A visit to the Catalan Pyrenees is an excellent day trip from Barcelona. A 80 minutes long drive from the city is enough to arrive to these impressive mountains. In late spring and early summer, a magnificient carpet of flowers covers Pyrenean alpine grasslands from late. It is time to admire an endless variety of Orchids, Gentians and Violas in a fresh, pure atmosphere. The number of bird specialities present in these areas along spring and summer is quite impressive and we will make an effort to get a good number of them.

This itinerary runs around the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park, which hosts an impressive variety of both birds and mammals along with awesome views over the mountains around.

During the day we shall have good views on typical species living above or around the tree limit like Common Rock Thrush, Citril Finch, Common Crosbill, Water & Tawny Pipit, Red-billed & Alpine Choughs, Rock Bunting, Woodlark, Common Whitethroat and Ring Ouzel. Ortolan Bunting has typical variable numbers depending on the year.

Lammergeiers are a common view here, and we normally enjoy 2 or 3 of these amazing birds flying above us along with Eurasian Griffons. Other raptors that may occur here includes Short-toed Eagle, Cinererous Vulture and Golden Eagle. In the woodlands around we will be in search of European Crested Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Common Crossbill and the shy and elusive Black Woodpecker.

We will also have time to enjoy the valley birdlife, and here we will look for Eurasian Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Firecrest, Dipper, Melodious Warbler or Cirl Bunting while Booted Eagle may appear at any moment flying over the pine woods.
KEY SPECIES

Birds: Citril Finch, Common Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Cirl Bunting, Water Pipit, Common Crosbill, Red-backed Shrike, Ring Ouzel, Black Woodpecker, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Red-billed & Alpine Choughs

Mammals: Alpine Marmot, Chamoises, Red & Roe Deers

Butterflies: Apollo, Mountain Clouded Yellow, Esper’s Marbled White, Rock Grayling, Large Ringlet, Silky Ringlet