mola
135. Zitting Cisticola, Cisticola juncidis. Common and widespread in suitable habitat
136. Savi’s Warbler, Locustella luscinioides. Flix reedbeds & south side of the delta (el Clot).
137. Cetti’s Warbler, Cettia cetti. Common and widespread in suitable habitat
138. Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus. Reedbeds south side of delta (el Clot)
139. Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus. Reedbeds fringing lake or river.
140. Melodious Warbler, Hippolais polyglotta. Singing from trees east of El Cogul
141. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus. Mainly in reeds at the delta
142. Bonelli’s Warbler, Phyloscopus bonelli. In pine woods, notably at San Juan de la Peña and the Hecho valley
143. Common Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita. Common and calling.
144. Firecrest, Regulus ignicapillus. Els Ports de Beceite
145. Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata. Riet Vell
146. Pied Flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca. Riet Vell
147. Great Tit, Parus major. Common in woodland
148. Coal Tit, Parus ater. Els Ports de Beceite.
149. Blue Tit, Parus caerleus. Common in woodland
150. Crested Tit, Parus cristatus. San Juan de la Peña
151. Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus. Woodland on the Cami del Coll de la Mola
152. Peduline Tit, Remiz pendulinus. Riverside park, Mora
153. Nuthatch, Sitta europaea. San Juan de la Peña
154. Short-toed Treecreeper, Certhia brachydactylata. San Juan de la Peña
155. Woodchat Shrike, Lanius senator. Common and widespread
156. Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius meridionalis. Only a handful of birds, mainly north of Flix
157. Magpie, Pica pica. In contrast to the south of Spain, common and widespread
158. Jay, Garrulus glandarius. Common wherever there are holm oaks
159. Jackdaw, Corvus monedula. Common
160. Red-billed Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. Common but localised, not only in mountains, also steppes such as Los Monegros and the area north of Flix
161. Alpine Chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus. 200+ in a feeding flock in the Hecho Valley
162. Carrion Crow, Corvix corone corone. likely to be encountered anywhere, but not particularly common.
163. Raven, Corvus Corax. Widespread.
164. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris. A feeding flock near L’Albages
165. Spotless Starling. Sturnus unicolor. Everywhere
166. Golden Oriole, Oriolus oriolus. Common, calling from trees all over
167. House Sparrow. Passer domesticus. Everywhere
168. Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus. Common on the delta
169. Rock Sparrow, Petronia petronia. Los Monegros and Cami del Coll de la Mola
170. Chaffinch. Fringilla coelebs. Common in woodland
171. Linnet. Carduelis cannabina. Common
172. Goldfinch. Carduelis carduelis. Turning up all over the place
173. Greenfinch. Carduelis chloris. Common where there were trees and bushes
174. Serin. Serinus serinus. Common everywhere
175. Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus. El Clot (delta)
176. Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana. Singing male near Jaca
177. Yellowhammer, Emberiza citronella. Several in the higher parts of the Hecho Valley
178. Cirl Bunting. Emberiza cirlus. Canal de Xerta
179. Corn Bunting. Miliaria clandra. Anywhere where there was somewhere for one to sit, one would be there singing.
180. Rock Bunting, Emberiza cia. Mont Caro


Total Species for trip: 180 (plus ashy-headed wagtail as an extra)
Three lifers – Little Bustard, Ortolan Bunting and Black Woodpecker.

[Alf King]

Good report Alan. I've not been to this part of Spain but your report has now got me thinking I should.

[Barred Wobbler]

Thanks Alf. I'd recommend it. Birding aside, it's a lovely area and we felt comfortable and at home everywhere we went.
The birds are great too, but you often have to work for them, particularly the steppe species.

[teamsaint]

nice report alan

[Iben]

Hi Alan

Now I've finally had the time to read your report from start to finish, and I really enjoyed it. Lots of good information, and of course lots of good birds Are you aware how rare it is to see Lesser Kestrel in the Ebro Delta? You only mention them briefly, like you see them here all the time, but I think there must be less than 5 records in total...!

By the way, the first two weeks of May seemed to be the time for all the mythical birds to give up their hiding places, because in Andalucia I finally managed to see the Marbled Duck after years of searching. Until then the key for anyone to find this bird had been simply not to bring me along, but this year they just suddenly appeared right in front of me. Just like your Little Bustards

Best regards,

Iben

[Barred Wobbler]

Originally Posted by Iben

Hi Alan

Now I've finally had the time to read your report from start to finish, and I really enjoyed it. Lots of good information, and of course lots of good birds Are you aware how rare it is to see Lesser Kestrel in the Ebro Delta? You only mention them briefly, like you see them here all the time, but I think there must be less than 5 records in total...!

By the way, the first two weeks of May seemed to be the time for all the mythical birds to give up their hiding places, because in Andalucia I finally managed to see the Marbled Duck after years of searching. Until then the key for anyone to find this bird had been simply not to bring me along, but this year they just suddenly appeared right in front of me. Just like your Little Bustards

Best regards,

Iben

I hadn't even realised that lesser kestrels were rare in the delta Iben. I guess I must be getting a bit blase about seeing them in various locations. They were only two birds that we saw as we entered the delta from L'Ampolla, no buildings, cliffs or high objects around, so I assume they must just have been visiting the dry fields in a passing search for insects (it reminded me of the birds I've seen in huge numbers over the cotton fields in La Janda).

EDIT: On the basis of what you say, however I wouldn't rule out mistaken identity on the part of these birds. I didn't get a good look at the mantles or face pattern, but was going off the very pale underwing, a broad wing plan and elongated central tail feathers.

Marbled ducks - I came across a family of them with ducklings at Rambla de Morales in Almeria last July. The only other record I have of them in Andalucia is at the lakes near Trebujena a couple of years ago.

[Allen S. Moore]

Thanks - what an epic write-up, a great read! I saw a little crake at Riet Vell on 12th April; a fine sight it was.
Allen

[Stephen C]

I had meant to read your report in stages also but ended up getting through the lot. Excellent. And some breathtaking photos also.

Really glad you enjoy this area so much like my self (I ended up moving out here). If you return next year let me know and I'll give you a good spot for Citril Finch.

All the best

[Barred Wobbler]

Thanks Stephen, I'll do that. I had been planning on possibly going to Extremadura next spring, but after this trip I'm putting that on the back-burner in favour of another trip to the north-east instead, possibly two centres, with the first few days in the Pyrenees to give me a better shot and then down to Catalonia again for the remainder.