Recent Sightings

You will find recorded (beneath the 2008 birdwatching trip prices), what would normally be considered unusual birds for the time of year or for this area of Spain and also sightings during trips either on the Ebro Delta or in the Els Ports mountain range, with occasional clients' reports. We will also record sightings from around the casa pequena/Bona Vista villa rural accommodation.

Guided birdwatching trips can be provided to both the Ebro Delta's Northern & Southern arms, these will include the lagoons, dunes, reedbeds, estuary areas as well as use of our Leica Televid 77 scope. Trips to birdwatch in the mountains usually follow our many hiking itineraries, please see Hiking Itineraries for details. Our trips are never set in stone so therefore don't be afraid to suggest local areas that you might wish to visit. We will be pleased to discuss your requirements before you decide to book your trip.

Ebro Delta Natural Park

A day's birdwatching on the Ebro Delta for one to four people including use of a Leica Televid 77 scope, packed lunches and transportation, costs €125 euros. All additional people will then be charged at €10 euros each up to a maximum of 7 in a group. (Payment will be collected on the day, immediately after the excursion).

Els Ports Mountains Natural Park

A day's birdwatching in the mountains for one to four people including use of a Leica Televid 77 scope (where appropriate), packed lunches and transportation, costs €110 euros. All additional people will then be charged at €10 euros each up to a maximum of 7 in a group. (Payment will be collected on the day, immediately after the excursion).

Guests staying in the casa pequena rural accommodation are entitled to a 10% discount on the above prices & guests staying in the Bona Vista villa are entitled to a 20% discount on the above prices.

Feel totally at ease during the entire delta birdwatching excursion as we use a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle to ferry you between birdwatching locations. The transport is also an ideal base from which to view the scenery. For mountain birdwatching trips there will be more walking involved, although normally using easy, flat mountain tracks. For both mountain and delta trips we will always arrange to meet you at a convenient location from which to start the excursion.

To enquire about booking a trip or for further information please email us or use our enquiry form

For this month, we have a comprehensive list of all birds seen between Saturday 19th & Friday 25th April. This has been compiled by Ken & Graham Mather, of Stafford & Stockport, UK respectively, who used the Casa Pequena once again as their birding base. We took Ken & Graham on 2 mountain birdwatching trips; one of the highlights was witnessing a bonelli's eagle seeing off in mid-air a griffon vulture by knocking it off balance in flight.

Recently around the accommodation, in the Cervera valley, we have also seen common redstart & heard for the first time this year the golden oriole.

Signs of the start of spring migration with the arrival of garganey, purple heron, willow warbler, subalpine warbler, woodchat shrike, common swift, sand martin & common redstart. Some notable species also include black & white stork, crane, spoonbill, sacred ibis, bittern, marsh sandpiper, brent goose, hen harrier, booted eagle, osprey, crested coot, little & spotted crake, gull-billed tern, Richard's pipit and Savi's & Bonelli's warbler, siberian chiffchaff (courtesy of delta's local birders). A rustic bunting (2nd year female) was caught & ringed on the Illa de Buda (many thanks for the info to Audouin's Bird Tours).

A large group of black kite was spotted above the Barranc de la Cervera, Els Reguers. We also saw our first alpine swift of the season off of the Pre-Romana track, Cervera valley. Again golden eagle but this time spotted from the sun terrace of the Bona Vista house, Cervera valley.

Katherine and Ann (conservationists, Katherine currently with RSPB, and Ann formerly with them) had a day's birding on the delta (Sat 16th February) with us. They were fortunate that a ringing session was taking place at the ecological rice centre in Riet Vell, which enabled them to take close up photos of moustached warbler, reed bunting and zitting cisticola (many thanks to Cristian of Audouin's Birding Tours). 46 different species were spotted that day including bluethroat, moustached warbler (seen in natural habitat), slender-billed gull and merlin

The next day, as Katherine and Ann were in the Casa Pequena, they walked into the Cervera valley, Els Ports Natural Park, where the highlight of the excursion was a pair of golden eagles.

Thanks to the numerous volunteers that help the Natural Park Wardens during the annual winter bird count we are able to list below unusual species (for the time of year) or rarities spotted during this month. The good news to report is that the perceived number of wintering Ebro Delta birds for 2008 has reached a new high since record-taking began in 1972.

Red-throated diver, great northern diver, black-throated diver, velvet scoter, Slavonian grebe, bittern, western reef heron x little egret, white stork, sacred ibis, spoonbill, lesser flamingo, tundra swan, Brent goose, eider, osprey, booted eagle, crested coot, crane, black-winged stilt, golden plover, pectoral sandpiper, jack snipe, common gull, little gull, kittiwake, Caspian tern, Richard's pipit, moustached warbler, brambling