Arid Spain

Dried up lagoons

Today we drove to the south and crossed the border into Spain.  We were once again visiting the Aiguamolls de L'Emporda National Park.  Only once before have we been in autumn and water levels were low then.  Today things were much worse with all lagoons dried up.  Consequently water birds were scarce at this major wetland.  Only a few Mallard, a Grey Heron, Kingfisher and 2 Common Sandpipers were seen.

Grey Heron - the only heron on the reserve

The visit was not completely wasted.  Passerines of interest were seen including lots of resident Cetti's Warblers, 6 Pied Flycatchers and a Red-rumped Swallow. A few Bee-eaters were always overhead but the star bird was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling and feeding in trees by the central track.  Mammals also featured with a young Otter crossing the path in front of us and 5 Fallow Deer grazing quietly in a meadow.

Fallow Deer

After a picnic lunch we headed for another part of the park known as "The Three Bridges" in the hope that we might find more birds.  We did find 37 White Storks, a Red-backed Shrike, a Short-toed Eagle and about 60 Cattle Egrets with a large herd of cows.  We gave up and drove back along the spectacular coast road back into France for supper at Collioure.  Six Red-rumped Swallows were noted near Banyuls.

Yet another Short-toed Eagle

After supper we drove north to Narbonne along minor roads. Up to 100 Greater Flamingos were gathered on salt pans as were up to a dozen Great White Egrets.  Near Bages 6 Black-winged Stilts and 2 Common Sandpipers were on roadside lagoons.