I recently spent twelve days in Spain.
I spent two of these days actively photographing birds. It was my first time birding in Europe, so almost every species was new to me (except for the numerous European Starlings, Rock Pigeons, House Sparrows, and Eurasian Collared Doves!) Many species had already begun to migrate to Africa for the winter, so I missed a number of species that I was hoping to see, such as the Eurasian Hoopoe and the European Bee-Eater.
Birding is fairly popular there, however, birds in the wild are quite skittish and shy. I spent three days at a country villa which advertises its popularity with birders, yet was unable to get close enough for a decent photo of a single bird!
For this reason, in the past five years bird hides, or, as we would say, bird photography blinds, have become increasingly popular in Spain. These blinds are permanent structures, of various sizes and degrees of comfort, fitted with glass windows with a reflective coating, allowing for photography without alerting the birds of one's presence. Usually there will be a water feature or food to attract the birds.
I spent two mornings and two afternoons in four different photo blinds during my trip, near the very small town of Salorino, in western Spain, and near the town of Ronda, in southern Spain.
Here is a Common Stonechat, photographed near Salorino, Spain. The Common Stonechat can be found throughout much of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
