This trip was supposed to be a trip to Israel, but because of inner disturbances there, we decided to change plans and go to Spain instead. The Participants where: Thomas Nielsen from Tønsberg and Oslo, John F. Karlsen, Borre and the writer of this report (Borre and Oslo) all Norwegian.
We booked a plane to Madrid with KLM going via Amsterdam from Oslo for 2900 Nkr. (9,60Nkr=1US$) + taxes, and hired a car (Opel Corsa 1.2) from Avis in advance, costing 3250 Nkr for 16 days. We used several web pages and birdguides in the preparing for this trip, which will be listed as references in the end. My personal goals with this trip were to update my western palearctic list with some of the specialities from the Iberian Peninsula but also to get a good chance to see a lot of raptors.
Intinerary
Day 1: Madrid- Cariñena - Belchite -Balsa del Planeron - Sariñena - Huesca - Jaca - Hecho
Day:2: Siresa (Hecho) - Infierno del Hecho - Hecho Camping (Top) - Anso valley (Zurisa)- Berdún - Siresa.
Day 3: Infierno del Hecho - Monastario San Juan de la Peña - Astun (French boarder) - Jaca - Boltana - Graus - Tremp.
Day 4: Tremp - Andorra - Gironella - Deltebre (Ebro)
Day 5: (Ebro Delta) Deltebre - Garxal - Deltebre - Playa del Eucalyptus - La Tankada - L'Encannyissada - Trabucador - L'Alfacada - Deltebre.
Day 6: Deltebre - L'Encanyissada - A7 - El Hondo - La Marina (Alicante).
Day 7: La Marina - Salinas de Santa Pola - El Hondo - Salinas de Cabo de Gata - Cabo de Gata Lighthouse.
Day 8: Cabo de Gata Lighthouse - Salinas de Cabo de Gata - Salinas de Roquetas - E15 - Tarifa.
Day 9: Tarifa - Laguna de Medina - Brazo del Este - Coria del Rio - El Rocio.
Day 10: (Doñana) El Rocio - La Rocina - Palacio del Acebron - Acebuche - El Rocio.
Day 11: El Rocio - Valverde inf.center - Zalmea la Real (road 435) - Sta Ollala - Castuera - La serena (Farm with dogs).
Day 12: La Serena - Madrigalejo - Zorita -Trujillo.
Day 13: Trujillo - Arroyo de la Vid (Monfragüe) - Castillo - Mirador de la Bascula - Portilla del Tietar - Arroyo del Malvecino - Villareal de San Carlos - Peñefalcon - Trujillo.
Day 14: Trujillo - 10 km W a dirt track going N - Sta Marta de Madagasca - Monroy - CC-912 (direction Caceres)- Junction to left to K 31.0 at N-521- Trujillo
Day 15: Trujillo - Monfragüe.
Day 16: Monfragüe - Madrid.
From Larks to Vultures
Since we arrived Madrid at 10pm we drove as quick as we could in direction of Belchite, which was our first destination. We took some random stops after driving off the E90 south of Zaragoza. This gave us the first two species, first two singing Stone Curlew and a singing Scops Owl. Reaching the track to Balsa del Planeron north east of Belchite we caught 10 Black-bellied Sandgrouse in the headlight of our car. Then we saw one of many Lesser Short-toed Lark in the headlight before we at last right before it became light Dupont's Lark singing! The first five species where historic, I have never had such a start on a bird trip ever before and never heard of anything like it either. As the sun rose we realised we where in "Lark-heaven" with all the good larks you can think of in Europe in very good numbers. After spending half of the day on the plains we decided to slowly move north since we had a rather long way up to the Pyrenees that afternoon. We drove the minor roads to Huesca via Sariñena nothing exceptional on the way because of rather bad weather, but about 10 km south of Malos de Riglos, we spotted Two Golden Eagles soaring over a hill, and as we stayed there for a while we saw no less than 350+ Griffon Vultures Heading north, probably daily migration from the plains. At the same spot also 3 Dartford Warblers and a pair of Rock Buntings. We did a pathetic try for Wallcreeper at Malos de Riglos from the road, but ended up only with some Black Wheatears and Blue Rock Thrush. From there we drove more or less strait to Siresa right north of Hecho and spent the night on a Hotel. 91 species was seen that day.
Sunny Spain
As we woke up the next day we heard the rain coming down from a grey sky, not exactly what we hoped for but we went out, and lucky for us the rain came in periods and gave us opportunities to watch bird in between. Our first goal this day was the more or less famous Infierno del Hecho some km north of Siresa. The wind where rather hard and there was some rain in the air so it wasn't strange that the Wallcreepers did not show. We drove further up to see what waited for us on the top. As we drove up to a higher altitude we realised that the rain turned in to snow, and there was much joy! But as we arrived the top, the snow probably was on our side. The meadows where filled with birds, Water Pipits, 100+ Ring Ouzel and hundreds of Chough and Alpine Chough. From here we drove down to Hecho and over to the parallel Anso Valley. Much the same birds here but in smaller number. We drove south to Berdún, and some km north of there, at Foz de Biniéz, We eventually saw our first two Lammergeiers, by this time the sun had arrived and things looked kind of better. We drove back to the Hotel after a day of 60 species, we were now up to115.
Creeping
The next day the weather was good so we decided to try for Wallcreeper again at the Infierno. After a search for 45 min we where almost on the way into our car again when a beautiful male appears right above our heads! The whole trip to Spain was saved because of this little grey bird with its red wing feathers. Minutes after this 2 Lammergeiers appeared on the sky and right before two adults came in and landed on the cliffs some hundreds meters from us and gave excellent view in the scopes. From here we drove to Monastario de San Juan de la Peña, which gave nothing then we took the 330 road to Astun right south of the French boarder in search for Citril Finch, in vain, before living in the direction of Andorra. We drove to Tremp and spent the night there in the bush after a day with 67 species and we where now up to 125 trip species.
Andorra
After been annoyed from a Woodlark singing a couple of meters from where we spent the night we got up and checked the area, this gave us the only Rock Sparrows on our trip and as we drove off to Andorra we found the first Subalpine Warblers on the other side of Tremp. In Andorra there where some traffic chaos but when we came up in the higher meadows it was quite nice, and we found our only Grey Partridge of the trip, Here we also had the only Crossbills near a ski resort. En route down to Ebro from Andorra we had a random stop with some Bonelli's Warblers and a Wryneck. As we arrived Deltebre we saw the first Night Heron from the Hotel. The day gave 62 species and our list of trip species were now up to137.
Wind
We started the next morning at Garxal, which lies on the northern bank of the Ebro delta. This is a nice spot for waders, gulls and terns. There where also good numbers of Yellow Wagtail foraging on the mud and a big surprise, Red-throated Pipit. There where also a Lesser Short-toed Lark present but as spent the morning here the wind was building up to at least 15 m/s and going stronger. We made a stop at the information centre in Deltebre. The weekly updated observation list on the wall were of help, but the ones working there got just rather sweat when I started to mention warblers of the genus Acrocephalus, but he knew where the locations were. We took one of the funny ferries crossing the Ebro to the southern bank, but the wind that day ruined everything. Some Collared Pratincoles, a Little Crake and and the enormous numbers of Audouin's Gulls where quite nice though. The only song we heard was the annoying "Zit!" from the Fan-tailed Warblers. We managed to see 73 species that day and we had 169 trip species so far.
More wind
The wind kept coming the next day but this time we went strait to the southern bank and got some Great Reed and Savi's Warblers singing but no Moustached, which we had hoped for. Since the wind kept coming we decided rather quickly to leave the delta and head for El Hondo, a private owned reserve, lying inland from Alicante. What you have to do, visiting this area is to call in advance to enter the reserve. We didn't so we had to do our birding from outside the fences, which worked in a way. I should have learned this from my last visit to the area 2 years ago but several Monty's flew around in the air and the Great Reed Warblers were really dominating. We also had two Marbled Teals in one of the canals surrounding the area, but as the evening came on we found a small track leading into the area threw a gate made of a old spring madras. As I saw the funny gate I realised that I had been on the exact same track before, remembering an old toothless man who was very friendly to us, and letting us out in the area. As we continued on the track we came to a hut and further on by a pond the same old man sat fishing. When he saw us he raised and came strait to us, just as friendly as the last time. Around his hut we had three singing Moustached Warblers and a foraging probably female, there where also several Savi's and Great Reed Warblers in the area. Ending the day by the friendly man's hut we went out to the coast to La marina, which lies some km south of Santa Pola to spend the night at a hotel after a day with 86 species and a total of 185 species on the trip so far.
Another day in the car
Next morning I took a short trip on my own to the beach of La Marina. Off the beach there flocks of terns and gulls where present and also a Razorbill. Common and Sandwich Terns where dominating but also good numbers of Little Tern. We went on to the Salinas de Santa Pola, and must striking was the numbers of Shelduck there, counting over a 100 individuals. Apart from that there wasn't very much of interest so we decided to move on via El Hondo for a last try to enter the reserve with no luck. We decided to drive on to Cabo de Gata on the south Eastern part of Spain. When we arrived we first visited the Salinas de Cabo de Gata which held good numbers of waders. From there we went out to the lighthouse. Since this was in a nice afternoon with good weather, the whole area was crowded. In our try to get a little out of public we almost ran strait into a nude beach with div optics and cameras, but we noticed the situation before it became embarrassing. We tried some sea watching that day and were rewarded with a Caspian Tern, there where also some Cory's, one Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua. We had booked the night at a Camping in the mid day but when we arrived in the evening they had given our spot to some young Spanish couples. When I went to the reception to claim our spot back the receptionist pointed at the local football ground. I just claimed all the money back and we went out to the lighthouse area and spent the night there. This day gave 79 species and the trip total was at this point 194.
White heads
We woke up and went almost strait to the lighthouse in hope for some seabirds, only some Cory's, so we just went via the Salinas de Cabo de Gata to Salinas de Roquetas. A hundred meters from the lighthouse we stopped to search for some Trumpeter Finches, it took us about 10 min to find three individuals on a water system for goats. At S.d. Cabo de Gata we had good numbers of waders and a pair of Marbled Teal, and after my brother had finished a bath in the sea, we continued to the Roquetas, which lies on the opposite side of Almeria. At the first try in the first of the Ponds we saw our first White-headed Duck, very distant, but it wasn't alone. All together in the Salinas we had no less than over a hundred of this species, most of them males but also quiet a few females as well. Collared Pratincoles were also present in addition to numbers of waders and ducks. After having spent some hours we went for Mc Donalds for the first time of the trip to get some dinner and headed on the E15 to Tarifa. Our initial plan was to have a Stop at Gibraltar, but we thought of all the tourists and skipped it. We stopped at a viewpoint an route not far from Tarifa and got our species number 200 which was Honey Buzzards coming over the Strait of Gibraltar on migration. We spent the night on a Hotel after a day with 74 species and a total of 200 species, with still one week to go.
Knobbed
On the morning of the 15th we went strait down to the for some seabird, and the first ones we ran in to there where some other Norwegian birders who also had started in Madrid but gone the opposite way. The winds came strong from SW, which for once on our trip was good. Over 300 Cory's and some Balearic Shearwaters going E and W respectively, also flocks with terns, a Great Skua and some Common Scoters. Also a Short-toed Eagle came in over the sea. After getting a tip for a locality of Crested Coot from the others we went more or less strait to a small reservoir called Laguna de Medina. Going from Tarifa and westwards gave a totally change in the scenery from the dry East and Southeast to the green hills and slopes rich of vegetation. Arriving at Laguna de Medina we first found a Melodious Warbler, before we started to walk the track, which surrounds the lake on the southern end. It didn't take us long to find the first Crested Coot and there was much joy. This was a species we really hadn't counted on, and seeing as many as eight adult individuals was really magnificent. In addition we also had an Olivacious Warbler singing from a wild olive tree. We went on from Laguna de Medina to an area called Brazo del Este, which lies on the eastern bank of Guadalquivir. This was a water system suddenly appearing in the agricultural landscape, which on a first glance looked kind of dry. The area held several Great White Egrets, a pair of Marbled Teal, lots of Waders and very good numbers of Purple Swamphen. Be aware of potholes in the roads, which are huge! We crossed the river by a ferry going over to Coria del Rio, and drove down to El Rocio, and spent the night at a Hotel after a day of 98 species and the total was now up to 208. When we left we had a sat a goal on 200 species and a 'dream-goal' on 220, we realised at this time that this was attainable.
Boar
The next day I started rather early on my own and went to the SEO info centre in El Rocio which also is a watching point over the lagoon on the southern end of the village. Enormous amounts of waders where gathered there and it didn't take long before I saw the first of two Marsh Sandpipers there that day. From El Rocio we went on to La Rocina and made a walk on the boarder walks to the different hides. This gave a Flock of 15 Squacco Herons, several Sylvia Warblers, some Booted Eagles and Great Spotted Cuckoo. From here we went over to Palacio del Acebron, apart from a non singing Olivacious Warbler, there where very little birds to get here. But as we followed the Boarder Walks we suddenly heard some sniffing noises in a mud hole covered with dried vegetation, just a couple of meters from us, and it appeared to be a flock of Wild Boars, only piglets, searching the mud for things to eat. We just stood still watching them how they rummaged about in the mud. Luckily for us there wasn't any mother in sight, or even better no mother had us in sight. From this close encounter with the Doñana wildlife we went on to the Acebuche Information centre, which lies some km south of El Rocio. Our welcome commitee were flocks of Azure-winged Magpies, searching for breadcrumbs near the car Park. With the help of German black rye bread, I managed to get some descent video recordings of them. In the woods following the boarder walks we also had some passerines on migration including the only Wood Warbler on the trip. From here we went back to El Rocio searching the lagoon before ending up in the Hotel room with a couple of beers. That day we had the record count of 108 species in a day and the trip total was now 216 species.
Spanish road signing
We started the next morning in El Rocio, which gave 3 Marsh Sandpipers, before living for the Valverde info centre, which lies more or less right east in the heart of the Park From El Rocio. Driving there you can either choose to take a shortcut which requires a 4WD,or as we had to do with our 1,2l Opel Corsa, take a hole lot of small, more or less surfaced tracks around via Villamanrique. The roads had all something in common, insufficient road signs. Either totally missing or they just ceased to appear in a random junction. This made it really difficult find the right way despite good guides to the place. When we finally got there, good numbers of Glossy Ibises and Purple Herons were present and we had the only sighting of a Little Bittern. There was also good numbers of Great Reed Warblers showing very well, when standing inside the centre looking out through the windows. From here we started the journey to Extremadura and the La Serena plains where we spent the night at a dirt track on the eastern end of the plain which ends up at Farm with rather angry and big dogs. This day gave a total of 84 species and we had nearly reached the goal with a trip total of 219 species.
Phantom raspberry blower
Species number 220 on the trip revealed itself before there was any light. An hour before the sun started to appear the first Little Bustards started their territorial 'song', "PRRT!" It didn't take long before we spotted the first males in the fields stretching their neck as they produced their peculiar farting sound. There was also some Black-bellied Sandgrouses flying by and several Stone Curlews. And after a while my brother spotted some of what we really came for, Great Bustards. A small flock, almost locking like grassing cattle, walking around in the fields. These was the first of about 25 individuals seen on these plains that day. We also saw some lekking males with their peculiar appearance almost like they turned inside out with white fluffy feathers covering their eyes. We also saw some Collared Pratincoles on the Plains and near Embalse de Zujar we had a pair of Spectacled Warblers. From here we went up to Trujillo via Zorita. South of Zorita there are several steams and wet areas, which can be interesting, but we didn't have any special. Although be aware of not twitching Penduline Tit only on sound there. We got set up by some annoying Red Avadavats in the reedbeds sounding exactly like the former species, they even was attracted by recordings of Penduline Tits. Another thing, use a seatbelt! I was fined with 750 Nkr (80 US$), not using a seat belt. En route to Trujillo we also had some Rollers. After spending some time in Trujillo we finally managed to find a Hotel with a spear room to a descent price. The first day in Extremadura gave 80 species and the total was now up to 224 (counting Avadavat).
Monfragüe
The next morning we headed for Monfragüe, hoping to see some raptors and maybe some of the other specialities the park can offer. Already going half the way Thomas spotted a large raptor, our first Black Vulture of the trip. It was incredible to have this huge dark raptor soaring right above our heads. The first stop we made in Monfragüe was at boarder of the park, at Aroyo de la Vid. This gave a imm. Black Stork, Dartford Warbler, Ortolan Bunting in addition to others. There were also some terrapins (Freshwater turtles) and an unspeciatet snake swimming in the water. From here we went around the park via the lower parking of the castle, before ending up at Mirador de la Bascula, a known nesting site for Black Vulture but first of all for Spanish Imperial Eagle. The first raptors, which met us, was a pair of Short Toed Eagles probably nesting nearby, but initially no sign of any Imperials. But suddenly both my brother an I at the same time discovered a raptor coming gliding over the furthermost hill, the first twenty seconds or so it just kept gliding, but when it finally started to soar, I saw what I had hoping to see, an Aquila eagle with white shoulders and forearm! The adult Spanish Imperial had eventually shown off and what a sight. As that wasn.'t enough, when it passed where we thought the nest to be an other adult bird flew up to meet it, probably it's mate. We saw them for ca 10 min before the first bird took height and started to glide to the East. This was definitely a climax for the trip at the same level as the Wallcreeper in Hecho Valley. About 2 min driving from here in the direction of Portilla del Tietar we came over a sitting Black Vulture at a rather close range, it flew up when we stopped the car but lucky for us it started to soar in our direction less than 50 m above our heads from videostills I could age iton moult to 5th calendar year. The rest of the day we just cruised along in the park Which besides god numbers of raptors gave several Subalpine Warblers, Cirl and Rock Buntings, Alpine Swifts and other standard species. The day gave a total of 77 species with four new to the trip list, which at this time was at 228.
Trujillo-Monroy
The next morning Thomas decided to stay in Trujillo for the day, meanwhile my brother and me thought we could try for some steppe species and hoping to maybe get some new trip species. We found a track going north from the Trujillo-Caceres road ca 10 km west of Trujillo, and after driving 30 meters of the track we got our first trip species, a Tawny Pipit, which we in a strange way hadn't got until now. We had several Little Bustards along this track in addition to two Great. Also Stone Curlews, Quails, Little Owls, Great spotted Cuckoo and very large numbers of Calandra larks. We drove off this track again and continued to Monroy via Santa Marta de Madagasca. En route we had several Montagu's Harriers flying over the cornfields. We ended up at a now more or less famous spot for Black-shouldered Kite. They where found a bit further along the track than described in Muddeman's guide, at our first site we saw them copulating, no doubt of the nesting site. After watched them on distant for a while we went back to the car and drove more ore less strait back to Trujillo. The best bird seen back to the town where some Black Vultures, soaring over a hidden carcass. We had a total of 71 species with two new gave a total of 230 for the whole trip.
A nice evening atmosphere
Half of the next day went to packing out of the Hotel and to clean and vacuuming the car, it wasn't quite as nice as when we got it to Madrid so we thought it might to be proper to make it look at a little bit cleaner. Then we went up to Monfragüe where we also spent the night. At Aroyo de la Vid we had our first disagreement of the trip regarding speciation of a bird. What me and my brother agree was the trip's only Orphean Warbler singing on the top of the northern ridge for >15 minutes. It sang a typical slow round sounded song with short strophes repeated two or three times. We failed to see it even when we tried to lure it with recordings, but failed. Maybe that's what made the third person sceptic. We drove on to the Spanish Imperial place again and saw the adult bird soaring over the ridge, just as magnificent as the first time. Here we also met a nice Danish couple, who gave us a tip on a Eagle Owl site, at Portilla del Tietar. I had read of the place in trip reports but they had actually seen one there briefly the night before. We decided to have a try, and a short while after we had arrived, we heard one calling from the cliffs. We tried to scan the cliffs to find it but with no luck. But suddenly we heard some excitement from a Belgian or German birder and seconds after we saw it flying up on a cliff giving excellent view. This made an enormous chaos with 15-20 people trying to find it and an old lady even went strait to the ground with some minor injuries in the stress that followed after it appeared. My brother found even one, in addition to the one sitting, flying away from the cliffs. This was really a good ending to a long but eventful trip to Spain. We drove back to Mirador de La Bascula and spent the night after a day of 66 species, giving additional 3 trip species.
Golden End
In the morning we packed the car and left Monfragüe in the direction of Madrid on the CC-911 road. Where the road crosses a side river to Rio Tietar we made a final stop and here we got our definite last trip species, 1-2 singing Golden Orioles became our definite goodbye to Spain. After a trip like this you will always have things that you would do different but also thing which was irreplaceable. A good tip is to either do Extremadura and Andalusia together or do Extremadura and northern/eastern Spain in one trip. We drove 483.3 km which was in periods a bit much. Not counting park or cage birds like Mute Swan and Red Avadavat, we ended up with a total of 233 species, which I think is a good count in 16 days. Listed below you will find the entire species list, with observations of the different species.
Thanks to John and Thomas for a great trip and all the mentioned for providing information regarding birding in Spain: Andy & Jackie (UK), Arnau Bonan Barfull, Chris Carpenter, Ernest Garcia, Frank James, Graham Catley, Jan Verhoeye, Magne Myklebust, Per Stensland, Ricard Gutiérrez, Simon Woolley and all others replying on my RFI on EBN.
