Itinerary - Birdwatching
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BIRDWATCHING IN EBRO DELTA
Birwathing in the Ebro Delta, the past 15 days
Duration: 1 2 days
Means of transport: bycicle car
Type of itinerary: closed circuit
Distance: 55 km
Seasons: SP: nesting season/the rice fields are flooded .Su Green and gold in the rice fields. A maximum diversity of bird life/the rice harvest. W wintering birds / the rice fields are bare.
Departure: Av. Sant Jaume
The Ebro Delta is the humid zone most important aquatic, habitat in the esterns Mediterranean, after the Camargue ( a Frech Regional Park ), and second only in the Spanish State to the Doñana National Park.
The Delta is of international importance because of 8 species of plants and 69 vertebrate fauna, most of wich are birds. Its value to bird life is evident both in its role as a area for wintering or stopping over during migratory periods.
In terms of the diversity of its bird life, suffice it to say that, of the 600 species if birds that exist in Europe, almost 325 have been spotted in the Delta Ebro. These bird, omnipresent inhabitants of the Delta, are the main reason for the international prestige enjoyed by this 7.802 ha. National Park. In the colder months over 300.000 birds regulary use the Delta as their winter quarters, mainly gulls and ducks. In the spring and summer 27.000 pairs of over a hundred different species lay their eggs int the Park's different nesting colonies.
Description
In Amposta, take the Avinguda de Sant Jaume at the Amposta Tourist Office towards the Amposta beaches. As you leave thje town, take the Charles III Navigatioon Canal road, cross the canal to the right of the River Ebro and, before water reaching the La Cambra petrol station, continue to the left. Then take La Senyora track off to the right. This runs parallel to the Navigation Canal and offers an enjoyable walk throught the vegetable and rice fields that delimit the delta and continental zones, with view of the majestic Montsià range. A surprisingly big eucalyptus tree marks the point where you need to take the Lorente livestock track to the right. This was one used by livestock that went from the delta region to pasture on the range an vice-versa. The next path that crosses this track leads to the springs area. The blacknees of the earth is due to the fact that is peat, product of the descomposition caused when the old lagoons disappeared. The path crosses irrigation channels and canals of clear water bubbling from the springs, this producing exuberant vegetation, while the sheltering clumps of reeds were once refuges for otters that have now dissappeared. At the next fork, cross the canal an you will immediately see the first of the springs, covered with wild water- lilies. The next spring is circled by huge eucalyptus that contain it within their mysterious root structures. These springs are of fresh, subterranean comming from ELs Ports and Montsia ranges, rising to the surface when it reaches the impermeable clay soil of the delta region.
The birds you can observed to Ullals de Baltasar:
Wintering and migratory fauna
-Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
-Little Egret Egretta garzetta
-Night Heron Nycticorax Nycticorax
-Buzzard Buteo Buteo
-Kestrel Falco Tinnuculus
-Snipet Alcedo atthis
-Kingfisher Fringilla coelebs
-Chaffinch Phylloscopus collybita
-CBlackcap Sylvia Atricapilla
Summer and nets fauna
-Night Heron Nycticorax
-Squacco Heron Aredeloa ralloides
-Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
-Hoope Upupa epops
-Catti’s Warlber Cettia cetti
Continue along the path between the eucalypts you will find a path on you left hand. To join the way of the l'Anglès turn right and at the end this way leads to the road del Pal or TV-3406, turn left and to 200m. on the right take the way of the Sequia Gran, which joins up with the L'Encanyissada lagoon bicycle track (3-4). The sound of cowbells throught the bulrushes is a harbinger to the sight of wild cattle grazing in the marshes. The El Carreter hide, a vantage point for observing the different types of ducks and other is a bicycle park here (4). The last part of the path has panels that describe the ecosystem of the lagoon.
The bird you can observed to L’Encanyissada:
Wintering and migratory fauna
-Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
-Little Egret Egretta garzetta
-Great Crested Podiceps cristatus
-Black-necked Podiceps nigricollins
-Black-necked Circus aeroginosus
-Lapwing Vanellus vanellus (arrosars)
-Golden Plover pluvialus apricaria
-Red- crested Pochard Netta rufina
-Wigeon Aythya ferina
-Coot Fulica Atra
-Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
- Swalow Hirundo rustica
Summer and nets fauna
-Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
-Squacco Heron Ardeloa ralloides
-Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
-Night Heron Nyticorax
-Little Crebe Tachybaptus
-Whiskered Tern Childonjias hybrida
-Black. headed Larus ribibundus
-Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinoides.
-Reed Bunting Emebriza schoeniclus subs.
-Purple Gallinule Porphyrio
Four kilometres further on, is the Casa de Fusta (wooden House), once a hunter's cabin that now houses an exhibition on the natural and human habitat of the delta lagoons. If you go up to the scenic lookout, you can have a good view of the l'Encanyissada lagoon (5-6), lying like a mirror at the foot of the Montsià range. The route cintinues to La Tancada lagoon (7), crossing the Clot area (8), where ther is also a hide for observing the zone's fauna. When the path comes to and end, go to the right into an area where the swamps are of a considerable size. The Bombes path links up with La Tancada lagoon bicycle track. After another 3.7 km you reach La Tancada lagoon lookout from wich flamingos can ususally be seen. This area is one of the best in the whole of the delta for seeing a great diversity of birds. This is an interesting site for ducks, including Red Crested Pochard at the occasional Garganey.
More to the north of the Tancada, after crossing els Erms, to the Nature reserve of Riet Vell of SEO/Birdlife slightly habitual species can be seen, thaks to the ornithological observatory. More to the SOuth of the Tancada, the Ancient salines of Sant Antoni, theres as a suitable place to see limícolas, diverse terns, avocets and gulls.
The birds you can observed to Tancada:
Wintering and migratory fauna
-Heron Ardea Cinerea
-Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
-Coot Fulica atra
-Mallard Anas plathyrynchos
-Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
-Lapwing Vanellus Vanellus
-Shoveler Anas clypeata
-Pintail Anas acuta
-Wigeon anas penelope
-Xarrasclet Anas querquedula
Summer and nets fauna
-Squacco Heron Ardeola rallaoides
-Black- winget Stilt Himantopus himantopus
-Redshank Tringa totanus
-Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
-Collared Pranticole Glareola pratincola
-Common Tern Sterna hirundo
-Little Stren sterna albifrons
-Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
-Slender-billed gull Larus genei
-Lesser Short toed Lark Calandrella rufescens
-Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina
Continue the itinerary and before take the Marítima road go to the beach (9) and follow the sandy track that leads down the Trabucador and la Punta de la Banya. Important these saltpans are private property and there is no public acces, please respect the sings. At the end f the way Trabucador you can meet at 1.5 km the scenic lookout of the Punta de la Banya where you can have a good view of the Bahia dels Alfacs and the Punta de la Banya. Important: it is forbidden to pass after the scenic lookout.
The birds you can observed to Trabucador and Punta de la Banya
Wintering and migratory fauna
-Greater Flamingo Phonicopterus roseus
-Mallard Anas plathyrynchos
-Shovelert Anas clypeata
-Pintail Anas acuta
-Wigeon Anas penelope
-Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
-Dunlin Calidris alpina
-Heron Ardea cinerea
-Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
-Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Summer and nets fauna
-Greater Flamingo Phonicopterus roseus
-Shelduch Tadorna tadorna
-Audion’s Gull Larus audouinii
-Slender-billed Gull Larus genei (salines)
-Yellow-legged Gull Larus michaellis
-Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
-Sanwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
-Common Tern Sterna hirundo
-Little Tern Sterna albifrons
-Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
-Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
-Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Retrace your steps to follow and continue along the Marítima road (10-11) until you reach the town of place to rest and spend the night. The itinerary continues towards the Casa de Fusta, crossing the Través bridge where there is another animal observation point. After the Casa de Fusta (13), continue along the Pescadors (fishermen's) path towards Amposta and cross the Tv-3405 road, or the Amposta beaches road, and then the road leading to Sant Jaume d'Enveja, or the TV-3403. This point links up with the Balada itinerary. Go to the right hand suddenly you will find you have reached Balada, which you enter over a stone bridge, on of the earliest constructions of the mesh of irrigation channels, that crosses a small canal with abundant water and leafy vegetation. You can visit the watermill with its sweeping views of the river and across to the island of Gràcia. The way back is along the same route and take direction to Amposta.
The birds you can observed to Balada
Great crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
Heron Ardea cinerea
Buzzard Buteo buteo
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Tips: In the Casa de Fusta area there is a picnic zone for resting and a playground for children. The itinerarycan be covered in two days, or it can be divided into two separate excursions, the first, Amposta- Casa de Fusta-Amposta and the second Casa de Fusta- La Tancada lagoon-Poblenou del Delta-Casa de Fusta.
Casa de Fusta opening hours:
Monday to Sunday, from am to 2 om and from 3 pm to 6 pm.
The Natural Reserve Riet Vell
Crta. Amposta a Eucaliptus km 18.5 telf: 616 29 02 46
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