What’s your favourite hen species?
Greater than a selected hen, it’s a group of birds that actually fascinates me, probably as a result of for my part they’re the best exponent of the power of birds to fly, the swifts. Beings that may dwell continually flying. But when I’ve to decide on one, the Alpine Swift with its huge measurement is spectacular.
What’s your identify, and the place do you reside?
My identify is Javier Morala and I dwell within the north of Burgos, additionally within the north of Spain.
What are the primary areas or places you cowl as a hen information?
I information in a small space within the north of Spain, a rural space, fairly properly preserved. Within the north of Burgos, within the area of Las Merindades the place the good northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula begins, an space with a mixture of moors, valleys, forests, and wetlands that may introduce you to the large hen biodiversity of Spain.
Egyptian Vulture
How lengthy have you ever been a hen information? How did you get into hen guiding?
Since I used to be a baby I used to be taken with birds, so when my spouse and I made a decision to dwell within the countryside, I already knew that hen watching may very well be a very good alternative for all times. In 1998 we opened the Posada Molino del Canto from the place we provide bird-watching routes. So now we have been operating our B&B&B for nearly 30 years: Mattress & Breakfast & Birds!!!
What are the facets of being a hen information that you simply like greatest?
When you’re with newbie birdwatchers, serving to them uncover this glorious world of birds is one thing very particular and naturally, if you obtain skilled birdwatchers, sharing the passion and displaying them a number of the birds in the environment can also be very nice.
Brief-toed Snake Eagle
What facets do you dislike essentially the most?
The large conservation effort that have to be made in protection of birds.
There’s a nice transformation of the agricultural atmosphere and the disappearance of invaluable habitats. The power issues in Europe and Spain specifically are straight affecting the pure atmosphere. The supposed dedication of governments to “inexperienced” power is resulting in a lot of Spain’s rural and pure atmosphere being transformed into industrial zones, with huge environmental loss and a direct impression on birds.
The opposite main downside is the indiscriminate use of agricultural pesticides, with such a big impression on birds that teams of birds and different species will be noticed disappearing from one yr to the following.
In Europe there’s supposed safety for a lot of species, however solely on paper. The fact may be very totally different and all through Europe, there’s a fixed decline in hen populations.
If we speak concerning the work as a information itself, in all these years, I’ve by no means, ever met any disagreeable birder. It’s at all times a very good expertise to satisfy different folks and present them a number of the birds in my space.
What are the highest 5-10 birds in your area that you simply suppose are essentially the most fascinating for visiting birders?
It typically depends upon the origin of the birdwatcher, however the presence of a number of species of birds of prey within the space is among the points of interest: Griffon and Egyptian Vulture, Golden Eagle, Brief-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Crimson and Black Kites, European Honey Buzzard, and lately, White-tailed Eagle. Different very fascinating species are the woodpeckers: Nice Noticed Woodpecker, Center Noticed Woodpecker, Wryneck, Iberian Inexperienced, and Black Woodpecker.
Griffon Vulture
Small birds are additionally properly represented with Iberian Chiffchaff, Crested Tit, Shrikes, Larks …
Crimson-backed Shrike
Are you able to define a minimum of one typical birdwatching journey in your space? Please briefly describe the places, the important thing birds, and the approximate period of such a visit
As we additionally supply lodging, all our routes begin from Posada Molino del Canto, the place, after a very good breakfast, we start the day of birdwatching. And because of the local weather now we have on this space, even within the hottest months, it isn’t significantly essential to cease or end mid-morning, actually at the moment, we proceed birdwatching and observing the actions of birds of prey that love thermal currents a lot.
We provide three sorts of bird-watching routes. Strolling via the valley can report nearly 50 species in at some point in a very good season, and a minimum of 30 in different seasons. On this kind of route, the remark of small birds is essentially the most placing, since with some ability you’ll be able to observe a number of species of warblers, chiffchaffs, tits, finches, and woodpeckers. And at all times together with your eyes set on the sky the place it’s simple to see vultures and eagles. This route at all times has the Ebro River in thoughts with kingfishers and dippers as essentially the most consultant birds.
Half-day or full-day routes that change from +-4h to +-7h, these routes are by car visiting totally different habitats and naturally recording totally different species, in good season it isn’t tough to file between 60-70 species. Combining 3-4 days of remark, reaching 100 species will be possible.
Fortuitously, the world brings collectively in just some km. a very good number of habitats, river canyons with large limestone partitions (with quite a lot of birds of prey and vultures), valleys with quite a lot of agricultural and shrub mosaics (with Finches, Buntings, Thrushes…), forests with previous bushes (Treecreepers, Tits, Woodpeckers, Warblers…), excessive moors with little vegetation (Larks, Harriers, Shrikes…), and aquatic areas with a big physique of water and others with pure lagoons (Herons, Waders, Geese…)
Some of the fascinating issues about any route is that on all of them, now we have a very good picnic that enables us to face the afternoon with power.
The day ends with a very good dinner on the inn and a overview of the birds noticed. We work with eBird, so every observer receives of their electronic mail the listing or lists of the birds recorded, in addition to the map with the routes which have been taken, inside a visit report that may be expanded with extra information.
What different recommendations are you able to give to birders taken with your space?
The very best occasions are spring, from April to July, as that is the time when the birds that winter in Africa arrive to hitch the residents. Birding in winter depends upon climate situations, however the winter months give us giant flocks of waterfowl, finches, and waders. Autumn can also be a very good time to witness migration and see the primary wintering birds.
If any reader of 10,000 Birds is taken with birding with you, how can they greatest contact you?
Quite simple:
