Showing posts with label Ebro Delta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ebro Delta. Show all posts

Wednesday 15 March 2017

Ebro days, sparring harriers, dashing falcons and 1000s of flamingoes

Ebro Delta (red marker) location
So I've just spent the best part of a week on the Ebro Delta and everything is running smoothly and going more or less to plan. The weather has been great in terms of temperature - have had me shorts on, less brilliant for migrating birds with persistent westerly winds in between no wind at all. 
Ebro Delta from above
The mighty Ebro river drains nearly all of northern Spain so the huge deposits of silt that get deposited here means that the delta is constantly changing shape from one year to the next. Totally flat, fit to bursting with saltmarsh, lagoons, rice fields and lots of mud its 320sq kilometers represent one of the most important wetland areas in the whole of Spain and with designated reserves both north and south of the river it's a birdwatcher's paradise, lots of  - so well worth a week of my time.

The most obvious thing I noticed from day 1 here were the relatively large numbers of Audouin's Gulls. On the serious decline not so very long ago with a worldwide population down to a 1000 pairs, they've bounced back really well here in their native stronghold and I make no excuses for posting lots of pics of these beautiful creatures - and I'm not that big into Gulls!

Audouin's Gull, Ebro Delta, 08/03/2017

Audouin's Gull, Ebro Delta, 09/03/2017

Audouin's Gull, Ebro Delta, 09/03/2017

Audouin's Gull, Ebro Delta, 09/03/2017
Audouin's Gull, Ebro Delta, 12/03/2017

Audouin's Gull, Ebro Delta, 12/03/2017

I've seen some info that points to 15,000 pairs now on the Ebro alone so that's some come back! That last one is clearly ringed so probably worth chasing up its origin when I have time.

Spotted Redshank, El Garxal, Ebro, 08/03/2017
So, what else have I seen? Plenty that's what! Stacks of waders with Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed & Grey Plovers well into the 1000s. 100s of Little Stint, Greenshank and surprisingly large numbers of Spotted Redshank with at least one flock of 80+
A Purple Swamphen that turned up in Lincolnshire last year caused a right twitch I seem to remember. I made a pathetic effort to see it but knew I wouldn't have got any sort of view, certainly not the way you do here ...

Purple Swamphen, Riet Vel, Ebro, 11/03/2017
Purple Swamphen, El Garxal, Ebro, 07/03/2017


This one walked right in front of one of the hides and in a variety of suitable habitats they too seem to be doing really well here. They're big, and as you can see, head and shoulders over our more familiar Common Moorhen.









Purple Swamphen & Common Moorhen, Riet Vel, Ebro, 11/03/2017

Marsh Harrier, Punta de la Banya, Ebro, 10/03/2017
Not seen another Hen Harrier since I was in  France but there's no shortage Marsh Harriers here, I watched this one glide up the side of a saltpan out on the Trabucador spit.


Marsh Harrier, Punta de la Banya, Ebro, 10/03/2017
Marsh Harrier v Peregrine, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017
Territorial they are too, one day I witnessed a pair defend their patch against first a Peregrine, then a passing Osprey and then a Buzzard! All a bit distant and high up in the sky, but you get the sense of it I think ....


Marsh Harrier v Peregrine, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017

Marsh Harrier v Peregrine, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017

Marsh Harrier v Buzzard, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017


Marsh Harrier v Buzzard, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017


Marsh Harrier v Osprey I didn't quite capture, mainly because the Osprey wasn't that bothered - too keen to move on maybe and possibly a passage bird rather than a local, but I got him ok!

Osprey, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017
Not much in it but I found the southern side of the delta was marginally better for birds and ease of watching them. The most southerly point hosts a big salt factory, huge salt pans and a bird reserve (Punta de la Banya) that is closed to the public but some viewing can be had from a hide on the beach and the whole lot is accessed via a broad sandy track that looks perilous but is totally drivable.

This is where I found the highest concentration of Audouin's Gulls, associated Slender Billed Gulls and Yellow Legged Gulls. There's also a huge colony of breeding Greater Flamingoes out there (I estimated appx 3000!)

Greater Flamingoes, Punta de la Banya, 09/03/2017

Greater Flamingoes, Punta de la Banya, 09/03/2017
Out here, whilst I was just tucking into a cheese and chorizo roll, a sudden commotion amongst all the gulls on the beach and right in the middle of them a big female Peregrine Falcon chasing what looked like a Guillemot. She caught up with it, caught it (wow I said to myself, spitting bits of chorizo on the sand!) - the gulls, mainly Lesser Black Backs I think were on the falcon immediately, surrounding it and forced it to drop the poor Guillemot into the sea where it was in turn pounced upon by the marauding gulls! Frustrating for the falcon and out of the frying and into the fire for the auk ... maybe that's why gulls are one of the most successful birds on the planet? An amazing sight for me if not a little frustrating too because if it weren't for my mealtime distractions I might have got a shot off.

I stayed the night out there on the beach, just me, a couple of overnight fishermen and 1000s of gulls & Flamingoes. In the morning there was a heavy mist and the sandy track back up to the delta proper looked like this ...
Sandy access track on the 'Trabucador' spit, Ebro, 10/03/2017


Ok, so I'm suddenly aware of how many pics I took on the Ebro and if I'm not careful this post will stretch into a whole episode, so here are the rest of the pics from Punta de la Banya, plus decent map of al the best birding sites, and the rest of my stay on the Ebro Delta ... 

Salt Factory, Punta dela Banya, Ebro


Walking down the beach beyond the salt factory, Punta de la Banya

The van's berth for the night, outside salt factory gates, 09/03/2017



An ugly sight on the beach, big fish (Tuny?)


Not the best pic of a Merlin, but any pic in flight is worth the effort, Punta de la Banya, 09/03/207
 So many Grey Herons on the Ebro, all getting on with nesting and flocks of 20+ overhead not uncommon.
Grey Herons overhead, Ebro, 11/03/2017

Grey Heron with nesting material, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017


Grey Herons, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017

Grey Heron with nesting material, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017
Osprey with fish, L'Encannyissada, Ebro, 11/03/2017
The same or another Osprey, this time with fish and of course then come the ever watchful gulls but this hawk wasn't letting go!

Osprey with fish, L'Encannyissada, Ebro, 11/03/2017
 At Riet Vel, a small eco farm reserve on the delta I got lucky with a Penduline Tit

Penduline Tit, Riet Vel, Ebro, 11/03/2017
 A couple of landscapes from one of the newly created reserves on the delta, Aigumolls L'Embut .. still evolving but they've done a great job here I think.
L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017

L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017
These next 3 are all from a semi successful trip out to the extreme north of the delta - I was trying to find a small reserve called I'lla de Mar but got lost among the various tracks. Found some good wet rice fields though ...
Common Snipe, nr Platje de Marquessa, Ebro, 12/03/2017

Little Ringed Plover, nr Platje de Marquessa, Ebro, 12/03/2017

Water Pipit, nr Platje de Marquessa, Ebro, 12/03/2017
A few more pics and then I'm done for now, my next post will cover my stops en route south to what will be my final destination around El Fondo. Species count to date is 145, not bad but I'll do very well to get 200!

Great Crested Grebes, L'Embut, Ebro, 11/03/2017

Song Thrush, yes still quite a few of them around, El Garxal, 11/03/2017

Nr Encannyissada, Ebro, 09/03/2017

View from the hide at Encannyissada, 09/03/2017

Dragonfly sp, suggestions please! top of the hide at L'Embut first thing in the morning, 11/03/2017

Little Ringed Plovers, El Garxal, 12/03/2017

Swallowtail Butterfly, among the sand dunes nr El Garxal, 08/03/2017

Ebro map showing all the destinations






















Saturday 31 January 2015

Ebro days..dashing falcons, massing waders, ditches and shooters!



At 320 square kilometres, the Ebro Delta is one of the biggest wetland areas in the Western Mediterranean. Its a curiously shaped area due the twin effects of deposited soils washed down by the mighty Ebro and then coastal erosion.

Although designated as a natural park much of the area is given over to rice growing and the associated wet (flooded in winter) fields. Its definitely a 'working' environment but many birds are attracted to the rice fields and there are many areas of saltmarsh / lagoons and reed beds with copious tracks and irrigation canals everywhere .... it was great for the bike and although I got a bit fed up with the level of duck shooting going on I spent close on a full week there exploring.



Rice fields, Ebro Delta
From ground level this is fairly typical of the terrain......

















As you might expect I took a bucket load of pics and although not totally overwhelmed by birds there was lots of scope for landscapes and plenty to keep me happy. No doubt I'll be finding other pics in the coming days as I revel in good internet / 'plug in access'  but for now these are some of my stand out images.....


Great White Egret, Ebro

Great White Egret, Ebro


Mediterranean Gull, Ebro


Mediterranean Gull, Ebro
 

It was good to see so many Mediterranean Gulls (made up for a big fat zero on Audouin's Gulls!) and the above fly past shots in good evening sunshine were very pleasing. Caught this one mid air as it was fishing ...
 
Med Gull fishing, Ebro Delta





Lots of these about, as one would expect almost anywhere in Spain ...
Stonechat, Ebro

.... and even more of these little blighters. I've remarked on it before but I'm constantly amazed at the sheer numbers of Chiff Chaffs that almost litter the paths, bushes and almost any insect laden little place ....
 
Chiffchaff, Ebro

Chiffchaff, Ebro
Not as many Bluethroats about as I expected but this one played my stalking game to a point ... 20 minutes crouched on a ditch bank with pins and needles and still she wouldn't come the side I wanted so here's a 'backlit' female getting her feet wet...
Bluethroat (female), Ebro
Lapwings and the usual herons / egrets aside, wading birds weren't exactly abundant, no Avocets, no Black Winged Stilts but both Common and Green Sandpipers were popping up frequently and I snapped this one from the van one lazy afternoon when I was so fed up with shooters I just drove to the nearest quiet wet field and watched the birds come and go for 2 hrs!
 
Common Sandpiper, Ebro

Common Sandpiper, Ebro

I managed a half decent shot of a flock of Greenshank
Greenshank flock, Ebro

Glossy Ibis flock, Ebro



 
A couple more numerous birds on the Delta were Glossy Ibis (I estimated between 800 - 1000) in total. Here's a flock taken with my mobile during an evening bike ride.

Glossy Ibis with food, Ebro
I had plenty of time of to observe these birds that have steadily increased in number over the years on the delta and at the risk of sounding like David Attenborough I realised that their life here is not straightforward - largely due to the equally large numbers of Black Headed Gulls that harry and chase the Ibis. Took me a while to twig but what they were doing was acting in pairs and forcing the Ibis to let go of food which the gulls then snapped up. Not brilliant pics but it shows the action that was going on time after time...
 




 
 




... this kind of thing was happening time and time again and I began to feel sorry for the poor Ibis but at the same time very impressed with the tenacity, persistence and eventual success of the B.H. Gulls tireless work!



 
 

Dunlin murmuration? Ebro
Even more numerous on the Southern side of the delta and towards the salt pans were Dunlin with a huge flock of certainly 1000+. Many pics I took as quite conveniently they were massing very near to where I was parked up.
 


 
 ...  this is where I was parked up along 3 others along the Trabucador (southern peninsular of the delta)
 
 With so many small waders about it wasn't surprising to catch up with a Peregrine Falcon but I didn't expect such good photo opportunities... this one was making good use of the pylons that stretch right down the peninsular and allowed
 
Peregrine Falcon, Ebro


Peregrine Falcon, Ebro


Peregrine Falcon, Ebro


Peregrine Falcon, Ebro
 
 I was well impressed with those pics and it made up for a very long and otherwise largely fruitless walk down to the saltpans.
 
Never far away though there's always a Marsh Harrier to snap ...
 
Marsh Harrier, Ebro
 ...and always good to get a bit of variety of the raptor front, this Booted Eagle had obviously just eaten - check out that bulge!
 
Booted Eagle, Ebro

Meadow Pipit .. commonest bird on the Ebro?
 Ok this has been a big post and apologies for that ... many I know won't have scrolled down this far but here's a few more birdy pics and some landscapes from my week on the delta...
 
My van from the viewing platform on the Ille de Budha
 
 
Squacco Heron from  distance and same viewing platform
 
 
Kindred spirits ... these trees are just about as laid back as me!

...and where did that come from?
one of the many canals that maintain and irrigate the delta
Spring flowers emerging... don't know what they are but they're common!


Just what the Ebro doesn't need!


Like I said, a bit too much shooting going on for me to completely enjoy the delta but hey I understand the dynamics and the need to take what is needed from this land but way too noisy at times for me!