Category Archives: Birding

Birdwatching-mountains, river and shore

6yrs and 6 short-toed eagles

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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

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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.

200 Birds in 2011 -A Learner Birder Challenge!

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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

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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)

Youngest owl showing fluffy down

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

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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

House Martin with pellet of mud for building the nest

Building the nest

Two hungry chicks with mouths open wide

Two hungry chicks

House martin Chicks

House Martin chicks

Parent feeding chick in nest

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 - still being fed by mum at nest

Mature chick

Fledgling house martin getting it's balance on the wires

Wobbly fledgling

House martin on wire

House martin on wire

Mass gathering of house martins on electric cables prior to migration

Ready for migration

Empty and crumbling nest

Empty nest

The Ebro Delta – a Must for Birders

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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.

Flock of Greater Flamingoes Ebro Delta

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.