Back aboard now after an exhilarating 16days in northern Aragon high up in the Spanish Pyrenees and then down along the coastal areas of Catalonia to the north-east. In total, we clocked up some 2,650 kilometres and avoided just three head-on collisions during this visit. If you've driven around Catalonia, you'll know exactly what I mean!
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| A very showy Squacco Heron at Aiguamolls |
Our final couple of days were spent in a quiet hotel both chilling and sightseeing around Girona but we did take the opportunity to revisit Aiguamolls de l'EmpordΓ Natural Park on Saturday between leaving our villa and checking in to our hotel. If you remember we didn't have the best of visits on Monday 21st, it was full of noisy school parties and coach loads of tourists. Thankfully Saturday was much quieter, with actual birders milling around! That said it was club-med for mosquitos and despite some hefty precautions on our part these guys meant business, you can't win em all.
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| A shy Purple Heron |
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| Cattle Egret |
Notwithstanding we had a very good visit and the best results of which I've posted in picture form. I've also posted a complete list of all bird species noted and will post Odanata and Butterflies later when I've resolved a few ID issues.
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| Glossy Ibis |
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Red-legged Partridge, Quail(h), Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Balearic Shearwater, Cormorant, Shag, Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Black Stork, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Flamingo, Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Red Kite, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Common Buzzard, Honey Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Purple Swamphen, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Little-ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Temminck's Stint, Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Woodcock, Ruff, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Whiskered Tern, Rock Dove, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo, Eagle Owl(h), Tengmalm's Owl(h), Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Scops Owl(h), Nightjar, Swift, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, Hoopoe, Kingfisher, Bee-Eater, Roller, Black Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Woodlark, Sand Martin, Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Water Pipit, White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Dunnock, Alpine Accentor, Robin, Nightingale, Black Redstart, Wheatear, Whinchat, Stonechat, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Blue Rock Thrush, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Orphean Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Moustached Warbler(h), Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Willow Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Wren, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Crested Tit, Marsh Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Short-toed Treecreeper, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Chough, Alpine Chough, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, Spotless Starling, Golden Oriole, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Citril Finch, Serin, Common Crossbill, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Cirl Bunting, Corn Bunting, Rock Bunting (175 Seen and heard)
A few notable absentees: Common Redstart, Wryneck, Night Heron, Stone Curlew and Lesser Kestrel
