Barcelona Feb 12-15 2009
This is a short report of what was more a Valentine’s Day trip than a birding trip but it may be useful for someone who only has a short time in this great city.
• Monk Parakeets- many seen in many different places, especially in the palms that line the wider streets. Couldn’t miss them when we recognised their screeching!
• Yellow-legged Gull-many seen along the seafront and flying over the Montjuic end of Barcelona (with Black-headed Gulls but nothing more exciting!)
• Spotless Starling- at least 2 seen with Common Starlings near the World Trade Tower on the seafront. All the other starlings seen in other places, especially near Parc Guell will have to remain as starling sp. as I had no scope to get a better look
• Black Redstart- several seen in the Botanical Gardens where they offered great looks
• Serin- a flock of about 15 birds seen very well in the Botanical Gardens and also some in the small park near the Sagrada Familia cathedral
• Sardinian Warbler- one seen in the Botanical Gardens and one in the small park near the Sagrada Familia cathedral
• Peregrine- one seen on the Sagrada Familia cathedral whilst looking out from a dizzying height
• Crested Tit- one seen in the Pack Guell. This is the highlight for me! I was looking at a small mixed flock of tits and had picked out a blue tit and a crest sp. when I saw a beautiful crested tit that flitted around for about a minute giving great, close looks. I was not expecting to see this most wanted bird on a trip like this!
I saw a few other birds but they are common to Britain so they have not stuck in my mind so much.
Well done with the Crested Tit at Parc Guell. I've been several time but haven't seen one there. They are reasonably easy to find at nearby Tibidabo, from where the woods at the high point of the Parc are clearly visible.
Picknage, thanks for posting your report. You visited some of my favourite parts of the city. I have seen crested tits on several of my visits to Barcelona, both in Parc Guell and Parc de la Ciutadella.
Allen