Birds of the Camino Frances

[GerryDel]

I love birding. What are some of the birds you've sighted, or I can expect to see along the Camino Frances?

 

[GerryDel]

If you are hiking from Donibane Garazi / SJPP you will reach Ibañieta before heading down to Roncesvalles. Here There was an office with info for bird watchers ( don´t know if it still open). Near by there is a mountain called Lindus where many bird watchers go to observe birds.

Here is a link which might be of some help to you - http://fatbirder.com/links_geo/europe/spain_navarra.html

Ondo Ibili !

Thanks!

 

[jeffnd]

I heard cookoo birds, but never saw any.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

Storks for sure.
Numerous towns have stork nests which were full when I walked February-March.
Some of the nests in the church towers looks as if they are very old.
In Roncesvalles I saw a small bird with a yellow chest, maybe a finch and along the camino smaller brownish birds followed and sat on the road ahead, moved a few meter further on, and moved once I got near again.
Following a human it looked like, maybe looking for food, but then again it was snowy and cold.
Vultures can also be seen, especially near the mountains and towards Pamplona, but in general I saw a lot of larger birds as well, such as falks and eagles. This was rare though.
Domesticated birds, such as geese, hen and ducks, are of local species and will probably also enjoy you.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[scruffy1]

Alas, the Spanish are not so informed concerning flora and fauna found along the Camino. In the Springtime you see entire hillsides of blue Lobellia , digitalis, protected wild primavera but when you ask the name of a flower all they can usually answer is "fluer". Birds are even worse, cigüeña‏ , stork, they all know, anything else is some sort of los pájaros or halcónes. The cuckoo is cuclillo and is found along the Camino to teach us humility, about 0930 they start their signiture call telling us "You are Cuckoo, you are cuckoo" true but not encouraging. The Iberian Penensula"Fieldbook" of Wildflowers is printed in England weighs in at a hefty 2 kilograms and is not a fieldbook, for birds I have never seen anything really helpful, small picture books for children but nothing really useful.

 

[GerryDel]

Cuckoos would be great to see. I think we have them in North America although I have never seen any. We have storks near where I live, but they are majestic and fun to watch, so it would be nice to see those.

 

[CaptBuddy]

Kestrels. Open fields and meseta. I've seen them along the Frances, but many more in Andalucia. My favorite raptor.

 

[Felipe]

Well, maybe not everybody's "pretty and charming" birds, but there are vultures and quebrantahuesos (literally "bone-breakers") on the Pyrinees. You can see them sometimes, circling high and watchfully over your head....

 

[basquelady]

Cuckoos would be great to see. I think we have them in North America although I have never seen any. We have storks near where I live, but they are majestic and fun to watch, so it would be nice to see those.

There are plenty birds to both hear and, hopefully, see as well. Shortly before Logroño, there are signs to the Pantano de las Cañas, where there is a wetland bird observatory (http://www.lagunadeviana.es/). After El Ganso (between Astorga and Rabanal del Camino) there is a board explaining the trees and wildlife to look out for; there is a picture of the Dartford Warbler there (see Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartford_warbler). I saw a lot of large raptors over most parts of the Camino but couldn't identify without my binocs. On the meseta there are definitely Great Bustard, although I did not manage to see one! Good info on this page (http://www.pilipalapress.com/meseta.php#flora_fauna). I also remember seeing a lot of butterflies, including Swallowtails in Rioja. When we return this Sept, I hope to spend even more time paying attention to the wild life than I did last year.

 

[Felipe]

Before Los Arcos I heard a chirping to my right, in the bushes. Then another, and another, while I progressed slowly by the way. I fancied it was welcoming and accompanying me...although I suppose it was actually enticing me as far as possible from its nest.

 

[Dave Courtenay]

Griffin vultures going up from SJJP, White Stork, Wheatear, Yellow hammer, Corn Bunting, Warblers, Cuckoo ( i spotted 3 but heard them most days)

 

[madame_shepard]

Although I decided my binoculars would be too heavy, I did carry monocular. I wasn't able to identify the birds I saw, though, without a book. Maybe you'd liked to download an appropriate app?

 

[GerryDel]

Although I decided my binoculars would be too heavy, I did carry monocular. I wasn't able to identify the birds I saw, though, without a book. Maybe you'd liked to download an appropriate app?

I generally take pictures of the bird, butterfly or flower, then it up on the internet, then blog about it. I've never carried a field guide or anything. Probably not the correct methodology, but it's the one that's most convenient for me.

 

[Jakke]

I remember hearing the Hop bird every day on the Southern part of the Via de la Plata. On the Norte a Goldfinch. An app about wildlife and birds would be great. Best: you take a photo and the app identifies the species