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Catalonia Birding
Catalonia Birding Holiday
This Itinerary delivers the very best of birding in the Pyrenees visiting seven premiere locations in Catalonia covering a terrific range of habitat types that are offered in such proximity nowhere else in Spain, and perhaps even Europe.
As the mountains and forests of the Pyrenees descend east to meet the Mediterranean Sea they form a rocky sea bird haven known as the Cap de Creus whilst at its foot, in the lowland Emporda, we have the arable and wetlands of the Aiguamolls. The Ramsar-listed Ebro Delta, on the coast to the south, is one of the most important wetland bird sites in Europe and its vast expanse of reed beds, lagoons and paddy fields contrast well with the migrant capital of Barcelona’s rather cosy Llobregat Delta reserve.
Nearby we have the under-valued and somewhat uncharted jewel that is the low mountains and scrub of the Garraf Massif and finally, a few steps inland, the ever-shrinking Steppes of Lleida and Los Monegros promise an almost endless list of rare and threatened species that you will remember for the rest of your birding lives.
In fact many of the birds targeted on this trip are on the Spain, European or World Red Lists, indicating an unfavourable conservation status, and include Great Bittern, Great Bustard, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Balearic Shearwater, Audouin’s Gull, Roller and Lesser Kestrel.
The following itinerary, running throughout the year, is entirely flexible and is available in full as a birding holiday, as a short break with just your selected tours or even as individual day trips.
Day 1: Pick-up and Llobregat Delta
After picking you up at the airport we’ll dive straight in with an afternoon taster at the adjacent wetland reserve of Llobregat, sitting back on a restful spectacle of herons, ducks and waders whilst munching through the first of the week’s home-cooked picnic lunches.
Then it’s off to your accommodation for the week, a fully-equipped apartment with a private swimming pool on the edge of the Garraf Natural Park in the Penedes wine region near Barcelona.
Day 2: Ebro Delta
Given yesterday's practise, you won't be over-whelmed by the circus of herons, terns, warblers and waders but there is more on offer here with 'the world's rarest gull' the Audouin's Gull, the Slender-billed Gull and nine terns, including White-winged and Lesser Crested Tern. Throw in Glossy Ibis, Spotted Crake, Bluethroat and Collared Pratincole and you won't want to stop for the picnic lunch. The Ebro Delta is often described as one of the best birding destinations in Europe and you won’t be disappointed.
Day 3: The Pyrenees
The one you’ve been waiting for and we’ve barely started!
We’ll spend the morning strolling through forest tracks listening for Firecrests, Crested Tits, Crossbills and Citril Finches and resting in alpine meadows for Black Woodpecker, Red-backed Shrike and raptors such as Honey-buzzard and Golden Eagle - all the time keeping one eye on that rock face for a Wallcreeper or two. Above the tree line the landscape changes dramatically and it truly is a paradox as to how one place can be so breathtaking and tranquil at the same time. But here we can meet the Pyrenees’ true representatives such as Snow finch, Alpine Chough, roadside Alpine Accentor and of course the Lammergeier!
Day 4: The Steppes
Wind down the window as you arrive at Catalonia’s last remaining steppe and be prepared to witness the unique sight of feeding flocks of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, a beautiful but declining species famous for carrying water to its young soaked in the feathers of its belly.
Given a second look Stone-curlew and Little Bustard are also likely to be seen in the same field along with passage Dotterel and several species of lark, and we should pick out Roller, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Red-necked Nightjar in neighbouring copses and orchards. Raptors include seasonal Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Montagu’s Harrier to name a few.
After lunch we’ll head off to find Black-bellied Sandgrouse and wintering roadside flocks of the majestic Great Bustard.
Day 5: The Cap de Creus (or optional second location in the Pyrenees)
The only place I’ve ever been where, given the right wind conditions, you can watch shearwaters, including the critically threatened Balearic Shearwater, sliding on cushions of air just millimetres above the ocean’s surface without the need for binoculars – or a boat!.
It’s a favourite port of call for many seabirds but that’s not all it has to offer with Rock Thrush, Ortolan Bunting and Orphean Warbler taking pride of place during the summer and Alpine Accentor and Wallcreeper replacing them in winter.
Residents include the spectacular Bonelli’s Eagle but it’s during passage times that this rocky promontory really comes into its own when migrants, seemingly filling every crack and crevice, will give us plenty to work for.
Day 6: Aiguamolls de L’Emporda
This unique microcosm of habitats is like a mini-Catalonia all by itself with species from reed beds, lagoons, shore, sea, woodland, farmland and open country all represented.
What better place then for us to catch up on species like Roller, Glossy Ibis and Wryneck that we may have missed as well as adding new ones like Marsh Sandpiper, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Red-throated Pipit.
It’s not short on raptors either with more opportunities to see Booted Eagle, Osprey, Black Kite and even Red-footed Falcon.
Day 7: Garraf Massif (and Llobregat Delta).
There’s no doubt that Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor and flocks of resident buntings, finches and larks make winter the time to really capitalise on what the Garraf has to offer, with eruptions of Hawfinch sometimes adding to the quarry. But resident Bonelli’s Eagle, Eagle Owl, Black Wheatear and Thekla Lark make a trip worthwhile at any time of year, especially when you throw in Southern Grey Shrike, Blue Rock Thrush, Peregrine & Firecrest.
A walk in the summer will get us most of Woodchat Shrike, Tawny Pipit, Rock Thrush and Black-eared Wheatear but leave it until the end of August and you can see a full set of warblers, including Spectacled, Sub-alpine, Dartford, Sardinian, Garden and Whitethroat, all feeding in the same blackberry bush!. They’re stocking up ready for the flight home of course and it seems a poignant reminder that it’ll soon be time for you to do the same.
For further information please contact Stephen Christopher, Email: s.christopher@telefonica.net, Tel: +34 93 818 8272