Birding Holidays in Southern Europe (1 Viewer)

Please can anyone suggest good areas for bird watching in southern Europe (in particular Spain and Italy) for later August/early September. I'm not sure my wife will be able to cope with a full week of bird watching so we would be looking to combine bird watching with some other activities as well. Recommendations for good web-sites and accommodation would also be welcomed.

Thanks, Brolac.

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Bulgaria - black sea coastal areas for migration and sun-worshipping!

Bulgaria is VERY cheap too so get in there before they join the EC.

Gordon

Hi Brolac,
Bulgaria is an excellent suggestion with cheap package holidays & the start of southward migration by end of august.
Another eastern possibility is Lesvos. Lesvos is at its best in Spring but you could still get a respectable trip list of c100 species in late august/early september -including good waders such as Marsh, Broad-billed & Wood Sandpipers, Temminck's & Little Stint; White-winged Black tern, various Shrikes, Long legged Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Lanner, Black & White Storks, Bee eaters, etc. Package holidays to Lesvos are reasonably priced & the island is a very pleasant relaxing venue for a non-birder. If you stay in Skala Kalloni some of the best sites are within 10 minutes drive(on very quiet roads/tracks) so that early morning birding fits well with an afternoon laze in the sun & doesn't upset the non-birding partner!!
In Spain consider Extremadura as Donana will be too dry to see it at its best. Easy flights to Madrid. Straight-forward drive for 3 hrs along almost deserted motorways to get there. Dramatic scenery, good food, excellent towns & Cities to visit (eg amazing & very extensive roman ruins at Merida) & brilliant birdwatching. Black Kites, Great Spotted Cuckoo & almost all the White Storks will have gone but should still be plenty of Black Storks, Booted Eagle & Short-toed Eagles, Red Kites & vultures (Egyptian, Cinereous & Griffon) whilst Spanish Imperial Eagle & Black shouldered Kite should be possible. This is a good time of year for Great Bustards despite the heat-even got them walking along the road in front of our hire car whilst there will be plenty of juvenile Montagu's Harrier about. If you want inexpensive but comfortable accomodation -try the Hotel Carvajal in Torrejon el Rubio -they have small apartments adjacent to the hotel which have little kitchens:
www.monfrague.net/ingles/index.html . Sadly no one at the Carvajal speaks English so communication could be a problem.
If you want somewhere a bit more "upmarket" with a swimming pool /sun lounging area try the Hospederia de Monfrague which is on the edge of Monfrague National Park :
www.alextur.net/hotel/monfrague . If you fancy the Hospederia send them a simple Email & tell them you saw their advertisement at the 2003 Rutland Bird Fair & that you wish them to confirm that they will honour the 2004 Special Bird Fair rates which are: 7 nights half board for £226 per person(excluding vat @ 7%) or 5 nights half board/pp @ £141 (not to include a weekend). Apparently these rates are valid all year apart from Easter (& presumably Xmas).
If you need any further info. send me a PM.
Cheers,
Steve

North-east Greece is excellent - the Prespa Lakes, Kastoria etc

Andalucia (Ronda, Teba, the Lagunas etc.) too but may be getting very warm by that time

haven't been to Slovenia but have heard very good things about the place

Thanks for these great suggestions - the deliberations are now in full swing in this household! Someone else suggested the Camargue region in France - does anyone have any experience and recommendations for this area. Bulgaria does sound very interesting though (has the added benefit of being somewhere the wife says would be "interesting"!).

End august, begin september is an excellent time for raptor migration in southern France. West of the Camargue, near Narbonne plage, there is a migration watch station which also has local Bonelli eagles. I once made a 5 day trip in September to the Cevennes and this part of the coast, using "where to watch birds in France" as a guide. It resulted in 20 species of raptors (and I missed some according to the locals)
Camargue is excellent too , but I only have been there in may and early july, it might be drier later in season. Nice thing about Camargue + Crau + Les Alpilles, is the variety of habitats in a relatively small area.

Hallo ! May I suggest Italy too ? With its more than 500 bird species and with hot spots as the Po Delta (very close to Venice) that is an unexcelled bird destination in S Europe with its list of more than 370 species, Italy worths a visit. Moreover: good food, good wine, nice people. Please, pay a visit to some selected bird reports:

http://www.birdingitaly.net/trip.htm

Why not visit also this page with the list of the birds found in the Po Delta last month ?

http://www.birdingitaly.net/maggio2004.htm

Cheers

Menotti Passarella
www.birdingitaly.net

Let me suggest for Italy:
http://www.ebnitalia.it

Aug & Sep 2003:
http://www.ebnitalia.it/reports/rep03_08.htm
http://www.ebnitalia.it/reports/rep03_09.htm

Hotspots for Italy?
http://www.ebnitalia.it/cavaliere_02.htm

cheers

could i suggest also Danube Delta? i think is as cheap as Bulgaristan. Also exist a company specialized in birdwatching tours Ibis Tours, if i remember well. The cost of a room in a three star hotel is no more of 50 Ecu. Should look on that. Best regards.

A great birding destination is the eastern Algarve Portugal, sea sun and the Ria Formosa Nature Park. You can read some birding reports at www.casarosa.net.

Could I suggest the Pyrenees? I did a trip to the Spanish side in August a few years ago, staying in Torla (Parque National de Ordesa) and in (H)Echo (a little further west). Three species of vultures with about 10 lammegeier/bearded vulture, loads of chough (both species), and several other montane specialties (I believe wall-creeper is easier earlier in the year). Has advantages of spectacular scenery and being less hot than the lowland areas. For a one- or two-day birding special, visit the steppes south of the Pyrenees for Duponts lark and others.

HTH
Niels

Hi Brolac, I am in Bulgaria (til Tuesday anyway) I have set up a holiday tour company and have access to ALL levels of accomodation and services. Guided or un guided. we are in the early stages but if I can be of any help with information in Bulgaria I'd be more than pleased to help. (your wife is dead right, it is 'interesting'). All part of the fun though. May I also suggest Spain, Andalucia. I was there for a month last year at Christmas and you can check out my report on the S.O.C. ayrshirebirding website, under an article 'our man in andalucia' I can give you any details for things there or put you in touch with a lovely English couple who run a business there. Their village is Casares and at one point I had 72 Griffon vultures a few feet above my head and that was just one little highlight. Whatever you do decide have fun, then tell the rest of us about it. Regards John

The surroundings by Jaca in Spain are very good.
Valle the Hecho, en Valle the Anso, Foz the Binies,The Monastery of juan the la Pena,
Gabardito,Riglos mallos,are good birding places, There is a Camping Perineos That is the place to be.
You can also hire bungalows.

Greetings Jan van Wensveen.

Hello Brolac
Sorry for not replying earlier but have not been on the forum for a while. If you ahven't made a decision yet then could I suggest my wife and I's guesthouse in Oliva Spain. It is the ideal location for the birder/non-birder combination with some excellent bird-watching locations very close to us as well as all the facilities for people who just want to relax. Flights to Alicante or Valencia airports are very accessible and usually very good value for money with a little searching. Please visit our website at www.olivabedandbreakfast.com to find more information on the guesthouse, the area and it's birdlife. Best regards Jules Sykes

More Italy

Hi Brolac

Foxsparrow has also suggested the Po Delta, but if you want something nice for your wife, too, this is an excellent suggestion. The birding is superb, the coastal pine-belt scenery delightful, Ravenna, with its fabulous set of Basilica Churches and Byzantine Mosaics is breathtaking, the fish is exquisite, and the wine is excellent.
And you can get a cheap flight to Bologna, and it's an easy train ride round the corner.
Go for it!!
Best
David

Thanks to everyone who has posted suggestions for our holiday. Owing to a shortage of annual leave, we only have five days, so some of the suggestions had to be filed for next time. We deceided to go to the South of France, and are staying in Arles, with trips to the Camargue planned. If time permits, we may make it to the Crau as well to (hopefully) catch the Little Bustard before they start to migrate. We are of on Wednesday and will report back. Thanks again.