Catalonia Mountain Birding Trip, Spain

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.

Day 1

Full Day Trip

A journey into the Mountains

For this excursion we will leave the low lying Delta and journey around an hour inland to the Els Ports Natural Park. Els Ports is a limestone mountain range which rises well over 1000 metres and offers some spectacular and rugged mountain vistas. We will start the day with a visit to Mas de Bunyol where we will view an amazing spectacle as masses of wild Griffon Vultures, along with some Egyptian Vultures (spring - autumn), descend for their daily feeding!

Focus on Raptors

After viewing the vultures we will make a slow return to the Delta keeping an eye out for a wide variety of raptors which can be seen overhead. We have a great chance to see rare varieties such as Bonelli's Eagle, Booted Eagle and Short-toed Eagle, along with Kites and Buzzards. We will return via the Serres de Cardo-el Boix mountains which affords us a magnificent view over the Delta, and where we are sure to see a host of birds such as Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Green Woodpecker & Bee-eater.

Wildlife Reviews

5 stars

- based on 1 reviews

Amazing Day with Al in the Ebro Delta
Anasuya Mandal18 Mar 2019
5
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Al is the epitome of commitment, passion, and enthusiasm for birding. I visited with my parents (this birding trip was mainly for my mom, an amateur and passionate birder), and my husband. From the start, Al was very responsive to my inquiries, assisting us with train times and travel information, providing us with advice on what possibilities may exist, until the day materialized into a glorious day in the middle of March. From 10 am until ~7pm, Al took us around in his car, driving ever so slowing so as not to disturb the birds. We saw over 50 new species of birds we had never seen before (we are from India so the Spanish fauna was unknown to us). Al explained the habits, habitats, and small stories behind each of the species we saw. He knew all of the good birding locations in the area, which we visited throughout the day, timed perfectly to enjoy the viewing of marsh harriers enjoying their breakfast, the greater flamingos enjoying some playful frolic in the delta, or the ducks enjoying their afternoon snooze. It was a glorious day and I'd come back again if I could. Al is just the best and words are not enough to praise his commitment to his passion. Wishing you all the best!

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