MONNEGRE, ALICANTE AGAIN AND THE NIGHT SKY

 Another trip up to Monnegre. After 28 degrees at lower attitudes it was great to stand in the cool of the evening. Comfortable, quiet and peaceful.

On Monday 10th August we were up the mountain by 8pm. We had two objectives. We were still on the trail of Owls - in fact any - and for Bryan and Michelle to set their cameras up at the night sky. Such fun especially when an SD card is required and later on, both were photographing, the ‘really dark’ on the inside of the lens caps. We all laughed.

Now, back to birds, scarce they were. Approaching one of our regularly visited sites a Black Eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia) was seen flying off the roadside barrier into a tree and then away, but we all saw it. We haven't seen many this year.

We checked out the Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero) and that was a ‘no show’ and perhaps they have moved away.

For the night photographs we moved on and parked by the affectionately known ‘lone tree’. It's a joke really, as there are two trees and a bush. It's an area of no vegetation and that made it an ideal place for the photographers to set up and for us all to listen.

We had never heard a Scops Owl (Autillo Europeo) - ‘time-signal-bird’ to me!- in this part of Spain before. Bryan picked up a faint sound and eventually we heard a strong call from the gorge below. It moved around through the valley, clearly being heard. Also there was a fainter call which could indicate the presence of more than one of this species. It was a first for us on this mountain.

Just before we were heard the Scops, a faint call of a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo), came to us. More clear calls followed. Another first for us here. All around us in San Miguel Little Owls are common where there is both agriculture and horticulture and maybe this is their chosen habitat and not mountainside. Both species are beautiful and photogenic too. Eagle Owl (Búho Real) not heard. Why not? Just maybe the wrong season.

Around our town home and very close to fields and citrus groves we are fortunate to see both Barn Owl (Lechuza Comú) and Long-eared Owl (Búho Chico). The latter flies past us and on through the town whereas the Barn Owl is close by. We can confirm our sightings and we have had conversations with our Spanish neighbours about these two species. Isn't that great as they have knowledge and seem to care.

All this goes to show, you have to be out there, listening and watching. Who needs sleep?

I will let the photographers play with their prized photos and await the results.

It was so good to be out there.