Before the visits to RSPB Pagham and Rainham I'd been on a great family holiday to Catalonia, so I'm just catching up with that.
When we arrived at Barcelona airport on the 31st August, we flew over one of the places on my birding wishlist - called the Llobregat Delta. The delta is in two sections, and is a vast expanse of wetland habitat, right on the coastal area beside Barcelona - an incredible place for nature, extremely close to the city. So the day after we arrived, we decided to take a look at it.
Unfortunately, due to the extreme heat, it closed at 15:30 during the summer so we only had around 1hr 30mins there. We started by walking along the road, stopping numerous times at lookouts onto a long channel of water. Though few birds were seen along here, there were dragonflies resting on the posts and the odd Cattle Egret perched on the cattle. There were hirundines nearly everywhere, with Alpine Swifts circling as well. A few other insects included Striped Shieldbugs, as well as hundreds of blue butterflies, though I didn't spot a Long-tailed blue.
When we eventually reached the visitor hut, and my first Spanish speaking test failed, we headed off to a hide recommended by Ian from Beddington, who'd been earlier on in the year.
The hide had some brilliant views overlooking wetland and grassland habitat, and immediately we saw that the most numerous wader was Black-winged Stilt. The stilts were largely distant from the hide, but gradually grew bolder and flew much closer to the hide. Eventually, after some patience, the juveniles came within 15m, really showing themselves off.
There was a single birder at the start, who showed us a bit of a rarity before going - a lifer for me, Marsh Sandpiper. Through a scope and heat-haze, it was merely a blob but a nice surprise. Also present a long way off was an ill looking Ruff, juv and ad LRP, 2 Spoonbill, Great White Egret, plenty of Little Egret, a Common Sandpiper and a few other bits and pieces. Frustratingly, though I saw at least 20 throughout the trip, I failed in getting a good shot of a Zitting Cisticola - Fan-tailed Warbler. Then I spotted something small skittering around at the back end of a scrape, with a rufous cap and long dark legs. Another world lifer in Kentish Plover, but the views were brief and largely disappointing.
Just as I started to feel at home we had to leave, because 15:30 had passed. On the way back, it was too hot to really think but a group of European Bee Eater hunting overhead was pleasing. By the car park we also had a Purple Heron and Moustached Warbler calling (sadly not seen so a failed tick.) The last bird of the birding day was a Crested Lark that was flushed by the car.
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