Catalonia day 1

Apr 24 - Day 1 of 2 days with Carles in Catalonia again, and a bird race day - we ended with over 100 species. Sunny in the morning, then cloudy and breezy in the afternoon. A really good day of migration action and Mediterranean specialties. We started in a coastal woodland that held a flock of migrant Bee-Eaters, Turtle Doves and Iberian Green Woodpecker. Then the Garraf mountains, just inland from Barcelona, lovely scenery and good birds - Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes, Ortolan and Cirl Buntings, Black-eared Wheatear, Subalpine and Dartford Warblers, as well as flyover Red-rumped Swallow and Alpine Swifts. A roadside stop produced the expected Blue Rock Thrush, as well as Crag Martin and a superb Short-toed Eagle. Then on to Llobregat reserve - Hoopoe, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart from the woodland paths, then an amazing panorama from the hide - Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers, Wood and summer Curlew Sandpipers, nesting Stilts, a Collared Praticole, a brief visit from a flock of Whiskered and a Gull-billed Tern, Greater Flamingoes and Glossy Ibis, not to mention displaying Purple Herons, and close cryptically plumaged Snipe. Then at the other section of the reserve, several Great Reed Warblers were singing and close views were had of the world's 3rd largest Audouin's Gull colony, on an island in the river. Avocets fed on the sandbars and a pair of Garganey were on the floods. Most unexpected at Llobregat was a flyover migrant Roller, presumably en route to the steppes, or further north to Southern France. The day ended with Alpine Swifts circling the hotel, and a total for the day of well over 100 species. And, tomorrow, the Ebro delta!