Spain part 1: birding the Ebro Delta

Greetings.

My dad has been wanting to come visit me in Europe. With 6 weeks left on my contract (I gave my notice at Christmas) it was our last chance to make it happen. He did not necessarily, however, need to come to London. As I would have found this boring, I suggested Barcelona. It was not a hard sell.

Claudia managed to swing a holiday as as well so I was excited to organize activities for them that did not involve birds (with one exception). As many readers will know, after teacher's college I went back my roots and accepted the birding trip as the superior form of trip, but of course one must taste all the fruits life has to offer.

They only managed to get 6 days so it would have to be a whirlwind trip where we would waste not a single minute. But that did not stop me from arriving a couple days early to bird the legendary Ebro Delta and snag a Moustached Warbler which left a void in my soul on previous trips.

I arrived late Friday night after work and camped out next to the car in a vacant lot, sung to sleep by two Tawny Owls which I was too lazy/tired to look for. In the middle of the night I had to move into the car because it reached -2C! My sleeping bag is not up for that anymore and my sleeping mat had a leak, rendering the space between me and the icy ground less and less as the night progressed. In the morning, I birded a wetland called Maresma de les Filipines next to the airport. To my surprise there were several local birders. We exchanged conversation in my limited Spanish; I tried my best throughout the trip to improve. I managed to find out the deal with Moustached Warbler - I'd have to visit the Ebro delta, but for now, I could enjoy this local spot while the morning was still good.

It was a nice spot but with nothing new, I had to move on to Ebro. On my way out tough, I heard a woodpecker that was distinctly higher-pitched than Great Spotted. The origin of the call, among some snags, a gorgeous Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - a lifer!

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - lifer!

Cetti's Warbler

Moving on to Ebro, I scoured the phragmites and cattail reedbeds far and wide but due to high winds the birding was quiet and the best I could hope for was nice views of flamingos, marsh harriers and this slender-billed gull.

Greater Flamingos at the Ebro Delta

Slender-billed Gull

Glossy Ibis

Since it was quite windy I thought I'd try my luck at the beach so I drove to the furthest-reaching point I could find and scanned for Balearic Shearwater. Sadly there are some situations where a scope is sorely missed and this was one of those. Although a Great Skua was a surprise! 

After the seawatch I got the Citroen C4 "cactus" stuck on a sand mound. It took the help of two passing locals and some clever use of driftwood to get it out, and I was on my way. En route to my car-camping spot I spotted a flock of European Golden Plovers in a field - an excellent lifer! 

Great Skua

European Golden Plovers (lifer!)

After an agreeable sleep I awoke to a spectacular sunset which bathed everything in pink and gold light. Climbing up a tower for a pic, I could have sworn I saw a Great Bittern flush from the ditch as well as a Water Rail. However, I`d left my bins in the car. The night before, I`d counted 30 Black-crowned Night Herons, so I convinced myself that that was what it was. My true quarry for the day was Moustached Warbler. In a beautiful patch of reeds I finally managed to call one in. It seems they are local but if you`re in the right place in the early morning then seeing him is not hard.  I had soul-satisfying views - the way a lifer should be had!!

Eurasian Marsh Harrier

Moustached Warbler (lifer #3)

Bitterns boomed throughout the marsh while 10 harriers hunted in one 360 degree view. Walking along some willows, I spotted a "white-spotted" Bluethroat, who erupted into song. Unfortunately, he was just too flighty for a photo! Lifer #4.

In any case, it was time to go, as I had a special surprise planned for my dad who`d be soon arriving at the airport.