Ken Cross in Europe: Day 15 - The group's final full day in Spain

Last day group!

We started the day with a full breakfast buffet in our hotel and ended it with a three course meal in the same place with perhaps too many drinks.

The theme of the last supper was Spain and the birds therein. In other words a review of, what was agreed, a very successful trip - full of many birding and natural highlights.

Two happy campers

First my thoughts; Spain was a European nation that I had long wanted to visit and bird. In many ways it was a nation that exceeded my expectations. The range of scenery was spectacular as were the many vistas crammed with explosions of wild flowers. Mountains, in particular, impressed Australian eyes; with our chair lifted visit towards the Picos de Europa singled out by many as perhaps the best place and day on tour. The Pyrenees and specifically the valleys that we visited in northern Spain and, indeed the very south of France, were special but tainted because of the rain we experienced there. Monfrague, with its large folded peaks and its attending flocks of vultures will not be easily forgotten. And the Spanish Steppes, literally steps towards the northern Pyrenees, had a
wild-ness in its wind swept plains and a character unlike anywhere that I have been.

Steve West

Steve West was an excellent guide. An Englishmen originally, now a proud Catalan man with a Catalan wife and sons, his knowledge of the languages of his adopted nations were essential to [probably] our survival or the very least a successful navigation through menus that had zero respect for English. Steve's knowledge of the birds, and their songs and calls, was impressive; perhaps intimidating but his casual nature [although not as casual as mine] made all feel confident to discuss and to question. His sense of humour was, at times, questionable and his jokes are perhaps worse than mine. We have hoped that our gift to him of Australian field guides for Birds and Mammals create a need to travel down nder one day. We will wait patiently to host him when and if he arrives. One more thing about Steve is that he has a doppelganger, who is a [fictional] birder; Sir Ben Kingsley who plays a birder in the lovely independent film, The Birder's Guide to Everything". Can you tell the difference?

Steve West?

Driving in Spain was a joy. The roads were generally excellent with the motorways allowing speeds of 120 kilometres. Although I am now keen to have a few days off from getting behind the wheel...

Our group deserves mention as a successful tour needs, perhaps most of all, good people. And I'm very pleased to report that everyone on this tour were excellent. The atmosphere within the group was great from day one. So thankyou to Steve Guerrato, Ray Devine, Jan England, Karen Blake, Vince Lee, Norm and June Harris, Russ Lamb and Maria Dam. A bloody big thankyou!! Muchos gracias grande.

Finally - the birds. As has become a custom all were asked to nominate their best three birds, in order, to see if there was any consensus in our experience. The results showed minimal consensus with a range of species being nominated some 21 out of a [mathematically] possible 30. The top three species established by our process was...[drum roll] a tie for first place.

1. Dupont's Lark and Lammergeier

3. Hoopoe

with Pin-tailed Sandgrouse tightly sqeezed into fourth place.

Dupont's Lark is a difficult bird to see well. In a country of larks it is, because of its rarity, its distinct appearance, its wild home on the steppes and its 'rusty gate swinging' song, it is the standout. a few in our group recognised it as a memorable bird as they had prolonged views of the bird doing, what larks do, fluttering furiously while ascending towards the heavens, all the while singing. With the naked eye one sees nothing; its just, 'up there' so good luck and management are needed to enjoy good views.

The Lammergeier, recently had its official name changed to the far less romantic name of Bearded Vulture by the IOC. I'm going to ignore their call on this occasion and persist with its French [?] sounding name. The Lammergeier is a vulture connected with high mountains; in Europe, in Africa and the Himalayas in Asia. It is a huge bird with a fierce reputation however, like all vultures, it enjoys carrion. Lammergeiers, famously, carry bones high above the stony cliffs, and drop them smashing them onto the rocks such that they can feast on the marrow within the shattered bones. For a few on our group the Lammergeier was a target and we ewre lucky to get good views of a soaring bird while high in the Picos de Europa.

The Hoopoe is a ridiculous orange, black and white bird with a decurved bill and a not-so-subtle crest. It sings its name and is pretty common allowing all good views and, hopefully, the odd photo. It is found throughout Eurasia and I clearly remember my first sighting of the species behind the Taj Mahal back in 1992!

The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse was a bird I wanted to see. A Spanish specialty, a family of birds that failed to spread to Australia and a gloriously attractive species that was the standout in our illustrated itinerary were the reasons given for this species making 'our too-deadly four'.

Birds Seen in Spain

1. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
2. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
3. Yelkouan Shearwater Calonectris xxxxxxxxx
4. Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
5. Eastern Storm-petrel

Shelduck

6. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
7. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
8. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
9. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
10. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
11. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
12. Great Egret Ardea alba
13. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
14. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
15. Black Stork Ciconia nigra
16. White Stork Ciconia ciconia
17. Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
18. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
19. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
20. Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

Yellow Wagtail

21. Gadwall Anas strepera
22. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
23. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
24. Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina
25. Common Pochard Aythya ferina
26. Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
27. Black Kite Milvus migrans
28. Red Kite Milvus milvus
29. Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus
30. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
31. Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus
32. Black Vulture Aegypius monachus
33. Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus
34. Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
35. Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus

Iberian Magpie

36. Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
37. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
38. Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti
39. Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
40. Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
41. Red-footed Falcon
42. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni
43. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
44. Hobby Falco subbuteo
45. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
46. Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa
47. Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
48. Purple Swamp-hen Porphyrio porphyrio

Alpine Chough

49. Coot Fulica atra
50. Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax
51. Great Bustard Otis tarda
52. Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
53. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
54. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
55. Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
56. Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
57. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
58. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
59. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

White Stork

60. Dotterel Charadrius morinellus
61. Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
62. Northern Lapwing
63. Red Knot Calidris canutus
64. Sanderling Calidris alba
65. Little Stint Calidris minuta
66. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii
67. Ruff Philomachus pugnax
68. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
69. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
70. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
71. Common Redshank Tringa totanus
72. Greenshank Tringa nebularia
73. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glaroela
74. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Whitethroat

75. Common Snipe
76. Turnstone Arenaria interpres
77. Great Skua Stercorarius skua
78. Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
79. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
80. Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei
81. Audouin’s Gull Ichthyaetus audouinii
82. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
83. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
84. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
85. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
86. Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
87. Common Tern Sterna hirundo
88. Little Tern Sternula albifrons
89. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
90. Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata
91. Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis
92. Rock Pigeon Columba livia
93. Stock Dove Columba oenas
94. Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
95. Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
96. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
97. Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
98. Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
99. Little Owl Athene noctua
100. Red-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis
101. Alpine Swift Apus melba
102. Common Swift Apus apus
103. Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
104. White-rumped Swift
105. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
106. European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
107. European Roller Coracius garrulus
108. Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
109. Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
110. Iberian (Green) Woodpecker Picus (viridis) sharpei
111. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
112. Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti
113. Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra
114. Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
115. Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens
116. Crested Lark Galerida cristata
117. Thekla Lark Galerida theklae
118. Woodlark Lullula arborea
119. Skylark Alauda arvensis
120. Sand Martin Riparia riparia
121. Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris
122. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
123. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
124. House Martin Delichon urbicum
125. Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
126. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
127. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta
128. Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
129. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
130. White Wagtail Motacilla alba
131. Dipper Cinclus cinclus
132. Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
133. Dunnock Prunella modularis
134. Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris
135. European Robin Erithacus rubecula
136. Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
137. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
138. Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
139. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
140. European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola
141. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
142. Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica
143. Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura
144. Common Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis
145. Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
146. Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
147. Common Blackbird Turdus merula
148. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
149. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
150. Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti
151. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
152. Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscninoides
153. Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
154. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
155. Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta
156. Icterine Warbler
157. Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata
158. Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans
159. Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala
160. Western Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis
161. Whitethroat Sylvia communis
162. Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
163. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
164. Western Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli
165. Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus
166. Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
167. Goldcrest Regulus regulus
168. Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus
169. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
170. European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
171. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
172. Marsh Tit Poecile palustris
173. European Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus
174. Coal Tit Periparus ater
175. Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
176. Great Tit Parus major
177. Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea
178. Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla
179. Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
180. Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
181. Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
182. Iberian Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis
183. Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
184. Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
185. Iberian Magpie Cyanopica cooki
186. Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
187. Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
188. Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus
189. Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula
190. Carrion Crow Corvus corone corone
191. Common Raven Corvus corax
192. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
193. Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor
194. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
195. Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
196. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
197. Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia
198. Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
199. European Serin Serinus serinus
200. Citril Finch Serinus citronella
201. Snowfinch
202. European Greenfinch Chloris chloris
203. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
204. Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina
205. Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
206. Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
207. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes
208. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
209. Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus
210. Rock Bunting Emberiza cia
211. Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana
212. Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
213. Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra

Mammals
1. Isard [Pyranean Chamois]
2. Spanish Ibex
3. Red Deer
4. Roe Deer
5. Red Squirrel
6. Rabbit

Reptiles [to be added]

Maria and moi

The rest of our day; bascially the morning was spent doing a quick Barcelona tour which ended with a private tour in the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. This building [although this is an altogether unsatisfactory word to use] has been described simply as a must see while in Barcelona. That is absolutely true! You must see it. I think it is the most stunning 'thing' I have ever witnessed that has been envisaged and constructed by human hands. It was originally designed by the Catalan genius architect and designer Antoni Gaudi and work began in the year of 1882 - the work continues to this day. In effect you are visiting a work site but what a site and sight. Our guide, naturally named Maria, was a very pleasant interpreter to her fair city and her Spanish accent charming.