A Rare Bird Sighting!

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Dena

I suspect that yesterday was the best day that I will have in my “big birding year”. Glancing over the balcony whilst busy doing household chores I noted a group of Little Egrets on the river island. We see egrets virtually every day but out of habit I picked up the binoculars to take a closer look. And what a surprise I had! Behind the egrets was a big black bird! What on earth was it? I knew immediately that this was something unusual! The duster was cast aside, I threw some jeans on ( I was still in my PJ’s!!) grabbed the camera and batteries that had been on charge and legged it outside stuffing the batteries into the camera.
I got down to the river bank and got a good look at the bird through binoculars. It was entirely black, had a dark, long beak and appeared to be a bit bigger than the egrets. I had never seen anything like it and I did wonder whether it may be a juvenile black stork – even though it looked too small for that. I swapped the bins for the camera and just as I was about to take a photograph – the batteries fell out! I hadn’t clipped the cover properly into place! Arrgh! I scrabbled about to find them and got them back in. A close one! I just managed to get a couple of photographs (albeit not very good ones) before the bird flew off downriver.

Back in the house, I downloaded the pics and got out Collins. The kinked neck as it flew off definitely ruled out Stork. The only other thing it looked like was a Reef Egret – but they live in Africa – I’m in North East Spain! I was well and truly flummoxed!

Via Facebook I sent the pics to a couple of Pro Birders. The suggestions I got back were: a) Dark morph Little Egret b) Reef Egret c) Reef x Little Egret hybrid. It was also recommended that I report the sighting to Rare Birds in Spain. Me -the learner birder! With a possible rare sighting! So I sent the pics off and this morning I had an email back from Ricard Gutiérrez saying he was 100% certain that the bird was Western Reef x Little Egret Hybrid. Apparently, there are a number of these at various locations around Spain including a regular visitor to the Tancada Lagoon at the Ebro Delta. Nevertheless, Ricard said that as far as he is aware there is not a record of one so far inland. He asked if he could pass the info/photos on to the Spanish Rarities Committee to get it accepted and recorded in the 2011 Rare Birds in Spain report.

Erm – I think that’s a Yes then! ….. Rare Bird Spain Report

I haven’t stopped smiling yet!

A Perfect Start to the Day at Sebes Nature Reserve

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Dena

6.30 am Up, dressed, flask of coffee, binoculars, camera and off to Sebes Nature Reserve at Flix.

7 .00 am The sun was just kissing the tops of the reeds as I settled myself in the hide.

Scanned the small lagoon – nothing to be seen. Chirps of house martins and barn-swallows broke the still morning silence.

Poured myself a coffee and ate a couple of magdelenas. As the light was changing I noticed a dark shape in the tall trees beyond. Focused the bins – a Marsh Harrier sat surveying the reed beds.

A Barn-swallow flew into the hide – saw me, flew out again and settled itself on a reed, singing it’s little heart out. Managed to get a couple of photos.

A purple heron flew up from the reeds opposite. I know there are a couple of nests at that spot – so no doubt mum was off looking for food for her chicks.

Marsh Harrier still there.

A movement in the reeds…. ahhh – a Great Reed Warbler! Watched it for some minutes nimbly scrambling up and down the reeds.

Bee-eaters! Couldn’t see them but heard their wonderful tinkling sound.

A moorhen swam around at the edge of the water. Then a couple of white wagtails made an appearance.

Bee-eaters again! This time 4 of them flew across the water their colours showing brilliantly in the morning light.

The Marsh Harrier left his lookout and swooped off into the distance.

A flash of blue and a kingfsher settled for a few minutes on a dead branch.

The purple heron returned – caught me by surprise and it quickly disappeared into the reeds but it looked like she had something in her beak. Good – the young ones have breakfast!

A little egret flew in.

A cuckoo began to call!

Left the hide and wandered via a boardwalk through riverine woods of White Poplar, Willow and Tamarisk. There was a heavenly sweet smell – masses of Honeysuckle was in flower! Goldcrest and Long-tailed Tit flitted everywhere. Cuckoo still heard but unseen.

Took the car to the top end of the reserve noting usual sparrows, starlings then Wood-pigeon and Hoopoe on the way.

Arrived at the Stork Colony and was pleased to see that the young storks were now big enough to bob their heads above the nest. Time for another coffee whilst I sat and enjoyed watching the parent birds soaring above and clattering their bills as they returned to the nests bringing food.

A Golden Oriole could be heard nearby. A further sighting of Marsh Harrier flying low over the marshes and finally a clear view of Cetti’s warbler hopping round openly on the ground beneath the stork nests.

10.30 – Time to go.

Drove back through the reserve and passed a lone jogger on his way in. The first human of the day!

Couldn’t resist a quick detour to see the Sand Martin colony on the Ebro meander at Flix. An estimated 500- 600 pairs now nest here. What a sight to see all these birds darting in and out of their holes in the sandy bank!

And what a perfect start to my day!

6yrs and 6 short-toed eagles

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Dena

It occurred to me this morning that we have lived in Spain exactly 6 years today! As I was drinking my coffee on the balcony contemplating our life here, the anniversary was nicely celebrated with the fly-past of 6 short-toed eagles – the first of the year! They circled for some time quite low over the valley before heading off towards the Priorat area. How good is that!

It still thrills me that from our lounge balcony we see such a variety of birds. It is now 10.30am and I’ve just done a quick count of the birds I’ve seen since I got up:

Grey heron
Little egret
Cormorant
Mallard
Common Sandpiper
Moorhen
Coot
Grey wagtail
Black redstart
Blackcap
Magpie
Collared dove
House sparrow
Serin
Blackbird
House martin
Barn swallow
Short-toed eagle
Black kite

19 species! By any standard that is not a bad count or variety of birds before you’ve even got dressed! And the short-toed eagle a tick for my 2011 list!

So, I’m counting my blessings this morning! Living in Spain can have it’s down sides and we certainly don’t have much disposable income to splash around on eating out or luxuries. But you know what? I have a wonderful view over the river, the sun is shining, the trees are greening up, the summer birds are returning and I feel rich! What more could I ask?

The view from our balcony

2011 Birding Challenge – February Update

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Dena

The first couple of weeks of the year were very exciting as I ticked off all the regular birds on my local patch and saw my list start to grow! A trip down to the Ebro Delta added a few more birds and then due to a unusually long stretch of cold weather – and far too many grey days, the last few weeks haven’t been all that productive. Or at least not in terms of numbers. It has been productive in the sense that after a couple of years of “passive birding ” I feel I’m now actively getting to know my local patch. Even if I don’t see any new birds it’s kind of rewarding to be aware for example that there were no long-tailed tits around one morning but there were lots of goldfinches instead. Or to know which patch of woods to go to see treecreepers. Or to have learned to distinguish a mistle thrush from a song-thrush! Not rocket science I know but I’m enjoying it!

So how many am I up to on my 2011 birding challenge ? Well, the list stands at 62 birds so far and are as follows:

	Common Name	Latin Name	Where seen
1	Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax Carbo	Local Patch
2	Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Local Patch
3	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	“”
4	Great Egret	Egretta alba	“”
5	Grey Heron	Ardea Cinerea	“”
6	Coot	Fulica atra	“”
7	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	“”
8	Spotless Starling	Sturnus unicolor	“”
9	Common Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	“”
10	Carrion Crow	Corvus corone corone	“”
11	Magpie	Pica pica	“”
12	Blackbird	Turdus merula	“”
13	Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs	“”
14	Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita	“”
15	Short-toed Treecreeper	Certhia brachydactyls	“”
16	Cetti’s Warbler	Cettia cetti	“”
17	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	“”
18	Firecrest	Regulus ignicapillus	“”
19	Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochrurus	“”
20	White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	“”
21	Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	“”
22	Blue-tit	Parus caeruleus	“”
23	Great Tit	Parus major	“”
24	Long-tailed Tit	Aegithalos caudatus	“”
25	Serin	Serinus serinus	“”
26	Black Cap	Sylvia atricapilla	“”
27	Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	“”
28	Mistle Thrush	Turdus viscivorus	“”
29	Song Thrush	Turdus philomelos	“”
30	Fieldfare	Turdus viscivorus	“”
31	Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	“”
32	Kestrel	Falco Tinnunculus	“”
33	Monk Parakeet	Myiopsitta monachus	“”
34	Hoopoe	Upupa epops	“”
35	Siskin	Carduelis spinus	“”
36	Greenfinch	Carduelis chloris	“”
37	Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis	“”
38	Sand Martin	Riparia riparia	“”
39	Crag Martin	Ptyonoprogne rupestris	mountain
40	Robin	Erithacus rubcula	mountain woods
41	Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	mountain woods
42	Barn Owl	Tyto alba	Driving home from Tarragona! Flew in front of car.
43	Common Buzzard	Buteo buteo	Sebes Nature Reserve
44	Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus	“”
45	White Stork	Ciconia ciconia	“”
46	Stonechat	Saxicola torquata	“”
47	Common redstart	Phoenicurus phoenicurus	Local
48	Crested Lark	Galerida cristata	Ebro Delta
49	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus graellsii	“”
50	Black-headed Gull (Adult winter)	Larus ridibundus	“”
51	Yellow-legged Gull	Larus cachinnans	“”
52	Booted Eagle	Hieraaetus fasciatus
53	Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
54	Purple Swamp Hen (Gallinule)	Porphyrio porphyrio	“”
55	Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus	“”
56	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	“”
57	Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	“”
58	Water Rail	Rallus aquaticus	“”
59	Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus	“”
60	Greater Flamingo	Phoenicopterus ruber	“”
61	Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	“”
62	Short-toed Eagle	Circaetus gallicus	Local-today from my balcony!

Any half-decent birder who has been to the Ebro Delta will no doubt be surprised that there are not many birds listed from the Delta when the place is swarming with them! There’s a good reason for that – I’m rubbish on gulls and waders! The truth is I saw a lot more birds than are recorded here and I could probably have made a stab on at least a dozen more. But why? The target of 200 birds in a year is not actually about achieving 200 ticks. It is a means to an end – the real objective is that I learn to recognise more birds. So if, after I’ve flicked through Collins I’m still saying “I think that could’ve been a …..” then it doesn’t go on the list. But I’ll have learnt a bit more for next time I hope! Well, that’s the plan anyway!

And the highlight from this first 62? The firecrest! I was ridiculously delighted to see this beautiful tiny bird! Just the one on one occasion – haven’t seen any since.

And to finish off here are a few of my fave pics from the Ebro Delta. The one with the tractor is the scene that greeted us within 5 minutes of driving onto the Delta – a farmer turning over the empty paddy field and in doing so providing breakfast for hundreds of gulls and egrets. The glossy ibis was the last picture of the day – we were heading off the Delta and almost whizzed past them! The others simply ones that I like of the lovely reflections in the lagoons.

Beware of the Caterpillar! The intriguing life of the Pine Processionary

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Dena

They’re back! It’s January and over the last couple of weeks many pine trees have acquired some intriguing cobwebby pouches at the end of their branches. If you were to see them you may well be tempted to have a closer look or even worse have a gentle prod and poke. Don’t do it! What you have come across is the winter home of the Pine Processionary Caterpillar which can be dangerous to humans and inquisitive pets. Sounds crazy I know. But these caterpillars have stinging hairs that may cause nasty, painful, itchy rashes, inflammation, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock.

The Pine Procesionary Caterpillar is prevalent throughout Southern Europe. It is the larva of quite an inconspicuous looking moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) which lays it’s eggs in Pine trees from July/August. The caterpillars hatch and live unobtrusively in the tree until they reach the 3rd moult. It is at this stage – usually around January -when they develop the stinging hairs and when they also build their large silky pouches, communal nests which may each contain up to 300 caterpillars. Each night the caterpillars emerge and eat the pine needles retreating back into their pouch during the day. A pine tree with a bad infestation can have many branches stripped bare.

The next stage of this caterpillars life is even more fascinating. When fully grown – usually around February or March – they leave the tree en masse travelling nose to tail in a single file procession! They are going in search of soft ground where they will pupate before emerging as moths in July/August. These processions can be several metres in length and is another time when people and pets may be have a close encounter they may regret. From a young age the local children are generally well aware of the dangers of these caterpillars. Many curious expats, visitors and pets have found out about them the hard way. Seriously – veterinarians are often called on at this time of year to treat an inquisitive dog with a sore and swollen tongue from investigating these intriguing processions. I’ve also heard tell that even golfers have abandoned their games when these Pine Processionary Caterpillar are marching over their fairways!

It’s a fascinating life-cycle and behaviour for sure. But you’ve now been warned! If you see these caterpillars or their nests in your gardens or when out walking – beware! Don’t go poking and prodding or letting your pets near them!

200 Birds in 2011 -A Learner Birder Challenge!

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Dena

It all started with a tweet! A tweet on twitter that is – not a bird call! Last week I posted a comment on twitter something like this: “Decided that from Jan I’ll be a “proper” birder and start listing. Saw Great Bittern xmas day so methinks list has to commence Dec 25th!”

That comment kicked off a conversation with another birder (@birdblogger on twitter) which led to me taking up the challenge to reach a tally of 200 birds species during the next 12 months.

Before we came to Spain I used to enjoy seeing birds in our garden and in the local nature reserve but I would’ve been hard-pressed to name any other than the common birds – blue tits, robins, blackbirds, starlings and their ilk. Nevertheless, when we bought our house here in Catalunya and I realised we were in an exceptional area for birding I thought it would be hobby I could really get into. Bought the Collins Field Guide and a cheap pair of binoculars and away I went! Well, not quite…. I sorted out the Swallows, Swifts and Martins that fly in huge numbers over the river in summer. I delighted in the Bee-eaters and Hoopoes. Was in awe of the huge Griffon Vultures in the mountains. I eagerly awaited the sound of the first Nightingale and Scops Owl – a sure sign that summer is here! And then… well, that was about it really!

To be honest it quickly dawned on me just how much there was to learn. I was totally bewildered by LBJ’s! Half the time I didn’t even know which section of Collins to look in! Was I looking at a warbler, a finch, a tit, a thrush? How were you supposed to ID these birds -they never sat still long enough! So I gave up on the Little Brown Jobs.

Perhaps I’ll do better with waders, shore-birds and wildfowl I thought, I’ll start going down to the Ebro Delta. Well ok – I could tell a grey from a purple heron and a little egret from a great egret. As for the rest – Redshank? Greenshank? Lesser Yellowlegs? Sandpiper? And don’t even get me started on gulls! Juvenile 1st winter plumage, 2nd winter plumage, adult summer plumage? Nah – this was more frustration than enjoyment! So for the next couple of years I didn’t do any “birding” as such, I resolved simply to enjoy the birds I saw -whether I could name them or not.

Then a strange thing happened. I started using Twitter. I started to follow and be followed by lots of folk interested in birds and nature. I read their blogs and looked at their amazing photos. I subscribed to a couple of birding newsletters. After a while I started to realise that I was indeed starting to recognise some LBJ’s and other birds. I’ve also realised that I do in fact birdwatch all the time. From my balcony, walking the dog, from the passenger seat of the car. Birds have got under my skin! I surrender!

Hence a few weeks ago I decided that in 2011 I would start keeping a list and be a “proper” birder. Perhaps I’d be pleasantly surprised at the birds I knew and it would push me to ID the ones I didn’t. That’s when I made the post on Twitter and @birdblogger said that I should be able to make 200 birds in a year. Game on! What a great challenge to encourage me!

And now if you’ll excuse me – it is 3.00pm on Jan 1st and I haven’t yet been outdoors. I’m off out for an hour to get those first birds of 2011 on my list!

Barn Owls at the Ebro Delta

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Dena

Family photo!

It was a stroke of luck that just before I turned off my computer on Saturday night I had a last peek at Facebook and noticed Cristian Jensen’s update: Sunday morning they were going to be ringing Barn Owls at the Riet Vell Nature Reserve on the Ebro Delta! Well, I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to see these lovely birds close-up so we were up and out early on Sunday morning and made the trip down to the Delta. Incidentally, Cristian runs Audouin Birding – a birdguiding company offering tours in this region, throughout Spain and also abroad. Apart from being a really nice guy and very knowledgeable, he is also a licensed ringer for the SEO (Sociedad Española de Ornitología – similar to the RSPB)

The youngest - so cute!

Anyway – on to the Barn Owls – in the first building there were 5 young ones in the man-made nesting box. They were aged something like 5-7 weeks old. (The eggs are laid 2-3 days apart) You can see from the photos that there is an age difference as some still have a lot of fluffy down. The birds were amazingly passive whilst they were being ringed. I was able to gently stroke one and it was incredible! The softest thing I’ve ever touched!. It was an absolute treat to be able to see such beautiful birds close-up.

In the second building the breeding pair hadn’t been so successful. No chicks at all here. Broken egg shells indicated that the contents had been eaten -probably by a rat. Which is quite ironic given that the owls main diet is rats.

Rat skulls can be seen very clearly in the photo of the owl pellets that were picked up from the floor. So on this occasion the owls prey had become the predator! Sad but that’s nature.

Model of Owl face

We were also shown this interesting model of an owls face. This hasn’t been made as a piece of art though, it actually has a very important job. In the event of chicks being abandoned/parent birds being killed, this is used to shield the hand and pass food to the chicks through the whole in the “mouth”. I’m sure in a dark nest the chicks are easily fooled into thinking this is mum!

About Barn Owls in Catalonia

Barn Owls are generally present in all open agricultural places throughout Catalonia up to an altitude of 1,500 metres. However, the Ebro Delta is blessed with one of the highest breeding densities in all of Catalonia.. It is normal for them to breed twice a year here. The first brood at the end April and the second at the end of October. The survival of the Autumn brood can depend more on the weather than the availability of food. A rainy and windy spell in Autumn can affect the parent owl’s ability to find their prey as they do this by sound location.

In the past – like many raptors – the Barn Owl was persecuted by man. It was also affected by chemical products used in agriculture which diminished it’s fertility. The Barn Owl is now a protected species in Catalonia. Thanks to the legal protection along with a growing awareness of nature conservation and the provision of nest boxes the numbers have recovered. Once again the Barn Owl can often be seen at night flying silently over the rice fields in search of it’s prey.

A Season of House Martins

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Dena

There I was sitting on the balcony, drinking my morning coffee and looking at the empty and crumbling house martin nests. Remembered that I had dozens of photos that I hadn’t got around to editing and posting! It’s been an absolute pleasure this year to watch 4 pairs of House-martins build their nests and rear their chicks. They decided to nest underneath the balcony which is directly above ours, giving us an excellent viewpoint from only about 3 metres away. There are hundreds of nests around town so by the end of summer when the new chicks were fledged there were several hundred birds swooping over the river catching insects. A joy to see. Enjoy the pics!

House Martin positioning mud pellet on nest

Building the nest

Two hungry chicks

House Martin chicks

Parent feeding chick

Action shot of parent house martin dropping away from nest

Parent leaving nest

Chick looking out of nest - almost ready to fly

Chick thinking about leaving the nest

Mature chick

Fledgling house martin getting it's balance on the wires

Wobbly fledgling

House martin on wire

Mass gathering of house martins on electric cables prior to migration

Ready for migration

Empty nest

The Ebro Delta – a Must for Birders

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Dena

I have to admit, the first time I visited the Delta I was uninspired. I love mountains, so at first I found the flat landscape quite featureless and boring! Now? I love it! I love it for being different. For the wonderful seasonal changes. And of course for the fabulous variety of birds. When the brown and muddy rice paddies are flooded in the Spring the reflections of sky and water can be magical. A few weeks later the fields are a fresh green as the rice shoots grow. And in the autumn the rice paddies turn to fields of gold. Most of the agricultural work is mechanised now but it is still fun to go when the harvest is in full swing and you can see the huge harvesters at work in the fields.

As far as birdlife is concerned, the Ebro Delta is one of the most important wetland areas of the Mediterranean.

A typical sight on the Ebro Delta

The sheer numbers and variety of birds here make it and a “must-visit” destination for any birder. Amongst the 300 bird species that either live on or visit the Delta are herons, gulls, waders, terns, ducks, warblers – far too many to list but including Greater Flamingo, Slender-billed Gull, Glossy Ibis, Savi’s warbler Collared Pratincole and around 70% of the world population of Audouins Gull.

So where do you start with 320square kilometres of lagoons, salt marshes, sand dunes, reed beds, canals and rice fields to explore? First of all, bear in mind that the Delta is shaped rather like an arrowhead divided down the centre by the River making clear North and South areas. It is now easy to cross from one side to the other as a new road bridge has been built between Deltebre and St Jaume d’Enveja. Previously the only means of crossing was via a small car ferry. Nevertheless, this natural division makes it more practical to visit one half at a time – allowing at least one day for each side if possible. The flat landscape of the Delta, lack of significant landmarks, and its complex network of lanes and canals can make it very difficult to get your bearings. I recommend that you make the Information Centre and Ecomuseum in Deltebre your first port of call where you can pick up a map and a brochure with some detailed birding itineraries. For a first visit following these routes will help you get your bearings and will direct you to the popular locations at La Tancada, Riet Vell Nature Reserve, Canal Vell, Illa de Buda, and Fangar where there are hides and look-out towers.

Wild Winter Weather

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Dena

Just like the UK and Northern Europe we have had some very extraordinary weather in Spain lately. Weather statistics show record high temperatures, record low temperatures and record rainfall for this period in various parts of Spain. In our area, early December temperatures were still reaching 22°C and we were feeling quite smug about our long and gentle Autumn. Suddenly it all changed, temperatures plummeted and on the 14th December there was a heavy fall of snow overnight. It didn’t last long but for 24 hours it was mayhem with schools and roads closed all over the county. We have had an odd flutter of snow in previous winters but nothing like this – so we assumed that this was the worst that the winter was going to throw at us. Wrong! On 7th January it happened again with a massive snowfall followed by temperatures of 0 to -3°C for several days. By the river here it didn’t stick around so long but in just 5 minutes drive out of the valley the snow was easily 30-40cm deep. It was pretty amazing to drive around the area and see vineyards covered in snow and dozens of families snowboarding, sledging and snow-balling. For many Spanish kids it would have been the first time in their lives that they were able to play in snow! A week later temperatures rose and it rained – hard. The combination of rain and melting snow raised the River Ebro by about 5 metres! In between we’ve had gale force winds! We drove over to Tarragona a couple of days ago and the roadside was strewn with branches. We’d previously noticed dozens of trees with their branches weighed down and cracked under the weight of snow and it seems the wind had finished the job off. We tried to go for a walk at the beach one day and very quickly sought refuge in the nearest bar! It was like being sandblasted! And I’ve never before seen waves being almost turned backwards by wind!

It is hard to believe that in 4-5 weeks the Almond blossom will be blooming! It will won’t it? Please!

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All about living, working and playing in the River Ebro area of Tarragona, Spain

Category Archives: Birding and Nature