Yearly Archives: 2012

Walking in the Els Ports – Vall d’Infern

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Date of walk: Saturday 18th Feb

Temperture in Tortosa: 17 degC

Mountain Temp: approx 15 degC

Wind: NNW  4km/h

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the temperature in the valley was touching 17 degreesC.  In fact although it can still get chilly at night, February is often a wonderful month of blue skies, sunshine and made all the more delightful because it is when the almond blossom appears.  All in all, a perfect time of year for walking.

This walk began once more at Font Nova the natural Spring form where we commenced a previous walk to La Moleta. It is Walk 10 in the Cicerone guide “Mountain Walking in Southern Catalonia”

The first 45 mins was a fairly steep climb to the ridge and it wasn’t long before we discarded jackets and walked in short-sleeved t-shirts.

To give you an idea of the ascent: On the photograph to the right, our car is parked just out of shot at the bottom left hand side.  We crossed to the back of the mountain in the “V” on the horizon and this shot was taken on the return to the starting point.

After the climb to the ridge the rest of the walk was fairly easy, a couple of stony descents being the hardest thing to negotiate later on (often tougher on my old knees than climbing uphill I must admit!)

Once again, within minutes of reaching the ridge we came across a group of male Spanish Ibex, grazing in the scrub on a small plateau.  The largest of them stood and looked directly at us for at least a couple of minutes before deciding that we were of no account and trotting away with the others behind the boulders. It wasn’t long before we saw a couple of Griffon Vultures and then about 20 minutes later a female Ibex and her kid.

The other thing we saw today was people!  Usually, we walk mid-week but today was Saturday. There were 5 or 6 cars at Font Nova when we arrived, but the people in them were only collecting water from the fresh spring. During the walk we saw 2 couples and on our return to Font Nova there was a family having a picnic. We have become used to having the mountains to ourselves – so that seemed like a lot of people!

Below a few photographs of the general scenery, the Ibex and a couple of Griffon Vultures.

The starting point at Font Nova

Being assessed by a large male Ibex

 

Other male Ibex in the group

The rugged terrain and views to the River Ebro Valley

Griffon Vultures, soaring on the thermals

Camargue Horses at Sebes Nature Reserve -How they Help the Storks

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Camargue horses have had an important role in the successful re-introduction of  White Storks at Sebes Nature Reserve.  Storks consume a wide variety of prey including beetles, crickets, lizards, snakes, molluscs, crustaceans, frogs and toads and they prefer to feed in areas of shallow wetland and avoid areas that have tall grasses.  It was necessary therefore, to clear the dominant vegetation of reeds and bulrushes from large areas of the reserve.  This was achieved initially by the hard work of humans but as the reeds grow back very quickly it was impossible to maintain this level of manpower.  Camargue horses were the answer.

Camargue horses are a stocky and hardy breed of horse  that have specially adapted broad hooves for living in marshy areas.  The resident herd at Sebes graze in enclosures on a rotation basis. Once the reeds have been eaten down the horses are moved on.  Another advantage of  clearing the reeds is that the open spaces allow other species of plant to flourish. This in turn adds to the bio-diversity of the reserve.  The reeds of course eventually grow back, so the horses are never short of food, the storks get their preferred open areas, and humans don’t have to hack back the reeds. It’s a win-win-win!

If you visit the reserve, and wish to see the horses, call in at the Mas del Director (Information Centre) where there is a plan showing where the horses are.  With a bit of luck they’ll be in an enclosure where you can see them closely and no doubt you’ll enjoy seeing the horses as much as the bird-life.  As I did recently: 


Foals of Camargue Horses are brown in colour. They gradually lose the brown and become fully white at about 4 yrs of age. The close up below shows the white hair starting to come through

Then it was time for a roll in the dust..

And then, a siesta…..

Flying High on Stork-ringing Day!

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I am a regular visitor to Sebes Nature Reserve at Flix so over the last few years I’ve got to know some of the staff there.  Last June I had asked one of the wardens there to let me know when the bird-ringers were going to be  ringing the storks.  I received a text a few days later telling me that the ringers were there so I jumped into the car and headed up to the reserve.

I’d expected that they would bring the young storks from the nest somehow but when I got there I realised that they went up to the storks in a cherry picker and did the ringing, weighing and measuring actually at the nest.  I was surprised  to see that the parent birds just flew away from the nest  as they approached it. Good thing too, I thought, I wouldn’t fancy being on the receiving end of an angry Storks beak!  However, there was a primary school class watching too,  and one of the scientists – who was taking swabs from the Storks for bacterial analysis – gave a little talk to the kids and then decided to bring the last pair of chicks down to ground level for everyone to see. Off they went in the cherry picker and brought down two chicks wrapped in towels.  They were incredibly docile as they had their rings put on and were measured and swabbed. The children watched fascinated (and so did I! ) and it was good to see that the reserve had used the ringing as an educational opportunity.

 

When it was all finished the birds had to be returned to the nest. This was when my day got really exciting!  The reserve manager asked me if I would like to go up in the cherry picker with the ringers to return the birds to the nest!  Yes please!!

I clambered into the bucket and it began to rise.  As we approached the nest the parent birds flew away as before. The nest, that looks big enough  from the ground, was just  huge close up!  We unwrapped the chicks and laid them on the nest.

From here we could look across to several of the other nests, where other parent birds and chicks were keeping a stern eye on us. Oh my, what a treat to see into the nests from this vantage point!  Just wonderful!  Then one of the ringers asked if I would like to go higher to get a panoramic view over the reserve.  I nodded but inside I was thinking “no, we’re high enough!”  Too late, he called down to the operator and the cherry picker began to extend to it’s maximum height of 32 metres. I have to admit, standing in a bucket suspended 100 ft in the air- my knees began to wobble!   But, it was fabulous to have such a view over the reserve and the river, and, making a determined effort to be calm I got out my camera and took a few shots.  What a morning to remember!

Higher

..and higher

...and higher

A birds-eye view of the Stork Colony

Sebes Nature Reserve – Flix

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Sebes is small Nature Reserve about 20 mins drive from us, on the outskirts of the town of Flix. There are 206 hectares in total which runs in a fairly narrow strip alongside the left bank of the River Ebro. It consists of reedbeds, river islands, tamarisk woods, lagoons and riverside woods of willow and  poplar and hence has a rich bird-life both of nesting birds and visiting migrants – especially as it forms an eco-bridge between the drylands to the North and the Mediterranean climate and coastline  to the south. In total, about 200 species of bird have been sighted here.

There are 3 hides at the reserve and among the birds to be seen are Great Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Purple heron, Grey heron,Marsh Harrier, Black Kite and Little Bittern. If you are very lucky you may see Great Bittern during the winter – which I’m pleased to say I did last December. If you are extremely lucky you may even see otter – which has been glimpsed a few times over the last couple years. An excellent indicator of a healthy water system!

There is a very good information centre – “Mas del Director” which has  interesting displays about the flora and fauna of the reserve. From the Centre  you can walk to 2 of the hides overlooking small lagoons. The opening times are:
Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 14:00 
Saturday 9:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 pm 
Sunday from 9:00 to 14:00

(The reserve itself and hides are always open -irrespective of the Information Centre being open)

Sebes is however, probably best known for its successful reintroduction of the White Stork.   White Stork had ceased to breed in the Lands of the Ebro in the late 1930′s due to loss of  habitat caused by industrialisation and pollution.  So, in 2001, twenty chicks were brought from Lleida and were raised in an enclosure.  They were liberated in 2003 and 2 pairs began to breed there. The project was repeated a couple of years later and now there is a breeding colony of  around 14 pairs.   The colony can be seen from close quarters at the top end of the Reserve and it is always a delight to see the  pairs on their nests and to hear their bill-clattering  greetings. The Storks are normally present from January to July. It is thought that they winter a little further North where there is a more abundant winter food supply but they usually start to return in January. By April you can see the new chicks starting to bob their heads above the nest.

Once the chicks are big enough they are ringed and I had a great experience last June when I visited on ringing day! Shortly after the chicks are fledged the birds leave  though they may make occasional visits back during  the following months.

In addition to the Storks and other birds you will also have chance to see a herd of  Camargue horses which are a key element in the success of the stork re-introduction.

Also, the track which goes through the reserve is a local walking route called the Cami de la Sirga -”The Towpath” which also forms a section of the long-distance footpath, the GR99.   The Towpath  is a story in itself and a short distance further on from the Mas del Director there is a little museum with audiovisuals telling its history. Entry to the museum has to be pre-arranged.

How to get to Sebes Nature reserve:

From Mora d’Ebre take the C12 to Flix. Follow the road over the dam bridge. The road to the reserve is immediately to the left as you leave the bridge but do not try to turn here. Continue for 50 yds or so. You will see a sign for Sebes which takes you into a turning circle. Head back towards the bridge now from the other direction and take the unpaved road just before the bridge.

One other thing:  Nature reserves in Spain are supported heavily by banks and to a lesser extent with subsidies from regional and local governments.  As you can imagine funds have been drastically cut over the last few years. Staff have already been lost and hours for the remaining ones cut.  Please – donate what you can in the box in the information centre or buy a t-shirt, some postcards, a book…. . Every little helps as they say. :)

The Correos and the Stamp!

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When you are in a different country to your own you expect that things will be different.  To some extent you come prepared for different language, different food and different culture.  But you know – it’s always the simple things that take you by surprise.  Little everyday things that may leave you open-mouthed and exasperated even if you can see the funny side.

Recently we had a couple staying here for some weeks and so they were having more than the usual experience of  ”How Things are Done in Spain”.  She wanted to send  letters  back home to North America and needed stamps.  So off she went to the Post Office. She asked for the appropriate stamps and was told they didn’t sell such stamps and she would have to go the  Tobacconist!  Amazed as she was, she obediently tootled off to the tobacconist and requested the same. With a sucking  of the teeth and shrug of the shoulders they too told her that they didn’t have stamps for sending mail to North America – perhaps she should try the Bookshop/Stationers?  She gave up!  I must add at this point that this lady speaks fluent French, Spanish and has a smattering of Catalan so it was not a language problem!  Anyway – a day or so later in another town she managed to acquire a couple of stamps and posted off her letters.  A couple of weeks went by and she had a few postcards to send. She needed more stamps. This is her amusing email to me about her further attempts to buy stamps at our local Post Office:

“I must be a masochist, having decided to try my luck once again at the local Correos.  Entering the building this morning, I was heartened to see that the surly clerk who had summarily dismissed my request for stamps that would carry postcards to Canada had been replaced by a new and friendlier face.  Stepping up to the wicket, I hesitantly asked for three stamps for North America and was pleasantly surprised to see the clerk pull three stamps out of a large folder. 

 My joy was short-lived, as I watched her fumbling on the computer to process the sale.  After five minutes of fruitless mouse-clicking, she called on her colleague for help.  He, too, found it challenging, but after a further five minutes was able to proclaim success and inform me that the total cost would be 2.10 Euros.   “Isn’t that strange,” I remarked.  ”A few days ago, in another office, I bought stamps for the same destination and they cost 80 cents  each,” brandishing one of the stamps for emphasis.  “Ah,” she answered, “but these here are stamps for Europe only.  We don’t have stamps for North America.”
 
She sent me over to a senior colleague who confirmed the sad truth.  Grasping at straws, I then asked if two smaller-denomination stamps could be used to make up the correct amount.  However, this solution had to be shelved when I saw the size of the stamps in question; they would have covered half the postcard, barely leaving room for “having a great time; wish you were here.” 
 
Not wanting to admit defeat, I then trudged up to the Bookshop/Stationers  for one final attempt.  Predictably, they only had stamps for Spain and suggested I try the Correos.  All of this suggests that a return trip to San Carles de la Rapita — the source of the elusive stamps — is in order.  Who knows, I might even find some postcards there upon which to affix said stamps” 
Now you know why they say “Spain is Different”!  

One Way This Way. One Way That Way. Doing it Their Way!

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Oh it was great fun getting through town today.
Here in the old part of town we have a network of narrow streets.  They were built with donkeys in mind not cars.  A couple of years ago, after years of cars literally scraping past each other the town council introduced a one-way system.   At some point over the Christmas /New Year holiday, the Town Council has switched the one-way system around!  So the streets you could turn into you now can’t. And the streets you couldn’t turn into, you now can.  There were no warnings anywhere to warn traffic of the changes.  The first change  I encountered was at a V shaped junction;  I noticed the No-Entry sign at the last second when as normal I was about to take the road on the right. Braked hard, swung the car to the left and found my way round town in reverse order hoping that everyone else had observed the signs from their end!

I’m sure in UK there would have been information signs posted for weeks before. Then on the big day, it still would have been chaos, probably complete with road rage and threats to sue the Traffic Dept!  Here they just do it. You are supposed to look at roadsigns right?  So what’s the big deal?

And, you know – it worked perfectly!

 

The 2011 Birding Challenge – Final Total

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And the total for my 2011 Birding Challenge was ….. ..drum roll………….. 158 species!

So, I failed to meet the target but I don’t think I failed – if that makes sense!  I suppose I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t get a bit nearer but I achieved  more than ¾ of the target number and though I say so myself I think it’s a pretty good number for a learner birders first year list.

As I said at the start, the idea was was not to simply achieve a target of 200 ticks – the real aim was to push me on to recognise more birds. And I can say that I have done that! It hasn’t been without it’s frustrations though and I know there were a lot that got away before I could be sure of an ID ….I’d say at least 42! ;) There have also been some highlights. The number one highlight was seeing the hybrid Little Egret x Reef Egret and getting a mention and the photograph on Rare Birds in Spain website. That was pretty cool and my face ached for about a week I think with the permanent smile! The number two was seeing a flock of cranes at the end of September on virtually the same spot! But, actually each ID that I achieved myself was very satisfying.  However, I didn’t do it all alone. I went a few times alone to the Ebro Delta but I also went on a  bird trip with Cristian of Audouin Bird Tours. I also did another bird trip up in the Lleida drylands with Steve West of Birding in Spain. Their knowledge of birds and the area was invaluable and my list would certainly be a lot less without their help. I would recommend anyone coming here for the first time to consider a day or two out with them because both the Delta and the Lleida Steppes are large areas with a rabbit warren of unsigned lanes and it can be frustrating finding your way around never mind finding birds!

I wasn’t sure at first how much to define as my “local patch.”  In the end I decided that it would be  our local riverside and woods (from the doorstep!) or anywhere in the countryside/orchards around Mora to which I could drive within 10 minutes. I also kept a separate count of the birds I saw from the balcony of my lounge. The balcony count turned out to be 31 birds and the Local Patch – 40 – and as you’ll see it was a wide variety of birds too!

So here it is the Learner Birder’s first year list…. !

 

Common Name Latin Name Where seen
1 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Ebro Delta
2 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Ebro Delta
3 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Ebro Delta
4 Purple Swamp Hen Porphyrio porphyrio Ebro Delta
5 Red-knobbed coot Fulica cristata Ebro Delta
6 Common Coot Fulica atra Balcony
7 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Balcony
8 Balearic Shearwater Puffinus Mauretanicus Sea-Trip from Tarragona Harbour
9 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus Sea-trip from Tarragona
10 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Balcony
11 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Balcony
12 Night Heron Nycticorax Nycticorax Balcony
13 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Balcony
14 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Balcony
15 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Balcony
16 Great Egret Ardea Alba Balcony
17 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Balcony
18 Western reef x L Egret Hybrid Egretta gularis x garzetta Balcony
19 White Stork Ciconia ciconia Sebes Nature Reserve
20 Black Stork Ciconia nigra Ebro Delta
21 Common Crane Grus grus Balcony
22 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Ebro Delta
23 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Ebro Delta
24 Mute Swan Cygnus olor UK
25 Canada Goose Branta canadensis UK
26 Common Pochard Aythya ferina UK
27 Red crested Pochard Netta rufina Ebro Delta
28 Mallard Anas platyrhynchus Balcony
29 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Ebro Delta
30 Shoveler Anas clypeata Ebro Delta
31 Pintail Anus acuta Ebro Delta
32 Common Teal Anas crecca Ebro Delta
33 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni Lleida
34 Common Kestrel Falco tinnumculus Local patch
35 Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo Local patch
36 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Local patch
37 Hobby Falco subbuteo Local patch
38 Osprey Pandion haliaetus Balcony
39 Black Kite Elanus caeruleus Balcony
40 Red kite Milvus milvus Local patch
41 Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus Balcony
42 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Sebes Nature Reserve
43 Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus Lleida
44 Eurasian Buzzard Buteo buteo Local patch
45 Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus Priorat
46 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus Ebro Delta
47 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus Ports de Beceite
48 Griffon Vulture Gyps vulvus Ports de Beceite
49 Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus Lleida
50 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Local patch
51 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Ebro Delta
52 Ringed Plover Charadrius dubious Ebro Delta
53 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponicus Ebro Delta
54 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Ebro Delta
55 Curlew Numenius arquata Ebro Delta
56 Spotted Redshank Tringa Erythropus Ebro Delta
57 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Ebro Delta
58 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucus Local patch
59 Turnstone Arenaria interpres Ebro Delta
60 Sanderling Calidris alba Ebro Delta
61 Little Stint Calidris minuta Ebro Delta
62 Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii Ebro Delta
63 Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans Ebro Delta
64 Lesser Black-backed Larus fuscus Ebro Delta
65 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus Ebro Delta
66 Slender-billed Gull Larus genei Ebro Delta
67 Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus Sea Trip from Tarragona
68 Herring Gull Larus argentatus UK
69 Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica Balcony
70 Caspian Tern Sterna caspia Ebro Delta
71 Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis Ebro Delta
72 Common Tern Sterna hirundo Ebro Delta
73 Whiskered Tern Chilidonius hybrida Ebro Delta
74 Great Skua Stercorarius skua Ebro Delta
75 Red legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Lleida
76 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata Lleida
77 Rock Dove Columbia livia Priorat
78 Stock Dove Columbia oenas Lleida
79 Woodpigeon Columba palumbas Priorat
80 Turtle Dove Streptpelia turtur Lleida
81 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Balcony
82 Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus Balcony
83 Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Sebes Nature Reserve
84 Barn Owl Tyto alba Priorat
85 Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops Local patch
86 Little Owl Athene noctua Balcony
87 Red-necked nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis Balcony
88 Common Swift Apus apus Balcony
89 Pallid Swift Apus pallidus Tortosa
90 House martin Delichon urbicum Balcony
91 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica Balcony
92 Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris Balcony
93 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Balcony
94 European Roller Coracias garrulus Lleida
95 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Balcony
96 European Bee-eater Merops apiaster Balcony
97 Hoopoe Upupa epops Local Patch
98 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus major Priorat
99 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Local Patch
100 Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis Lleida
101 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator Sebes Nature Reserve
102 Golden Oriole Oriolus Oriolus Local patch
103 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius Local patch
104 Common Magpie Pica pica Balcony
105 Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorox Lleida
106 Jackdaw Corvus monedula Local patch
107 Rook Corvus frugilegus UK
108 Carrion Crow Corvus corone Local patch
109 Common Raven Corvus corax Ports de Beceit
110 Great Tit Parus major Local patch
111 Blue Tit Parus caeruleus Local patch
112 Coal Tit Parus ater Ports de Beceite
113 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Local patch
114 Thekla Lark Galerida theklae Lleida
115 Woodlark Lullula arborea Priorat
116 Skylark Alauda arvensis Priorat
117 Zitting cisticola Cisticola junidis Ebro Delta
118 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Local patch
119 Stonechat Saxicola torquatus Priorat
120 Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura Lleida
121 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarus Local patch
122 Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Sebes Nature Reserve
123 House sparrow Passer domesticus Balcony
124 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Local patch
125 White Wagtail Motacilla alba Local patch
126 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris Lleida
127 Water pipit Anthus spinoletta Sebes Nature Reserve
128 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Local patch
129 Serin Serinus serinus Local patch
130 European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris Local patch
131 Siskin Carduelis spinus Local patch
132 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Local patch
133 Linnet Carduelis cannabina Lleida
134 Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus Priorat
135 Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Ebro Delta
136 Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cettia Local patch
137 Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Sebes Nature Reserve
138 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Sebes Nature Reserve
139 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Sebes Nature Reserve
140 Ciffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Local patch
141 Bonell’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli Lleida
142 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Local patch
143 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Sebes Nature Reserve
144 Greater Whitethroat Sylvia communis Sebes Nature Reserve
145 Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata Lleida
146 Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala Priorat
147 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Local patch
148 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Local patch
149 Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla Local patch
150 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Local patch
151 Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor Balcony
152 Blackbird Turdus merula Local patch
153 Fieldfare Turdis pilaris Local patch
154 Song Thrush Turdis philomelos Local patch
155 Mistle Thrush Turdis viscivorus Local patch
156 Robin Erithacus rubecula Local patch
157 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica Ebro Delta
158 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Local patch