The perfect plan to say goodbye to August, the best time for birdwatching.

BarcelonaWhen the holidays are over and routine begins to set in, that bitter feeling of farewell often appears. But some have found a different way to extend the summer: looking up and being amazed by the birds crossing the sky. What once seemed like a hobby Reserved for ornithologists with notebooks and binoculars, it can be a leisure activity accessible to all audiences. And the last days of August and the beginning of September are ideal for delving into this world.

Migrations turn the sky into a moving spectacle for those who know how to appreciate it, and natural spaces, from wetlands to urban parks, become privileged spots for observing it. It's the opportunity to enjoy contact with nature that doesn't require haste or great expense, just time and a little curiosity.

According to bird expert and director of the Delta Birding Festival, Francesc Kirchner, it's now at the end of August when post-nuptial migrations become active. "The long-legged, medium-sized waders are the ones that can be seen at this time," he assures. For example, black-legged trailing birds, fence-tailed and black-tailed tetules, and gilthead seabreams. These birds visit Catalonia and are one of the main attractions of the coastal areas and the Terres de l'Ebre. Kirchner assures that most of the birds that will now migrate arrived before summer, in spring, assuming the rainier weather we've had this year in our country.

Some species, such as flamingos, form a "metapopulation" in the western Mediterranean and are "very sensitive" to climatic conditions, concentrating where circumstances are most favorable. As Kirchner explains, this year the Delta "has not been good" in its flamingo breeding season, not because of the rain or the heat, but because other locations have been more favorable and have retained part of this population.

Exit observation

Generally speaking, the best time for birdwatching is in the morning and late in the day, coinciding with sunrise and sunset, when it's cooler and there's less human activity everywhere. However, in wetland areas and where there's water, due to the way birds feed, there can be activity all day long. And you don't need much equipment to enjoy their presence and diversity. In fact, as an "essential" tool, only binoculars are necessary to appreciate nuances and see much more than what we see with the naked eye. "They allow us to discover many birds and small birds that would be difficult to see with the naked eye. They're a basic tool," says Kirchner. For specialists who want to go further, the equipment would include spotting scopes, with higher magnification, which allow us to appreciate the richness of nuances of each species, the spots, lines, and bars of each individual.

To choose good binoculars, experts recommend looking at features rather than price. According to Kirchner, beginners tend to choose binoculars that are lightweight and compact so they are more portable, but "this goes against good birdwatching." It's advisable to choose products with eight to ten magnifications and a 32-millimeter diameter lens, which will allow for a wide field of view, sufficient brightness, more comfortable viewing, and, ultimately, "a more pleasant experience." Another necessary ingredient for good birdwatching is free: silence. These birds have safe distances beyond which they move away, and their presence is often detected more quickly by their song than by sight. "Before you see a blue tit, it's easier to sense it, just like with a nuthatch or a cuckoo," the expert assures.

In addition, an identification guide for different birds could also be useful. There are simple, fold-out maps on the market with the most common species, and more detailed ones. It's best to start with a basic one, which will include the birds we're most likely to see.

Diversity of spaces

As Kirchner explains, Catalonia offers a wide variety of birdwatching areas, such as the Empordà wetlands, the Llobregat Delta, the Ebro Delta, the Tordera Delta—where storm Gloria created an interesting lagoon—the Sils lakes, and the Foix and Gas regions. Inland, there are interesting areas such as the Ivars and Vila-sana lakes, the Utxesa reservoir in Lleida, and the high mountains, "active all day long in summer with large birds of prey in the black pine forests."

In autumn, a good location for birdwatching is the southern Lleida plain: Castelldans, Mas de Melons, Belianes, and La Noguera in the Balaguer area. However, densely populated areas are hostile, and intensive agriculture is driving wildlife extinct. This situation doesn't occur in the Collserola mountain range, as at the beginning of September it's a passageway for many migratory birds of prey that follow the coastline through the inland mountain ranges, taking advantage of the air currents and temperature variations.

"One of the good things about birdwatching is that it's easy and rewarding," says the expert, who also encourages people to set up a bird feeder and keep between 25 and 30 species nearby. Social media also invites them to discover species and areas where they can see different varieties. All it takes is a gesture of interest. To record and consult bird observations, there is the Ornitho.cat portal in Spain, which allows anyone—from amateurs to experts—to record observations, thus becoming a tool for open and participatory collaborative science. Furthermore, the Ornithological Information Server of Catalonia (SIOC) offers complementary services, such as ornithological mapping and access to various bird projects. He doesn't see birds everywhere, precisely, because he doesn't want to.