Catalonia in Spring

Lammergeiers and Little Bustards

Who can fail to be impressed by the rare and spectacular Lammergeier? (Mike Watson)

Monday 23rd April - Sunday 29th April 2012
(7 days)
Leader: Mike Watson
Group Size Limit: 6

Potential photographic highlights

• Amazing chances to photograph the incomparable Lammergeier at close range.
• Displaying Little Bustards in the Spanish Steppes.
• Up to four species of vultures visiting the feeding station, which is situated right in front of the hide
• Great opportunities to photograph other Mediterranean specialities such as European Bee-eater and Montagu’s Harrier.

This 7-day photographic tour in the delightful region of Catalonia, northeast Spain, is focused on two of the region’s most emblematic species: the Lammergeier and the Little Bustard. We will guide you to some recently established photographic hotspots where you have an excellent chance of securing great photos of both of these species, and much more. In the striking Pre-Pyrenees we will spend two days in hides photographing Lammergeiers on the ground and in flight, along with Eurasian Griffon, Eurasian Black and Egyptian Vultures, and other carrion feeders. Further south, Spring on the plains near Lleida is a wonderful time of year, with poppies and insects galore. Here displaying Little Bustards will be our main target, although we will certainly make the most of the opportunities we have to photograph other species such as European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Little Owl and Montagu’s Harrier.


The Lammergeier Hides
The Lammergeier is a rare and magnificent bird which has disappeared from most of its former European range. Most wildlife photographers know that it’s not easy to get good photographs of Lammergeiers in the wilds of Europe.

There are no more than 90 Lammergeier territories in the Pyrenees of France and Spain. That, however, represents more than 75% of the European Union population of this rare and attractive bird. It may be surprising then that more than 20 different birds, of all age groups, have been recorded at this particular feeding station in a single day in the winter months! And on a good day most of those birds will land and pick over bones in front of the hide before eventually flying away. And on a bad day? Well, there may only be half that number! It’s a fact that in recent seasons, not a single photographer left without getting photographs of Lammergeier on the ground and in flight.

At this wonderful site, all four European species of vulture are regularly recorded together in the spring and summer. Black Vultures have been reintroduced to the Pre-Pyrenees of Catalonia and bred successfully for the first time in the summer of 2010. Griffon Vultures number in the hundreds, and Egyptian Vultures usually turn up in twos or threes.

The hides are situated at an altitude of approximately 1,400 metres in the Pre-Pyrenees of Lleida. The on-site accommodation, which is just a short walk or drive away, is a renovated house in a formerly-abandoned village. The house has a large lounge and reading room with all-round views of the surrounding hills and mountains, as well as balconies and a terrace for relaxing on sunny days.

The main feature of the Lammergeier hides are large one-way windows at the front for catching all the exciting and often frenetic on the ground-action, and another at the back for flight shots against a background of distant mountains. There is plenty of standing and sitting room for three people in each hide, with a maximum capacity for four. There is a chemical toilet and a fold-down bed for those rare quiet moments. The window panes can be opened from the inside to be cleaned in the case of rain; a blind is lowered previously in order to avoid scaring the birds outside. There are also shelves and hangers for storing bags, lenses and other equipment.


Itinerary

Day 1  The tour will begin in the early afternoon at Barcelona Airport. From here we will make the relatively short drive (approximately 1½ hours) to Montsonís. Later, if time permits, we will be able to try photographing some of the species within walking distance of the hotel, such as Cirl Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush, Firecrest, Subalpine Warbler or Sardinian Warbler. We may even get lucky with the local pair of Bonelli’s Eagles!

Day 2  After an early breakfast we transfer to the hides at the Lammergeier feeding station. The rest of the day will be spent on Lammergeier and vulture photography from the hides until late afternoon. We will be based at the nearby house for the overnight stay.

Day 3 Different lighting, different weather conditions and the various antics of the unpredictable visitors means that two days in the hides is recommended, so today, we will once again spend the whole day (until late in the afternoon) in the Lammergeier hides. Other species that have been photographed here include Red Kite, Golden Eagle, Raven, Carrion Crow, Woodlark, Cirl Bunting, Red-billed Chough. Early in the evening we will transfer to Montsonís for a four nights stay.

Days 4-6  We will have three full days to explore the plains. The drylands to the north of the city of Lleida are at the easternmost limit of the Little Bustard’s range in Spain. The Little Bustard is a species that breeds in the cereal fields and flowery margins of the fields in this region. Once breeding, they can be difficult to find, but every spring, from mid-April to the end of May the male Little Bustards advertise their leks to females by engaging in a rather comical display which consists of foot padding, little jumps and wing flaps in the air, and the delivery of their “raspberry” call with an accompanying backwards jerk of the head. The first 2-3 hours of the morning are the best for photographing this action, and offer the best light for portraying the lovely poppies too.

The area inhabited by the Little Bustards is also home to an interesting variety of exotic or attractive birds which we will also attempt to photograph from one of many canvas hides. Other species that we may well have the chance to photograph include European Bee-eater, Montagu’s Harriers, Stone Curlews, Little Owl, and, later in the season, European Roller. Whilst other species that may come within our reach in this general area include White Stork, Black Kite, Lesser Kestrel, Stone Curlew, Little Owl, Great Spotted Cuckoo, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Iberian Grey Shrike and Rock Sparrow.

Day 7  After some final photography on the plains, we will transfer to Barcelona Airport after lunch, where the tour will end in the mid-afternoon.


CUSTOM DEPARTURES AT ANY TIME

The superb Lammergeier hides lend themselves to customized tours at any time during the winter and early Spring. We can happily book you a four night trip, focussing on the Lammergeier Hides, and you will always be looked after by our competent team in Catalonia. Please contact us if you would like us to put together a customized itinerary for you.


Accommodation & Road Transport: For all but the one night at the Lammergeier feeding station accommodation is in en-suite twin-bedded rooms in lovely rural apartments with full services at Montsonís, near Balaguer. Every day we will provide a generous picnic lunch, and in the evening you will be served a delicious and satisfying meal made with fresh local produce and ingredients, accompanied with good local wine.

For the single night at the Lammergeier site accommodation is more basic (bunk beds in shared rooms with shared facilities), although the advantages of the incredible mountain setting, the birds, and the proximity to the hide, adequately make up for this. The house itself is designed so that its occupants can work on their images, chat, read a book or just relax whilst enjoying panoramic mountain views. Road transport is by minibus and roads are good.

Walking: The walking effort is easy throughout.

Climate: Many days at this season are warm, dry and sunny, but it is sometimes cool, wet and overcast, and it can be cold at the highest altitudes.

From our hides we should have some wonderful opportunities to photograph the superb Little Bustard (Mike Watson)

Another lovely male Little Bustard (Mike Watson)

Another splendid Lammergeier (Mike Watson)