Archive for the ‘Birding and Nature’ Category »

Walking in the Els Ports – Va...

Posted on Feb 19 2012 | No Comments
Walking in the Els Ports – Vall d’Infern 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... Read More »

Camargue Horses at Sebes Nature Rese...

Posted on Feb 18 2012 | No Comments
Camargue Horses at Sebes Nature Reserve -How they Help the Storks 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,... Read More »

Flying High on Stork-ringing Day!

Posted on Feb 11 2012 | 2 Comments
Flying High on Stork-ringing Day! 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... Read More »

Sebes Nature Reserve – Flix

Posted on Feb 11 2012 | No Comments
Sebes Nature Reserve – Flix 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... Read More »

The 2011 Birding Challenge – F...

Posted on Jan 02 2012 | 10 Comments
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... Read More »

Of Delta Birds, Bulls and Clouds..

Posted on Dec 31 2011 | No Comments
Of Delta Birds, Bulls and Clouds.. As it was the last day of the year I thought I’d go down to the Ebro Delta to see if I could add any last minute birds to my list. It was a lovely still day here in Mora d’Ebre but on the Delta it was blowing... Read More »

Missing the Boat

Posted on Oct 15 2011 | 3 Comments
Missing the Boat Permit me to let off steam… This morning we were due to go on a sea-bird watching trip. I was hoping to add a significant number of  birds to my 2011 birding year. More than that I was looking forward to a few hours... Read More »

Common Cranes – In September o...

Posted on Oct 01 2011 | No Comments
A few days ago, (last Wednesday, 28th September to be exact) Keith and I were just pulling up in the car outside our house when from the corner of my eye I saw a large grey bird taking off from the other side of the river island. For a split second I thought it was the usual heron that hangs about in that spot. Then as I was doing a double take – 4 more... Read More »

Summer is passing – and the mo...

Posted on Aug 30 2011 | No Comments
The fiesta has finished, the town is quiet, many of the bars and shops are remaining closed for the week and there is a distinct feeling that summer is over!  Mid-day temperatures are still 30- 35 degC but the early morning heat has a comfortable softness, the light is different, the smell is different and the sound is different! No swifts are screeching round... Read More »

Beer n Bitterns

Posted on Aug 16 2011 | No Comments
We’ve had a couple of pairs of Little Bitterns around during the last two weeks. I wasn’t 100% sure when I first saw a skulking shape in reeds on the other side of the river. Then, from our balcony the following morning I was confident that I’d seen a bird in flight that came to rest in the tamarisk on the river island just to the left of us. ... Read More »


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