The publication
of the bird atlas of the North-Spanish province of Huesca (by Kees
Woutersen,
ISBN 84-605-7422-9) made us visit NE Spain for the first time. We went there for three main areas: Pyrenees (high and low), Ebro plains (steppe and riverine habitats), and Ebro Delta. On the way down and back through France we also made short visits to the limestone Causses on the Massif Central, the Atlantic bay of Arcachon in Les
Landes, and the highly varied Brenne lowlands 50 km NE of Poitiers in Central France. The itinerary of this 10-day trip, all in fine weather, was as follows:
Fri. 10 June drive via Lille, where we picked up two british birder-friends, to La Canourgue in the Massif Central, France, hotel Commerce, phone +33 466 328018, fax +33 266 329479.
Sat. 12 June morning birding on the limestone Plateau de Sauveterre (photo above) to Point Sublime for overlook at Gorges du Tarn, back along Le Massegros to highway again. Afternoon on to Spain, short visit to Rosas wetland reserve on Mediterranean coast at Figueras just across Spanish border (behind visitor centre along road from Castello d'Empuries to St Pere Pescador). Then on to Sant Carles de la Rapita in Ebro Delta, hotel Miami Park in town centre, with garage and good restaurant, phone +34 977 740351, fax +34 977 741166 (for 2 nights). They provide a good road map of the delta, with hides etc.
Sun. 13 June birding in Ebro Delta, mainly in Southern part: rice fields directly NE of Sant Carles, Encanissada lagoon, salinas E of that, sandspit to Banya, ferry crossing to Deltebre, lagoon N of Riumar (photo above; with flamingo's).
Mon. 14 June drive along Ebro to lower Cinca valley NW of Fraga, for riverine habitat between Ballobar and Alcolea de Cinca (photo above), and for good steppe between Alcolea de Cinca and Ontinena. Drive on to Monegros steppe, esp. along A2105 S of Bujaraloz and along minor road that splits off from this to W (both less good birding than expected) . Night in Casino hotel, along busy N11 but on quiet hill about 23 km E of Zaragoza. Very good value for money (restaurant also), at least as long as you keep off from the gambling tables.
Tue. 15 June birding in steppe area N of Belchite (40 km SE of Zaragoza), mainly at La Planera reserve along road from Quinto (at N323) to Belchite (photo above) and along unsurfaced side road that splits off N of Codo (to W side of same reserve, where Dupont's Lark was present to the left of the first trail to the right, at 41 degrees and 22.178 minutes North by 0 degrees and 37.724 minutes West; see map). Afternoon drive to Huesca (hotel in town, many there). Evening drive to hilly woodland/fields S of Huesca, mainly at Tramaced canyon area along side road from A131 to Piraces.
Wed. 16 June birding around Riglos in pre-Pyrenees mountains 30 km NW of Huesca: road to Aguero (both photos above), base of cliffs to the right of Riglos village (both photos below), lake Embalse de la Pena N of Riglos mountains. Short late afternoon visit to Monasterio de San Juan de la Pena: pine forest at parking place of new monastery, and lookout point slightly below new monastery. Hotel Anaya in Puente la Reina de Jaca, phone +34 974 377411, fax +34 974 377397, for three nights (central location for Pyrenees valleys).
Thu. 17 June upper Hecho valley, via Anso valley because of (announced) road block in middle Hecho valley.
Tried in vain to have a (proper) look at Wallcreeper at the Boca de Infierno (photo below)
Made a walk from last unpaved dead-end part of uppermost road (photo below).
Fri. 18 June first upper Anso valley, including walk at treeline (many beeches) E of Zuriza (photo below).
Also a nice stay at middle Anso valley (see photo below), near Anso.
Sat. 19 June drive via Jaca and Pau (France) to Arcachon bay SW of Bordeaux, walk trail in coastal reserve Domaine de Certes just NW of
Audenge. Drive on to near the Brenne region, hotel La Promenade in
Yzeures-sur-Creuse, phone +33 247 914900, fax +33 247 944612, to be recommended for style, hospitality and food. The lady speaks English.
Sun. 20 June morning birding in the Brenne regional nature park (wetlands, pastures with hedgerows, woodlands), along the D78 and the D17, esp. around the Cherine reserve S of
Mezieres. Drive back home in afternoon.
Species synopsis
For all the areas together, a total of about 215 species was calculated as being somehow reasonably possible, and we observed 176 or 82 percent of this, which is not bad given the short period. The first 9 of the trip ticks (like Black Kite and Hen Harrier) did we note while driving down to the Massif Central along the toll road. During the 4 hour stay on the Causse de Sauveterre we added 42 trip ticks, including Red Kite, Griffon Vulture (a thriving population now), Quail, Alpine Swift, Wood Lark, Tree Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Melodious Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler, Chough, Raven,
Serin, Yellowhammer, and the from now on ubiquitous Corn Bunting.In the Rosas bay in the NE corner of Spain (2 hours visit only) we got 19 new species for the trip, like Little Grebe, Purple Heron, White Stork, Black-winged Stilt, Stone Curlew, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Cetti's Warbler, Fan-tailed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler.
The Ebro Delta was good for another 31 new species, a/o Little Bittern, Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Flamingo, Red-crested
Pochard, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin's Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Short-toed Lark, Savi's Warbler, Spotless Starling. The lower Cinca valley
(riverine & steppe habitats) produced 9 trip ticks, a/o Egyptian Vulture, Kingfisher, Roller, Penduline Tit (heard only), Golden Oriole.
In the steppes of Monegros and especially Belchite we added 18 species to the
triplist, such as Montagu's Harrier, Little Bustard (heard only alas), Black-bellied
Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Little Owl, Dupont's Lark, Calandra Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Thekla Lark, Tawny Pipit, Black-eared Wheatear, Spectacled Warbler, Great Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike. On the evening visit to the Tramaced area South of Huesca we ticked Short-toed Eagle, Crag Martin, Dartford Warbler, Rock Sparrow. In the pre-Pyrenees around Riglos we added Peregrine, Booted Eagle, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher. At San Juan de la
Peña we had our first Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture), several more were to follow in het Anso and Hecho valleys. There, new trip ticks were a/o Goshawk, Black Woodpecker, Water Pipit, Dipper, Alpine Accentor, Olivaceous Warbler,
Firecrest, Red-backed Shrike, Alpine Chough. Back through France, Shoveler was about the only specialty we added in the Arcachon bay (although we had 34 species in total on this 2 hour walk).
Then, on the final 2.5 hour visit to the Brenne we got 56 species, including 9 trip ticks, like Black-necked Grebe, Black Tern, Grasshopper Warbler.
Besides the nice 174 species we had some dips of course, like Golden Eagle, Eagle Owl, Moustached Warbler, Rock Thrush, Ring Ouzel, Subalpine Warbler, Rock Bunting and
Wallcreeper. The latter was a serious dip for our British friends, but we lucky Dutch look back at the time it stayed for months on top of our university building in Amsterdam...
Species list
X = from the car on the way down through France
CA = Causse de Sauveterre
RO = Rosas coastal reserve
DE = Ebro Delta
LC = Lower Cinca valley
MB = Monegros and Belchite steppes
ST = Serrania de Tramaced
RI = Riglos
PE = San Juan de la Pena
AH = Anso and Hecho valleys Pyrenees
DC = Domaine de Certes (Arcachon bay)
BR = the Brenne, C. France
X CA RO DE LC MB ST RI PE AH DC BR
Little Grebe RO DE BR
Great Crested Grebe DE BR
Black-necked Grebe BR
Cormorant DE DC
Little Bittern DE
Night Heron DE BR
Squacco Heron DE
Cattle Egret RO DE
Little Egret DE DC BR
Grey Heron RO DE AH DC BR
Purple Heron RO DE LC BR
White Stork RO LC DC
Greater Flamingo DE
Mute Swan RO DC BR
Grey-lag Goose DC
Shelduck DE DC
Gadwall RO DE DC
Mallard RO DE BR
Shoveler DC
Red-crested Pochard DE
Pochard BR
Tufted Duck BR
Black Kite X LC RI PE AH DC
Red Kite CA AH
Lammergeier PE AH
Egyptian Vulture LC ST RI AH
Griffon Vulture CA LC RI AH
Short-toed Eagle ST RI AH
Marsh Harrier RO MB RI
Hen Harrier X CA
Montagu's Harrier MB
Goshawk AH
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard X CA LC AH BR
Booted Eagle RI
Kestrel X CA RO AH BR
Peregrine RI
Red-legged Partridge MB RI
Quail CA RI
Moorhen RO
Purple Gallinule
Coot RO DE DC BR
Little Bustard MB
Oystercatcher DE
Black-winged Stilt RO DE BR
Avocet DE
Stone Curlew RO MB
Collared Pratincole DE
Little Ringed Plover LC BR
Kentish Plover DE
Lapwing BR
Redshank DE DC
Common Sandpiper AH
Black-headed Gull X RO DE BR
Slender-billed Gull DE
Audouin's Gull DE
Lesser Black-backed Gull DE
Greater Black-backed Gull DC
Herring Gull PE AH DC
Mediterrean Yellow-legged GuDE DC
Gull-billed Tern DE DC
Sandwich Tern DE
Common Tern DE
Little Tern DE
Whiskered Tern DE BR
Black Tern BR
Black-bellied Sandgrouse MB
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse MB
Stock dove LC
Wood Pigeon X CA AH BR
Collared Dove CA
Turtle Dove LC RI AH BR
Great Spotted Cuckoo RO
Cuckoo CA RO DE AH BR
Little Owl MB
Swift CA RO DE AH BR
Alpine Swift CA
Kingfisher LC
Bee-eater RO MB ST
Roller LC
Hoopoe RO DE MB DC BR
Green Woodpecker AH DC BR
Black Woodpecker AH
Great Spotted Woodpecker PE AH BR
Dupont's Lark MB
Calandra Lark MB
Short-toed Lark DE MB
Lesser Short-toed Lark MB
Crested Lark DE LC MB
Thekla Lark MB
Wood Lark CA
Sky Lark CA DE BR
Sand Martin LC
Crag Martin ST RI AH
Barn Swallow CA AH DC BR
House Martin CA LC
Tawny Pipit ST RI AH
Tree Pipit CA AH DC BR
Water Pipit AH
Yellow Wagtail RO DE DC
Grey Wagtail CA AH
White Wagtail CA AH DC BR
Dipper AH
Wren CA DC BR
Dunnock BR
Alpine Accentor AH
Robin CA PE BR
Nightingale CA RO LC RI AH
Black Redstart CA MB RI AH DC
Redstart PE
Stonechat CA RO BR
Wheatear MB AH
Western Black-eared Wheatear MB
Black Wheatear RI
Blue Rock Thrush RI AH
Ring Ouzel
Blackbird CA AH BR
Song Thrush CA
Mistle Thrush AH
Cetti's Warbler RO DC
Fan-tailed Warbler RO DE DC
Grasshopper Warbler BR
Savi's Warbler DE BR
Reed Warbler DE DC BR
Great Reed Warbler RO DE
Olivaceous Warbler AH
Melodious Warbler CA MB DC BR
Dartford Warbler ST RI
Spectacled Warbler MB
Sardinian Warbler RI
Whitethroat CA DC BR
Garden Warbler RI
Blackcap CA RI AH BR
Bonelli's Warbler CA
Chiffchaff CA BR
Firecrest AH
Spotted Flycatcher RI AH
Long-tailed Tit AH
Marsh Tit AH
Willow Tit BR
Crested Tit PE AH
Coal Tit PE AH
Blue Tit AH DC
Great Tit CA
Nuthatch PE DC
Short-toed Treecreeper DC
Penduline Tit LC
Golden Oriole LC BR
Red-backed Shrike AH BR
Great Grey Shrike MB
Woodchat Shrike MB RI AH
Jay CA PE AH
Magpie CA RO DE AH
Alpine (Yellow-billed) Chough AH
Red-billed Chough CA LC RI AH
Jackdaw CA AH
Rook X
Carrion Crow X BR
Raven CA RI AH
Starling CA AH DC BR
Spotless Starling DE
House Sparrow CA RO DE LC MB ST RI PE AH DC BR
Tree Sparrow DE
Rock Sparrow ST
Chaffinch CA AH DC BR
Serin CA LC AH BR
Citril Finch AH?
Greenfinch CA DE AH DC BR
Goldfinch CA RO AH DC BR
Linnet RO AH BR
Crossbill CA
Bullfinch AH
Yellowhammer CA AH
Cirl Bunting CA LC ST RI AH BR
Reed Bunting BR
Corn Bunting CA RO MB RI AH BR
