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Day |
Agenda
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1
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The tour begins at the Barcelona Airport, where we will meet
you. Plan to arrive between 9:00 AM and 12:00 noon. We will begin
birding at a nearby wetland reserve near the airport, a great
introduction to the birds of Spain, before driving south to the mouth
of the Ebro River. Overnight in Ebro Delta.
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2
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Ebro Delta This area of littoral wetlands is the third most
important in the western Mediterranean after La Camargue in France and
"las marismas del Guadalquivir" (Coto de Doñana) in southern
Spain. It is an alluvial plain of about 32,000 hectares that reaches
20 km into the sea. A large part of this area is cultivated, with a
predominance of rice fields (20,000 hectares). The rice fields are of
great importance as a feeding area for many waterbirds, and
there are large surfaces of natural environments such as beaches, wide
expenses of sand, bays, flood marshes, salty surfaces, small littoral
lakes, and riverside woods, with a rich, diverse birdlife. It's not
only important as a breeding area (about 28,000 pairs of waterbirds)
but also as a wintering location for gulls, auks
(alcids), and other birds. Eleven species of gulls and
terns regularly nest here. This is the only breeding location
for Sandwich Tern on the entire Iberian Peninsula, and it
contains the most important breeding colony of Audouin's Gull
in the world. In recent years a large population of Greater
Flamingos has been nesting in this area, and the Delta has become
its third most important breeding site in the western Mediterranean.
Other interesting birds that we can see here are Squacco Heron,
Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis, Common Shelduck,
Red-crested Pochard, Purple Swamphen, Water Rail,
Eurasian Oystercatcher, Collared Pratincole, Kentish
(Snowy) Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great
Reed-Warbler, Savi's Warbler, and Reed Bunting.
Overnight in Ebro Delta.
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3
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Ebro Delta to Ebro Valley Steppes We will begin with some final
birding in the Ebro Delta before driving to the plains near
Belchite. We'll make several birding stops in the hills and
forested patches along this very scenic route. Overnight in Quinto.
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4
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Ebro Valley Steppes Today we will bird the arid Spanish
steppes, cereal plains, and little mesetas of the plains. Our day will
begin pre-dawn with a visit to Belchite. This impressive steppe area
is a spectacle at sunrise, complete with the mysterious song of
Dupont's Lark creating a unique magical ambience. This area
boasts the highest population density of Dupont's Lark in
Spain. After breakfast we will visit Los Monegros where we can see
Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse in good numbers.
It would not be unusual to locate Great Spotted Cuckoo, and we
will attempt to find one of the few Great Bustards that remains
in northeast Spain. Among the other birds that we are likely to see
are Little Bustard, Eurasian Thick-Knee, Little
Owl, Greater and Lesser Short-toed Lark, Thekla
Lark, and Calandra Lark. Later we will bird the spectacular
red sandstone hills that crown these steppes to find
Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Golden
Eagle. Finally, we shall visit nesting areas of the majestic
Bonelli's Eagle, a bird that has become quite scarce. Overnight
in Quinto.
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5
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Ebro Valley Steppes to Lleida We will begin with morning
birding by the river very close to our hotel. Watch for Common
Kingfisher and Purple Heron near the waterways, with
Eurasian Wryneck and Eurasian Golden Oriole in the
gallery forest. Migrants are usually present in good numbers as well.
Our next stop will be near Bujaraloz where recently we had
Short-toed Eagle, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Tree
Pipit, Common Redstart, and Dartford Warbler. A pond
near Candasnos is usually teeming with birds at this time of year.
Possibilities include Great-crested and Black-necked (Eared)
Grebes, Black Tern, Collared Pratincole, and
Great and Eurasian Reed-Warblers. Next we're off to
another pond near Sariñene, where recently we heard Great
Bittern and Water Rail, and saw Eurasian
Penduline-Tit, and Garden and Cetti's Warblers. The
plains near Lleida are excellent for Little Bustard,
Eurasian Thick-Knee, and Hoopoe, and one year in a small
patch of trees we had excellent views of Red-necked Nightjar
perched on the ground. We should still have time to do some birding
at a couple of spots near Lleida. One is good for Green
Woodpecker and possibly Lesser Gray Shrike, the other, a
city riverside park, is excellent for Common Kingfisher,
Eurasian Wryneck, and migrants. Overnight in Lleida.
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6
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Lleida to High Pyrenees via the Pre-Pyrenees Our first stop,
depending upon recent rains, will be at a small wetland area where we
have found Temminck's Stint, Dunlin, a dozen Ruff
including a white morph male, Black-tailed Godwit, Little
Ringed Plover, and Common Quail, to mention just a few of
the highlights. Driving west of Lleida we will reach the foothills of
the Pyrenees that contain Mediterranean woodland, maquis, spectacular
limestone ravines, and rock faces. We'll walk from Loporzano to a
nearby riverbed with good chances for a wide range of birds:
Lammergeier to Black Wheatear and Eurasian Golden
Oriole to Tawny Pipit. We'll take another walk along one of
the most emblematic rock faces of Sierra de Guara Natural Park. We'll
make several stops along the way at interesting spots in the heart of
the park. There are large groves of holm oaks, Mediterranean scrub,
and pine woods. The ravines of the rivers Flumen and Mascún are
regarded as the most rugged and inaccessible of all in the
pre-Pyrenean ranges and offer spectacular rock formations with
abundant birdlife. There are numerous raptors, mainly
Bonelli's, Short-toed, and Golden Eagles,
Lammergeier, a large colony of Griffon Vulture,
Egyptian Vulture, Red-legged Partridge, Eurasian
Scops Owl, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Alpine Swift,
European Bee-Eater, Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck,
Thekla Lark, Black and Black-eared Wheatears,
Blue Rock Thrush, Tawny Pipit, Firecrest, Rock
Petronia, Spotless Starling, Red-billed Chough,
Rock Bunting, and Ortolan Bunting. The warblers may
include Dartford, Sardinian, Subalpine,
Western Orphean, Melodious, Western
Bonelli's, Spectacled, and Garden Warblers.
Overnight in Hecho.
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The plain in Spain is simply beautiful!
--Kevin Easley
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7-8
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High Pyrenees We'll visit narrow, winding valleys with large
wooded masses, mainly pine and beech groves. In the open areas we find
cultivated fields or grazing lands and alpine meadows above 2000
meters. The valley of Hecho, formed by the River Sobordan basin, turns
into a deep gorge at the "Boca del Infierno", one of the most
beautiful ravines in the Pyrenees. Most outstanding are rock-loving
birds such as Wallcreeper and the many raptors that occupy the
rock cliffs. There are good opportunities to watch alpine and
woodland birds including Black Woodpecker, Red-backed
Shrike, Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, White-throated
Dipper, Crested Tit, Goldcrest, Firecrest,
Ortolan and Rock Buntings, Ring Ouzel, Snow
Finch, Citril Finch, Alpine Accentor, and Water
Pipit. This region is still populated by the last of the
Pyrenean Bears, and we should see Marmots and
Chamois. Overnight in Hecho.
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Picturesque village in the Pyrenees.
--Kevin Easley
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9
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High Pyrenees to Gredos Mountains After some last minute
birding in the High Pyrenees, we will load up for our scenic drive to
the Gredos Mountains to the southwest. Stopping here will allow us to
explore these beautiful mountains the following morning for some
specialty birds. Overnight near Gredos Mountains.
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10
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Gredos Mountains to Monfrague Natural Park Driving along the
flower-covered slopes of the Gredos Mountains is truly delightful. In
the higher sections we will look for the white-spotted form of the
resident Bluethroat. Ortolan Buntings are more readily
seen here than anywhere else in Spain and we should have good looks of
this attractive and local bunting. Other birds may include several
species of raptors, Northern Wheatear, Wood Lark,
and migrant warblers. After lunch we will continue to
Monfrague Natural Park to the west for our final three days of
birding, a fabulous conclusion to our tour of Spain.
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11-12
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The natural park is an area of truly dramatic scenery, and regarded by
raptor watchers as one of the most outstanding sites to see birds of
prey in Europe. Specialties like the Cinereous Vulture
(different from our New World Black Vulture) breed near Eurasian
Griffon and Egyptian Vultures. Eagles are well
represented with Golden, Booted, Bonelli's,
Short-toed, and Spanish Imperial. Around the rocky
pinnacle of Peñafalcon that holds Red-billed Chough,
Blue Rock Thrush, Eurasian Crag-Martin, and Alpine
Swift, we will look for breeding Black Stork in one of the
easiest sites in Europe to watch these shy birds at the nest.
Eurasian Eagle-Owls can often be found at their daytime roost,
and we will visit a superb area for Black-shouldered Kite,
Azure-winged Magpie, and Red-necked Nightjar. We visit
Trujillo with its large breeding colony of Lesser Kestrel and
then onward to the oak woodlands, the 'dehesa', around Cáceres
with good possibilities for Great Bustard, Little
Bustard, Eurasian Thick-Knee, Black-bellied
Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Calandra Lark,
Tawny Pipit, Red-necked Nightjar, Red-rumped
Swallow, European Bee-eater, European Roller,
Hoopoe, and Great Spotted Cuckoo. Overnight in
Monfrague.
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13
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We will make our way from Monfrague to Madrid in order to catch
our flights home. Time permitting we will stop en route to look for a
few more specialties. We recommend that you schedule your departure
from Madrid Airport in the mid-day between 11:00 AM and 3:00
PM.
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Leader:
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BIRD TREKS
tour to Spain will be led by Steven Easley
who leads our highly successful Kenya tours. Steve West, a
guide with intimate knowledge of Spain's birds and where to find them,
will join Steven on this tour.
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Price:
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Approximately $3695 per person based upon double occupancy. Single
accommodations are available for an extra charge of approximately
$675. If a single room is not available at a particular location, that
portion of your extra payment will be refunded to you.
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Includes:
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Expert guide service, lodging for twelve nights, ALL meals, all
entrance fees, and all ground transportation within Spain. ALL
tips are also included in the tour fee, except for anything extra
that you may wish to give to your tour leaders.
Does not include cost of airfare to Barcelona and home from Madrid.
BIRD TREKS
will, upon request, help you obtain the best airfare. Also not
included are the costs of alcoholic beverages and items of a personal
nature, although local wine is available free of charge at all
dinners.
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Deposit:
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A $900 deposit will assure your reservation on the tour. The balance
is payable 15 February 2008. Spain is a popular and spectacular
birding destination. Send your deposit soon to insure your reservation
and to obtain the best possible airfare.
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Extra
Services:
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We offer the services of our exclusive
BIRD TREKS travel agent,
Lori Heathcote, in arranging your air travel. Lori has 22 years
of experience in the travel industry and is a veteran birder. Contact
her through Bailey Travel at 1-800-224-5399, or you can e-mail
lori@baileytravel.com.
By dealing with Lori you have the security of a 24-hour toll-free
telephone number in case of any travel emergency. She can also assist
you with all pre- and post-tour travel plans.
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Refund &
Cancellation
Policy:
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With written notice more than 90 days prior to the first day of the
tour, 100% of your deposit will be refunded, minus a $100 service fee.
With 30-90 days notice, you will receive a 50% refund of the full cost
of the tour. No refund can be made with less than 30 days notice. You
will receive a full refund if you provide a replacement for your spot
on the tour. No partial refund can be given once a tour begins.
We strongly recommend that you purchase trip
cancellation insurance to protect your investment in case of injury or
illness to you or your family prior to or during a tour. Click on the
following link to Access America or contact
BIRD TREKS for information
on obtaining this coverage.
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Robert M. Schutsky
216 Spring Lane
Peach Bottom, PA 17563
Phone: 717-548-3303
Fax: 717-548-3327
e-mail: info@birdtreks.com
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