AN OLD WALK –REVISITED

I used to walk our dogs just outside the town amongst a varied habitat where I could see wildlife. Recently I have walked that way again but more slowly this time to pay attention to everything that is around me. Summer is most certainly here and with it all the activity associated with warmer weather. There is birdsong, the hirundinidae (swallows etc.) are giving their aerobatical displays and perching male birds are showing off with their song and strikingly coloured plumage. Butterflies give extra colour but they are not alone for there is a lot more flying than those. On the ground I watched lines of ants carrying gathered seeds from a White Rockrose into their nests. It’s activity everywhere I look. I walked on slowly, listening, looking and watching towards the irrigation canal where there is dense stand of bamboo nearby. As I approached it I could see three Red-rumped Swallows flying around and tweeting. They were so low that there was no need for binoculars and then they perched for me to get a better good look. A Green Woodpecker flew and then I spotted a male one taking a drink before, it too, flew off. While all of this was occurring there was Serin, Goldfinch and the wonderful sound of Nightingale-possibly two- singing from somewhere within the bamboo stand. I intend to go here again with chair and scope to see what else is there. Patience, I know, will pay me back and maybe get a glimpse of these songsters.

Audouin´s Gull

Taken at La Zenia Beach on Sunday morning whilst Michelle was running. Taken with a Canon 40D with 300mm Lens

ANOTHER DAY OUT WITH THE COSTA BLANCA BIRD CLUB

Yesterday, Wednesday 18th April we went to the area south of Totana (Murcia), a large flat area with cultivated fields and, fortunately areas that have been left fallow. These lie on the north side of Autovia Totana-Mazarron, the RM3. Here, there is a mixture of vegetation which provides food and shelter for a variety of species. We were lucky to find a Greater Spotted Cuckoo, another, then sat long enough for a scope to be focused on it. As we drove on two of them flew in front of us. Other stars of the day were Spectacled Warblers, Whinchat, both male and female together with as many larks as you would ever want to see. (I will let the experts say which ones). Northern Wheatear and Black Wheat-ear flew around us, as well as Black Bellied Sand Grouse and Stone Curlew. Previously we had seen a yellow wagtail on the edge of a water deposit but our morning was further enhanced with a low flying Golden Eagle-what a treat. We moved on in a northerly direction into Parque Natural de Sierra Espuna where in the pine forest we heard and saw very little but as Mile and Barry were moving on they saw Crossbill. In the area around the restaurant there was very little activity, except for Goldfinch. Mike did see a Sparrow Hawk fly through and as Michelle and I were about to leave he spotted a Firecrest. It does pay not to eat inside and to be patient! We headed for home, leaving the rest of the party in the restaurant but we did see Woodchat Shrike and a white morph Booted Eagle. It was a long day but it is always good to see beautiful things.

STANZA MAR MENOR POETRY GROUP

Four members, Kathy, Margaret, David and John travelled to Relleu last Saturday for a workshop with Mario Petrucci at Christopher North’s writing retreat. If you have not been there before, then you should find the area interesting. It is mountainous, with lots of terraces but the most striking, for me, was the quantity of ruins which must have many tales to tell. It is all beautiful and so is the Old Olive Press within which the workshop was held. The whole place had a good feel to it and created a warm atmosphere in which to write and learn. I think that we all came away with thoughts that we could turn into poems.

Mario Petrucci was excellent in all aspects. I will say nothing else but to advise that you take a good look at his website.

Our meeting this morning consisted of only three-that was Margaret, David and John. We already had three train poems emailed to us and David had also promised us more which he brought with him. His project is almost completed and he says that he has just one more to write. We read the present batch and then offered our advice for him to take away. There are some great ideas within them and the images are well crafted. We will look forward to seeing the illustrated final product.

David has already explored some of his ideas from the workshop and these and other work emanating from there we will discuss at our next meeting on FRIDAY 27th APRIL.

We also discussed continuing our nature theme and we are considering another visit to Portman during the month of May so that we can see it in good weather but hopefully, while it is not yet to hot and when it still looking green. We thought that maybe a Saturday would be a better day and to take with us some light refreshment before adjourning to the restaurant we visited before. Let me know what dates are suitable for you.

I have just joined The Wildlife & Wetlands Trust and they have a Poet’s Corner in their quarterly magazine in which they have published a member’s poem. I intend to keep this idea in mind as it obviously falls within the nature theme and gives me a goal to work to. The magazine, Waterlife, has a circulation of over 90,000 quarterly. Anyone else that could also give this some thought?

RARE GULLS

On Sunday morning I had my best ever view of two Audouin’s Gulls on the beach which who seemed completely unconcerned about what was going on around them. This is one of the World’s rare gulls but we seem to have a good population on this coast.

SEARCHING FOR WINTER’S END

Last Saturday I went out to into the sunshine as the day was beginning to warm up - a good time to see what was flying around or to hear birdsong.

My intention was to see whether Woodchat Shrike or Bee-eaters had arrived or to see the rare Greater Spotted Cuckoo which I knew had been seen locally. High hopes for this bright morning were soon to be side-tracked when I heard a Common Cuckoo calling as it perched on an overhead wire. This was a good view of it but it was soon to get better. I found a vantage point and stood there waiting. There was a fir tree about seven metres away to which a cuckoo flew into, it soon disappeared but provided me with a good view. Around me I could hear a Sardinian Warbler rattling away, a Green Woodpecker with its distinctive ‘yaffle’ call and all the time the cuckoo kept calling.

High in the sky I could hear some faint burbling which I thought could only be a Bee-eater. I was able to confirm this unique call when I was able to see one in my binoculars. They are here but this one may be passing through to a more northerly location. I will keep looking for them.

Last year Sand Martins had arrived in San Miguel, at their nesting sites, by the end of February but so far I have not seen one at four places that I have known them to frequent. What is going on? Has there been a disaster for them in Africa? I hope not.

Private Games by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan - A Review

I have just read this latest book in a day. What two better subjects to pick than corruption within sports management and the intentions of a ‘hard done by guy’ who wishes to obliterate the forthcoming Olympic games in London.

That’s not all for we get layer after layer of intrigue to make sure that we keep those pages turning. Foisted upon us are characters that are definitely super natural but wear their knickers on the inside. Heroes take a beating, go without sleep and still they carry on working ceaselessly to foil the plotters. Yes, there is more than one nasty. Cleverly, there are women involved as well, but not only the over performing Yard detective who plays second string to our man hero. Mr Patterson throws in a teaspoon full of mythology to give it an intrinsic taste that arrived via a very nasty conflict of twenty years ago. Get the message. It is all designed to move it all along at a very rapid pace and it does just that. To balance out all the tension there is that other emotion, love, that does come shining through and it is well done.

It would be ridiculous of me to give you the ending to this fabrication as the Olympics will take place in July but I will keep more than one eye on ‘The News’. In the meantime I will stick with short stories!