Realise this might be a bit last minute, just seen this thread.
I travelled to the Spanish pyrenees a few years ago. Rather than target sites, most of the specialities can be found by getting into the right habitats which is useful if travelling around with family and not wishing to upset them all!
If you want to see snowfinch try and get up to the snowline using a ski lift or high altitude road. You will likely find Alpine Accentor up here too. I tried a spot called Candanchu near the border with France but with the lack of snow the ski resort had become a ghost town, and so no free lift up to the top of the massive mountain for the high altitude species, best not try here then...
The alpine meadows hold Citril Finch, and are often good spots to scan valleys and cliffs for Alpine Chough, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vultures and Lammergeier. I saw these few species from a spot called Gabardito in the Hecho Valley. The woodlands around here also hold Black Woodpecker and Crested Tit but i'm suspect most mature conifer woodlands in the reagion also hold these species.
Rocky areas will possibly have Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Alpine Swift and Crag Martin. A good site for Rock Sparrow is the citadel in Jaca where they are easily found around the old walls.
The river valleys and plains moving down to the lowlands have Honey Buzzard, Woodchat Shrike, Bee-eater, Sub-alpine Warbler.
Sent you a PM joe with more info. Hope you get it before your departure! Thanks. Henry.
Joe Wynn said
Wed Aug 3 11:02 PM, 2011
Hi, on friday my family are off to the pyrenees on a holiday. Its a family holiday so obviously birding will not be a priority, but in such a place I was hoping to make the most of the new surroundings and supposedly good wildlife. I was wondering, does anyone know any good spots for birding (either in spain or france), or even whether there are any guides there. Its a bit of a long shot since we're off on friday, and i'm sure we can probably find good stuff by ourselves, but it'd be great to know where to look. Cheers, Joe
I travelled to the Spanish pyrenees a few years ago. Rather than target sites, most of the specialities can be found by getting into the right habitats which is useful if travelling around with family and not wishing to upset them all!
If you want to see snowfinch try and get up to the snowline using a ski lift or high altitude road. You will likely find Alpine Accentor up here too. I tried a spot called Candanchu near the border with France but with the lack of snow the ski resort had become a ghost town, and so no free lift up to the top of the massive mountain for the high altitude species, best not try here then...
The alpine meadows hold Citril Finch, and are often good spots to scan valleys and cliffs for Alpine Chough, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vultures and Lammergeier. I saw these few species from a spot called Gabardito in the Hecho Valley. The woodlands around here also hold Black Woodpecker and Crested Tit but i'm suspect most mature conifer woodlands in the reagion also hold these species.
Rocky areas will possibly have Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Alpine Swift and Crag Martin. A good site for Rock Sparrow is the citadel in Jaca where they are easily found around the old walls.
The river valleys and plains moving down to the lowlands have Honey Buzzard, Woodchat Shrike, Bee-eater, Sub-alpine Warbler.
Sent you a PM joe with more info. Hope you get it before your departure!
Thanks. Henry.
Cheers,
Joe