Spring destination? (1 Viewer)

If you could take a week's birding holiday in March or April, where in Europe would you go?

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

Cyprus. Spring bird migration under way during March. April, more variety of birds including harriers, warblers and wheatears. Good for orchids. Full range of package holidays, easy vehicle rentals. Can be as central as you wish or the middle of nowhere. Paphos area a great base if you've just a week.

Thank you!

I go with cyprus, eventhough it is located.
But is easy reachable from Europe.
Nice people.
I was there last week of March and first week of April.
Frankolin and Chuar seems be everywhere.
Chance for 2 endemics.
Cyprus Warbler
Cyprus Wheatear

see also
https://birdlifecyprus.org/cyprus-an-important-place-for-birds

Spain/Extramdura area: Plenty of quality birding, Great and Little Bustards should still be displaying and sandgrouse on the plains, Lesser Kestrels in the colony, eagles at Monfrague.

Israel - not Europe but only 4.5-5hours flight. If only for a week the Eilat area. Fine weather, huge numbers of raptors and passage migrants everywhere. One of the top Western P destinations.

Thanks everyone. All nice suggestions. Extremadura is the current front runner due to its relative accessibility, but I'll give it some more thought.

End of April also Carmague and Crau or Gorge de Verdon.
Many migrants in Carmague.

http://www.parc-camargue.fr/getlibr.../201500014/0001/Birdfair_Camargue_English.pdf

Gorge de Verdon is spectacular landscapes. Very high chance for vultures.
http://www.castellane-verdontourisme.com/uk/i-discover-a-whole-region/protected-areas/

End of April Delta di Po is also an option.

https://www.birdinginitaly.com/the-po-delta/

For accomodation check agriturismo, which is not to expensive.

https://www.agriturismo.it/de/bauernhof/venetien/rovigo/taglio_di_po

I booked this some years ago.
https://www.agriturismo.it/en/farmhouse/veneto/rovigo/CaBallarin-5420625/prices-rooms.html

Catalonia, Spain

Habitat = Birds


Catalonia, the area surrounding Barcelona, has officially the widest variety of habitat on the Iberian peninsular and, to be fair, probably Western Europe.


This of course means more bird species. Try this for a quick overview of the species available and the reasons why Catalonia should be high on anyone's 'to visit' list:


BIRDS - http://www.catalanbirdtours.com/birds in catalonia.html


As well as a coastal stretch that includes several wetlands, the EBRO DELTA being the best of them, you have the PYRENEES to the North and STEPPES to the West.


SPRING SITES / ITINERARIES - http://www.catalanbirdtours.com/spain birding migration.html


Top resident target species might include:


Dupont's Lark, Lammergeier, Eagle Owl, Little Bustard, both sandgrouse, Citril Finch, Black Wheatear, Iberian Grey Shrike, Iberian Woodpecker, etc, etc, etc


And migrants start with early Great Spotted Cuckoo and crakes, for instance, and just keep coming until you get to, in your date window, Roller, both nightjars, etc.





Accessibility


Being only a quarter the size of England, the vast majority of Catalonia's incredible bird life and top locations are accessible on day tours so you can base yourself in one location.


This means that, rather than being stuck at a birding spot in the rain because you've booked your accommodation, you can adapt daily, avoiding less than ideal weather forecasts, responding to local bird reports or simply change your mind on a whim.


The transport network of motorways is superb to take you to a massive range of reserves, about which there's a plethora of trip reports and other info on the internet.



You can fly cheaply to any one of three airport: Barcelona, Girona and Reus (plus another at Lleida actually).



Migration


Your timing in perfect of course for Spring migration but, unlike many other areas, Catalonia is on two major migration routes so you get double for your trouble.




There's plenty more to add so drop me a PM of you have any specific questions or want directing to any trip reports for a given period. I'll try to dig up a species list and PM it to you but if you want to send me a wish list, I'll recommend the best date window for you.


All the best and have a great trip wherever you end up.

I have to agree with the suggestion of Extremadura (perhaps making a short excursion into northern Andalusia, it's only natural when you check how the roads go), I was there two years ago in April and it was absolutely wonderful springtime experience. It's super-easy, cheap, safe, free access to everywhere, really just what you want from a relaxing trip. Israel and Morocco are the obvious "almost-european" choices, both also very safe and easy, Israel is only cheap if you forgo some luxuries.

However I would like to bring to your attention another option, which however is slightly better in the first week of May, so slightly out of your boundaries: NE Poland. When the waters in Biebrza and surrounding rivers flood the extensive marshes, the area becomes an absolute bird paradise. Sure, it's my local bias now, but it is honestly one of the reasons I was willing to move to Poland in the first place

Do You have still Aquatic Warbler in Poland ?

albatross02 said:

Do You have still Aquatic Warbler in Poland ?

Click to expand...

To be honest, I haven't gone to see them in the last two years, but the records are pretty optimistic. After all, isn't the Polish population the majority of the whole species? They seem to be observable only from the last few days in April, so timing is important (they do sing well into July though).

We also have Greater Snipe in the spring - the locations aren't public, but can be reverse engineered from online info (or sufficiently trustworthy people can just ask me for directions). There is also Great Grey Owl (year-round) but I have never seen them despite having relatively good intel on the sites. In spring there is occasional Blyth's Reed Warbler as well, but those quite elusive and I am not sure how much they stay in place.

From less special birds, I would mention the huge amounts of White-winged and Black Tern in the first week of May and then Little Terns, fighting Ruffs, Citrine Wagtails, Lesser Spotted Eagles, Common Rosefinches, Hoopoes, Bearded Tits, Thrush Nightingales, Pygmy Owls, Hazel Grouses, Ortolan Buntings, Montagu's Harriers... There are also Little (only later in the season) and Great Bitterns, Spotted and Corn Crakes and Boreal Owls, but all those species are much easier to hear than to see. All species of woodpeckers are present (Syrian as a rarity though), but finding Three-toed, White-backed and Grey-headed requires persistence or local knowledge. Finally there are also small numbers of Short-toed Snake-eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle and Roller, but even I do not know exact places (mainly because I did not try to ask).

Went to Poland for a short break - 11 years ago, how time flies! - and it was indeed pretty awesome! Saw a few White-backed Woodpeckers (eg at Zebra Zubra) and the Great Snipe near Narew Bridge were well-known, no idea if they are still there though. Missed Grey-headed Woodpecker, possibly the commonest WP bird I still need. The Terns were great....

MSA said:

Went to Poland for a short break - 11 years ago, how time flies! - and it was indeed pretty awesome! Saw a few White-backed Woodpeckers (eg at Zebra Zubra) and the Great Snipe near Narew Bridge were well-known, no idea if they are still there though. Missed Grey-headed Woodpecker, possibly the commonest WP bird I still need. The Terns were great....

Click to expand...

For Woodpeckers in Europe, the best for me was Lonsko Polje in Croatia.
I was there in June.
In the afternoon I defined 8 different woodpeckers in 2,5 h.
Included Grey headed and Syrian Woodpecker.

Of course better is Argentina, where I have defined 21 different woodpeckers, but is far away.

albatross02 said:

Do You have still Aquatic Warbler in Poland ?

Click to expand...

They did 2.5 years ago at Dluga Luka, Biebrza marshes, Poland 6-2016
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54189378@N02/27856524821/in/album-72157669693180922/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54189378@N02/27320279103/in/album-72157669693180922/