GOT International

Birding At Five Below

Braving the bitter cold with good cheer, GOT birdwatchers get set for the Gallecs experience. From right: Albert,Virginia, Ferran, Lluis,and (front row): Irma, Roger and Roser,  (back row): ornithologist & guide Josep Ribas, Assumpta, Marta and Arnau.

The temperature outside at 9 a.m.

It was as fine a morning as any to go bird-watching – except that the temperature was a numbing minus 5 degrees. The Gallecs nature reserve was basking in glorious sunshine though, even if it brought little warmth. And there was virtually no others around, which meant that our well-insulated GOT dozen had the whole place to ourselves when we got there on a January Sunday two weeks ago.

    Oblivious to our presence, these European Serins wait, silent and still, for the day to warm up-Picture by Albert Blazquez

The first sight that greeted us was this astonishing spectacle of hundreds of seemingly frozen Serins neatly arrayed on the bare branches of a row of poplars. Neither a twitch nor a twitter marked our presence as we stood gazing at them. 

       What the Serins look like close-up, a male (left) and female: Picture courtesy of  Catalan bird-ringing group PARUS

Generally an active and often conspicuous bird, the  Serin is the smallest European species of the family of finches (Fringillidae) and closely related to the canary. It is a familiar Mediterranean bird, largely resident and feeds on buds and seeds.

    Long shadows of a mid-winter morning sun trail GOT birders down the Path of the Bandits

Gallecs is a circular expanse of flatland spanning  700 hectares and   completely surrounded by seven highly-urbanised municipalities in the county of Valles Oriental. A protected zone five times the size of London’s Hyde Park, it has become a sanctuary  for nesting meadow birds, a haven for foraging wetland  birds, and a vital stopover site for southbound  migrants, particularly the Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus). More than 12 kilometres of well-signposted and quaintly-named footpaths and bicycle tracks criss-cross fields of fodder plants, mainly alfalfa (lucerne), much loved by most of the avian foragers.

Three streams, the Caldes, the Caganell and the Seca, flow through small groves of plane trees lining some segments at the peripheries of the flatland, creating a mini-habitat for wetland birds and woodpeckers. Other segments, also at the edges of the Gallecs, have been given to small-scale farming of vegetables for local consumption.

Winter in fact is an ideal time to go birdwatching; the birds are more visible and less timid as they search for food or simply perch on branches clear of foliage to take in the sun. A good pair of field glasses is indispensable, of course.

     A flock of grazing Grey Partridges

A little way up the lead footpath called Cami dels Bandolers (Path of the Bandits), and we came across a large flock of Grey Partridges, Perdix perdix, serenely grazing on an alfalfa field. According to our guide, Josep Ribas, Catalan ornithologist and author of the book Els Ocells del Vallès Oriental (Birds of the Eastern Valley), the Gallecs is an ideal place to watch partridges. Hunting is not allowed, food in abundance, and the fields make perfect breeding grounds for these non-migratory birds. Even the appearance of a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) didn’t seem to ruffle feathers among either the partridges or the many other passerines pecking away in the fields. Although the Common Kestrels feeds almost exclusively on mouse-sized mammals such as voles, shrews and mice, they sometimes do prey on passerines, but only during a few weeks each summer when inexperienced fledglings abound.

         Left: a Kestrel on a treetop, topright: a Cirl Bunting perched on a barbed wire, and a Robin foraging in the alfalfa

By 11 it was time to call it a day. The temperature had moved above zero and the Sunday crowds were already beginning to trickle in with their bicycles and their barking dogs, all set to shatter the peace and quiet. We had covered a good 5 kilometres of ground totted up no fewer than 36 species  -- a gratifying number for one short morning’s excursion.                                                                                   Words: Abul Fazil Pictures: Albert Blazquez
List of birds seen at Gallecs (January 2011), compiled by Ferran Pascual:
(English, Latin, Spanish, Catalan,German, French) 

1.     Black Redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros, Colirrojo Tizón, Cotxa fumada, Hausrotschwanz, Rougequeue noir

2.     Blackbird, Turdus merula, Mirlo Común,  Merla,Amsel, Merle noir

3.     Cirl Bunting, Emberiza cirlus, Escribano Soteño, Gratapalles, Zaunammer, Bruant zizi

4.     Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo, Ratonero común, aligot comú, Bussarde,Buse variable

5.     Common Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs, Pinzón Vulgar, Pinsà comú, Buchfink , Pinson des arbres

6.     Common Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita, Mosquitero Común, Mosquiter comú, Zilpzalp, pouillot véloce

7.     Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris,Estornino Pinto, Estornell vulgar,Star,Étourneau sansonnet

8.     Common Stonechat, Saxicola torquatus, Tarabilla Común, Bitxac comú, Tarier d'Afrique

9.     Common Woodpigeon, Columba palumbus, Paloma Torcaz, Tudó, Ringeltaube, Pigeon ramier

10.   Corn Bunting, Emberiza calandra, Triguero, Cruixidell, Grauammer, Bruant proyerc

11.   Crested Lark, Galerida cristata, Cogujada Común, Cogullada vulgar, Haubenlerche, Cochevis huppé

12.   Dunnock(hedge sparrow),Prunella modularis,Acentor Común, Pardal de bardissa, Heckenbraunelle, Accenteur mouchet

13.   Eurasian Collared Dove,Streptopelia decaocto,Tórtola Turca, Tórtora turca,Elster,Pie bavarde

14.   Eurasian Treecreeper, Certhia familiaris, Agateador Norteño, Raspinell, Baumläufer, Grimpereau des bois

15.   European Roller, Coracias garrulus, Carraca Europea, Gaig blau, Blauracke, Rollier d’Europe

16.   European Serin, Serinus serinus, Verdecillo, Gafarró, Girlitz, Serin cini

17.   Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis, Jilguero Cadernera, Stieglitz, Chardonneret élégant

18.   Great Tit, Parus major, Carbonero Común, Mallerenga carbonera,Kohlmeise, Mésange charbonnière

19.   Green Woodpecker,  Picus viridis, Pito Real, Picot verd,Grünspecht, Pic vert

20.   Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris, Verderón Común, Verdum, Grünling, Verdier d’Europe

21.   Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, garza real, Bernat pescaire, Graureiher, Héron Cendré

22.   Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, Perdiz Pardilla, Perdiu xerra, Rebhuhn, Perdrix grise

23.   House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, Gorrión Común, Pardal comú, Haussperling, Moineau domestique

24.   Lesser Kestrel, Falco naumanni, Cernícalo PrimillaXoriguer petit, Rötelfalke, Faucon crécerellette

25.   Little Owl, Athene noctua, Mochuelo Europeo, Mussol comú, Steinkauz, Chevêche d'Athéna

26.   Magpie, Pica pica, Urraca, Garsa, Blauelster, Pie bleue

27.   Meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis, Bisbita Pratense, Titella, Wiesenpieper, Pipit farlouse

28.   Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus, Gallineta Común, Polla d'aigua, Teichrallen, Gallinule poule d'eau

29.   Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Perdiz Roja Perdiu roja, Rothuhn, Perdrix rouge

30.   Robin,  Erithacus rubecula, Petirrojo Europeo, Pit-roig, Rotkehlchen, Rougegorge

31.  Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala, Curruca Cabecinegra, Tallarol capnegre, Samtkopfgrasmücke, Fauvette mélanocéphale

32.   Skylark, Alauda arvensis, Alondra Común, Alosa vulgar, Feldlerche, Alouette des champs

33.   Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, Gorrión Molinero, Pardal xarrec, Feldsperling, Moineau friquet.

34.   White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, Lavandera Blanca, Cuereta blanca, Bachstelze, Bergeronnette grise

35.   Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes, Chochín Común, Cargolet, Zaunkönige, Troglodyte mignon

36.   Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis, Gaviota Patiamarilla , Gavià argentat, Weisskopfmöwe Goéland, leucophée