Ringing at Canal Vell, Deltebre, Catalonia, Spain. 4 – 11 September

Carlton had a pleasant and successful week ringing at Canal Vell which lies within the Parc Natural Del delta de l’Ebre. The actual ringing project is organised by the IOC (Institut Catalad’Ornithologia) and is based in part of the Estacio Biologicadel Canal Vell, a group of buildings owned by the Natural Park. As well as a long running ringing project that started in about 1991, the site also has a well equipped rehabilitation centre to receive and care for injured birds and other wildlife discovered in the area. There is also a facility for a large breeding reintroduction programme for the now rapidly declining European Pond Terrapin, one of two native species. In addition there are other labs and offices on site where a variety of studies were taking place, including work on a number of the troublesome evading exotic species, such as the South American Giant Apple Snail that’s chomping its way through the rice crops. The site is also used as an educational facility and occasionally receives school groups, students, etc.to learn about what goes on at the centre and the work of the wider Natural Park in general. 

 

The whole site stands within the Natural Park protected area and is made up of a mixture wetland habitats including large reed fringed lagoons, marshy fen with scattered areas of open water, together with a network of ditches and dry embankments lined with scrub and small trees, with a series of sluices managing waters levels to and from the river. This large reed fringed river passes along the edge of the station, separating the wetland reserve from the vast areas of rice fields, each with their own boundaries of sluice controlled ditches and channels eventually connecting to the river. A high observation tower stands next to the ringers accommodation and gives wonderful panoramic views across the whole area, including the larger lagoons, with flocks of Greater Flamingos, hundreds of Glossy Ibis, ducks, grebes, waders, herons, egrets, bitterns and raptors, as well as the rice fields beyond the river.

 

There are 21 nets, divided into two areas (10 and 11 nets) totalling 225 metres. The nets remain open day and night, but are closed during the hottest part of the day, between 1300 and 1800. Nets can be closed earlier in the day or at other times, if it becomes too hot, windy or there is persistent rain.  Net rounds are every hour, from first light until the hour after dark, or sometimes more frequently when very hot. The weather was hot and reportedly hotter than usual for September, with the min at night being 23, while daytime max was 35 and the fan in the ringing office was rarely off, as were the ones in the house. A definite plus I found was the flat, dry sandy paths to and along the net lanes requiring only sandals or the like - great in the heat of the day or when checking the nets after dark. However, on the downside and not surprisingly, were the mosquitoes that came out to play in the evenings and early mornings. 

 

The accommodation provided for visiting ringers is very comfortable with a large living room, kitchen, bathroom and three bedrooms (two being single rooms JL take note) all contained at one end of the main building and only twenty metres from the ringing office. When not ringing, the afternoons were usually taken up with avoiding the sun, eating or having a siesta. However, during the later part of the afternoons - if not snoozing - the usual options were either some birding from the tower or the drive of about 4-5 miles through the rice fields to the nearest town of Deltebre. This would combine some excellent roadside birding (from an air-conditioned car) together with a visit to the shops to stock up on essentials, such as fresh crusty bread, insect repellent and beer. The amount and variety of birds along this road was amazing with Whiskered Terns resting on road signs and various waders, harriers and egrets etc. close to, or sometimes actually on, the road! On one afternoon a special trip to a semi-desert type habitat in search of Lesser Short-toed Larks, a species that has eluded me for many years, proved successful producing 4-5 birds.

 

The ringing - as could be expected from the habitat, the variety of birds was somewhat limited with just 23 species trapped and 22 ringed, with totals of 443 ringed and 203 traps, giving a daily average of 63 and 29. The commonest species was Reed Warbler followed by Cetti’s Warbler and Swallow. Although these three species did make up the majority, each day produced a few interesting species that sometimes proved more time consuming when it came to sorting out age, sex and stage of moult. Personal highlights included Wood Sandpiper (a new bird for me), Bluethroat, Penduline Tit, Scops Owl and Subalpine Warbler.  

 

Scops owl

Penduline tit

Bluethroat

Hoopoe

Final totals for Carlton's visit were - Wood Sandpiper 1, Scops Owl 1, Hoopoe 1, Kingfisher 22 + (11), Wryneck 2, Swallow 25, Bluethroat 14 + (7), Redstart (1), Garden Warbler 2, Whitethroat 2, Subalpine Warbler 2, Zitting Cicticola 5, Savi's Warbler 7 + (7), Cetti's Warbler 41 + (30), Reed Warbler 258 + (126), Great Reed Warbler 5 + (11), Willow Warbler 15 + (8), Pied Flycatcher 19, Penduline Tit 2, House Sparrow 8, Tree Sparrow 9 + (1), Greenfinch 1 + (1) and Reed Bunting 1.

The Station's 2015 Report was emailed by Carlton (to LRGp members) on 23.04.2015