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