Consorci Turisme de Catalunya -...

Consorci Turisme de CatalunyaDepartament d’Innovació, Universitats i Empresa

CATALONIAA guide to birdwatching holidays

Discovering a country through its birds ...................................................... 4

Wetlands

Ebro Delta .............................................................................................. 6Aiguamolls de l’Empordà ..................................................................... 12Estany d’Ivars ...................................................................................... 17

Mediterranean landscapes

Els Ports ............................................................................................... 22Cap de Creus ........................................................................................ 26Montserrat ........................................................................................... 30

Pyrenees and pre-Pyrenees

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici ................................................. 34Cadí-Moixeró ....................................................................................... 40Mont-rebei i La Terreta ........................................................................ 46Vall de Núria ......................................................................................... 51

Urban areas

Llobregat Delta (Barcelona) ................................................................. 55

Species list ............................................................................................ 61

Ethical code for birdwatchers .................................................................. 63

Other protected areas ............................................................................. 64

Further information of interest ................................................................. 66

Index

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As a country, Catalonia is small in sizebut large in geographical diversity.Lying between the Pyrenees and theMediterranean Sea, Catalonia formsa triangle in the north-eastern cornerof the Iberian Peninsula coveringaround 32,000 km2 and is Iberia’smost biogeographically varied region.With just over seven million inhabit-ants, Catalonia is today a modern Eu-ropean country that still retains a viv-id sense of its own history, languageand culture.

A broad range of differenthabitats

Within a radius of 200 km around theCatalan capital of Barcelona lies abroad diversity of habitats rangingfrom coastal wetlands and deciduousand coniferous subalpine forests in thePyrenees, to inland pseudo-steppesand coastal Mediterranean scrub. Dis-tances are manageable and this sheervariety of different environments guar-antees a vast diversity of bird species.Many birds reach the northernmostpoint of their breeding ranges in Cata-lonia, while winter is a season for in-fluxes of birds from more northernclimes searching for milder weatherconditions. In addition, Catalonia lieson one of Europe’s most importantmigration flyways and spring and au-

Observation point at the Delta de l'Ebre nature reserve © R. López-Monné

Discovering a country through its birds


tumn sees the arrival of many excep-tional birds on passage.

Great species richness

Catalonia lies at the junction of thegreat Eurosiberian and Mediterrane-an biogeographical regions that dom-inate most of Europe and as such ishome to a significant floral and faunaldiversity, which is further enriched bythe presence of both coastal andPyrenean habitats. In all, 395 speciesof birds have been recorded fromCatalonia, of which 232 breed. Thebest totals in the last four Europeanbird marathons –organised in Spainby SEO/Birdlife– have all beenachieved in Catalonia, the only regionof Europe in which over 200 specieshave ever been recorded in one 24-hour period.

Catalonia is home to the world’smost important colony of Audouin’sGulls and good access make it one ofthe best places in Europe for speciessuch as Lammergeier, Little Bustard,Bonelli’s Eagle, Lesser Grey Shrike,Wallcreeper, Snowfinch and CitrilFinch. In winter, a large proportion ofthe total world population of the Bal-earic Shearwater feeds offshore be-tween the Llobregat and Ebro Deltas.

All these factors, along with theexcellent road network and increas-

ing numbers of international flights toand from airports such as Barcelona,Girona-Costa Brava and Reus-CostaDaurada, make Catalonia a highly at-tractive region for foreign birdwatch-ers – easy to get to and with a lot onoffer.

A rich cultural heritage

Aside from this natural heritage, Cata-lonia also boasts a significant culturalheritage that attracts visitors from allover the world to view the vestiges ofits long history. The most outstandingattractions include a number ofUNESCO World Heritage Sites: cavepaintings from Mediterranean cultureat Ulldecona, Montblanc and El Cogul,the remains of the Greek/Roman set-tlement at Empúries, the Roman leg-acy in Tarragona, the Romanesquechurches in the Boí Valley, the Cister-cian monastery of Poblet, the Palaude la Música and Sant Pau hospital inBarcelona (designed by the Modern-ist architect Domènech i Montaner)and six buildings by Gaudí (La Pedre-ra, El Palau Güell, Casa Batlló, CasaVicens and the façade and crypt ofthe Sagrada Família). Likewise, thereare the traditional festivities of La Pa-tum in Berga, declared part of the Oraland Intangible Heritage of Humanityby UNESCO. These universal richesare superbly complemented by thework of artists such as Dalí, Miró, Pi-casso and Tàpies.

Catalan cuisine,an additional incentive

Catalan cuisine owes its prestige to ablend of traditional and innovative gas-tronomic styles: side-by-side with thetraditional healthy Mediterranean diet,based on popular know-how and rec-ipes, we find chefs working in theavant-garde of world culinary trends.

The physical diversity present in thecountry’s landscapes is reflected inthe richness and variety of its cuisine:in upland and inland areas meats ofall sorts, dairy products, fresh vege-

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tables, game and fowl, and wild mush-rooms predominate, whilst nearer thecoast, fish and shellfish are the orderof the day, often accompanied by rice,fresh vegetables and salads.

Today’s vineyards are the directdescendents of the small-scale wineproduction, once common throughoutCatalonia, which dates back manycenturies. Today, the quality of Cata-lan wines is widely recognised and inall there are 11 recognised wine-pro-ducing regions (known as denomi-nació d’origen: Penedès, Tarragona,

Terra Alta, Conca de Barberà, Costersdel Segre, Empordà-Costa Brava, Pri-orat, Alella, Pla de Bages, Montsantand Catalunya. Catalan cava, a spar-kling wine produced using the cham-penoise method, is one of the coun-try’s main exports and is largelyproduced in the comarques (counties)of El Penedès.

Birdwatchers as nature-lovers trav-el the world largely in search of birds:Catalonia, however, offers not only thispossibility, but also the chance to dis-

cover a country at the same time andto enjoy its culture, cuisine and itspeople.

Enjoy your stay!


Main birdwatching areas

6 WETLANDS

This great river delta of over 320 km2,formed where the river Ebro forks dur-ing the final few kilometres of its jour-ney to the sea, is the most importantwetland in Catalonia and one of themost significant in the whole of theMediterranean.

The vast flatness of the deltaic plain,presided over from afar by the impos-ing mountains of Els Ports, has its own

Ebro DeltaCatalonia’s ornithological paradise

The Ebro Delta is one of Europe’s great birdwatching sites. It is one of the most important wetlands in thewestern Mediterranean and the mixture of sea, river and underground waters guarantee important levels ofbiological diversity. The Ebro Delta Natural Park offers visitors facilities and services that make observation

of the sheer number of birds and bird species present in the delta a truly gratifying experience.

Aerial view of the Ebro Delta © M. Cebolla

personality. Away from the coast, thelandscape is dominated by large tractsof rice paddies whose personality var-ies with the seasons — ochre-tintedin winter, flooded in spring and verdantgreen in summer. The coast itself islittered with large lagoons, salt marsh-es, dunes and sand-flats, whilst smallstands of riparian woodland still linethe river and its main channels.

The Ebro Delta is famous world-over as a site of great natural and or-nithological interest: the world’s larg-est colony of Audouin’s Gulls sharesthe stage with one of the most impor-tant populations of the Mediterrane-an subspecies witherbyi of ReedBunting and the second largest Iberi-an colonies of both Greater Flamingoand Glossy Ibis .

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Audouin’s Gull © M. Cebolla

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

Balearic Shearwater (H)**Little Bittern (N)***Squacco Heron (N)**Purple Heron (N)**Purple Swamp-hen (R)***Audouin’s Gull (M)****Lesser Crested Tern (M)*Red-necked Nightjar (M)**Savi’s Warbler (N)**Moustached Warbler (H)*

Ebro Delta

When to visit

Any time of the year is good for bird-watching in the Ebro Delta. Breedingbirds can be found in spring and sum-mer, whilst spring and autumn are thebest times for finding birds on pas-sage. At the end of autumn, largenumbers of wintering birds begin toarrive, above all many thousands ofwildfowl, Cormorants and waders.

Spring

In April, Balearic Shearwaters are stillaround offshore, best seen from theAlfacada beach or the Trabucadorsand spit. Great Bitterns show them-selves at dusk at the Canal Vell la-goon, Riet Vell or between the Alfaca-da and L’Illa de Buda (especially fromthe observation tower) and around thePont del Través observation point. Thislater site is excellent for viewing goodnumbers of herons and the sizeableconcentrations of duck (above all,Red-crested Pochard) that build uphere.

Once into April and May, Little Bit-terns are easy to see in the reed-bedsof Canal Vell and L’Encanyissada or in

nearby reedy canals. A good spot isthe cycle lane that circumnavigatesthe western and northern part of theTancada lagoon. Other species suchas Night, Squacco and Purple Heronscan appear almost anywhere. In re-cent years a solid breeding nucleusof Great White Egrets has developedand in spring over a hundred of theseherons can be found scattered aroundthe delta, above all on L’Illa de Budaand El Garxal. It is worth mentioningalso the regular presence of a coupleof Western Reef Herons (or hybridsbetween this species and Little Egret)around the Tancada lagoon or be-tween this lagoon and El Trabucador.Other species to be found in this areainclude Eurasian Spoonbill, migratingstorks, Glossy Ibis (between L’Illa deBuda and L’Alfacada) and Greater Fla-mingo.

Amongst the raptors, some of themost interesting spring species in-clude Montagu’s Harrier huntingaround the fields known as Erms deCasablanca and Short-toed Eagle andBlack Kites on migration almost any-where in the delta.

The rice paddies and lagoon edg-es hold Spotted Crakes, as well as,

occasionally, Little and Baillon’sCrakes. Purple Swamp-hens are com-mon at L’Illa de Buda, Canal Vell, RietVell and L’Encanyissada, where theyare best seen in the afternoon. In re-cent years Red-knobbed Coots intro-duced from wetlands in Valencia havebeen seen regularly, above all at theCanal Vell lagoon from the observa-tion point at Pont del Través.

Species of wader such as Avocet,Black-winged Stilt and Collared Prat-incole can be found almost anywhere

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in the delta: try the roads through thefields around the Tancada lagoon orin the area known as El Nen Perdutnear Riumar. Temminck’s Stint is reg-ular in the flooded rice paddies andMarsh Sandpiper can be found at ElGarxal and El Goleró.

Rare species of wader that turn upregularly include Pectoral Sandpiperin the ride paddies or at El Goleró,Broad-billed Sandpiper in the shallowbays and Terek Sandpiper at El Gol-eró.

Slender-billed and Audouin’s Gullsare common throughout the delta: the

former is easy to find at El Goleró andEl Trabucador, whilst the latter fre-quents the beaches and flooded ricepaddies. The commonest terns -Gull-billed, Sandwich, Common and Little-are to be found at El Fangar, where acouple of pairs of Lesser Crested Ternsregularly breed and can be seen fromMay into summer. Whiskered Ternsare common along the delta’s canalsand rice paddies.

Scops Owls are common in thedelta’s scattered trees, above all in theholiday-home complexes of Riumarand Els Eucaliptus; likewise, Barn Owls

are not rare and are easy to spot onnocturnal expeditions by car (southfrom Sant Jaume d’Enveja) or in townssuch as Deltebre and Poblenou, wherethey can be seen flying over therooftops. Red-necked Nightjars arealso easy to locate in the evening orat night on the road from L’Ampolla tothe Marquesa beach and on the Camíde l’Inglés (a dirt track) between Am-posta and Sant Carles de la Ràpita.

Breeding passerines include Less-er Short-toed and Short-toed Larksbehind El Garxal in the fields next toLa Tancada, Cetti’s Warbler along the

Ebro Delta

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river or at Les Olles lagoon and Zit-ting Cisticola and Savi’s Warbler atCanal Vell or from the observationpoint at Pont del Través. Great ReedWarbler, Sardinian Warbler (in or-chards and scrub), Penduline Tit (any-where with trees) and Spotless Star-ling are all fairly frequent. Migrantsinclude Red-rumped Swallow (any-where), Black-eared Wheatear, Taw-ny and Red-throated Pipits in the fieldsaround La Tancada, Melodious andSubalpine Warblers and WoodchatShrike.

Autumn

Aside from the species already men-tioned as present in spring, autumnis the best time for finding migrants.Of most interest are the large groupsof wader that frequent El Goleró andthe bays of El Fangar and El Garxal.In this season gull and tern numbersincrease as juveniles dispersethroughout the delta and betweenAugust and October all the delta’sgulls and terns can be found loafingon the beaches. Nevertheless, thebest option is to walk out to thebeaches around the lighthouse of ElFangar for all the delta’s terns andalmost all of its gulls. Night time inautumn –even more so than inspring- is a good time for findingRed-necked Nightjars on the roadsand tracks mentioned above.

Good numbers of many differentspecies of passerines appear, aboveall in the fields around La Tancada,anywhere with a little scrub or a fewtrees around the rice paddies andaround the holiday homes in Riumarand Els Eucaliptus. Bluethroats areeasily found along the canals and la-goon margins.

Autumn is a good time for vagrantwaders and in recent years GreaterSand Plover, Pacific and American

Golden Plovers, Lesser Yellowlegsand Spotted Sandpiper have been re-corded.

Winter

Aside from many common Europeanbirds, the delta is also temporarily ahome to an array of less commonspecies. A small flock of Richard’sPipits (between one and four birds)have wintered since 2001in the fieldsaround La Tancada, while elsewherein the delta winter sees the arrival ofnumerous Water Pipits and regularLittle Bittern, Squacco Heron, ScopsOwl (on L’Illa de Buda and otherwooded areas), Great Northern Div-er, Booted Eagle, Bluethroat, Mous-tached Warbler (try the flooded reed-beds and the wooden walkway at LesOlles) and Dartford Warbler in scrub-by areas (El Goleró). A good place forenjoying the large concentrations ofducks that build up is the observa-tion point at Pont del Través and theAlfacs bay.

Ebro Delta

Rice paddies © M. Cebolla

Savi’s Warbler © O. Alamany

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Nearby areaswith other species

If you stay for more than a few daysyou may want to explore the nearbymountains, where Bonelli’s Eagle,Blue Rock Thrush, Orphean Warblerand Cirl Bunting all breed. It is alsoworth heading for the fishing port ofL’Ametlla de Mar in the afternoonwhen the fishing trawlers return toport accompanied by thousands ofgulls and Balearic and LevantineShearwaters.

Recommendations

• In summer and autumn mosquitorepellent and sun cream are essen-tial.

• Given the myriad of roads and tracksthat criss-cross the delta, we rec-ommend the use of one of the mapsprovided by the information centres.

• Drive carefully and avoid accidentswith animals.

• Some tracks and roads may becomeimpracticable or impassable afterstorms.

• Special regulations apply in protect-ed areas.

Discover the area

The history, culture and economy ofthe Terres de l’Ebre, as this south-ernmost part of Catalonia is known,have always revolved around the riv-er Ebro. Here, the Ibers and then boththe Romans and Arabs laid down rootsand so it is not surprising that the passof time and the intermixing of so manycultural influences have left their markon the region in the form of an impor-tant cultural legacy. The following are

some of the most interesting sites inthe region.

If you enjoy visiting historical re-mains, the archaeological remains ofthe Roman city of Tarraco lying with-in the modern-day city of Tarragona(declared a UESCO World HeritageSite) are a must.

Tortosa is the delta’s capital andhas a noteworthy Gothic and Renais-sance old quarter. If you are there inthe second fortnight of July, be sureto participate in the Festa del Renaix-ement (Renaissance Festival), inwhich almost 4,000 participants rec-reate the city’s past splendour.

The city of Reus, a dynamic com-mercial and economic centre, boastsan exceptional Modernist architecturallegacy in the form of work by Domè-nech i Montaner, including the InstitutPere Mata and the Casa Navàs. In therecently inaugurated Gaudí Centre inReus one may also discover the workof another world famous architect,Antoni Gaudí, one of Reus’s most il-lustrious sons.

Inland, a cultural trail –La Ruta delCíster- visits the Cistercian monas-teries of Santes Creus and Poblet,the latter another UNESCO World Her-itage Site and still with an active com-munity of Benedictine monks.

The comarques of El Priorat andTerra Alta are characterised by theirtraditional agricultural systems and

Roman aqueduct in Tarragona. © J.M. Borrero

Olive mill and cellar of the agricultural cooperative of el Pinell de Brai © Georama

Ebro Delta

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vineyards. Wine lovers should not failto visit an area whose denominacionsd’origen are recognised the world overas producers of robust high qualitywines with a high alcohol content.

How to get thereThe Ebro Delta is 79 km from Reus-Costa DauradaAirport and 174 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorway AP-7 Barcelona-València.Junction 39 (L’Ampolla-El Perelló) for the northern halfof the delta.Junctions 40 (L’Aldea) and 41 (Amposta) for thesouthern half of the delta.

The bus company HIFE (Tel. 902 119 814) runs aregular service from Barcelona to Tortosa. From Torto-sa, other buses run by the same company link to thetowns in the delta itself.

Line Ca1 RENFE (Barcelona-Tarragona-Tortosa).From Tortosa, private vehicle or HIFE bus.

Infrastructure and servicesWithin the Ebro Delta Natural Park there are eight hi-des and eight observation points, all freely accessible.There are a further five hides and two observationpoints, all private, in the Natural Park.

The Deltebre Ecomuseum is accessible by wheel-chair-users and is adapted for blind people. Most ofthe itineraries are possible in wheelchairs and some ofthe observation points have access ramps.

In the northern half:

Ecomuseum and information centreDoctor Martí Buera, 2243580 DeltebreTel. 977 489 679Opening times: open all year round Monday-Saturdayfrom 10.00 to 14.00 and 15.00 to 19.00; Sundaysand public holidays from 10.00 to 14.00.

Next to the Ecomuseum there is an environmental edu-cation centre and a documentation centre, which isopen Monday-Friday from 09.00 to 14.00.

In the southern half:

Casa de Fusta. Information centreand ornithological museumPartida de la Cuixota43870 Poblenou del Delta (Amposta)Tel. 977 261 022Opening times: open all year round Monday-Saturdayfrom 10.00 to 14.00 and 15.00 to 19.00; Sundaysand public holidays from 10.00 to 14.00. La Casa deFusta next to the L’Encanyissada is one of the best-known buildings in the delta. The ornithological mu-seum houses an important collection of local [email protected]

Riet Vell Natural ReserveTel. 616 290 246www.rietvell.orgThe Riet Vell Natural Reserve is a sustainable develop-ment project run by SEO/BirdLife that promotes re-search, conservation and awareness and environmentaleducation programmes in the Ebro Delta. Open all year.

Picampall – Terres de l’EbreOrnithological AssociationTel. 661 167 951www.picampall.org

• The information centres all offer guiding services forbirdwatchers wanting to get to know the delta and itsbirds.

www.terresdelebre.orgwww.catalunyaturisme.com

Ebro Delta

The Costa Daurada with its shal-low seas and fine golden sands (henceits name) is a popular coastal area withtourist towns such as Salou, famousfor its proximity to the Port Aventura

theme park - an added incentive tovisit the area for those travelling withfamilies.

12 WETLANDS

The Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park has some of the best birdwatching facilities in the whole of theIberian Peninsula: itineraries designed for each different habitat, hides, observation points and bird

information updated on a daily basis in the park information centre. This relatively small reserve contains alarge number of habitats that include salt marshes with rush- and reed-beds, saltwort scrub, freshwaterlagoons, riparian forest, meadows, Mediterranean scrub, beaches, a shallow bay and former rice paddies

transformed into damp grazing pastures. The geographical situation of these aiguamolls (marshes) ensurethat at the peak of the migration season a large number of birds and bird species –above all, passerines-

pass through this Natural Park.

Most of the aiguamolls is flat and anumber of easy and relaxing walk-ing itineraries, suitable for all typesof birdwatchers, cross the park. Themarked routes skirt the coastal la-goons through areas of reed-bed, saltmarsh, riparian forest and a few areasof low scrub. The Mediterranean

General view © J. Bas

Aiguamolls de l’Empordàbirdwatching made easy

mountains with open cork-oak for-ests and tracts of scrub that surroundthe aiguamolls are home to a numberof breeding birds not found in thepark itself.

There is thus a great diversity ofspecies on offer in quite a small area;moreover, this is one of the few plac-

es in the Iberian Peninsula for seeingLevantine and Balearic Shearwaters,Little Crake, Red-throated Pipit andRed-footed Falcon.

13Aiguamolls de l’Empordà

Levantine Shearwater (H)*Balearic Shearwater (H)**Great Bittern (R)*Purple Heron (N)**Red-footed Falcon (M)*Purple Swamp-hen (R)**Roller (N)*Red-throated Pipit (M)*Moustached Warbler (H)*Bearded Tit (H)*

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

Little Crake © J. Sagardía

When to visit

This wetland is especially recom-mendable during migration periods inthe months of April-May and Septem-ber-November. In winter there arelarge concentrations of duck, alongwith small groups of geese, GreaterFlamingos and Common Cranes in thelagoons.

Spring

April is a good birdwatching month asboth the first spring migrants and thelast winter visitors can be found. Fromthe beach of Castelló d’Empúries lookfor both Levantine and Balearic Shear-waters, while if you manage to coin-cide with one of the periodical pelag-ic trips that depart from the port ofRoses, Cory’s Shearwater and Euro-pean Storm-petrel are also a possi-bility. Great Bitterns can be found onthe itinerary to El Matar, while at thesame time the Great Bitterns thatbreed at L’Estany de Palau are alreadybooming. Purple and Night Herons areseen all around the park, and thebreeding season of the White Storks,one of the park’s main attractions, isalready well underway and the soundof their bill-clattering can be heardfrom the park’s main information cen-tre at El Cortalet. Black Storks are arare but regular passage migrant andGlossy Ibises, present from the end ofwinter, gather in small groups in plac-es such as L’Estany de Palau. Flocksof duck –above all, Common Teal,Garganey, Northern Shoveler andMallards, with the occasional Red-crested Pochard- are still present andare visible from the hides at and nearEl Cortalet and along the itinerary thatleads to the beach.

Between the end of March and intoApril a few Pallid Harriers are observedevery year and Spotted (quite com-mon), Little (a few each year) or Bail-lon’s (more irregularly) Crakes are adistinct possibility. Purple Swamp-hens are resident and quite abundantand the best place to see them is themarshy fields at El Matar. It is alsoworth checking out these floodedfields for Temminck’s Stint and Marsh

Sandpiper, amongst other waders,whilst in the fields around Can ComesStone-curlew are not uncommon. Theriparian woodlands that line the park’scanals are home to the scarce andlocal Lesser Spotted Woodpecker andScops Owls can be heard calling evenby day. In some years Great SpottedCuckoos parasite the Magpies’ nestsin the pinewood at Torroelles. Red-rumped Swallows can turn up any-where in the area when there is ac-tive passage of hirundines, and Cetti’sand Sardinian Warblers and ZittingCisticola are common in all the ap-propriate habitats.

May sees groups of Red-throatedPipit pass through El Matar, Red-foot-ed Falcons and Rollers around the la-goon at Vilaüt, and White-wingedBlack Terns over almost any waterbody.

It is worth pointing out that in re-cent years there have been regularsightings of Black-shouldered Kite inspring and summer nearby in the areaaround the villages of Garriguella and

Delfià; likewise, almost every yearsome vagrant wader turns up, alongwith species such as Citrine Wagtailand Collared Flycatcher .

14 Aiguamolls de l’Empordà

15Aiguamolls de l’Empordà

Autumn

Aside from the species already men-tioned for spring, autumn provides abetter opportunity to find migrant spe-cies. Pectoral Sandpipers are record-ed annually at least once or twice,above all at El Matar. Family groupsof Red-legged Partridge are easy tofind in the fields around Castellód’Empúries and Vilaüt, while on daysof strong migration many species ofpasserine can be found in the ripar-ian woodland on the Cortalet itineraryand in the cork oaks around Vilaüt andMornau.

Winter

Winter sees the arrival of many com-mon species from northern Europe, aswell as the regular presence of one ortwo Richard’s Pipits in the fields andopen areas around Can Comes andthe occasional Great Northern Diverin the Bay of Roses. This is also thebest time to see Moustached Warblerand Bearded Tit, the latter above all inthe area around L’Estany de Palau.Other winter visitors that are some-what easier to find include Booted

Eagle, immature Bonelli’s Eagles,which in some years winter aroundL’Estany de La Rogera, and numer-ous Water Pipits that are easy to seeat El Matar. There are also good con-centrations of ducks on some of thelagoons (El Cortalet is an excellentplace for wildfowl), as well as goodnumbers of Balearic Shearwater

mixed in with a few Levantine Shear-waters, Black-throated Diver and Ra-zorbill off the beaches of Castelló inthe Bay of Roses.

Levantine Shearwater © J. Bécares

16 Aiguamolls de l’Empordà


Visitors who stay for a few days mightconsider a visit to the nearby moun-tains of Serra de l’Albera, where theyshould look out for Short-toed Eagle,Tawny Pipit, Black-eared Wheatear,Orphean and Dartford Warblers andOrtolan, Cirl and Rock Buntings.

Recommendations

• In summer and autumn be sure toapply mosquito repellent.

• Large groups or those with specialneeds should contact the park be-fore visiting.

Discover the area

The Aiguamolls de l’Empordà arevery near another area of birdwatch-ing interest, the Cap de Creus Natu-ral Park. Both areas lie within L’AltEmpordà, the most northerly comar-ca in Catalonia, better known as partof the Costa Brava. The name bravarefers to the abrupt cliffs that pro-tect the numerous coves that dot thiscoastline; nevertheless, there areparts of the Costa Brava such as theBay of Roses and the long beach at

Pals where the coastal morphologyis much gentler.

The Costa Brava has always beena target for tourists, since the firstartists ‘discovered’ it at the begin-ning of the twentieth century and theBarcelonan bourgeoisie adopted it asa favourite site for their secondhomes. Tourism is the mainstay of thelocal economy and infrastructuresand tourist services are thus welldeveloped.

A few miles south of the Aigua-molls de l’Enpordà near the town ofL’Escala lie the extraordinary ar-chaeological remains of Em-púries. On this beach over 2,500years ago the Greeks first set foot inthe Iberian Peninsular and foundeda colony they named Emporion –‘market’ in Greek–, which was laterto become the Emporiae of the Ro-mans. Thus, it was on this privilegedsite on the Mediterranean that theHellenisation and Romanisation ofthe Peninsula began. A walk throughthese perfectly signposted ruins ofthis archaeological park, which alsohas excellent facilities and informa-tion services, is highly recommend-able.

A visit to the city of Girona is equal-ly recommendable. A stroll through theold cathedral and Jewish quarter isan unforgettable experience. The well-

preserved narrow streets are full ofclassy small shops, art galleries andartists’ studios.

The cultural calendar of the CostaBrava and the towns in the adjoininghinterland include the internationallyfamous music festivals at Cap Roig,Porta Ferrada (Sant Feliu de Guíxols),Torroella de Montgrí and Peralada.

As in other coastal comarques inCatalonia, the fish- and shellfish-based local cuisine is an additionalattraction that visitors should not failto try. The suquet de peix, a fish andlobster stew, and many varieties of ricedishes are just some of the local culi-nary delights impregnated with the fin-est flavours of the Mediterranean.

How to get thereThe Aiguamolls de l’Empordà are 61 km from Girona-Costa Brava Airport and 147 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorway AP-7 Barcelona-La Jonquera. Junction4 (Figueres). Take road signposted to Roses as far asCastelló d’Empúries.

The bus company Sarfa (Tel. 902 302 025) runsregular buses from Barcelona to Figueres. From Fi-gueres, the same company runs local services to Cas-telló d’Empúries. The Cortalet information centre is2 km from Castelló d’Empúries.

Line Ca2 RENFE (Barcelona-Girona-Figueres-Port-bou). From Figueres, private car or bus to reach theNatural Park.Infrastructure and servicesIn the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park there are14 hides and five observation points.

There are a number of hides adapted for wheel-chair users and wheelchairs can be borrowed from theCortalet information centre. The centre and its perma-nent exhibitions are fully accessible in wheelchairs.

El Cortalet information centreCtra. de Sant Pere Pescador a Castelló d’Empúries,km 1317486 Castelló d’EmpúriesTel. 972 454 222Opening times: all year from 09.30 to 14.00 and 16.30to [email protected]• El Cortalet has a documentation centre, temporaryand permanent exhibitions and provides a guiding ser-vice. Marked bicycle paths cross the Natural Park.

www.costabrava.orgwww.catalunyaturisme.com

17WETLANDS

Estany d’Ivarswetland and steppe birds

L’Estany d’Ivars i Vila-Sana is a large lagoon lying in the heart of the Lleida cereal plain. Recently restored,this lagoon is home to many of the typical wetland species found in southern Europe; moreover, the dryfields surrounding the lagoon (or just a few kilometres away) provide an excellent opportunity to search

for some of the steppe birds that, with a few exceptions, are found only in the Iberian Peninsula in Europe.This combination of habitats makes it possible to see a large number of bird species in and around Ivars

in a very short space of time.

The lagoon lies in an inwardly drain-ing basin, two-kilometres long and onewide. In the middle there is a goodgrowth of aquatic vegetation (reedsand rushes) and a number of smallislets with trees. The itinerary that cir-cles the lagoon passes by three hidesand an observation platform. Awayfrom the lagoon, the cultivated fields

General view © J.Bas

(irrigated or otherwise) hold the typi-cal birds of these habitats. Just 7 kmaway lie the dry plains of Belianes, anexcellent representation of the pseu-do-steppe habitats that were once sotypical of central Catalonia and an areawith an exceptionally interesting flora.

The lagoon provides easy obser-vation of a number of wetland spe-

cies only found in southern Europe,albeit in small numbers. It’s a goodidea to combine a visit to Ivars with avisit to the area of Belianes, where agroup of steppe species that are gen-erally very scarce in Europe can befound.

18 Estany d’Ivars

When to visit

Ivars is especially interesting duringmigration periods (late spring andautumn). In summer it is also worthvisiting the cereal steppe around Be-lianes and, a little further afield, aroundAlfés and Mas de Melons, above all inthe early morning.

Spring-summer

At the end of March and beginning ofApril the remaining wintering birds mixwith the first spring migrants, includ-ing Black-winged Stilts, one of the fewwaders that breed in the lagoon. Alsovisible are the Little Bitterns that breed

in small number here and Great ReedWarblers, easily observed from thehide at the beginning of the main itin-erary.

A number of pairs of Montagu’sHarriers breed within a few kilome-tres of the lagoon; it is also easy tosee Red-necked Nightjars in theevening sitting on the tracks that crossthe driest areas of the zone or flyingaround the lagoon itself. Amongst thepasserines, Cetti’s Warbler and ZittingCisticola are abundant and there area few pairs of Penduline Tits, whichbreed in the poplar trees in the vicin-ity of the lagoon.

Amongst the resident species,once the breeding season is over it is

not difficult to track down PurpleSwamp-hens, a species that has col-onised the lagoon and which is ex-pected to increase in number in thecoming years.

As spring draws to a close in earlyJune, families of Purple Swamp-hensparade in front of the viewing points,the young birds being led by their par-ents. This is also a good time to enjoythe spectacle offered by the Black-head Gulls, whose colony here is oneof the largest in Catalonia. It is thoughtthat Mediterranean Gulls have bredwithin this gull colony.

In the fields around the lagoon youwill come across species such asWhite Stork, which breed in the bell-

19Estany d’Ivars

Little Bustard © J.Bas

Little Bittern (N)* IvarsPurple Heron (N)* IvarsMontagu’s Harrier (N)* BelianesLesser Kestrel (N)** BelianesLittle Bustard (R)** BelianesPurple Swamp-hen (R)* IvarsRed-necked Nightjar (N)** Ivars-BelianesRoller (N)** BelianesCalandra Lark (R)**** BelianesThekla Lark (R)**** Belianes

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

towers of the nearby villages, andSpotless Starling, abundant in the ir-rigated and non-irrigated fields andaround the lagoon itself.

Other species present in the areainclude Red-legged Partridge, Melo-dious Warbler and Woodchat Shrike:look for them in the field margins oranywhere there are a few trees or tallscrub.


From the month of May onwards avisit to the cereal steppe around thevillage of Belianes, just 7 km fromthe lagoon at Ivars, will enable youto observe interesting species suchas Lesser Kestrel, Hobby, Little Bus-tard, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Roller,European Bee-eaters and good num-bers of both Thekla and CalandraLarks (in winter look too for Caland-ra Lark in the fields around the la-goon at Ivars).

Resident species of interest hereinclude Red-legged Partridge, StockDove, Sardinian Warbler and South-ern Grey Shrike.

Both migration periods bring anumber of scarce species includingRed-footed Falcon to the area.

It is well worth completing a bird-ing visit to Ivars and Belianes by

heading for the cereal steppes ofAlfés-Castelldans and Alfarràs-Al-guaire. Here you should come acrossbreeding species such as Short-toedEagle, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit, Black andBlack-eared Wheatears, Lesser GreyShrike, Blue Rock Thrush and RockSparrow, some of which basically

20 Estany d’Ivars

breed here and nowhere else in thewhole of Catalonia. Winter bringsGolden and Bonelli’s Eagles, DartfordWarbler and Rock Bunting to thearea. Most of these species can befound in the area around Alfarràs andAlguaire, along with Black-belliedSandgrouse in its only breeding lo-cation in Catalonia.

Discover the area

Ivars and Belaines lie in the heart ofthe Terres de Lleida, a vast plain ly-ing at the foot of the Pyrenees wa-tered by the river Segre, a tributary ofthe river Ebro. Lleida -the capital ofthis interior region of Catalonia– andits hinterland lie off the traditional tour-ist circuits, a fact probably more at-tributable to their distance from thecoast and other popular tourist desti-nations than any inherent lack of in-teresting or visitable towns.

On reaching the city of Lleida, thefirst thing that strikes you is the un-mistakeable silhouette of the old ca-thedral of La Seu Vella, erected on thesite of an Arab fortress (suda) on animposing bluff on the right-bank of theriver Segre. This primitive cathedraldates from the thirteenth-fourteenthcenturies and was in fact built on thesite of an Arab mosque.

Its superb bell-tower (70 m) risesup from one end of the cloister andtowers over the river and old city cen-tre of Lleida lying at its feet. It is worthstrolling through the bustling old townand soaking up a bit of the atmos-phere of the small squares and nar-row streets, full of corner-shops andinteresting buildings such as the NewCathedral, La Paeria (town hall) andthe La Panera art centre, well knownfor its innovative and unpredictableexhibitions.

Nearby towns such as Cervera,Balaguer, Ponts and Tàrrega alsoprovide a taste of the reality and char-acter of the region. Elsewhere, thereare many walled villages and cas-tles, whose stone walls are testimo-ny to a past in which these lands werethe frontier between the Christian- andMoorish-held territories. One of theBlack-bellied Sandgrouse © J.Bas

Black Wheatear © J.Bas

21Estany d’Ivars

most outstanding of these castles isthat of Gardeny, which today housesa Templars Interpretation Centre in abuilding that in the twelfth century was

How to get thereThe village of Ivars is 39 km from the city of Lleida and132 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorway AP-2 Barcelona-Lleida. Junction 496Bellpuig-Ivars.

The bus company Alsina Graells (Tel. 902 330 400)runs a regular bus service between Barcelona and Llei-da that stops in the village of Bellpuig. The lagoon is9 km from Bellpuig and a taxi is needed to reach it.

Line Ca4 RENFE (Barcelona-Manresa-Lleida). FromLleida, a car or bus (Alsina Graells) to Bellpuig.

Infrastructure and servicesThe lagoon has an observation point and three hides.

The whole itinerary is ideal for wheelchair users.There is a small information point in the lagoon

car-parkOpening hours: Wednesday to Friday 09.00 to 12.30and 17.00 to 19.00. Saturdays, Sundays and publicholidays from 10.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 19.00.Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.For more information:Consortium of L’Estany d’Ivars i Vila-SanaConsell Comarcal del Pla d’UrgellAv. Prat de la Riba, 125230 MollerussaTel 973 711 [email protected]/estany

www.lleidatur.comwww.catalunyaturisme.com

The cloister of the Seu Vella, Lleida © A. F. Selbach

one of this military order’s most im-portant fortresses.

Theatre-lovers who head to Ivars atthe beginning of September may also

wish to visit the Fira de Teatre al Car-rer in Tàrrega, a street-theatre festi-val that sees over 100,000 spectatorsand 800 artists pack into this small city.

22 MEDITERRANEAN LANDSCAPES

Els Portsa land of raptors and small Mediterranean passerines

Els Ports Natural Park is an abrupt mountainous massif where the vagaries of the climate provide forsplendid and highly diverse forest cover that includes stands of northern trees species such as beech and

deciduous oaks. The birdlife of these mountains is equally diverse and includes a mix of rock-loving,Mediterranean and more northerly species.

This imposing massif is characterisedby the contrast between its summitsand abrupt slopes, which reach wellover 1,000 m and peak at 1,442 m(Mt Caro), and the surrounding plains.Vertical faces and rock needles guardnarrow gorges and defiles, where it isoften easy to spot Iberian Ibex. Thevegetation consists mainly of exten-sive forests of black, Scots and Alep-

View from Horta © M. Cebolla

po pines and holm oak, with decidu-ous forests confined to the more hu-mid parts of these mountains.

Birdwatchers will be thrilled by thegreat variety of raptors (vultures, ea-gles and falcons) and forest andscrub-loving passerines that frequentthe area. The proximity of the EbroDelta -extending at your feet from theheights of the Ports- allows both sites

to be visited during just a few days’stay in the area.

23Els Ports

When to visit

Any time of the year is good for bird-watching, although the largest numberof Mediterranean species can befound in spring and summer.

Spring-summer

From mid-April onwards a goodnumber of summer visitors can befound, although there are some such

as Melodious Warbler that do not ar-rive until May.

In lower areas where the landscapeis dominated by olive groves, scatteredfarms and scrub you will find speciessuch as Scops and Little Owls, Hoo-poe, European Bee-eater, Black-earedWheatear, Orphean and SardinianWarblers, Spotless Starling, WoodchatShrike and Cirl Bunting. Nearby lowrocky outcrops are home to TheklaLark, Crag Martin, Alpine Swift, BlueRock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Rock

Sparrow and Rock Bunting, whilstBonelli’s Eagle breeds on the taller andleast accessible cliffs.

As you gain height you begin to findspecies such as Tawny Pipit –aboveall in burnt areas- and Dartford War-blers in scrub without tree cover, whilstGriffon and Egyptian Vulture and Gold-en Eagles haunt the highest peaks andplateaus.

24 Els Ports

Griffon Vulture © O. Alamany

Orphean Warbler © M. Cebolla

Egyptian Vulture (N)*Griffon Vulture (R)**Bonelli’s Eagle (R)**Scops Owl (N)**Pallid Swift (N)**Alpine Swift (N)*Alpine Accentor (H)*Black-eared Wheatear (N)**Orphean Warbler (N)***Black Wheatear (R)**

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

Winter

Winter regularly brings small numbersof Alpine Accentor to a few of thePorts’ highest peaks, while Wallcreep-ers turn up every year in some of thehighest and shadiest gullies.

The best chance of seeing thesespecies is to follow the itinerary thatstarts at Mas de Barberans and headsup a narrow valley –El Barranc de laGalera– into an area with some of thebest preserved upland forests in thewhole of the massif (and then returnby the same route). Another option isto head for the village of Arnes on thewestern side of the massif and visit a

dramatic gorge known as Els Estretsd’Arnes. These two routes should en-able you to see almost all the speciesmentioned above, although for somespecies an additional effort to get upinto the higher parts of Els Ports maybe necessary.

Recommendations

• Given the abrupt nature of the ter-rain, do not leave the signpostedpaths.

• Find out whether forest tracks arepassable as they can become im-practical after heavy rain.

25Els Ports

How to get thereEls Ports (Horta de Sant Joan) are 96 km from Reus-Costa Daurada Airport and 203 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorway AP-7 Barcelona-València. Junction 34(Reus). N-420 to Gandesa and then T-334 to Horta deSant Joan.

The bus company HIFE (Tel. 902 119 814) runs aregular service from Barcelona to Tortosa. From Torto-sa, local buses run by the same company head for thedifferent towns and villages in Els Ports.

Line Ca1 RENFE (Barcelona-Tarragona-Tortosa).From Tortosa, private vehicle or HIFE bus for the diffe-

rent towns and villages in Els Ports.

Infrastructure and servicesEls Ports Ecomuseum

c. Picasso, 1843596 Horta de Sant JoanTel. 977 435 686Opening times: from 15 June to 15 September, openevery day from 09.30 to 13.30 and from 16.00 to19.30. The rest of the year, open from 11.00 to 13.30(except Mondays)[email protected]

www.terresdelebre.orgwww.catalunyaturisme.com

The Picasso Centre in Horta de Sant Joan © M. Raurich

Discover the area

Els Port Natural Park is geographical-ly very close to the Ebro Delta, but aworld apart in terms of their morphol-ogy and character: the combination ofthe two sites –the interior mountainsand the plains of the delta- make fora very attractive ornithological holiday.

The natural gateway to Els Ports isthe town of Horta de Sant Joan,where the Ports’ Ecomuseum will pro-vide wide-ranging information on thearea. A stroll around the old town cen-

tre can include a visit to the PicassoCentre: the artist’s comment that “allI ever learnt about art I learnt in Hor-ta”, speaks for itself. The months theyoung Picasso spent in Horta at theend of the nineteenth century werevital for his artistic development.

The scattered villages of the areaare small and relatively untouched:Arnes, Paüls and Mas de Barber-ans barely have a thousand inhabit-ants each, but provide welcoming ru-ral accommodation and local food for

those who want to stay close to ElsPorts.

We also recommend a tour of theneighbouring comarca of La TerraAlta. Often forgotten by tourists, thisarea provides visitors with a numberof surprises such as La Ruta de laPau (the Peace Route) that visits someof the sites of the Battle of the Ebro,the final and definitive battle of theSpanish Civil War.

Gastronomes should not fail to visitthe Modernist cooperatives in Gan-desa and El Pinell de Brai, true tem-ples to local wines and olive oils, thetwo mainstays of the local economy.


Cap de Creusbirds of sea and rock

The Cap de Creus Natural Park lies in the extreme north-east of Catalonia and consists of a large rockypeninsula protruding into the Mediterranean between the towns of Llançà and Roses replete with numerouscoves and headlands, as well as the rocky ridges running inland as far as La Serra de Verdera. Its positionjutting out into the Mediterranean Sea makes this maritime/terrestrial protected area an excellent site forseawatching, above all during migration periods. Indeed, bird migration is of great interest throughout the

whole peninsula and, in particular, in the surrounding mountains after days of strong winds.

Panoramic view of Sant Pere de Rodes © O. Alamany

Cap de Creus represents the final,eastern-most flourish of the Pyreneeswhere the final peaks of this moun-tain chain plunge into the Mediterra-nean. Geologically fascinating, themost complete series of metamorphicrocks anywhere in Catalonia can befound here, whilst on a more aesthet-ic note, the results of millennia of fold-ing and erosive processes has pro-duced a series of spectacular natural

rock sculptures. The area’s vegetationis determined by relief features, theregular strong northerly wind knownas La Tramontana, which in manyplaces hinders the vertical growth ofany forest formation, and the environ-mental salinity of coastal areas. Mostof the area is dominated by Mediter-ranean scrub formations and rock-lov-ing plants, above all in coastal areas.Over the years forest fires have greatly

affected the vegetation, although therea few stands of pines and cork oaksin places.

Cap de Creus is an excellent placefor seawatching and for observing largenumbers of birds on days of heavy mi-gration; as well, a number of Mediter-ranean specialities such as Pallid Swift,Orphean and Spectacled Warbler,Black-eared Wheatear and Bonelli’sEagle are also found in the area.

27Cap de Creus

Balearic Shearwater (M)**Levantine Shearwater (M)**Bonelli’s Eagle (R)*Red-legged Partridge (R)**Pallid Swift (N)**Thekla Lark (R)***Red-rumped Swallow (N)**Black-eared Wheatear (N)**Orphean Warbler (N)***Spectacled Warbler (N)*

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

When to visit

The most interesting times to visit areduring migration periods and/or in latespring (when the summer visitors havearrived) and autumn. Nevertheless,winter still provides for interestingbirdwatching.

Spring-summer

The first trans-Saharan migrants in-cluding Short-toed Eagle and Wood-chat Shrike begin to arrive from late-March onwards, a period when thefinal winter visitors such as AlpineAccentors around Sant Pere de Rodesand Sant Salvador de Verdera, andseabirds including Levantine Shear-water (this is one of the best places tosee this species in Catalonia), are stillto be found in the area. This shear-water can be found in hundred-strongflocks mixed in with Balearic Shear-waters until May-June; both speciesthen become much scarcer during thesummer.

Most of the summer visitors arriveduring April, a month in which Cory’sShearwaters (above all off Cap deCreus itself and Cap Norfeu), Europ-

ean Storm-petrel and both Arctic andPomarine Skuas can be found, alongwith good numbers of wintering GreatSkua, Razorbill and Northern Gannet.

Inland, by April resident speciessuch as Eagle Owl and Bonelli’s Ea-gle are well into their breeding sea-sons, whilst other raptors such asLesser Kestrel, most of which breedin the area around El Pení, do not re-turn to the area until the end of April.Other species that arrive during Aprilinclude Pallid Swift (easy to find in thetowns of Port de la Selva, Cadaquésand Roses), Alpine Swift, Short-toedLark (regular but scarce breeder in thearea of Pla de Gates), Thekla Lark(common resident in scrubby areassuch as La Serra Verdera and, aboveall, Sa Planassa), Crag Martin andRed-rumped Swallow (about 30breeding pairs, best looked-for in Portde la Selva, La Vall de Penida and MasBoscà). Tawny Pipits can be observedin the area of Pla de Gates from mid-April onwards along with Black-earedWheatear and Rock Thrush, or else-where with the abundant Blue RockThrush. Regular migrants include Sub-alpine Warbler, common in April andMay but not yet confirmed as a breed-

ing species in the area, and OrpheanWarbler, common, above all betweenLlançà and El Coll del Perer, wheremany males can be heard singing inunison in early May. Spectacled War-blers, on the other hand, return inMarch and can be found at Pla deGates. Dartford and Sardinian War-blers are resident and are common inany area with scrub; also found in thearea are Southern Grey Shrike andRock Sparrow.

28 Cap de Creus

Red-rumped Swallow © S. Solé

Spectacled Warbler © P. Feliu

Autumn

Aside from the migrant species men-tioned above, autumn is also the timeto look out for Eleonora’s Falcons (fromJuly-September), Booted Eagles,Black Kites and good numbers of pas-serines on mountain passes (colls) and

from Cap de Creus itself on days ofheavy migration.

Winter

Of most interest are the regular pres-ence of small groups of Alpine Accen-tors from November onwards in thearea around Sant Pere de Rodes and

Sant Salvador de Verdera and, some-what more irregularly, Wallcreepers onCap Norfeu.

Recommendations

• Remember that the fierce norther-ly wind (La Tramontana) can attimes make birdwatching extremelydifficult.

Discover the area

Aside from its natural beauty, Cap deCreus also provide visitors with achance to contemplate an extraordi-nary assortment of historical artefactsdating from the Neolithic period rightup to the modern artistic treasures ofSurrealism.

One of the best-preserved prehis-toric dolmens is that of Creu de Co-bertella near Roses, a town that alsoboasts a splendid Ciutadella repletewith the legacy of Greek, Roman,medieval and renaissance epochs.

In Cap de Creus surrealism meansSalvador Dalí and the town ofCadaqués, where from the 1920sonwards the artist was visited by oth-er great exponents of surrealist artsuch as Éluard, Magritte, Duchampand Buñuel. In the small bay of Port-lligat just north of Cadaqués, you canvisit the house -in reality, a group offisherman’s shacks- that Dalí and hiswife Gala decorated and lived in dur-ing their frequent stays. The result isa labyrinthic structure composed ofminute, irregular spaces that were thepainter’s studio and this eccentric cou-ple’s living quarters.

Cap de Creus is also home to theMonastery of Sant Pere de Rodes,the starting point of the Santiago pil-grimage trail, an extraordinary monu-ment dating back to the first years ofCatalan Romanesque art. Placed highup on a mountainside, the monasteryand its surroundings offer wonderfulviews over the sea and the ruggedcoastline. The monastery has beencarefully restored and houses theNatural Park information centre, whereyou can find out details of all the cul-

29Cap de Creus

How to get thereCap de Creus (Port de la Selva) is 81 km from Girona-Costa Brava Airport and 167 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorway AP-7 Barcelona-La Jonquera. Junction4 (Figueres). N-260 to Llançà and then road to Port dela Selva and up to Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes.

The bus company Sarfa (Tel. 902 302 025) runs aregular service from Barcelona to Figueres and Llan-çà. The Natural Park information centre in the Monas-tery of Sant Pere de Rodes is 8 km from Llançà andcan be reached by taxi or on foot.

Line Ca2 RENFE (Barcelona-Figueres). From Figue-res, private vehicle to Llançà.

Infrastructure and servicesNatural Park information centre

Palau de l‘Abat. Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes17489 El Port de la SelvaTel. 972 193 191Opening times: open all year from 10.00 to 14.00 andfrom 16.00 to 19.00 (closed in the afternoon on Sun-days and public holidays from 1 October to 30 May)[email protected]

www.costabrava.orgwww.catalunyaturisme.com

The Dalí Museum © A. F. Selbach

tural and other events taking place inthe area; in the summer, it is used onan irregular basis for concerts.

On the road down from the mon-astery the road passes through thevillage of Vilajuïga –a name that re-calls its Jewish past- en route toPeralada. This village has a splendid

medieval centre, as well as a numberof wine cellars producing wines fromthe local denomincaió d’origen and acastle, where the prestigious Inter-national Music Festival is held everysummer.

Cap de Creus lies in the comarcaof L’Alt Empordà, whose most impor-

tant town is Figueres. This lively townis home to one of Catalonia’s mostvisited museums, the Dalí Theatre-Museum, which provides visitors witha chance to explore the universe cre-ated by this always surprising artist.


Montserrata mountain of vertical cliffs and forests

rising from the plainsThe massif of Montserrat –literally, ‘the jagged mountain’- is famous for its abrupt relief with a plethora ofsheer cliffs and pinnacles. The combination of these vertical rock walls, broken by the holm oak and pineforests that creep vertiginously up the many clefts and fissures, and the surrounding agricultural plains,

provides birdwatchers with the opportunity to observe rock-loving species of birds and many Mediterraneanspecies more at home in scrub and open areas.

The singular silhouette of the teeth-like pinnacles that form the complexsilhouette of this mountain risesabruptly from out of a flat agriculturallandscape. Although the highest pointof Montserrat reaches just 1,236 m,the flatness of the surrounding coun-tryside accentuates the verticality ofthe mountain as it rises up in a mass

Montserrat © O. Alamany

of confused and evocative rocky pin-nacles.

Birdwatchers will find here a mixof species at home in rocky areas,some of which are rare in Europe, andmany of the typical Mediterraneanspecies that frequent the region’sfields and woods. Thus, this is a goodsite for finding in close proximity

Bonelli’s Eagle, Alpine Accentor, BlueRock Thrush, Wallcreeper, Rock Spar-row, Sardinian and Melodious War-blers, Southern Grey and WoodchatShrikes and Red-legged Partridge .

31Montserrat

Bonelli’s Eagle (R)*Red-legged Partridge (R)**Alpine Swift (N)***Alpine Accentor (H)*Black Wheatear (R)*Melodious Warbler (N)***Wallcreeper (H)*Southern Grey Shrike (R)**Woodchat Shrike (N)***Rock Sparrow (R)***

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

When to visit

Spring and summer are especially in-teresting, although winter is the besttime of year for seeing the cliff-lovingwinter visitors.

Spring-summer

Montserrat is best visited towards theend of April when the resident spe-cies’ breeding season is under fullswing -some of the earliest breederssuch as the Eagle Owl will alreadyhave chicks by this time- and once allof the mountain’s summer visitorshave arrived.

In the holm oak forests at the baseof the mountain and in any pine oroak forest in the valleys Bonelli’s War-bler is frequent and shares habitat withresident species such as Sardinian

Warbler, Firecrest and Short-toedTreecreeper. Species such as ScopsOwl and Golden Oriole are easier tohear than to see. High up in the mas-sif –for example in La Vall del Torrentde Santa Maria and beneath the ridgeof La Serra de les Paparres- PeregrineFalcons and Bonelli’s Eagles fly over-head.

In mid-May at the foot of the moun-tain amongst a mosaic of fields andcopses, Melodious Warblers are notuncommon; birdwatchers should lookout for Southern Grey and WoodchatShrikes, the latter locally common inopen pine woodland and on the edg-es of burnt areas. In cultivated areaswith farm buildings –the haunt ofgroups of finches and sparrows- lookout for Rock Sparrows and groups ofRed-legged Partridge.

One of other specialities of the areais Black Wheatear — a few pairsbreed locally between the town ofMonistrol de Montserrat and Sant

32 Montserrat

Bonelli’s Eagle © J. Bas

Wallcreeper © E. Hüttenmoser

Salvador de les Espases, and nearCollbató on the southern side of themountain.

Winter

Winter is the time to search for AlpineAccentors, which turn up in smallgroups in the highest part of the mas-sif, and Wallcreeper, a regular butscarce winter visitor that it is muchmore difficult to find.

Recommendations

• Take care to not leave the markedpaths for your own safety and toavoid damaging the natural vege-tation.

Discover the area

Montserrat is not only a Natural Park,but also an important symbol of Cat-alan identity and a focus of Catalanculture and spirituality.

The Benedictine monastery wasfounded in 1025 in this strange andbeautiful site and since the twelfthcentury people have come from farand wide to worship ‘La Moreneta’, awooden carved virgin and Patron ofCatalonia. The resident monks workintensely in many aspects of culturethat include an important publishinghouse — the first ever printing pressin Catalonia was set up in Montserratin 1499 and since then the produc-tion of books has not ceased.

Montserrat is also home to one ofthe oldest children’s choirs in Eu-rope. Fifty boys sing in the Escolaniachoir and sing the Salve and Virolaievery day in honour of the Virgin ofMontserrat.

In the Museum of Montserrat worksby El Greco, Caravaggio, Picasso andDalí can be admired, along with a for-midable archaeological collection ofobjects from the Holy Land.

The audiovisual ‘Montserrat endins’(Inside Montserrat) provides an agree-able introduction to the history and lifeof the monastery and to the most in-teresting corners of the massif.

33Montserrat

How to get thereMontserrat is 60 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorways A-2 and A-18. Junction Montserrat.The bus company Julià (Tel. 934 904 000) runs a

regular service from Barcelona to Montserrat.Line R5 FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Ca-

talunya) from Plaça d’Espanya in Barcelona to Monis-trol, from where you can take a cable car (Aeri de Mont-serrat) up to the Monastery.The ‘Tot Montserrat’ travel-pass covers transport andother services and makes access to the area straight-forward.

Infrastructure and servicesThe Natural Park Information Centre belonging

to the Board of the Mountain of Montserrat (the park’sgoverning body) is next to the Hotel Abad Cisneros.Tel. 938 284 007Opening times: Monday to Friday from 09.00 to [email protected] Montserrat Reservation and Information Cen-tre is opposite the rack-and-pinion train station.Tel. 938 777 701Opening times: every day of the year from 09.00 to19.00h.informacio@larsa-montserrat.comwww.montserrat-visita.com

www.turismetotal.orgwww.catalunyaturisme.com

The Monastery of Montserrat © J.M. Borrero

The trail to the Holy Cave (La CovaSanta) and the climb up to the her-mitages of Sant Joan and Sant Jero-ni are ideal walks for those who wishto enjoy the marvellous views from themain ridge of the massif. Whilst forthose who don’t want to walk quite sofar, the rack-and-pinion railways take

you abruptly up the cliff faces to themain ridge.

The hotel in the main Montserratcomplex and the cells that providecheap but comfortable accommoda-tion give birdwatchers the opportuni-ty to spend a number of days in thisunique site.

Close to Montserrat, in the townof Sant Fruitós de Bages, stands themonastery of Sant Benet, an ancientseat of the Benedictines, acquired inthe XIX century by the family of thepainter Ramon Casas. Today it is afascinating museum and not to bemissed.

34 PYRENEES AND PRE-PYRENEES

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Mauricihigh-mountain birdlife in the heart of the PyreneesThe Aigüestortes National Park protects one of the best conserved parts of the Pyrenees in Catalonia.

Both alpine and subalpine flora and fauna can be found and include birds such as Lammergeier, Griffonand Egyptian Vultures, Tengmalm’s Owl, Ring Ouzel, Citril Finch and both Yellow-billed and Red-billed

Choughs, some of the most sought-after species by birdwatchers. This high mountain landscapeoffers visitors the opportunity to birdwatch in coniferous and riparian forests, alpine pastures and rocky

screes, all characteristic habitats of the highest Pyrenean landscapes.

The characteristic image of Aigües-tortes is one of jagged peaks reach-ing up to 3,000 m, accompanied bydozens of mountain streams, water-falls and bogs. The giant calcareousspires of the two Encantats that riseup from Llac de Sant Maurici are thesymbol of the park and its glaciatedrelief features. The main vegetationtypes consist of mountain and Scotspine, European silver-fir and beech

View of Llac de Sant Maurici © J.M. Borrero

forests, as well as a number of veryhumid mixed forests, uncommon inthe Pyrenees, where beech, birch andaspen grow side-by-side.

Birdwatchers will find in Aigües-tortes Pyrenean bird communities thatwithin the Palaearctic essentially onlyexist in mountainous regions such asthe Alps, Caucasus and a number ofhigh mountain chains in Turkey andthe Balkans. In the space of just a few

days birdwatchers can hope to comeacross many of the high mountainspecies that are absent from most ofEurope that include forest, rock-lov-ing and alpine species.

35Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici

Lammergeier (R)**Griffon Vulture (R)**Golden Eagle (R)**Tengmalm’s Owl (R)*Ring Ouzel (N)**Rock Thrush (N)*Wallcreeper (R)*Yellow-billed Chough (R)***Citril Finch (R)***Snowfinch (R)*

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

When to visit

Best at the end of spring and in sum-mer.

Spring-summer

Many different walks and treks arepossible in this National Park. Oneof the best begins in the car-park be-neath the lake of Estany de Cavallersand climbs up through the forestsand pastures that surround many ofthe Park’s glacial lakes. From here itis possible to climb to one of the near-by summits, some of which top the3,000 m mark, as you head towardsEstany Negre and the Joan Ventosa iCalvell mountain hut, where you canstay overnight and thus spend morethan one day in the area.

Right from the beginning of thewalk you should keep your eyes openfor raptors such as Lammergeier, Grif-fon Vulture and Golden Eagle that flyaround the highest peaks here andelsewhere in the National Park, even

in areas with human presence (nearthe mountain huts, for example). Themountain pine and fir forests above1,800 m hold pairs of Tengmalm’sOwls and they can be heard at duskand at night during early spring —actually seeing them, however, is of-ten a different question when largeamounts of snow remain on theground during early spring. Neverthe-less, just occasionally you might beable to locate one of these owls by itscall in a dead pine even at the end ofspring or in early summer.

Commoner species you might findat any point of the walk include Red-billed and Yellow-billed Choughs, of-ten seen in large flocks around thehighest mountains and occasionallypresent around some of the mountainhuts. Around the lakes you shouldcome across many Water Pipits, whilstin rocky areas with vertical cliff faces,Rock Thrush is a distinct possibility.Citril Finch is another of the speciali-ties of the area and groups of thesebirds are common in and around

mountain pine forests; Ring Ouzels toobreed in the highest mountain pineforests, although after the breedingseason is over (and depending on foodavailability), they can be seen in anumber of different habitats at loweraltitudes or even in alpine pastures.Finally, Rock Buntings are found al-most anywhere in the area.

36 Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici

Tengmalm’s Owl © J. Bas

In the highest parts of this route –which should only be undertaken withthe appropriate equipment and if youare in good physical condition- it isworth looking for Snowfinch, a rareand very local breeder in this part ofthe Pyrenees that is in fact bestsearched for in winter. Likewise at al-

titude Ptarmigan are present, whileduring the second half of August andbeginning of September small groupsof Dotterel pass through on migration.

Summer and autumn are goodseasons for finding the scarce Wall-creepers around L’Estany de Cavallers,

the peak of Pic de Peguera and else-where.

Winter

The main attraction of winter in thearea is the chance to see flocks ofSnowfinch, for example along the road


Snowfinch © J. Bas

Alpine Accentor © J.M. Borrero

at the mountain pass of Port de laBonaigua or near inhabited areas suchas Muntanyó d’Espot. Even so, thisspecies usually lives in remote areasand so it is essential to be wellequipped for high-level terrain if youhead off in search of this species.

Nearby areas of interest

In the eastern part of the National Parklies the fir forest of La Mata de Valèn-cia, where species such as Teng-malm’s Owl, Woodcock and NorthernGoshawk maintain good breedingdensities: access from the village ofEsterri d’Àneu.

Another interesting site is the well-conserved beech forest at the south-ern entrance to the Vielha road tun-nel, where it is not difficult to seespecies such as Black Woodpecker,Eurasian Treecreeper and Marsh Tit insummer, with large groups of Bram-

38 Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici

Sant Climent de Taüll © O. Alamany


How to get thereThe village of Espot is 215 km from Lleida and 265 kmfrom Barcelona, while Boí is 152 km from Lleida and299 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

To Espot: C-16 via the Cadí tunnel to Bellver deCerdanya; N-260 to Sort and then C-13 to the turn-offto Espot.To Boí: Motorway A-2 to Lleida; C-13 to La Pobla deSegur; N-260 to El Pont de Suert and then L-500 toBoí.

To Espot: the company Alsina Graells (Tel. 902 330400) runs buses through the villages of Esterri d’Àneuand Guingueta d’Àneu, from where you can telephonethe village of Espot for a taxi (tel. 973 624 105).To Boí: the company Alsina Graells (tel. 902 330 400)runs buses to Vielha through El Pont de Suert, whereyou should change to the bus belonging to the samecompany that runs to Boí.

Infrastructure and servicesNational Park Centre in Espot

C/Prat del Guarda, 425597 EspotTel. 973 624 036Opening times: open all year from 09.00 to 13.00 and15.30 to 19.00 (from 1 October to 31 March, closedon Sundays and public holidays in the afternoon).National Park Centre in BoíC/de les Graieres, 225597 BoíTel. 973 696 189Opening times: open all year from 09.00 to 13.00 and15.30 to 19.00 (from 1 October to 31 March, closedon Sundays and public holidays in the afternoon).info.aiguestortes@oapn.mma.eswww.reddeparquesnacionales.mma.espnaiguestortes.dmah@gencat.netwww.parcsdecatalunya.net

www.lleidatur.comwww.torisme.aran.org

www.catalunyaturisme.com

blings present in winter in years inwhich this species migrates into theIberian Peninsula in good numbers.

Recommendations

• Care must be taken during hikes inthe high mountains: check forecastsfor bad weather and avalanchewarnings, and bear in mind that formost of the year snow and freezingtemperatures make access intohigher areas difficult.

• National Park regulations must berespected at all times.

Discover the area

The area around the National Park andthis sector of the Pyrenees in generalhas many other attractions for visitorsthat include numerous small moun-tain villages, ski stations, spas, adven-ture sports facilities and fishing.

We recommend above all that youvisit the Vall de Boí, a valley that iswell known in artistic circles as thehome to a magnificent collection ofRomanesque churches that havebeen declared by UNESCO as aWorld Heritage Site. The purity oftheir lines and consistency of style –

Lombardy Romanesque from theeleventh and twelfth centuries–make these churches some of themost beautiful anywhere in the Pyr-enees. Today most of the wall paint-ings that once decorated their inte-riors have been removed to theNational Museum of Catalan Art inBarcelona (MNAC), although manyhave facsimiles that have been re-painted in situ. In all there are eightchurches and one small hemitage,of which the churches of Sant Cli-ment and Santa Maria de Taüll –bothwith slender square bell towers andexceptional murals- are the bestknown. The villages of Boí, Barruera,Erill la Vall, Cardet, Coll and Durro allpossess churches that are a part ofthis important historical artistic her-itage. The Romanesque Interpreta-tion Centre in Erill la Vall providesguided visits.

In the far north-east of the CatalanPyrenees lies the valley of Val d’Aran,which, unlike the other CatalanPyrenean valleys, is Atlantic in char-acter and runs northwards down to theplains of Aquitaine in France. Linkedto Catalonia since the Middle Ages,this small region conserves its ownlanguage –Aranese- and a distinctcuisine (for example, olla aranesa, ameaty stew), which is heavily influ-

enced by its proximity to Gascony inFrance (pâtés and civets — blood-thickened stews) and the availabilityof local products such as trout andmany types of wild mushrooms andfruits.

For adventure-sports lovers, theideal centre is Sort on the NogueraPallaresa river, the capital of thecomarca of Pallars Sobirà and one ofthe best sites in Europe for white-water canoeing and rafting.


Cadí-Moixeróalpine birds from the very road

Strictly speaking, the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park lies within the pre-Pyrenees, although it is still home to agood number of Pyrenean species of bird that are absent from much of Europe. The great advantage this

area has over other Pyrenean sites is that two roads (the road from Bagà to Coll de Pal and the road to Collde la Creueta) wind up high into the domain of the subalpine pastures. From these roads –and even fromyour vehicles– it is easy to reach areas of mountain and Scots pine, high-level grazing and rocky outcrops

where some of the Pyrenees’ most sought-after species -Lammergeier, Yellow-billed Chough, AlpineAccentor and Snowfinch- can be found.

The landscape of this Natural Park isone of the most spectacular in Cata-lonia. The imposing cliffs of La Serradel Cadí-Moixeró run east-west forover 30 km and peak the altitude ofPuig de la Canal Baridana (2,648 m),a sharp contrast with the valley bot-toms to the south that lie at just900 m. Also to the south rises thebest-known mountain of the area,

The Cadí Range © Georama

Pedraforca, whose name reflects itsparticular fork-shaped silhouette.

The attractiveness of the area tobirdwatchers is due to the number oftrue alpine species that can be seenrelatively well and easily here — evenfrom the very roads that cross thearea. This too is one of the best plac-es in Catalonia to see Snowfinch inwinter –groups of up to 500 birds–

and other birds such as Citril Finch,Lammergeier and Rock Thrush thatare the target of many foreign bird-watchers.

41Cadí-Moixeró

Lammergeier (R)**Griffon Vulture (R)**Tengmalm’s Owl (R)*Alpine Accentor (H)*Ring Ouzel (N)**Rock Thrush (N)*Wallcreeper (M)*Yellow-billed Chough (R)***Citril Finch (N)***Snowfinch (H)*

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

Rock Bunting © O. Alamany

When to visit

The best time to visit is undoubtedlyspring-summer and in autumn. A fewof the special mountain species,though, can still be found in winter.

Spring-summer

The itinerary we recommend herestarts on the road from the village ofBagà to the mountain hut (xalet) atColl de Pal and then continues in theimmediate vicinity. An alternative isto visit sites on the northern side ofthe massif such as the silver-fir for-est near the village of Riu in thecomarca of La Cerdanya for speciessuch as Tengmalm’s Owl and Eura-sian Treecreeper or, in winter, theroad that crosses Coll de la Creuetaand runs on toward the ski-town ofLa Molina.

From the end of winter and intoearly spring Tengmalm’s Owls call

from the highest mountain pine for-ests and, in particular, from the Riufir forest (which can be reached fromthe village via track that climbs to-wards Les Penyes Altes del Moixeró) :diurnal raptors include Lammergeier,which may appear around the Xaletde Coll de Pal almost at any moment(but above all at midday) and otherlarge raptors such as Griffon Vultureand Golden Eagle. Grey Partridgesbreed on Puigllançada and they aremost often seen in groups in the au-tumn (October) along the path fromColl de la Creueta to the summit ofPuigllançada.

Other common species in themountain pine forests of the areaabove 1,700 m include Citril Finch(abundant in summer), Ring Ouzel(common in summer and even moreso in autumn), Rock Bunting (commonalmost everywhere) and both Red-billed and Yellow-billed Choughs,which are abundant in the high reach-

es along the road to Coll de Pal. RockThrushes are found in and around rockoutcrops in the highest parts of themassif, although they are most easilyspotted from the road between Cas-tellar de n’Hug and La Molina, andabove all at Coll de la Creueta.

42 Cadí-Moixeró

Rock Thrush © J. Bas

43Cadí-Moixeró

Yellow-billed Chough © O. Alamany

Wallcreeper breed in the area,above all on the north-facing slopesof the main ridge and on the nearbymassif of Pedraforca, although theyare inevitably very difficult to find.Proper climbing equipment is neededif you attempt to find this species here.Nevertheless, in autumn the speciescan sometimes be found on some ofthe cliffs next to road from Bagà toColl de Pal; also during autumn, Al-pine Accentors frequent the rocksunderneath the main road that goesto the Cadí Tunnel.

Winter

At Coll de la Creueta it is easy to findAlpine Accentor (even from the car!)and, depending on the severity of thewinter, sometimes even hundred-strong groups of Snowfinches.

Nearby area of interest

The mountains of Puigpedrós nearthe village of Meranges (La Cerdan-ya) hold a number of pairs of Ptarmi-gan and are also one of the few sitesin the Iberian Peninsula where Dot-terel have been proved to breed.

Recommendations

• Care must be taken during hikes inthe high mountains: check forecastsfor bad weather and avalanchewarnings, and bear in mind that formost of the year snow and freezingtemperatures make access intohigher areas difficult.

• Natural Park regulations must berespected at all times.

Discover the area

The Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park cov-ers an area of over 400 km2 and lieswhere the comarques of El Berguedà,La Cerdanya and L’Alt Urgell meet. Itis one of the most popular walkingareas in Catalonia due to the pres-ence of the instantly recognisablemountain of El Pedraforca and El Camí

44 Cadí-Moixeró

Citril Finch © O. Alamany

View of Cadí from El Querforadat © J.M. Borrero

dels Bons Homes. This long-distancefootpath recreates the routes taken byCathar refugees (the Good Men) dur-ing the thirteenth and fourteenth cen-turies as they fled from persecutionand the Inquisition. It can be walkedor ridden and links the Sanctuary ofQueralt near Berga with the castle ofMontsegur in the Ariège region inFrance.

Good communications link thetowns of Berga and Puigcerdà to theCadí-Moixeró massif. The opening ofthe Cadí tunnel 1984 provided a long-awaited link between the comarquesof El Berguedà and La Cerdanya.

Visitors to the area will quickly re-alise that stunning landscapes are butpart of the attractiveness of thesemountains. Some of the oldest of allCatalan traditions are well maintainedhere: Berga, for example, is wellknown for the spectacular festivitiesof La Patum that have been celebrat-ed for centuries during Corpus Chris-ti. In 2005 La Patum was declared a

45Cadí-Moixeró

How to get thereThe town of Bagà is 128 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Road C-58 to Terrassa; then C-16 to Manresa, Bergaand Bagà (Cadí tunnel).

The bus company Alsina Graells (Tel. 902 330 400)runs a regular service between Barcelona and Andorrathat stops in Bagà.

Infrastructure and servicesNatural Park information Centre

C/de la Vinya, 108695 BagàTel. 938 244 151Opening times: all year Monday to Friday from 09.00to 13.30 and 15.30 to 19.00; Weekends and publicholidays from 09.00 to 13.00 and 16.00 to 18.30 [email protected]

• The information centre organise guided walks, tem-porary exhibitions, courses, talks and workshops onwildlife-related issues.

www.elbergueda.catwww.turismetotal.orgwww.costabrava.orgwww.lleidatur.com


The Patum festival © Magma

Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangi-ble Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The small town of Bagà is the nat-ural gateway to La Serra del Cadí andhome to another curious traditionalpopular festivity, the Fia-Faia: onChristmas night a series of large torch-es are lit in the arched town squareamidst ritual music and dances.

The Cadí tunnel connects Bagà tothe broad open spaces of the plain ofLa Cerdanya, once an important me-dieval countdom. In 1659 at the Trea-ty of the Pyrenees the kingdoms ofFrance and Spain decided to partitionthe region, but left the town of Llíviaas small enclave of Spanish territorycompletely surrounded by France; this

town is today famous for having theoldest pharmacy in Europe.


Mont-rebei i la Terretaa haven for vultures

The Mont-rebei gorge in La Serra del Montsec consists of a narrow canyon whose immense cliffs look downon the river Noguera Ribagorçana; to the south the gorge opens out into a vast amphitheatre framed by

sheer, imposing cliff-faces. This itinerary passes through the gorge and provides access to cliffs that are ahaven for typical Pyrenean rock-loving birds — Red-billed Chough, Wallcreeper and a number of cliff-

breeding raptors. Further north lies La Terreta, an area dotted with thirty hamlets belonging to the municipa-lity of Tremp (at over 300 km2, the largest in Catalonia), the capital of the comarca of El Pallars Jussà. In LaTerreta all four European vulture species can be seen here in a day, along with many other Mediterranean

and/or cliff-loving species including a number of different warblers.

The Mont-rebei gorge from the path © O. Alamany

47Mont-rebei i la Terreta

Lammergeier (R)**Griffon Vulture (R)**Egyptian Vulture (N)**Booted Eagle (N)**Short-toed Eagle (N)**Blue Rock Thrush (R)**Wallcreeper (M)*Subalpine Warbler (N)***Orphean Warbler (N)***Rock Bunting (R)***

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

Griffon Vulture © J. Bas

The Mont-rebei gorge is unsullied byroad, rail or power lines and the onlyway to visit the whole of this spectac-ular natural feature is to walk a rathervertiginous path hewn out of the barerock. La Fundació Territori i Paisatge,an NGO created under the auspicesof the environmental protection pro-gramme of the Caixa Catalunya sav-ings bank, owns 600 ha of land in andaround this natural wonder and na-ture reserve; its conservation is thusassured. The area around the gorgeand in the La Terreta is dominated byMediterranean vegetation, although insome shadier areas more Eurosiber-ian vegetation takes a foothold. Atmid-altitude deciduous oak forest and,above all, Scots pine, forests develop,while in sunnier areas Mediterraneanholm oaks are dominant trees. Not sofar away there are a number of largereservoirs with riparian and aquaticvegetation.

You are all but guaranteed viewsof Lammergeier and Griffon andEgyptian Vultures, while in recentyears observations of Black Vultureshave become ever more frequent. LaTerreta also boasts excellent facili-ties for viewing the local vultures. The

two itineraries described here pro-vide, moreover, the chance to catchup with typical southern Europeanspecies of birds such as Blue RockThrush, Southern Grey Shrike andSubalpine, Orphean, Dartford andBonelli’s Warblers.

When to visit

In spring or autumn; in summer, hightemperatures mean that it is best tobirdwatch above all in the early hoursof the morning. In winter, temperaturesplummet and the summer visitors arelong gone.

Spring

To fully cover the area, you should tryboth of the itineraries described here.The first passes through the immenseMont-rebei gorge on the eastern sideof the Noguera Ribagorçana river,while the other takes you to La Terre-ta on roads that approach the Serrade Castellet and Serra de Sant Gervàs.

The walk through Mont-rebei be-gins at a small car-park known as LaMasieta. Between here and the sus-

pension bridge you will have thechance to come across a number ofinteresting birds such as EgyptianVulture, Short-toed Eagle, EuropeanBee-eater, Golden Oriole and Bonel-li’s and Orphean Warblers. Further onas you reach the gorge itself (and allthrough it), keep an eye out for AlpineSwift, Crag Martin, Blue Rock Thrushand Red-billed Chough. Up high lookfor Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Lam-mergeier, Golden Eagle and PeregrineFalcon. As the gorge opens out and

48 Mont-rebei i la Terreta

49Mont-rebei i la Terreta

Lammergeier © J.M. Borrero

Egyptian Vulture © O. Alamany

the path leaves the rock face, look outfor Mediterranean species such asWoodchat Shrike, Dartford Warblerand Rock Bunting.

The itinerary through La Terretaprovides good views of large numbersof Griffon Vultures, as well as Egyp-tian Vulture. In the interpretation cen-tre (El Casal dels Voltors) live links totwo cameras show how the vulturesfeed. Other species that might turn up

during this itinerary include Red andBlack Kites, Short-toed Eagle, StockDove, Tawny Pipit, Rock and Blue RockThrushes, Melodious, Dartford, Sub-alpine and Sardinian Warblers, RockSparrow and Rock Bunting.

Autumn

Aside from the many resident species,this is a good time to look for Wall-

creepers in the Mont-rebei and LaTerreta, for example on the large lime-stone cliffs near Sopeira.

Recommendations

• Be sure to be prepared for high tem-peratures (take water!) in summer.

Discover the area

The peaceful medieval centre of thetown of Tremp, capital of the comar-ca of El Pallars Jussà, is a reflectionof the excellent quality of life in thisarea. The generous variety of naturalareas that surround Tremp wereonce, however, the frontier betweenChristian and Moorish domains, asthe numerous castles that dominatethe area illustrate: a guided visit tothe castles of Mur, Llordà, SantGervàs or Orcau, all dating back tothe beginning of the eleventh centu-ry, is an exciting trip back in time.We also recommend that you alsovisit the Parc Cretaci, where the pale-ontological remains of some of thelast dinosaurs to roam the earth canbe admired.

50 Mont-rebei i la Terreta

How to get thereLa Terreta (Tremp) is 86 km from the city of Lleida and188 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorway AP-2 (Barcelona-Lleida); C-13 to Trempand then C-1311 to Pont de Montanyana.

The bus company Alsina Graells (Tel. 902 330 400)runs services from Lleida to Vielha that pass throughPont de Muntanyana and Tremp. From here, on footfrom Pont de Muntanyana or by private vehicle fromTremp to the Mont-rebei gorge.Infrastructure and servicesIn the Casal dels Voltors, the vulture interpretation cen-tre, the life of the vultures of the area can be contem-plated through the lens of the cameras placed near anest and the feeding station. Expert explanations fromthe centre’s staff.

Casal dels VoltorsTorre de Tamúrcia (Tremp)Tel. 610 851 196terreta@ajuntamentdetremp.catwww.ajuntamentdetremp.catwww.lapetjada.comThere is also a small information point at the car-parkfor Mont-rebei.Opening times: weekends and public holidays from10.00 to 17.00.For more information:Fundació Territori i PaisatgeObra Social de Caixa CatalunyaTel. 902 400 [email protected]/territoriipaisatge

www.lleidatur.comwww.catalunyaturisme.com

Adventure sports are also a pos-sibility here and birdwatchers can trytheir hands at water sports (on any ofthe area’s numerous reservoirs),climbing, caving, fishing and hang-gliding. Traditional local crafts are aliveand well in many of the small villagesof La Terreta and numerous artisansand craftsmen have set up theirworkshops here.

Getting to know the local cuisine–which will delight even the most de-manding of palates- is one of the

pleasures that you must be sure notto miss: game stews, wild mushrooms,cold meats and homemade cheesesare just some of the staples of tradi-tional palleresa cooking and, washeddown with quality wines and oils, pro-vide a veritable feast each time yousit down to dine.

Nearby towns such as La Poblade Segur and El Pont de Suert, aswell as the interesting village of Àger,are also worth a visit. If you are in thearea on the first Sunday in July you

will have the chance to witness oneof the most curious of all Pyreneanfestivities, the Baixada dels Raiers,a celebration and re-enactment of thetradition of transporting timber downfrom the Pyrenees on the rough wa-ters of the river Noguera Pallaresa.This homage to the raiers, the rafts-men who steered their wooden raftsdownstream, ends with dinner anddancing to which all are invited.

Bread and tomato © P. Pons

51PYRENEES AND PRE-PYRENEES

Vall de Núriabird-rich high mountains and forests

The valley of Núria is only accessible by rack-and-pinion railway from the town of Ribes de Freser oron foot along paths through subalpine pastures and screes that have been hiked by generations upon

generations of Catalan walkers. A combination of paths and a whole day’s hike will allow birdwatchersto enjoy the high mountain environments of this sector of the Pyrenees and catch up with some

of its most representative bird species.

The majest ic peak of Puigmal(2.910 m), the highest in the easternPyrenees, and a circ of other highpeaks -Noufonts, Nou Creus andFinestrelles- rise high above the gla-ciated valley of Núria and its sanctu-ary. The climb up to these summitscan be tackled from Fontalba alongpaths that pass through mountain pineforests and over screes. Lower down,between Ribes de Freser and the vil-

Panorama of Vall de Núria © O. Alamany

lage of Queralbs, mixed deciduousforests with a smattering of Eurosibe-rian tree species –oaks, beech andash- are the order of the day. Riparianforests and the cliffs of Roques deTotlomón and the south face of thepeak of Torreneules complete the va-riety of habitats present.

The whole area is of interest tobirdwatchers due to the presence ofhigh-mountain species and the pos-

sibilities for attractive walks in a truehigh-altitude Pyrenean environment.Birdwatching and walking can becombined by walking up to Sanctuaryand catching the rack-and-pinion trainback to Ribes de Freser, or by catch-ing the train to and from the Sanctu-ary to conserve your energy for theclimb to the high summits.

52 Vall de Núria

When to visit

From mid-spring to the end of sum-mer. Autumn and winter bring someof the high-level species down into thevalleys, although when there is snowon the ground make sure you are wellequipped if you venture up high.

Spring-summer

The recommended itinerary starts inthe village of Queralbs, where youshould pick up the track that windsup to Collada de Fontalba: leave your

vehicle here and continue on foot tothe Santuari de Núria.

In Queralbs itself look out for CragMartins and Dippers, as well as MarshTits in the oakwoods near the villageand Rock Bunting from the track upto Fontalba. As you climb, stop nowand then to check out rock outcropsfor Rock Thrush and as you gain evenmore height and begin to enter themountain pine forests, scan the skiesfor Griffon Vulture and Golden Eagle.

The pastures at Collada de Fon-talba itself are home to many WaterPipits and Black Redstarts, while just

above there is an area of rocks that isworth checking for Alpine Accentorand Ptarmigan. Exceptionally, in au-tumn groups of up to 100 Alpine Ac-centors can be found here.

The path on to the sanctuary atNúria passes through pine forestswhere you should listen out for RingOuzel and Citril Finch. At any pointalong this path Lammergeier or mixedflocks of Red-billed and Yellow-billedChoughs may fly over. The valleyaround the sanctuary also has largenumbers of Water Pipits and from hereyou can pick any of a number of paths

53Vall de Núria

Red-billed Chough © J. Bas

Lammergeier (R)**Griffon Vulture (R)**Ptarmigan (R)**Tengmalm’s Owl (R)*Water Pipit (N)****Rock Thrush (N)**Wallcreeper (M)*Citril Finch (N)***Snowfinch (H)**Rock Bunting (R)***

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

Ring Ouzel © O. Alamany

that head up to the surrounding peaks.A good choice is to head for Pic del’Àliga, a large mountain hut/youthhostel, from where a path takes youtowards Roques de Totlomón. Here,look for Lammergeier, as well as Wall-creeper in the autumn and large num-bers of both Choughs.

Winter

Around the sanctuary itself or on thesouthern flanks of Puigmal it is possi-ble to find flocks of Snowfinch of upto a hundred birds during the coldestwinters.

Other nearby areasof interest

The western side of Puigmal can betackled along a good track (suitablefor cars) that climbs to the Planolesmountain hut and then on to one ofthe main ridges. Here amongst themountain pine forests on the way uptowards Puigmal listen out for Teng-malm’s Owl; Pla de Gorrablanc, alsoon the route, is one of the few placesin Catalonia where Dotterel occasion-ally breed.

Recommendation

• Care must be taken during hikes inthe high mountains: check forecasts

for bad weather and avalanchewarnings, and bear in mind that formost of the year snow and freezingtemperatures make access into themountains difficult.

Discover the area

The Sanctuary of Núria (1,960 m) hasfor long been a popular destination forpilgrims and other worshippers whocome to venerate the Virgin of Núria(a common girl’s name in Catalonia).

The Sanctuary is set within a smallski station (7 km of runs, 10 runs intotal) with a 3-star hotel and apart-ments for families and small groups.An artificial lake built in 1956 addsvariety to the landscape and is used

54 Vall de Núria

The rack railway, the only form of transport to Núria, climbs over 1,000 m on its 12.5 kmjourney to the sanctuary at Núria

How to get thereRibes de Freser is 98 km from Girona-Costa BravaAirport and 118 km from Barcelona.Access from Barcelona:

Motorway AP-7 (Barcelona-La Jonquera). Junction2 (Vic-Puigcerdà).C-17 to Ripoll and then N-152 to Ribes de Freser.

Line L3 RENFE (Barcelona-Puigcerdà) to Ribes deFreser and then change to Núria rack-and-pinionrailway.

www.costabrava.orgwww.catalunyaturisme.org

Infrastructure and servicesVall de Núria information office

(next to sanctuary)Estació de Muntanya Vall de Núria17534 QueralbsTel. 972 732 020Reservations: tel. 972 732 030Opening times: open every day of the year from 08.30to [email protected]

© N. Cañas

for rowing. Nature-lovers who want toexplore further can sleep in one of thefour mountain huts in the area.

1931 saw the inauguration of therack-and-pinion railway whichunites Ribes de Fresser and Núria.Even today it is the only form of trans-port that can reach the Sanctuary:there are no roads or track and this isone of the secrets of the silence thatreigns in this valley.

Really it is only on days such as 8September, when the festivities of the

Mare de Déu de Núria are held, thatlarge numbers of people make thejourney up to the Sanctuary; on thisday tradition demands that local peo-ple and visitors alike dance theSardana, the Catalan national dance.

Núria lies in the comarca of El Ri-pollès, an area with many other at-tractions for visitors. Small villagessuch as Queralbs, Planoles and Ven-tolà still preserve their rural moun-tain charm and there are manyestablishments offering rural accom-

modation and a number of good res-taurants that delight with their localcuisine.

If you are interested in Roman-esque art, then there is plenty to in-terest you: aside from the small vil-lage churches that are often still usedfor worship, a must are the monas-teries of Santa Maria de Ripoll andSant Joan de les Abadesses. Thefaçade and cloister at Ripoll and thesculptures at Sant Joan are veritablemaster works of their kind.

Culinary specialities include thelocal cold cuts and in the autumn wildmushrooms, perhaps the most grat-ifying way of sampling the aromas ofthe forests that cover much of thearea.

55URBAN AREAS

Delta del Llobregatornithological rarities in Barcelona’s backyard

The Reserves Naturals de Remolar-Filipines i de la Ricarda-Ca l’Arana protect the remaining wetlandsof the Llobregat Delta, and most of the lagoons, beaches and marshes are well-equipped with hides

and observation points. However, the outstanding feature of this wetland is that it lies right next to the cityof Barcelona and, above all, its airport, which in fact forms part of the delta. It is thus a must

for birdwatchers who want to combine a visit to the sites and monuments of Barcelona with the possibilityof adding new bird species to their lists. It is one of the sites where most rare birds are found each year

in Catalonia, above all during passage periods.

The Llobregat Delta is totally flat andis today covered by an assortment ofcultivated land, small stands of ripar-ian forest, coastal pinewoods, marsh-es, lagoons and beaches with dunevegetation that are home to breedingspecies such as the Kentish Plover.

Its proximity to the city of Barcelo-na makes a morning visit perfectlypossible and allows birdwatchers to

View from the bird hide at Bassa dels Pollancres © J. Orta

then spend the afternoon in the city.On the other hand, if you have alreadytravelled around Catalonia you canspend the last few hours of your staybefore going to the airport in this sin-gular spot. Here you will find speciessuch as Balearic Shearwater, LittleBittern, Little Crake and MoustachedWarbler that are generally difficult tosee in Europe, and, with a little luck -

even during a quick visit- perhaps oneof the large number of rare Nearcticand Asian species of birds that havebeen observed in the delta by the re-serve staff.

56 Delta del Llobregat

Moustached Warbler © F. López

When to visit

Any time of year is interesting, butabove all spring and winter.

Spring

We recommend a spring visit to thehides and observations points in theRemolar Natural Reserve that com-mand excellent views of the marshesand where there is also good accessto the beach for seawatching.

At the end of March there are stilla number of Moustached Warblersaround and during this time of yearmales sing all day and are easy to find.As well, the end of March regularlybrings Little and Spotted Crakes and,on occasions, even Baillon’s Crake,that in some years has been seen fromthe bridge that crosses the Canal dela Vidala.

Purple Swamp-hen can be seenfrom any of the hides, although it isscarce and a bit of searching is need-ed. Likewise, the Great Bittern, whichwinters in the reserve, can be ob-served with a bit of luck in March.

57Delta del Llobregat

Balearic Shearwater (H)***Little Bittern (N)***Squacco Heron (N)**Purple Heron (N)**Little Crake (M)*Purple Swamp-hen (R)*Audouin’s Gull (M)***Great Spotted Cuckoo (M)*Scops Owl (N)***Moustached Warbler (H)**

OUTSTANDING BIRDS

Balearic Shearwater © M. Cebolla

From the beach seawatching willbring good concentrations of BalearicShearwater, with the occasional Le-vantine Shearwater mixed in, as wellas Razorbills, Gannets and Arctic andGreat Skuas, and Pomarine Skuas inApril. Mediterranean and Little Gullsare also fairly frequent. Early springis also a good time for Great SpottedCuckoo, regular in the Delta in spring.Summer visitors such as Little Bit-tern and Squacco and Purple Heronsbegin to arrive during April, while Au-douin’s Gulls can be seen from thehides and also on the beach amongstthe groups of Yellow-legged Gulls andin other areas of the delta such asCal Tet and Ca l’Arana. Some of thewaders such as Collared Pratincolethat breed in small numbers in theDelta should be looked for in the areaof Cal Tet from the Sabogal hide.Scops Owls are fairly abundant in theDelta and by April are singing fromthe stands of pines and poplars.Amongst the passerines, April seesa few Red-rumped Swallow passingthrough, wintering Crag Martins –easy to see in the Remolar reserve-and the last of the wintering Blue-throats.

Winter

Large numbers of Levantine Shearwa-ters can be seen on occasions fromthe viewing point on the beach nextto La Riera de Sant Climent.

Nearby areas of interest

Next to the marina of Port Ginesta, justsouth of the Delta and reachable alongthe Castelldefels dual-carriageway,towers Roca Falconera, a huge cliffwith Shag, Peregrine Falcon, PallidSwift, Black Wheatear and Blue RockThrush.

Recommendations

• If you intend to visit as part of a groupor need special attention, please getin touch with the information cen-tres in advance.

• In summer and part of the springand autumn we recommend thatyou use mosquito repellent.

Discover the area

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia,has become in recent years one of themost popular tourist destinations inthe world.

A number of reasons can explainthis phenomenon: beaches just 10minutes from the Gothic quarter, theModernist architectural heritage in-cluding the master works of Gaudí,


Les Filipines salt marsh © J. Bas

Cable car crossing the port of Barcelona © A. F. Selbach

and the quality of the city’s infrastruc-tures and services. Nevertheless, be-yond these quantifiable factors liesanother more intangible reason toexplain the city’s success – its amb-ience and character.

We recommend that you wanderthrough the city’s streets and squaresand enjoy its beaches and monu-ments: alternatively, shop in its manysmall family-run businesses or havea snack in one of the bars of the oldtown as a means of getting an insightinto this captivating city.

Of the many activities on offer, hereare just a few possibilities to get youin the mood:– stroll through the Gothic quarter in

the heart of the old city. On Sundaymornings in front of the Cathedrallocal people dance the traditionalSardana to the sound of the 11-piece cobla or orchestra.

– go for a cruise in a sail-boat fromone of the city’s beaches or in oneof the traditional boats that ply thewaters of the Port of Barcelona.

– attend a concert in the Palau de laMúsica Catalana, a wonderfulModernist concert-hall constructed

59Delta del Llobregat

Bench in the Park Güell, Barcelona © O. Alamany


www.barcelonaturisme.catwww.turismetotal.org


How to get thereThe Delta is 2 km from Barcelona-El Prat Airport and12 km from the city centre.Access from Barcelona:

C-31 Castelldefels dual-carriageway towards theAirport.

The buses L94 and L95 run from Ronda Universitatin Barcelona.Infrastructure and servicesIn all in the reserves in the Llobregat Delta there arefive hides and seven viewing points.

The hides are suitable for wheelchair users.Remolar-Filipines Information Centre

Castelldefels dual carriageway (C-31), km 18808840 ViladecansTel. 936 586 761Opening times: open all year from 09.00 to [email protected]

• The Remolar-Filipines reserves are open midweekfrom 09.00 to 17.00 (from 1 June to 15 Septemberfrom 09.00 to 15.00) and from 09.00 to 18.00 atweekends.• In the information centre you will find news on thelatest birds, as well as advice and printed information.There is also a shop where you can hire binoculars.• The Consortium for the Protection and Managementof the Natural Areas of the Llobregat Delta organiseshour-long free guided visits every Sunday morning.Guided visits must be booked in advance.

For more information:www.gencat.net/mediamb/rndelta/cdll900.htmwww.pamtomaket.com/usuaris/vistavui/index.html

by Lluís Domènech i Montaner thathas been declared a World HeritageSite. This architect also designed theCiutadella Park, home to the City’sNatural History Museum and its zo-ological collection.

– visit the surprising and unique worksof Gaudí. His most ambitious work,La Sagrada Família, although notyet finished, is the undisputed sym-bol of the city and reflection of itsdreams and aspirations.

– climb the mountain of Tibidabo forwonderful views of the city at yourfeet. If you are with young children,the fun park on the top of the moun-tain is an added reason for visiting.

– discover the Romanesque muralsconserved in the MNAC — the Na-tional Museum of Catalan Art. Dueto its size and quality, this collectionis considered as unique in the world.

– visit the Joan Miró Foundation inthe Montjuïc Park, where this inter-

nationally famous artist’s work is ondisplay in a white, spacious build-ing designed by his close friend, thearchitect Josep Lluís Sert.

– or look and listen for the many birdspecies that breed in the city, suchas the parakeets that breed in theCiutadella Park, Passeig de Colomand in the central promenade ofAvinguda Diagonal, the street thatbisects Barcelona from the hills tothe sea.

61Species list

AAccentor, Alpine 24, 27, 28, 30, 31,

32, 40, 41, 43, 52Avocet 7

BBee-eater, European 19, 23, 47Bittern, Great 7, 13, 56Bittern, Little 7, 9, 18, 19, 55, 57Bluethroat 9, 57Brambling 39Bunting, Cirl 10, 16, 23Bunting, Ortolan 16Bunting, Reed 6Bunting, Rock 16, 20, 23, 35, 41,

47, 49, 52, 53Bustard, Little 4, 19

CChough, Red-billed 34, 35, 41, 46,

47, 52, 53Chough, Yellow-billed 34, 35, 40, 41,

52, 53Cisticola, Zitting 9, 13, 18Coot, Red-knobbed 7Crake, Baillon’s 7, 13, 56Crake, Little 7, 12, 13, 55, 56, 57Crake, Spotted 7, 13, 56Crane, Common 13Cuckoo, Great Spotted 13, 19, 57

DDipper 52Diver, Black-throated 15Diver, Great Northern 9, 15Dotterel 36, 43, 53Dove, Stock 19, 49

EEagle, Bonelli’s 4, 10, 15, 20, 23, 24,

26, 27, 30, 31Eagle, Booted 9, 15, 28, 47Eagle, Golden 20, 23, 35, 41, 47, 52Eagle, Short-toed 7, 16, 19, 27, 47,

49Egret, Great White 7Egret, Little 7

FFalcon, Eleonora’s 28Falcon, Peregrine 31, 47, 57Falcon, Red-footed 12, 13, 19Finch, Citril 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 52, 53Firecrest 31Flamingo, Greater 6, 7, 13Flycatcher, Collared 13

GGannet, Northern 27, 57Garganey 13Goshawk, Northern 37Gull, Audouin’s 4, 6, 7, 8, 57Gull, Black-headed 18Gull, Little 57Gull, Mediterranean 18, 57Gull, Slender-billed 8Gull, Yellow-legged 57

HHarrier, Montagu’s 7, 18, 19Harrier, Pallid 13Heron, Night 7, 13Heron, Purple 7, 13, 19, 57Heron, Squacco 7, 9, 57Heron, Western Reef 7Hobby 19Hoopoe 23

IIbis, Glossy 6, 7, 13

KKestrel, Lesser 19, 27Kite, Black 7, 28, 49Kite, Black-shouldered 13Kite, Red 49

LLammergeier 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 47,

52, 53Lark, Calandra 19Lark, Lesser Short-toed 8Lark, Short-toed 8, 19, 27Lark, Thekla 19, 23, 27

MMagpie 13Mallard 13Martin, Crag 23, 27, 47, 52, 57

NNightjar, Red-necked 7, 8, 9, 18, 19

OOriole, Golden 31, 47Ouzel, Ring 34, 35, 41, 52Owl, Barn 8Owl, Eagle 27, 31Owl, Little 23Owl, Scops 8, 9, 13, 23, 24, 31, 57Owl, Tengmalm’s 34, 35, 37, 41, 53

PPartridge, Grey 41

Partridge, Red-legged 15, 19, 27, 30,31

Pipit, Red-throated 9, 12, 13Pipit, Richard’s 9, 15Pipit, Tawny 9, 16, 19, 23, 27, 49Pipit, Water 9, 15, 35, 52, 53Plover, American Golden 9Plover, Greater Sand 9Plover, Kentish 55Plover, Pacific Golden 9Pochard, Red-crested 7, 13Pratincole, Collared 7, 57Ptarmigan 36, 43, 52, 53

RRazorbill 12, 27, 57Redstart, Black 52Roller, European 13, 19

SSandgrouse, Black-bellied 20Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed 19Sandpiper, Broad-billed 8Sandpiper, Marsh 8, 13Sandpiper, Pectoral 8, 15Sandpiper, Spotted 9Sandpiper, Terek 8Shag 57Shearwater, Balearic 4, 7, 12, 13, 15,

27, 55, 57Shearwater, Cory’s 13, 27Shearwater, Levantine 10, 12, 13, 15,

27, 57Shoveler, Northern 13Shrike, Lesser Grey 4, 19Shrike, Southern Grey 19, 27, 30, 31,

47Shrike, Woodchat 9, 19, 23, 27, 30,

31, 49Skua, Arctic 27, 57Skua, Great 27, 57Skua, Pomarine 27, 57Snowfinch 4, 35, 36, 40, 41, 43, 53Sparrow, Rock 19, 23, 27, 30, 31,

49Spoonbill, Eurasian 7Starling, Spotless 9, 19, 23Stilt, Black-winged 7, 18Stint, Temminck’s 8, 13Stone-curlew 13Stork, Black 13Stork, White 7, 13, 18Storm-petrel, European 13, 27Swallow, Red-rumped 9, 27, 57Swamp-hen, Purple 7, 13, 18, 19,

56, 57Swift, Alpine 23, 24, 27, 31, 47

62 Species list

Swift, Pallid 24, 26, 27, 57

TTeal, Common 13Tern, Common 8Tern, Gull-billed 8Tern, Lesser Crested 7, 8Tern, Little 8Tern, Sandwich 8Tern, Whiskered 8Tern, White-winged Black 13Thrush, Blue Rock 10, 19, 23, 27,

30, 47, 49, 57Thrush, Rock 27, 35, 40, 41, 49, 52,

53Tit, Bearded 13, 15Tit, Marsh 37, 52Tit, Penduline 9, 18Treecreeper, Eurasian 37, 41Treecreeper, Short-toed 31

VVulture, Black 47Vulture, Egyptian 23, 24, 34, 47, 49

Vulture, Griffon 23, 24, 34, 35, 41,47, 49, 52, 53

WWagtail, Citrine 13Wallcreeper 4, 24, 28, 30, 31, 32,

35, 36, 41, 43, 46, 47, 49, 53

Warbler, Bonelli’s 31, 47Warbler, Cetti’s 9, 13, 18Warbler, Dartford 9, 16, 20, 23, 49,

27, 47Warbler, Great Reed 9, 18Warbler, Melodious 9, 19, 23, 30, 31,

49

Warbler, Moustached 7, 9, 13, 15,55, 56, 57

Warbler, Sardinian 9, 13, 19, 23, 27,30, 31, 49

Warbler, Savi’s 7, 9Warbler, Spectacled 26, 27Warbler, Subalpine 9, 27, 47, 49

Warbler, Western Orphean 10, 16, 23,24, 26, 27, 47

Wheatear, Black 19, 23, 24, 31, 57

Wheatear, Black-eared 9, 16, 19, 23,24, 26, 27

Woodcock 37Woodpecker, Black 37Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted 13

YYellowlegs, Lesser 9

63Ethical code for birdwatchers

The object of publishing this ethi-cal code1 is to ensure that bird-watchers behave in a respectfulfashion. Birds are living creaturesthat are very sensitive to humanactivities and it is essential thattheir welfare is respected at alltimes, along with that of all otherforms of wildlife, the environmentand other people.

Thus, it is vital that you take intoaccount the following considera-tions when you are birdwatching.

1 Promote birds’ welfare and the con-servation of the environment:• Avoid disturbing birds in any way.Putting up a bird in order to see itbetter, or to film or record it, is totallyunjustifiable and may in fact cause itharm.• During the breeding period be es-pecially watchful. Keep your distancefrom nests, breeding colonies androosting, mating and feeding sites.Long periods of observation or pho-tographic stake-outs should be donefrom a hide, car or from well-hiddenplaces that will not disturb birds.• Birds resting during long-distantmigrations are especially sensitive todisturbance. Remember that If theyallow you to approach it is probablybecause they are exhausted and lackenergy to flee. Allow them to rest andfeed in peace.• In all habitats, stick to paths, tracksand roads, thereby minimising dam-age or disturbance.• Try not to make any noise that mightdisturb birds and/or other birdwatch-ers.• Do not use bird-song recordings orother means of attracting birds in visit-ed areas, in the case of threatenedspecies or during the breeding season.• Leave the areas you visit as youfound them, if not even better.• The finding of nests of rare or threat-ened species must be communicat-ed to local conservation and/or sci-entific bodies.2

2 Respect the law and other people’srights:• Most wild areas are private proper-ty even if there no signs that say so. If

Ethical code for birdwatchersyou come across gates and fencesnear inhabited buildings, ask permis-sion from owners to enter.• Respect the laws and regulationsregarding access and the use oftracks, roads and other public areas.• Inform the appropriate authoritiesof any harm being carried out to birdsand their habitats.3

• Be courteous and friendly with peo-ple you meet when you are birdwatch-ing to help generate a positive atti-tude towards birdwatchers.

3 Safeguard the security of feedingand drinking stations and nest-box-es:• If you have a garden with bird feed-ers, check that they are clean and thatthe water in bird baths is of an ac-ceptable quality.· Ensure that there are no dogs or catsnearby that might disturb the birds.· Clean nest-boxes and feeding sta-tions every year after use.

4 Write down your observations:• Many of your observations will beof great scientific interest. We encour-age you thus to communicate all in-teresting observations to the compe-tent bodies.4

• The observations of birds consid-ered to be rare in Spain have to beratified by the SEO/BirdLife, whilst thebirds considered to be rare in Catalo-nia have to be ratified by the CatalanBird Committee (ICO).5

5 Group observation requires addi-tional precautions:• Respect the interests, rights andskills of the other members of thegroup and share your knowledge, in-formation and experience. Be espe-cially considerate with inexperiencedobservers.• If you detect a case of inappropri-ate behaviour, evaluate the situationand intervene if you think it is neces-sary. If conflict should arise, contactthe appropriate authorities.• Guides and group leaders must be-have impeccably and set an examplefor all the group.• Smaller groups minimise environ-mental impacts.

• All group members must be in-formed of the relevant regulations andrestriction in the areas you enter,above all, for example, the impossi-bility of using recorded calls to attractspecies.• Share these guidelines with the restof the group.

6 Contribute to sustainable tourism:• Whenever possible, choose accom-modation in establishments with en-vironmental certification.• Use local products from organic ag-riculture and stock-raising.• Use public transport whenever pos-sible or vehicles incorporating pollu-tion-reduction technology.• Calculate the environmental impactof your trip and try and think how youcould reduce it in the future.6

• Help the conservation of importanthabitats for birds by supporting re-gional and local environmental groupsand NGOs.

Help spread word of this ethical codeby putting it into practice

1 This code is an adaptation of that usedby the American Birding Association andthe Ethical Birdwatching Code used in Na-varre.2 It is best to get in touch with the Enviro-ment Department of the Catalan Govern-ment: tel. 935 674 200, http://mediambient.gencat.net3 Phone the local ranger service: tel. 935740 0364 We would be grateful if all observationsof rarites were passed on to the CatalanInstitute of Ornithology (ICO), www.ornitologia.org, [email protected], tel 934 5878935 See the species lists on the following webpages: SEO/BirdLife (www.seo.org) and ICO(www.ornitologia.org/monitoratge/cac.htm). Detailed descriptions of observationscan be sent to the SEO/BirdLife RaritiesCommittee: [email protected] or to CAC:[email protected] You can compensate for your CO

2 at

www.ceroco2.org

64 Other protected areas

Other protected areas

65Other protected areas

Area of ornithological Numberinterest on map Tourist board Information

Wetlands Aiguabarreig 1 Terres de Lleida www.aiguabarreig.cat

Reserva Natural de Sebes 2 Terres de l’Ebre www.reservanaturalsebes.org

Clot de la Unilla 3 Terres de Lleida www.accionatura.org

Espai Natural d’Utxesa 4 Terres de Lleida www.utxesa.com

Estany de Sils 5 Costa Brava www.accionatura.org

Basses d’en Coll 6 Costa Brava www.bassesdencoll.com

Mediterranean Parc Natural de la Zonalandscapes Volcànica de la Garrotxa 7 Pirineus-Prepirineus www.parcsdecatalunya.net

Espai Naturalde les Guilleries-Savassona 8 Catalunya Central www.diba.es/parcsn

Parc Natural del Montsant 9 Costa Daurada www.parcsdecatalunya.net

Parc Natural del Montseny 10 Catalunya Central www.diba.es/parcsnwww.parcsdecatalunya.net

Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç www.diba.es/parcsndel Munt i l’Obac 11 Catalunya Central www.parcsdecatalunya.net

Parc del Castellde Montesquiu 12 Catalunya Central www.diba.es/parcsn

Parc del Montnegrei el Corredor 13 Costa de Barcelone-Maresme www.diba.es/parcsn

Parc de la Serralada Litoral 14 Costa de Barcelone-Maresme www.diba.es/parcsn

Parc de la Serraladade Marina 15 Costa de Barcelona-Maresme www.diba.es/parcsn

Parc del Garraf 16 Costa de Garraf www.diba.es/parcsn

Parc d’Olèrdola 17 Costa de Garraf www.diba.es/parcsn

Parc del Foix 18 Costa de Garraf www.diba.es/parcsn

Reserva marinade les Illes Medes 19 Costa Brava www.parcsdecatalunya.net

Mas de Melons-Alfés 20 Terres de Lleida www.lleidatur.com

Espai d’Interès Natural www.depana.org/Tamarit-Punta de la Móra 21 Costa Daurada puntadelamora

Parc Natural de l’Alt Pirineu 22 Pirineus www.parcsdecatalunya.net

Paratge Natural de l’Albera 23 Costa Brava www.parcsdecatalunya.net

Parc TerritorialCollegats-Terradets 24 Terres de Lleida ww.lleidatur.com

Muntanya d’Alinyà 25 Terres de Lleida www.caixacatalunya.es/territoriipaisatge

Around Parc de Collserola 26 Barcelona www.parccollserola.netBarcelona

Pyrenees andpre-Pyrenees

66 Further information of interest

Ornithological bodies

ICO – Catalan Instituteof OrnithologyCreated in 1975 and dedicated to thestudy of bird biology and migration.Tel. 934 587 [email protected]

Catalan ornithological informationweb page (SIOC)www.ornitologia.org/icoinfo

Catalan ornithological maps webpage (SCOC)www.ornitologia.org/scoc

On-line atlas of Catalan breedingbirdswww.ornitologia.org/monitoratgeatles.htmhttp://oslo.geodata.es/ftp/ocells

SEO/BirdLifeSpanish representative of BirdLifeInternational created in 1954 with theaim of protecting birds and their hab-itats, and to carry out monitoring, con-servation and awareness campaignsand projects.Tel. 932 892 [email protected]

AcciónaturaCreated in 1997 to protect, improveand restore natural ecosystems.Tel. 932 373 [email protected]

Fundació Territori i PaisatgeCreated by the Caixa Catalunya sav-ings bank in 1997 as part of their en-vironmental work, the main aims ofthis foundation include the conserva-tion of the natural heritage and envi-ronmental education. It owns anumber of ecologically very importantareas of land.Tel: 902 400 [email protected]/territoriipaisatge

Barcelona UniversityThe Department of Animal Biology inthe Biology Faculty carries out orni-thological education and researchprojects.Tel. 934 021 [email protected]/bioani

Catalan biodiversity database(Barcelona University and the CatalanMinistry of the Environment):http://biodiver.bio.ub.es/biocat

Lleida Ornithological Tourism Of-ficeTel: 973 780 009 / 609 410 [email protected]

Other interesting web pages:

www.rarebirdspain.netwww.reservoirbirds.comwww.birdingcatalonia.com

Services of ornithologicaltourism

Club de Turisme Actiu *Affiliated businesses:

Alt Empordà TurismeCatamaran trips for seabirds off Capde Creus and visits to Aiguamolls del’Empordà.Tels. 972 514 431 / 972 672 [email protected]

Delta Turístic & RentGuiding and environmental outdooractivities in and around the EbroDelta.Tel. 977 460 [email protected]

Empordà Interest TravelMade-to-measure birdwatching pro-grammes. Specialists in the Empordàregion.Tel. 972 302 [email protected]

Makà Ecotourism4x4 tours anywhere in Catalonia forbirdwatchers.Tel. 670 400 [email protected]

Natura & AventuraGuiding and environmental outdooractivities in and around the EbroDelta.Tels. 977 742 987 / 646 598 [email protected]

* The Club de Turisme Actiu de Turismede Catalunya is an association of busi-nesses and institutions working to promoteand commercialise outdoor activities linkedto the natural world.

www.turismedecatalunya.com/turismeactiu

67Further information of interest

AraboguesGuiding and outdoor activities in ElsPorts.Tels. 647 909 047 / 636 014 [email protected]

Audouin Birding ToursGuiding and made-to-measure bird-watching trips in the Ebro region andthroughout Catalonia.Tel. 649 286 [email protected]

Catalan Bird ToursGuiding and made-to-measure pro-grammes for birdwatchers through-out Catalonia.Tel. 636 271 [email protected]

Ecologia i NaturaGuiding and environmental outdooractivities in and around the Ebro Delta.Tel. 977 742 [email protected]

Gubiana dels PortsGuiding and environmental outdooractivities in and around Els PortsTels. 977 474 887 / 637 085 [email protected]

Guies del Port, serveis turísticsGuiding and environmental outdooractivities in and around Els Ports.Tels. 977 435 515 / 676 308 [email protected]

L’AiguabarreigReservations for wildlife tourism in andaround L’Aiguabarreig.Tel. 973 780 [email protected]

Mediterrània – Centre d’IniciativesEcològiquesWorkshops and made-to-measureprogrammes for birdwatchers on theCosta Daurada.Tel. 977 551 [email protected]

Mike LockwoodGuiding and environmental activities inLa Garrotxa and throughout Catalonia.Tels. 972 590 327 / 661 956 [email protected]

PedrencaGuiding and environmental outdoor ac-tivities in and around the Serra deMontsant.Tel. 690 251 [email protected]

Entities and Tourist Boards

Consortium for the promotionof tourism on the Maresme coastwww.costadelmaresme.org

Barcelona Provincial Councilwww.turismetotal.org

Costa Brava Girona Tourist Boardwww.costabrava.orgLleida Tourist Boardwww.lleidatur.com

Tarragona Tourist Boardwww.costadaurada.infowww.terresdelebre.org

Val d’Aran Tourist Boardwww.torisme.aran.org

Barcelona Tourist Boardwww.barcelonaturisme.cat

ACAV – Catalan Associationof Travel Agentswww.acav.net

ARAC – Catalan Associationof Inbound Tour Operatorswww.aracat.com

Catalan Tourism PromotionCentres (CPT)

CATALAN TOURIST BOARDPg. de Gràcia 105, 3r08008 BarcelonaTel. 934 849 900www.catalunyatourism.com

CPT [email protected]

CPT Germany, [email protected]

CPT Italy, [email protected]

CPT China, [email protected]

CPT Benelux, [email protected]

CPT United Kingdom and Ireland,[email protected]

CPT France, [email protected]@[email protected](Perpignan)

CPT Scandinavia, [email protected]

CPT Eastern Europe, [email protected]

68

© Consorci Turisme de CatalunyaDepartament d’Innovació, Universitats i EmpresaGeneralitat de Catalunya

Published by: Consorci Turisme de CatalunyaPasseig de Gràcia 105, 3a planta08008 Barcelonawww.catalunyaturisme.com

First edition: May 2008

Project coordinator: Xavier Ferrer, Professor of Zoogeography, Barcelona University

Publishing coordinators: Maria-José Anía, Noemí Ibáñez

Ornithological texts: José Luis Copete and SEO/BirdLife

Ornithological adviser: Cristina Sánchez, Delegate of SEO/BirdLife in Catalonia

English translation: Mike Lockwood

Cartography: Distrimapas Cartografía, S. L.

Design and edition: Lynx Edicions

Typeface: Ingoprint S. A.

D.L.: B-24.563-2008

Jacket photograph: Audouin’s Gull, delta de l’Ebre © M. Cebolla.Photograph, page 3: Purple Swamp-hen © O. Alamany.

The reproduction in whole or in part, copying by any means including information technology, distribution, public diffusionor transformation of this work in any way is strictly prohibited without express written permission of the editor, ConsorciTurisme de Catalunya, and infringements will be subject to the appropriate legally established sanctions.

Tutisme de Catalunya would like to thank the following people and institutions: David Bigas, Gerard Bota, Ferran López,Raimon Mariné, Jordi Prieto, Ajuntament de Tremp, Consorci per a la Protecció i la Gestió dels Espais Naturals del Deltadel Llobregat, Consorci Estany d’Ivars-Vila-sana, Francesc Giró, Albert Martínez-Vilalta, Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes iEstany de Sant Maurici, Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà, Parc Natural de Cadí-Moixeró, Parc Natural del Capde Creus, Parc Natural dels Ports, Parc Natural de Montserrat.

In collaboration with:

With the aid of:

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