SPAIN 2003 – the
Grand Tour
“Sunbirds very first Grand Tour of Spain certainly was
extensive, not only did we travel the length of the country but we also spent a
day in France, saw Morocco and came pretty close to Portugal. With the area of
ground covered (just over 3660km) it was no surprise that we birded in all of
the main Spanish habitats and achieved a very respectable trip list of 203
species. From the marismas of the Coto Donana to the rocky outcrops of Monfrague;
the desert like plains of Zaragoza to the snowy heights of the Pyrenees.
With these changing habitats came a variety of bird species.
The gorges in and around Ronda produced Black Wheatears and Red billed Choughs,
Donana was full of flamingos, herons and egrets as well as the hoped for
Marbled Ducks and Glossy Ibis. Even a
few days of bad weather couldn’t stop us seeing the specialities of the region,
few will forget seeing Crested Coot and White headed Duck in a twenty minute
break in the showers and just three days later doing the same with Spanish
Imperial and Bonellis’ Eagle, Black Vulture and Eagle Owl in Monfrague.
Raptors were a key feature of the tour and although our time
at Tarifa waiting for migrants was hampered by the rain this did not stop us
amassing a trip total of twenty species of raptor. These included Lesser
Kestrels screaming around our heads and even a pair of Short toed Eagles
calling and displaying to each other.
Other undoubted highlights included our first look at Little
Bustard when a male appeared in the same scope view as a male Great Bustard,
then the flock of Little Bustards that flew across in front of us before
vanishing into the long grass to be followed minutes later by a mixed flock of
Pin tailed and Black bellied Sandgrouse.
Having had distant views of a single Black shouldered Kite
it was even more pleasing to return two days later and see a pair sat on the
same branch together! Dupont’s Larks teased us near Belchite and retained their
mythical status as one of the hardest birds to see in Spain.
Our first day in the Pyrenees produced what was for all of us a very special ten minutes. While some of us were still getting out of the mini buses there, overhead was our first Lammergeier, to be followed seconds later by another. Within 5 minutes we had seen four but best of all was the adult that landed on a rocky crag opposite the bus. Fully satiated with this we carried on to the small quarry and within seconds were watching a stunning male Wallcreeper. It would seem hard to beat this experience in the Pyrenees but views of Alpine Chough, Black Woodpecker and stunning scenery came close.
Non avian highlights were also plentiful and ranged from the
spectacular gorge at Ronda, the superb picnic lunches, having lunch in the
sandy square at El Rocio and expecting to see a cowboy or two, the wild flowers
and cork oak woodlands across the country, good food and plenty of wine, good
company (shame about the singing!) and some of the best scenery that Europe can
offer.” by James Lidster
Bird List:
Column 1 = number of days recorded
Column 2 = greatest daily count
H = heard only
|
Little Grebe |
4 |
6 |
|
Tachybaptus ruficollis |
|
Great Crested Grebe
|
2 |
3 |
|
Podiceps cristatus |
|
Black-necked Grebe
|
1 |
9 |
|
Podiceps nigricollis |
|
Balearic Shearwater
|
1 |
2 |
|
Puffinus mauretanicus |
|
Gannet |
2 |
100 |
|
Morus bassanus |
|
Grey Heron |
7 |
40 |
|
Ardea cinerea |
|
Purple Heron |
2 |
50 |
|
Ardea purpurea |
|
Little Bittern |
2 |
4 |
|
Ixobrychus minutus |
|
Night Heron |
3 |
13 |
|
Nycticorax nycticorax |
|
Squacco Heron |
3 |
2 |
|
Ardeola ralloides |
|
Cattle Egret |
8 |
200 |
|
Bubulcus ibis |
|
Little Egret |
7 |
150 |
|
Egretta garzetta |
|
Great Egret |
1 |
1 |
|
Egretta alba |
|
Black Stork |
3 |
2 |
|
Ciconia nigra |
|
White Stork |
10 |
130 |
|
Ciconia ciconia |
|
Spoonbill |
3 |
30 |
|
Platalea leucorodia |
|
Greater Flamingo |
3 |
300 |
|
Phoenicopterus ruber |
|
Greylag Goose |
3 |
5 |
|
Anser anser |
|
Shelduck |
2 |
2 |
|
Tadorna tadorna |
|
Gadwall |
3 |
10 |
|
Anas strepera |
|
Marbled Duck |
1 |
4 |
|
Marmaronetta angustirostris |
|
Mallard |
6 |
60 |
|
Anas platyrhynchos |
|
Shoveler |
3 |
20 |
|
Anas clypeata |
|
Red-crested Pochard |
3 |
50 |
|
Netta rufina |
|
Pochard |
3 |
15 |
|
Aythya ferina |
|
White-headed Duck
|
1 |
40 |
|
Oxyura leucocephala |
|
Black-shouldered Kite
|
3 |
2 |
|
Elanus caeruleus |
|
Black Kite |
11 |
60 |
|
Milvus migrans |
|
Red Kite |
7 |
10 |
|
Milvus milvus |
|
Lammergeier |
4 |
9 |
|
Gypaetus barbatus |
|
Egyptian Vulture |
5 |
5 |
|
Neophron percnopterus |
|
Griffon Vulture |
13 |
200 |
|
Gyps fulvus |
|
Black Vulture |
1 |
17 |
|
Aegypius monachus |
|
Short-toed Eagle |
7 |
20 |
|
Circaetus gallicus |
|
Marsh Harrier |
2 |
12 |
|
Circus aeruginosus |
|
Montagu's Harrier
|
5 |
20 |
|
Circus pygargus |
|
Sparrowhawk |
5 |
2 |
|
Accipiter nisus |
|
Common Buzzard |
13 |
6 |
|
Buteo buteo |
|
Spanish Imperial Eagle
|
1 |
1 |
|
Aquila adalberti |
|
Booted Eagle |
9 |
20 |
|
ieraaetus pennatus |
|
Bonelli's Eagle |
1 |
1 |
|
Hieraaetus fasciatus |
|
Osprey |
1 |
2 |
|
Pandion haliaetus |
|
Lesser Kestrel |
5 |
20 |
|
Falco naumanni |
|
Common Kestrel |
10 |
10 |
|
Falco tinnunculus |
|
Hobby |
1 |
1 |
|
Falco subbuteo |
|
Peregrine |
6 |
2 |
|
Falco peregrinus |
|
Red-legged Partridge
|
8 |
12 |
|
Alectoris rufa |
|
Quail |
3 |
1 |
|
Coturnix coturnix |
|
Common Pheasant |
1 |
1 |
|
Phasianus colchicus |
|
Water Rail |
1 |
2 |
|
Rallus aquaticus |
|
Moorhen |
6 |
20 |
|
Gallinula chloropus |
|
Purple Gallinule |
2 |
7 |
|
Porphyrio porphyrio |
|
Coot |
3 |
100 |
|
Fulica atra |
|
Crested Coot |
2 |
3 |
|
Fulica cristata |
|
Little Bustard |
1 |
40 |
|
Tetrax tetrax |
|
Great Bustard |
1 |
17 |
|
Otis tarda |
|
Black-winged Stilt
|
6 |
70 |
|
Himantopus himantopus |
|
Avocet |
3 |
200 |
|
Recurvirostra avosetta |
|
Stone-curlew |
2 |
3 |
|
Burhinus oedicnemus |
|
Collared Pratincole
|
3 |
100 |
|
Glareola pratincola |
|
Ringed Plover |
1 |
1 |
|
Charadrius hiaticula |
|
Kentish Plover |
1 |
8 |
|
Charadrius alexandrinus |
|
Grey Plover |
1 |
2 |
|
Pluvialis squatarola |
|
Sanderling |
2 |
30 |
|
Calidris alba |
|
Little Stint |
1 |
1 |
|
alidris minuta |
|
Dunlin |
3 |
20 |
|
Calidris alpina |
|
Ruff |
2 |
50 |
|
Philomachus pugnax |
|
Common Snipe |
1 |
1 |
|
Gallinago gallinago |
|
Glossy Ibis |
1 |
20 |
|
Plegadis falcinellus |
|
Black-tailed Godwit
|
1 |
6 |
|
Limosa limosa |
|
Whimbrel |
3 |
100 |
|
Numenius phaeopus |
|
Spotted Redshank |
2 |
2 |
|
Tringa erythropus |
|
Common Redshank |
3 |
12 |
|
Tringa totanus |
|
Greenshank |
3 |
1 |
|
Tringa nebularia |
|
Green Sandpiper |
1 |
1 |
|
Tringa ochropus |
|
Wood Sandpiper |
1 |
1 |
|
Tringa glareola |
|
Common Sandpiper |
2 |
3 |
|
Actitis hypoleucos |
|
Purple Sandpiper |
1 |
2 |
|
Claidris maritima |
|
Turnstone |
1 |
10 |
|
Arenaria interpres |
|
Pomarine Skua |
1 |
1 |
|
Stercorarius pomarinus |
|
Arctic Skua |
1 |
2 |
|
Stercorarius parasiticus |
|
Black-headed Gull
|
1 |
25 |
|
Larus ridibundus |
|
Slender Billed Gull
|
1 |
8 |
|
Larus genei |
|
Lesser Black-backed Gull
|
5 |
1 |
|
Larus fuscus |
|
Great Black-backed Gull
|
1 |
3 |
|
Larus marinus |
|
Yellow-legged Gull
|
5 |
200 |
|
Larus cachinnans michahellis |
|
Audouin’s Gull |
2 |
80 |
|
Larus audouinii |
|
Gull-Billed Tern |
2 |
5 |
|
Gelochelidon nilotica |
|
Sandwich Tern |
3 |
70 |
|
Sterna sandvicensis |
|
Common Tern |
1 |
1 |
|
Sterna hirundo |
|
Little Tern |
1 |
15 |
|
Sterna albifrons |
|
Whiskered Tern |
3 |
250 |
|
Chlidonias hybrida |
|
Black Tern |
3 |
4 |
|
Chlidonias niger |
|
Razorbill |
1 |
3 |
|
Alca torda |
|
Black-bellied Sandgrouse
|
1 |
12 |
|
Pterocles orientalis |
|
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
|
1 |
50 |
|
Pterocles alchata |
|
Rock Dove |
14 |
40 |
|
Columba livia |
|
Woodpigeon |
10 |
6 |
|
Columba palumbus |
|
Collared Dove |
13 |
4 |
|
Streptopelia decaocto |
|
Turtle Dove |
2 |
1 |
|
Streptopelia turtur |
|
Great Spotted Cuckoo
|
1 |
1 |
|
Clamator glandarius |
|
Cuckoo |
10 |
2 |
H |
Cuculus canorus |
|
Scops Owl |
3 |
2 |
|
Otus scops |
|
Eagle Owl |
1 |
2 |
|
Bubo bubo |
|
Little Owl |
1 |
1 |
|
Athene noctua |
|
European Nightjar |
1 |
1 |
H |
Caprimulgus europaeus |
|
Red-necked Nightjar
|
1 |
1 |
H |
Caprimulgus ruficollis |
|
Common Swift |
13 |
200 |
|
Apus apus |
|
Pallid Swift |
3 |
30 |
|
Apus pallidus |
|
Alpine Swift |
3 |
25 |
|
Apus melba |
|
Common Kingfisher
|
1 |
1 |
|
Alcedo atthis |
|
European Bee-eater
|
10 |
31 |
|
Merops apiaster |
|
Roller |
1 |
2 |
|
Coracias garrulus |
|
Hoopoe |
9 |
20 |
|
Upupa epops |
|
Green Woodpecker |
1 |
2 |
|
Picus viridis sharpei |
|
Great Spotted Woodpecker
|
1 |
1 |
|
Dendrocopos major |
|
Black Woodpecker |
1 |
1 |
|
Dryocopus martius |
|
Calandra Lark |
5 |
80 |
|
Melanocorypha calandra |
|
Short-Toed Lark |
4 |
50 |
|
Calandrella brachydactyla |
|
Lesser Short-toed Lark
|
2 |
100 |
|
Calandrella rufescens |
|
Crested Lark |
11 |
50 |
|
Galerida cristata |
|
Thekla Lark |
2 |
6 |
|
Galerida theklae |
|
Woodlark |
3 |
4 |
|
Lullula arborea |
|
Skylark |
1 |
2 |
|
Alauda arvensis |
|
Dupont's Lark |
1 |
2 |
H |
Chersophilus duponti |
|
Sand Martin |
3 |
20 |
|
Riparia riparia |
|
Crag Martin |
10 |
40 |
|
Ptyonoprogne rupestris |
|
Swallow |
14 |
150 |
|
Hirundo rustica |
|
Red-rumped Swallow
|
9 |
20 |
|
Hirundo daurica |
|
House Martin |
13 |
150 |
|
Delichon urbica |
|
Tawny Pipit |
1 |
1 |
|
Anthus campestris |
|
Water Pipit |
1 |
6 |
|
Anthus spinoletta |
|
"Yellow" Wagtail |
2 |
20 |
iberiae |
Motacilla flava |
|
White Wagtail |
9 |
6 |
|
Motacilla alba |
|
Grey Wagtail |
4 |
4 |
|
Motacilla cinerea |
|
Dunnock |
1 |
1 |
H |
Prunella modularis |
|
Dipper |
1 |
2 |
|
Cinclus cinclus |
|
Wren |
11 |
5 |
|
Troglodytes troglodytes |
|
Robin |
4 |
16 |
|
Erithacus rubecula |
|
Nightingale |
11 |
20 |
|
Luscinia megarhynchos |
|
Black Redstart |
3 |
10 |
|
Phoenicurus ochruros |
|
Whinchat |
1 |
1 |
|
Saxicola rubetra |
|
Stonechat |
8 |
20 |
|
Saxicola torquata |
|
Wheatear |
3 |
4 |
|
Oenanthe oenanthe |
|
Black-eared Wheatear
|
3 |
4 |
|
Oenanthe hispanica |
|
Black Wheatear |
1 |
2 |
|
Oenanthe leucura |
|
Blue Rock Thrush |
4 |
3 |
|
Monticola solitarius |
|
Blackbird |
14 |
12 |
|
Turdus merula |
|
Song Thrush |
5 |
10 |
|
Turdus philomelos |
|
Mistle Thrush |
4 |
6 |
|
Turdus viscivorus |
|
Zitting Cisticola
|
10 |
20 |
|
Cisticola juncidis |
|
Cetti's Warbler |
7 |
8 |
|
Cettia cetti |
|
Savi's Warbler |
2 |
2 |
H |
Locustella luscinioides |
|
Reed Warbler |
3 |
4 |
|
Acrocephalus scirpaceus |
|
Great Reed Warbler
|
3 |
15 |
|
Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
|
Melodious Warbler
|
5 |
2 |
|
Hippolais polyglotta |
|
Dartford Warbler |
2 |
3 |
|
Sylvia undata |
|
Spectacled Warbler
|
1 |
2 |
|
Sylvia conspicillata |
|
Subalpine Warbler
|
3 |
3 |
|
Sylvia cantillans |
|
Sardinian Warbler
|
9 |
20 |
|
Sylvia melanocephala |
|
Garden Warbler |
1 |
1 |
|
Sylvia borin |
|
Blackcap |
8 |
12 |
|
Sylvia atricapilla |
|
Western Bonelli's Warbler |
2 |
4 |
|
Phylloscopus bonelli |
|
Chiffchaff |
3 |
4 |
|
Phylloscopus collybita |
|
Iberian Chiffchaff
|
2 |
3 |
|
Phylloscopus ibericus |
|
Firecrest |
5 |
15 |
|
Regulus ignicapillus |
|
Spotted Flycatcher
|
1 |
1 |
|
Muscicapa striata |
|
Long-tailed Tit |
3 |
6 |
|
Aegithalos caudatus |
|
Crested Tit |
2 |
8 |
|
Parus cristatus |
|
Marsh Tit |
2 |
6 |
|
Parus palustris |
|
Coal Tit |
4 |
20 |
|
Parus ater |
|
Blue Tit |
13 |
6 |
|
Parus caeruleus |
|
Great Tit |
12 |
6 |
|
Parus major |
|
Nuthatch |
2 |
7 |
|
Sitta europaea |
|
Common Treecreeper
|
1 |
1 |
|
Certhia familiaris |
|
Short-toed Treecreeper
|
9 |
10 |
|
Certhia brachydactyla |
|
Wallcreeper |
1 |
1 |
|
Tichodroma muraria |
|
Golden Oriole |
1 |
2 |
|
Oriolus oriolus |
|
Great Grey Shrike
|
3 |
20 |
|
Lanius excubitor |
|
Woodchat Shrike |
9 |
20 |
|
Lanius senator |
|
Jay |
3 |
3 |
|
Garrulus glandarius |
|
Azure-winged Magpie
|
7 |
40 |
|
Cyanopica cyana |
|
Magpie |
11 |
10 |
|
Pica pica |
|
Alpine Chough |
1 |
7 |
|
Pyrrhocorax graculus |
|
Red-billed Chough
|
1 |
180 |
|
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax |
|
Jackdaw |
9 |
50 |
|
Corvus monedula |
|
Carrion Crow |
7 |
6 |
|
Corvus corone |
|
Raven |
6 |
8 |
|
Corvus corax |
|
Spotless Starling
|
13 |
60 |
|
Sturnus unicolor |
|
House Sparrow |
14 |
150 |
|
Passer domesticus |
|
Spanish Sparrow |
3 |
20 |
|
Passer hispaniolensis |
|
Tree Sparrow |
3 |
6 |
|
Passer montanus |
|
Rock Sparrow |
4 |
40 |
|
Petronia petronia |
|
Chaffinch |
12 |
15 |
|
Fringilla coelebs |
|
Serin |
14 |
20 |
|
Serinus serinus |
|
Greenfinch |
12 |
20 |
|
Carduelis chloris |
|
Goldfinch |
12 |
20 |
|
Carduelis carduelis |
|
Linnet |
8 |
8 |
|
Carduelis cannabina |
|
Eurasian Bullfinch |
3 |
8 |
|
Pyrrhula pyrrhula |
|
Cirl Bunting |
2 |
6 |
|
Emberiza cirlus |
|
Rock Bunting |
3 |
5 |
|
Emberiza cia |
|
Yellowhammer |
2 |
6 |
|
Emberiza citrinella |
|
Corn Bunting |
11 |
500 |
|
Miliaria calandra |