Birding in the province of Cadiz early september 2015

A friend of mine and myself had a four day trip for birdwatching in the Cadiz province. We hired car in Malaga and drove to the Tarifa area where we stayed at La Codorniz (The quail), where I have stayed several times before. Tarifa, the southern most tip of Europe, as such is nothing I would recommend for people seeking tranquility or cultural highlights. But the feeling of being close to Africa, the beaches and of course the bird migration makes it a hot spot for me. 

Raptor watching at Cazalla, Tarifa.

In addition to El Estrecho- Gibraltar, we had several day trips to other places in the province. One day we went all the way up to Sanlucar de Barrameda, situated at the southern bank of Rio Guadalquivir-the spine or nerve of Andalucia. We also went up to one of the casas blancas; Vejer de la Frontera. This white village situated on the top of the hill is always a nice place to visit. And, even better, down below at La Barca de Vejer, you now would find a breeding site for the very endangered Bald Ibis!

A trip to the Strait of Gibraltar this time of the year for a birdwatcher will however have one main reason; to enjoy the raptor and stork migration from Europe to Africa. 10ns of thousands of these species, migrating during the day and therefore highly visible, are flying over the about 15 km to Morocco before they then continue deep into the African continent. We had many Honey buzzards, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Black- and White Storks. 

Estuary of Rio Guadalquivir at Sanlucar.
 Coto Donana on the other side

Some 30 min north of Tarifa, you will find the former wetland of La Janda, where many migrants rest before they take to the wings and fly south. All though not a wetland anymore- it was drained in the 60s, the channels and also some of the rice fields had quite a lot of water this september. Quite extraordinary, taking into account is has not rained for many months. We had one of the key species there, the Black-winged Kite and we also had many Montague's harriers.

Glossy Ibises at La Janda

It satyed very warm when we were there. For birding, it would have been better with colder conditions. We had a real shower though, when we were up in the Alcornocales searching for the White-rumped Swift. We did not find it this time either, but it just inspires to go back again for it and the many other birds to be found in this rather remote and different place of Europe.

If you would like to read more about this area, try the excellent website of Birding the Strait: 

Birding Aragon steppees and the Pyrenees

Aragon and the Pyrenees in May 2015

El Planeron on the steppes of Aragon. Foto: Odd Kindberg.

I was acting as a guide for a group of 12 Norwegians travelling with NOF Travel to the aragonese plains and the Pyrenees. We cooperated with Josele Saiz at Boletas Birwdwatching Centre. Josele is highly recommended if you need professional guiding in this part of Spain.

A good point of departure when going to Aragon and the high-Pyrenees is Barcelona. I have taken this route several times. By doing that, you can visit the steppes of Aragon, you can see Zaragoza and then head north for Los Pirineos. And, of course stay a day or two in Barcelona- and if you are very keen drive down to the Ebro Delta as well.

The aragonese part of the Pyrenees, perhaps together with the eastern part of Navarra, is the most interesting as for birding in the mountain range. On this tour we concentrated on steppe birding in the Belchite- El Planeron area, birding in the lower Pyrenees and finally up in the higher areas for some of the key species there. On the steppes, we got the key species like Dupont's Lark, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and even a Great Bustard- one of the few remaining here.

Yes, we found the Wallcreeper! Foto: Odd Kindberg 

In the Pyrenees, we stayed in the small town of Siresa, an excellent choice. It is situated in the Hecho Valley, where you can drive all the way up to Selva de Oza and also easy access up to Gabardito. As one of the star birds of the Pyrenees- the Wallcreeper no more breeds at Boca del Infierno, Gabardito is the most reliable place.

To get the one of the other star-birds of the Pyrenees, we went up the Roncal Valley, into the region of Navarra. Still into May, there were patches of snow here. We drove all the awy up to the French border, and started walking there. In this area, we had two other highlights; close contact with both Lammergeier and Alpine Accentor. The lammergeier had a marvellous show, dropping a bone to crush it on the rocks below. It was doing so several times on close range. Wow, what a show!

The lammergeier is a scavenger, a vulture, that you can find both in Asia and in Africa. But in Europe, however, they have been on the brink of extinction for decades. In Spain, they have been surviving in the Pyrenees, and they have also been re-introduced to other parts of Spain, like up in the Picos de Europa and also in Cazorla in the north-eastern corner of Andalucia. It is for sure one of the most charismatic species to be found, Huge, with up to 2,5 meter wing span, living in remote areas, often gliding along the ridges in the mountains, continously looking for dead animals or remains of it. It is the only bird that specializes in feeding on marrow, which it get's through dropping bones from the air on to rocks below.

You can see more pictures 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