Birdwatching

The Ebro Delta is a wetland of international interest for birdlife, as it serves as a rest and wintering place, as well as  being a breeding ground for many species. So rich and varied is the birdlife here, thanks to this, that some 300 different species have been observed in the Delta.

The best time for birdwatching is autumn, when the arrival of wintering birds coincides with the passing of other migrating birds that rest here before continuing their journey further south,  producing enormous diversity.  Nonetheless, many interesting species can also be observed here in winter, including ducks, northern shoveler (Anas clypeata), wigeon (Anas Penelope), shelduck (Tadorna fadorna), pochard (Aythya ferina) and waders; redshank (Tringa totanus), black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) etc.

Though there is less diversity in summer, this is nevertheless the period when we can see some of the most attractive birds: purple heron (Ardea purpurea), black-winger stilt (Himantopus himantopus), little bittem (Ixobrychus minutes).  Non-migratory species that can be seen throughout the year include common egret (Egretta garcetta), cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), Audouin’s gull (Larus audouinii), etc.  Both summer and sedentary species nest in the Delta, usually in early spring, after which comes the egg-laying period, with chicks hatching in late spring or early summer.

Seasons:
Spring - nesting season, the rice fields are flooded.
Summer – green and gold hues in the rice fields.
Autumn – maximum diversity of bird life, the rice harvest.
Winter – wintering birds, the rice fields are bare.

Here are some links from Birding In Spain for suggested birding days in the Ebro Delta
http://www.birdinginspain.com/sites-and-itineraries/the-ebro-delta/birding-in-the-ebro-delta-south-itinerary.html

http://www.birdinginspain.com/sites-and-itineraries/the-ebro-delta/birding-in-the-ebro-delta-north-itinerary.html

This very informative PDF, has maps and bird names.

For more information on the Ebro Delta please check the Places to See section.

Birdwatching in Parc Natural dels Ports.

Parc Natural dels Ports offers varied hiking trails, mountain walks, bicycle trails as well as magnificent birdwatching.

Birds to be found include several birds of prey, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Golden Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Peregrine Falcon.  Other birds include Alpine Swift, Blue Rock Thrush,  Bonelli’s Warbler, Cirl Bunting, Crag Martin, Crested Tit, Dartford Warbler, Firecrest, Hoopoe, Orphean Warbler, Rock Sparrow Rock Bunting, Sardinian Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper and the Woodlark.

This link is for a suggested 4-5 hour birding walk by Birding in Spain from Horta de Sant Joan.

This link is for a suggested walk around the area of Mont Caro, again by Birding in Spain.

Birdwatching in Cardó

Benifallet encompasses part of the Sierra de Cardó with its old spa monastery at the end of the very windy and quite dangerous mountain road with spectacular views.  Dangerous because you might meet the huge trucks bringing down the mineral water, so keep a look out for the trucks as well as the views and the birds.
Birds to be found in this area include:

Alpine Swift Bee-eater,   Black Wheatear,  Black-eared Wheatear,  Blue Rock Thrush,  Bonelli’s Eagle,  Bonelli’s Warbler,  Cirl Bunting,  Crag Martin,  Crested Tit,  Firecrest,   Golden Eagle,  Goshawk,  Hobby,  Orphea Warbler,  Ortolan Bunting,  Peregrine Falcon,  Rock Thrush,  Sardinian Warbler,  Short-toed Eagle,  Tawny Pipit,  Thekla Lark,  Woodchat Shrike and the Woodlark.

Here are some links for suggested birding walks from Birding In Spain
Itinerary 1
Itinerary 2

Birdwatching in La Serra del Montsant Natural Park

The cliffs are main nesting and resting areas of birds of prey as important as the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the Bonelli’s eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), or the eagle owl (Bubo bubo), the only rock-dwelling nocturnal birds of prey. The alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba), the common swift (Apus apus), the crag martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris) or the house martin (Delichon urbica), fly around debris in search of insects. The raven (Corvus corax), the black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros), the blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius), the rufous-tailed rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis), the ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus), the wallcreeper (Trichodroma muraria) or the wheatear (Oenanthe leucura), amongst others, are some of the most interesting rock-dwelling birds.

In dense forest  the most representative birds of prey are the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), the sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), the tawny owl (Strix aluco), and the long-eared owl (Asio otus), and, amongst other birds, we can mention the jay (Garrulus glandarius), the woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), the robin (Erithacus rubecula), the firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus), the crested tit (Parus cristatus), the long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus), and the nuthatch (Sitta europaea).

In thinner forests  in addition to tits, such as the great tit (Parus major), the blue tit (P. caeruleus) and the coal tit (P.ater), are the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), the short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla), the Bonelli’s warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli), the song thrush (Turdus philomelos), the mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), the green woodpecker (Picus viridis), and the greater spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major).

The quality of the Montsant River and its subsidiary gullies give rise to a wealth of aquatic fauna. We can highlight rare species such as the dipper (Cinclus cinclus) and the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), along with more habitual species. We also find amphibians such as the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), the Iberian water frog (Rana perezi), or the Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita).

Brushwood and scrub constitute an open environment and birds are represented by the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), the quail (Coturnix coturnix), the stonechat (Saxicola torquata), the blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), the Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala), the alpine accentor (Prunella collaris), and the woodchat shrike (Lanius senator). Birds of prey such as the little owl (Athene noctua) and the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) use these areas as a hunting ground.

Birds that live typically on agricultural land are the hoopoe (Upupa epops), the magpie (Pica pica), the cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus), the rock bunting (Emberiza cia), the melodious warbler (Hippolais polyglotta), the Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata), the serin (Serinus serinus), or the blackbird (Turdus merula). Between the houses and the fields we find the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), the rock pigeon (Columba livia), the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor), the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and a nocturnal bird of prey, the barn owl (Tyto alba).

Here are some links for suggested birding walks by Birding In Spain:

Itinerary 1

Itinerary 2

Birdwarching in the Sebes Nature Reserve and surrounding area

Although the area around Sebes Nature Reserve is actually the nuclear power plant of Asco and the chemical plant of Flix, for those interested in birds, the reserve is host to a surprising number of very interesting birds:

Alpine Swift,  Bee-eater,  Black Kite,  Black Wheatear,  Black-eared Wheatear,  Blue Rock Thrush,  Bonelli’s Warbler,  Cattle Egret,  Cetti’s Warbler,   Cirl Bunting,  Crag Martin,  Crested Lark,  Dartford Warbler,  Egyptian Vulture,  Golden Eagle,  Golden Oriole,  Great Reed Warbler,  Griffon Vulture,  Hoopoe,   Kingfisher, Little Bittern,   Little Egret,  Marsh Harrier,  Night Heron,  Penduline Tit,  Peregrine Falcon,  Purple Heron,  Red-rumped Swallow,  Rock  Sparrow,  Sand Martin,  Sardinian Warbler,  Short-toed Eagle,  Southern Grey Shrike,  Thekla Lark,  White Stork,  Woodchat Shrike and  Wryneck

Here are a couple of links for birdwatching walks suggested by Birding In Spain, both starting in Flix:

Itinerary 1

Itinerary 2

If you have found the Birding in Spain links useful, you may be interested in purchasing Steve West's book "Birding in Northeast Spain".

WICE is a worldwide non-government non-profit organization that contributes to the conservation of nature. While it works on a many issues related to the conservation of nature and the protection of the environment, it is particularly committed to the conservation of national parks and other protected areas. Their official website Nature Worldwide has a very comprehensive checklist of all the birds of Spain.

Guided Tours

For those wishing to join a guided birdwatching tour, Audoin Birding Tours offer a full day or half day trips to the Ebro Delta. Parc Natural dels Ports and Montsià

Prices for guidings start at €60 for half a day and €120 for a whole day. The price per person decreases as more people join the trip, and at four or more participants the price is only €40 per person for a full day of birdwatching.

You can specify whether you would like to share costs and guide with others or not.

Catalunya Tourism also supply a lovely booklet, Guide to Birdwatching Holidays, which you can download on PDF on the link