23-30 May 1999 Mostly sunny & warm (late 70's)
This was a brief visit to watch the European Cup Final - Manchester United v Bayern Munich.
I stayed in a first floor apartment just off the busy Las Ramblas in the centre of town. I had no car and this wasn't a birding expedition and as I was with friends most of my birding was incidental. Excursions were made to Parc de Montjuic and to the general wooded foothills to the north and north west of the city.
Mostly singletons noticed overhead particularly at dusk and especially in the vicinity of the zoo.
An adult female was seen hunting on most days from the apartment balcony. Another was seen from Muntjuic.
Very commonly seen, especially along the coast.
At least 15 were seen at sea from the beach.
A few were noted in the mountain woodlands to the north of the city.
These birds were mostly seen on the outskirts of the city centre.
This aerial master was fairly commonly seen on the outer edges of the city, usually higher up than the other swift species. None were ever seen at close quarters.
Commonly seen everywhere. Alongside Pallid Swift they seemed to be more spindly, blacker and more frantic flight pattern - as per most guide book descriptions.
One of the first birds I identified from my balcony. Their browner plumage with darker wing tips and paler primaries were immediately apparent. After several days of watching them I noticed that their general flight was less frenetic and flicky than their darker cousin, alongside whom their wings appeared slightly 'fuller' - though this was not always readily discernable.
A pair was found nesting in a hole in the castle at Montjuic.
One was noticed in the woodland to the north of the city.
This hirundine was scarcely seen with just a couple seen over the zoo and at Muntjuic.
This species was commonly seen throughout the city.
Several were heard singing in the mountainous woodland to the north of the city.
This was quite a scarce bird with only a couple heard and a bird seen briefly in the woodland to the city.
I discovered a breeding pair in the grounds of the castle at Montjuic.
A male and possibly a female were in the grounds of the castle at Montjuic.
This familiar bird was fairly common, even in the town parks.
A singleton was heard singing in the woodland north of the city.
Fairly common encountered throughout the area.
This lively 'sylvia' warbler was a regular sight in the woods to north of the city.
A non-calling adult was watched flitting amongst the branches in the woods to the north of the city. Iberian Chiffchaff could not be ruled out as I didn't get prolonged views, however, I believe that 'Ibes' are usually found in the region during the winter months. Is this true?
A beautiful female was watched and heard calling in the woods to the north of the city.
This species was commonly seen, even from my balcony in the middle of town.
A fairly commonly seen bird whilst I was in Barcelona.
Several were seen in the woods in the north of the city. I noticed their bills seemed longer than the birds that I have seen in Scotland.
This was a fairly common denizen of the woods to the north of the city, with a few seen elsewhere.
Interestingly, I saw none despite hearing them in the woods to the north of the city.
This perky species was commonly encountered.
As with the Great Tits, birds were heard but not seen.
A few birds were noticed in the woods to the north of the city. They appeared to be more pallid than their British counterparts.
Commonly seen around the city.
Only one bird was seen throughout the duration of my stay and that bird was seen flying past from my balcony.
This corvid was seemingly a very local bird with only a few seen around the city.
This starling tended to be more solitary and quieter than the nominal Starling. In flight it appeared blacker - darker primaries and tail. Its song lacked its well-known congener's richness and variety as it mainly consisted of shrill whistles.
On the deck, I noted that the males had a bottle green iridescent sheen on its head, purple sheen on its body and rather obviously, no spotting. The females had some flecking on their plumage but nowhere as much as Common Starlings.
This was the only starling specifically identified during my stay, as Common Starlings are essentially winter visitors.
I only saw one bird that was noticed near the castle in Montjuic.
A male was briefly glimpsed as it sang in the woods to the north of the city. Surprisingly, this was the only one I saw.
This diminutive finch was fairly common everywhere.
This pretty finch was not as common as the Serins.
A few were heard and birds were mostly seen overhead.
A subsequent brief visit on 3rd July 2003 on the way back from the Ebro Delta, Tarragona resulted in the following species.
A bird was seen on a small weed choked river near Barcelona Airport.
Moulting adults were seen at various locations within the city.
An individual was seen close to the Little Grebe.
A juvenile was discovered in a tiny wood near Barcelona Airport. It was flying in circuits within this confined space.
An individual was seen briefly hawking a bee overhead of the same tiny wood near Barcelona Airport that the Cuckoo was found.
Two individuals were certainly seen on rough ground on the edge of the tiny wood near Barcelona Airport.
Birds were commonly seen around Barcelona.