Parque Natural de Hondon. I know that summer is here, but I wanted to see what this important birding area has to offer throughout the year and so I spent another Saturday morning there. I have been paying attention to the Moustached Warblers (Carricerin Real) that arrived in April and nest here. I watched a female with food in her beak and continuously calling. Somewhere there must be fledglings about, but I did not see any and perhaps they were still in the nest. There was a lot of activity with adult birds frequenting a low point in the reeds. I heard at least two males singing.
It was quiet there, more so than usual, but that does not mean it is not worth going to. I find it is better to concentrate on certain species rather than go for quantity. Highlights were not many. Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanco) dived, Bee-eaters (Abejaruca Común) hunted low over the water and a Southern Grey Shrike (Alcaudon Real) was perched in the distance. On the far lagoon there were two families of Great Crested Grebes (Somormujjo Lavanco) each with three young. They are great to see especially when one is hitching a lift.
Apart from Harry Bailey I was almost on my own. We shared the spaces and watched the warblers. Afterwards a stop at La Mata yielded one flying male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo) and then on to see the Azure-winged Magpies. Again we were in luck as there was a nest with a sitting bird. We had good, close up views and I left him with his camera to get a good shot.
Earlier a small warbler flew and dive around in the reeds and in a Eucalyptus. I am hoping that one of Harry's photos will help with identification. It was very pale underneath, brown and with a black feather on the edge of the wing.
Hopefully there will be photos to follow courtesy of Harry.
Saturday, 20 June 2015
Friday, 19 June 2015
Poetry Writers - Stanza Mar Menor
Stanza Mar Menor met up once again before the heat of summer gets too much and before David has disappeared again to Murmansk, Douglas back to Scotland and Margaret seeking a cooler place in Sheffield. I will be here until October.
Margaret challenged herself with a 'Love Poem' and we think that it is a 'Poem of Love'. The challenge was to create your own list of non-loving words and use them. The first stanza contained the disaster element with the opening lines The day began like a farce/a comedy of events and then picking out two lines in the second longer Stanza 'You cooled and soothed me/with your hands and voice.
Douglas with his mind firmly set in Scotland gave us one 'On the Eve of the Vote' which produced an amended longer version written two days after the Independence result was known. Amendments pending and so no comments. He followed this with 'SignifaTory' and maybe we will see some small changes. It is good to get political!
David asked us to comment upon his latest Tonka story which we did. This is a subject that has enthused him ever since his first visit to Russia. He now introduced 'Sex and Squabbles' based on his observations of House Sparrows and other birds he has seen around his house. Then 'Barents Beauty' relating his own observations of that part of Russia. Both so descriptive.
With Future Learn he is involving himself in lyrics and enjoying it. His knowledge of rhythm and metre will be honed even further.
We may be only a small group, but there is a mix of work being produced. I am involving myself in story writing which has been inspired by the themes of the Torrevieja Writers Circle. However, a poem is never that far away.
Our next gathering will be in late summer at the earliest although we will be in contact with new work through emails.
Margaret challenged herself with a 'Love Poem' and we think that it is a 'Poem of Love'. The challenge was to create your own list of non-loving words and use them. The first stanza contained the disaster element with the opening lines The day began like a farce/a comedy of events and then picking out two lines in the second longer Stanza 'You cooled and soothed me/with your hands and voice.
Douglas with his mind firmly set in Scotland gave us one 'On the Eve of the Vote' which produced an amended longer version written two days after the Independence result was known. Amendments pending and so no comments. He followed this with 'SignifaTory' and maybe we will see some small changes. It is good to get political!
David asked us to comment upon his latest Tonka story which we did. This is a subject that has enthused him ever since his first visit to Russia. He now introduced 'Sex and Squabbles' based on his observations of House Sparrows and other birds he has seen around his house. Then 'Barents Beauty' relating his own observations of that part of Russia. Both so descriptive.
With Future Learn he is involving himself in lyrics and enjoying it. His knowledge of rhythm and metre will be honed even further.
We may be only a small group, but there is a mix of work being produced. I am involving myself in story writing which has been inspired by the themes of the Torrevieja Writers Circle. However, a poem is never that far away.
Our next gathering will be in late summer at the earliest although we will be in contact with new work through emails.
Rufous Bush Robin
On a hot afternoon in June I managed another first for this year. It is not so much the right place, but to know the right people who can take you to where you should be able to see a Rufous Bush Robin (Alzacola). It obliged within a few minutes and I had three superb sightings probably of the same bird as it moved about. These were all within a few metres of where sat. Then we had to wait, but no time is ever wasted when you out listening and watching. Spotted Flycatchers (Papamoscas Gris) were very active flitting up and around their perches. One settled in a pine tree and through the binoculars I watched it for several minutes. There is nothing better than a full frontal view where the softness of the plumage could be appreciated in the dappled light. All the time Blackbirds (Mirlo Común) were calling. A few Long-tailed Tits (Mitos) fed in the trees and all the time European Turtles Doves were turrring. I was lucky as I was able to glimpse one and then another came into full view - albeit only briefly. How or why would any one want to shoot such beauties out of the sky? Serin (Verdecillo) were about as well and a Sardinian Warbler (Carruca Cabecinegra) called and then to our surprise two Iberian Green Woodpeckers (Pito Real) flew.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Thomas.
I had previously seen some activity on the edge of the trees and as we approached two Rufous Bush Robins came into view with one starting to display. Then it perched in a Carib Tree. We could clearly see all the markings including the under tail 'chevrons'. It was kind to us and we had full and very close views for at least 10 minutes and the camera became very busy. Thank you Bryan Thomas.
When I arrived home the Pallid Swifts were screaming above the road. I love fantastic days like this.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Thomas.
I had previously seen some activity on the edge of the trees and as we approached two Rufous Bush Robins came into view with one starting to display. Then it perched in a Carib Tree. We could clearly see all the markings including the under tail 'chevrons'. It was kind to us and we had full and very close views for at least 10 minutes and the camera became very busy. Thank you Bryan Thomas.
When I arrived home the Pallid Swifts were screaming above the road. I love fantastic days like this.
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Stanza Mar Menor
Members of Stanza Mar Menor meet again now that we are together in Spain. We cannot think of a better way to share a few hours than doing what we do. There is much value in the time that we spend together which is to encourage, evaluate and to make suggestions. As a group it is self led and the work in the meetings just flows from one item to the next. It is so easy.
Douglas has his own way of obtaining ideas of what subject to write upon. His sonnets are of before, during and after, and now that he has recovered we get more words. This afternoon there was one more entitled 'Re-Awakened' with the last two lines detailing a deep thought: 'Here I am, so here am I once more/Once dying, now reborn, still to the fore'.
His second piece was with reference to the nursing care where he talks of 'The True Reality' of it and found many individuals that were not that caring. This prompted several lines of thought and one in particular was that experiences of this nature needs to be said. The question is where and how? It made me consider what we could do.
Moving on, he then has tackled the premature death of Charles Kennedy with the appropriate title of 'Bonnie Charlie's Noo Awa', taken from the first line of a song. It was his tribute and begins with 'The Hielan' gentleman has left the room'. Incredibly appropriate and timely and isn't this is what writing should be about?
Margaret contributed 'Commuters' that dealt with the 'scrolling brigade' of the silent screen tapping silent ones. There is always more in her lines than one theme and the final stanza dealt with the non-commuters, the beggars and the homeless. Her 'Passing By' dealt with the serious matter of child abuse and with a line that made listeners 'sit up and take notice': 'he strokes her cheek with his knuckle'. This was inspired by a local book club book of the other month by Corban Addison, ' A Walk Across the Sun'.
David, who only two days ago returned from Murmansk with a 'truck load' of experiences, ideas and images in his mind had nothing for us to comment upon. Apart from carrying on with his children's stories, and maybe continuing them on into animation he says that he has seen so much of the natural world that wildlife is a subject that he intends to write upon.
Iarla and this scribe listened, observed and commented. Margaret Rowland had introduced her book 'Give Voice to Verse' (ISBN 9781511567763). Poetry that was inspired, in part, by 'open mics' and her desire to write poems that should be said out aloud. She has every reason to be very proud of this collection.
What next shall we do? Margaret is the third member of this group to publish after David Leslie Urion's 'In Praise of Rails' (ISBN 10 14959116510) and Douglas Wilson Hill's 'Streams of Conscience' (ISBN 9781499189254) and so we need to continue with our writing and to see what other projects we can complete.
The idea of gathering together in 'an open mic event' is to be considered and discussed further. After all poetry and prose has always been said out loud and is never just to be read in isolation.
Poetry, prose and lyric writers are people that we know. We could also add music to our event. This is for the cooler months.
Douglas with his poems and David with his short stories have been involved with 'Poetic Republic' where the results will be known shortly. This is something that we all know about and something to plan for.
It was wonderful for us to meet up and to share time together.
Douglas has his own way of obtaining ideas of what subject to write upon. His sonnets are of before, during and after, and now that he has recovered we get more words. This afternoon there was one more entitled 'Re-Awakened' with the last two lines detailing a deep thought: 'Here I am, so here am I once more/Once dying, now reborn, still to the fore'.
His second piece was with reference to the nursing care where he talks of 'The True Reality' of it and found many individuals that were not that caring. This prompted several lines of thought and one in particular was that experiences of this nature needs to be said. The question is where and how? It made me consider what we could do.
Moving on, he then has tackled the premature death of Charles Kennedy with the appropriate title of 'Bonnie Charlie's Noo Awa', taken from the first line of a song. It was his tribute and begins with 'The Hielan' gentleman has left the room'. Incredibly appropriate and timely and isn't this is what writing should be about?
Margaret contributed 'Commuters' that dealt with the 'scrolling brigade' of the silent screen tapping silent ones. There is always more in her lines than one theme and the final stanza dealt with the non-commuters, the beggars and the homeless. Her 'Passing By' dealt with the serious matter of child abuse and with a line that made listeners 'sit up and take notice': 'he strokes her cheek with his knuckle'. This was inspired by a local book club book of the other month by Corban Addison, ' A Walk Across the Sun'.
David, who only two days ago returned from Murmansk with a 'truck load' of experiences, ideas and images in his mind had nothing for us to comment upon. Apart from carrying on with his children's stories, and maybe continuing them on into animation he says that he has seen so much of the natural world that wildlife is a subject that he intends to write upon.
Iarla and this scribe listened, observed and commented. Margaret Rowland had introduced her book 'Give Voice to Verse' (ISBN 9781511567763). Poetry that was inspired, in part, by 'open mics' and her desire to write poems that should be said out aloud. She has every reason to be very proud of this collection.
What next shall we do? Margaret is the third member of this group to publish after David Leslie Urion's 'In Praise of Rails' (ISBN 10 14959116510) and Douglas Wilson Hill's 'Streams of Conscience' (ISBN 9781499189254) and so we need to continue with our writing and to see what other projects we can complete.
The idea of gathering together in 'an open mic event' is to be considered and discussed further. After all poetry and prose has always been said out loud and is never just to be read in isolation.
Poetry, prose and lyric writers are people that we know. We could also add music to our event. This is for the cooler months.
Douglas with his poems and David with his short stories have been involved with 'Poetic Republic' where the results will be known shortly. This is something that we all know about and something to plan for.
It was wonderful for us to meet up and to share time together.
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