Incorporating Birding Stops into a Western Europe Visit (3 Viewers)

[TicoTyler]

I want to do a 2-3 week trip with the Mrs. in late May of next year for our 10th anniversary. I would like to work some birding into the itinerary and perhaps decide part of the route based on good birding spots. The general outline of the trip is to fly into Madrid (my best flight option by far from Costa Rica). From there thinking of heading south to Sevilla/Cadiz and crossing over for a few days into northern Morocco. From there either a short detour into Portugal or direct to London to spend a week in southern England. So from those areas any suggestions for good birding spots or pelagic tours?

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Portland would be a good option if that comes into the places in Southern England you could get to. Late May isn't really a time for pelagics in England, but you could always try Dungeness which can get decent seabirds at this time. Both are bird observatories.

 

[Mike Crawley]

I think I would recommend that you to go to Extramadura whilst you’re in Spain rather than the U.K.

 

[jogresh]

Travelling Iberia into Morocco and back by boat involves $$, hassle and gets you into the dullest part of Morocco. Either stay in Spain & Portugal - awesome and huge - or fly/drive Madrid to Agadir and head south and east for the Saharan stuff.

 

[TicoTyler]

Travelling Iberia into Morocco and back by boat involves $$, hassle and gets you into the dullest part of Morocco. Either stay in Spain & Portugal - awesome and huge - or fly/drive Madrid to Agadir and head south and east for the Saharan stuff.

The idea would be do like 2 days in Tangier from Cadiz rather than flying into Morocco. Less for any specific bird life and more just to check out a different culture and architecture than the Iberian peninsula. (And add Africa to my continent list.)

 

[jogresh]

OK sure. I have friends who crossed from Spain to Tangier and hated it.

The culture to the south in the Atlas and Sahara is amazing, but I understand what you're saying. 🙂👍

 

[angusmcoatup]

The idea would be do like 2 days in Tangier from Cadiz rather than flying into Morocco. Less for any specific bird life and more just to check out a different culture and architecture than the Iberian peninsula. (And add Africa to my continent list.)

Asilah isn’t too far from Tangier and though it’s a long time ago now, I found it a lot less hassle. Plus you still have time for Tangier.
A good alternative to Fez btw is Meknes, much more laid back and still very photogenic.

 

[Val35]

I think I would recommend that you to go to Extramadura whilst you’re in Spain rather than the U.K.

Agree, very good birding in and around Monfragüe NP for example (vultures, Great Bustards, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Iberian Magpie...)...

 

[dantheman]

The idea would be do like 2 days in Tangier from Cadiz rather than flying into Morocco. Less for any specific bird life and more just to check out a different culture and architecture than the Iberian peninsula. (And add Africa to my continent list.)

Agree that Tangiers itself has a bad rep for busy-ness and tourist hassle.

If you can get a little further afield as suggested ... (Ceuta to the east a raptor migration spot for late May, must be some good birding (?) there although no experience) ... unless you like/don't mind cities per se.

 

[John Cantelo]

As I recall, if you plan a two-day trip to Morocco you can take a tour into the mountains for an overnight stay. For info about birding in Cadiz see my blog and PM me with your email address for my 300+pp guide to birding sites (it's free but a donation to my Just Giving page in aid of the Alzheimer's Society is appreciated)

 

[Xenospiza]

Southern England in late May isn't particularly attractive for birding (you'd be better off on the continent where there are more species for lower prices), but if you head to northeastern England, Wales or Scotland there are some nice seabird colonies.

 

[TicoTyler]

Southern England in late May isn't particularly attractive for birding (you'd be better off on the continent where there are more species for lower prices), but if you head to northeastern England, Wales or Scotland there are some nice seabird colonies.

What would be the most accessible ones from London? Probably planning to do some trips out to Dover or Bath. Dover is on the coast at least but IDK if any colonies there. From Bath we're closer to Wales.

 

[Xenospiza]

What would be the most accessible ones from London? Probably planning to do some trips out to Dover or Bath. Dover is on the coast at least but IDK if any colonies there. From Bath we're closer to Wales.

Bempton, but that's a very long way...
If you want to see chalk cliffs, the ones at Beachy Head/Seven Sisters are much better than Dover. You may see Fulmar and Shag.

 

[david kelly]

What would be the most accessible ones from London? Probably planning to do some trips out to Dover or Bath. Dover is on the coast at least but IDK if any colonies there. From Bath we're closer to Wales.

Strange to say but the most accessible seabird colonies from London are probably the ones in the Firth of Forth. You can fly to Edinburgh from three or four London airports, get to the centre of Edinburgh, then a bus from there to North Berwick. From there you can get good views of huge seabird colonies. You could do this in a day, or have an overnight in Edinburgh.

 

[TicoTyler]

Strange to say but the most accessible seabird colonies from London are probably the ones in the Firth of Forth. You can fly to Edinburgh from three or four London airports, get to the centre of Edinburgh, then a bus from there to North Berwick. From there you can get good views of huge seabird colonies. You could do this in a day, or have an overnight in Edinburgh.

I'm not against a trip up to Scotland. Good idea.

 

[temmie]

With regards to combining Spain and Morocco, I’m not a very big fan especially not with that ferry (things could have improved but I remember the chaos leaving the ferry on a small footbridge with Moroccans trying to first unload 30-kg bags going back and forth and thus blocking the footbridge for half an hour).

All depends on time you have available for the Spain section, but I would firmly stick with areas in Extremadura / donana, thus combining birding with some historical cities for your partner.

 

[dandsblair]

In northern Morocco if you decide to go to Tangier, then Larache (lower loukkos) Marsh and saltpans could be OK in May, Further south the lakes north of Merdja Zerga if still wet are good.

 

[TicoTyler]

Thanks all. I think I've settled on an itinerary that doesn't include Morocco. Going to do south western UK (hit up WWT Slimbridge and Cotswolds somewhere for most of a day) and maybe do something up in Scotland. Then over in Spain train down to Sevilla and do some birding in the Doñana region. Any specific suggestions for that region in Spain are welcome.

 

[rylirk]

I have to say I was actually quite fond of Tangier! Not exactly crawling with birdlife but a few African specialities are very easy to pick up in the city (House Bunting, Common Bulbul, African Blue Tit etc), and when I took the Tarifa-Tangier ferry I had a flock of Atlantic Puffin from the boat, though that was in March so I'm not sure that would still be a possibility in May.

I had a day's guided birding in Donana last year in October and it really is very good down there, but I think my favourite spot in the region was Brazo del Este just Southeast of Seville. It's just a drive-along-the-river-and-get-out-at-any-interesting-pools kinda place, but it was good for purple swamphen, black stork, thousands of greater flamingo & white stork and a bunch of other large wadery things. Also had many lark sps down there (mostly Calandra and Crested), Bluethroat, and a few feral weaver sp.s which I guess were introduced at some point. Pretty good diverse haul down there for minimal time and effort.

If you stop in Seville itself, Alamillo Park is good for Little Bittern and also has reintroduction programmes for Red-Knobbed Coot and Ferruginous Duck, guess its up to you whether you'd count those

 

[John Cantelo]

The Coto Donana on the west bank of the Guadalquivir is an iconic birding destination and worth a visit but, arguably you’ll do better to explore the area to the east of the river as there’s a greater variation in habitats and hence bird species. The list below is ordered roughly as you head south with a lurch to the east for the last two. I've tried to highlight the best species but there are so many!

• Parque Oromana, Alcala de Guadaira (25 mins from Seville airport) worth a short stop for Azure-winged Magpie (rare on this side of the river) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (often hard to track down)

• Humedal El Pantano – a good stop if you haven’t time for Brazo del Este as it’s just off the motorway – Little Bittern & Purple Heron are easy to see & it has Spain’s only Laughing Doves. Like all areas with dense tamarisk scrub, it has Western Olivaceous warblers

• Brazo del Este – reedbed warblers (inc. the scarce Savi’s but get there early), Marbled Duck (scarce), Purple Swamphen, full range of herons & egrets, introduced Black-headed Weaver & Yellow Bishop

• Sanlucar de Barameda – Chipiona area – Trebujena is the best site in Spain for Rufous Bushchat plus chance of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, variety of larks, and good numbers of Flamingos etc; the large new reserve nearby should be excellent by then, Chipiona – Iberia's largest colony of Little Swift, Lagunas de Camino Colorado for White-headed & Marbled Duck plus a chance of Red-knobbed Coot

• Cadiz Bay area – esp Marismas de Cetina – good site for any waders, Pratincoles, Slender-billed Gull, both short-toed larks

• Medina Sidonia – Benalup – Spanish Imperial & Bonelli’s Eagles, the chance of Little Bustard, etc Lesser kestrels Alcala de los Gazules

• Tarifa area – dregs of raptor migration...

• Barbate – Vejer for Bald Ibis, waders, Flamingos, etc

• La Janda – not a great time to visit but B-w Kite, Montagu’s Harrier & other raptors present

• Grazalema (south-east of Seville) – Black Wheatear, Rock Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Alpine Swift etc

• Osuna (east of Seville) - Great & Little Bustards (latter difficult), Black-bellied Sandgrouse (almost impossible!), Roller, Iberian Grey Shrike, B-w Kite

I can supply maps & details of all the above sites and many more if you PM me with your email address