Golden Orioles, Hoopoe and Woodchat Shrike. June in the Alpujarras 7th June 2010

It’s the first week of June and with many of our seasonal migrants back for the summer, its time for me to take a walk down into the valley below Lanjaron to see what’s going on “in the backyard”. Even this close to the village the birdwatching can be spectacular, and there is always something [...]

 
Griffon Vultures over Andalucia. May in the El Torcal Nature Reserve 20th May 2010

Thursday morning…and I’m off with a friend to El Torcal Nature Reserve. Located about 30km north of Malaga near the town of Antequera, the area boasts one of the most impressive limestone landscapes in Europe. Highly eroded, surreal rock formations provide a fascinating backdrop and with fantastic views out towards the coast and a unique [...]

 
Bee Eaters, Red-rumped Swallows and Blue Rock Thrush…April in Lanjaron 28th April 2010

Working in the sunshine again today, and I’m up on the hillside just outside the village of Lanjaron. Chaffinches , Blackbirds and Great Tits provided most of the background chatter, but some old favourites still managed to give the day a Mediterranean twist… We crossed a small stream on the track this morning, and a [...]

 

Another bright, dry April morning…and I’m off to work for the day, up on the hillside above Lanjaron. Olive groves, orchards and terraced gardens…only ten minutes drive from the main road, and not exactly the wildest or most remote of birdwatching locations you could choose. This is April in the Alpujarras, however, and the birdwatching [...]

 

It’s a bright sunny day in the first week of April, and the hirundine community, soaring and swirling over the house and out across the valley, is growing by the day. House Martins into double figures have joined their resident Crag Martins cousins as they float overhead, and beautiful Barn Swallows have joined the throng, [...]

 
Birdwatching in October…departures and arrivals in the valley below Lanjaron 15th October 2009

With the month rolling on it’s time to catch up with all the comings and goings “on the doorstep” as I take another look at birdwatching down in the valley below the village. All those House Martins that hung on through the tail-end of summmer have finally really thinned out now…with just the last one [...]

 
Griffon Vultures over Lanjaron…another life-list first in the Alpujarras 5th October 2009

It´s the first week of October, and I´m helping the Spanish Highs Mountain Guides crew with some work on their house above Lanjaron. As always, I´ve got one eye on the sky and I´m listening to the birdsong on the hillside around me. As ever, the Sardinian Warblers are clicking and churring in the olive [...]

 

Thursday morning, and as usual I’m “doing the rounds” and checking out what’s going on before I start work. It was the beautiful, bright song of a Blackcap that got me out of the flat today, I tracked its calls from tree to tree around to the back of the house as it stayed in [...]

 

After the relentless sunshine of summer the weather has finally broken…we’re in the second day of thunder and lightening and pounding rain, got caught in it earlier and it was freezing. Not before I’d managed to get out on patrol again however, as I continue to check out the valley below Lanjaron for departures and [...]

 

As the last few weeks of summer unfold I’ve been working below the village for over a month now, and it’s time to take a look back at birdwatching in August down here in the valley below Lanjaron. House Sparrows and Spotless Starlings provide the background chatter as always, with Serin, Goldfinch, Spotted Flycatchers and [...]