Nico's birding blog: Delta de l'Ebre 27/05/2012

Hello, it's been a long time!

After over two months without birding (due to moving appartment) I finally could go out again.
My parents agreed to take me to the Delta del Ebro, so we took the car and arrived there at 11 o'clock.
While driving to the Encanyissada, we saw the first Gull Billed and Whiskered Terns and a Purple Heron.
Once at the Encanyissada, at the Pont de Través, we climbed up the observation tower and started looking.
There was a large Flamingo group, some Great Reed Warblers singing and a good number of ducks (mostly Mallards and Red Crested Pochards, but we also saw some Shelducks). There were also present Little and Great Crested Grebe, Swallows and more terns (this time including Little and Common).

A group of Flamingos just about to land

Night Heron

Great Crested Grebe

The best bird at the Pont de Través was an adult Night Heron, which flew over the observation tower.
We moved on to the Salines de Sant Antoni after a short lunch at Poblenou, while driving past the old salt pans I saw Green and Redshank, Common Sandpiper and a single Kentish Plover.

The Kentish Plover at Sant Antoni

We tried to look for waders at the Trabucador, but it was full of people kitesurfing and sunbathing so we didn't continue and went to La Tancada.
At La Tancada, as usual, large Flamingo groups were present, many Barn Swallows and some ducks and Coots.
Then, the best species of the day flew past the observatory, a Caspian Tern. It's the fourth time I see them but its still a bird I love, I managed to get a few blurred pictures.

Caspian Tern at La Tancada

Our next stop was Riet Vell where we met Ignasi Ripoll, and discussed about dates to go doing some volunteer job there this summer (we'll see what happens). At Riet Vell there was a huge Common Tern activity, many of them copulating and acting quite nervous.
As usual, there were many Purple Swamphens, and I also saw two Avocets and two Litlle Bitterns. Another two interesting species were a Barn Swallow who was sitting on a reed and I got some good pictures as same as a Great Reed Warbler.

This Swallow was litterally posing for me

Two Common Terns having some good time ;)

Great Reed Warbler

After Riet Vell we had only one more stop at the Badia del Fangar to see some waders (which finally didn't show up). On the rice fields there were many Glossy Ibises and at the bay we met Tony Martin, who showed us a pair of Collared Pratincoles.