GiG
Well-known member
I wasn’t planning to go on a birding trip abroad this year. I went to Georgia last Autumn, with a group of mates, with just over a week around Batumi and then Svaneti for a couple of days. It was a fantastic trip and the raptor migration was something else; an experience I’d always wanted to encounter. As this was a big trip I’d had said to my mates that I wouldn’t be doing anything in 2020.
After showing photos of the adventure in Georgia to my parents, I was asked where to next year and when I said no plans my partner replied, why don’t you do something and see what the guys are planning. I jumped at the invite and spoke to one of my mates, Dave, who had been looking at different options for 2020, such as Pyrenees early in the year, Poland in May or June or Gambia later in the year. May and June were out due to other commitments between us and in reality the Pyrenees was first option due to unfinished business with three certain species; Wallcreeper, Lammergeier and Alpine Accentor. The former we’d seen reasonably well previously on a trip to Bulgaria in the Trigrad Gorge. We saw three birds, fairly well but high up above and then in flight. Wallcreeper and Lammergeier were potential birds in the Svaneti area last year but we were hampered by blizzards. I’d seen Lammergeier distantly with bins on Crete on a family holiday but this was a species Dave really wanted to see. Both of us had also been to places where Alpine Accentor was a potential species but have just never caught up with one.
Dave made contact with a bird tour company, Barcelona Birding Point and they had a week free so that we would do a four day Pyrenees and plains trip followed by two days at Ebro Delta. This was for four people and included pick up, all accommodation and transport, breakfast and evening meal. With Dave planning that side of things I sorted flights and, to make the most of the first day, I booked hotel rooms near the airport so we’d be in place for an early start.
During planning I thought it would be nice to do a city break in Barcelona for my partner and myself. It was something we’d talked about before and as I would flying in to Barcelona then I could precede the bird trip with a few days in the city. I found a nice flat on Airbnb and planned flights and transfers to the airport and in the end we decided to have four nights in Barcelona.
Both parts of the trip went well, Barcelona was a great city with lots to see and experience and some birding! The bird trip was a great success. Carles Oliver, our tour leader, was excellent and we were well looked after and had some real wildlife highlights during the tour plus not forgetting some beautiful scenery up in the mountains. Carles has written a report of the trip which can be found here - https://elpolitcantaire.wordpress.com/2020/04/04/catalonia-in-winter-birding-tour-2020-trip-report/ but I thought do a report of wildlife seen over my entire trip with a few extra bits and some photos.
After showing photos of the adventure in Georgia to my parents, I was asked where to next year and when I said no plans my partner replied, why don’t you do something and see what the guys are planning. I jumped at the invite and spoke to one of my mates, Dave, who had been looking at different options for 2020, such as Pyrenees early in the year, Poland in May or June or Gambia later in the year. May and June were out due to other commitments between us and in reality the Pyrenees was first option due to unfinished business with three certain species; Wallcreeper, Lammergeier and Alpine Accentor. The former we’d seen reasonably well previously on a trip to Bulgaria in the Trigrad Gorge. We saw three birds, fairly well but high up above and then in flight. Wallcreeper and Lammergeier were potential birds in the Svaneti area last year but we were hampered by blizzards. I’d seen Lammergeier distantly with bins on Crete on a family holiday but this was a species Dave really wanted to see. Both of us had also been to places where Alpine Accentor was a potential species but have just never caught up with one.
Dave made contact with a bird tour company, Barcelona Birding Point and they had a week free so that we would do a four day Pyrenees and plains trip followed by two days at Ebro Delta. This was for four people and included pick up, all accommodation and transport, breakfast and evening meal. With Dave planning that side of things I sorted flights and, to make the most of the first day, I booked hotel rooms near the airport so we’d be in place for an early start.
During planning I thought it would be nice to do a city break in Barcelona for my partner and myself. It was something we’d talked about before and as I would flying in to Barcelona then I could precede the bird trip with a few days in the city. I found a nice flat on Airbnb and planned flights and transfers to the airport and in the end we decided to have four nights in Barcelona.
Both parts of the trip went well, Barcelona was a great city with lots to see and experience and some birding! The bird trip was a great success. Carles Oliver, our tour leader, was excellent and we were well looked after and had some real wildlife highlights during the tour plus not forgetting some beautiful scenery up in the mountains. Carles has written a report of the trip which can be found here - https://elpolitcantaire.wordpress.com/2020/04/04/catalonia-in-winter-birding-tour-2020-trip-report/ but I thought do a report of wildlife seen over my entire trip with a few extra bits and some photos.