There is is a call made by House Sparrows that, in the books, would normally be rendered as ‘cheep!’.
After the Semana Santa processions, the streets of Granada are spattered with candle wax. People skid over the cobbbled streets on the wax and their shoes make the same noise as a House Sparrow going ‘cheep!’
When I get home the House Sparrows in east Northants will remind me of Easter in Granada.
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Cheap at the price, sparrows are well worth it.
And when not cheeping, their shy attempts to wax lyrical amidst the daily rush of life are well worth skidding to a stop for.
For a second I thought it was the people going ‘cheep!’ not their shoes.
I like it Mark. Here’s one you can try at home – run your fingernail quite quickly down your shower curtain, for about a foot, it sounds exactly like the flight call of a Mandarin, well mine does . .
Pete – wow! That must be very distracting.
A Mandarin duck in the shower? Is it wise?
Or is it sagaciously salacious?
I wonder if it is related to the toilet duck…
My Handbook of Advanced Scatology utterly refutes such an outrageous suggestion.
Mark, I love Spain, its landscapes, culture, climates, wildlife etc.. and would really to know what your trip is about and your plans so that I can enjoy your adventures more fully. Was your visit to La Serena in Extramadura?
Me too! Spain has more than its share of wildlife crimes, abuses and other problems but what is encouraging is the age profile of birdwatchers there is several decades younger than in the UK. As a whole, the younger generation seems far more aware of and concerned about the environment than was the case a generation (or less) ago.
Over many birding visits to all parts of Spain, we’ve also noticed the interest younger people have in their environment nowadays. Many moons ago we met Maria Parkes who was encouraging young Spanish birders near Tarifa (in fact I still have one of the T-shirts she was selling!). What a change today. Great to see their enthusiasm.