Calling on friends.
Western Willow Spreadwing (Lestes viridis). |
After taking Jayne and her two sisters into the center of Ronda for a day of retail therapy and a nice lunch, I visited Peter Jones of Spanish Nature for a chat and a rummage around the web sites on the net. After a pleasant couple of hours I made my way to Sue and Clive's out nearer to Grazalema to have a rattle and see the newest member of the family Sam. We spent some time out in the garden, particularly down by the stream which boarders their land, a large part of one of the many trees fell of last winter and opened up a small area of ground and the bank of the stream.
Western Willow Spreadwing (Lestes viridis). |
Almost straight away I had a new Dragonfly species for my list, Western Willow Spreadwing (Lestes viridis), several insects chased around in the dappled sunlight. Western Spectre (Boyeria irene) was also in the area but was only seen by Sue as she walked down the drive gates to let me out. Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotarda / Sylvia atricapilla) were all seen.
They had just had visitors from Cornwall in the UK and had spent a week searching the area for Dragonflies.
Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). |
Over twenty species were seen but they were now back to work on the PCs keeping the Grazalema Guide and Wildside Holidays web sites up and running.
After a cracking couple of hours I made my way back to Ronda to pick the girls up, we started to make our way towards home via a Vulture feeding station.
Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). |
On our arrival a few birds were sitting out in the field but that was about it, so we were just leaving when a tractor with a bucket load of offal left the near by village.
What happened next surprised even me, within second two hundred plus Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) were circling the tractor as it turned of the road on to the track and made its way to the dumping site.
As the vehicle stopped it was mobbed by birds, it tipped it's load and left the scavengers tearing the offal up and gorging them selves.
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). |
We then drove back to the main road and got some distant views of the flock in flight as the tractor returned with the second course.
1 comment:
Hi Mike,
Just a quick note to say how much I enjoy browsing your blog. I'd have loved to have seen those vultures - it doesn't matter how many times I pop out to Spain I always get a kick out of seeing these superb birds,
John Cantelo
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