Tuesday 19 May 2015

Mari Hannah's Killing for Keeps



Brutal, that is exactly how Mari Hannah's Killing for Keeps starts. There is no other way of describing it and for the squeamish it is much better in black and white than in colour. This is the fifth book detailing the successes of Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels and her team of investigators and I have enjoyed them all, but this one is the best for several reasons. It's different, and she has brought other facets in the story. She has built in the Scottish connection of gangsters and criminality and woven it in beautifully with the happenings in her force area of Northumberland. Not only that she has had to travel to the Costa Blanca to unravel some of what has happened. The attention to detail is amazing and that gives her plots a more realistic edge. I like the way she brings in moments from the past which have been mentioned in her previous books. All the while there is the personal elements that keep appearing not only within the team, but within her own personal, intimate life. Will she 'come out' or will she keep her sexuality to herself just to keep the promotion prospects on an upward spiral? For now it is on hold and eventually we will have to find out. Okay, what of the killings and the chase, but you will have to read to enjoy them. Wonderful characters play their part with lies, and gratuitous violence. There are stories within stories which do add to the overall effect. By far the best so far with some quite unexpected and sudden changes. You can read this as a one-off, but why not read them all?
Reviewed on Amazon with four stars.

Wednesday 13 May 2015

A 'FOUR GREATER SPOTTED CUCKOO' MORNING

The Estepas de Yecla lies between the two towns of Yecla on the western side and Caudette to the east. Politically this area straddles Albacete, Murcia and Valencia and is formed by a wide, flat valley that lies between two small mountain ranges. It is beautiful, especially in spring, when the red of the poppies tend to overpower the other strident colours of yellows and greens. Olives, Almonds and corn predominate, but towards Caudette vines are grown. Fortunately there are areas that are left uncultivated which in part could be the result of crop rotation or because the ground is too stoney. The vegetation is different with pines and shrubs very evident the nearer one is able to get to the rocky ridges.

We decided to visit Estepas de Yecla again after our last visit in April. The objective being to search other areas that we had not visited before to be a position to say whether they could be productive for birds. There is a farming area to the west of the steppes that certainly contained birds and we will need to check this area again before being to fully able to decide if it could be worthwhile.

We then took our usual route in, but paying much more attention to side roads not previously travelled. In essence any part of the central part of this valley contains birds of interest for us.

We had not before taken any roads that would lead us towards the ridge on our right. When we did so we found Linnet, Goldfinch, and we were pleased to hear a Sardinian Warbler calling. Then a male Subalpine perched and flew. By this time it was past midday and hot. We thought that this would be more productive early in a morning.

A point to remember is that the time of year is all important. We were there last on 28th April, and in that short period the vegetation had grown resulting in making it almost impossible to see ground feeding birds. We do intend to return. This could be after the corn has been cut, but more likely in September. Another factor to consider is the time of day. We arrived at 8am and left just before 2pm and the temperature went from cool to 35 degrees.

The birds that we did see are:


Bee-eaters. They are always good to see and hear. They are throughout this valley and have a nesting sight nearer Caudette.







Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Three flew and we later heard others calling.

Blackbirds, frequently calling.

Collared Doves

Choughs (red billed) two of them seen at the end of the ridge towards Caudette.

Corn Buntings seen and heard.

Greater Spotted Cuckoos. They were marvelous to see and hear. Their raucous chattering was very clear when four flew into the same tree as two weeks ago. Two pairs, we supposed, squabbling over territory.

Hoopoe.

Crows. One or two, but no more.

Larks: This is an excellent area for them. Crested were every where calling, perched and flying around. We had great views of Thekla and I noted how different their call is to the Crested ones. Also Calandra were there and flew exposing their white trailing edge on the wings.

However, the greatest show of the larks does belong to the Short-toed who did everything that we wanted them to do and perched for Bryan to takes photographs.













Lesser Kestrels. There were not as numerous as before, but were still evident around the farm buildings. Both Rock Doves and Starlings use this for nesting as well.

Little Owls. Two seen separately.

Magpies. Only occasionally seen.

Mistletoe Thrushes. In the early morning, over the farmland, they showed really well. Their darker markings being distinctive.

Pallid Swifts. Again in the early part of the day flying over cultivated land along with Swallows.

Rock Sparrows feeding on the ground.

Stone Curlew, but only one seen although this does appear to be a habitat for them.

Tree Sparrows, also House Sparrow. Two seen and heard at the same location as Bee-eaters and the two Choughs.

Wheatears. All three species obliged, but with only one Northern. We had some views of Black, but they were less easy to see than the Black-eared. They showed well and we watched a pair for several minutes.

Wood Pigeons.

Woodchat Shrike.

Finally, we talked about doing this area in reverse order so that we enter via A31 near Caudette (we have previously left A31 earlier and travelled through Yecla) and take the roads leading to higher ground and nearer the ridge before proceeding through the valley. This will give us cooler temperatures for this part and to try and understand more what this locale can give us.

Bryan is of the opinion that this could be a 'mega' site for the migration periods.

All photos courtesy of Bryan Thomas.

Saturday 9 May 2015

Saturday 9th May - El Hondon

Another visit to EL Hondon through the North Gate. There was a blue sky with only a very light breeze and surprisingly very few Mosquitos. As I drove down Great Reed Warblers were calling clearly. I knew that the small hide would already be occupied and so I spent some time on the boardwalk situated just before the hide. I had good views over the near edge of the lagoon. There was nothing exceptional, but I had clear views of Glossy Ibis and a Fantailed Warbler/Zitting Cisticola (Buitron) perched nearby. Cuckoos (Cuco Común) were calling and I had several sightings of them in flight.

I moved on and eventually spent some time in the larger hide at the far end of vehicular access. There was very little on the water except Pochard (Porrón Europea) and one White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca). I had terrific views of a Purple Heron (Garza Imperiel) and a male Little Bittern (Evetorillo Común) flew showing off the bronze and black plumage. In fact this species were active for most of the morning. The same can be said of Squacco Herons (Garcilla Cangrejera) and one flew in, stayed close enough to allow me to see the plumage easily including the blue around the base of the beak. Simply beautiful. From the hide I had good views of calling Great Reed Warblers (Carricero Tordal). There was also Reed Warblers (Carricero Común) calling and a Nightingale (Ruiseñor Común) singing but not viewed. Moustached Warblers (Carricerin Real) seemed less active, but nevertheless they were heard. I will pay them some more attention next week.

Disappointingly I did not see Montague's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo) this morning even though they are at La Mata.

I noticed that the water level had dropped and I also understand that the new lagoons around the Visitor Centre had lost much of their water. That is a pity.

Thursday 7 May 2015

Before the General Election

A PARTY POLITICAL SHAM

They are the appointed.
Studio calm, hair dressed,
powdered dusted faces look
the camera in the eye
and prepares to lie.

From Andrew Marr
to Andrew Neil
on Sunday mornings,
on week-days, shows
politics is the lying game.

There appears to be no shame
in avoiding the question.
You can see Mr Neil
go red in the face
as one more politician

opts for their own rhetoric,
let toes wiggle behind
the party line. They stick
to the words that fill
the air spaces.

"Absolutely,"
"Let me be clear"
means 'absolutely' nothing
to me and yet
the honorable members

deems not to answer
any question. 'Yes' or 'No'
has to be avoided.
Prevaricate they do.
It's the name of

their misleading game
of party political shame.



I





Saturday 2 May 2015

El Hondon Natural Park

On Saturday 2nd May we visited El Hondon via the north gate. Dennis already had 127 bird species on his list for this week. We knew that it would be difficult to add many more, but we did. At the end of his last birding day here in Spain his all time 'lifer' list has been increased by 18 and his Spanish list has been enhanced by 30. His total since Monday morning is now 130. That is an achievement and it is also one for me as I was with for almost all of them. Grateful thanks must go to Bryan Thomas birder, photographer and great companion for all his expertise. Above all we had fun.

It was a beautiful blue sky morning with very little activity from the Mosquitos and much more activity from the birds. We had close up views of Fantailed Warbler, Reed Warbler with Great Reed Warblers calling from it seems everywhere. Moustached Warblers did show, but they were as flighty as usual. Dennis remarked that could hear a Baillion's Crake in a location where I had been told they had been seen. Something to look for next time. There were many of the water birds on show, but nothing more than I would have expected. Whiskered Terns were terrific to watch with no sign, that I could see, of a Black Tern. Again we had good close views of the Common Cuckoo when two flew up, perched and flew away. Only a few days ago there were two Greater Spotted Cuckoos on the wire by the north gate.

Dennis located a male and a female Whinchat and we had good views of them - my first sighting of this species for some time.

On the way home we again went via La Mata and this time we saw two female and three male Montague's flying over the reeds at the same time with another female flying a short distance away. A good total, I think.

My first snake of the summer was lying on the track as we started to leave. It was black, relatively thin and about two feet long. I stopped in time, but it slithered away before the photographer could get his shot in - what a shame!

I had looked forward to this week and it has excelled. I have been in some very good company as both Dennis and Bryan have significant knowledge of birds and their identification skills aided me greatly. Their sharp eyes and attention produced good results. I am very grateful to have spent the time with them and seen so many species. In a week my personal list has grown by two, with me seeing a Temminck's Stint and two Wood Larks. In our hire vehicle we travelled just over 1000 kilometres, but upon examining what we saw it was very worthwhile.

Friday 1 May 2015

Monument to Murder by Mari Hannah

This one starts with the discovery of bones revealed by a collapse of the sand. Mari Hannah's 'Monument to Murder' is another mystery for DCI Kate Daniels to unravel. This fourth book again brings Kate into a contest with the damaged individuals that have been conjured up in Mari Hannah's mind. As in the previous books there is the ongoing and under lying tensions within the murder room. The characters either bounce off one another or combine to form a team that knows how to get a result. They are not all perfect of course.

As in her other stories we see that there is a gulf of expertise between her staff and that of the lowly uniform 'plods' that sometime seem to be there just to be there to stand at a murder scene in atrocious weather or simply there to receive a rebuke. Is it fair to be spoken to like that? However some readers may enjoy that aspect of the story. There is one instance, beautifully written, where it is deserved, but really only one.

There are several threads to this one with some of the story set inside a prison. We get the details of what does go on and again she has characters, both inmates and staff, that lodge in our minds.
Violence seems to be an everyday occurrence.

The setting is wonderful as a body is found buried among the dunes below Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. Seemingly a magical setting and in full view of Holy Island. Is there any significance that can be attached to that?

The story is woven around the discovery of a life that ended years before to lay undetected for a decade. It is a fast moving plots that alternates between the outside world and that of inside a prison. There is more than one crime occurring in the course of this story.

Kate adds to her personal feelings of a past lesbian love and one that has still, or maybe not, to be allowed to happen or will the power that her job demands deny the love that she craves for. A great story and so well written. I enjoyed all of it and the best one so far. I still have one more to read and establish what Kate can achieve both in her private life and in her professional one. Can it get any better for her and the reader?