Migration towards to North

A small trip to the reservoir of the river Ebro, here I have seen great flocks of birds in migration towards to North, nearly 1000 Lapwings, 300 Greylag Goose, two great flocks of Lesser Black- backed Gull nearly 100 birds, a flock of 70 Common Curlew, Starling, Golden Plover, Yellow-legged Gull, Black-headed Gull…. All this in a small cove near the village “La Riva”.

Greylag Goose, Yellow-legged Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black- backed Gull and Lapwing

Common Curlew and Lapwing

And on the following day, Yves Borremans informs three Great Northern Loon in the same zone.


Few records of this specie in the province of Burgos, I have a record in 1991 , a bird in the water reservoir of Puentelarrá , Volumen 40(1), junio 1993.

Atlas in VN3040

The past week I finished the census in the last square for the Atlas of wintering birds .
In this grid I have been able to observe a lot of forest birds, more variety of species and number of birds that in the two previous squares.
The first routes in an Oak forest and pine and the last routes I walk on arable land.
The weather has been excellent, reason why also it can have been this one of the causes by which I have detected more birds.
Reviewing the species of the squares, (VN2050, VN3060)one can to get come idea of the birds that can be found in the northwest of Burgos in winter.
Between that I have seen, they emphasize a lot of Goldcrest, a scarce bird in this area, unlike Firecrest, much more common in any time of the year.
Also there was a good number of Bullfinch.
Although they do not enter within the census, I saw first flocks of Geese going towards the North, altogether 300 birds.
This, along with the first songs of Wren, Great Tit, and Woodpeckers, nuptial flights of Vultures, the first Swallows and House Martins…, confirm that the breeding season is ready.
Birds observed in the 20 routes of square VN 3040
Griffon Vulture, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Song Thrush, Blackbird, European Robin, Wren, Common Chaffinch, Bullfinch, European Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Skylark, White Wagtail, Yellowhammer, House Sparrow, Red-billed Chough, Carrion Crow, Jay.

The Red Kite

One of the most spectacular birds of Europe is in regression, the causes clearly are produced by the man.
Among these causes the inclusion of the poison in the food chain is one of them.
The past year, in the region of Castile and Leon a cyclical invasion of rodents , common vole, a caused.
To palliate the problem, and to content to the farmers, the government of the region, it sowed of poison average region.
One of the causes of this madness begins to see now, it pays attention to which writes Javier Viñuela in the forum on threatened birds of BirdLife.
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Red Kite (Milvus milvus): projections needed about future threats, trends and carrying capacities.
Red Kite Milvus milvus is endemic to the Western Palearctic, with Europe encompassing >95% of its global range and hosting a population of 19,000-23,000 pairs (BirdLife International 2004; Mammen 2007). In 2005, following a discussion on this forum, the species’s status was uplisted from Least Concern to Near Threatened under criterion A of the IUCN Red List, based on evidence that it was experiencing a moderately rapid population decline (approaching 30% over 18 years, which was then considered to be three generation lengths). In 2009, an international symposium on the species will be held in France, and an EU Species Action Plan will be developed to prioritise actions for its conservation. To inform that process, it is timely to review its global status and ensure that it is categorised correctly, taking the latest information into account, including a revised generation length of 11.5 years based upon recent work by BirdLife International (unpublished data). Since 2005, the results of the 2004 national census in Spain have been published (Cardiel 2006), showing that the Spanish wintering population has declined by c. 50% (from 66,235-72,165 in 1994 to 35,523-36,233 in 2004). Cardiel (2006) assumes that one third of all Spanish wintering birds are immature. With an estimated maximum of 23,000 pairs in Europe (and only a few hundred at most elsewhere), the global population perhaps numbers c. 47,000 mature individuals and c. 80,000 individuals in total. Hence, the large decline in the Spanish wintering population is of particular concern, as Spain hosts a large proportion of the global population in winter (compared with just 6,000 wintering in France; Mionnet 2007). If these observed trends translate into actual population declines, the global population has been reduced by 33% over the past three generations (see the attached spreadsheet 1 of population declines of wintering birds) and the species may qualify for listing as Vulnerable under criterion A2 of the IUCN Red List. Although the Red Kite declined globally until the 1970s owing to persecution, many populations recovered or stabilised during 1970-1990 (Mionnet 2007) and its overall numbers were probably stable in Europe from 1970 to 1990 (Tucker & Heath 1994). Since 1990, declines documented within its core breeding areas – Spain (c. 4,000 mature individuals; Cardiel 2006), France (c. 6,000-7,800 mature individuals; Mionnet 2007) and Germany (c. 22,600 mature individuals; Mammen 2007) – have been partly offset by increases in countries like the UK, Sweden, Poland and Switzerland. Combining stable population trends between 1970 and 1990 with recent rapid declines in its core range, and increases in a few countries, yields an overall population decline over the past three generations (34.5 years) of 16%. If we concentrate on the species’s core areas and assume that recent national trends that began in the late 1980s or early 1990s will continue in the future, we would expect the overall reduction in the species’s population to continue (see spreadsheet 2 of breeding population trends, which excludes UK and Swedish figures). Hence, the most appropriate assessment may be to list the species as Vulnerable under criterion A4. However, if we include figures from the UK and Sweden, where the species’s numbers have increased dramatically in recent years and assume that they will continue to grow into the future, as projected under some climate change modelling scenarios (e.g. Huntley et al. 2007) then the global population may in fact increase during the next one to two generations (see spreadsheet 3). Therefore, the two key parameters to consider to assess accurately the species’s status are: 1. Will population declines continue in France, Germany and Spain? Declines have been attributed to poisoning, persecution, electrocution by powerlines and loss of habitat/food sources. These threats seem unlikely to be removed rapidly in the future. 2. Will the UK and Swedish populations continue to increase, and what are their likely carrying capacities? If populations are near carrying capacity in these countries, then – in global terms – declines in France, Germany and Spain would be expected to overshadow nominal future increases in the UK and Sweden, and the species may warrant uplisting. If these populations continue to increase at current rates, however, then declines elsewhere will be compensated by future increases in the UK and Sweden, and the global population may increase, potentially warranting the species’s downlisting to Least Concern. Any comments on this complex proposal, specifically addressing the two key questions posed above, would be welcome. BirdLife International (2004) Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (Conservation Series No. 12). Cardiel, I. E. (2006) El milano real en España. II Censo Nacional (2004). SEO/BirdLife, Madrid. Huntley, B., Green, R.E., Collingham, Y.C. & Willis, S.G. (2007) A climatic atlas of European breeding birds. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. Mammen, U. (2007) The Red Kite as a priority species for bird conservation in Germany and Europe. MEROS, Halle/Saale and Trier. Mionnet, A. (2007) The Red Kite in France: distribution, population development and threats. LPO, Vitry-le-François. RSPB (2008) Red kites soar in 2008. Downloaded from http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-198487 on 31/10/08. Tucker, G.M. and Heath, M.F. 1994. Birds in Europe: their conservation status. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (Conservation Series No. 3).

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Peter Newbery (RSPB Reintroductions Project Manager) has made the following contribution: I was interested to see Ian Carter's contribution - I agree with all that he said. Recently there was a meeting of the British and Irish Red Kite Co-ordination Group. We estimated that the total UK population in 2008 was at least 1,350 breeding pairs, and continuing to increase rapidly. From modelling exercises based on past annual increases in numbers, it looks likely that this population will continue to grow. Unfortunately, as each reintroduced population exceeds around 50 pairs, it becomes impossible to carry out an accurate annual survey with the resources available, but in the early years the populations can double every two years. Even the native Welsh population, which has previously had a much lower breeding productivity than the reintroduced populations, appears to be growing and spreading very quickly (Tony Cross, Welsh Kite Trust). Carrying capacity is impossible to estimate, but there seems no reason why they shouldn't continue to increase until all lowland parts of the UK support breeding populations. They are very catholic in their choice of habitats, but would probably not reach the same sort of densities of buzzards (anecdotal evidence suggests that in Scotland there are probably 2-3 pairs of buzzards for every pair of red kites in areas where both species breed). However, a population of over 10,000 pairs doesn't seem an unreasonable long-term figure (there was an estimate of 60,000 pairs of buzzards in the UK in 2001, I believe). With two new release projects in Ireland, the position is even better. We therefore feel confident that red kites in Britain and Ireland will form an increasingly large proportion of the European/world population. I look forward to being involved in developing the Species Action Plan for this species in 2009. It will be very useful to have a detailed discussion of what is causing such large declines elsewhere in Europe when kites in the UK are doing so well. We are rather puzzled by some of the explanations given for these declines: 1. Food shortage - red kites are scavengers, and there surely is no shortage of road kill and other sources of carrion. They also eat earthworms, fledgling birds and so on. 2. Habitat loss - in the UK, red kites are very adaptable, and are increasing even in fairly intensively managed farmland (provided there are trees for nesting). 3. Electrocution - it is difficult to see why this should be a much greater problem elsewhere in Europe than in the UK, where it is a minor cause of mortality. Deliberate and accidental poisoning are clear causes of mortality, in the UK as well as elsewhere in Europe, and I feel that addressing these issues should be a major theme of the action plan. The (legal) use of rodenticides has the potential to cause huge mortality through secondary poisoning, and changes in legislation governing their use may be of great benefit. Illegal persecution may be even more difficult to address - we have found that often kites are not the target species for setting poisoned baits, but because they are such efficient scavengers they find baits before foxes, crows and so on. People in the UK seem to accept the fact that kites are not predators of game species or livestock, so they are very rarely targeted specifically. I will be happy to share more information about UK kites and the reintroduction projects if it would be of interest.

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Javier Viñuela

The decline in the Spanish populaton still seems to be advancing. A new census was made in spring 2008 in Castilla y León (northern Spain, one of the main strongholds of the species), and in private conversations with people working on that census, the results seems to be depressing (aditional strong decline in just 4 years, but I have no more details). This census has not been made public by the Regional Government. This government has released more than 1,500 tons of rodenticide-treated baits over about 500,000 ha to fight against a common vole plague in agricultural lands between August 2007 and April 2008. We have found several cases of non-target species affected (Olea et al. in press, Environmental Conservation), and there are also some records of red kites apparently dying by secondary poisoning in treated areas. A complaint to the EU has been raised by environmental groups, and I think it is still under scrutiny (good opportunity for BirdLife to make pressure about this). Unfortunately, the Regional Government has not made any attempt to study this problem. On the contrary, they are trying to hide the real effects of rodenticides in other species (e.g. the effect on hare populations seems to be more than obvious). It seems clear that red kite are doing well in UK and Sweden, and that probably populations there could reach carrying capacity in the future at high numbers. The question is if we want a European population of red kites mainly based on the reintroduction programme of UK and on a natural population in the northern edge of the range. My feeling is that whenever populations are declining in Germany, France and Spain, this should be considered the central problem.

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Rare and Interesting Birds

A new project through a Web has started up that will try to update in real time all those records of interesting birds that occur in all Spain.
For it, a group of birders has constructed a web: www.birdingcatalonia.com/ReservoirBirds ,
with a network of birders in each community, will try to update in real time the records of all those interesting and rare birds for each place.
In this list they will be all the species that belong to the list of the rare birds of Spain, and a list with a interesting birds for each community.
In all the national territory there will be a twenty birders, who will guard to compile all records and to put in the web as soon as it is possible.
Each record, will go accompanied by the author name and the place where it has been gathered.

Census of Great Bustard II

The morning has left very pretty, almost cleared and without frost, there was 1.5ºC when we began the census to 9.00h.
No wind and the visibility was wonderful, in the majority of the flocks has been possible to know the sex of the birds.

Hoping to finish analyzing the collected data, we can indicate that the amount of wintering Great Bustards in the region the west of the province of Burgos is at least 266 birds, 27 more than the last year.

Photo by José Pedro Portillo

An equipment that has looked for Great Bustards in the province of Palencia, to the other side of the river Pisuerga and it has not found any, this is also an important data.

Photo by José Pedro Portillo

But not only it has been to count Great Bustards, the different equipment has been able to enjoy the tremendous number of raptors that there is in the zone, mainly Common Kestrels, Common Buzzard and Red Kite, but also has been able to observe Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, many Hen Herriers and some Marsh Harrier.
The cold of this week also have been let notice in the cereal plain of the region in the form of great flocks of Lapwings, with very few Golden Plover.
Other birds of the area, Skylark, Calandra Lark, Crested Lark, Corn Bunting, Cirl Bunting, Finches….

Also they have been mammalian, one of the equipment some thirty Roe Deer and another equipment a Fox.

The Birders

Information about the first census Here.

Atlas in VN 2050

A incredible White Rainbow, effect of the frost

Among ice, snow, cold and sun, this week I realised the route in the square VN 2050 for the Atlas of the wintering birds of Spain.
Very few detected bird species.
Within the forests of pines, oaks and beech trees, the forest birds make its appearance.
A flock of Crossbill between the pines.
In the forest of oaks and beech trees Coal Tits, Great Tits and Firecrest, Black Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Crested Tit.
But what it emphasized more is the absence of birds in the open areas, the snow are displaced to Lapwing, European Golden Plover and other birds common in the pasture, to lower and free zones of snow.
These days there are great flocks of Lapwing and European Golden Plover near Miranda de Ebro. Look here.
List of the birds recorded in the square VN 2050 in the route for the Atlas of wintering birds.

Griffon Vulture
Common Buzzard
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Common Kestrel
Black Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Crossbill
Coal Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Crested Tit
Firecrest
Long-tailed Tit
Song Thrush
Blackbird
European Robin
Wren
Common Chaffinch
European Nuthatch
Short-toed Treecreeper
Spotless Starling
Carrion Crow
Jay
Magpie

The following photos have been made by the professional photojournalist Javier Prieto, specialist in travel photography.

Atlas in VN 3060

Just as the year last, the census realised for the Atlas of wintering birds of Spain in the square VN 3060, has given very low results of records of birds.

To compare, the SACRE of winter in the VN 4040, with eight routes of 15 min. 29 different species of birds have been observed, and in the 22 routes of the Atlas of wintering birds with 15 min. each, I have been observed 22 different species.

The great difference is in the different types from habitat.
This square has an average of 900 m., and is cold.
The vegetation in this high zone is very not varied, and great part of her is occupied by gorse and pasture.

I do not know the causes of the absence of birds, but it is a zone in which there are not many shrubs with berries, and this without a doubt avoids the presence of birds like Thrushes, Hawfinch or Bullfinch.
Arable lands do not exist either, in which they are accustomed to see finches mainly.
This year the detected species have been very few, here you have the list of birds for this year:

Griffon Vulture, Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Eurasian Sparrowhawk,
Meadow Pipit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, European Robin, Wren, Common Chaffinch, European Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Spotless Starling, Carrion Crow, Jay, Magpie, Southern Grey Shrike.

SACRE in Winter

This it is the first year that I realise the route for the new program for the follow-up of birds of SEO BirdLife, the follow-up of common birds in winter. (More here)
The squares it’s the same that I realise in spring, VN 4040.
The route is simple, and I have chosen to realise it by two zones easy to walk and very pretty, the pastures of the Valley of Zamanzas and the footpath GR 99 throughout the river Ebro.
In this zone the river Ebro has very well conserved banks, where the alders abound, ashs, poplars…
A good number of birds and species, 29, but certainly throughout the years this will change.

Here you have the relation of species seen in two hours:

Mallard, Grey Heron, Griffon Vulture, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, European Robin, Wren, European Serin, Eurasian Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Siskin , Green Woodpecker, Blackcap, White Wagtail, Dipper, Spotless Starling, Red-billed Chough, Carrion Crow, Jay, Eurasian Nuthatch, Wood Pigeon.

Three news

The publication of the Atlas of breeding birds of León region, very good publication, very waited for being a province very extended and that owns a great variety of ecosystems.
The atlas of birds of Leon analyzes for the first time the maps of distribution, habitat, populations and state of conservation of the 192 species of birds that use the province of Leon during the breeding season.
This work gathers, the popular or vernacular names with which it is known the birds in all from Leon regions.
More than 50 expert ornithologists they have participated in this project, first in the work of field and soon in the analysis of the data and the edition of the book.

Atlas of breeding birds of Leon

In Internet the Encyclopedia of the Birds of Spain can be consulted, very a well elaborated work, with all the species that can be found in Spain.

Also is possible to buy the Encyclopedia of the Birds of Spain in a single DVD, Published by the Foundation BBVA and SEO/BirdLife, with more than 4,000 pages, 1,600 photographies, 1,200 drawings, 370 archives of sound, 200 videos and 400 maps.

Encyclopedia of the Birds of Spain

The last news on the birds of Burgos, new blog on birds of the river Arlanza valley, of the birder Alfonso Rodrigo, you will be able to find the up-to-date news of the birds of this impressive place.

Monitoring in Winter

The Spanish Society of Ornithology (SEO/BirdLife) have the documents for to launch a new project for monitoring of birds.

The census of winter birds.

During the winter censuses of wintering birds will be realised. With a monitoring of winter bird populations and their distributions aimed at better conservation and management of bird populations With this control, that is realised during several years, it will be possible to be determined that species are increasing or diminishing their populations, as well as to be determined arrival and leave dates of the birds and if changes in the distribution by the territory take place.

I will try to make the same grids that in the spring censuses, two squares very interesting in winter.

Hot Spot of River Ebro

These days the water reservoir of the river Ebro is a hot spot for birdwatching.

It is not difficult to make a route in a day and to see near 50 species of birds.

Some of them considered Rare Birds in Spain and very rare others in the north of the Iberian peninsula.

Waders, Herons, Gulls, but mainly birds of the Anatidae family.

Remarkable birds:

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos).

There has been a great arrival from these birds to many places of Spain (to see analysis in Rare Birds in Spain Blog). A bird registered in the water reservoir.

Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca). A bird, although the presence of this species can indicate that it is of captivity, have already been several the homologations of this species in the peninsula.

Smew (Mergellus albellus). Another species of doubtful origin, with many possibilities of natural origin.

Smew (Mergellus albellus) photo by Manuel Estébanez

Red-knobbed coot (Fulica cristata). It is not the first registry in the north of Spain, before has been observed some bird in Galicia. But very rare bird in the north of spain.

Red-knobbed coot (Fulica cristata) by Manuel Estébanez

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea): Three spectacular birds. Birds of uncertain origin too.

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna): Four birds.

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) by Manuel Estébanez

Common Shelduck below and Ruddy Shelduck above

Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina). 450 birds recorded near the village of Cabañas de Virtus.

Historically this water reservoir has been a place chosen by thousands of Red-crested Pochard as to moult site.

Without justified cause, for years, the number of Red-crested Pochard has been littler, years with only possible to find four or six birds.

We hope starting from this year, they return in great flocks.

Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) Part of the flock.

Thanks to Manuel Estébanez, you can find more photos of him here, here and here

Illustrious Visitors

These days a family of Golden Eagles, a pair and the young bird of this year, are showing up by the environs of the Molino del Canto.

It is possible to be heard the young bird, to call to his parents, and to be followed to them in flight.

Also it is seen him persecute, as a game, to the Griffons Vultures.

Of the great Eagles, luckyly, the Golden Eagle in Spain is one of the birds that, at the moment, do not have great problems.

It is reproductive successful, and the problems, that years back they had, poisons, shots, electrocution…, have been diminished, although not disappeared.

The status in the province of Burgos is the one of sedentary reproducer, with a 51-56 pairs, a tendency to increase the population *.

*Data of the ornithological yearbook of Burgos

Golden Eagle in Burgos

Birds in the North of Spain in Ornithomedia

I have had the pleasant surprise to see like one of the best ornithological Webs of Europe, Ornithomedia, has incorporated in the last article of the magazine dedicated to the identification of the Iberian Chiffchaff, a reference an article of my blog.

Distribution et identification du Pouillot ibérique

As a result of the publication of a note, “Distribution and identification of Iberian Chiffchaff” by Jose Luis Copete published in July 2008 for British Birds, Ornithomedia, makes a french version and in the section on the song they incorporate the simple article that I published in April of 2006, The song of Chiffchaff

The differentiation of the Iberian Chiffchaff and Common Chiffchaff is really very slight, but appreciable in good conditions of observation and clear by means of the song too.

In the article of Jose Luis Copete different aspects from the identification in hand are indicated, also is made a brief analysis of the propose subspecies for the Iberian Chiffchaff.

Post-nuptial migration.

The post-nuptial migration has begun with force in the north of Spain. Great amount of birds to cross towards the south, Willow Warbler and Pied Flycatcher abound in all the areas.

Herons, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Night Heron is possible to find in many wetlands and rivers of the north of Spain.

Like other years, the Lammergeier has been recorder in the north of Burgos, in this case to only 15 km of the inn Molino of Canto Inn, in the village of Hoz de Arreba.

The water reservoir of the Ebro, have an abundant records of waders, spoonbills, ducks….

In the cereal plains of the province of Burgos many raptors, principally falcons, the first Hooby, Common Kestrel, Lesser Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon and a record of Imperial Eagle.

And in the Bay of Biscay, great passage of seabirds, with numerous records of interesting species, like Wilson's Storm-petrel and the four European Skuas.

These records have been collected of different forums and blogs, thanks to their authors to maintain to us informed.

Special gratitude to Alfonso Rodrigo and his blog EXTREME BIRDING ESPAÑA, José Miguel Alonso Pumar and his blog Galician Birding, Manuel Estébanez and David Gonzalez Ortega. All records of Burgos you can find in the home page of Yearbook

The Last Alpine Swift

Although for days the most of the population of Swifts has been leaving us in the direction to Africa, this week still I have been able to observe a flock of 20 birds of Alpine Swift.
It is the first time that I observe this spectacular bird from the same inn.
The flock stayed flying over the inn during half hour, soon to disappear southwestern direction.
The breeding colony is only 6 km. from here.
With this record already they are the 81 species observed from the same inn. Look here.

Birds of April May and June.

Is already available On line the last report on the records of the birds of Burgos, that corresponds to the last three months, April May and June.

I believe that the most interesting records are:
Records of Herons and Waders, emphasizing the Great Bittern, Squacco Heron and the 15 different species of waders.
Record of Red-footed Falcon.
And different records of pre-breeding and postnuptial seasons.

Recent reports in the home page of the Yearbook.

SACRE 2008

In the square VN4040, first contact of Goldcrest, peculiar record for this season, although within a good habitat for this species, the pine wood.
I again to locate other species, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Common Whitethroat, Coal Tit, and although showy, a record of Magpie, very scarce in the zone.

Altogether for the square VN4040 in 10 years 91 species have been recorded more 6 species of Owls and Nightjars.

In the square VN3040 I have record of 77 species in 3 years.
I have registered for the first time Spotted Flycatcher, Golden Oriole, and again Goldcrest.

Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring

Migration of Common Swift

Today during approximately two hours, from the 8 pm, a constant passage of Common Swift (Apus apus), south-east direction.
I have calculated that approximately would pass 500 birds

Here you can find lots of information of Swifts.

http://www.londons-swifts.org.uk/

Ebro footpath GR 99.

This week, finally, I have obtained the guide of the Ebro footpath GR 99 (guide book and 47 maps). The work that has realised is impressive.
It is now possible to walk the whole length of the river Ebro, from its source in Fontibre to the Mediterranean along the newly-inaugurated, GR 99, the "Natural Ebro Footpath"
Great amount of natural spaces for birdwatchig, from the Reservoir of the river Ebro to the Delta of the Ebro, the list of birds found in all the route, can be impressive.

The footpath totals 1,260 km and crosses six regions Cantabria, Castilla y León, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Navarra, Aragon and Catalonia.
In the Inn Mill of Canto we are very proud of to be part of this foopath like lodging route.

Good or bad news?

Good news for the natural environment, but very bad news for the birds. Any town it is beginning to close the rubbish dumps.
This means an improvement, the rubbish will be controlled.
As always, the activities of the man bring about imbalances.
A very important number of species of birds takes to long time having the rubbish dumps like an important feeding area.

Went the rubbish dumps are closed, how they are going to replace this food?.
For some species, like the Griffon Vulture, it will mean another new problem.
After the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease (MCD), the vultures and other species do not find carrion in the field, the government haven`t open new vulture feeders, and now the rubbish dumps are closed.
But other many species use the rubbish dumps of massive form, Black and Red Kite, Gulls, Crows, Storks ......
All of them will have problems by the closing of the rubbish dumps.

Releated Link:

http://miradascantabricas.blogspot.com/2008/06/basurero-de-aguilar-de-campoo-sellado.html

Barn Swallow decrease.

One of more sad events in natural environment is to be present at as some species go gradually falling, until becoming difficult to see or even disappear.
Often these processes seem to us more related to distant countries or rare birds.
This far from the reality.
To ours around a so common and familiar species as the Barn Swallow is disappearing quickly
The repair of the old houses in the villages makes to the Swallows finding difficult to breeding places.
The changes and uses in the agricultural systems cause that the means become more unhealthy for the insectivorous species.

graph with the decrease in nine years, by SEO/BirdLife

Related Links:

Barn Swallow in Burgos, by Yearbook of the birds of Burgos, pdf file.

Barn Swallow in Spain, by SEO/BirdLife , pdf file.

Breeding Bird Survey . Square VN3040

My second square- VN 3040- for the Breeding Bird Survey
has reported a total of 48 different species of birds, a number similar to other years and to the other squares that I make, VN 4040, a number of birds that can seem small, but this is obtained in only four hours and by habitats little varied.

In this second square, again the river Ebro and the moor is the principal habitats, although the cliffs of the canyons of limestone are very abundant.

Again, several migratory birds that have arrived, in this square have been seen are outstanding the Common Swift and Alpine Swift, this one an amazing bird.

1.Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
2.Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
3.Great Tit (Parus major)
4.Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
5.Coat Tit (Parus ater)
6.Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
7.Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
8.Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
9.Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
10.Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
11.Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
12.Magpie (Pica pica)
13.Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
14.Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
15.Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
16.Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
17.European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
18.Blackbird (Turdus merula)
19.Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
20.Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus)
21.Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
22.Garden Warbler (Syvia borin)
23.Ibarian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus)
24.Bonelli´s Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli)
25.Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
26.European Serin (Serinus serinus)
27.European Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
28.European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
29.Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
30.Short-Toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
31.Rock Sparrow (Petronia petronia)
32.House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
33.Eurasian Golden Oriol (Oriolus oriolus)
34.Common Swift (Apus apus )
35.Alpine Swift (Apus melba)
36.Common Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
37.White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
38.Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
39.Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
40.Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)
41.Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus)
42.Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)

Blackbird like a Grey Plover

Today, after cutting the grass, I have been able to observe the behavior of hunting of Blackbird and the behavior has remembered me enormously the Plovers.
Blackbird arrives at the grass, walks, stretches the neck, look round searching a few movement of the grass, returns to walks, watches and attacks, removing an appetizing earthworm.
Now, changing the bird and the habitat:
Grey Plover arrives at the salt marsh, walks, stretches the neck, look round searching a few movement of the mud, returns to walks, watches and attacks, removing a appetizing worm.
These behaviors can see in others thrushes, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Robin....
Birds with great eyes, necessary to catch the little movement.



You can see similar behavior here:
Blackbird, a male in a field, collecting earthworms to bring to the nest.

Grey Plover, an adult pair walking and feeding

Both of IBC, The Internet Bird Collection

Breeding Bird Survey . Square VN4040

Again I have begun the routes of program SACRE - Breeding Bird Survey .

Cliffs of limestone, breed Crag Martin, Vultures, Chough....

In this first transect route (25 point counts, 5 minutes each on 10-km square ) by the square VN 4040, I have detected several species of African migratory birds just arrivals, Golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) , Bonelli´s Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli), Hoopoe (Upupa epops), Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis), Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)**, thus like other already views days before.
Different habitats are crossed within the square, the first part of it, with the river Ebro, the riversides and the cliffs.

** out of transect

GR 99 River Ebro footpath

In the second part, many points counts are located in the moor.
A total of 51 detected species, similar as other years.
New species have not been detected.
Like curiosity, the Eurasian Crag Martin making the nests in the church of Ahedo de Butrón next to the House Martin, the Crag Martin is more normal to see him make the nests in caves and cavities on cliff faces.

Crag Martin left and House Martin right

Links:
European Bird Census Council

Herons in migration

In these days that many birds are emigrating towards their breeding places , Burgos have seen themselves specially visited by several species of herons, the Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)and most outstanding, Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), seen a bird the past day 15 in the gravel pit of Grijalba.
More information: Yearbook
Photos


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Rare Birds in Burgos

The new report on rare birds in Spain 2005 of Ardeola, the official scientific journal of Spanish Society of Ornithology, SEO/BirdLife, has referring significant data to the north of Spain.
In the report it is possible to see, like the Cantabrian coast is one of the zones where more arrivals of rare birds take place, of birds of the north of Europe and America.
For the province of Burgos, there are two records, one homologate and other no.
First, an adult male hunted with shotgun corresponds to Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) the 25 of November of 1990 in the village of Palacios de la Sierra, in the river Arlanza.
This record also figure in the Yearbook of birds of Burgos.
The not holomogate record, correspond to Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus), of 1999, of which it seems that insufficiency information was sent.
More information about rare birds in spain, in the Ricard Gutiérrez personal homepage Rare Birds in Spain

Lists of Birds. New Section

In this new section, you will be able to find different lists of birds, local, regional, nationals, etc...