Catalonia Birdwatching Day Trip in the Mountains
This full-day Catalonia Birding trip takes you out of the lowlands of the Ebro delta to nearby Els Ports Natural Park, an upland Limestone massif which climbs to well in excess of 1000m of altitude and offers spectacular mountain vistas along with the chance to see some of the bird varieties associated with this elevated terrain.
After an early morning start (departure around 07.45), we will make our way to the picturesque village of Valderrobres. Here we will proceed to Mas de Bunyol, a superbly run vulture feeding station perched on the mountainside above the town. We will view the unforgettable daily feeding of hundreds of wild vultures, who descend daily to gorge themselves on around 200 kilos of carrion! These are predominantly Griffon Vultures, with the possibility of Egyptian Vultures (summer months), and also an occasional appearance of the scarce European Black (Cinereous) Vulture, all viewed from a superbly constructed observatory. Before we leave the area, we will be checking for some of the smaller inhabitants of the pine forest like Crested Tit, Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper and Western Bonelli's Warbler.
As with all of our birding tours, we offer our clients a choice at lunchtime. We can stop off and sample some of the delicious cuisine of the mountain region, with a great value 'menu del dia' that many are keen to sample in quaint hilltop villages. Alternatively we can choose to take a picnic and find suitable outdoor eating areas as an al fresco option.
The second leg of this Catalonia birding trip will see us heading back towards the Ebro delta, and we will be looking for some of the bird species associated with sunny mountain slopes such as Blue Rock Thrush, Black-eared Wheatear, Woodchat Shrike, Cirl Bunting and varied Mediterranean warblers such as Western Orphean, Subalpine, Dartford & Melodious. All the while we will have our eyes to the skies, and are sure to get great views of spectacular raptors like Short-toed, Booted & Bonelli's Eagle. We return to the delta and the tour concludes by mid to late afternoon.
Catalonia Birding day trip in the mountains - 5 highlights
- An unforgettable morning at Mas de Bunyol as hundreds of Griffon Vultures descend to feast!
- Fantastic sightings of Spain's big raptors such as Short-toed, Booted & occasionally the rare Bonelli's Eagle.
- Awe inspiring mountain vistas in the Els Ports limestone massif.
- Rewarding sightings of elusive mountain species such as Black-eared Wheatear & the Rock Thrushes.
- Birding in the pine forest for tiny species such as Firecrest & Crested Tit.
Like the look of this tour and interested in longer tours on offer? Have a look at the Ebro Delta Birding Experience Tour, Catalonia, Spain.
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