BIRD TREKS SPAIN IN SPRING TOUR, 16th 28th April 2009

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1 BIRD TREKS SPAIN IN SPRING TOUR, 16th 28th April 2009 Trip Report Birds and culture tour organized by Bird Treks in association with BirdingInSpain.com Participants: Susan Beach, Robert Grosek Leader: Steve West Weather summary In the north of the country the spring had brought frequent cold spells and snowfalls, while it had been an unusually dry winter in Extremadura. Rainy or unsettled conditions prevailed throughout Spain from Easter onwards. During the trip: rainy spells on days 1 and 2; overcast on day 3; windy and overcast on day 4, brightening later; sunny on day 5, but with increasing wind; very windy but mostly bright on day 6; sunny and less wind on day 7; bright and warm on days 8 and 9; overcast with a little rain on day 10; rain in morning but clearing in afternoon on day 11; warm and sunny on day 12. Cultural visits Trujillo historic centre, Plasencia historic centre, ruins of old Belchite, Neolithic cave paintings near the River Martín, old monastery of San Juan de la Peña, Loarre castle, medieval Alquézar. Total number bird species detected: 207 Some of the special birds Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Eagle Owl, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Great Bustard, Collared Pratincole.

2 The group s overall Top 10 favorite birds Azure-winged Magpie Black-eared Wheatear Collared Pratincole White-throated Dipper Eagle Owl Firecrest Lammergeier Little Bustard Ruff Wallcreeper Our itinerary at a glance Day 1: Arrival Madrid, drive to Serrejón, Extremadura. Birding near Serrejón. Day 2: Birding in Monfragüe National Park. Day 3: Birding in plains near Cáceres and Arrocampo reservoir. Visit Trujillo. Day 4: Visit Plasencia. Drive to Sierra de Gredos. Birding in Sierra de Gredos. Day 5: Drive to Belchite, some birding on way. Visit old Belchite. Day 6: Birding around Belchite plains, River Ebro, and River Martín. Day 7: Drive to Hecho Valley. Birding near Huesca and Jaca. Visit San Juan de la Peña. Day 8: Birding Hecho Valley, Candanchú and Aragües. Day 9: Drive to Sierra de Guara. Visit Loarre castle and Alquézar. Birding Huesca and Sierra de Guara. Day 10: Birding Alcolea, Candasnos and Sariñena. Day 11: Drive to Ebro Delta. Birding Lleida and Ebro Delta. Day 12: Birding around Ebro Delta. Day 13: Drive to Barcelona airport. Return flight to USA. Our accommodation Hotel Alcaudón, Serrejón. Extremadura. Hostal el Mira de Gredos, Hoyos del Espino. Sierra de Gredos. Rincón del Cierzo, Lécera. Belchite plains. Hotel Usón, Siresa. Hecho valley. Hostería de Guara, Bierge. Sierra de Guara. Delta Hotel, Deltebre. Ebro Delta. Day 1, Arrival Meeting up at Madrid airport was a thankfully fluid procedure Susan, smiling and brandishing a makeshift sign with my name on it, rapidly tracked me down. Five minutes later we met Bob, who was standing at the pre-arranged meeting point. We followed the motorway around the eastern and southern sides of the Spanish capital in rather overcast weather, receiving our first few spots of rain. By the time we stopped for a late lunch in Extremadura we had already seen numbers of White Stork and Black Kite. Duly replenished by Spanish olives, cheese, and tasty potato omelette, we then negotiated the road works and made our way to our fine rural hotel in the peaceful village of Serrejón. Wasting little time, we were soon out in the countryside of Extremadura, the beautiful dehesa of cork and holm oaks that is the trademark of this part of Spain. Hoopoes, Azure-winged Magpies, Beeeaters, Red-rumped Swallows, and some perky Spanish Sparrows were all admired while searching for the day s target bird, the Black-winged Kite. The Kite was duly spotted and observed as it flew 2

3 between perches, while numerous Lesser Kestrels, slender and agile, hunted over the fields or posed on wires or tree branches. Other birds of prey seen in the course of this first birding session included Booted Eagle and Griffon Vulture. We followed a dirt track along the shores of the Arrocampo reservoir, and were entertained by a frantic duel between two excited Zitting Cisticolas. A Savi s Warbler was singing its reeling song from somewhere in the reeds, a Cetti s Warbler exploded into song, and a Reed Warbler also chimed in, although try as we did we could not pinpoint their exact location for visual confirmation. Our first, albeit brief, wetland experience also provided us with views of Purple Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, and Moorhen. We started making our way back to the hotel, but were briefly delayed by the sudden appearance of a smallish mammal none of us had ever seen before an Egyptian Mongoose! Our birds of the day: Hoopoe, Azure-winged Magpie, Black-winged Kite. Day 2, Monfragüe National Park Rain had been forecast for this, our day in the Monfragüe National Park. The morning s grey skies seemed to be telling us that the weatherman had gotten it right, but we were not going to let a bit of moisture come between us and the Monfragüe experience now, were we? As we approached the park we made a number of brief roadside stops and saw Red Kite, a male Subalpine Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper, Rock Sparrow, Woodlark, Bee-eater, Serin, and Linnet. I glimpsed a Hawfinch, but before I could say Hawf it was gone. We passed the sign welcoming us to the National Park of Monfragüe and soon were at the first obligatory port of call, la Portilla. Griffon Vultures sat hunched on the rocky outcrops and the effusive Blue Rock Thrush was in full song. Fortunately for us two half-grown Eagle Owl chicks were viewable on their nest, but even when framed right in the middle of the scope they were far from easy to spot! Rain moved us on from here to rather rushed views of a Black Stork and then into the middle of the park. A muddy puddle by the roadside was one of the attractions of the day, with bunches of House Martins, Barn Swallows, Crag Martins and even a couple of Red-rumped Swallows collecting mud at a few metres from where we sat, much to Susan s delight. Our picnic lunch was enjoyed at Villarreal de San Carlos. Then Bob and Susan paid a brief visit to the visitor centre displays and audiovisual while their guide went in search of the all-important afternoon coffee. The sun shone for us at our next stop where we enjoyed views of airborne Red-billed Choughs, Black Storks, Griffon Vultures, an Egyptian Vulture and a few Black Vultures on crags just the other side of the River Tiétar. Meanwhile, on our side of the river there were Rock Bunting and Black Redstart. The splendid all-round views from the ruins of the Monfragüe castle made climbing up the steep steps worth the while. A Northern Goshawk was an unexpected sighting, less so the numerous but delightful Azure-winged Magpies encountered on the way. Our last stop before turning back was by a stream, where I tried in vain to show a Hawfinch to Bob and Susan before it deftly disappeared from view. We did however get good views of Blackcap, Booted Eagle and several European Pond Turtles. The clouds were rallying once more as we retraced our steps through the park back towards la Portilla. Again we stopped en route, and our diligence was paid off handsomely by good views of an Otter swimming quite leisurely in the River Tiétar. Despite so many distractions we eventually reached la 3

4 Portilla and only just made it to the shelter before it rained once more. But it doesn t rain for long in these parts, and when the dark clouds cleared we were treated to marvelous views of an adult Spanish Imperial Eagle, casually coasting by. This is one of the rarest birds of prey in the world I told Bob and Susan how privileged we were, just to give them the proper sense of occasion. Could that be bettered? Well, unimpaired views of the adult Eagle Owl that was perched on the rocks certainly didn t detract from the experience! The last stop of the day revealed Nightingale and a Long-tailed Tit family, most of the latter constituted by six soggy-looking chicks huddled together on a branch, prompting Sue s motherly concern, Those little birds really shouldn t have left their nest! Our birds of the day: Eagle Owl, Spanish Imperial Eagle. Day 3, The Plains and Arrocampo We were heading down to the plains near Cáceres today, and were happy about that, and also about the fact that the weather was showing some improvement. En route to Trujillo we stopped to admire Roman and Medieval bridges, a Black Stork, Bee-eaters and a singing Cirl Bunting. The two Hawfinches that flew away before we could stop behaved in a way that was not worthy of our admiration. Why couldn t they be more like the two Crested Larks that stood in the middle of the road and posed for us? Soon after passing Trujillo we hit the plains and were well entertained by a displaying male Little Bustard doing his raspberry call, foot-stomping and little jump. Large and noisy Calandra Larks were out in force over the fields, while a more discreet Short-toed Lark was heard but not seen. The main reason for that was the fact that we were rather distracted by several male Great Bustards displaying to a loose party of seemingly dispassionate females. And what a display that of the male Great Bustard! It puffs up all its feathers and virtually turns itself inside out! I m pretty sure if I were a female Great Bustard I would need all my strength of will to keep up my air of indifference to such a show. We continued onto the plains to the east of the World Heritage City of Cáceres and had good views of Black Vultures, Short-toed Eagles, Lesser Kestrels, Montagu s Harriers, and Western Marsh Harriers. Quite a raptor fest even before we had tucked into our picnic lunches within view of more Great Bustards and a number of butterflies that kept Bob well and truly on his toes. After lunch we passed several Rollers at driving speed, parked and strolled around the attractive historic centre of Trujillo, the birthplace of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro Although we didn t spot any of the hoped for Pallid Swifts, there were no dull moments to report, as White Storks, Lesser Kestrels, Jackdaws, gardens, orange blossom and old stonework made for a very enjoyable walk. Our next stop was on a hillside where Dartford Warblers breed. Happily they showed well, along with Orphean Warbler and a couple of migrant Pied Flycatchers. Down by the river Bob impressed us with his imitation of a Great Tit and we found an occupied Booted Eagle nest in some Eucalyptus trees. Arrocampo reservoir was now on the bill and it was not likely to disappoint. Here the Little Bittern showed well, as did a jewel of a Kingfisher, a chiding Great Spotted Cuckoo, a pair of displaying Great Crested Grebes (one of Susan s favourites), Purple Swamphens, Purple Herons, Eurasian Coots, a Gadwall and furthermore, we even set eyes on a Cetti s Warbler and a Great Reed Warbler. 4

5 A Sedge Warbler and another Savi s Warbler also sang briefly and a Water Rail delivered its piglike squealing from the safety of the reedbed, but none of them would show themselves to us. For the second day running we also sighted an Otter, albeit very briefly. Now let no one start thinking that Otters are particularly easy to spot in Spain! To top off an excellent day and our time in Extremadura, we drove to a nearby White Stork colony, which also had a few nesting Spoonbills thrown in for good measure. I think Bob and Susan had expected to see the Spoonbills by the water s edge, but personally I was quite happy not to see any more water until it was time for the evening shower! Our birds of the day: Purple Swamphen, Great Bustard, Little Bustard. Day 4, Sierra de Gredos Sadly we had to leave Extremadura, that birder s playground, to head northward to the Sierra de Gredos. However, we were leaving with some memorable experiences and a good list of some great birds. What a pity that we didn t see any Pallid Swifts in Trujillo I thought to myself as I sat by the car after having sent Bob and Sue off on a lightning tour of the historic centre of Plasencia. They returned, a little ahead of schedule, and Bob immediately pointed to a Pallid Swift in flight and asked, What bird is that? That, Bob, is a Pallid Swift, and you ve just brightened up my morning I reflected. We continued up the Jerte Valley, famous for its cherry orchards and an important tourist attraction when the trees are in flower. The rain had gone but now the wind was picking up. On our way up to the Puerto de Tornavacas we stopped at a bridge over the river and quickly found what we had hoped for: Grey Wagtail and a pair of Dippers, the latter dipping and walking along the river bed, performing wonderfully for us. We stopped at the pass, and while it looked like a promising spot, it was just too windy to stay around. A couple of short walks around fields and small tracts of woodland served as an introduction to a new array of birdlife, which included Song Thrush, Jay, Spotted Flycatcher, Robin, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, and Western Bonelli s Warbler. Before long we had arrived at Hoyos del Espino and efficiently went about dropping off our luggage and shopping for groceries before passing the Red Kites and heading down to enjoy our lunch at a lovely, sheltered picnic site under a canopy of Scots Pine wood and on the banks of a burbling stream. Coal Tits, Crested Tits, Red Crossbills, and Firecrests provided the birding interest while we ate. From here we followed the road to its snowy end at the plataforma, where we joined company with skiers, trekkers, eight Spanish Ibex, Stonechats, Northern Wheatears, a Skylark, and a Water Pipit or two. There was no sign of our desired Bluethroats though; in all likelihood the cold weather had delayed their arrival this year. Returning down the road we had excellent views of Firecrest, Crossbill, Crested Tit, Rock Bunting, and Linnet, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker came and went rather too quickly. While Susan and I sipped our respective tea and coffee, Bob wandered around the pinewood and observed the first Red Squirrel of the trip. Later we followed the road eastwards along the northern side of the sierra and soon arrived at another pass, where the main interest was provided by a group of no fewer than 15 Spanish Ibex, strolling rather nonchalantly up the hillside, apparently unperturbed by our presence or that of the many other human visitors. Our birds of the day: Dipper. 5

6 Day 5, Drive to Belchite Today was to be mainly a day of driving as we had to pass Madrid and continue on to Belchite, not far to the south of Zaragoza. After leaving the Black Redstart behind us in the hotel car park we were soon joining the fray and making steady progress towards Madrid. Fortunately we were soon heading out again and by the time we stopped for lunch we had already covered more than half the day s journey. Chiffchaff was the day s lunch bird. We had made good time, so I decided to make a slight detour along a very winding road, through a village with narrow streets and out again to the hills to look for a special bird that we had not seen in Extremadura: the Bonelli s Eagle. We were all standing in the right place when two eagles flew over no, wait, they were Short-toed Eagles, although no one was particularly interested in their toes. We waited some more and, like in most parts of Spain we visited, there was always a Griffon Vulture or a dozen in the sky to watch while we did so. Then the awaited pair of Bonelli s Eagles appeared and obligingly stayed long enough for all of us to see them. Back on our route we stopped off at Fuendetodos, Goya s birthplace, but it was closed on Mondays today was Monday. Sorry, Goya! Maybe next time. Expanses of cereal fields, flowery margins and red soil indicated that we were now in the Ebro Valley, one of the most arid regions in the whole of Europe, and consequently home to some very special birds. We watched a Peregrine Falcon as it dived among the pigeons on the edge of Belchite and then we also took in a bit of Spanish history by walking around the haunting ruins of the old town of Belchite, destroyed by fighting in the Spanish Civil War and now a striking monument. By late afternoon we had arrived at our lodgings and decided to relax for what remained of the day. Our birds of the day: Griffon Vulture, Bonelli s Eagle. Day 6, The Belchite area Visiting birders wishing to set eyes on the rare, mystical Dupont s Lark are well advised to be out on the plains to look for the species at the crack of dawn. So there we were just after sunrise, dutifully standing on the wide open plains of the SEO Planerón Reserve and somehow hoping to spot a Dupont s Lark in almost gale force winds! Was it dedication that had led us there? Desperation? Or sheer and utter foolishness? Well, not surprisingly, we didn t spot the ever-elusive Dupont s Lark, despite the fact that several birds were singing with admirable determination (now that was it it was in fact admirable determination that had taken us to that spot). A few blow-by Lesser Short-toed Larks were noted, as well as Calandra Larks, and a single Black-bellied Sandgrouse was seen before we succumbed to the elements and moved on. Later we drove along a road in search of sandgrouse and other avian treasures. An Egyptian Vulture flew past us, forging its way into the wind. A Montagu s Harrier, Red-billed Choughs, and a small colony of Lesser Kestrels were also seen before I stopped the car and reversed a little. What was it that Steve had seen in that seemingly monotonous ploughed field? I could almost hear Susan and Bob asking themselves. Black-bellied Sandgrouse I announced, as two specimens of this beautiful species immediately took to the wing, giving us all views of their black bellies as they did so. 6

7 The River Ebro was obviously swollen by the recent rains and snowmelt from the mountains when we searched a stretch of its right bank for migrants and shelter from the wind. The river itself offered us Kingfisher, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, and Yellow-legged Gull, while Black Kites swooped and turned in the air and a Cirl Bunting sang from the cover of the gallery woodland. A good number of butterflies on a sheltered, sunny patch included Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow. Deciding to have our lunch back at the hotel, we dutifully birded the plains on the way back. Our efforts were rewarded with fine close-up views of two Stone Curlews and numerous larks, including Short-toed Larks, Lesser Short-toed Larks, and Thekla Larks. Susan made appreciative remarks when we discovered a smart Black-eared Wheatear, a bird that has always been a favourite with the ladies. Bob befriended one of the hotel s cats over lunch while we delayed departure to see if the wind would drop. It would not. We set out again regardless, and in fact had a very profitable afternoon, first visiting some attractively sculpted sandstone cliffs near Albalate del Arzobispo (where the star bird was Black Wheatear) and then following part of the River Martín past lonely sierras, half-hidden river valleys, and Neolithic cave painting sites. We stopped at one of the latter in a quite spectacular gorge and tried hard to make out some of the figures that the signs informed us were on the rocks. After much squinting and head-tilting we had some limited success. The birds that we encountered in this part of our trajectory included Egyptian Vulture, Blue Rock Thrush, and Red-billed Chough. We drove on, passing a small drinking pool for sheep and Susan urged me to stop. What had she seen? Well, her indefatigable scouring of every water body we came across had finally delivered its fruits: there on the water s edge was an immaculate summer plumage Green Sandpiper with a Common Sandpiper for company. The last part of our circuit was through open, stony fields with ruined stone farm buildings dotted all around. It was a remote, evocative landscape and one not without its birds: Hobby, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Corn Bunting, and an assortment of larks completed another unique day. Our birds of the day: Hobby, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Kingfisher. Day 7, From the Plains to the Pyrenees The option of a pre-breakfast outing was rejected due to the unremitting wind, so we enjoyed our breakfast (and so did Bob s cat) before setting off toward our next destination in the Pyrenees. We hadn t finished with the Ebro Valley yet, however, as by following the same road as we had the day before we encountered the birds we were hoping to find: two Little Owls on a ruined farm building and several beautiful but rather flighty Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. We also spotted a good number of Black-bellied Sandgrouse and a surprise Merlin sweeping low over the fields. We passed Zaragoza and Pilar, its cathedral, in the distance and then drove on to the north of Huesca. A short detour around the edge of a local golf course turned out to be a good move, providing us with some interesting new birds in the form of Mistle Thrush (with a really juicy-looking caterpillar in its bill), Wryneck (what intricate patterning on its plumage!), a singing Melodious Warbler (don t know how it got its name), and a few Pied Flycatchers, unusually one of them being of the race iberiae (white patch on rump, large white wing patch). We carried on past Jaca to the peaceful village of Santa Cruz de la Serós, where we had lunch in the grassy square in front of the 12 th Century church. The sun was shining and the day had become quite pleasant indeed, so much so that Bob invited us all to a well-received ice cream. Apart from some familiar birds we also came across many pilgrims following the famous Camino de Santiago, a route that stretched from the French Pyrenees along the whole of the north coast of Spain to Santiago de Compostela. We took the winding road that led up to 7

8 the old and new monasteries of San Juan de la Peña. A stunning panorama of the snow-covered Spanish Pyrenees opened up before us, beckoning for us to stop and admire the breathtaking view. That done we continued and stopped nearer to the old monastery. Before I had even released the handbrake, a Black Woodpecker changed its vertical perch and took to flight down the valley. We made time waiting for it to return by admiring the unique emplacement and architecture of the old monastery and by watching Nuthatches and Firecrests. Although the Black Woodpecker did not want to return while we were there, our high spirits remained undampened. At our next stop we saw Red Kite and heard the Western Bonelli s Warbler, although the hoped for Ortolan Buntings had obviously not arrived yet. I left quite content though I managed to sell a copy of my book Where the Birds are in Northeast Spain to a Dutch birder we met there! With anticipation we made our way up the Hecho Valley, alongside the river Aragón Subordán, toward that impressive wall of rock known as the Pyrenees. We dropped our luggage off at our rural hotel, admired the scenery, and set off up the valley once more. We reached the Barranca del Infierno, or Hell s Gorge ; this used to be a breeding location for the amazing Wallcreeper, although unfortunately that is no longer the case. Nevertheless, one just has to stop and admire the view and the thunderous noise of cascading water, if nothing else. It was obvious that the Spanish infantry was on manouevres in the upper Hecho valley, but we went about our birding activities unheeded. We found Goldcrests in the firwoods and Yellowhammers in the open pastures before retreating back to the hotel, well satisfied with the way the day had unfolded. Our birds of the day: Wryneck. Day 8, The High Pyrenees Wallcreeper was the name of this morning s bird or, as it is known in parts of China, rock flower. Susan had never seen this amazing creature; Bob had but didn t mind in the least seeing it again, so that was that. We drove up to a mountain refuge and walked through the forest to a huge crag where Wallcreepers were known to dwell. That was where the fun really began: in order to proceed to the right spot we had to attempt to follow the shady part of the path that was now partially covered in frozen snow. We were not to be deterred now that we were so close to our target, so I blazed the trail as best I could and Susan and Bob followed in my footsteps, even if they did sink into a foot of snow now and then! Alpine Choughs and Red-billed Choughs flew up from the top of the crag, appearing rather put out by the fact that we had managed to get so far. Then it was the turn of the woodpeckers: we had already seen a Great Spotted Woodpecker on our way through the forest and now both the dashing Green Woodpecker and the magnificent Black Woodpecker appeared before us in a short space of time. Then a couple of Rock Buntings attempted to distract us from our mission, but without success it was the Wallcreeper we wanted. However, even our determination had its limits. I decided we had waited long enough, and so we prepared to head back down the way we had come up when a sudden flash of colour caught my eye. Could it be? Yes, it was! A Wallcreeper at last! Not one, but two in fact, moving quite restlessly around the vertical crag in front of us. We smiled at each other, Mission accomplished, and started thinking about what our sandwich filling would be in our picnic lunches. Shortly after lunch a Common Whitethroat found its way onto the trip list and then I decided we should give the ski slopes of Candanchú and Astún a go, considering that there was still quite a lot of snow about. We reached our destination without much ado, and even popped over the border into 8

9 France, but the only bird of any note was Water Pipit. As we were leaving, a roadside stop produced a colourful male Rock Thrush, Chamois sitting in the snow, and several pugnacious Alpine Marmots engaged in rather comical-looking confrontations. We then drove to our final destination for the day, the sun still shining brilliantly in the sky. Remember Julie Andrews singing The hills are alive with the sound of music? Well, if so you can probably imagine the scene. With snow-capped mountains, green pastures and forests all around us it didn t matter too much that the famed Lammergeier had given us a miss that day. Our birds of the day: Wallcreeper, Green Woodpecker. Day 9, Castles and Sierras We drove down the verdant Hecho valley for the last time and stopped by to see if the Ortolan Buntings had arrived yet. Nope. We did, however, see our only Common Redstart of the trip, along with Subalpine Warbler, Cirl Bunting, and Western Bonelli s Warbler. Our next port of call was one of the finest and most spectacularly located castles in northern Spain: Loarre Castle. Here a few euros each for the audio guides was a very worthy investment as we were able to stroll around Loarre Castle and its grounds and learn so much about its history and cultural significance, and enjoy the magnificent views. Meanwhile Rock Sparrows, Crag Martins, a Blue Rock Thrush, and the ever-present Griffon Vultures provided the birding input. Now feeling we knew a bit about castles, we continued on to the half-restored ruins of another one on the outskirts of Huesca. Here, however, it was the birds that commanded most attention: Thekla Larks, a male Black-eared Wheatear, a Short-toed Eagle, an Egyptian Vulture, and some Red-billed Choughs. A male Spectacled Warbler sang to us from the arid, scrubby slopes and a Honey Buzzard gaining height on the thermals gave us all excellent views. The next stage of our journey was to make our way in the Natural Park of the Sierra de Guara. This secluded, delightful area replete with spectacular canyons, limestone cliffs, tiny villages, and a rich mosaic of flower-lined fields, scrub, and woodland is at its very best at this time of the year. Griffon Vultures were of course everywhere, but also the equally ubiquitous Corn Bunting, charming flocks of Bee-eaters, and a warbler or two would never be far away. At our first scenic stop in this area we saw a Western Orphean Warbler and a couple of Lammergeiers, although at an estimated distance of four kilometres they were admittedly a little far away. That however was soon remedied by a Lammergeier circling over our heads as we reached the top of a hill pass. We jumped out of the car and watched this magnificent bird sail peacefully away, all in its own good time. After leaving the bags at our excellent hotel and doing a bit of freshening up, we set off again, always ready for a new landscape, a new bird. This time we were going down the road to Alquézar that, like Loarre Castle, was another of those places that just couldn t be missed. What then is so special about Alquézar? Well, it s a fine, medieval walled town with cobbled and arched streets and alleys, built on a stunning location shared with sheer cliffs and deep gorges. Originally an Arab fortress had been built here (in the 9 th Century) but little or nothing remains of that now. There s also a good chance of seeing lots of raptors and other interesting birds, and here we had fine views of Egyptian Vulture, Blue Rock Thrush, and Black Redstart among others on a leisurely stroll in this delightful spot. Another great day met a fitting end in the hotel restaurant, washed down by a glass or two of the excellent locally produced Somontano red wine: Our birds of the day: Lammergeier, Honey Buzzard, Black-eared Wheatear. 9

10 Day 10, Cliffs, Plains and Lakes After studying the trip bird list we all agreed to go for some of the birds we hadn t yet encountered on our travels. Hence we headed south to Alcolea, where parties of Alpine Swifts sped around the face of the impressive multi-coloured sandstone cliffs that stretch southward from the edge of town. We saw Little Ringed Plovers on a shingle bank as we crossed the River Alcanadre on our way to the plains between Ontiñena and Candasnos. Here we met some old friends such as Stone Curlew, Little Bustard, Calandra Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, and Great Spotted Cuckoo, as well as one of our target birds: the humble but not unattractive Stock Dove. Our next stop was a small lagoon near the village of Candasnos. It turned out to be quite a birding hotspot, with summer plumaged Black-necked Grebes, Red-crested Pochards, Common Pochards, Northern Shoveler, Western Marsh Harrier, Cetti s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Great Reed Warbler, and Black-headed Gulls. Next we called in at Sariñena Lake on our way back to the Sierra de Guara, but in truth it was rather disappointing, with only a couple of Black Terns adding anything new. Much more interesting was the congregation of scores of Griffon Vultures on and around some farm buildings between Sariñena and Barbastro. Whatever it was they had discovered, it wasn t likely to be there for much longer! Our birds of the day: Red-crested Pochard, Stock Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo. Day 11, From the Sierra to the Delta Some rain was in store for us this morning as we departed from the Sierra de Guara, but our enthusiasm for new places and new birds remained undampened. Today we were aiming for the birdrich Ebro Delta and were passing through Lleida, my hometown for the last 20 years, en route. Entering Lleida we stopped off at a petrol station to take a look at a huge Monk Parakeet nest, complete with several noisy occupants (Monk Parakeets) who complained loudly and squawkily as we approached. A little later rain clouds still bulged rather threateningly in the sky, so we almost passed the next site by a reed-fringed lake in an agricultural setting to the south of Lleida. However, some unseen force succeeded in attracting us to this lake s shores, and thank heavens it did! Look at the birds that we would have missed had we not stopped here: Bearded Tit (a fine, sleek male), Moustached Warbler (in song), Reed Warbler, Tree Sparrow, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Roller, and Hobby. Then we enjoyed views of the local, thick-billed race of the Reed Bunting while having our picnic lunches, all of this completed by a close up observation of a male Penduline Tit. Great birding and, what s more, no rain! Part of the typical mid-afternoon lull was occupied by a visit to gallery woodland near the town of Flix, which was on our route to the Ebro Delta. Here one of our target birds was Golden Oriole. We heard its rich, fluty whistling, but the bird in question could not be coaxed out of cover by any of the sounds we were able to make. Birds we did see here included Willow Warbler (the first one of the trip, was it really one of the most common European migrant birds?) and Sardinian Warbler. Tea and coffee and a pair of Bonelli s Eagles gave us good cause to pull off the road before reaching the coast and the Ebro Delta. The rice fields for which this region is so well known would have to wait another day or two before being flooded prior to planting. That meant that most wetland birds would be concentrated in a few suitable areas such as the muddy bays, lagoons, and along the delta s network of irrigation channels. By birding these areas available to us on the north side of the River Ebro we managed to see a great 10

11 variety of wetland birds in just a few hours after landing in the area. An almost summer-plumaged Ruff stole most of the limelight, although it was probably the impossible-looking Black-winged Stilts that gave rise to more appreciative comments from the lady of the group. Personally I was satisfied that we were making the most of our time in the delta and were coming across the birds that I had hoped for, including Greater Flamingo, Squacco Heron, Temminck s Stint, Oystercatcher, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin s Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Wood Sandpiper, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern, and Little Tern. Our birds of the day: Ruff, Bearded Tit. Day 12, The Ebro Delta Well aware that our Spanish birding tour was coming to an end, we set out for the southern side of the Ebro Delta, crossing the river quickly on a car ferry, and driving straight to our first birding post, la Gola del Migjorn. Here there is an observation tower that affords the observer excellent all round views of the reedbeds, marshes, channels, lagoons, and rice fields that make up most of this area. A relatively short vigil produced a good number and variety of birds, including new species for the trip such as Black-tailed Godwit, Glossy Ibis, Avocet, and Great Egret. A Savi s Warbler was in song but could not be seen, reminding us of the first leg of our trip in Extremadura. A short seawatch from the beach nearby paid dividends in the form of two Great Skuas. From here we made our way to the Swarovski hide at SEO s (Spanish Ornithological Society) Riet Vell Reserve, although there was little of note. A Pied Flycatcher was the only migrant visible in the trees at a nearby campsite. Just a little further along the beach from the campsite we saw what could hardly fail to be the bird of the day. A small flock of elegant Collared Pratincoles allowed our close approach while they perched on a sandy track or made short flights over a patch of rough grazing marsh. We watched them at our leisure and smiled at each other as we left the site; right then we were happy birders. A circuit around the saltpans and reed-fringed lakes enabled us to add Common Shelduck and Spotted Redshank to the trip list, while still enjoying more views of the species we had already seen in other parts of the delta. Then we returned to the northern side of the delta, dropping Bob off at the hotel while Susan and I visited another couple of birding sites, enjoying our last birding session in the Spanish sunshine. Our birds of the day: Collared Pratincole. Day 13, Barcelona Airport Barcelona airport was a little less than a 2-hour drive from our hotel in the Ebro delta. The trip had come to an end. Useful references: 1. Collins Bird Guide (Britain and Europe). Svensson, Grant and Mullarney. 1999, Harper Collins, London. 2. Where the birds are in northeast Spain. West, S Flying over the Pyrenees, standing on the plains. West, S. 2007, West Publishing. 11