Breakdown of Durante el avistamiento vimos una bandada con los prismáticos.
Questions & Answers about Durante el avistamiento vimos una bandada con los prismáticos.
Durante means during and is followed by a noun phrase, here el avistamiento.
- durante el avistamiento = during the sighting / during the observation
By contrast, mientras usually introduces a clause with a verb:
- mientras observábamos = while we were observing
So durante is correct because what follows is a noun phrase, not a full clause.
In Spanish, abstract or event nouns often appear with the definite article where English might omit it.
So:
- durante el avistamiento sounds natural
- durante avistamiento sounds incomplete or unnatural
The article el helps present avistamiento as a specific event or activity already understood in the context.