Holm oaks dried up all around us this summer. It happened quite suddenly, towards the end of August, but the swathes of brown trees are most evident now, against the new green grass. Worst hit seem to be southern facing stony hillsides. In some places all the Holm oaks have dried, leaving only junipers which seem unaffected.

For a map and some photos copy and paste this in your browser:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/albumMap?uname=sierradesanvicente&aid=5406122918345053057#map

I'm reading many reports in the press about similar events in neighbouring Extremadura and Madrid. Also thousands of Holm oaks have reportedly died in the southwest of peninsular Spain due to the combined effect of Phytophthora fungus and drought.

Sad times for our precious Mediterranean oak forests.

A day to the beach in November

The mild autumn weather in combination with a beautiful sun in a blue sky is ideal for a trip to the beach. Also in Soria province, in the heart of Spain, you can go to the beach. We have got Playa Pita, ‘the beach’ at the large reservoir of the Duero. Around the lake are vast pine forests and because of the presence of water, the air humidity is slightly higher than in the rest of the province: an ideal spot for mushrooms!

Looking for mushrooms
These woods, mainly with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), are the habitat of among other things the Porcini (Boletus edulis) and Trumpet Chanterelle (Cantharellus tubaeformis). Especially the search for chanterelles requires some exercise of the eyes, but then suddenly you see them in bundles! Also this morning we found several mushroom species, Saffron Milkcap (Lactarius deliciosus), another tasty autumnal delicacy of the wood namely the Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda) and a beautiful large specimen of the Scaly tooth (Sarcodon imbricatus).
This particular mushroom, with spines under the cap, is mainly used as a flavour enhancer. Take a part of the hat and cut the meat into very small pieces that are left to dry. Dried and ground into powder it has a very strong odour. A little bit is enough to flavour a sauce or soup with a mushroom aroma.

A mycological menu
Picking mushrooms one morning means preparing a mycological meal the next morning. We invited some friends and prepared a delicious mycological menu. With every mushroom we prepared another dish.
Starters:
- Mushroom with goat cheese from the oven
- Caviar of Saffron Milkcap on tomato slices
- Omelette with Trumpet Chanterelles
First course:
- Fresh chicken soup with porcini mushrooms
Main course:
- Steak with a sauce of Wood Blewit and baked potatoes

DELICIOUS!

First cranes flew in this week. Several flocks of several hundred birds each. Always a joy.

More sinister is the sight of thousands of holm oaks which have dried up quite suddenly in the surrounding hills. The long hot summer has presumably pushed the water-stressed trees (10 years of drought, off and on) over the edge. Will try to post pictures soon...

On a recent trip (early May) to Doñana I was keeping my eyes peeled for snakes. In fact it was just outside the boundaries of the national park that I got lucky.
Near the village of El Rocio I came across a pond that was filled with frogs - mainly Iberian marsh frogs. What quickly became apparent was that as well as making a racket the frogs - or perhaps fish living under the weeds - were supporting a hefty population of viperine snakes.
The first snake I saw was lying stationary like a piece of black hosepipe in the water. It swam away lazily when I approached it but only about two metres further away, evidently not feeling that threatened by my presence.
As I carried on walking I realised the reeds around the pond were actually full of snakes. First I found one sneaking through the reeds about two feet from my left leg, then another about two metres on in the same patch of reeds. I then spotted about three more slowly negotiating the weeds of the pond itself. The others seemed even less alarmed than the first one had been by my curiosity.
All looked virtually identical - about 24 inches long, with round pupils and the raised eyes typical of water snakes.
One curious factor: unlike other viperines I've seen these were very dark in colour with parallel light dorsal stripes. They were quite different to the classic viperine snake, with its adder-like patterning.
This initially gave me a few doubts - after all dorsal stripes are characteristic of land-dwelling ladder snakes, not the aquatic viperine. In fact these guys looked more like an American garter snake than any Spanish species.
When I got home I checked the pictures against other pictures of viperine snakes... and scratched my head.
In the end a friend, herpetologist Mark O’Shea came to the rescue. He pointed out that while you’d have to go the Balkans to find a striped sub-species of viperine snake there were isolated populations of just such a creature in the south of Spain.
Maybe it’s been a good summer for viperine snakes or maybe I’ve just been lucky. I’ve seen around 14 in three different locations so far.

Wild flora, Wild food

It doesn’t involve very special or rare flora but it is extremely important that the province of Soria is an extraordinarily clean province, rich in nature.
On a walking trip in the vicinity of Berlanga de Duero we found many hops (Humulus lupulus) along a creek. The young shoots are an appetizing vegetable and tastes great in a Spanish tortilla. We cut a bunch. They taste a little like the Wild Asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius) that will soon emerge.
We also picked the abundant Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum). This was the main course that evening: we used the leaves of the dead-nettle for a delicious lasagne.
O yes, of course, there was also wild food for lunch: we ate the fresh leaves of the Single-seed Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) on our cheese sandwich. ¡Que aproveche!

From Muriel del Fuente our small group set out on foot for the 3km round trip to La Fuentona, the deepest Karst resurgence on the Iberian Peninsular.

Our trail followed the course of the River Abion back to its source, the resurgence. As we’d had no rain to speak of for several weeks the waters flowing along the Abion were crystal clear, allowing us to see the river bed & the small minnows that inhabit the river. Although the weather was a little fresh, the clear blue skies & surrounding limestone cliffs with their pink oxide colouring where the perfect backdrop for our walk. Stopping to allow a few of our group to take photos we got a rare sight of an Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). These relatively small vultures can be found during the breeding season nesting along the cliffs of the canyons that surround both the Abion & Lobos Rivers.

The resurgence, known as the Ojo del Mar (Eye of the Sea), is a small quarry shaped funnel, which is 30 metres in diameter and 9 meters deep. Over the centuries it has given rise to legends that have surrounded this area in mystery. Explored and investigated over the last 25 years, thanks to new cave diving techniques, some of its secrets have been revealed. In 2002 an expedition team explored the cave beneath the resurgence to a depth of 100m, but total exploration of the area has yet to be carried out.

On approaching the Ojo del Mar, its most striking feature is the colour of the water, which takes on varying shades of blue depending on the angle at which you look at it as it refracts the sunlight. One of the best views of the resurgence is gained by carefully scrambling up the steep rocky slope behind it, which is exactly what we all did & whilst taking in the magical scene we witnessed a large Common Trout breaking through the surface of the water in pursuit of its next meal.

From the Ojo del Mar there are several circular marked trails that you can take to explore the area further but today we decided to return to the car park the way we’d come in and were rewarded by a sighting of a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea). We first saw the heron, silently gliding past us as it navigated the course of the Abion River & then further up the trail we spotted it again. This time tall and elegant, standing completely still on the water’s edge, presumably waiting patiently for something edible to come into striking range. Before departing we stopped next to the hermitage of Our Lady of the Valley, at the entrance of La Fuentona, for our own much needed refuelling.

We recently visited La Sabinas de Calatañazor with a small group of guests. This forest Spanish Incense Juniper is perhaps one of the best preserved in the world for a species which is now considered endangered. The reserve has around 22 hectares of Sabinas & is a relic of the Tertiary Period. Some of the trees are 14 metres high & more than 2 metres in diameter & are thought to be up to 500 years old.

As we entered the reserve one of the things that grabbed our attention was the birdsong, the only sound on a peaceful spring morning. The forest is home to many species of birds & our group saw Common Redstarts, Mistle Thrush, Crested Tit and Coal Tits. After a gentle stroll through the Sabinas we headed back to our vehicle & onto Muriel del Fuente.

A quiet country road passing by cultivated fields, limestone hills and forgotten villages takes you to the idyllic medieval village of Calatañazor, one of my favourite places in Soria. Our last visit to Calatañazor was just a few days before Semana Santa (Easter Week) with a small group of guests.

Calatañazor is one of Soria’s most popular attractions, but the weekday morning we visited we had the narrow streets and irregular lanes all to ourselves, except for a few locals going about their daily routines. The name Calatañazor is derived from the Arab “calat am nasur” meaning Castle of the vultures. Being early morning we didn’t see any of the Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) that give the village its name but as the cliffs behind the village are a known nesting ground they can usually be seen circling the skies above.

Stepping into Calatañazor is like being transported into medieval Spain. Declared a National Monument’ for its historic and artistic beauty, Calatañazor also commands outstanding views across the surrounding countryside and offers the visitor fantastic sunsets. Strategically positioned during Celt Iberian and Roman times, Calatañazor is better known, historically, as the place where the fearless Moorish leader Almanzor suffered his greatest defeat in the year 1002 AD, a significant turning point in the Christian Reconquest of Spain.

The Calatañazor that you see today is typically medieval in design and layout. From the Plaza Mayor begins a picturesque porticoed street, with Juniper posts supporting the upper floors of the houses and also providing a covered walkway, a great place to sit and watch daily life. The traditional houses have two levels: the ground floor is made up of limestone walls and the upper level is a mixture of a Juniper wood framework and adobe. The main feature of the homes is the conical chimney, which is the centre of the home and the first part to be constructed, to a design that has not changed much since Celt Iberian times.

Juniper is a durable, rot-proof wood so you can understand why it features in the traditional houses in Calatañazor but a more important factor may be the abundance of Common Juniper (Juniperus Communis) and Spanish Incense Juniper (Juniperus thurifera) in the surrounding area.

Look out for my next field report about our visit to the nearby Sabinas de Calatañazor.

Wild flora: flowers in the forest

When in May the spring is on the move, I am always amazed of the many beautiful flowers that grow here in the woods.
During a walk in the nature park Valonsadero, just outside Soria town, we saw the wonderful smelling Angular Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum), the Cowslip (Primula veris) and Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla rubra).
Striking was the enormous quantity of Wild Peonies (Paeonia mascula) that are about to sprout. So next week we have to go back to make some photos!

The bee-eaters are back! There is a small colony on a sandy slope close to where we walk the dog and we always enjoy watching their courtship rituals as the males (?) present the females (?) with freshly-caught butterflies, bees and other insects.

Last week's sunny weather brought about many changes. We've seen two big flocks of departing cranes flying north, the Natterjack toads started their mating chorus in the rainwater pools behind the house and our almonds came into flower.

Also found a Mediterranean tree frog whilst cutting back the bamboo - I incarcerated it briefly so I could photograph it but it started a lugubrious mating call so I promptly put it back!

The talk around town is that this year has been pretty poor for wild mushrooms. I guess that depends on whether you pick for fun and personal consumption or pick for mass commercial selling.

We started looking for mushrooms in early September before any rains arrived. Although many locals wait for the first rains, we decided to take some of our guests to look around the humid areas, such as riverbanks etc and found 2 kg of Boletus edulis (Ceps, Porcini, Penny Buns or King Boletes) and Boletus aereus (Queen Boletes or Porcini Nero), around the pine and oak woods on our first morning. The biggest specimen weighed in at 350grams. We dried most of our pickings and had a wild mushroom feast that evening, with enough left over for a year round supply. These days many of the fancy recipe magazines are full of dishes that call for dried porcini (Italian name) or dried ceps (Basque name) due to their strong flavour.

When the rains finally came we changed location and took our group to some meadows, particularly where dead thistles (cardo) were, again finding a nice amount of Pleurotus eryngil ‘Seta de cardo’ known as King Oyster mushrooms in English. These delicately flavoured mushrooms are a favourite with the locals and whilst they don’t pack the same flavour hit as the boletes they are fantastic gently fried with a little garlic, thyme and a dash of lemon.

The other popular mushroom collected in this region is the Lactarius deliciosus ‘Nicalo’, Saffron Milk Cap. However these seem to be less abundant this year, but still enough for personal consumption.

Soria is fast becoming a popular place to take a weekend away and go mushroom collecting, we of course make sure that our groups only pick the best of the edible species and leave plenty for everyone to enjoy.

My last practical for the nature/bird-guide course in the TRINO project was in the Reserva Natural ‘Lagunas de Villafáfila’. The park covers over 32,000 ha. The region is called ‘Tierras de Campos’ that can be described as cereal steppes. In the centre of the park appears a complex of lagoons with a temporary and saline character. The wetlands give refuge to such a variety and quantity of migratory birds (e.g. geese and cranes) that it turns this protected region in an important wintering ground. Another reason for bird watchers to visit the park is the biggest population of Great Bustards in Europe that reside on the steppes.

Striking cultural/historical elements in the park are the many ‘palomares’, pigeon houses. Constructed of adobe there are a lot of different types; with or without court, square, rectangular, circular, etc. To keep the tradition alive, some of them are in use again and in the region you can buy all kind of delicacies made of the little pigeons…

In the beautiful ‘Casa de la Reserva’ you can find information about the Reserva Natural and from here you can make some routes and visit the many observation posts near the lagoons.
During the excursions in the fields I saw lots of Great Bustards (which I found very impressive), Greylag Goose, Bean Goose and hundreds of Cranes! When we visited the lagoons I saw a.o.t.: Common Pochard, Northern Shoveler, Common Snipe and Northern Lapwing.
Unfortunately we were too late to spot the Lesser Kestrel, from February till September you can spot it when it comes here to brood in the ruins of forgotten ‘palomares’.

Excellent scramble up the Torozo last week-end, an easy and much under-walked peak in the central massif of Gredos. We took the well-marked trail from the car park at the cafeteria in the Puerto del Pico. In little over 2 hours we were enjoying spectacular 360 degree views - Tajo valley and Montes de Toledo to the south, Avila to the north, the glacier cirque to the west... Groups of ibex posed on the granite rocks with us and griffon vultures, choughs, ravens and even the odd Black vulture wheeled in the emptiness below. Brilliant!

On our way up to the Puerto we met small herds of transhumant black Avileño cows being led down to winter pastures. Whole families of drovers - mums, dads and kids - chivvied their cattle down the cobbled Roman road while fluorescent-vested helpers stopped traffic in an atmosphere that was modern but ancient, serious but festive. Very Spanish.

We also saw several V's of migrating cranes in the sky. They've been flying in for a couple of weeks now, but most are still to come.

‘An important feature of the landscape is the spectacular scenery created by rivers that have cut a narrow swathe through the Meseta rock. Right on the border with Portugal, between Zamora and Salamanca, the Duero, and several of its tributaries, have forced a passage through the granite and hewn sheer ravines.’ Since 2002 the area is known as ‘Parque Natural de Arribes del Duero’. The Parque Natural covers over 107.000 ha and is also listed as a: Zona de Especial Protección para las Aves (ZEPA).

I had a few days of practical in this beautiful nature park because of a nature/bird-guide course in the TRINO project that I am taking.
The park is a perfect place to spot a.o.t the large rock-dwelling birds of prey, some water birds and the Black Stork. Because of the many footpaths and observation posts you can come near to interesting sites to spot birds. I can also recommend you to make a special trip: ‘environmental boating on international water’. From Miranda do Douro (just over the Portuguese border) you can make this boat trip to enter the park. From the Duero river you will have stunning views on the granite walls and the sometimes surprising presence of flora and fauna. From the water it is also possible to spot the nests of the birds of prey in the canyon. The rare Black Stork also breeds here.

During the excursions I spotted a.o.t. a lot of Griffon Vultures, Golden Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Black Kite and the little fly-artist Crag Martin.
On your trip through the park it is most probably that you will run into a burro Zamorano, an endangered species that not long ago was indispensable as pack mule for the inhabitants of the region.

“Castilla y León can be proud of the richest natural heritage in Europe. It hosts a great variety of landscapes and ecosystems, from high mountain peaks to vast plains, wild, dense forests and breathtaking river canyons. These are all habitats for a multitude of animals and plants, and provide an ultimate refuge for many threatened species. As a result, Castilla y León has a degree of biological diversity that is very hard to find elsewhere in Europe.”
I took this description from a folder in which you can find information about all natural areas of C&L and from experience I can confirm you that it’s true!

Thanks to a nature/bird-guide course in the TRINO project that I am taking, I had a few days of practical in Valladolid, in the Reserva Natural Riberas de Castronuño – Vega del Duero.
Because of the San José reservoir the Duero river is quite wide here. Striking are the broad fringes of reeds. The Reserva Natural accommodates besides nonmigratory birds also summer and winter visitors. Because of the mild climate and because there is enough to eat in the Duero, the Great Cormorant is a numerous winter visitor. At the end of the day you can spot them perfectly, sitting together in their ‘sleeping accommodation’ in trees along the river.
An eye-catching summer guest is the Purple Heron that broods here in colonies.
During the excursions through the area I saw a.o.t.; Great Cormorants, Grey Herons, Great Crested Grebes, Little Grebes, Common Coots, Moorhens, Mars Harriers, a Common Kestrel and I heard the beautiful sound of the Cetti’s Warbler.

In the ‘Casa de la Reserva’, the instructors are available to inform you about the possibilities to explore the Reserva Natural Riberas de Castronuño – Vega del Duero.

Although not as hot as last year, the Sierra de Grazalema is now baking in the summer heat. We recorded 42 Celsius in our garden last year whilst the max so far this year has been 37 degrees. The reservoir at Zahara is well below 50 percent capacity and last week we saw that water was being let out to run down to the next dam that has the power turbines. Many people think the "lake" at Zahara is pretty, and indeed it is with its deep azure colour and the stunning mountain back drop but it is, and has always been, a reservoir of water to supply the turbines in the second dam. At peak time during the summer when people in the cities turn on their air conditioning the level of Zahara reservoir visibly drops revealing the old walls, pastures and orchards of a forgotten past that was not so long ago. (The dam was only completed in 1986). If there is no big rain this autumn then the levels will drop even further and with this in mind the authorities all over Malaga and Cadiz province are busy building and preparing plans for new photovoltaic and wind power systems which in themselves have their own problems of sustainability, Surely the key here is to educate people to use less power instead of creating more ways to increase the power usage of our gadgets and gizmos...

With the heat of the summer comes the risk of fire and Grazalema has been OK up to now. Hopefully we will get through the dry season without a big blaze. This time of year is a worry and the sound of a helicopter always gets a response as we look to see if the water suction pipe is deployed. Then we scan the area for signs and sniff for a scent of smoke.

It’s been a good breeding season for our local golden orioles and they are busy now teaching their young how to find food and fly in that special high speed acrobatic way through the trees. How can a bright yellow bird the size of a blackbird sit in a tree and flute away with its song yet remain completely invisible? It's a mystery... The bee eaters too are gathering in groups and embarking on nightly training flights in readiness for their trip to Africa. Each night just before dusk the whole colony of about 80 birds fly up as high as they can until they virtually disappear from view. It's like they are training the young for the journey ahead. Pretty soon they will start to do this after dark as well and then one day they will take off and be gone until next spring when hopefully they will have survived the journey and tough conditions in sub Saharan Africa.

So far it’s been a good summer and as I type this the smell of hot sticky cistus wafts in through the open window along with the constant whir of the cicadas whilst they suck on the sap of the pomegranate trees.

Happy summer to all!

Phew, the heat is here. After an eternity of intermittent rain and clouds that have thankfully replenished some of the embalses near by, the scorching summer weather has arrived with a shout. Nisperas are lying wrinkled and nibbled on the ground, ciruelas ripe and maroon flop lazily on the tender branches of the plum tree and that most despised of summer trees - the tree of heaven - gently shades the rocket and radish plants in the mid-day heat emanating from the surrounding sierra. Suffocating it may be for the next 3 months but it is always exciting to witness the force of change from one season to the next.

The village of Garray in the north of Soria is more famous for the 4000 Celt Iberians who defeated 20000 Romans and then resisted them for the next 20 years before committing suicide and surrendering their village in flames.

Well on Sunday11th May 16 members of SEO Birdlife returned to this historic site to conduct a 4 hour marathon of bird watching at Soto de Garray. They identified a total of 100 species between 9am - 1pm. This was a fantastic figure which is approximately 37% of all the species registered in Soria and 63% of the species which reproduce here. Of all the birds identified 12 were raptors including, the northern goshawk, Eurasian sparrowhawk, honey buzzard, booted eagle, common buzzard, black kite, red kite, common kestrel, hobby, Egyptian vulture, griffon vulture and the rare Black vulture. The Black vulture stopped reproducing here in Soria in the 1950’s.

The group reported that the identification of so many birds was very positive for the area. I think SEO may have conducted marathons in other provinces on the same day. Can anyone confirm this and do you have the results?

Otters (Lutra Lutra) have suffered over the last two decades, however slowly the populations have been increasing in the Duero, Tera and the Razon rivers. Otters are very sensitive to contamination, in the 1980’s laws against contamination were not as strict as they are today. Their diet mainly consists of Crayfish and trout which contained much of the contamination, forcing the otter to move further away or in some instances they died. The ‘Senal’ crayfish (their main diet) was reduced in numbers during this time, which was another factor in their disappearance. From the 1990’s the situation started to change, water quality improved and the otters are starting to make a welcome comeback. Their habitat in Soria is still the same today as it was in the 1980’s and was never a factor in their disappearance.

We have some otters very close to our home in the river Razon, Soria in northern Spain, recently there has been sightings including footprints and excrement near the river bank. Where we live in Soria there are village myths that are connected to the otter, proof that they were very much a part of the landscape many years ago.

We will be going on some ‘Otter’ walks over the next few weeks, so we hope to post our observations and findings over the next few weeks.

We set off on a hike today around Hinajosa de la Sierra, the most beautiful spring day, the kind that you would expect in summer, blue skies zero wind. Hinajosa is yet another one of those villages in Soria that used to be very important during the Middle Ages and in the 15th century, which is evident by the grand Palace and Castle remains. Nowadays we tend to see it empty until the month of August when all the families return to their holiday homes.

The surrounding area is an excellent place for bird spotting around Lake La Serna, which was recently included in the Regional Catalogue of Wetlands of Special Interest, ‘Catalogo Regional de Zonas Humedas de Interes Especial de la Junta de Castilla y Leon’. A bird Observatory was opened here in 2007, where with the correct equipment, you can spot migratory birds such as,

Common Crane Grus Grus
Black Stork Ciconia Nigra
Limosa Limosa Black tailed Godwit
Recurvirostra Avosetta Pied Avocet
Egretta Garzetta Little Egret
Philomachus Pugnax Ruff
Tringa Totanus Common Redshank
Charadrius Dubius Little Ringed Plover
Actitis Hypoleucos Common Sandpiper
Calidris Alpina Dunlim
Podiceps Cristatus Great Crested Glebe
Pluvialis Apricaria Euro Golden Plova
Anas Querquedula Garganey
Himantopus Himantopus Black Winged Tilt
Anas Platyrhynchos Mallard
Gallinula Choloropus Moorhen
Fulica Atra Common Coot
Milvus Migrans Black Kite
Ciconia Ciconia White Stork
Falco Tinnunculus Common Kestrel
Rallus Aquaticus Water Rail

When we arrived at Hinajosa we noticed that a several pairs of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) had returned to their nests high on the castle walls. Some were perched quietly and looked to have settled in nicely, that was until a flock of around 8 others appeared and circled above them. This is when the bill clapping sound started. Generally the clapping is associated with mating; however these seemed to be doing it as the others flew above, almost as a warning sign. Sometime in May they will lay 3 to 5 eggs, which should hatch by July. By this time there will be an estimated 50 to 100 pairs in Hinajosa alone. They will feed on frogs, insects, lizards and small rodents, to be found within the wetlands.

Spring is in the air!

Last week, when we were out on a few daytrips, we noticed that spring finally has arrived on the northern plateau.

Wild flowers
Everything is in flower and we saw among other things: Euphorbia, Asphodelus aestivus, Ornithogalum umbellatum, Iris germanica and lovely parasites from the Orobanche family.

Birds
On a daytrip nearby the river Duero, we spotted the first big group (around 30!) of Merops apiaster, Bee-eaters, just returned after wintering in tropical Africa.

Mushrooms
But what we enjoyed the most is that, after some spring-showers, we found some beautiful spring-mushrooms! We picked Helvella spadicea (a kind of Saddle) in the banks of the river Duero. In the meadows we found Pleurotus eryngii (King oyster mushroom), Agaricus campestes (Field mushroom) and Marasmius oreades (Fairy-ring champignon). With the ones found in the meadows we made a delicious mushroom soup. In short: spring is in the air!

Surprised by the quantity and quality of birdlife in this historic town. Yesterday a pair of black vultures circling real low over the Plaza de Santa Maria.

Imperial eagles and San Román de los Montes.

I spent an enjoyable evening last Sunday watching the sun set over a pair of nesting Spanish Imperial eagles (Aquila adalberti) in the hills of the Sierra de San Vicente. With a telescope a safe distance of nearly 2 km away it was possible to observe the male fussing around the nesting platform while it's mate whiled away the hours sitting on those most valuable eggs. Valuable not only to the eagles, but also to us, it's human neighbours.

Spanish Imperial eagles invest 8 months a year in their breeding effort, and, with luck, produce a single chick. With a total world population of less than 400, that chick is a rare thing indeed. The eagles have only recently returned to this area, after an absence of several decades, and the Ministry of Environment is keeping close tabs on them. The male has already been radio-tagged.

Imperial eagles are a charismatic species (large, rare and beautiful) which could help put the environmental plight of neighbouring San Román de los Montes more firmly on the map. This pair has one of its main hunting grounds in an patch of rabbit-rich Holm oak "dehesa", equivalent in size to about 500 football fields, in the municipality of San Román. The area is also home to Short-Toed eagles, Booted eagles, Eagle owls, and even occasional Black storks and Black vultures... The problem is the land is legally available for housing development - a crazy situation inherited from the last days of the Franco regime - and earmarked for lucrative building projects which would benefit neither the resident human population nor the amazing local wildlife. Stakes are high and the authorities have already been alerted to the possible use of poisoned baits in the area: criminal but all-too-easy to get away with.

Hopefully the Imperial eagles will provide a much-delayed wake-up call for the regional authorities, which should urgently give protection to the dehesas of San Román de los Montes and the surrounding areas. If anyone out there is as concerned as we are, please send a politely worded email to Sr. Manuel Guerrero Pérez (Delegación Provincial de Medio Ambiente de Toledo, mguerrero@jccm.es ) and to Sr. Jose Luis Martínez Guijarro (Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Rural de Castilla La Mancha, jluismg@jccm.es).

European Mink found near Ucero.....
I have just read an interesting article in Diario del Soria (23 Feb 2008) regarding the discovery of a European Mink (Mustela lutreola) near the village of Ucero on the outskirts of the Canon Rio Lobos Natural Park in Soria. ‘Ucero’ as he has been named was found in November last year. His discovery came as a surprise to Park staff as the closest known population of European Mink is over 50kms away in the Ebro River basin. Park staff believe his arrival in the area has been made possible by efforts they have put into controlling the population of the introduced American Mink (Mustela vision). Whilst in the past hunting has contributed to the European Mink being classed as one of the six critically endangered European mammals, its loss of habitat and competition from invasive foreign species is also a factor. Let’s hope this is a sign of positive things to come for this semi aquatic mammal.

Downy youngster of an eurasian griffon vulture - Soria

In the south west of Soria province you will find the foothills of the Sierra del Moncayo, this is one of the places where I love to hike. The area is beautiful, rough, and quiet. On this trip you will seldom meet people, maybe a farmer who is working on his field or a shepherd with his sheep, but that’s it.
The many cliff faces however are an ideal spot for birds of prey. Most common is the Eurasian Griffon vulture; often I see large groups of 20 or more of them altogether sitting on top of the rocks or circling around on a thermal column.
In this area you can also find some Egyptian vultures, these black/white birds may look, from a distance, a little like a stork, but if you have had a closer look at it: no, this is really a bird of prey!
The Egyptian vulture moves away in the autumn, it spends the winter in warm Africa to return in spring to nest here.
Both birds of prey nest quite early in the year, the Eurasian Griffon vulture as from mid- February and the Egyptian vulture as from March. It is always very exciting to enter the scene (quietly) to try to spot the newborn vultures.

Last Saturday, on a daytrip in the region, we had the pleasure and luck to spot both kinds of vultures and, a downy youngster of a Eurasian Griffon vulture! For us, coming from a country where the biggest bird you can find in the meadow is a swan…, every time we meet vultures, or other big birds of prey, we are very impressed, and so were our guests.
On the same trip we also ran into a European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) that was walking through a field. As soon as we were noticed by it, the cat sprinted away.
We had, again, a beautiful day in the Campo de Soria.

Wallcreeper, Bustards and Sandgrouse (Part 4)

15th November 2007 – The Pyrenees

The wind today threatened to push many passerines down to root level and out of sight but not before we gratefully foot-followed and photographed a flock of around twenty Alpine Accentor, being prised away from the detail of their beautifully under-stated plumage only after some work with a metaphorical chisel. What a great bird. And so confiding.

We did miss out on a few passerines, namely and unusually Citril Finch, and Common Crossbill were similarly out of character in their near-absence but a steady flow of Griffon Vultures at least kept our hopes up for the desired bird of the day.

The meantime was spent in the company of a lone Sparrowhawk and a lone Great-spotted Woodpecker chipping away at us until we finally spotted its hiding place on the blindside of a pine tree. A lone Red-billed Chough was especially odd given that they usually far outnumber their yellow-billed cousins. We had already spotted two pairs of Alpine Chough but one of the moments of the day was the swirling descent of a flock of forty, chirping like passerines, as they fell onto the juniper bushes growing on the bank alongside the road and feasted noisily on their berries.

This experience though, it has to be said and however privileged one felt to be there, was beaten into second place by the simply awesome weight of a Lammergeier, caught with seeping expectation after a whole morning’s hunt, gliding directly over our heads at the height of a double-decker bus (or two). It was a young-ish bird, still pale overall but showing signs of accumulating the orange glow so typical of adult birds.

The journey back was spent in reflection - and may be a little exhaustion after walking through mountain meadows. In three days we had seen Lammergeier, Wallcreeper, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Little Bustard and only missed out on Great Bustard through a stroke of freakish luck. And winter wasn't supposed to be a good time. ‘But that’s birding’, said Andris rather philosophically.

Wallcreeper, Bustards and Sandgrouse (Part 3)

14th November 2007 – Steppes of Lleida and Los Monegros

During the trip I recounted that, according to an overnight conversation with Ricard Gutierrez (www.rarebirdsspain.com), Wallcreeper hadn’t been seen at La Falconera since possibly 1984 and we were both excited at the prospect of it over-wintering again after such a gap. I also ominously declared, under pressure I might add, that Great Bustard was probably the most likely of the four ‘biggies’ today. In turn, Andris and Inita, lecturers from Latvia here researching bird tourism, extolled over their day trip to the Ebro Delta two days earlier with guides Cristien and Iben at audouinbirdtours.

As usual, within five minutes of our arrival we were staring at a small group of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse crouched down in a nearby field. Later we were to come across an even closer group right next to the car but for now we marvelled at their plumage detail, as if painted by Chinese artists, before they stood up wary and we took our cue to move on.

Of course Little Bustard was the other main target bird here and we went in search amusing ourselves with large flocks of Jackdaw, three coveys of waddling Red-legged Partridge and the startlingly red cap of a Green Woodpecker, sub-species sharpei.

Two Hen Harrier dog-fighting over a small orchard diverted our attention whilst many Corn Bunting and a full set of larks (although surprisingly few Calandra Larks) kept us honed on any small movement until, just as we were admiring the pink flush of a Southern Grey Shrike, the white flash of a Little Bustard rose up in front of us and wing-whistled its way over a couple of fields to land dead centre of the telescope.

A quick stop off at the municipal dump to spy on the numerous Cattle Egret and (less now) White Stork provided a welcome bonus of a remarkably colourful Red Kite quartering its lunchtime options.

En route to Los Monegros, a site just outside Catalonia but worth the trip for the (almost certain!) wintering Great Bustard lining the roads, we picked up a Great White Egret and another, this time mature, male Marsh Harrier.

But! Sandstorms the like I have never seen before and quirky enough to make the evening news, all but ruined our chances here although they didn’t build up quite strong enough before we had chance to add a pair of Red-billed Chough and a couple of fleeing Black-bellied Sandgrouse from the area around a ruined farmhouse.

A quick questionnaire to my guests then inspired a ‘re-route for a lifer’ and a while later we were enjoying a flock of over fifty Rock Sparrows, not to mention a host of other passerines, in the farmland of the Garraf.

Wallcreeper, Bustards and Sandgrouse (Part 2)

November 13th 2008 - Llobregat Delta

We headed for a group of around twenty Night Herons we could see roosting out in the open by the first hide and they proved to be easily close enough for Andris to take photos. The sight of a small party of Eurasian Spoonbill scything through the waters of the other lagoon lured us on to the second hide though, where blankets of Lapwing and ducks, including Shelduck, Wigeon and Gadwall, impressed greatly and we wiled away our time picking out Common Snipe, Golden Plover, Reed Bunting, up to three Common Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk flap-flap-gliding overhead.

We made the short trip over to Cal Tet after lunch where Black-necked Grebe, Mediterranean Gull, Greylag Goose, Pied Avocet, Purple Swamphen and countless Common Waxbill provided the backdrop for the highlights of a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier skirting the reedtops, a handful of Firecrest, two Hoopoe in a tizzy and a Kingfisher that landed on the lip of the hide window!

Wallcreeper, Bustards and Lammergeier (Part 1)

Catalonia, NE Spain (13th-15th November 2007)

Summary: a birding tour of Catalonia, Spain from 13th-15th November 2007 turns up Wallcreeper in the Garraf, bustards and sandgrouse in the Steppes and Lammergeier in the Pyrenees.


13th November 2007 – Garraf and Llobregat

Its strange how so many great birding moments can be traced back to an event at the beginning of the day, without which the hands of time and fortune would have written a different story. If Andris and Inita’s train hadn’t arrived ten minutes late, later we may have spent a few minutes watching a birdless cliff-face at La Falconera, in the Garraf, instead of the spectacle of their first ever Wallcreeper.

We were greeted by a Sandwich Tern dipping and diving in the bay and the song and sight of three or four Blue Rock Thrush spaced along the cliff-face bordering it. A few Crag Martin flapped their way across the jagged edges of the rocks whilst the ground was shared out amongst Meadow Pipit, Robin, Black Redstart, White Wagtail, finches and both Cirl and Rock Bunting.

As I scanned the ocean and rocks beyond the footpath and crashing waves, I was given the briefest of views of a wave-skimming Eurasian Shag (Mediterranean sub-species) before Andris interrupted with a cry of ‘Wallcreeper!’ just in time for us all to see it descend through the ‘V’ of the cliff’s peaks and flap red-and-black, ‘like a butterfly’ as he described it, out into the open. In fact, it circled and flapped out and back to the same spot twice like a flycatcher – rather tempting fate given the presence of resident Peregrine Falcon – before returning to the safety of the rocks just behind a bush. It had actually seemed to be hawking for food mid-air, perhaps even chasing an individual insect, something that I hadn't witnessed before.

In the wait for its return, during which time we were happy like children, excitedly stating the obvious such as ‘you could see the red clearly!’ and ‘it was like a little Hoopoe’, a pair of Black Wheatear joined us, the female along the rocky beach and the male just beside us. Once we had calmed down though, we thanked fortune for the view we had had and moved on to the Filipines reserve at the Llobregat Delta.

Winter in the Ebro Delta (Part II)

But beaten it was. A Great Bittern at Riet Vell; Richard’s Pipit, Southern Grey Shrike and a Peregrine locking claws with a Marsh Harrier on my way from Eucaliptus to La Tancada; a flock of about twenty Lesser Short-toed Larks when I got there that were close enough to touch until my mobile rang! Take your pick.

My own choice would be the sight of Red-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser and Black-necked Grebe diving in the same binocular field of view but I also basked in the sheer numbers of Greenshank, Grey Plover, Dunlin and, in particular, Sanderling and Little Stint sifting through the pools of La Tancada. A little sifting myself pulled out morsels of Turnstone, Common and Spotted Redshank and both Common and Green Sandpiper.

By now the sun had gone almost full circle and the light promised little more than an hour before bedtime but even so a quick dash through the stretch to L’Encanyissada produced the resident (and presumed) hybrid Little Egret x Western Reef Heron opposite the watchtower at l’Embut, masses of Common and Red-crested Pochard on El Clot and, for the second visit running, a Red-nobbed (Crested) Coot at Pont de Traves.

Finally, in the small pond next to the Casa de Fusta as I was leaving, yet another Water Rail, feeding out in the open and confident enough to resist fleeing despite me jamming on the breaks!

As I said, I don’t count. (!). But I was gifted well over 80 species in a short mid-winter day and I missed a few too. It amazed me how the pressure of finding food in the colder months makes birds occupy every single niche possible, from the expanse of lagoons and reed beds harbouring Greater Flamingos and Chiffchaffs respectively to a few teasels on the edge of a rice field fleetingly playing host to a party of Goldfinch.

Other species seen:

Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Shelduck, Mallard, Shovelor, Kestrel, Coot, Common Snipe, Mediterranean Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Audouin’s Gull, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Crested lark, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Cettis Warbler, Fan-tailed Warbler, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Magpie, Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet.

Winter in the Ebro Delta (Part I)

As I drove into the rice fields out of St. Jaume, a ring of mist masked the horizon in all directions, creating a comforting circle into which no-one else seemed to venture. Common Buzzards marshalled the perimeter, posted in each leafless tree, motionless and morose like leftover Christmas tree decorations. The sparklingly clean black and grey under-wings of a male Marsh Harrier spirited into view flying along side the driver’s window, tilting left and right to show off its glorious roast-chestnut chest and, rather topically if a little late, guided me like the star of Bethlehem to my first stop of the day.

I’d never stopped here before but I was immediately presented with two dark shapes in the middle of a reed-edged field and, for twenty minutes, a pair of Water Rails strutted and pecked their way ever-closer. A flock of Reed Buntings gleaning the horsetails and a rather unusual foraging partnership between a Moorhen and a Blackbird only proved minor distractions until I was able to put my binoculars down and marvel at the absolute marvellousness of them both by the car door.

They were sent scurrying by an unknown force and I moved on - only to stop a few metres along the road to marvel some more; this time at a light-phase Booted Eagle perched in one of its favourite spots.

Still early when I reached the beach, only a solitary Kentish Plover quick-stepped its way over the dewy sand. The sea was calm but empty. Groups of Purple Swamphen began tempting themselves out of the reed beds with nervous contact calls and another unknown threat put up a huge gathering of ducks on a distant lagoon. It may as well have been wielding a knife as the massive blanket of wings was ripped into species portions of, amongst others, Wigeon, Gadwall and Pintail before circling and returning to knit themselves back together on the water’s surface.

Via Greylag Geese, Glossy Ibis and Common Kingfishers on every post, I made my way back and searched the strangely wriggling surface of a paddy field around a masia on the Illa de Riu. The responsibility was mostly down to several hundred Little Stint and numerous Ringed Plover but, forewarned by Cristian and Iben at Audouin Bird Tours, I managed to pick out the lone Pectoral Sandpiper.

Several more Hoopoe, a curious Dartford Warbler and a rather bolshy Bluethroat, skipping from bush to bush as I passed, were picks of the bunches of passerines smothering every reed and cabbage plant and the rafts of Golden Plover and Lapwing to be found in the delta’s fields was a spectacle hard to beat.

A visit to the Castro de Ulaca is a beautiful 2 to 3 hour uphill (400 meters vertical) walk from the village located just off the road between Avila and Arenas de San Pedro.
The Castro is the remains of a very large iron age village (V to I BC) on a rocky crag in the foothills of Gredos. The boulder strewn hillside and the well-marked ruins are interesting and often awe inspiring as are the amazing boulders and the view of the valley and mountains beyond from the ridge at the top of the crag. The site is declared as belonging to the Patrimonio Histórico and is partly restored. But there are plenty of remains which are not catalogued for the finding.

We set off on a hike today around Hinajosa de la Sierra,a village in Northern Spain the most beautiful day, more like summer than winter, blue skies zero wind. Hinajosa is yet another one of those villages in Soria that used to be very important during the Middle Ages and in the 15th century, which is evident by the grand Palace and Castle remains. Nowadays we tend to see it empty until the month of August when all the families return to their holiday homes.

The surrounding area is an excellent place for bird spotting around Lake La Serna, which was recently included in the ‘Catalogo Regional de Zonas Humedas de Interes Especial de la Junta de Castilla y Leon’. A bird Observatory was opened here in 2007.

When we arrived at Hinajosa we noticed that a few pairs of storks had returned to their nests (which were empty last week). They were perched quietly and looked to have settled in nicely, that was until a flock of around 8 others appeared and circled above them. This is when the bill clapping sound started. Generally the clapping is associated with mating, however these seemed to be doing it as the others flew above, almost as a warning sign. It worked, as after around 10 flybys and swooping quite close to the nests, they gave up and moved on.

OTTER SPOTTED IN RIVER DUERO, NEARBY VALDESPINA – SORIA.

Through the medieval town Almazán (< 6000 habitants) in the province of Soria runs the river Duero. It is born in the Sierra de Urbion and finally flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto. Last year April, during a nightly photo shoot in Almazán, we ran into animal activity in the river. We were happily surprised when we saw what caused the action; it was an adult otter, about 1 metre long. It was the first time we saw an otter that near to Almazán.

For an otter its surroundings are very important; sufficient clean water, enough food, and good shelter to look after its young. An otter is able to cover large distances provided that they are unhindered.

Last week we walked along the river Duero nearby Valdespina, about 12 km from Almazán. It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon and I thought I saw a big fish spatter in the middle of the river. A second good look taught me that it wasn’t a fish but, again, an adult otter! It swam around peacefully and after a few seconds it dived under, that was the last we saw of it…

Garagüeta in Soria – Europe’s largest Holly Grove. .

Holly – Acebo – (Ilex Aquifolium) can be found in parts of Soria and Spain, but nothing like that of Garagüeta.
Garagüeta is located in the province of Soria in Castilla y Leon. It is the most extensive holly grove in Europe (500 hectares) and the most natural available on the peninsular. It is the only one in the world to boast being nominated as a Natural Reserve, a Special Bird Protection Zone (ZEPA) and Community area of Interest (LIC) all in one. Of the birds that take advantage of Garagüeta, the Redwing, (zorzal alirrojo) (Turdus iliacus) migrate north after winter and stop where there is plenty of food, the Garagüeta is one of these places.
The name Holly may have derived from the root hul, or kul, connected with the Latin culmen, a peak, and culmus, having reference to the same character as its modern specific name aquifolium, or "needle-leaved."
This evergreen tree grows between 2 – 10 meters high, but has been know to reach up to 16 meters high. The leaves at the bottom of the tree are prickly for protection against animals that find it a tempting. As the tree grows the leaves smoothen because the tree no longer needs to defend itself. During winter when most of the other trees have shed their leaves, the Holly is very much alive and bushy which is handy for the little animals that use it for protection and feed off the berries that fall. From May to August the tree bears clusters of small, wax-like, white flowers, which later become the red berries we all love to see.
Holly has been used in this area for centuries, mainly for the feeding of livestock, medicine and rituals. It has survived so well because of the continual importance the locals have for it. The leaves have been used medicinally in cases of fever, colds and rheumatism. The yerba or mate tea of South America is made from the leaves of a similar species (Ilex paraguayensis). On the flip side though, the berries are toxic and would give any human a pretty bad stomach ache.
The Celt Iberians in this region called the holly ‘Tinne’ but also referred to it as ‘the sacred tree’ and considered it as their protector. If you put it in your house it is said to protect you against bad luck and has been used in winter solstice ceremonies for centuries.

Hope everyone is enjoying autumn. Up here in Soria the oaks, poplars, elms and chestnuts have been stripped bare of their leaves and have an almost eerie look to them. You can really appreciate their form and the old ones (100 years plus) look stunning.

The wildlife seems to be more active at the moment. We have a resident Golden Eagle that is always somewhere to be found in the valley. The other day I was putting the washing on the line when this beautiful bird appeared above me. What amazed me was how close it came to me (about 20meters above), I wasn’t too shore if it was still looking for food at that point or liked the look of the t shirts I was hanging up. Never the less it was a lovely surprise. This golden eagle is not the only one to be seen in this area, we also spotted a couple on the way to Soria capital, so they seem to be quiet active at the moment.

Most of the villages are reduced to a handful of residents, which happens every year before winter, so the red deer have been coming into the village. We The rain has come, finally, not enough though to go in search of those sumptious wild mushrooms.

Special Bird Protection Zone is the English translation for ZEPA or Zona de Especial Proteccion de Aves in Spanish. ZEPA was formed in 1990 by the Junta of Castile Y Leon, they have a great website with a list of ZEPA areas and maps showing the boundaries, worth the visit.

If an area is designated as ZEPA it is because the birds in the area are on the ‘Red Book’ of endangered species. In Soria there are 8 ZEPA zones, for example Barahona, Layna, Tiermes and Caracena as these areas are the habitat of the Dupont Lark. The Dupont Lark is almost extinct in Africa and the total number of these birds in Spain is almost equal to the number in the whole world, so naturally we want to protect them. They require perfect conditions for their survival, low vegetation ( approx 20 – 40cm) and relatively flat scrubland. With today’s modern world of ever changing landscapes these birds can be under threat. Fortunately Soria with its population density at 8 people per square km allows these birds to have relative freedom without too much disturbance. However modern agriculture practices and overgrazing could be a problem, this is where ZEPA comes in.

A website called SEO Bird Life is a good source of information on this subject. The ZEPA zones in Soria also help protect the Griffon Vultures and Golden Eagles that are widespread in throughout the province. We have seen several Golden Eagles over the last few weeks and Vultures are always in the skies, sometimes in packs of 30 or more

Thundery storms last night marked the end of the dry season. As we scampered to close the gate we almost trod on two sharp-ribbed salamanders crossing our drive. These prehistoric-looking beasts sensibly dig themselves in for the summer but seemed energised by the wet sloppy conditions.

This morning clouds of flying ants created the the usual feeding frenzy among starlings, flycatchers, and our last swallows and martins.

The weeks ahead will bring more fungi and flowers (during September we made do with Sea squill, Urginea maritima, those dependable white flags which push out through the dust during the last sizzling days of summer). Much to look forward to.

If anyone wants to hear the red necked nightjar in full voice try visiting the Generalife gardens in the Alhambra at Granada. Last night a lackluster ballet performance was much enlivened for me by the contribution the bird made from somewhere in the gardens. Why here I do not know as it is completely the wrong habitat. It was for some time in competition with a Scops owl backed with a chorus of frogs. On our evening walks in our immediate countryside we frequently hear the European nightjar but so far this year we have heard very few Scops owl. Throughout June we have watched a pair of short toed eagles in courtship display & now see one or the other hunting most mornings & evenings. One of their kills was lost as it was dropped on our patio with the head almost severed, a snake ( coronella girondica ) about half a meter long. I had my first close encounter with a martin (martes foina) on the outskirts of the village this week on a very early morning walk. With shade temperatures in the high 30’s we recommend only morning & evening walks at this time. And PLEASE remember the fire risk if you walk in the countryside at this time.

Over the past few months we have been privileged to observe the habits of a pair of Bonelli’s eagles, ( Hieraatus fasciatus latin- Aguila-azor Perdicera-castellano) situated in the Sierra de las Nieves. Below is a brief, although not scientific observation, of the pair, which we would like to share with you.

November mid-morning saw the pair flying overhead, the winter sun slowly heated the mountainside and the pair rose on the thermals. They would then disappear during the heat of the day and then return in the afternoon to sit motionless on the rocky outcrop, looking oddly like penguins with their white chests and dark wings.

December. Midday saw the pair fly low over the trees. It then transpired that they were grabbing at the top of the pine trees with their feet to collect the branches for their nest. A mass of sticks, nearby, was to be home for this pair. They would often grab at the top of the trees with their feet and then transfer the sticks to their beaks, sometimes dropping them and therefore having to swoop around again. Both the male and female shared this chore.

January. A full days viewing witnessed the pair fly around the nest for a couple of mid morning soars before disappearing for the afternoon, on a hunting trip no doubt. While they had gone we saw four cranes fly over the mountain range, trying to gain height to clear the sierra. This was an unexpected bonus! The Bonellis then returned, not to the nest but the rock ledge nearby. They were within sight of each other but at least thirty foot away. Suddenly the male flew over to the female and started the breeding season in earnest by mating with the female.

March. The couple have been sharing the nest and one will often leave while the other remains. The last viewing saw the male take flight only to be met mid air by the female. We could then see the difference in size between the two. The female’s larger size was obvious.

April. No positive sighting but judging by the pairs actions it appears we have chicks ( hopefully more than one ). The female is possibly feeding the fledglings. Her head is bowed and her behind is up in the air as she attends her young. The male also took his turn in attending the youngsters as the female left the nest to stretch her wings for a small flight.
Finally see the chick. ( Only one though ) It is quite large. It has lost a lot of its grey downy feathers and looks rather like the adults. It has a grey head and a white mark on its breast but overall brown in colour. The adults are still in attendance but will leave the youngster alone while they go hunting. The youngster appears at the nest occasionally flapping its wings. Getting ready no doubt, to take its first flight !

Yesterday evening was thrilled to see the first bee eater of the season in this area, the late evening sun caught its brilliant colours as it swooped by, today have seen two more. It's exciting to have them back, and in the next few days will enjoy seeing them in numbers as they nest just down the road.

The Ebro Delta is changing these days. Nothing dramatic, but definitely changing, and it has nothing to do with the recent rains having filled up the river so much that the owners of the little car ferries have been forced to take an extra vacation. Instead, it has to do with the departures and arrivals of birds. The change is so subtle that at first you don't notice it much. You still see Flamingoes and lots of Cattle and Little Egrets everywhere, and the Chiffchaff is still ubiquitous in reed beds and road sides. The wintering shorebirds and raptors are still present, and Purple Gallinules can be spotted anywhere with a bit of water left. But then suddenly you notice that the Grey Heron taking off is really a Purple Heron, and that the little warbler in the bush is actually a Willow Warbler and not a Chiffchaff. Next thing you realise might be that the numbers of Black-winged Stilts and Whiskered Terns have increased dramatically during the last weeks, or that the Kingfishers have disappeared from most of the channels, and then your mind starts working. The Bluethroats and Reed Buntings are almost all gone, there are very few Marsh Harriers compared to the winter months, and flocks of big black birds are now almost more likely to be of Glossy Ibis than Great Cormorant. Woodchat Shrike, Pied Flycatcher, and Subalpine Warbler, are back, and migrating Hoopoes have boosted the local population to almost double the usual number. The Scops Owls are back in their nest boxes, Swallows and Sand Martins are flying over the lagoons, and the first ducklings are already following Mama Mallard around. Now we just have to wait a couple of weeks to see the flooding of the rice fields, the Collared Pratincoles, and the noisy Great Reed Warblers, and then it will really be springtime in the delta!

Stripe-necked terrapins on the Costa del Sol.

On the winding road down from Ronda to San Pedro de Alcantara today were several Short-toed eagles, flying fast in a strong wind. High above us was a Booted eagle testing and grappling with a large black bird (maybe a Raven).

The flora is well advanced on the coastal zone in comparison to our area in the mountains of Grazalema. Lavenders, Rockroses, Halimiums, Brooms, Peas, Thistles and Viburnums were some of the native plants in full bloom.

The most amazing creatures for their adaptation to the ever expanding concrete surface of the Costa del Sol are the terrapins that are somehow surviving in the small amount of water flowing in the Guadaiza river in San Pedro. These animals normally so shy and retiring are breeding successfully here along side the busy dual carriage way of the A7 (previously the N340). Whenever we drive this road it has become customary to see if the terrapins are coping. Today for the first time we stopped and crept along the bank towards the shallow pool in the river bed, our aim being to identify what species they are. It is the most bizarre experience to be bombarded by the noise of heavy traffic, police / ambulance sirens whilst trying not to disturb sunbathing terrapins!
Stripe-necked terrapins (Mauremys leprosa).

They plopped off their rocky terraces as a herd of cattle were driven along the path way from the last remaining grassland towards the beach. Interestingly their accompanying cattle egrets would not pass either over or under the main road and turned back to the fields. A grey heron with both grey and pied wagtails were left to enjoy the damp areas.

Sue and Clive

Owl Spotting in the Sierra de San Vicente.
Having seen the appeal on Wild Spain for more colaborators for the SEO NOCTUA program we signed up in january. The program requires a few hours of effort per year and involves listening for owls at sunset on three ocasions and recording the species and numbers heard. Where we live in the countryside near Navamorcuende there is an abundance of owls - on any evening walk to the village one can hear Little Owls and Barn Owls. For the NOCTUA program you have to chose five field sites. On the given nights each site has to be visited and remained at for a period of ten minutes. All of this has to take place within two hours of sunset and with a minimum distance of 1.5Km between each site a certain amount of rushing around in the dark is required. Prior to the first round of visits we duly studied the interactive CD provided by SEO so as to familiarize ourselves with the calls of the species being studied. When the appointed time arrived we sallied forth into the Navamorcuende twilight with high hopes armed with notepads, pencils, maps and a torch. Needless to say the chosen night was almost completely un-troubled by owls! In the time spent at the five listening sights we only heard one Little Owl and had to content ourselves with filling the boxes on the field report with zeroes. Cleverly our last chosen listening point is on route to a bar so the evening ended on a jolly note, albeit more Mahou then Buho.
For those of you who have thought about signing up for the NOCTUA program but haven't done so - go on! Do it! It's only for three nights per year and is fun as well as being important.

Today has been one of the days that we eagerly await each february in the Sierra de San Vicente - the day that the cranes head off north to their Scandanavian nesting grounds. For some reason, and we think that it may be the thermals over the sierra, the cranes congregate in great numbers above Navamorcuende and circle higher and higher until heading off in formation. Today we were lucky enough to have them circling right above our house and we were able to watch more and more V formations arriving to join the melee overhead. Although hard to count, the first group to form up and head north must have been some 500 strong. This was followed by a second wave an hour later. It's always a beautiful sight and sound - one which truly heralds that the worst of winter is behind us.

Down By The Riverside

One of the most pleasant river walks in the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Grazelema is the one near Grazelema town. This is a wonderful and quite easy walk from the village of Benamahoma to the larger town of El Bosque. At Benamahoma you can park near two cafés where the signposts lead you to the start of the walk. Follow the river downhill through leafy glades past abandoned ruins of water mills. The path is well made and probably well trodden over the centuries and is mixture of rock gravel and earth. Several small bridges have been built along the El Bosque river and the whole setting is quite picturesque with small canyons, pools and little waterfalls coursing over mossy boulders. Bird life here is plentiful and with luck you could spot a Dipper flying past or diving under the flowing river searching out water insects on the riverbed or underneath stones. The Dipper is a great little bird and I've timed them remaining underwater for more than 90 seconds! Kingfishers and Grey Wagtails are also present.
Dragonflies and Damsels fly over the calmer stretches of the river and skimmers and water boatmen skate and slide across the surface during the spring and summer months. Brown trout also feed in the cool water.

On parts of the walk, the steep-sided mountain slopes are covered with various types pines, Eucalyptus, Holm and Cork-oaks. Here Firecrests, Cirl Buntings, Crested and Long-tailed Tits flit though the treetops. On the barer, rocky sides keep an eye out for Blue Rock Thrushes perched or chasing insects. Black Wheatears can also be watched, usually near houses in the mountains. These lovely dark birds are resident to the area, choosing to stay the whole year, signifying that there is plenty of food for them and other species. Dashing Sparrowhawks, soaring Bonelli's Eagles, and gliding Griffon Vultures can also be a real treat to see flying above you or even when you reach El Bosque and are sitting outside with a coffee at the end of the walk.

Butterflies too can be found throughout the year many colourful butterflies migrate from north and central Europe, south to winter in Andalucia. Many breed here and caterpillars can be found hatching during springtime. The Red Admiral, like a lot of butterflies is quite territorial and is one that you can see patrolling the same area each day. Other Butterflies that can be seen during the year in the mountains under 800m, include Scarce Swallowtail, Two-tailed Pasha, Spanish Festoon, Painted Lady, Gatekeeper, Wall Brown and Large Tortoiseshell.

The walk is approximately 6kms long and takes about 2 hours. There are a few bars and restaurants to choose from in El Boosque and couple of them specialize in fresh cooked trout – straight from the river. After lunch you can use the local taxi service to take you back up the mountain to Benamahoma if you don't want to walk back the same way.

Nearly a year since my last report, the project for a ski resort in the mountains of Leon, Palencia and Cantabria (San Glorio) is still being stalled by environmental reports and conservation groups. Apart from the destruction of these mountains with all the building, piste-making, huge car parks, etc. and the contamination of soil and rivers with artificial snow- making, the project would mean the end of the Iberian brown bear in these territories by removing a very important corridor of access between the two surviving population pockets. The majority of the local population are under the impression that the project will bring hordes of piste skiers to their region whereas the reality is that these mountains are relatively low compared to the Pyrenees and the Alps, with uncertain snow conditions and high winds. A new petition, addressed to Cristina Narbona, the Spanish Minister for the Environment, can be signed at; http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/418999897

The Toad Orgy is another annual event I look forward to tremendously. We are into the fourth day of it here as hundreds of Natterjacks congregate in rainwater puddles close to our house. As usual, they magicked themselves out of nowhere (nowhere = deep holes in the ground, according to the books) during a rainstorm and will spend several frantic nights croaking, mating and egg-laying. The calling males, with grossly distended vocal sacs, are unconcerned by our torchlit visits, and we continue to hear them well into the night. In a few days all that'll remain of the toads will be long bootlaces of spawn. Later, thousands of wriggling tadpoles will provide a feast for storks, egrets, magpies and starlings. With luck and more rain some of the tadpoles may actually make it to become more toads. Come July the very thought of watery toad orgies on the scorched stony plain will seem like science fiction!

First whiff of Spring. Wild asparagus tips already showing in the Holm oak scrub, storks repairing churchtop nests in town and lots of bats out and about this evening. Also, soon after nightfall, we heard the first calls of Stone curlews in the dehesa behind our house.