25/12/2021 Wetlands in Barcelona: Delta del Llobregat
Christmas finally came. We decided to stay in Barcelona to find food for dinner quickly. Even during the holidays, Barcelona was still busy and crowded. That was probably the largest city I visited in 2021, with substantial urban areas extended to nearly endless. Walking in Barcelona, I felt the elevation fluctuate frequently, as if it were built upon mountains. It reminded me of another city, Chongqing, which is indeed built upon the hills, and the elevational structure usually troubles people on their phone’s navigation Apps. Another common feature between the two cities might be the number of motorbikes. Barcelona even has narrower roads and alleys, maybe due to the initial design of the city being established with modern techniques earlier.
In the south of Barcelona city, the second longest river in Catalonia, Llobregat, flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The sediments brought by the river formed the delta, Delta del Llobregat, which would be our destination on that day. Delta del Llobregat is a natural reserve comprising two parts, Ricarda-Ca L’Arana, and Remolar-Filipines, separated by Barcelona airport. The habitat is mainly coastal wetlands with a reedbed, a few pinewoods, and fields. Urban areas surround it, and it provides an excellent refuge for wildlife.
We started birding in Delta del Llobregat in the early morning. Wandering in the reserve, I felt like walking in a city park, more or less. There were also some agricultural areas, maybe for vegetables, since they were not filled with water, as in the Ebro Delta. Among the fields and dunes, there were birds like Cirl Buntings, White Wagtails, European Robins, Common Wood Pigeons, and sparrows feeding in the morning. We got a pair of Sardinian Warbler and a European Stonechat in the woods. Following the rivers, there were Eurasian Moorhen, Great Cormorant and Little Egret. The birds of prey composition were still the same as before: Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Common Buzzard, and Eurasian Kestrel. In the reedbed, I expected to be some wintering warblers, but still mainly Eurasian Blue Tits and Great Tits. That was, in short, a collection of typical city park birds. Birds here were much tamer than in the open areas in Lleida; it seemed to be the difference in people’s treatment—to observe instead of to hunt!
We stepped further into the natural reserves in the afternoon and reached the beach. The weather turned clear, and we finally got to appreciate the beauty of the Balearic Sea, which consists of the northwestern part of the Mediterranean. Besides gulls, cormorants, and grebes, I discovered some other white points above the sea in the distance, with a partial yellowish color and long-pointed wings. After confirming with the camera, I realized they were Northern Gannets. I finally got a lifer here! Next time, I would take a telescope. We got back to the city in the evening.
It is worth mentioning that we found an excellent restaurant for lunch that served nice paella made of seafood. It tasted better than we had later in Madrid, though the latter was more famous. Luckily, they had tables outside, so we could have food there, though we still could not let them recognize our COVID-19 proof. They even could provide an English menu. It is always worth exploring without comments on social media.
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