It’s a beautiful hazy October morning, and I’m working for the day on my old patch up on the hillside above the village. With fantastic views down the valley to the coast I’ve got one eye on the skies above me, hoping for a glimpse of something special to wrap the month up nicely. I have to say I wasn’t prepared for what the day had in store… A quick break from the cement mixer gave me a few minutes to spare and I just glanced up idly to check the skyline, and I have to say I was almost lost for words. There they were…sixteen Griffon Vultures, soaring silently over the valley, so close it felt like I could reach out and touch them. a truly spectacular sight, and one I had hoped I would be lucky enough to see since I arrived here back in February. I had seen my first Griffon from some distance three weeks earlier, but these were the views I had been waiting for. I could see every detail of their plumage, and with their buff-brown backs and distinctive white heads and necks they drifted effortlessly on the air currents overhead, making the tiniest adjustments with their long “fingers” as they circled and wheeled back up the mountain. Absolutely stunning, and one of the greatest birdwatching spectacles I have ever seen.
They reappeared above us maybe thirty minutes later, and this time I counted twenty before they finally moved on. With an eight foot wingspan these magnificent birds have to be seen to be believed, and we’re still hoping for more photos before they move on. As always, watch this space for the latest news as we start the new month….
