A Her-man BY with Kit 2021

[Kitsafari]

325/SP63 Great Crested Grebe, Ebro Delta

 

[Kitsafari]

326/SP64 Black-naped Grebe, Ebro Delta

 

First sighting ever of this grebe and in normal light, it would have been a stunning bird. but under the awful conditions we had there, we couldn't see it clearly. 

 

[Kitsafari]

327/SP65 Common Greenshank, Ebro Delta

 

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

It's a shame about the weather conditions, but still the Ebro Delta delivered some good species! And Herman did well to even get shots like these.

[Galana]

18 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

@Galana do you mean this photobomber?

No. I was referring to this one I posted with the Lapwings. 2nd right.

But it does not matter now as you got it today as

327/SP65 Common Greenshank, Ebro Delta

 

It looks like a great time was had despite the problems.

[Kitsafari]

Thanks @PeterHG and @Galana. forgot about that photo!

 

we did have a brilliant time. It was just our bad luck that the Arwen arctic storm hit us just as we started our birding trip. But we loved the landscapes, the beautiful countryside, the food! we will return and then maybe fly south and to extramedura as well. 

I had just rushed into the Spain count without really expanding on our trip. We wanted to get a birding guide who drove because 1. we have never driven a left-handed vehicle and we didn't want the additional stress of working that out and working out the streets, 2. we wanted to enjoy and watch all the sceneries zipping past us during the long drives. We had two touring itineraries - one with Carles of Barcelona Birding that would bring us all over Catalonia from Ebro Delta to Pyrenees to Aragorn, and another which would have us stationed in a town and then drive in and our every day. We picked Carles because we wanted to explore the Catalonia region, and we didn't want to waste time driving back to the town every day which I thought would too restrictive. And I was very happy because we got to see the beautiful countryside.

 

So we had seven days with Carles picking us up at the airport on arrival then going straight to Llobregat Delta which is next to the airport. Ebro delta was next, followed by the Lleida Steppes, then Pyrenees, then back to the Steppes, and then onward to Gallocanta Lagoon to catch the common cranes. Accommodation was all very simple and quaint except for a hotel in Lleida city as the accommodation Carles wanted was closed for the winter. Food was just amazing - all the cafes and restaurants served yummy Catalonian food - showing such pride in their cuisine.

 

Despite the wind and lousy light, which I really found trying on our second day, we had an incredible and amazing time. and whatever birds we got, we took gladly. and we got all our 4-5 top targets. 

 

minus 1 degree or more in pyrenees

 

 

 

Foothills of Pyrenees

 

Gallocanta Lagoon

[Kitsafari]

328/SP66 Spotted Redshank, Ebro Delta

 

Got up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep so I may as well press on with BY2021.

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

329/sp67 European Golden Plovers, Ebro Delta

 

They blended so well into the grass!

 

 

[Kitsafari]

330/sp68 Common Kestrel, Ebro Delta

 

we saw this small raptor quite often but this was the best opportunity for a photo. I loved watching the kestrels hover as they hunted, but this 

kestrel posed so well on a pole along the road as we were midway up a mountain to try to find the alpine accentor. The search for the high-level bird failed as an overnight storm had iced the last stretch of the road and we gave up trying to ascend further as the short daylight hours were ending.

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

331/sp69 Common Wood Pigeon, City of Lleida

 

Such a pretty pigeon. Carles said this pigeon species had emerged from the woods and was adapting well to city life. 

 

[Kitsafari]

332/SP70 Chaffinch, Lleida steppes

 

We saw chaffinch more regularly than tree or house sparrows. 

 

[Kitsafari]

333/SP71 Common Rock Sparrow, Lleida Steppes

 

Miles away behind an abandoned house. 

 

[Kitsafari]

334/sp72  Wallcreeper, Lleida Steppes

 

We came to this place for one top target - the Wallcreeper. we spent an hour at the first stop, craning our necks to scan the brown-orangey cliff face for this tiny bird, then spend another hour further up at the dam to search more cliff faces. When the wind started to pick up and became too cold, we returned to the first spot for some shelter. As luck would have it, the bird was out creeping and fluttering from hole to hole for spiders. Yay!

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

335/sp73 Blue Tit, Lleida Steppes/Pyrenees

 

Another pretty colourful tit. 

 

Pyrenees

 

 

Steppes

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

336/SP74 Little Bustard, Lleida Steppes

 

We searched quite a bit for the little bustards and were elated to find two small flocks of them. we couldn't get closer to these skittish birds.

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

337/SP75 Stock Dove, Lleida Steppes

 

An EBC...

 

[Kitsafari]

338/SP76 Red-Legged Partridge, Lleida Steppes

 

A surprise when about four of the partridges flew across the road as our vehicle had flushed them along the road. a quick snap before they all vanished into the bushes. 

 

[Kitsafari]

339/SP77 Stone Curlew, Lleida Steppes

 

We stopped along a major road when Carles spotted them. Us finding them was a major issue as these curlews really blended into the dry grasses they were hiding in. there were about 15 of them scattered in this field. We were quite pleased to see them. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

340/SP78 Crested Lark, Lleida Steppes

 

[Kitsafari]

341/SP79 Alpine Accentor, Pyrenees

 

The morning we had planned to go to the skiing slopes of the mountains, the Arwen winds were so fierce that the roads were all closed to the mountains, dashing our hopes for the snow finch and snow chough. So Carles suggested an alternative place to search for dippers (). Serendipity - halfway through, the accentor popped up along the road. Carles stopped just after a bend - and I was amazed not many Catalonian drivers swore at him for stopping along the road! but we were  very happy to do it for the accentor. 

 

Spot it!

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Kitsafari

[Galana]

Wonderful shots of the Wallcreeper and Accentor.

[PeterHG]

Some great sightings and photos, especially the Wallcreeper and Alpine Accentor!

[michael-ibk]

Great sightings and photos! 

[pedro maia]

Wow!! for the Walcreeper (and lots of other nice species).

[Kitsafari]

Thanks @Galana @PeterHG @michael-ibk @pedro maia

 

we were really gleeful to get the wallcreeper and the accentor, and the next one too...