I've
been practising my digiscoping but I'm afraid I've still got a long
way to go. A new pair of eyes might help. Anyway I managed a
Melodious Warbler that was singing his little socks off and a couple
of other local residents...
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| Melodious warbler Zarcero |
A
very pleasant evening with a birding group in Puente del Congosto was
accompanied all along the way by a Golden Oriole calling.
Tantalisingly invisible. I quite rashly promised them that they
would get to see it (rule number one for birding guides NEVER PROMISE
YOU'LL SEE A BIRD!!!!). But I'm intuitive, or a bit of a witch as
they say over here, and sure enough on our way back, there it was
perched on top of a dead tree, clearly visible to all and wonderfully
yellow. I couldn't stop grinning!
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Photo Wikipedia
On
Sunday morning we continued our Harrier campaign – this time
looking with some urgency for Montague and Hen harrier which, because
of a wet winter followed by hot weather, run the risk of being
harvested along with the crops which are being cut still green for
fodder.
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Our
team were in an area of the Campos de Alba where there's not a tree
to be spotted anywhere. Which means no shade of course. We waited
and watched and eventually we saw a male Montague's fly over the
wheatfield and drop food for the female, which flew up to meet him
and then disappeared into the green.
Those
of us with telescopes followed her and fixed our scopes on the spot
where she'd vanished. Then two of the team walked out and were given
directions- forward a bit , to your right, no, left a bit, sort of
Golden Shot type instructions (the older generation'll know what I'm
talking about) until suddenly, up erupted the female Harrier and they
knew they'd found the nest. Three eggs: she wasn't incubating yet so
she didn't come back to the nest for a good while.
Meanwhile
another pair appeared and we waited and hoped for a repeat
performance. But it didn't happen. Another inspection was made of
where they'd thought there was a nest but it must have been a false
start.
We
got a fright when a harvester turned up but luckily he was only going
for the purple fodder.
After
over 4 hours under a merciless sun we packed up until the next session.
