Northern Spain Trip Report - Day 5

Day 5 - Thursday 17th April 2014

Our last day in Spain dawned, along with the daunting prospect of a mammoth 300km journey back from Zaragoza to Barcelona ready to catch our evening flight back to the UK. Arriving back at the car, we spotted a flock of swifts screaming and performing their acrobatic flight high above our heads, but they were just too far up to positively nail down to a species. 

Having cleaned up on all our key target species, but still lacking any Bustard sightings, we headed towards a site near the Laguna de Gallocanta to see if we could strike it lucky with these impressive birds. A Griffon Vulture perched on one of the telegraph poles on route gave absolutely amazing views, allowing a close approach and a great photo opportunity.

Upon arrival and scoping the huge lake, I was thrilled when Alex found two stonking Greater Flamingos in the middle of the water, surprisingly far north and showing just how far up Spain this species can occur. I wasn’t expecting to have flamingos on my trip list at all, so this was a great final lifer to add on the very last day.

The many terns flitting around proved just too distant to ID, as did the majority of birds on the lake, although several Black-winged Stilts could be picked out feeding in the shallows. A local informed us that we had just missed a Black Stork that had circled round and dropped by on the lake briefly – another of our wanted species – but a search around the area unfortunately provided no further sightings of this majestic and huge winged bird.

There was no sign of the bustards either, and a check in Alex’s site guide told us this was only a wintering site for the two species – the birds would be back on their breeding grounds now and would have more than likely left the area. A small gathering of European Swallowtails, the same species we get back in Britain, was a nice consolation (I’m yet to see the ones in Norfolk) and we watched around 5 or 6 of these large butterflies busy drinking from the muddy puddles on the track.

A Rock Sparrow on one of the stone huts provided great views for several minutes, especially after our earlier more fleeting glimpses of this species, and an incident in one of the fields involved a true “leg it!” moment which resulted in Alex driving us off at high speed from a seemingly disgruntled local!

Leg it!

It was soon time to head back to Barcelona however, although despite the long drive (including a €30 toll charge that we had no idea about!), no more species were added to our final trip tally. A stop off at a service station provided some likely Roller habitat in the middle of the Spanish Countryside, but to no avail.

With our three main species tracked down – Wallcreeper, Dupont’s Lark and Lammergeier – the trip had been a resounding success for all 3 of us, with tonnes of laughter and memories made along the way, complete with a bucket load of new birds. 

Massive thanks to Chris who planned the entire trip and was effectively mine and Alex’s guide for the week, his quick off the mark ID skills were second to none and we simply couldn’t have done it without him. Alex also did a sterling job doing the majority of driving throughout the trip - the car certainly had an eventful time as can be seen by the state of it at the end of it's journey, absolutely covered in layers of mud and sand!

The incredible Pyrenean landscapes that engulf northern Spain are simply fantastic, and one of the most beautiful areas I have visited – rich in bird life and highly recommended to everyone. The breath-taking mountain landscapes with the roaring crystal clear rivers gouging out the mountainsides, complete with the fresh alpine air just can’t be beaten in terms of beauty, although the incredible mix of snowy mountaintops, warm open plains, dry grassland and winding forest trails were all simply stunning in their own right – a truly magical place indeed.

Northern Spain Trip Report - Day 4

Day 4 - Wednesday 16th April 2014

The next morning saw us head further north still through the beautiful alpine villages to reach our destination of the Astun Ski resort, where Snow Finch and Alpine Accentor are regular visitors throughout the winter months. 

A walk around produced several Crag Martins nesting underneath the rooftops of the buildings, and they provided great views as they swooped along the banks collecting mud and returning to the nest sites. 

A cracking summer plumaged Water Pipit was great to watch foraging on the banks heading towards the slope – colours I’m not used to seeing them in being just a winter visitor to the UK. April was slightly too late to observe any Snow Finches or Alpine Accentors in the car parking area however, so a trip up the mountain was on the cards. A slightly hairy moment when me and Alex didn’t realise we had to put the ski-lift safety barrier down on the way up the slope was in all in vain however, as there was no sign of either species at the halfway café.

The trip back down resulted in us having to then climb all the way back up the snowy slope by foot after Chris thought he had picked up the song of an Alpine Accentor whilst in the ski-lift on the journey back. Closer reflection and it turned that what he had actually heard was the squeaking of the ski-lift as the chairs passed over a joint.

Later in the afternoon we headed off to a site I found through google whilst waiting on the mountainside, the Monasterio de San Juan de la Pena, which has a good reputation for Black Woodpecker sightings.

Stopping off to admire the simply amazing views the twisting roads offered, a warbler singing in the surrounding trees eventually revealed itself to be a fine male Subalpine Warbler. Flitting from branch to branch, despite its close proximity, it took a good ten minutes to nail the ID of this skulking individual, the white moustachial stripe and red eye separating it from the similar Spectacled Warbler.

Driving up the heavily pine forested road to the monastery, we noticed several small birds feeding on the tarmac, mostly Chaffinches and Greenfinches, before a small yellow bird on its own caught our eye. Excited exclamations from the back of the car and shouts of “It’s a Citril Finch!” from Chris confirmed that it was indeed this hard to come by Alpine finch – completely unexpectedly and totally out of the blue. 

We watched it busy feeding before it flitted up and away in to the canopy – magical. We had spent some time earlier in the week searching at another location for these charismatic finches, but after drawing a blank we had resigned ourselves to not catching up with one on the trip!

Testing out my long buried Spanish skills at the monastery’s visitor shop (Donde estan los picos negros por favour?!) we headed up the steep slope to the viewpoint where I was told they could be found. Here more Griffon Vultures soared overhead, framed by the brilliant, cloudless blue skies and some individuals flying exceptionally low around us – our elevated position putting us at their level. Soon the shout went up of Lammergeier, and our second individual of the trip made its way over our heads, showing the distinctive diamond shaped tail and orangey belly that separates it from the other vultures.

In the distance, we could hear the call of a Black Woodpecker that came steadily closer as the time went by, leading to an absolutely phenomenal spot by Chris as he located it half hidden behind a trunk and completely obscured by branches in the valley below – whether this was by eagle eyed eyesight or by pure luck, I was still blown away that he had managed to locate it.

A tense few seconds ensued when despite the scope pointing directly at the bird, I just couldn’t see it, showing just how completely camouflaged it really was! I eventually caught sight of a large yellow eye peering back at me framed by jet black feathers, with that vibrant vermillion red crest on the top of the head standing out against the foliage. 

The three of us after woodpecker success

Europe’s largest woodpecker species, this was one of the highlights of the trip for me, and even though we only saw the top half of the birds body as it clung silently to the trunk, it was a truly amazing thing to be watching this magnificent woodpecker. Incredibly still and clinging close to the trunk, I appreciated just how lucky we were to see it – a Black Woodpecker needle-in-a-haystack amongst hundreds and hundreds of trees!

Panoramic view of the area

Completely satisfied with our day and two tricky targets seen, we headed back to Zaragoza, thankfully avoiding the drums and cloaked figures of our previous stay!

Northern Spain Trip Report - Day 3

Day 3 - Tuesday 15th April 2014

Day 3 saw us rise bright and early to begin our treck in to the Pyrenean mountains, heading north to Valle de Hecho to commence our search for the star species of the trip and the one I was most looking forward to connecting with – Wallcreeper. We’d been informed by the lady at Boletas Birdwatching Centre that a male had been regularly observed on a cliff face in the valley, so the journey began through the incredible mountain landscape, admiring the gushing crystal clear rivers on route that seemed to follow the road around and carved through the rocky terrain with ease. 

Griffon Vultures soared overhead, whilst a stop to admire a mountain lake revealed two Egyptian Vultures flying high over one of the ridges. Separated from the much more common Griffons by their bold white and black underwings, the differences were clear to see and we watched the pair gliding effortlessly over the trees until they disappeared out of view.

Heading through the quaint alpine villages, we stopped to scan over one of the larger mountains by the side of the road – towering over us with a clear thermal in action as large numbers of vultures used the warm air to their advantage. 

The mountain ridge the vultures were loving

Alpine Choughs joined them high above the mountains, while a pale looking eagle was just too distant to ID. No Lammergeiers had put in an appearance yet (another personal key target species) but this was ideal habitat and they were well known in the area, as the many accommodation residences with Lammergeiers adorning their signs would testify.

We soon arrived at the Wallcreeper site, and immediately headed off on the alpine trail towards the cliff in question, the abundance of dainty alpine plants and flowers surrounding the pathways creating a beautiful carpet to admire as we walked up. The air here was undeniably fresh, and as we climbed higher, patches of clean white snow started to appear on the trail – a real magical alpine environment to experience. 

Reaching the cliff that the Wallcreeper had been favouring, we were joined by a small group of Goldcrests and Firecrests, whilst several Crested Tits foraged in the pine needles for snacks of tiny spiders and insects.

Before long, the shout of “Wallcreeper!” from Chris cut through the still air, and sure enough, a small grey bird flew along the length of the cliff, that characteristic fluttering butterfly flight and echoing “peeeweeeeee” call unmistakable. Vanishing round the side of the rocks, we followed suit, heading up the trail in the direction it had flown in. With no sign around the corner, we waited for it to make a reappearance as we ate lunch, enjoying much better views of Alpine Choughs as they played and tumbled above the mountains, their yellow bills clear to see.

The Wallcreeper cliff!

Then, “Lammergeier!” - Chris was pointing high above, and sure enough that most majestic of vultures was slowly drifting towards us from across the valley. Passing overhead before it disappeared over the ridge, we all had excellent views of this bearded wonder. Having always wanted to a Lammergeier after studying the pages in my Collins guide, it was surreal to actually see one in the flesh – an incredible moment and one of the star birds of the trip.

After an hour or so of craning our necks, our ears pricked up as that familiar and almost eerie “Peeeweeee” call echoed across the cliff face. With a quick search of the rocks above us, sure enough, there was the Wallcreeper, busy probing amongst the rocks with that remarkable long bill and fluttering from crevice to crevice. 

The beautiful butterfly-like pattern of deep crimson red on the wings was mesmerising to watch as he flittered his wings hopping from perch to perch, and we viewed for a good while at a considerably close range as he fed in front of us, completely unaware of his captivated admirers, before we moved on and left him in peace.

The Crimson on the wings was stunning!

We continued further along the track, Chris and Alex deciding to ignore the possible bear scat they had discovered near the Wallcreeper cliff, following the trail along the river. Here a smart looking Rock Bunting gave great views, singing and dashing from rock to rock in front of us.

The waterfalls and landscape here was absolutely stunning, and it was incredibly relaxing to listen to the gushing of the waterfalls crashing over the huge boulders and the roar of the river flowing below.

We picked up the call of a Black Woodpecker on one of the slopes, and leaving Chris with all our gear, we scrambled up the steep bank in pursuit. Sadly the sound was heading further and further away from us quicker than we could climb, and we lost the trail. A loud crashing through the trees below us had us remembering the bear scat from earlier, and a sudden awareness that a large carnivore could be roaming towards us left us a little apprehensive! Turns out it was just Chris, climbing the impossibly steep and thick tree covered slope to join us, carrying not one but THREE sets of heavy rucksacks and scopes on his shoulders! No easy feat indeed.

Later that evening we made the drive in to Huesca to try and track down the Scops Owls that reside in the city centre. Still a little early in the year, we were a tad unsure if any would have returned yet. A walk around the streets drew a blank, but after around half an hour and near to one of the parks, we heard that distinctive “BONG!” - Scops Owl!

We hurried over to the park and eventually managed to pinpoint the group of trees that the owls were calling from – although actually spotting any of the birds was far easier said than done. Judging by the calls, it appeared that they were flying around in a circle, but in the pitch black of the park it was impossible to pick anything out – even with all the street lighting illuminating the buildings nearby.

Eventually I narrowed down a calling individual to one of the trees lining the path in front of the gates, and several minutes of craning our necks and squinting resulted in me picking out the small owl perched next to the trunk on one of the branches. Success!

We could just make out its tiny shape and features, with two beady eyes looking back down at us, and I must admit this was probably my best spot to date considering just how hard they were to pin down! After some time, the owl began to fly from branch to branch, making it far easier to pick out in the darkness. Never has one bird been so difficult to locate, and it felt that these tiny owls were most definitely giving us the run-around that evening!

Boletas Birdwatching Centre

Northern Spain Trip Report - Day 2

Day 2 - Monday 14th April 2014

After a stop in Zaragoza where we had unfortunately timed our arrival with a traditional Spanish Easter festival involving lengthy processions through the streets by black cloaked hooded figures banging large and very loud drums (that made parking or getting anywhere in the streets a nightmare – especially as the road to our hotel was closed!) we had an early 5am start ready to be back on site by dawn.

Setting up our scopes overlooking a favourable patch of ground near the car park, we listened in the cool, calm, dawn air for the larks to rise and start singing. Several Frenchmen joined us with our vigil, and before long the distinctive flutey song of the Dupont’s cut through the morning air to greet us, a beautiful chorus unlike anything I’ve heard before. With Dupont’s Larks choosing to spend a lot of time on the ground and concealed in bushes, they are renowned for being exceptionally hard to spot, and we spent a good while trying to locate one particular singing individual that sounded quite close by but proved impossible to spot. Therefore, we couldn’t quite believe it when one of the Frenchmen casually exclaimed “I have eet” as calmly as if he was merely ordering a beer at the bar, the Dupont’s Lark proudly centred in his optics. In complete contrast and in panic mode, we hurriedly peered through his scope to admire this fascinating lark, hardly containing our excitement that we had managed to track it down (this was Chris’s fourth visit to Spain in search of this species!). 

Record shot of the Duponts

Duponts in flight

We even managed to have it out in the open

Interestingly, the lark was much further away than the sound would have led us to believe and we had been checking the bushes far to close – a good tip to locate them seems to be to always look behind where you think the sound is coming from.

The Duponts mid song

This tactic did us well throughout the rest of the morning,  and a walk round the footpath revealed more snatches of song and an incredible 8 or so individuals in just a small patch, singing beautifully and showing considerably well in front of us, the distinctive long curved beak clear to see. 

Alex's excellent digiscoped shot of the Duponts

The site was incredibly rich in small birds, with an abundance of Calandra, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Crested and Thekla Lark all present in huge numbers. Differing from the Crested Lark only slightly and being quite tricky to separate unless close views are obtained, Theklas have a shorter bill, with more contrasting patterns on the wing and head. The crests on Crested Larks are also slightly more pointed and raised than those of the Theklas, and it was these features that allowed us to separate the two.

Thekla lark on the top, Lesser Short-toed Lark below

Lesser Short-toed Larks are identified by the streaking on the breast - Greater Short-toed Larks don't

Hearing the distinctive cry of a flock of Sandgrouse in the distance, we decided to drive further down the road in search of them. We soon picked up two stunning Black-eared Wheaters in flight in one of the earth-clodden fields which later perched on the dry stone wall, allowing us to watch them at length. 

Record shots of the Black-eared Wheatear

A walk through the area revealed 3 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse feeding in an adjacent field, providing fantastic views through the scope that revealed their stunning plumage, the beautiful metallic olive-green feathers glinting in the sun. We could see several flocks flying distantly in front of the incredible mountain backdrop, their calls echoing across the muddy plains and across the valley. Exploring the area, I turned to see two birds fly close in, and excitedly noted that their black bellies could only mean one thing – Black-bellied Sandgrouse! We watched the male and female pair quietly feeding and creeping around the hill in front of us for some time, before a low flying raptor spooked them and they completely disappeared amongst the foliage – sadly proving impossible to relocate.

Ecstatic with the mornings finds, we headed to a nearby site at Belchite to explore some bombed ruins in the search for any avian inhabitants. A Black Redstart immediately greeted us from under the pines in the car park before perching on one of the broken walls, whilst I caught sight of a Rock Sparrow flitting about one of the tumbling down towers. We soon spotted a magnificent jet coloured male Black Wheatear, the sooty plumage standing out a mile away in contrast to the orange toned brick. A cracking male Blue Rock Thrush also danced around the top of one of the crumbling turrets – a really striking bird and one that I was pleased to catch up with – only one of two from the trip.

Black Redstart near the car park

Heading back to the car park, we spotted a gorgeous Scarce Swallowtail butterfly flitting amongst the vegetation, and a quick hop down to its level saw it pose brilliantly for photos – one of the few species we could positively identify on the trip!

We were soon back on the road and heading north to our stopover destination of the brilliant Casa Boletas in the high Pyrenean town of Loporzano, spotting several new raptors for the trip in the form of an impressive Black Kite, our first Booted Eagle and a majestic Golden Eagle that was circling at the side of the road. With eagles and large raptors being high up on my list to see on the trip, I was thrilled to watch them gliding effortlessly along the thermals – having only ever seen a distant Golden Eagle at Haweswater in Cumbria before now.

Record shot of the Golden Eagle

Deciding to head towards a large freshwater lake that was on route, we were rewarded with incredibly close views of a Booted Eagle feeding on a rabbit right next to the side of the road before it took its prize in to the nearby trees. An exploration around the thicket of scrub surrounding the clear water’s edge revealed a colony of Mirror Orchids, my only orchid of the trip and part of the Ophrys genus – related to the Bee and Spider Orchids we get back in the UK. We soon picked out a Western Bonelli’s Warbler in the trees, as well as a beautiful male Cirl Bunting – far more common in these Mediterranean climes than in Britain, although a Western Orphean Warbler, despite its large size, managed to elude us – we could only hear its distinctive call through the branches. Another Rock Sparrow made a brief appearance, and a second flock of Bee-eaters called overhead, just about visible through the trees.

One of the Mirror Orchids by the lake

The shimmering blue lake itself surprisingly held very few birds, so we continued on to our destination, heading up extremely steep mountain roads that became increasingly and alarmingly narrow in some of the villages – expert manoeuvring provided by Alex as he heroically navigated the streets of one small town in particular that seemed built for bikes judging by the width of the alleyways! Congratulating ourselves that the car was still in one piece, I soon realised that Chris had sent us to entirely the wrong village – our hotel was situated some half an hour away in a completely different town! This meant we had to undergo the whole ordeal again, this time going downhill, and Chris was subsequently banned from any navigational duties.