Baggins on the Loose: Ebro days, sparring harriers, dashing falcons and 1000s of flamingoes

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, 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 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

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

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!