You Only Live Twice 
Chronicle Marathon Ornithology XI SEO / BirdLife 2011 Rarebirdspain - Disefoto - Leica Birdracing Team The Nancy Sinatra song from the soundtrack of the James Bond film , we would lead the way in the car, black car again for men (and woman) in black, with the pole 'Leica' characteristic of our team, as we drove to the start of the marathon 2011 in SEO / BirdLife.
Someone could think that, without the (frankly, pitch missing) presence of the teams 'rivals' Tramuntana
and Little Bastards, we could live twice
, as the song says, with some comfort. But that was not. RBSBT run against ourselves and go 'polishing' more and more our itinerary, demonstration of biological diversity, but also conservation issues, which present our natural areas and our birds. And with the cooler of drinks, pasta boxes supplied by officers TotBo
and optical equipment and technological quality, plus a load of pens and pencils, there we were.
Easter Week this year santa came late, and between that and the crisis in addition to other circumstances, there have been fewer teams participating in the marathon. And there have been less time to prepare, particularly (and then be noticed) in the Delta de l'Ebre. Newly flooded, a temporary lift severe alter us all estimates, the sine qua non, again without reaching the extreme of what happened in 2006, the end result.
But let us at first. After the usual official photo, and the prospect of an Iranian-Turanian endorheic lake plagadísima of submerged macrophytes and by extension, red duck, podicipédidos, among other
rálidos delicatessen, preparing prospecting night starting at 00:00 h, we realize how these habitats should have been in other places around sadly and fish altered or removed funds and alter wetlands. To (the unexpected) ferruginous duck was in the area along with their common counterparts. Found the place where they lay down to doze, we will return later to watch after dinner regulatory protein pasta and dressed with plenty of caffeine and laughter, before the start of 'walk'. The
'Courses' approached. Clean binoculars and the field.
A fox and a fox females Approaching the lagoon again we cross a fox (Vulpes vulpes
). Prescient. A lot of mammals would also be detected throughout the day. Too bad they did not count. In the lagoon, the reflections of the lights in the background, with Leica optics, infrared lamps were like for image intensifier allowed to observe the vast majority of species in the lake views in the afternoon. And do not fault any ducks. And you hear a horned owl, big surprise for the area where we are. These are 12:10 pm and we have 12 species in the boat. To this we also psychedelic neon lights of nearby roadhouse certain curiously helped locate some sort ... I del
zorro se ve que era bioindicador del hábitat... Nos vamos porque las otras especies no van a salir ni se ven por la noche. De camino una parada, y dos especies más. A por los chotacabras, que siendo casi primero de mayo ya deben estar por la depresión del Ebro. Efectivamente, oímos el pardo muy bien, y no uno sino al menos dos. Perfectamente. Y cerca. En la arboleda próxima reclama un pollo de buho chico. Esa sorpresa nos ahorra ir a buscarlo expresamente a otro lugar. Tiempo ganado. En esas que Ricard recuerda que en la zona antaño un amigo inglés detectaba el autillo por su canto y empieza, un poco por probar, a imitarlo. Son las 01:20 y por suerte no había nadie más cerca. Pero el autillo contesta! Especie 17 to sack. So good.
Impersonators born Sometimes things surprise you, like meeting of two doves night sleeping in a roadside tree (species 22, 02:16), but encouraged by the success of scops owl, one of the team members begin to imitate the cuckoo am wildly, as if it were more like a pterodactyl and the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus
) answer to the song semi-reptilian, is something to see to believe . I try not to break out laughing as the other members did. What matters is that answered, certainly.
Then during the day, he would repeat the hippocampus Cuckoo's hurricane claim from time to time. Necesitásemos it or not, but pasasen of us. It did not quail or did not respond to the complaint, but heard in a distant site of the former, and it was already 2:47, when he also sang an owl of which had more or less controlled. Was time to go to the Pyrenees. "We would stop once the Catalan police? ...
No Moss on the coast Neither the Pallars. Neither Sort Tremp or stopped us, unlike in the previous year. For this reason we go 'up' to the Pyrenees in a more quiet and go detecting (a first!) The owl in one of the usual places. Then came the festival of mammals, particularly deer (Capreolus capreolus
), which saw dozens. As we discussed in ungulates start to cause problems for grouse management in certain areas of the Pyrenees. And the game does not seem to be the solution because some hunters believe that shooting deer is like shooting cows housed ... sic ... Another management problem more. We reached our destination, a 1 º C, and we have to take a break. zzzz
Alarm
Scolopax is not a Korean brand. Is the demand of the woodcock. Located in a place where spend each year before dawn, at 6:09 issuing the claim excruciating our beloved shorebirds alpine forest. His compatriot of habitat, the boreal owl, has exits through the forum and did not want to sing, with what we already have the first 'fault' (although not too bad) day. With the coolness of the atmosphere began to see interest and alpine birds are detected most of the species provided by 7 hours, although some are made to pray. Carolina is pointing everything. Joan does not release its iPad. At 7:03 am the first stroke of luck. A raptor flying high above us: a golden eagle. Unexpected. But welcome. And more deer with a chamois (Rupicapra Rupicapra
) as well. That danger!. With a lot of concentration going downhill. A blessed black woodpecker drumming announces the presence of the species, which does not always. Well!. Below, this time Jay (yes, it is rarer than it seems) does not pray. And they come up to three finches. Good sign. No news, however, the bearded vulture. This year all the territories of that part of the region had failed. Bad thing.
The sunny When we passed the bar where I normally eat a tortilla with cheese sandwiches or pork with same, we are unable to stop and take one of those and a latte. We must comply with 'Box' of pasta and a cold drink. Because we move forward. See Dipper, red rockers, writers and some tarabilla matches. Two birds far away could have been two Water Pipit and flight
jizz they suggested. But do not aim to honor the truth: there could be 100% secure. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean seems to come in the Pyrenees and started seeing everywhere Sparrow, with Bunting and oh surprise, surprise, at least three or four grosbeaks. Fantastic!. Carol continues to point our scientific names indecipherable. The Lark, however, does not cooperate and does not sing. Would no longer all day ... Nor
yes would hortensis later. But we have recovered the hawfinch and the truth is that the gardener's observations have been impressive. A kite complete the group. We have 97 species. Come to the south.
The Pyrenees We met a team! Tomás Montalvo, Albert Manero and other colleagues with whom we greet and briefly discussed the play in a couple of places where we can detect the blue rock thrush. Joan had shortly before (incredible for him) and the Bearded bimbo piquigualda chova we had been standing next to it. We continue south and into bodies of water and marsh appears harrier and hawk. 11:13 and we are 108 species.
The preparation to all this that Mr.
ignicapilla Regulus, the "Bruel 'or' Firecrest 'had not left. Or now or never, because in Mediterranean environments is more complicated. Planning ahead with Armand Ramal was decisive. Exactly in the same group of trees (actually 150 m from the original site) was there singing male. Fantastic. 118 species and 12:11. Carol has left everything well written. And Joan continues her iPad. In the steppes away!
Dust and mud
Lleida steppes are not as extensive as other Ebro Valley but host can be natural values \u200b\u200bbeyond doubt. Little bustards, Montagu's harriers, Alauda ... they all live in a habitat threatened by agricultural intensification and various issues. Ipad in hand, Joan guided us on where to go and Sergi recalled his gait in those lands. And mud. Because l'Estany d'Ivars i Vila-Sana, I must say with all the names and merits, is a wetland so far has proved a valuable spot in the marathon, and the conservation of nature in general. Some sometimes attacked by fish introductions ended with macrophyte populations (and the colony of whiskered) still retains a laughing gull breeding colony, with some Gulls and dark and different species of nesting ducks, including common ansar. Prior information supplied by our friends in the area did their role and the voice of 'cu-cut' we observed the species had to leave.
A tour of the southern worked Lleida steppes this time it was the southern shrike that we had failed on previous occasions. But bargain again made the rounds would not come out of their pockets planted with colorful poppies. Nearby, the common lark seems that this year is better, having detected at four different sites. And our well-known pair of owls rested in his usual wall, oblivious to the world. On the way to the coast eagles couple greeted the car, less and less pasta, and we planted it in the Delta de l'Ebre with 170 species. Last hours of the marathon.
Delta Flooded. Water and people. The iPad is not predicted. Neither do we. And the birds in Pernambuco. Or Kuala Lumpur. Or Topeka. In 31 years I had not seen a day so few waders in the delta de l'Ebre. The temporary lift and other factors had the birds away from the usual places scattered deep in unknown and untraceable. Bad vibes. Bad thing. Bad thing. It cost a kidney to find a turnstone. And the 4 oystercatchers. Here we fail because in the distance were other waders that were to be the ones looking for. But mistakenly think that we would see elsewhere. Big mistake. We did not have friends on the ground that we do have at Ivars. Slowly, one by one we saw a redshank, a tern. The nerves were clear. Joan, who knew all the local network of roads and tracks took command of vehicle. The rest of its tasks. The sea did not fail this time: a school of fish attracted distant shearwaters (over 200) Balearic and Mediterranean gulls, including dwarfs. Well! Best alcatraz in recent months, a subadult went before us. Species 187!. Skua then a parasite. Not bad. But ... What about waders? Missing in action
. At 20:11 we see a group of 6
Calidris ferruginea in flight. Espeie 195 and missing a lot of species 'safe' (!) As can be! At 20:27 we see the kind 200. Phew, thank goodness. It was unclear, or the initial estimates, or as was the delta that we might arrive. True relaxation. To see if we get more than just light. Quick visit to l'Aufacada tower where we find two teams, each man for himself. As they do not want to say anything can not tell you that we are seeing the American Shorebird were in the delta: the
Limnodromus scolopaceus . In short, things of the rules, but there is almost no light and had not left many common species. Finally, at night, we got a good mark to claim before us a clear redshank. Final species. Who could say. Go to the lift fabric. But still and all a result worthy and interesting.
You only live (or will win
?)
Twice resumes on cd car.
Until next time.
Rarebirdspain - Disefoto - Leica Birdracing Team
