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Els Ports & Ebro Delta - 5 days in spring 2009 I arrived in Catalunya on 27th April and spent the first 3 nights in Casa Pequeña, followed by 3 nights in Deltebre. I have been going on trips with Rob and Marg for almost 8 years, but this is the first time that I have stayed in their accommodation. It might be "corny" to say that I was in need of a break, but the time in Casa Pequeña was a good start to my holiday: relaxing and peaceful, with good facilities in the house. Being out in the countryside there were usually birds to be seen, such as my second ever woodlark on the first morning. The famous nightingales were common in the area. On the first day Rob and Marg took me for 2 half day walks in the neighbouring part of Els Ports, one a high level walk near Mont Caro and the other a lower level walk in the barranc at Caramella. Between the walks we went to the summit of Mont Caro in the car. It was as windy as the hills sometimes get back home in the Isle of Man. Despite cloud we had wide views to the Ebro Delta and the snowy Pyrenees far in the north west. Next day I did the self guided walk in Vall de Cervera, starting at Casa Pequeña itself. The route wound its way up the valley and then part way up and down a mountainside. I particularly enjoyed the ever changing views, which widened out on the higher parts of the walk. On the third and fourth days Rob and Marg took me to the northern and southern parts respectively of the Ebro Delta, visiting both old favourites and areas new to me. The table shows which birds I recorded on these trips and around Casa Pequeña, 106 species in total. Quite a few were species that I'd rarely or never seen in the area. Species that I had seen on previous visits to the area and which I was particularly pleased to see included several choughs (very much a favourite of mine) near Mont Caro and over 100 each of glossy ibis and purple swamphen in the southern part of the Ebro Delta, both record day counts for me by far. The open waters of the Delta have the great spectacle of large numbers of many species of birds, and the range of species seen from the viewing tower at Gola de Migjorn was particularly impressive, not least a flock of 20 avocets mobbing a marsh harrier as it flew past! Amongst other groups of animals there were a couple of moroccan orange tip butterflies at Caramella and an ocellated lizard in Vall de Cervera, both new species for me. Allen S Moore, Isle of Man, UK
Key: @ = species recorded in the area on the date(s) stated * = species seen on 1 or 2 May in Ebro Delta north, either around Deltebre or further east (in the case of the lesser black-backed gull, seen on a boat trip on 2 May) To view Allen's other reports/lists use the links below April 2007 August 2005 October 2009
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