Maigmó and Montnegre

On Thursday 20th September we decided to take a change of environment and head for the mountains and into the trees. We spent several wonderful hours amongst the pines and the birds.

Maigmó and Montnegre are only a few miles inland from Alicante and roughly 20 minutes from the airport. If you don't mind mountain roads the vantage points on the Maigmó range are definitely worth the effort reaching an altitude of 1296 metres.

It was wonderful to be in the cool of the morning, in a gentle breeze and in the quiet amongst the trees. Lower down there is traffic noise from AP7, but we were still able to hear the birds. Forest birds are more difficult to see and on our way up we heard Long Tailed, Crested, Great Tits and had very good views of Coal Tits all flying in and around the pines. A Firecrest called from somewhere without showing. Wood Larks were extremely vociferous and one perched in full view on an Almond Tree. We constantly heard Crossbills and eventually we had an excellent view of several. Calls from Iberian Green Woodpeckers were heard often and two Jays squabbled loudly. Serin and Goldfinches added to the woodland chorus. At one stage we had a flock of Chaffinches and with good individual sightings too.

Coal Tit

Crossbill

Woodlark

We visited both the vantage points. We watched the Red Squirrels dash up and down the trunk of a pine and we could see one was holding a Pine cone. We did see butterflies but these seem limited to Banded Graylings. Okay, there were some noticeable bird species absent, but the cold will bring in some others. Even at this height Barn Swallows were passing through.

Most of the birds were more evident at lower levels although this cannot ever be guaranteed as some times the better sightings are at height.

We returned to the main road and headed towards Tibi. It was our initial intention to carry on through for Montnegre, but we stopped at bridge over Rio Monnegre. Two grey Herons flew and the river banks contained both vegetation and birds. Sardinian Warblers were obvious, a Cetti's called and a Stonechat perched close by. A male Blackcap flew into a bush.

There were clouds of insects, not mosquitos, which may have benefited from the recent rain. The river flowed well, but with no depth. Bryan photographed beautiful demoiselles. This is one location that we will visit again.



Our stop here was fairly lengthy and with the temperature rising we decided that we had had the best of the day and headed for home.

ANN CLEAVES - WILD FIRE

EWILD FIRE BY ANN CLEEVES
The last of The Shetland Series is now on the book shelves and I have a hardback copy. Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves will be the last case that Jimmy Perez investigates here and the question is ‘what is going to happen to him’?

It is what I expected after reading only a few chapters, but that was enough to convince me that the writing, the skill in the story telling and the characters make it an essential book to read. It's like meeting an old friend and having a chat over a pint. I felt at home with it and anxious about what will happen.

Characters are her strong point as she brings them off the pages with their deep inner thoughts and anxieties. So many people with problems! But where and how will it all end because, after all, it is the last book? And what will Jimmy Perez do now? And, indeed, what will happen to Willow?

It takes a while for it to unravel and even then all the likely culprits are still on the scene. There are ‘obvious’ options as to who killed whom and why. But will you guess correctly? There are sad people who have let opportunity go by and that is one trail that runs throughout. I could give more clues here, but I won't for I am not a plot spoiler. Sandy is the most relaxed that I have been able to visualize and where does his future lie? But if you want all the ends to be neat and tidy then you should have expected less! I enjoyed it.

EL HONDO, PALM FARM ROAD TO LA MARINA

Two weeks have flown by since our last foray to see what species were heading south and which had arrived. We have had rain, locally in good measure, and with temperatures not much over 30 it was again time to see what was about.

On Friday 14th we headed out and reversed our usual route and headed straight for El Hondo and just after 7am we parked up outside the north gate and listened. Two Iberian Green Woodpeckers called in different locations and a Cetti’s Warbler too. It was very quiet.

We moved on to Visitor Centre area and with the improving light we walked out to the farthest lagoon. Without any strong sunlight the mosquitos were busy, but the hides were clear and later on they ceased to be a problem. We were pleased to see water in the lagoon and good muddy margins too and there were waders busy feeding. We saw:

Avocet
Black Tailed Godwits X 4
Black Winged Stilts
Kentish Plover
Redshank
Snipe
Wood Sandpiper

As you can see there were numerous absentees including most duck species and a total absence of Gulls and Terns. Two Reed Warblers flitted through the reeds.
Returning towards the boardwalk we inspected the other lagoon and saw only Mallard. Walking across the boardwalk a Little Bittern flew and an un-tagged Red Knobbed Coot fed with a Purple Swamphen in the background.

We were hoping to see more waders, Bluethroats and Kingfisher, but not today.

We travelled back across country towards La Marina where we observed numerous Bee-eaters perched on wires and hawking. We were surrounded by their calls. Maybe by next week they will have gone. Again we saw a Wood Sandpiper in the same small lagoon as two weeks ago and this time there was a Green Sandpiper too.
Wood Sandpiper

In a flooding field of artichokes numerous Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egrets fed. Two Common Kestrels dived about in the sky being harassed by Jackdaws. A single Marsh Harrier hunted over the reeds. We saw one passing Yellow Wagtail and a Northern Wheatear rested on a wire.




Another Iberian Green Woodpecker clung to the side of a palm tree before flying away. Barn and Red Rumped Swallows fed over the vegetation and all flying south.

At one point twenty Lapwing flew up from a field. That’s nice to see. A little later in sparse vegetation and arid soil a Stone Curlew hid, posed and walked away. They are not that easy to see normally or that close. The photos tell the story so well.



At El Pinet the lagoons yielded little except two Sandwich Terns . It was coffee time and at the beach we watched Gulls fly over in ‘dribs and drabs’ and we are able to say that there were many Mediterranean with some Black Headed amongst them. There were several larger Gulls which were probably Yellow Legged. And that was it. In terms of the number of species seen it was disappointing, but we did have excellent views of many birds. It is good to get out and about.

Butterflies were not very evident with only one small white and several Plain Tigers and a Banded Grayling.

All Photographs Copyright Bryan Thomas 2018

PEOPLES WALK FOR WILDLIFE

On Saturday 22nd September Chris Packham, a dear friend of the League and to all wildlife, will be leading the first ever People’s Walk for Wildlife. The League Against Cruel Sports will be there, will you?

www.chrispackham.co.uk/the-peoples-walk-for-wildlife

10am: Gather - Reformers Tree, Hyde Park, London
12 noon: Infotainment
1pm: Walk
2pm: Finish - Richmond Terrace

Dogs are very welcome.

“This is an exciting opportunity motivated by a desperate concern in troubling times to make a real difference. I think we need unity, to stand together and demonstrate that if we can collectively see the bigger picture then we will find the strength to tackle the bigger problems. Because at the moment, for all our abilities, energies, passions and practices we are not stopping the rot in our countryside. And we can. We have a superb toolkit for effective conservation, it’s been trialled, tested and proven to work but it’s not been put into play rapidly or broadly enough. So now, before it’s too late, we have to be bold and brave, we must shout without raising our voice, we have to get up and get on with it, and we can start by turning up in London on the 22nd of September.” – Chris Packham

TUSK RHINO TRAIL

On The Tusk Rhino Trail the rhinos charge through London in the battle against poaching. All of it in the run-up to World Rhino Day on 22nd September, 2018. The twenty one rhinos, designed, decorated and embellished, have been created and sponsored by a variety of artists and are displayed along the trail. Christie’s will hold an auction on 9th October that will coincide with The International Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade.

The trail is presented by ISPS Handa in partnership with Land Rover and logistical support by Pickfords.

Also on Saturday 22nd September there is The People's Walk for Wildlife from The Reformers Tree, Hyde Park at 10am to finish at Richmond Terrace and as close to Parliament as we can go. I will be there.


THE TUSK RHINO TRAIL

rhinos are in town
unique in their own
colours standing
strutting out
in psychodelectica

STOMP STOMP STAMP
you can hear the heartbeat of survival

the pavements shake
as the monsters make
their charge through town
obvious in their costumes
of striped finery and spots

STOMP STOMP STAMP
you can hear the heartbeat of survival

away they go
avoiding Rotten Row
uphill to Reformers Tree
(no pause for a chat to change)
no stopping in the shade
of the hangman's frame

STOMP STOMP STAMP
you can hear the heartbeat of survival

Mayfair, those gentlemen's clubs
Nelsons Square with no Landseer cubs
with parents safe in stone
Cockspur Street’s history of gore
into that other garden so chic

STOMP STOMP STAMP
you can hear the heartbeat of survival

Bow Street, Aldwych, Fleet
that shake to the marching feet
into the city limits
of square mile and fortune
rhinos for the ready

STOMP STOMP STAMP
you can hear the heartbeat of survival

let's stamp out the myth
there’s a cure for the untruth
promote the need to protect
promote the need to maintain
what we have

STOMP STOMP STAMP
you can hear the heartbeat of survival

twenty one rhinos in strategy’s place
bringing them all face to face
in one helluva of a race
to save what there is
before they're all gone

STOMP STOMP STAMP
stamp out this bloody trade
before it's too late

STAMP IT OUT.

John Edwards (C) 12/09/2018

(Follow on www.tuskrhinotrail.com)

THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE BY STUART TURTON

THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE

I looked upon this book as a challenge because I had been told that it was different. It certainly was and I have no regrets. Why read books of the same ilk, all the time, anyway? I don't read any of the blurb before I scan a few pages and I make my initial judgement after only scanning a few pages and, in this case, that was enough.


Stuart Turton was one of The New Blood event hosted by Val McDermid at Harrogate in July. For some reason I remembered little about the chat but the image of the front cover of the book stuck.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is an odd title, one is allowed to think, and the black base of the cover with gold lines and red squares encourages it to be picked up. There is a force at work that coerces me to read it!

Back to the book, where the events of each day, shuttle back and forth. Characters swap days, and even bodies! Attention to detail is necessary, but some chapters are short and things happen at speed. I did not always know exactly what was going on, but I stayed with it and then you feel as you belong inside this story.

The story is set in a dilapidated mausoleum of a country house with a history, where the building and grounds are so much a major part. It is the foreboding character within. And here's the nub of the story. Who did what to whom on that day 19 years ago?

The writing is brilliant, and Turton is a wordsmith to remember. I would like to read more of his work. He avoids religion, almost any sex, and in some scenes detail, and this allows the reader to speculate and surmise. All the violence is necessary, varied and not overdone. The narrators have developed the knack of causing injury with ease!

Over half way in the story a character says “my night in the cupboard wrapped my bones in brambles” and a little later there is a line “ if this isn't hell, the devil is surely taking notes”. If you don't like these two samples then go and read The Sun!

At one stage and getting to the end of 505 pages, I wanted a more rapid end. Impatience should never be rewarded and the final chapters were able to reveal most of the mysteries. A strange book, a change for the way that a story is able to be told, and believe me, it is so different. But, I enjoyed it.

Should this review carry a recommendation? Well you can accept challenge or not, but if you don't you will never know the detail. Just give it a go.

In small letters, on the front cover, as though to keep her comments to the more observant Sophie Hannah says: ‘This book blew my mind. Utterly original and unique’.

THE EARLY BIRDERS GET TO SEE THE EARLY BIRDS

Bryan and I work hard at our hobby. In fact you could say it is a job especially when Bryan lugs around a camera with a high powered lens. He uses that to tell the story through his photographs. We are concerned about the habitats that the wildlife require for survival and we are worried about the peripheral loss of uncultivated strips on field edges. We are concerned about the continuing use of insecticides.

Today, our early morning efforts, provided us with dawn sightings of:

Sandwich Terns and two species of bats.
A hunting Peregrine Falcon
An active Osprey
And later in the day
Female Marsh Harrier
Male Booted Eagle
Rollers
Zitting Cisticolas

This is our morning in more detail.

That proves it. The early risers get to see those early flying birds. On Thursday 30th August Bryan and I were at our first stop looking over the lagoons opposite the turning for Las Playas de Las Brisas alongside the N332 as the sun came up. This is a favourite stopping point for us and as we arrived there were two species of bat still flying in the dawn light. A Little Bittern called as soon as we got out of the car. Then, in small groups, a total of twenty or so Sandwich Terns flew over heading northwards towards Santa Pola. Little Terns were present too. The water contained the usual inhabitants but we were really looking for returning waders with no result. Bryan thought that he heard a Kingfisher call, but we could not confirm the presence of one. A juvenile Purple Gallinule skulked in the vegetation. There were several flocks of small birds that could have been House Sparrows. They were flying too high and too fast for us to identify properly. We want to know what we see and record. We don't allowing guessing!

Rain was forecast and there were some great cloud formations that hid the sun from us. Two ‘water-spouts’ or maybe I could more accurately described them when we observed a ‘vortex’. Interesting.



Flying over and around us was a Peregrine Falcon and on the third pass we could see that it had prey in its talons. We know that they are around in the marsh, but not always seen.

We moved onto the lay-by next to the Salt Tower and, again with more good fortune, Bryan espied a perched Osprey. We watched it fly over and around three times before settling on a perch on the water. It is still August, just, and where did this bird spend the summer and is perhaps is on way to West Africa?



In the distance we observed several Spoonbill, Great Crested Grebes, and, of course, Flamingoes. Both Greenshank and Redshank called signifying that some waders have returned from their breeding grounds. The lagoons to the east of N332 contained only puddles and no birds.

We decided to check the lagoons at El Pinet and were rewarded with a flying Common Tern and also a Whiskered making four species of Tern for the morning. Then we had clear views of two Redshank and two Greenshank. On the far bank there were about 30 Collared Pratincole of which most seemed juveniles. We were pleased with what we saw, but there were no other species of note.

Moving on we took the caminos in the direction of San Felipe Neri and a Roller surprised us when it was sat on a road sign. It was very obliging; it was photographed and flew to the ground where we watched it with another one. That was our best Roller shot of this summer. In the distance Bee-eaters called.



Further on we saw a female Marsh Harrier fly and perch in a tree only to be joined by a male white morph Booted Eagle. Such good views of both. Also on a fence alongside the road and our car Zitting Cisticolas perched to be photographed. Again an excellent view and what a pretty bird.



in a small road side lagoon a Wood Sandpiper fed and gave us close and clear views of it.



On the edge of a tilled field we saw a tractor being driven and from a big yellow tank the driver was spraying the edge of the reedbed. We can only guess - poison or more benignly called insecticide. It is easy to apply, but what are the consequences? What is the longer term damage to vegetation, insects, birds and animals, and ingested by humans too? I hate it.



San Felipe Neri was not worth our time. Water levels were high and therefore no muddy margins and no waders. We will not visit again until we get some substantial rain! It was now 11.30 and was the right time to head back.

Summing up our morning. I don't record everything that we see and so it is not a list, but intended to be informative as much as possible. It is great to get out there. To be out and seeing the natural world. We had some excellent sightings. It is quality that matters and not just numbers.

The Peoples Walk For Wildlife