continue riding, which is no small Chronicle Marathon Ornithological SEO / BirdLife 2010
Rarebirdspain - Disefoto - Leica Birdracing Team
From left to right, Leica telescope, Sergi Sales, Xavi Larruy, Armand Ramal and Ricard Gutiérrez
Note: For reasons of national security and global conservation The actual order of visits to some of the sites reported in this review may have been slightly modified. But the experiences are recounted and the places mentioned were visited during the 24 h-long marathon for our team.
That bull
When consultations in the Red Book of birds of Spain chapter the Bittern Botaurus stellaris , reads as follows: 'the decline of the English population seems to have been prompted by a series of negative factors, in which habitat destruction and hunting played an important role principle. "
Indeed, at first. Because we have discovered a new factor: the flamenco. No, not Phoenicopterus roseus, no ... but the popular song of southern origin. 00:00. A pond with at least six male singers of bittern detected by us in the week. A species with which we hoped to start the marathon 2010, the tenth organized by SEO / BirdLife where once again our team was involved and expected to rise to the occasion. What happens when leaving the car and start listening to the supposed calm flooded reed beds of the Ebro valley? As a near crash with various speakers emitting screams of a presenter in suspected intoxicated followed by a chorus of folk singers and third regional group flooded the ether waves just 'acollonint' , as we say in Catalan, to any living creature of reeds .... and Mosque staff, incidentally. Not that they should tell bitterns 'or mu' (pun intended). Is not heard nothing, neither rálidos or ducks or waders. Just hearing that martyrdom is everywhere. And right next to the breeding colony. We started well ...
bittern being a bird that keeps its Contact territories based on hearing the noise pollution of the April Fair was simply unacceptable. And a total and absolute shame for those who manage the area and aim to be of interest to the naturalist. If they want to party, to make them elsewhere and not on top of a colony of an endangered species!
14 expletives later, more moody than expected and after an hour of trying without success (the picture could not folk that), abandoned raised by area track, yes, a Crested Lark, poorer, acogujada than anything, is meant by the musical atmosphere palustre. We'll see if we return to the site of infamous memory. 1:00 One hour less, and the marathon begins again, only at some distance from where ever and without what we wanted. Malament . However, a raid on a pond with the help of the lunar disk can see a couple of species of interest. Well, something to compensate ... Another innovative Paradine, two species and to our usual route.
Night driving
course the folk festival makes a dent in the car environment. Nothing is heard. Not even snoring! However, what is rarely known to fail and, surprise surprise, an unexpected Nightjar flying for a little while before our car through a track in the plains, we decided to include the cost of usual sleep time. We must hurry. Well, that's something. Now to find the Gamarus (the owl). As we do not usually go to nest, we birds find suitable habitat. A first stop in a valley only contributes prepirineo two dogs barking and the finding that quite cool. Brrr. Pixadeta and continue. Standing next to a swamp where once heard a chicken claim y.. ah, lucky break, an adult singing we hear all well, loud and clear, for the first time in many years. Phew, mission accomplished and now we can go due north.
Micro SD
Just start with the nightingale is a common occurrence in the marathon, it is traditional that we stop the Mossos on the road. We were hoping that trance when we go through where they spend and results that were not ... that weird!, With the advantage of we've seen from the road! Ah ... alert ... only been on the other side of town. Reflective vests, flashlights in the form of Star Wars lightsaber and you're standing on the verge of being questioned at 4 am by the simile of Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi.
breath-control. It allows me the card?
- Yes, both
- Oh, bring two gps!
- Yes, we want to get to the Pyrenees before they make day to hear a kind of owl
- This model is the Garmin GPS 60csx not, that microSD card door
- Yes
- and mapping which is good?
(I already perplexed, and not hallucinating because I sleep)
- Yes, it is the City Navigator Europe ...
Total
the agent asked how it was all about, explaining that he had a mountain bike and such and if I could find online and such .... (SGAE, cuidadin ...) .... The alleged Jedi Knight realizes it's getting late and all, we wish luck and circles. May the force be with you ... is, that MicroSDs talking about 2 GB of night work to avoid alcohol tests. Ethyl computer world you know!
More asleep than awake (with two snoring behind) the driver is avoiding (and I'm not kidding) deer on the road to where we wanted to rest for an hour. Eight or nine, one of them collided with the car door, go ahead. We arrived very late to the point of rest. 3 º C, not so cold. But only 23 minutes of sleep for the pair of guard. Too little.
And there was light
Sergi The light when he opened the door to cry Scolopax ! Ein? Yes I've only slept 15 minutes! Yes ... the boat is enormous and we heard three times and we see. Well. Again attempt to zzz .. And again ... Sergi bouncing Aegolius, Aegolius ! Another jump. It seemed that the joke of "praise the Lord '(... go on ... lathering already). Yes, Aegolius unexpected! Then come back to sing. Let's move because it will dawn (not recently). In the snow go right Loxia, Serinus citrinella or Ph.ochruros Pito but fails black. Here we go. Nor would the northern agate but look closely at two Regulus and tits. As we say in Catalunya ' feina destorb feta fa no' . More deer track down. But the black woodpecker. Suddenly, looking Sitta europaea decided to stop in a field that we always long and never looked. Ahhh! Tree Pipit, better still, a male bullfinch! (Pyrrhula Pyrrhula .) Now that's a bonus . The jay, which had failed in some pre-test before the car leaves. So good. The prevailing cold leaves no fly well to large raptors and vultures do not see that in the end fail. Things happen. But it leaves the wryneck and some other species of interest. Having completed the descent on schedule and expected more birds facing the sunny part of the mountain. It is to be covered everything. Slowly but surely.
Come down
In a three saxatilis see three (to continue the simile folk taurine) other animals of interest to some, and we a first for the marathon 2010. A Mediterranean enclave in a highly Pyrenean!. And voilà ... oh displayed the first species of interest is the low (keep saying that scarce) Saxicola torquatus accompanied by amazing song of the Lark Lullula arborea. But the fine ear had Larruy Xavi detected the first surprise of the area: a Sylvia hortensis singing! Of the first appointments in the area and certainly we found out after a meeting of local interest, that because the habitat where it was surely not the last. A little later, three Wheatear migratory path of the snow (no spinoletta unfortunately) but also a peculiar song of a bird just 15 meters away: a male Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana . Sorry for the marathon picture because there is no time (or at least this time there was no time) because the bird was fabled. What a comment. With the homework done we south, where we always see the wallcreeper before the marathon and never after, or during and toward the heat we would rule the day. Without him, of course. We've moved beyond 100 species.
heat Heat
There are things that are not understood. If there is not lemmings, why so serious predators show variations from one year to another? This year almost all we see! Even the hawk out!. And three different peregrine falcons in three sites. It is clear that the variability also plays a role. In the plain we saw two gray raptors: a large usually irregular by year: Circus pygargus , the other a newcomer to our fauna: Elanus caeruleus . Well. Later, a strategic oteadero allows us to detect the voice! a second summer of Gulls in flight (later we would see, is not that the 2 nd summer claiming different ...) among other things of interest. Mission accomplished and to steppes.
Estepa
site not only polvorones the three endangered species in which we are working on its recovery plan. With great surprise we detected at least two different males singing warbler, reed bunting a few whiterby mustachioed and up to eight (three males seen it!). Uaaaa. Incredible. And flamenco festival, always I think if that area could have a bittern ... We will have to listen for frogs or that. And where are the catfish ... You can be the key. To those who say that the steppes are not worth anything is recommended that visitors at this time. Chough, bee eaters, black wheatear blondes, bargains, Dartford warbler and tomilleras ... Incredible bitter cocktail only partially in our case the only species we took for granted that inexplicably did not see: the shrike (!). A golden eagle, the other, but distant farewell us on our way to the coast.
Bonelli's eagle
would have to give more credit to the technicians of the Environment say that the eagle is endangered Bonelli extinction. By our data if I think it would be extinguished three or four years ago. is impressive that our journey passes through at least six areas of the prey, and none is raising or see. Bad thing. Even dispersion seen in their hunting areas (where we saw the real one). This species requires attention and of course the restrictive policies of installation of wind farms are well justified. Other species typical of the range is cuabarrada truck trailer (Trastus mulargus) . Indeed, the heavy trucks in their internal migration-peninsular coast is evenly distributed and low-speed roads where our team runs. As a result, a journey of 1 hour passes be 1h 30 'then lie down to miss the end of the day. A circumstance which, combined with stealth stealth aircraft type of Bonelli, who may make us think about alternatives route increasingly more tedious.
When you reach the coast
Besides seeing the water, you know that the number will rise. This year we have not predicted anything, just come and watch. We knew we would not be too many people and not frighten the waders by slamming doors or vehicular traffic. Just be frightened by the 3000 sunday shellfish that had like, no mushrooms, but bivalves. Go cloth. Yet some species are already there during the week and continue to the final destination. And near sunset, we lack the spotted flycatcher (!). In this we remember a place where he had seen during the week. Let y. .. bingo! One standing on the fence! Incredible! Would be the last passerine because time is short.
A look at the sea and disenchantment: flat as a plate (for gliders as a bad thing or Procellariiformes gannets). Although we see a Caprimulgus (unfortunately europaeus), fail for the first time since we all marine marathon: no pelican or shearwaters, and storm petrels and parasites. So you can hardly win .... Nor would the bittern that was in the area with his partner, barely 30 hours earlier. Neither the brown nightjar. The light also gave us find the 2 Siseta Tringa stagnatilis , we had seen the day before ... A female Pintail, unexpected, greeted us. Later owl scops owl and shut our list. Our personal record. Maybe an ultra record truncated at the last minute? Can be. But the marathon has been an interesting (and exhausting) exercise is worth trying. With this figure, as is the issue, probably we have not won. But at least we're there. Next. Very close. A stone's throw. With the rigor that characterizes us. 15-30 minutes and a flamenco festival less and another rooster (uro-cock?) Had sung. But it is certainly a very interesting figure which shows the enormous biodiversity that our country hosts. And events like this show every year. Until next time!
