Nature Week Empordà

Mike Lockwood
25/04/2014 08:22:16

Mike's first Nature Week in L'Empordà - three days successful birdwatching!

Posted in: Flora, Butterflies and Moths, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Other Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals, Endangered Wildlife and Habitats | Catalonia |

Stripeless tree frog Cap de Creus 24 abril 2014© Mike Lockwood My first Nature Week in L'Empordà produced a splendid mix of migrants and recently arrived summer visitors. Although there was no repeat of last year's late April 'fall' of Collared Flycatchers and Pallid Harriers, we were delighted to find a male Ring-necked Duck, a Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 Red-throated Pipits, a Gull-billed Tern and Little Gulls amongst the less frequently observed birds in these parts. The supporting cast of Little Bittern, Great Egret, many Glossy Ibis, courting Montagu's Harriers, Short-toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Collared Pratincole, Whiskered Tern, Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Thekla Lark, Tawny Pipit, Red-rumped Swallow, Great Reed, Cetti's, Melodious, Subalpine, Orphean and Spectacled Warblers, Blue Rock Thrush, Black-eared Wheatear, Rock Sparrow and Ortolan Bunting, amongst many others, was also good enough to keep us well entertained.

In between the birds, we also had time to spot numerous Migrant Emperor Anax ephippiger dragonflies, Camberwell Beauty, Orange-tip and Dappled White amongst the butterflies, and many European Pond Terrapins and a delightful Stripeless Tree Frog. Flowerwise, the scrub was in full bloom and held in places good numbers of Provence orchid, wild tulips and a real surprise - a couple of dense-flowered orchids. Offshore at Cap de Creus, a number of Little Gulls followed a group of unidentified cetaceans that were probably striped dolphins.

The weather held out well and I'm already looking forward to repeating the experience next year, perhaps in both the 3rd and 4th weeks of April in 2015

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