[lisa]

Raptors arriving in Liébana this last week - Egyptian vultures (a pair), and a Short-toed eagle hunting over Bulnes on Friday  
Oh, and Giant orchids in flower.

[lucy]

Camberwell Beauties on Montseny have woken out of hibernation.  Rather frayed and worn, but still wonderful.

[Maria]

Bee Eaters, Booted Eagles and Short-toed Eagles arriving back here in Lanjaron 

[Dave]

The Forsythia on the banks of the Bernesga, in full flower, yes I know it is a garden shrub, but it is beautiful
A pair of house martins passing through, on their way north

Regards
Dave

[Simon]

First Hoopoe last Wedneday and now the woods seem to be full of them to judge from the sound!

Likewise, a pair of Egyptian vultures arrived just over a week ago - the same afternoon Nick left for Barcelona! - and immediately started performing spectacular aerobatics - a courtship ritual I guess.

Finally this morning as I drove down to the city past the station at Cellers - in the dark  - I noticed that the may (Crataegus monogyna) is out  so I shall dutifully begin casting my clouts - in our case this means switching the central heating off! There is a spectacular stand of Hawthorn trees at Cellers, and the blossom wans't there at all on Saturday! 

Cheers

Simon

[Technopat]

Greetings All - and Happy Spring!

I, too, cast me clouts (Sp. anyone?) this weekend - and have a slight snuffle, or sniffle, as result. But nothing to snivel about.

On the bright side, following what's probably been the rainiest winter here in more than 20 years, Madrid is a veritable whatchamallit of colour, with blossoms all over the place. On the down side, from my Saturday hike in Guadalajara, the huge increase in PPCs is worrying. We could hardly take a step without squishing, or squelching, the lines o' the little bleeders or stepping on the burrowing mounds. And specific trees which I remember being healthy looking only last year, now show definite signs of dying.

We actually made it to the rocks where I'd seen two adult eagles (give or take Technopat's notorious inability to differentiate birds of prey... or any other plant or animal, for that matter) nesting a couple of years back. But although we were able to scan the rock face at very short distance, from above and below, could see no traces of nest or nesting material. Now that we know how to get there, will return next weekend to make a more thorough search. In the meantime, does anyone know offhand if eagles (?) return to their nests and/or why there should be no trace of an old one?

Nice to see two very plump roe deer (?) which had survived the season grazing together.

Enjoy-your-spring-folks regs.,
Technopat

[lisa]

I suppose it depends on which species of "eagle" Tp and whether or not they were disturbed during the previous breeding season  Let's have a photo for ID 
Meanwhile, I heard my first cuckoo last Sunday (11th of April).

[Technopat]

Greetings Lisa,
I suppose I might have some pics somewhere of Technopat's Eagle which might be helpful in IDing for those of you who know these things, but I've probably deleted 'em all as being nxt to useless as far as I'm concerned.

As far as yer 11th April cuckoo is concerned, I seem to detect a note of je ne sais quoi (Sp./En. anyone?) as if that were an early bird. Maybe up North it is, but there were distinct cuckoo noises being made down here in Guadalajara over the 27th/28th March weekend. I didn't actually pay that much attention to it, taking for granted that it was normal now that spring had arrived.

April-showers-a welcome-break-from-bright-blue-skies regs.,
Technopat

[caroig]

I've just made the trip from Rodalquilar, Cabo de Gata to La Sierra de Segura, Huelga Utrera (1000m). 

Cabo de gata is astounding this year, more greenery and flowers than I've seen in 20 years of visits.  Flocks of bee-eaters were roosting in botanical gardens making an cheerful racket at dusk.  A Bonelli's eagle has nested just above the village, worryingly close to a mountain track.

In the high hills of Jaen, Spring must be a month behind.  I always try to get there this month to see Graellsia isabellae, flutter it's way round the lights of the little aldea where we have the house.  We were only rewarded with one sighting, but very worthwhile.  This autumn I saw perhaps 20 pairs of brown trout spawning in the river next to the house, but with the incredible flooding we've had I doubt there will be many eggs to hatch.  We found otter's spoor but not a sighting to date.

[lisa]

I'm jealous! I'd love to see a Spanish moon moth. Stiill, will have to make do with the first Redstart arrival this morning 

[lucy]

Talking of Redstarts, I saw my first one ever last week!  Black redstarts are two a penny in BCN, but the Redstart was just passing through, and I saw him in the nursery gardens on Montjuic.

Also, more Salamander larvae, this time in a muddy puddle in Collserola.  I'm tempted to fish a few out and transport them somewhere with better prospects.

[Technopat]

Lisa,
Re. yer cuckoo, I was trying to remember a Spanish refrán - a losing battle - but have just remembered where I read it and so :

Si el cuquillo no ha venido el 25 de abril, o se ha muerto, o lo han matado, o es que no quiere venir.

Can't do the accent & it doesn't rhyme anyway, but can't help thinking that there's a sort of Spanish fatalism (realism?) in there somewhere. If I only knew where to find it...

Tp