Cadiz Province december 2018

Tarifa and other parts of Cadiz Province 14th- 18th. of December 2018

I had my "annual" december trip to the Tarifa area to do some birding and avoid the x-mas planning at home. The weather was nice with temperatures from about 10C in the morning up to 18C during day time. I arrived late evening of the 14th and stayed at the Arte Vida hotel just outside Tarifa. It is located close to the Los Lances beach at low cost. So this is a good choice if cost matters. The next three nights I stayed at the Dos Mares hotel close to Arte Vida. Dos Mares is my favorite, but I really recommend the

View from my room at Dos Mares

bungalows at the first row with sea view. I have stayed many times there.

On the 15th I started at Los Lances beach, then drove up to La Janda, continued via Benalup up to Laguna Medina. From there i drove via Jerez to the lagunas along the Camino Colorado, up to the saltspans of Bonanza and last stop at Laguna Tarelo, before driving all the way back to tarifa.

Los Lances had the normal species on this time of the year, with Sanderlings, Dunlins, Common Ringed Plovers, Sandwich Terns and some

Audouins Gulls

Audouin's Gulls. At La Janda, the water levels had gone down lately, so birds were not so close to the main channel and gravel road as they can be. But again, you get impressed by the huge numbers of wintering Cranes and White Storks. A Bluethroat landed just in front of my car. In stead of driving through La Janda I returned back and headed to Benalup and the rice fields below the town. Many White Storks, Cranes and Glossy Ibises here also, and a big surprise for me was a wintering Gull-billed Tern. And a flock of 8 Purple Gallinules.

Eared Grebe, laguna Medina

Laguna Medina was a nice surprise with good numbers of ducks, grebes and coots. The laguna has suffered from introduced carps over the years, but now it seems to be restored. I had more than 50 Eared Grebes, the same amount of Little Grebes and over 100 White-headed Ducks! I then headed up to the Bonanza Salt-Pans, but as previous years I found it rather bird empty. Next stop was Laguna Tarelo. Also here about 10 White-headed Ducks, and also an unusual species; Tufted Duck. There were also several herons and egrets at the far side, at least 5 Black-Crowned Night Herons and 2-3 Squacco Herons. Next and last stop was the small lagoons in the small Camino Colorado. This is supposed to be a safe place for Marbled Duck, but I did not find them, so also here the White-headed Ducks were the stars. 

Barbate Marshes and Saltpans

On the 16th I stayed in the Tarifa area with some short trips up to La Janda and Barbate. At La Janda I had a couple of Black-winged Kites and up to 40 Griffon Vultures. The Barbate marshes were not full of birds, but at least a flock of 20 Audouins Gulls and I also counted 35 Eurasian Thick-knees. I also got a new Spain tick, as I had a Red-breasted Merganser there.

Laguna Grande, Guadalhorce

On the 17th I did much of the same route as the day before, wich made me add species like Lesser Short-toed Lark at Los Lances, Scopolis Shearwaters in the Strait and 2 Caspian Terns at Barbate. on The 18th it was time to start the drive back to Malaga and departure for Norway. However, I also planned for a couple of hours at the Desembocadura del Guadalhorce, which is the estuary just south of the airport. In fact, according to Ebird, this is the place in Andalucia with most species seen; 291 in total. I had 75 Shovelers, Pochards, 20 Shelducks, 15 Eared Grebes, a Booted Eagle, and several Monk Parakeets. To name some of them.

Booted Eagle

To sum it up. I had 112 species during these 4 days. I can really recommend to visit the Cadiz province for birding during winter. There are so many good sites hosting both resident and wintering birds and these sites are close so you do not need to waste time on to much driving. It is also off season so except for the kiters at Tarifa, you can have places for yourself.

Full species list here.

Ruta de Don Quijote and Ruta de los conquistadores

Easter in Castilla- La Mancha and Extremadura 2015

Toledo was a visit worth. Foto Per S.

My wife and I travelled in the foot steps of both Don Quijote and to the core area of the Spanish conquistadores. I have been in this area several times, but chose a slightly different route, starting in Madrid, down to Toledo, continuing through Parque National de Cabaneros, via Medellin, Merida, Trujillo and last stop at Oropesa. 

I had never been to the Cabaneros earlier, so it was nice to see it; this vast area of unspoilt dehesa with a lot of wildlife and a very good place for Spanish Imperial Eagle. The day after we went to see the village of Medellin- perhaps more known to be the drug capital of Colombia, but in fact in Spain it is the birth place of Hernan Cortes- who went to what is now called

The castle in Medellin. Foto: Per S

Mexico.We then drove through one of the most spectacular landscapes of Spain, the vast plain called La Serena. This is probably Europe's biggest steppe. The soil is not useful for farming, so it is mainly used for cattle and sheep. This means it is excellent for birdlife, with very good numbers of bustards, sandgrouses, larks, Montague's harriers and even a species like Roller. This time of the year La Serena is also covered with low and colourful vegetation. This is a must see when in this part of Spain.

La Serena, Extremadura.

After La Serena, we continued into Merida, especially known for it's roman ruins. However, during Easter this is also a very crowded and noisy city. And the Easter parade here was really something. The river Guadiana flows through here, which makes it quite good for birding, with heronries close to the city center. Anyway, of the cities of Extremadura, I like Caceres and Trujillo better.

From Plaza major, with the Pizzaro statue in Trujillo,
Extremadura.

From Merida we went to Trujillo- the birth place of Francisco Pizzaro- who conquered the Incan empire. This small and old city is a must see in Spain. It is a special atmosphere here, and also noteable is that you constantly will have White Storks, Lesser Kestrels and vultures overhead. Trujillo is also the gate from the south into Monfrague, the perhaps most known area in Extremadura for birdwatching.

Monfrague is situated along the river Tajo, and is surrounded by dehesa. It is very wild-rich and is host to a hugh number of raptors. Griffons, Egyptian and Black Vultures are common here. In addition you will find several pairs of Short-toed, Booted, Golden and Spanish Imperial Eagles. And, the good thing here is that you get very close so some of the cliffs they are breeding.

Griffon Vulture in Monfrague.

We ended our trip in Castilla La Mancha and Extremadura by staying overnight at the lovely parador in Oropesa. The parador that earlier was the house of the nobles, from where Francisco de Toledo came who was crowned as viceroy of Peru. I would really like to recommend this parador. And, from your window you will have very close contct with the Lesser kestrels breeding there.

Lesser Kestrel, Oropesa. Foto: Per S.

Barcelona and the Ebro delta December 2014

At Camp Nou

Our family decided to celebrate at our parents home in Alfaz del Pi, Alicante province. I departed some days ahead and arrived in Barcelona. I enjoyed Barcelona playing at home on Camp Nou, and the day after headed towards the Ebro-delta. The delta is about 200 km south of Barcelona and is by far the most important wetland on the Med Coast. I had just been there once before, on the northern side of the river. This time I has hired a guide, Jaume Soler Zorita from Audouin Birding Tours. We met in Poblenou- where I also stayed overnight and started birding. Jaume was excellent.

Plowing of rice fields make a fiesta for the egrets and herons.

What was a bit irritating was the fact that it was hunting day in the Ebro wetlands, which meant that birds were disturbed. According to Jaume hunters were allowed to hunt Coot's once a year, and that was today...Anyway, we drove out of the hunting zone and visited rice fields and wetlands bordering the sea. The rice fields were dominated by egrets and herons; Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret and Grey Heron. Another dominating species out in the wetlands were Greater Flamingo. Together with the Laguna de Fuente Piedra in Andalucia, Delta del Ebro is the most important breeding site for this species. The delta is also the most important site for Audouin's Gull in Europe. They are common here, in addition you will find Mediterranean Gull, Slender-billed Gull, several species of terns and in winter many arctic waders wintering.

Little Egret; common in the Ebro delta

The most unusual Jaume and I had this day was anyway a Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer). It is very rare in Spain, and I had never had it before here.

The Ebro delta is a huge area which means you should stay here at least a couple of days. It is however difficult to work and easy to get lost on all the small roads and tracks. I would really recommend that you hire a guide here. As for accomodation, I stayed in Poblenou situated next to the lagunas El Clot and Tancada and alo close to the sea. For birders, I think this is an ideal staring point. Remember, there are also excellent beaches here, and you can also do sea watching for shearwaters and gannets. Next time I go here, it will be late spring when still some migration is going on and all the breeders are back.

Wetlands near the coast in the Ebro Delta

Andalucia march 2014

Cadiz, Grazalema and Cordoba, march 2014

Seabird watching from Hotel Dos Mares

My wife and myself had a short holiday in Andalucia, combining the coast with the interior of Andalucia. The first days we spent some days in Tarifa, at our favourite hotel, Dos Mares with view over the Atlantic. I did some raptor watching at Tarifa, in addtion to shorter trips we had to Vejer de la Frontera, Barbate and Cabo Trafalgar.

Some days later we started going north-east, going all the way up to Cordoba. I had just been driving through there earlier, so it was a new city for both of us. Cordoba is a must see, with it's history having been one of the three major cities within the Arabic empire- together

Cordoba, situated along the Guadalquivir

with Damaskus and Bagdad. The famous La Mezquita probably being on top of the list for all tourists.

I also liked how the city was situated on the bank of the Guadalquivir river. It is said to be heronries along the river, but I could not see any signs of that in march. The surroundings are more or less enormous, flat agricultural land, so the city is a bit like an oasis. But, do not go here during the summer months! This is one of the hottest places in Europe during summer, and combined with masses of tourists; no way.

Routa de Ornitologico, Grazalema

After a very nice day and night in Cordoba, we went south towards Grazalema. This mountain area is situated close to the more known Ronda, but Grazalema is more nature. I have been there twice, and I really like this small village and the mountains surrounding it. There are some big colonies of Griffon Vultures here, and can easily be seen on short range within the village. A way up in the mountains from Grazalema, there are many foot paths to choose from. I walked here in the -90-ties, but this time the fog was to heavy so we did not take the chance this time.

Last; on the way back we drove through

Ronda Gorge

Ronda. Ronda is very touristic, as it is situated so near Costa del Sol. But I have still been here off-season 3 times and have enjoyed it every time, The scenery is fantastic, both the gorge and the surroundings. And, here you can off-season find top quality hotels, where you can sit on your terrace with wonderful views, having Peregrines, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow and Griffons on close range!

Andalucia september 2013

NOF Travel to Southern Andalucia 18.- 23.september 2013

Raptor watch at the Mirador del Estrecho

I was a guide for a group of 12 norwegian birdwatchers, organised by NOF Travel.  We cooperated with Plegadis v/ Sergio Gonzalez Asian. We had 156 species during the 6 days we spent there. The route was about the following; We arrived at Malaga, drove down to Tarifa and spent 3 days there. We then drove north up to Laguna Medina, Brazo del Este and to La Jantejuela. On day five we visited Zaframagon and Laguna la fuente Piedra. Finally, we had the last night up in the Antequera area, before departing from Malaga again

As for raptor migration, we had a good movement on the 19th both at our stop at the Mirador del Estrecho, between Algeciras and Tarifa, and from Cazalla. About 200 Booted- and 150 Short-toed Eagles. In addition there were Black Storks, Montague's harriers and some Egyptian Vultures. Highlight was however three Spanish Imperial Eagles that we could see from Cazalla. 

Short-toed Eagle migrating towards Africa. Photo: Per S.

On the  20th we visited both the Barbate marshes and La Janda. At Barbate we had a Black-winged Kite, 5 Stone Curlews and several Caspian terns. Later in the day we had many Glossy Ibises at La Janda, the first and only Collared Pratincole of the trip and in fact also a Little Swift.

On the 21st, we started in Laguna Medina and had the usual stuff there, including Purple Swamphen and Red-knobbed Coot. Brazo del Este was however a disappointment, with about 1000 Glossy Ibises as the most remarkable. La Janteuela was however more interesting. At the dams in one of the villages we had in fact another Red-knobbed Coot, and that was the first sighting here ever! Out on the steppes we had 11 Great Bustards, 12 Black-bellied Sandgrouses and another Black-winged Kite. We stayed overnight in Montellano.

Group photo at Laguna de fuenta Piedra.

On the 22nd, we walked through Zaframagon. Lot's of Griffons, another swift with white rump, Blue Rock Thrush and 2 Bonelli's Eagles. Last day we tried the mountain near Antequera, El Torcal. A nice area, but foggy conditions made the number of species quite thin.

Pais Vasco- the Basque Country

San Sebastian and the Basque coast line july 2013

La Concha bay, San Sebastian

I rarely go south of Scandinavia in july, but as my youngest was attending a summer school in San Sebastian, we took a family trip for a visit. I have previously only been to the neighbouring Cantabria, another part of the Costa Verde in Northern Spain, so it was new ground for me. We flew to Bordeaux and drove south through the Basque country on the French side, and then over the border at Irun before entering San Sebastian (Donostia in Basque). 

As expected for late July, the city was crowded and with a lot of nightly activities going on. This is a very touristic place, and a hot-spot for the Spanish on their summer holiday. The climate here along the Gulf of Biscay is much more pleasant than the interior or the Mediterreanen for that matter. The shoreline is probably what makes the city quite spectacular, with long, sandy beaches within the city. We stayed on the eastern side of the Rio Urumea, but as the city is not very big, it is easy to walk over to the other side and continue on the beaches of the bay of La Concha. All in all, I think it was a pleasant experience, taking into account I am not a "city man".

Basque coastline

Another aim for me was to see more of the Basque coastline, so we had a one day drive along the coast, ending at the bay/Ria of Guernica (Gernika). This is the estuary of the Rio Oka, and is seen as the most important bidring area in the Basque country. The area is a mosaic of mudflats, sandbanks, cliffs and pasture. However, this is not suited very much for birding in July; there are to much people both at the beach and in the estuary itself, and for me this would seem more as a hot-spot under migration and for wintering birds.

A basque for a Norwegian

We then drove south, driving through the town of Guernica/Gernika. Most people should have heard of this town; it was bombed by the Germans under the Spanish Civil War and more or less completly destroyed. Based on this, Picasso made on of the most known paintings in the world; Guernica. Sorry to say, we did not find the town very attractive, so we just had a short stop and then drove back towards San Sebastian. I would summarize my impression of the coast line and country side to be a type of mix between Scotland and Switzerland! The green, rolling hills, the cliffs and tidal flats and the houses that seem to be inspired by the Alpine architecture. 

More pictures here

Birding Southern Andalucia march 2009

Tarifa and Coto Donana 4th- 7th of March 2009

I arrived at Tarifa in very bad and stormy conditions, and stayed overnight there. At the 5th, I drove up to Laguna Medina and then up to El Rocio. On the 6th I was together with Jose Antonio Sanchez at Discovering Donana, and we covered most of Coto Donana during the day. In the evening I drove back towards Tarifa. On the 7th I did some birding along the strait before returning home via Malaga. A short and compact trip.

Some of the observations made:

Laguna Medina

Due to all the rain, it was completely full of water. Nevertheless, I had some very good observations of about 30 White-headed Ducks, several Red-crested Pochards and Shovelers. And, 5 Black-necked Grebes.

Coto Donana

The Laguna Madre at El Rocio was full of birds and I walked along the Paseo Marismeno. Flamingoes, Glossy Ibises, Spoonbills, Little- and Great White Egrets and hundreds of Shovelers, Pintails, Teals and Wigeons. Of waders, I especially noticed the number of Black-tailed Godwits.

On the 6th. we drove directly out of El Rocio towards The Valverde Visitor Center. On the way we had 3 Great Spotted Cuckoos, Little Owl, many waders like Green Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Lapwings, Little Stints, Dunlins, Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers. Just outside the Visitor Center, we had a Red-knobbed Coot; a lifer for me!

At the center there were many Little Gulls, egrets and herons, Red-Crested Pochards and also a male Hen Harrier. From here we went east along the road towards the rice fields. Not so much here, really, but we visited the nesting area of the Spanish Imperial Eagle, and could see one bird on the nest, very distant. From here, we went up to Dehesa de Abajo. That was a very pleasant experience. Hundreds of White Storks and Black Kites breed here, and most of them seemed to be there already. Further, we had 4 Red-knobbed Coots here, huge numbers of Purple Swamphens and several White-headed Ducks. We returned to El Rocio, and I drove down to Tarifa again in the evening.

Tarifa and the Strait

At the 7th of March, I spent the day driving slowly from Tarifa towards Algeciras to see if there were raptors coming in. It turned out to be a rather good day, all though the weather was rather unstable with quite hard westerly wind, so I focused on the eastern side of the strait. It was still a constant stream of Black Kites coming in from the sea with several flocks of 100+ birds. Further, I ended with about 40 Short-toed Eagles, one Booted Eagle, a Marsh Harrier, one Peregrine, 20 Griffons and in fact a Black Vulture.

First trip abroad for NOF Travel

Extremadura 19- 23. April 2007

Birding the steppes of Extremadura: Photo: Atle Qvale

We founded NOF travel- the travel agency for Norwegian Ornithological Society- in 2006. The first trip abroad went to Extremadura 2007. In fact, the interest was som big that we had to arrange two trips with just some weeks in between!

I was the guide for the first group of 16 persons, travelling to the promised land. We had 131 species in just three full days, including very good views of the Spanish Imperial Eagle.

The first day, we had the route Belen- Trujillo – Santa Marta de Magasca- Torrejon el Rubio. Already in the early morning pass, in the steppe of Belen just outside Trujillo, we had Little and Great Bustard, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Calandra Lark. 

Black Vulture. Phot: John Martin Mjelde

Just north of Trujillo we had our first stop; this gave three species of vultures, Bonelli's Eagle and lots of Spanish Sparrows. In the Santa Marta de Magasca area, we had 7-8 Montague's Harriers in a field and also a flock of 20 Black-bellied Sandgrouses. We ended our day up at Torrejon el Rubio where we stayed over-night. 

First stop next day was at the castle in Monfragüe. In my mind, a very good place for all photographers. If you stay here some hours, you will for sure get very close opportunities for pictures of griffons and other raptors. In front of Salto de Gitano, the famous cliff just beneath the castle, we had several species, including two Spanish Imperials having some mating-behaviour in the air. Magnificent! Later in the day, we had an even better view of an SIE, in full adult plumage.

Alpine Swift. Photo: John Martin Mjelde

Last day we visited one of the only wetlands of Extremadura; the Embalse de Arroyocampo at Almaraz (close to the nuclear plant). This is part of the dam created by water from both Rio Tietar and Tajo. We had several nice experiences like Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Purple Heron and several species of warblers. 

The whole trip was a success, until we met the SAS-bureaucracy at Barajas Madrid. After 1,5 hours in a que to check-in, the two last persons were not allowed to check-in because they according to SAS were to late, and besides the plane was full. For us that had entered the plane, it was obvious that it was not full at all. The two remaining had to stay the night over in Madrid due to very bad service by the airliner.

Short trip-report from Western Spain November 2000

 I was in Madrid for a couple of days, and managed to get two days of birding in Extremadura. I spent the first night in Talavera (CM) and started from there early Saturday morning. I then drove up to Monfrague via La Bazagona. On the way I had 2-3 White Storks, which perhaps is not unusal these days, but I've not seen WS so late in Spain before. Then I drove up to Mirador de la Bascula. On the way I had several Black

Spanish Imperial Eagle, Monfrague

Vultures. Suddenly, just some hundred meters before the Mirador, I was aware of a very dark raptor sitting on a pole. And, yes, this was an Spanish Imperial Eagle. I managed to get out of the car, and it did not fly off until I was pretty close. An amazing sight. Further, I stopped frequently before arrival at Salto de Gitano. The usual stuff here, a Peregrine included. Just before I drove off, I had a flock of 6 Alpine Accentors. On the castillo I had a Golden Eagle were flying along the ridge.

From Torrejon el Rubio, I took the "inner way" to Trujillo via Santa Marta de Magasca. Here I saw the only Black-Winged Kite off the trip. Between Santa Marta and Trujillo I had at least two flocks of Black-Bellied Sandgrouse. The most common species in these areas were however Spotless Starling, Corn Bunting, Lapwing and Southern Grey Shrike. I also had several flocks of Rock Sparrow.

I spent the night in Trujillo, and went to visit Caceres the next day. After some hours in this nice town, I drove towards Trujillo, but took a side-road via Santa Marta again. On the way I spotted 6 Pin-Tailed Sandgrouses which landed in a field just in front of me. .However they flew off just after seconds. On this route, and the other steppe- and dehesa areas, Red Kite was the dominating raptor. I also had a few Kestrels and Buzzards and one or two Hen Harriers.

Then the rain started heavily, thus the best thng to do was to drive off towards Madrid.

A bit disappointing that no Cranes were seen. It would have been exciting to see them in their wintering-grounds, since these are so different from their breeding grounds in Norway. However, early November is perhaps to early for this species. At least this year with warm south-easterly winds dominating over Scandinavia from September almost to this day. Further, since I had very limited time, I could not stop frequently to scan the vast open areas for bustards. However, there were that many hunters out there so the bustards might have moved to real inaccessible areas anyway.

What to all these people hunt out there? Is it Red-legged Partridges, rabbits or even bustards?

A short trip-report from my visit to Northern – Spain 13. th- 18 th. May 2000

Itinerary

 14/5: Charter-trip Oslo-Alicante. Left my wife and kids by my parents. Took the night-train from Alicante to Zaragoza. 15/5: Hired a car in Zaragoza. Drove down to the steppe-reserve of Planeron. In the afternoon drove up to Riglos (de Mallos). Further up to San Juan de la Pena and to Jaca. Stayed in a hotel in Jaca. 16/5: Visit to the Citadell in Jaca. Then up through the Hecho-Valley and up to Gabardito. In the evening I drove to Ordesa and stayed overnight in Torla. 17/5: Walk in Parque Nacional de Ordesa. Then started the long journey towards Madrid.  Stayed overnight at a motel not far from Guadalajara. 18/5: Visit to a agricultural area near Alcala de Henares. Left the car at Barajas Airport, and took the train down to Alicante.

15/5 Planeron, Riglos de Mallos, San Juan de la Pena, Jaca

El Planeron in the Ebro Valley of Aragaon

At Planeron, I found the place overlooking the area, mentioned in Croziers book. Here, there were signs and information on the wildife. However, I did not find the reservoirs where the sandgrouses should come in to drink. Later, though, I drove back towards Belchite and took a farm-track which passed by some overgrown pools where I saw some Black-winged stilts. Perhaps this was the place?

Mallos de Riglos

I had around 10 Black-bellied Sandgrouses but no Pin-tailed. I saw all the larks in the area, including Dupont’s. (lots of Calandra’s , Lesser short-toed- and Short-toed) I could see 2-3 of the Dupont’s larks, and a few also sung in the middle of the day! In Norway this species is called ”Nightlark”, but this cannot be the whole truth! I also had a Stone Curlew, some Quails and some Spectacled Warblers.

Planeron was a very interesting area, and I would like to revisit. Perhaps a bit earlier in the morning!

I drove north through Huesca, on the way to Jaca. I stopped near Riglos and watched the huge cliffs. One Short-toed Eagle flew over and a couple of Booted Eagles also. Lots of Griffons were soaring, together with app. 10 Black Kites and 5 Red Kites. It was here I had the only Orphean Warblers on the trip.

Rock Sparrow

I drove up to San Juan de la Pena to the Monastery. I walked through the wood and got a stunning view over the Pyrenees. From here I saw my first Lammergeier- but at a great distance. Here, I also had the only Honey Buzzard. Smaller birds included Firecrest.

16/5 Jaca, Hecho Valley, Ordesa

Before leaving Jaca, I visited the Citadell. This place is supposed to be a good site for Rock Sparrow- and it is. Perhaps the most common species around the stone walls!

Ordesa National Park, seen from Torla

I drove up through the lovely Hecho Valley. Lots of kites in these areas! First stop the famous Boca del Infierno- the tunnel. My aim was to get the Wallcreepers here. Just after 15 minutes, a pair suddenly arrived. I great experience! (here I also found a Wild Boar in the middle of the road). I then turned back and headed for the Gabardito cross-country resort. Here again, lots of Griffons. One or two Lammergeiers also, and a pair of Egyptian Vultures. Gabardito is mentioned in some trip-reports to be a reliable site for Citril Finch. However, they were not here. I walked up from Gabardito, and reached the alpine meadows. Water pipits, and a Black Wheatear were the best on the ”small front”. However, I found the Choughs and Alpine Choughs most interesting. Not easy to separate in distance, but they have very different sounds. On one of the slopes I also saw some Spanish Ibex.

I then returned through Jaca and headed for Ordesa. Just before Jaca, I had app. 150 Griffons soaring together. The Griffon Vulture seems to be really numerous in this area. Perhaps the highest density in Spain?

I found a hotel in Torla, and took a quick evening trip into Ordesa. I had a Sparrowhawk, a Peregrine and a Golden Eagle from the Information Centre. In this area, I also saw lots of species which are more common further north in Europe, but have their stronghold in Spain here. (tits, finches, dunnocks, thrushes, pigeons..)

17/5  Ordesa, (and drive southwards)

A bit rainy this day. I climbed the steep Senda de las Cazadores on the right side of the river. On the way up, I found a dead Izard/Chamois. I also had two Wallcreepers on the way up. However, I did not make it all the way up. Because of the rain, I turned back to Torla. It then cleared again, and from my hotel I got the best views of Lammergeier on the trip. Two soaring together not far from the hotel, with dense flocks of Choughs/Alpine Choughs just below. I also heard a Black Woodpecker somewhere.

Alpine Chough

I then drove back, and drove up through the Tena Valley and reached the high ground around the French border. A Lammergeier here too and Alpine Choughs pretty close. I also had Blue Rock Thrush and Black Redstarts are common here. Just around the border area I also had Marmots and a flock of Izards.

I drove back and visited the lovely Panticosa ”village”. A Lammergeier , a Black Wheatear, and very healthy waters... Then, the main trip was over, and I headed back. The car was to be delivered at Barrajas, Madrid, so I had lots of miles in front of me.

18/5 In the morning, I visited the area near Alcala de Henares, mentioned in de Juanas book. This area is supposed to hold bustards and sandgrouses. I first visited the church in the village of Meco, where there still are some Lesser Kestrels. Then I drove along a farm track north of the village. I had a lovely male Montague’s Harrier and a pair of Hen Harriers. The latter I have never seen in Spain before. But, do these areas have bustards? If I was on the right track, I cannot see how for instance Great Bustard can survive in such an agricultural area.

I left the car on the airport, and took the Talgo train down to Alicante.

Southern Andalucia 26/4-3/5 1997

I took a week of and jumped on a charter-flight to Malaga. Due to late departure, we arrived at Malaga Airport at midnight. I got my hired car though, and drove off towards Gibraltar. I managed to get one- or two hours of sleep before day-break, and then I drove out to the Punta Europa first, and later when raports started I went up to the GOHNS-house.

Most interesting observations this day were: 3 Egyptian Vulture, 2 Osprey, 20 Booted Eagle, 4 Short-toed Eagles, 6 Marsh Harrier, 100 Black Kite, 60 Honey Buzzard, 10 Sparrowhawk, 2-3 Kestrel/Lesser Kestrel, 2 Peregrine. Out on the sea I also had small numbers of Cory’s and Mediterreanean Shearwaters. I aimed of course at the Barbary Partridge, but couldn’t find it, although several helpful birdwatchers tried to guide me. This was of course a disappointment.

Next day I drove west to the Cadiz-province and chose to drive through the Ojen Valley. This was a beautiful valley. Almost no traffic (which is understandable, considering the standard of the road..). I should have spent the whole day here, but drove through at small speed instead. In the air there were of course raptors. Short-toed and several Booted Eagles. The first Griffon Vultures started to appear and I even had a Common Buzzard. In the wooded areas there were Bonneli’s and Melodious Warblers together with several Firecrests. Along the road I had species like Stonechats, Tawny Pipits , Thekla Larks and Cirl Buntings.

When the valley was finished, I headed for the La Janda area. I knew this area more or less was destroyed, but I had hoped for something else then what I experienced: A highly developed area with intensive farming and in addition thousands of tracks which meant that I did not find the remaining natural areas. The only interesting I noticed was the first White Storks, Little Egrets and Calandra Larks.

White-headed Duck at Laguna Medina

I then drove towards Laguna Salada. This is a small lake/pond were it can be possible to find the Crested Coot. However, it was not there but it was a real nice place anyway. A type of Garden of Eden among fields and roads. This part of Spain is really beginning to be “developed…”. In the laguna I had some 20-30 pairs of Black-necked Grebes, a little less of Little Grebes and a pair of Great Crested. Further, there were Pochards, Red-crested Pochards, some Gadwalls and at least one pair of the amazing White-headed Duck.

Then on the move again, towards Laguna Medina. This lake is/was a real hotspot, and was former known to host Crested Coots, Marbled- and White-headed Ducks. However, perhaps due to the drought in the mid-nineties, it had not recovered at the time. There were more or less the same species as in Laguna Salada, however I added Black Terns and Shoveler to the list.

On the 29/4 I went up to Brazo del Este. I had heared about Brazo del Este in advance, but did not expect to find such a good site. Although highly developed by farmers, it still hold lots of good stuff. The main problem is to find it, and I will assume that many have had problems with that. There were lots of White Stork, one or two Squacco Herons, about 10 Black-crowned- and some 8-10 Purple Herons. Further, 20 Little Egrets and about 10 Cattle Egrets. Among waders I had about 20 Kentish Plovers and some Black-winged Stilts. However, what amazed me was the number of Collared Pratincoles. I estimated app. 500. It might have been more or less, but they were really common here. I also found 2 Purple Gallinules and several Little Terns in the canals, and out on the fields I had several Gull-billed Terns. In these fields, Short-toed Larks was the most numerous.

I then drove north, through Sevilla, and turned south again for Matalascanas- and of course Coto Donana (Las Marismas). I found a nice hotel with a fantastic view over the floaded areas made by La Rocina. From my hotel-window I could easily see species like Flamingo, several species of marsh-terns, Spoonbill, Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew sandpiper to mention a few.

Hotel Toruno in El Rocio

Azure-winged Magpie

In the evening, we walked the sandy road east of the town. Our aim was to find the Red-necked Nightjar. And we were rewarded; after some time we suddenly heard the unmistakable “katook-katook”, and one bird flew across the path. Later that evening, a nice Barn Owl flew over the table while we had dinner.

At the 30/4  I started around the La Rocina Information Centre. Azure-winged Magpies were common here. New trip-list species here were Kingfisher and Golden Oriole.

Later on the day, we tried to drive north, in order to be able to approach the eastern areas of the park from this direction. This was due to the fact that taking the sandy road east-wards from La Rocio was out of the question. However, we ended up almost stuck in the sand here also, so we more or less drove around in the northern parts without a final objective at all. In these areas we expanded the trip-list with Olivaceous Warbler, Spanish Sparrow (which is not common here at all) and Stone Curlew. Some sort of Glossy Starling was sitting on a bush just beside our car, but I flew away again soon. Since there are several species possible of this African family, we just had to tick

a whole family. I must also mention the number of 

Black Kites in these areas. They are just very, incredible numerous. Several thousands must breed in/near Donana.

At the 1/5 I decided to take the guided trip around the Park. Starting from El Acebuche. I had been warned, so I managed it without getting sick or angry. However, this is not a birdwatching trip! The coach drove as hell along the beaches of the Atlantic coast. Sanderlings and Slender-billed Gulls really had to fly for their life. Well, into the Park interior again, there were several very nice areas, and I also got the impression of the Marismas, the wetlands. There were huge, open wetlands, created by the Guadalquivir. However, as mentioned, we drove through at high speed with just short stops. Well, as mentioned this was not a trip for twitchers, but if you have the possibility, you should take it. I had several new species at the trip-list, in addtion to for instance Slender-billed Gull. Whimbrel, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Black-eared Wheatear, Great-spotted Cuckoo and several Red Kites were added.

In the evening, I left the Park and drove to get some mountain-species. I chose the Grazalema-area which seemed rather accessible. Here, I had much “common-stuff” like tits, woodpeckers, warblers etc. just before sunset.

Grazalema

On 2/5 I used the day in La Grazalema and Las Nieves. My main aim was to find the Rock Thrush, which in fact would be new to me. And I was rewarded already early that morning, with a stunning male singing from his outpost. During the day I got species like Black Wheatear, Rock Bunting, Crag Martin and Red-billed Chough. The first Dartford Warbler was also seen here. Near Zahara I had about 100 Griffons soaring.

Well, my time was beginning to be short, and I drove south-east towards the coast and found a reasonable hotel in one of the tourist-machines.

3/5 was departure-day. However,  I managed a small trip down to the mouth of the “Rio” Guadalhorce in Malaga. I got some new species on the trip-list here like Common and Sandwich Tern. Further, I had 2 Audouin’s Gulls and actually 2 Great Skuas! In fact, I also found Greylag Goose and Common Teal here, and hence understood that I was on my way home…

Southern and Eastern Spain 1996

185 species in one week from 7th to 14th of April 1996

We were a group of 20 Norwegians- from the BirdLife Oslo branch- travelling on a very intensive birdwatching trip to Spain. The reward was 185 species, one of the highest numbers we have ever had in one week in Europe. But, it meant a lot of travelling...

The route was as follows:

• Alicante- Petrola- and Pedro Munoz Lagoons- Santa Olalla
• Santa Olalla- Navalmoral- Monfrague-Trujillo
• Trujillo-Madrigalejo-La Serena-Hornachos- Zafra
• Zafra-Sierra Morena-Azuaga-Llerena-Cordoba-Laguna Zonar-Montemayor
• Montemayor-Andujar-Cazorla
• Cazorla-Sierra Espuna
• Sierra Espuna-Alcantara-El Hondo- Salinas de Santa Pola
• Santa Pola- Alicante...puh

The first real birding we had was in the two very good "lagoons" in Castilla-La Mancha, Pedro Munoz and Petrola. We had Red-crested Pochards, White-headed Ducks and other specialities. In the evening a nice Barn Owl flew above us outside the hotel in Santa Olalla. Next day was essential, as we were heading for Monfrague and the surroundings. As we entered Extremadura, we were rewarded with Great-spotted Cuckoo, a pair of mating Black-winged Kites and Iberian and Azure-winged Magpies. And Monfrague did not dissapoint us; we had 14 species of raptors, including both Black Vulture and Spanish Imperial Eagle.

Each night of the trip we were also out listening for owls. And, it was a very good year; 4 species and among them 16 Scop's Owls! 

Next day was steppe day with a visit to La Serena, and we were rewarded with both bustards and many Montague's harriers. And the day after, at the Llerena steppe, we had a flock of 16 Greater Bustards, flying very close to us.

After more driving, we started to approach Cazorla, and it was evident that we were close to a migration route for raptors, as we had a constant movement of Booted Eagles and Short-toed Eagles. Cazorla added several new species to the list among them a lovely Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush, Firecrest and Tawny pipit. So far on the trip, we had all possible species along the route, and we had also seen most of Central- and South-Eastern Spain, allthough most of it through the bus window.

The next day it was time to go for the Dupont's lark in the Sierra Espuna area. And, we suceeded there also, with two singing males. And, then it was time for the grand final, with some very intensive birding around in the Alicante area, to ensure we would break a record of number of species. And we did, as we added many waders, ducks, terns and gulls in this coastal area; Marbled ducks, Slender-billed Gulls, Audouin's Gulls, Little Stints, Grey Plovers etc etc. 

After a very intenisve week we could finally relax at a very pleasant hotel in Santa Pola. Seen in retrospect, it was really to much driving and to little birding. On the other hand, if this was the one trip to Spain, you certainly got most of it in one week and value for money. And people were not fed-up, as many of the same participants joined for new trips the coming years. In fact, these trips of the nineties were the start of the formalisation of the BirdLife Travel Agency in Norway- in 2006.