A Few Relaxing Moments Whilst Walking The Hills
There has been a few moments lately when, after making the effort to get out of bed at 6 o'clock,whether its just sitting out in the scrub waiting for that Eleonora's falcon to arrive at the new nesting site you have just found or struggling up to the top of that hill that looks just that little bit too high. That makes it really worth while.
The other morning I made my way across the marsh, past the old deserted -village and peered up to the satellite -mast that looked as if it was miles and miles away up the hillside .In fact its only about a mile to the top.On the way up I had to stop as I nearly stepped on one of the many big tortoises around at the moment.With my leatherman pliers I proceeded to de - tick the poor thing before releasing it back into the scrub.
Just a few hundred yards further along the goat -track I heard that sound that I had been waiting for for ages.As I looked over the ridge an Eleonora's falcon came from nowhere at great speed, spiralling above me ,calling to her mate.It was breakfast -time, a hatch of insects must have blown- up off the scrub and they were having a beano; joined ,minutes later, by a nice -looking male kestrel in his new plumage.Then the Yellow -legged gulls arrived in force to mop up completely.
Wandering along the track I eventually reached the top, just to sit and look across the bay .The marsh looked brilliant as the sun had just come up over the hills and was bathing the bay in a warm ,orange cast;but it was the silence,no noise at all .Maybe now and again the sound of a goat -bell or that Cretzschmar's bunting shouting at me for being too close to her new fledglings, reared just weeks before.
That could'nt be said of the Black -eared wheatear.As I got back down for a rest ,"cammed up"under an almond tree ,the newly -fledged young ones found me a novelty ,hopping from wall to wall , inquisitive to see who on earth this "thing" was invading their new playground.One very brave youngster came and sat, maybe just 3 yards away from my scope,before it's Mum would sound her alarm -call and the youngster would fly up into another almond tree 15 yards way, only to return 5 minutes later for the whole process to start all over again.
I could see the Grey herons on their new tree -roost in the distance whilst the early risers were fishing below me on the marsh.Further along the ridge ,I plodded on down to the far side of the village to check on the nuthatch family I had found ,back in April spring -cleaning out last years nesting -burrow.No young ones yet but it should'nt be long now.
"That's when I noticed the new kid on the block" a Cretzschmar's bunting sporting her brand new ring. This was the first bird in two years I had seen that had been ringed. but I just could'nt get close enough, even with my scope, to read the numbers to see where it had been ringed .My guess is Israel,as I think the migration flight -path comes up through that area.
Well by this time that bacon -butty was really calling me and I knew Caz, my wife, was keen on going looking for butterflies at Ildiri, a little village dating back to Alexander the Great'.Another great morning and another lovely sunrise,who could ask for anything better!!
