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Birding on a cultural trip (1 Viewer)

Fiscalshrike

Well-known member
I hummed and hawed about where to post, but I won't provide a bird by bird trip report, so decided to post here.
Europe is new for me with regards to birds, and I am committed enough to the hobby, that even a trip focused on 'culture' requires binoculars and a bird app.
My trip ran Granada - Sevilla - Cordoba - Toledo - Madrid - Segovia - Valencia(a last minute replacement for Barcelona).
My usual practice is to check out 'hotspots' via eBird. I was surprised to see so few in Spain, but I understand eBird is not so much used by European birders, so that might explain the results of my search.
At a recommendation from here, I used Aves de Espagna app. I found this very helpful.
Binocs were a compact pair. Not good for sustained birding, but for casual birding and checking out ceiling details, they were adequate. As they were light, they made up part of my daily purse accoutrements.
Looking at my itinerary, I felt Sevilla was the easiest place to try and fit in a private guided trip so I contacted Rafa at Ecotono Birding and arranged a day for Donana National Park. Communication was efficient and helpful. A few days before I reconfirmed. Rafa explained Bianca would guide me. Bianca had spent some time in Canada so would understand my birding methods. Very pleasant and all around knowledgable guide and companion for the day. What took me some getting used to was the frequent need to refer to Collins for English name confirmation. We ended up developing a running joke 'common, Eurasian, or European?' I am not used to something just called 'Buzzard' without an further identifier in front. I always asked for more and it became quite apparent that Common, Eurasian or European was the usual initial identifier.
Donana did not pan out as expected. The rains had not started and Donana marshes were dry so we started over in Brazo del Este birding the recently cut and burned rice fields. These paid off for large flocks of migrant big birds, water birds, and a good amount of birds of prey. Choosing a national holiday for this outing also meant that traffic was very light allowing for those quick stops for fly past IDs.
After a tapas lunch in a little bar we headed along the Guadalquivir River to a little ferry crossing that would take us into the eastern section of Donana NP. There are few crossings of the river, and this was certainly not your usual tourist crossing.
We arrived in Pinares de la P. del Río y Azanalcazar section with more people due to the section's extensive picnic grounds and it being a national holiday. We were not daunted however, and strolled out for some passerines. It was tough - they are skulkers. I don't count 'heards' if lifers so though Bianca was identifying birds, visuals for me were not as numerous. However, we did pick up 4 new species for me including Iberian Magpie with their more vivid blue.
All in all a good day with 55 species - many new, but a surprising amount were ones I have seen in Africa during winter visits there.
After changing Valencia for Barcelona at the last minute, I was culturally saturated, so decided for a short guided trip from Valencia. David Worrington from Valencia Birding came through with a half day trip to Marjel dels Moros. A great place to spend the time with the heavy Mediterranean surf on one side and the squawks and chuckles of water birds on the other.
By this time I realized my life list was 11 short of a number mark, so the running joke was whether I would make that or not. I had a pretty good idea what would be lifers for me for the area, so David got regular reminders how many more I needed - nothing like applying a little pressure. Despite the thought of hitting a mark, it was really just about enjoying the day and the birds. Our final 20 minutes or so were trying to find a Water Rail. We could hear it, but no sighting success. We were required to be back in Valencia, so we counted it as a dip; however, on the walk back I spotted something and asking what it was - there was the Water Rail out in the open preening. Well, that ended up being bird 1200 for me so I am glad I enquired. The 4.5 hour trip netted 43 species that day.
I can unreservedly recommend both Econtono Birding and Valencia Birding for well priced and well presented day trips for the touring birder.
Aside from the guided trips, there are often opportunities to bird.
- The Alhambra and the Duoro 'river' for Granada as well as any garden attached to the tourist sites.
- Parque de la Maria Luisa in Sevilla.
- The bridge in Cordoba.
- Botanical Gardens and Retiro Park in Madrid.
- The extensive green space in Valencia as well as their Botanical Gardens and Albufuera NP nearby. It can be reached by public transport, but is extensive.
- The highlight and unexpected treat was my day trip to Segovia. I took the slow train there - 2 hours of scenery which included black-shouldered Kite and Hen-Harrier near the tracks. Segovia itself provided Eurasian Griffon and Cinereous Vulture. Watching them float on the thermals over the Alcazar in a clear blue sky - well, an unexpected treat. That trip netted a good number of unexpected lifers.
All in all, Spain list is 98 with 53 lifers. 23 of the lifers were ticked on non birding focused days which goes to show it pays to always carry binocs.
 
I hummed and hawed about where to post, but I won't provide a bird by bird trip report, so decided to post here.
Europe is new for me with regards to birds, and I am committed enough to the hobby, that even a trip focused on 'culture' requires binoculars and a bird app.
My trip ran Granada - Sevilla - Cordoba - Toledo - Madrid - Segovia - Valencia(a last minute replacement for Barcelona).
My usual practice is to check out 'hotspots' via eBird. I was surprised to see so few in Spain, but I understand eBird is not so much used by European birders, so that might explain the results of my search.
At a recommendation from here, I used Aves de Espagna app. I found this very helpful.
Binocs were a compact pair. Not good for sustained birding, but for casual birding and checking out ceiling details, they were adequate. As they were light, they made up part of my daily purse accoutrements.
Looking at my itinerary, I felt Sevilla was the easiest place to try and fit in a private guided trip so I contacted Rafa at Ecotono Birding and arranged a day for Donana National Park. Communication was efficient and helpful. A few days before I reconfirmed. Rafa explained Bianca would guide me. Bianca had spent some time in Canada so would understand my birding methods. Very pleasant and all around knowledgable guide and companion for the day. What took me some getting used to was the frequent need to refer to Collins for English name confirmation. We ended up developing a running joke 'common, Eurasian, or European?' I am not used to something just called 'Buzzard' without an further identifier in front. I always asked for more and it became quite apparent that Common, Eurasian or European was the usual initial identifier.
Donana did not pan out as expected. The rains had not started and Donana marshes were dry so we started over in Brazo del Este birding the recently cut and burned rice fields. These paid off for large flocks of migrant big birds, water birds, and a good amount of birds of prey. Choosing a national holiday for this outing also meant that traffic was very light allowing for those quick stops for fly past IDs.
After a tapas lunch in a little bar we headed along the Guadalquivir River to a little ferry crossing that would take us into the eastern section of Donana NP. There are few crossings of the river, and this was certainly not your usual tourist crossing.
We arrived in Pinares de la P. del Río y Azanalcazar section with more people due to the section's extensive picnic grounds and it being a national holiday. We were not daunted however, and strolled out for some passerines. It was tough - they are skulkers. I don't count 'heards' if lifers so though Bianca was identifying birds, visuals for me were not as numerous. However, we did pick up 4 new species for me including Iberian Magpie with their more vivid blue.
All in all a good day with 55 species - many new, but a surprising amount were ones I have seen in Africa during winter visits there.
After changing Valencia for Barcelona at the last minute, I was culturally saturated, so decided for a short guided trip from Valencia. David Worrington from Valencia Birding came through with a half day trip to Marjel dels Moros. A great place to spend the time with the heavy Mediterranean surf on one side and the squawks and chuckles of water birds on the other.
By this time I realized my life list was 11 short of a number mark, so the running joke was whether I would make that or not. I had a pretty good idea what would be lifers for me for the area, so David got regular reminders how many more I needed - nothing like applying a little pressure. Despite the thought of hitting a mark, it was really just about enjoying the day and the birds. Our final 20 minutes or so were trying to find a Water Rail. We could hear it, but no sighting success. We were required to be back in Valencia, so we counted it as a dip; however, on the walk back I spotted something and asking what it was - there was the Water Rail out in the open preening. Well, that ended up being bird 1200 for me so I am glad I enquired. The 4.5 hour trip netted 43 species that day.
I can unreservedly recommend both Econtono Birding and Valencia Birding for well priced and well presented day trips for the touring birder.
Aside from the guided trips, there are often opportunities to bird.
  • The Alhambra and the Duoro 'river' for Granada as well as any garden attached to the tourist sites.
  • Parque de la Maria Luisa in Sevilla.
  • The bridge in Cordoba.
  • Botanical Gardens and Retiro Park in Madrid.
  • The extensive green space in Valencia as well as their Botanical Gardens and Albufuera NP nearby. It can be reached by public transport, but is extensive.
  • The highlight and unexpected treat was my day trip to Segovia. I took the slow train there - 2 hours of scenery which included black-shouldered Kite and Hen-Harrier near the tracks. Segovia itself provided Eurasian Griffon and Cinereous Vulture. Watching them float on the thermals over the Alcazar in a clear blue sky - well, an unexpected treat. That trip netted a good number of unexpected lifers.
All in all, Spain list is 98 with 53 lifers. 23 of the lifers were ticked on non birding focused days which goes to show it pays to always carry binocs.
A belated thank you.
 
55 species in one day and 43 species in one day or in less than 5 hours?? Wow!

That was quite a trip for you.
 
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