Spain Birding 2015

GRAND SPAIN BIRDING TOUR – SPRING 2015

Great birding. Fascinating culture and history. Great food and wine!

This tour is designed with the Australian birder in mind who wants to experience Spain’s rich culture, spectacular scenery and cities as well as seeing a great number of European bird species!

Spain is arguably the best birding nation in Europe with a tremendous mix of migratory and resident species. We can expect to see some 200 species within our two week tour. To experience this diversity we must visit, not surprisingly, a fantastic variety of habitats. We will explore forests and woodlands, wetlands and plains, mountains and the farmlands between, coasts and even the seas beyond; in short a great range of different environments between the great cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

For Australian birders Spain will offer migratory warblers, flycatchers and redstarts, woodpeckers, waterfowl and Wallcreeper as well as sandgrouse, larks, bustards and vultures. We hope to see the Spanish Imperial Eagle – an endemic raptor related to our Wedge-tailed. Other endemic species we will target include the Iberian Woodpecker [recently separated from the more widespread Green] Magpie and the Iberian [formerly Arure-winged] Magpie. While in the Pyrenees we will scan the skies for the bone eating vulture, the Lammergeyer. We’ll visit the coast south of Barcelona and hopefully catch up with some flamingos. And we’ll keep our eyes peeled for mammals, reptiles and amphibians. All in all the note-able natural history moments are too numerous to list….

To further enrich our experience, we will also be able to see historic monuments and cultural sites such as The House of Goya, El Castillo de Loarre (XI C), El Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña (XI / XIII C), medieval villages such as Trujillo, and Moorish villages including Alquezar. A visit to the historical town of Toledo will also be included. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore Barcelona at the tour’s end.

I will lead and escort the tour however we will have a dedicated Spanish Bird Guide, Steve West. All transport, accommodation will be included and, as detailed in the itinerary below, most of the meals.

Ken Cross

The Tour in Brief

Day 1-May 5-Arrive Madrid

Day 2-May 6-Toledo / Madrid

Day 3-May 7-Monfrague

Day 4-May 8-Monfrague

Day 5-May 9-Monfrague

Day 6-May 10-Belchite Steppes

Day 7-May 11-Belchite Steppes

Day 8-May 12-Roncal Valley

Day 9-May 13-Roncal Valley

Day 10-May 14 -Roncal Valley

Day 11-May 15-Bierge

Day 12-May 16-Lleida

Day 13-May 17-Ebro Delta

Day 14-May 18 -Ebro Delta

Day 15-May 19 -Barcelona

Day 16-May 20-Depart Barcelona

Day Agenda 

1 The Tour Begins     The tour begins at the Madrid Airport, where we will transfer to our hotel for a two night stay. The balance of the day is yours to relax and recover after a long flight.

Overnight Madrid [evening meal at participant’s expense]

2 Cultural exploration of Madrid and Toledo.

While we will not forget our binoculars, our Grand Spanish Birding Tour will begin with a cultural excursion to the historic town of Toledo. We will be picked up early for the 70km trip south to the beautiful imperial city-museum of Toledo where we will take breakfast in a local café. Prepare for a fascinating medieval city with Arab and Jewish origins, spectacular architecture, historic buildings, churches, atmospheric alleyways, shops and the inviting scent of restaurants.

 

Toledo is one of the oldest towns in Europe, called the City of Three Cultures, since Christians, Muslims and Jews lived here in harmony for many years. It has genuine Spanish architecture that includes almost every period in Spain's history (Arab, Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance and Baroque).

In the afternoon we will return to our hotel in Madrid.

We can expect to see some common species however birding ‘for real' will start tomorrow.

Overnight Madrid [meals at participant’s expense]

3 The birding begins…………

Steve West, our birding guide for our fortnight tour, will meet us at our hotel after breakfast and we will soon be heading towards our first real birding region – Extremadura.  This region, the Spanish steppes, is an area of gently rolling hills covered by either grasslands with a variety of grasses and herb species or the Dehesas; forests of holm and cork-oaks, where under the thinly spread trees grow relatively little undergrowth. 

We will stop en route as birds appear.  Our first major objective will be to observe the attractive Black-winged Kite, a species similar to the Australian Black-shouldered Kite, although it’s likely that our efforts will also bring us into contact with other species, including our first Bee- eaters, Corn Buntings, Zitting Cisticolas, White Storks, Eurasian Griffon Vultures, Red and Black Kites, and more.  From here we will drive the remaining distance to our rural hotel in a peaceful village on the edge of the famous Monfragüe National Park.

 Overnight near Monfragüe.  LD

 4 Monfragüe National Park

The National Park is an area of dramatic scenery, and is regarded by raptor watchers as one of the most outstanding sites to see birds of prey in Europe.  Specialties like the Cinereous Vulture breed

near  Eurasian Griffon and Egyptian Vultures.  No fewer than FIVE species of Eagle can be seen: Golden, Booted, Bonelli’s, Short-toed, and Spanish Imperial.  Around the rocky pinnacle of Peñafalcon that holds Red-billed Chough, Blue Rock Thrush, Red-rumped Swallow, Eurasian Crag-Martin, and Alpine Swift, we will look for breeding Black Stork in one of the easiest sites in Europe to watch these shy birds at the nest.  With a little luck the Eurasian Eagle-Owl will be found at its daytime roost, while Azure-winged Magpies are easily detected in the dehesa.  Surprisingly, Spanish Sparrow is a localized species in Spain, but there are several sites for this attractive little bird, including the grounds of our hotel! If that’s not enough to temporarily quell your appetite for birding, then a late evening outing may be arranged after dinner, to look and listen for Scops Owl and Red-necked Nightjar.                                    Overnight near Monfragüe.  BLD

5 Steppes near Cáceres    

It’s on to the open rolling steppes today and a whole new set of birds.  These include Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Eurasian Thick-Knee, Black- bellied Sandgrouse, Montagu’s Harrier, Calandra Lark, Tawny Pipit, European Roller, Hoopoe, and Great Spotted Cuckoo.  Early in the afternoon we will visit picturesque Trujillo with its large breeding colony of Lesser Kestrels and perhaps a Pallid Swift or two.  From here we complete the day’s birding with further observations of steppe birds in the area east of Trujillo.  A few strategic stops along very quiet country roads south of the National Park should enable us to locate birds like Rock Sparrow, Hawfinch, Golden Oriole, Melodious Warbler, Rufous Nightingale, and Western Orphean Warbler.

Overnight near Monfragüe.  BLD

6 Drive to Belchite    

Before leaving this wonderful area we will make a short stop at one of the most interesting wetland sites in Extremadura, where we can hope to see birds such as Little Bittern, Common Kingfisher, Penduline Tit, Savi’s Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Purple Gallinule, and perhaps a Spoonbill or two.  Then it will be time to make our way to our next base.  Passing Madrid, our route takes us through Fuendetodos, the artist Goya’s birthplace.  A short cultural visit here will give us a welcome opportunity to stretch our legs and perhaps enrich our spirit!  Depending on the time available to us we can also visit the ruins of the old town of Belchite (destroyed in the Spanish Civil War), or make a short detour to look for Bonelli’s Eagle. 

Overnight near Belchite Steppes. BLD 

7 Belchite Steppes  & River Ebro         

Today we will bird the arid Ebro Valley steppes, cereal plains, and little mesetas of the plains.  Our day will Dupont's Lark.  This area boasts the highest population density of the rare Dupont's Lark in the entire country.  After breakfast we will venture further into the steppes where we can see Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse in good numbers.  Among the other birds that we are likely to see are Tawny Pipit,  Black-eared Wheatear, Eurasian Thick-Knee, Little Owl, Greater and Lesser Short- toed Lark, Thekla Lark, and Calandra Lark.

begin pre-dawn with a visit to Belchite.  This impressive steppe area is a spectacle at sunrise, complete with the mysterious song of

 Later in the day we will picnic and walk around a nearby meander in the grand River Ebro to observe a highly contrasting array of birds including Common Kingfisher, Purple Heron, Cetti’s Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Penduline Tit, Eurasian Wryneck, and Iberian Green Woodpecker.  Migrants are usually present in good numbers at this time of year.  The afternoon will be spent driving through attractive and solitary landscapes, punctuated with stops to look for birds like Black Wheatear, Rock Sparrow, Spectacled Warbler, and Hobby.  A stunning little gorge enroute is also worth visiting, not only for its Neolithic cave paintings, but also for the chance of seeing a Spanish Ibex or two.

Overnight near Belchite Steppes.  BLD

8 The Pyrenees: Hecho Valley and Roncal Valley   

Driving past Huesca, our first stop could well be a local golf course where we will look for migrants such as Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Whinchat, and Wryneck.  From here we drive through magnificent high mountain scenery into the Pyrenees.  Next on the agenda is the valley of Hecho, formed by the River Sobordan basin, where it turns into a deep gorge at the ‘Boca del Infierno’, one of the most beautiful ravines in the Pyrenees.  Particularly outstanding here are rock loving birds such as the emblematic Wallcreeper, and the many raptors that occupy the rock cliffs.  There are good opportunities to find alpine and woodland birds including Eurasian Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Red Crossbill, Citril Finch, Song Thrush, and Spotted Flycatcher.  This region holds a healthy population of Lammergeier (also known as Bearded Vulture) and Egyptian Vulture, and mammals including Marmots and Chamois.  The last stretch of the day’s journey takes us westward past beautiful river valleys, with high mountain scenery looming above us. 

Overnight in Roncal Valley. BLD

9 Birding in the High Pyrenees    

From our base in an unspoiled Pyrenean Valley we'll visit narrow, winding valleys with large wooded masses of pine and beech.  In the open areas we find cultivated fields or grazing lands and subalpine meadows above 1500 meters. This is the domain of many alpine and woodland birds such as Black Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, Skylark, Crested Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Rock Bunting, Yellowhammer, and Marsh Tit.  We will search the mature patches of forest for the White-backed Woodpecker, a rare and localized breeding bird in Spain, and we could also see Eurasian Bullfinch, White-throated Dipper, and Grey Wagtail on the local river.  If the weather permits, an after dinner stroll to search for the local Tawny Owls could be rewarding. 

Overnight in Roncal Valley. BLD

10 Birding in the High Pyrenees II    

We will be coming out of the woods today to bird the bucolic valleys and high mountain slopes.  In addition to the raptors we could see, including the magnificent Lammergeier, we are also likely to cross the French border in search of Ring Ouzel, Alpine Chough, Citril Finch, Water Pipit, and Alpine Accentor.  Later in the afternoon we will drive further down the valley, past gliding Red Kites, to visit a spot where Lammergeier may be seen! 

Overnight in Roncal Valley. BLD

11 Drive to Sierra de Guara, visiting Loarre Castle     

Today we descend from the lofty Pyrenees to make our way to Sierra de Guara Natural Park. First we pass the spectacular Mallos de Riglos with their thriving vulture colonies.  Then we make a small detour to visit the imposing Loarre Castle and its surroundings, taking in the birdlife of this magnificent setting, with species such as Rock Petronia, Alpine Swift, Red-billed Chough, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Wood Lark, and raptors. From here we drive past Huesca, visiting hilltop ruins on the edge of town to look for a different array of birds including Spectacled Warbler, Black-eared Wheatear, Black Wheatear, and Thekla Lark, among others.  The next stage of our route will take us along winding roads and past spectacular limestone ravines that will lead us into the heart of the remote Sierra de Guara.  Additional stops en route could reveal Subalpine Warbler and Bonelli’s Warbler in the Holm Oaks that dominate this area and, with a little luck, we can also witness several Lammergeiers near a feeding area on our way to our hotel. 

Overnight in Bierge.    BLD

12 From the Pre-Pyrenees to the Plains   

 In the olive groves and fields of the Sierra de Guara we can discover a good array of birds including Golden Oriole, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and Subalpine, Western Orphean, Western Bonelli's, and Garden Warblers.  The ravines of the rivers Flumen and Mascún are regarded as the most rugged and inaccessible of all in the pre-Pyrenean ranges and offer spectacular rock formations with abundant birdlife.  We also have the option of a visit to the stunning medieval walled town of Alquézar, perfectly restored and overlooking a steep ravine with numerous birding opportunities. 

Throughout the area raptors are much in evidence, mainly Short-toed and Golden Eagles, Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, and Egyptian Vulture.  Additionally, Cirl Bunting, Rock Bunting, and Ortolan Bunting will be among our target birds.  Then we bid farewell to these remote Pre-Pyrenees and head towards the city of Lleida.  Before we get there, however, we will visit dryland areas in the hope of seeing species such as Dartford Warbler, Lesser Kestrel, and Great Spotted Cuckoo, and then a pool thriving with birdlife: Eared Grebe, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red Crested Pochard, Western Marsh Harrier, and much more.  Then, as we pass through the plains around the city of Lleida, we will rely on our guide’s excellent local knowledge to locate any interesting species that we may not have seen yet, either in the surrounding drylands, riverside woodland, or at little known inland wetlands. 

Overnight south of Lleida. BLD 

13 Ebro  Delta  via  plains  of  Lleida     

 A pre-breakfast excursion to a nearby wetland could enable us to set eyes on some new species, including Water Rail, Moustached Warbler, Reed Bunting, Bearded Reedling, and Sardinian Warbler.  Our next stop will be the Catalan coast and a four-hour sea watching excursion on board a large, comfortable vessel.  We will sail out to sea in search of Balearic, Mediterranean, and Cory’s Shearwaters, Storm Petrel, Great, Arctic, and Pomarine Skuas (Jaegers), Northern Gannet, Mediterranean Gull, and possibly some cetaceans!  Once back on land we will make our way to the shores of the Ebro Delta, perhaps with time to spare to visit the northern bay, where we’ll be suddenly immersed in the abundant birdlife of the delta.

  Among the birds we should see during this fast-paced introduction are Audouin’s Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Caspian Tern, Little Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern, Curlew Sandpiper, and a large variety of waders, herons, and other water birds. 

Overnight in Ebro Delta. BLD  

14 Birding in the Ebro Delta    

Today we will have a full day of birding the Ebro Delta to the south of the River Ebro.  This area of littoral wetlands is the third most important in the western Mediterranean after La Camargue in France and ‘las marismas del Guadalquivir’ (Coto de Doñana) in southern Spain.  It is an alluvial plain of about 32,000 hectares that reaches 20 km into the sea.  A large part of this area is cultivated, with a predominance of rice fields (20,000 hectares).  The rice fields are of great importance as a feeding area for many waterbirds, and there are vast beaches and wide expanses of sand, bays, flood marshes, salt plains, small littoral lakes, and riverside woods, with a rich, diverse birdlife.  Eleven species of gulls and terns regularly nest here.  This is the only breeding location for Sandwich Tern on the entire Iberian Peninsula, and it contains the most Audouin's Gull in the world.  In recent years a large population of Greater Flamingos has been nesting in this area, and the Delta has become its third most important breeding site in the western Mediterranean.  Other interesting birds that we can see here are Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, Common Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard, Purple Swamphen, Water Rail, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Collared Pratincole, Kentish (Snowy) Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit,  Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Reed-Warbler, Savi's Warbler, and Reed Bunting.

important breeding colony of

Overnight in Ebro Delta.   BLD

15 Barcelona  

Taking leave of the Ebro Delta this morning, we drive for approximately two hours to Barcelona Hotel or to the airport and the end of an incredible adventure through some of the most beautiful and bird-rich areas of Spain. B

Participants are encouraged to enjoy a day or two in the city of Barcelona. Accommodation and tours can be arranged.

Photographic credits - Roller [p1], European Bee-eater [p3], Pin-tailed Sandgrouse[p4], Displaying Little Bustard[p5], Bonelli’s Eagle [p8] - Jordi Bas;  Cinereous Vulture [p4], Lammergeier [p7] - Jan Pedersen; Stone curlew [p6]- Vincent Grau; Audouins Gull [p9] - Chris Gibbins. All other photos – Steve West.  Map from Google maps.