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. 

Northern Spain Trip Report - Day 1

Day 1 -  Sunday 13th April 2014

After getting the evening flight from Manchester to Barcelona, a late drive to our hostel (which proved terrifying with a left hand drive and no satnav!) left no time for birding, the lone call of a Black-winged Stilt at the hire car centre the only hint of the avian delights awaiting us in Spain.

Departing from the hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning, our ears soon picked up the loud screeching of Monk Parakeets in the area. A quick stop in the small park directly opposite to where we had left the car overnight revealed a handful of individuals, enjoying the peace and quiet before Barcelona truly woke up, playfully grasping large chunks of bread that a kind local had left out.

Our long drive to our stopover point of Zaragoza began, and the next bird to hit our lists came in the form of two fine Purple Herons flying directly over the car, long necks outstretched, doubtlessly heading for the large lakes in the nearby parkland. White Storks were plentiful, and having never seen them before I was left awestruck by their sheer size and majesty, soaring effortlessly on the breeze.

One of the many White Storks we saw on the trip

Nearing Lleida, a small track off road gave a perfect opportunity to seek out more bird life. A Fan-tailed Warbler sprung up, its chirruping song serenading us, while a flock of Spotless Starlings perched in a nearby conifer, chattering away. A drive a little further along the track revealed the Spanish race (sharpei) of the Green Woodpecker, slightly differently marked than our own UK birds, while Red-legged Partridges scuttled along in the grass. A Crested Lark gave excellent views, perched on a stone wall next to the track, crest erect, singing its heart out.

Heading back to the main road, our journey seemed to be on course – that was until there was a loud bang, followed by severe rattling which brought the hire car to a stop. It seemed Alex couldn’t handle roundabouts on the opposite side of the road, and had taken out BOTH right hand tyres in an argument with the curb. Despite his protestations, there was NO brick in the road that had caused the damage, purely his driving skills…… 

Alex's massacre on the tyres....

An eventful few minutes followed, with hysterical laughter from myself, accidental phone calls from Chris all the way back to a very confused owner of the Manchester airport car park, more hysterical laughter, and a struggled translation to the Spanish hire car company trying to explain what had happened. Miraculously, they agreed to send a replacement over free of charge (I don’t know what Chris had promised them in order to achieve this…) although it did come at the price of a lengthy wait by the side of a busy road surrounded by nothing but an empty garage and abandoned warehouses – at first glance seemingly barren of bird life.

However, this was not to be the case. A pair of White Stork had set up a nest on a nearby lamppost across the road, and a small group of finches flitting amongst the trees in the warehouse courtyard revealed two Serin amongst them, their yellow rumps flashing in the sunlight. A walk further down the track surrounded by a small reedbed and bamboo patch looked promising, but sadly revealed nothing.

However, a sharp eared Chris soon picked up the distinctive call of Penduline Tits in the area. A walk along the main road to achieve a better angled view of the reedbed revealed a pair had set up territory there. The curious duo left the thicket of reeds and approached us, at one point feeding in the small tree directly next to us. These stunning views followed for at least ten minutes, the pair seemingly oblivious and unconcerned to our presence. A walk to the river in search of Red-rumped Swallow proved fruitless, although another Serin gave much better views, posing in the tree for us to admire.

The male Penduline Tit providing excellent views!

A quick exchange of cars later and we were back on the road. The habitat and landscapes on route to Zaragoza were stunning, with huge rivers carving through the hills and plains. A stop by the side of the road near suitable habitat revealed another Purple Heron staking out the reeds, while Great White and Little Egrets flew across the millpond calm water. The scratchy chatter of a Sardinian Warbler caught our ears, and five minutes of frustratingly brief views of this dark warbler flitting from shrub to shrub eventually gave way to a fine male singing exposed on the top of one of the bushes. This was again my first view of this species, and the red eye, complete with dark plumage was very striking, with the song particularly distinctive.

A large bird of prey gliding over the hills looked suspiciously eagle-like, but the views were far too brief to nail an ID. Several Crag Martins swooped along the cliff face, a consolation for the unfortunate timing of the Flamborough bird’s arrival coinciding with our flight out of the UK! We grilled all the hirindines feeding over the river and a Red-rumped Swallow was quickly picked out, its pale rump distinctive compared to the dark rumps of the Barn Swallows. This insight proved handy, and hopefully I’ll be able to pick out this migrant on our UK shores in the near future.

Another brief stop further along the Rio Segre also produced another new bird in the form of a Short-toed Treecreeper. Similar to our native birds, Short-toed Treecreepers are the only species that reside in this area of Spain, so there was no doubt in separating an otherwise difficult pair of species.

The Spanish sun was beating down at this point and our stupidly unprotected skin was starting to suffer, forcing us to resort to shelter and a well eared rest at the nearby town of Mequinenza. Polishing off ice creams, a Spotless Starling gave excellent views on a nearby aerial, allowing us to fully appreciate its much glossier plumage and brighter legs. A Hoopoe also made a brief appearance, a quick flash before flitting out of sight around the corner.

One of my main targets for this trip was to see a Bee-eater, and if I’m honest this was one of my key points in travelling to Spain. Having dipped a Shropshire bird last year, I was keen to see these brightly coloured beauties, having been on my birding wish list since I was a small child. So, it was with great excitement when Alex spotted a small group flitting around a little way down the road - we immediately headed further down in an attempt to get closer and parked up before walking a short way down the gravel slope to where the birds were flocking and calling. Dancing through the air and with their magical calls echoing throughout the sky, we counted over 30 birds swirling around our heads, taking it in turns to perch on the wires in front of us. 

With several Bee-eaters perched directly opposite, they provided absolutely amazing views and I really couldn’t have asked for more, it was fantastic to see the gorgeous electric blues and sunshine yellows of these amazing creatures – truly an iconic bird of the Mediterranean and an experience I’ll never forget!

The huge flock above our heads!

Managing to tear ourselves away from these winged wonders, we continued on with our journey, heading west on the long drive towards Zaragoza. Some dubious navigating saw us heading the long way round via Caspe that was disappointingly lacking in birds, although a Southern Grey Shrike provided a point of interest on route, perched in one of the many spiky shrubs at the side of the road and our only one of the trip.

The sun-baked earthy fields on the approach to Zaragoza seemed the perfect habitat for Sandgrouse and Bustards, but countless searching from the car drew an unfortunate blank, with just a strange fox-like mammal seen hurtling across the road behind us. Calandra Larks, another new species for me, swooped and displayed in many of the fields, this large lark distinctive in its flight and great to watch as we kept an eye out for any Sandgrouse.

In flight record shot of a Calandra Lark

Continuing along the dusty tracks and passing through increasingly remote and abandoned villages on route to our next target site – the Dupont’s Lark location near Zaragoza - we enjoyed brief views of a female Montagu’s Harrier banking over the slopes whilst a Hoopoe flitted around several paces in front of the car for a good portion of the journey.

With VERY vague directions (understatement…) we drove around the dusty dirt tracks for at least an hour before Chris had to bite the bullet and make an expensive phone call back home to get clarification on exactly where we needed to be. Eventually on the right track, we travelled up the dust road before reaching the car park, taking in the beautiful Spanish plains scenery glowing red and gold in the now evening sunlight – a stunning backdrop and truly extraordinary environment.

With the light beginning to fade, we simply listened, our ears taking in the amazing sounds of what could be described as the “dusk chorus”, a collaboration of the beautiful songs from the many larks in the area, all the while on high alert ready to pick out the sound of the Dupont’s interspersed within. Sure enough, we picked up snatches of the distinctive song – quite easy to hear and tantalisingly within our grasp. We were so close! Sadly, the light quickly faded to beyond the reaches of the human eye and the skies turned dark - we would have to make a return journey the next morning in search of our elusive quarry.

Ring Ouzels on the Great Orme

With a huge fall of Ring Ouzels documented throughout the UK from Friday onwards, and with up to 20 birds present on the Great Orme since Saturday morning, we decided to call in on the Sunday after returning from Scotland. Despite the absolutely howling gales and driving rain (which caused the car to rock from side to side with the sheer force of it all), and with the helpful directions from Alex’s friend Steve Culley, I eventually picked up 2 birds in flight and calling near the Copper Mines. I soon located a lot more birds further down the slope, all actively feeding in the same ivy tree, and despite the far from perfect conditions we counted 7+ birds.

A record shot of the male Ouzel

I was especially pleased to track down these birds as I haven’t had great views of Ring Ouzels before, merely a quick fleeting glimpse on a fence before a pair flew away on a visit to Moel-y-parc a few years ago, and a female by the side of the road whilst driving in Cheshire being my only other sightings, so it was great to watch these large thrushes going about their business at leisure, despite the absolutely horrific weather.

The driving rain made it hard to get even record shots!

Interestingly, Ring Ouzels haven’t been picked up from this side of the Orme before, with birds usually getting found on the opposite side in the sheep fields. However, the fields and patches of grass surrounding the Copper Mines and over towards the nearby houses seemed the perfect habitat for these migrants, and it was clear why they had all congregated in this one patch of trees – this sheltered spot offered a welcome respite from the harsh winds and abysmal weather.

All the birds had congregated in one tree - 4 can be seen in this one shot alone with another just to the left out of frame

The row of ivy trees in particular at the back of the donkey field next to the rubble track appeared to be the most favourable, and this little sheltered spot seems like it would pose an attractive area for migrants in the spring and autumn months – definitely an area to watch more closely in the future!

Penduline Tits at Darts Farm, Devon

The Penduline Tits down in Devon had been tempting us for a while, having been present since the 7^th December last year and overwintering at the site. With the earliest reports indicating the birds were quite hard to catch up with, ranging from a number of sites from Darts Farm RSPB to Bowling Green Marsh, I had visions of just fleeting glimpses in a mass of reedbeds after hours of waiting which somewhat discouraged me from going!

With a gap in the sightings for over a week from the 14^th February, the Penduline Tits reappeared again on the 23^rd when they seemed to be getting seen regularly, reported each day and showing well at a regular spot in the bulrushes by the small pond to the left before the hide and the adjacent blossom trees.

We took the plunge and made the 4 hour journey down to Exeter on Friday night on the 21^st March, arriving the next morning at Darts Farm slightly later than planned after hotel locks, sat nav malfunctions and road closures turned what should have been a simple 10 minute drive up the motorway in to a 40 minute trip!

Parking at the Fisherman’s Car Park just a short distance away from the main visitor centre and walking the couple of minutes down the path, we were amazed to see the birds perched up in the blossom tree as soon as we got there! Both birds flitted together and after reeling off a couple of hasty shots they were gone – alighting high in to the air and flying off with purpose – bringing back the nightmare of dipping the Bedfordshire bird over Christmas that did the very same thing around 20 minutes before we got there – and never returned!

With a reliable pattern of being seen in the morning and afternoon, we decided to wait around for the birds undoubted return, a couple of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and my first Chiffchaff of the year keeping us company in the brilliant southern sunshine. Sure enough, 2 hours or so later at around half 12 the cry went up that the pair were in the tree again, and we had great views as they flitted between the flowery branches, alternating between the trees and the bulrushes to feed up, occasionally calling to each other. 

The birds loved tucking in to the Bulrushes at the side of the small pond

They also clearly liked snaffling the blossom buds!

All fears of poor fleeting views were banished as we enjoyed watching the birds happily going about their business for over an hour – performing well for their small crowd of admirers that had gathered to watch.

It was great to see them for such a lengthy period of time, and even though I have had amazing point blank range views of a pair of Penduline Tits on a trip to Spain last April, it is always nice to see a bird in the UK.

The birds looked stunning with the blue sky backdrop

The male Penduline Tit in Spain from April last year

Penduline Tits in particular are especially difficult to catch up with, and birds are often reported briefly in huge masses of reedbeds such as at Leighton Moss and Titchwell, only to never be seen again, making them almost impossible to twitch. Indeed, one individual was ringed at Leighton Moss back in November 2011 and wasn’t seen again until February the next year, with only a further two sightings over the next 2 months!

Not managing to make the trip down for the Dungeness birds that showed well down in Kent last year, I was glad for the opportunity of another reliable pair so soon after. With originally 3, possibly more birds at the start of the winter, this dropped down to 2 females when we visited, and it now seems that they have moved on completely with no sightings at Darts Farm since Saturday the 4^th April. They were briefly present the next day at Seaton on the Axe Estuary, but they haven’t been spotted since!

Both females can be seen feeding together in this shot

It would be great to see this continental visitor colonise our southern reedbeds in the future, and with warmer weather and increasing individuals seen across the south coast, it is surely only a matter of time before breeding starts to occur (if it hasn’t already!)