With the end of the month upon us the offer of a couple of days work has taken me up the mountain above the village, and I’m back on my favourite patch on the hillside once again. I learnt to keep one eye skywards early on during my time up here…with beautiful views down towards the coast and the sea it´s always been a fantastic spot for raptors and the local Booted and Short-toed Eagles showed well throughout the summer months. The year has rolled on however and these migrants have headed south to their wintering grounds in Africa, so the appearance of a large bird of prey soaring over the house immediately caught my attention. With a dark brown chest and distinctive long tail the bird´s control in the air was effortless, minute adjustments in the ¨fingers¨ of its wingtips were all it required to patrol lazily overhead. Golden Eagle. Glorious! Great to see this hugely impressive bird close up, and a terrific end to the birding month.
Even Golden Eagles sometimes encounter unexpected complications, and don´t always have everything their way. Today the local Kestrels were out and about, and clearly took a dim view of this intrusion into their territory. I watched a Golden Oriole furiously see a Golden Eagle off further up the valley over the summer, and today the pair of falcons were every bit as indignant. They mobbed the eagle mercilessly, showing no respect at all despite being dwarfed by its bulk. With timeless patience the Goldie drifted off, maintaining its dignity throughout. Talk about composure! Anything for a quiet life, I guess. Another special moment in the hills above Lanjaron. I just hope these magnificent birds stay with us through the winter……
