Honey Buzzard. Watching flocks head north through May and early June - this was of about 40 birds in the Pyrenees a few days ago - is a personal favourite and never fails to fix my attention, sifting through the different plumages until they're completely out of range. #BirdingToEnjoy for me too.
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. Seen on this trip, seen on every trip. #BirdingToEnjoy.
"Thank you very much for a great day of birding! I much appreciated your thorough knowledge of the bird species and where to find them. I am very happy to leave a positive review on FB."
Rob Crossing, Llobregat Delta / Garraf Massif, 20.3.23
[Video is from the Steppes tour]
Lesser Kestrel. Seen on this trip, seen on every trip. #BirdingToEnjoy.
“The few days we had with you were super, as usual.
Thanks again for taking us to some stunning places. It was fantastic - thank you so much!”
Jean Tye
“Thank you for a fabulous few days, we both thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the last day in the Garraf and the lesser spotted woodpeckers.”
Jane Graham
Steppes, Ebro Delta, Llobregat Delta, Garraf Massif, 9-12.3.23
Great Spotted Cuckoo. Seen on this trip, seen on every trip. #BirdingToEnjoy.
“Exactly as advertised. Stephen picked us up and took us to the Steppes near Lleida. A few hours later I had 17 life birds plus quite a number of other really beautiful species - almost all of the target birds. My favorites were Great Spotted Cuckoo, Woodchat Shrike, Blue Rock Thrush and Black Wheatear. I'm very pleased... A great day!”
Michael & Tracy Hobbs, Steppes of Lleida Tour, 30.4.23
Griffon Vulture. #BirdingToEnjoy. Seen on this trip, seen on every trip.
This small Griffon Vulture colony - only three nests - is my find of the season, albeit totally accidental when I got a little turned around in the Aragon Steppes trying to find new sites. The birds are usually quite easy to see in good numbers on both the Steppes and Pyrenees tours.
"Just wanted to say a big thank you for a fantastic day's birding! Thank you for putting up with our endless silly questions and me not being able to shuffle along faster than a slug! We had five or so "lifers" (Bimbos to the locals) but most of all we had a great day in your knowledgeable and expert hands! Top job!!"
Matt and Harriet, Barcelona tour, 8.4.23
Montagu's Harrier. #BirdingToEnjoy.
Numbers of breeding pairs have unfortunately declined in my patches in the Steppes of Catalonia and Aragon over the years but good numbers still come through on migration in Spring and Autumn, with this male one of 8 birds seen at once with Klaus and Jutta on 5.5.23 (see previous post)...
...and a single female watched on the Ebro Delta with Peter Dunphy on 13.4.23:
"Many thanks for a very enjoyable, informative and productive day. I got quite a few good photos and learned quite a lot about bird ID, strategies and field craft. I will definitely consider a trip to Barcelona for a future trip."
Roller. #BirdingToEnjoy. Seen on this trip, seen on every trip. Space still available May / June.
The Roller, so named because it goes head over heels in prenuptial flight dances, is an extremely gregarious bird seen on all Steppes trips between about mid-April and early September. But it can also be seen on other tours on migration...
...as witnessed by Greg and Kathy Mills on a local Barcelona tour on 2.5.23:
"Greg and I thoroughly enjoyed birding with you. You gave us the tour that we were hoping for. We loved that we saw birds that I never could have identified on my own. We loved the picnic lunch out of the back of your car and we thoroughly enjoyed your company. I will definitely post very favorable reviews on FB and Birdchat. Thanks again for an awesome birding trip!"
Little Bustard. #BirdingToEnjoy. Seen on this trip, seen on every trip.
Space still available for May / June, when it can be seen leaping into the air, wings open, to attract a female...but it's resident to the Steppes so you can visit any time.
"Thank You again for this wonderful trip!"
Klaus & Jutta Dieter, 3rd to 5th May, Steppes photography trip (Gallery to follow)
LAMMERGEIER. #BirdingToEnjoy. Seen on this trip, seen on every trip. Still space available in May and June but it's a resident bird of the Pyrenees so you can visit anytime.
Also known as the Bearded Vulture or, locally, as Trencalos - the bone breaker - because it eats the marrow of animal bones.
"It was great! Thank you Stephen so much. Best wishes from Wolfgang & Andrea." Pyrenees Tour, 09.05.23
No. 6. #GreatSpottedCuckoo. Top 6 Winter Birds of the Steppes. Timing their arrival from February to coincide with the Magpie breeding season (they lay their eggs in their nests), this is another one that I'm sneaking into Winter. Well most Winter visitors don't leave until March in any case and this is just one fantastic bird. Always gives you something to watch. #BirdingToEnjoy.
No. 5. #Wallcreeper. Top 6 Winter Birds of the Steppes. Yes, I know, it's not a steppe species at all. But there's a great site with two birds just on the edge of the habitat so I'm counting it! #BirdingToEnjoy.
No.4. #GoldenEagle. Top 6 Winter Birds of the Steppes. After being evicted from their territories by their parents, where better for the white-winged and white-tailed juveniles to spend the Winter than the rabbit-filled Spanish plains. Sightings of several birds hunting are quite usual. #BirdingToEnjoy.
No. 3. #PinTailedSandgrouse. Top 6 Winter Birds in the Steppes. This confiding species is one of my all-time favourites, in the days when they were more numerous even allowing views so close that I've actually driven through flocks. #BirdingToEnjoy
No.2 #EagleOwl. With no less than 5 locations on my Steppes tour, the chances of missing at least one Eagle Owl, the next of my Top 6 Winter Birds of the Steppes, are extremely low. And February is a great time for a little prenuptial activity too. #BirdingToEnjoy
No.1 #GreatBustard. The first of my Top 6 Winter Birds of the Steppes. Usually seen in flocks and at 1m tall they're not usually so difficult to find. #BirdingToEnjoy
No. 6 #Lammergeier. It had to land there! This bone-eating resident raptor has a wingspan of almost 3 metres.
My final choice of the Top 6 Winter Birds of the Pyrenees. #BirdingToEnjoy
No. 5 #WhitewingedSnowfinch. Another confiding winter visitor, this year in a murmurating flock of about 200 birds.
My fifth choice of Top 6 Winter Birds of the Pyrenees. #BirdingToEnjoy
No. 4 #AlpineAccentor. A small confiding group, roadside as always.
The fourth of Top 6 Winter Birds of the Pyrenees. #BirdingToEnjoy
No. 3 #BlackWoodpecker. This pair were sharing pine sap from freshly cut tree stumps.
The third of 6 Top Winter Birds of the Pyrenees. #BirdingToEnjoy
No. 2 #AlpineChough (also known as Yellow-billed Chough). A murmuration of?
The second of Top 6 Winter Birds of the Pyrenees. #BirdingToEnjoy
