Birds!

This area is amazing. The variety of bird life is truely stunning and continues to surprise me. Today when we were out walking locally we spotted two bee-eaters sitting on an overhead cable. I have never seen such beautiful birds. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia;

Slightly later on as we were walking back to the car we spotted a short-toed eagle circling overhead, being mobbed by a kite. The wing span of the short-toed eagle around 1.70m! Photo courtesy of Iberianature.com. What a bird!

Another unmistakable spot yesterday was the Egyptian vulture which we again saw locally. It is a striking bird which was soaring gracefully above a ploughed field.

I must also mention the elusive nightingale which has regaled us with its song most mornings as we have been walking the pooch. It eventually revealed itself to me, coming out from its dense hiding spot in the bushes to pose briefly on a low branch, singing its heart out. Just wonderful.

Have I mentioned the hoopoe yet? No? We often hear its characteristic 'Oop oop oop' call in the trees around us here and have spotted it several times in flight. I love its Latin name Upupa epops!