On my way south through Spain I popped into a few areas of semi-steppe which I’ve known in past years.
The image above is from La Serena. As I took the photo, Calandra Larks (my favourite lark?) were singing. A few moments earlier three Black-bellied Sandgrouse had flown over.
I like the plains of Spain. I like wide open spaces and I like the birds of this type of habitat – bustards, sandgrouse, storks, larks, vultures etc. I’ve even noticed that there are some flowers too.
But each time I go back to these places, some of which I first visited 30 years ago, I see signs of the creep of intensive farming and forestry nibbling away at them. Such, we are told, is progress.
At La Serena I was surprised to see lots of white plastic-wrapped silage or haylage bales and in the plains north of Oropesa there were more areas planted with trees. Both were still great places to visit, just not quite as rich as in the past.
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Yes, we’ve noticed a huge increase in plantations of fruit trees on previously unused land. Bad news for e.g. Black shouldered Kite. Progress indeed…
Using plain evolutionary theory, if Three-toed Woodpeckers can exist then three Black-bellied Sandgrouse are quite plausible.
Enhorabuena – usted ha encontrado a los cuatro jinetes del apocalipsis. Hemos estado buscando por ellos durante siglos y los encontró de inmediato.
Hi Manuel.
Please, we can do a quick deal before it is all too late. You halt and keep them in your country and we will give you back the Rock – every last pebble, casino and tax haven of it.
(That’s assuming my Google translation of your comment is not giving me alternative facts.)
On second thoughts, it’s just possible they are NOT coming north towards the camera but instead are heading away from it – that means towards Gibraltar. If true, please facilitate their advance in every possible way – their arrival on the Rock will solve everything – Brexit negotiations, tax evasion, corruption, the lot. Don’t worry, you can still have the place after they have finished with it.
I wrote on last Saturday’s Avery/cartoon blog: ‘Lord Howard’s recent jingoistic statement implying that May could use military force to protect Gibraltar is inflammatory, ignorant and demeaning.’
That makes my last comment look hypocritical – perhaps it is. Words are important (most especially re the Rock) even when they come from an insignificant commenter.
So to be clear, careful, peaceful and fair: The only harm that should come to Gibraltar is one, death to its tax haven status; two, hobbling of its gambling venues; three, destruction of its tax free status; four, being dragged into the 21st century and being made to listen to and engage with the likes of Javier Nart, a Spanish liberal MEP –
“What is important … is that this territory is not used as a fiscal base against Spain.”