As the World remains constrained within the grip of the Corona Virus pandemic, like so many others, I´m finding such peace and inspiration from the birds around me.
As every year, I´ve moved away from Valencia to spend the summer months in our little house in the hills in the rural interior of Alicante Province. The house is exceptionally simple but is surrounded by rolling hills, crags and olive groves. I often base myself here when working with clients who wish to discover this almost unknown corner of Spain and I always love to share this very special place and the joy that its bird life brings to others. As this year, for obvious reasons, that´s not possible, I´d like to share a few special moments with you by writing.
Hoopoe
I´ve been here for around two weeks now, and the first week is usually a busy one, preparing the house and doing a few repair jobs. However, on most days, a group of Griffon Vultures have appeared, circling over the valley. A Hoopoe often visits the garden and the Bee Eaters are once again nesting in the lane that leads to the house.
There are few things that are as rewarding as spending time with clients who are keen to discover new areas and to see new bird species and to experience the joy that brings. To maximise the value of such times, we often have to travel around to visit different habitats. However, I firmly believe that there are times to take a different approach to birding, to slow down and to become part of the landscape. The luxury of time allows us to do just that, and its rewards can be amazing.
The garden provides some fabulous birding moments
I go for a walk most evenings, and always take my binoculars of course, but I took my birding to a new level of simplicity last week and on one evening, decided to leave my bins at home. Strolling slowly and silently through the olive groves and woods, keeping my arms by my side, and trying to blend in and connect more with my surroundings, I enjoyed a magical evening. I stood and watched as a Red-legged Partridge lead its chicks across the track in front of me and into the scrub.
The song of the Golden Oriole is a fluty, almost tropical soundtrack here in the Spring, but once the young have fledged and they are moving around with the parents, they have quite a raw contact call. I heard this, so decided to stay still and wait. It was repeated over and over, each time increasing in volume, suggested that they were getting closer to me. Indeed they were, as I first saw a stunning male that came to rest in an olive tree. The female was a little further away, but the male remained there for a few minutes, allowing me to get some great views. I idly wondered for a moment that if I was eagerly tracking it, constantly raising my binoculars, whether it would have remained close to me for quite so long.
I moved on, enjoying the sight of dozens of Swifts feeding in the air above me when I saw a much larger bird with a dipping flight coming towards the track I was standing on. Again, keeping very still and standing right beside a tree, I waited. It didn´t divert, but flew past, about three metres away from me. An Iberian Green Woodpecker.
The olive groves that I walk through most evenings
As I also chose to leave my camera behind, I can´t share any photos of these specific moments, but as I sometimes say, some moments are not for the camera. They are to enjoy in that instant. Very few of my own personal birding trips even make it as far as Facebook.
I´ll end this note with a brief report of a wonderful start to my day. This morning I awoke to hear the chattering of a young Great Tit calling to its parents for food. I moved slowly to the window and gently parted the curtain to take a look. As I watched, a Crested Tit landed on a thin branch in front of the window, and then a slender brown bird that was moving deeper inside the tree caught my attention. As I waited it moved closer and into a more open position. I was delighted to see that it was a Nightingale – a first for the garden!
Crested Tit
I guess what I´m saying is that we often go to great lengths to see birds, putting in much time and effort, which is usually rewarded with some spectacular sights and very special moments. However, its often worth taking a slightly different approach, trying to connect more with nature and enjoying one of life´s true luxuries – that of time. It can reveal its own delights, right in front of us.
Written by Dave Warrington.