A vacational trip report inasmuch as Sunday is a day off!
Aragón, Spain: SUnday 26th March was the day programmed for the SEO-Lleida (Sociedad Española de Ornitología) excursion to the drylands of Candasnos, in the Monegros, and to the barranco of Valcuerna, which joins the Ebro river near Mequinensa. It's not the Pyrenees, but then it doesn't need to be!
1 EGyptian vulture flying along the cliffs near Ballobar
On the drylands between Ontiñena and Candasnos:
1 Dupont's Lark (the closest views I think I've ever had!)
About 20 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
6+ Black-bellied Sandgrouse
2 Tawny Pipits
Lots of singing Lesser short-toed larks and Calandra Larks
1 Little Owl
4 Stone Curlews
2 Hoopoes
Several Choughs
Then down to the lake near Candasnos:
Shoveler, Pochard, Mallard, Coot, Little Grebe
c.10 Marsh Harriers
a dozen migrating Black kites
2 Garganey
2 Black-necked Grebes
6 Little Ringed Plover
And last of all down to the shores of the Ebro:
4 Golden Eagles
2 Bonelli's Eagles
3 Short-toed Eagles
1 Lesser Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
several Marsh Harriers
c.20 Griffon Vultures
More migrating Black kites
And slight sunburn at 27ºC!
Happy birding!
Steve West - author of "Where the birds are in northeast Spain"
[URL=http://geocities.com/westvidal[/URL]