February and early March 2008 saw our inaugural 'Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain' tour. Twenty five clients joined our two departures and were treated to Wallcreepers, Lammergeiers and 10,000's of Cranes, as tour leader John Willsher reports"
We started early at 7am to be in position looking over the northwest end of the lake at first light. We can hear the Cranes and as it gets lighter we can see ranks of them spread across the lake and with them are 40 or so White Storks. 3 Hen Harriers including a superb male are hunting over the fields where Skylarks are singing and then a Black Kite flies over. We watched the Cranes for about an hour, trying to estimate the number but there are too many! Several groups fly around and some settle again on the lake and surrounding fields. We then headed back for breakfast spotting some Tree Sparrows on our way.
After breakfast we headed along the lake southeast and down a track towards the lake where a group of Black-bellied Sandgrouse were trying to hide amongst the winter cereal crop and there were also several Calandra Larks. The sun was now emerging and things were hotting up at the north end so back to Gallocanta in time to watch a spectacular departure of 25,000 (official co-ordinated count) Cranes. Groups would take off and circle overhead gaining height to get over the pass to the north continually bugling to each other. Other birds seen included up to 40 Griffons, a Marsh Harrier and 2 Golden Eagles overhead (one was seen later by other Crane watchers capturing a Crane). After our fill of Cranes we headed back eastwards and found a picnic area, seeing the Black-bellied Sandgrouse for a second time.
Later we continued around the lake and along the southwest edge back towards Gallocanta; there were now Cranes arriving from the southwest and flocks were congregating at this end of the laguna. Little Owls were seen on old farm buildings and near an extensive area of reeds there were Reed Buntings feeding at the field edge, more Hen Harriers are seen and in a roadside line of trees a Green Woodpecker.
A spectacular day!
The next tour departs on Sunday 26th October 2008. For for a full itinerary, tour reports and client comments visit the Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain tour page.
Roosting Common Cranes by John Willsher