• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

RFI Spain specialities (1 Viewer)

I've been recommended that you try Fuente Dé in April. Feb or March may be too early to find them there.
 
ok, sounds like San Isidro Ski resort for Snowfinch for us in Feb then, and if we miss them there we can hopefully have another chance if we drive through the Pyrenees on our way home at the end of April.
 
Larry, although it was back in mid-March 1999 I had Snowfinch by the roadside at some 1000m altitude, which was a bit below the snow line. I don't know if I was just lucky though! It was on the road to Parque Nat de Ordesa if I remember rightly.
 
Simon Wates said:
Larry, although it was back in mid-March 1999 I had Snowfinch by the roadside at some 1000m altitude, which was a bit below the snow line. I don't know if I was just lucky though! It was on the road to Parque Nat de Ordesa if I remember rightly.
Click to expand...

I guess you were lucky!! The road to Ordesa is not a hot-spot for this species, but if weather conditions are really bad they could go to the entries of the National Park, in the parking sites.
I've been climbing many times those mountains and I saw Snowfinches many times, but never ever so down. The lowest point I saw them there is about 1.500 metres. Anyway there are reports of small parties at 300 meters near Barcelona.
 
Sorry to slide off-topic a bit...

I know Snowfinches are not supposed to travel very far from their mountains but I think its interesting to highlight there have been 4 records on headlands in Portugal - 3 records from Cabo de Roca near Lisbon and the first record in the winter 1998-9 at Cabo de São Vicente of two birds on the same slope where Alpine Accentors winter - see: http://www.avesdeportugal.info/monniv.html

Who knows - they may even make it to the UK one day!

I made a sketch of these two birds in flight at Cabo de São Vicente.
 

Attachments

  • Mon_niv_Sagres_98edit.jpg
    Mon_niv_Sagres_98edit.jpg
    130.8 KB · Views: 67
Bump, as we're getting nearer to going, and wondering if anyone has any gen from this year for Snowfinch yet, at San Isidro ski resort or, elsewhere in the mts in NW Spain (ie not the Pyrenees).
 
At Portas de Rodão in Portugal (near the Spanish border) the adult Ruppell's is present in the Griffon colony again - seen a couple of days ago by Michael Armelin and Peter Alfrey.
 
Simon Wates said:
At Portas de Rodão in Portugal (near the Spanish border) the adult Ruppell's is present in the Griffon colony again - seen a couple of days ago by Michael Armelin and Peter Alfrey.
Click to expand...

Thanks Simon, how exciting, I feel a twitch from Bristol coming on! Hope it sticks around. Is the colony easy to find?
 
Larry - looks like the Ruppell's itself has been getting a little over excited too! ;) http://peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.com/2012/01/portugal-ruppells-vulture.html

Oh...if you don't make it you could keep a virtual eye out for it here - on the webcam in the Griffon colony:http://static.publico.pt/grifosnaweb/ He has been showing regularly again this year. I understand (contrary to my earlier report based on a recent report) that the bird hasn't left the area all winter - although has sometime roosted away from the site as the local Griffons do. I would imagine, as the Griffons are about to lay, that it will be more reliable.

EDIT: As I write the bird is showing
 
Last edited:
We've just spent 4 days looking for Snowfinch at San Isidro and unfortunately had no luck, but did have possibly my most strange and mindbending birding experience ever. A warning to anyone visiting this site, it wasn't until the second day that we found the right ski resort! What we assume is the corr,ect ski resort is up a road heading south from San Isidro town, just on the Leon side of the border, out of the back of a big car park. The San Isidro main resort also has a very large car park which presumably is where Snowfinch is regularly seen in winter months and there is also a cafe here where an Alpine Accentor came to feed. We then found out only yesterday that there is also another small cafe at the top of one of the chair lifts, at what must be about 1800m. On arriving at this cafe we disturbed 2 birds. An Alpine Accentor and the bird in the photos below. Please do feel free to tell me that it's a Snowfinch. But unless I've gone completely bonkers it isn't. Check the range of Snow Bunting in Collins and just imagine how it messed with my mind, considering that Snowfinch was already my biggest bogeybird! Thanks though to Eduardo for telling us about this beautiful mountain setting.

Considering the luck we're having so far it'd be great to get as detailed directions as possible to our next target bird, the Rupells Vulture at Portas de Rodao. Simon (or anyone) if you read this could you please tell us which of the spots on your linked map (if any) are the spot to look for the vulture.
 

Attachments

  • snowbunting1.JPG
    snowbunting1.JPG
    220.3 KB · Views: 114
  • snowbunting2.JPG
    snowbunting2.JPG
    217.7 KB · Views: 92
Last edited:
Larry Wheatland said:
We've just spent 4 days looking for Snowfinch at San Isidro and unfortunately had no luck, but did have possibly my most strange and mindbending birding experience ever. A warning to anyone visiting this site, it wasn't until the second day that we found the right ski resort! What we assume is the corr,ect ski resort is up a road heading south from San Isidro town, just on the Leon side of the border, out of the back of a big car park. The San Isidro main resort also has a very large car park which presumably is where Snowfinch is regularly seen in winter months and there is also a cafe here where an Alpine Accentor came to feed. We then found out only yesterday that there is also another small cafe at the top of one of the chair lifts, at what must be about 1800m. On arriving at this cafe we disturbed 2 birds. An Alpine Accentor and the bird in the photos below. Please do feel free to tell me that it's a Snowfinch. But unless I've gone completely bonkers it isn't. Check the range of Snow Bunting in Collins and just imagine how it messed with my mind, considering that Snowfinch was already my biggest bogeybird! Thanks though to Eduardo for telling us about this beautiful mountain setting.

Considering the luck we're having so far it'd be great to get as detailed directions as possible to our next target bird, the Rupells Vulture at Portas de Rodao. Simon (or anyone) if you read this could you please tell us which of the spots on your linked map (if any) are the spot to look for the vulture.
Click to expand...

Well if I saw 50 or so of those birds sitting on my roof in Iceland I wouldn't be at all surprised. If I'm wrong, we're both bonkers.
 
Last edited:
I can't decide whether you've been really lucky or desperately unlucky! Just as well you got good photos or nobody would have believed you!
 
Warning! This thread is more than 12 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

B
Birding in Portugal, Spain May june 2024
Replies
4
Views
448
brooke65
B
Larry Sweetland
Florida sites for specialities
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
Larry Sweetland
Larry Sweetland
J
Nepal RFI; spiny babblers, Phulchowki, Ghachowk vulture restaurant
Replies
9
Views
578
James Lowther
J
B
May - June birding in Europe. Guides?
Replies
1
Views
303
Fritz73
Fritz73
K
Panama Itinerary Review
Replies
19
Views
1K
Chris Pringle
C

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top