Spain Part 3: Birding and the Family Holiday

With castles and cathedrals everywhere, is tricky to fit birding into a family holiday. But with a few simple tactics, it is not only possible, but will enhance the trip for everyone. Firstly, plan your route so that prime birding areas are in close proximity, or "on the way." If you can set up the accommodation close the the birding site, even better. This allows your family members to sleep in, enjoy breakfast, etc. while you nip out before dawn and are back by the time they've finished breakfast. Next, Give a little bit of a warning beforehand that there will be a small amount of birding involved (but its on the way). A final tip is to amp up certain birds and promise that it will come with spectacular views, picturesque medieval towns, etc, and the sell is complete. 

Just that very morning, while my parents enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast, I had an interesting hike down one of the canyons south of the medieval town of Alquézar where we were staying. From the town, I spotted a Wallcreeper with the help of some brits and their scope. I even spotted a Lammergeier zip behind a hillside from the castle itself, although too quick to view in the binoculars. 

Village of Alquézar, where wallcreepers spend their holiday

Canyon south of the village, where wallcreepers are sometimes spotted

The Lammergeier was a bird I was trying to get my dad excited to see. A massive vulture, it is one of Europe's most spectacular and endangered birds. We were on a slow, windy drive up to Sanda Cillia, which is sometimes used as a "vulture feeding station" for disposing of roadkill. Immediately there were thousands of Alpine Choughs swirling around and a Golden Eagle. 

Alpine Choughs

We scanned the slopes carefully for Lammers. After an hour or so I registered one, who landed on a slope for a good while. Unfortunately, we didn't notice that we could have gotten much closer to the feeding site but nonetheless, the bird was spectacular to watch even at a distance. 

Lammergeir at Santa Cillia

Earlier in the trip, in Zaragoza, I`d risen well before sunrise in an attempt to snag my nemesis Dupont`s Lark at El Planeron reserve south of town, while my parents slept in and enjoyed a lazy breakfast. Sadly, despite getting within 3m of a singing Dupont's, I was unable to establish a visual. I even had one calling as late as 9:15 am and got quite close as well but they are as difficult to see as mice and they never fly, singing from a concealed spot at the base of a grass tussock. It was my third try for Dupont's and it was maddening! I will have to either give up hope on my Dupont's dreams or hope for another opportunity somewhere down the road. 

Lesser Short-toed Lark

There was one more bird I could easily see before leaving Europe and that was the Short-toed Treecreeper. After careful ebirding I figured I could get one if we visited the great monastery at Montserrat, which Claudia was keen on doing. As they went up the cable car, I lingered behind and birded along the river. Just as I was giving up, on the edge of the cable car parking lot, I detected the song and found the culprit creeping up a pine trunk and snapped a photo. It even revealed it`s signature "short toe" which you can see in the picture. If there is a country where combining birding and tourist stuff is easy, then it is Spain! 

Short-toed Treecreeper (lifer #5)