Phew, the heat is here. After an eternity of intermittent rain and clouds that have thankfully replenished some of the embalses near by, the scorching summer weather has arrived with a shout. Nisperas are lying wrinkled and nibbled on the ground, ciruelas ripe and maroon flop lazily on the tender branches of the plum tree and that most despised of summer trees - the tree of heaven - gently shades the rocket and radish plants in the mid-day heat emanating from the surrounding sierra. Suffocating it may be for the next 3 months but it is always exciting to witness the force of change from one season to the next.

The village of Garray in the north of Soria is more famous for the 4000 Celt Iberians who defeated 20000 Romans and then resisted them for the next 20 years before committing suicide and surrendering their village in flames.

Well on Sunday11th May 16 members of SEO Birdlife returned to this historic site to conduct a 4 hour marathon of bird watching at Soto de Garray. They identified a total of 100 species between 9am - 1pm. This was a fantastic figure which is approximately 37% of all the species registered in Soria and 63% of the species which reproduce here. Of all the birds identified 12 were raptors including, the northern goshawk, Eurasian sparrowhawk, honey buzzard, booted eagle, common buzzard, black kite, red kite, common kestrel, hobby, Egyptian vulture, griffon vulture and the rare Black vulture. The Black vulture stopped reproducing here in Soria in the 1950’s.

The group reported that the identification of so many birds was very positive for the area. I think SEO may have conducted marathons in other provinces on the same day. Can anyone confirm this and do you have the results?

Otters (Lutra Lutra) have suffered over the last two decades, however slowly the populations have been increasing in the Duero, Tera and the Razon rivers. Otters are very sensitive to contamination, in the 1980’s laws against contamination were not as strict as they are today. Their diet mainly consists of Crayfish and trout which contained much of the contamination, forcing the otter to move further away or in some instances they died. The ‘Senal’ crayfish (their main diet) was reduced in numbers during this time, which was another factor in their disappearance. From the 1990’s the situation started to change, water quality improved and the otters are starting to make a welcome comeback. Their habitat in Soria is still the same today as it was in the 1980’s and was never a factor in their disappearance.

We have some otters very close to our home in the river Razon, Soria in northern Spain, recently there has been sightings including footprints and excrement near the river bank. Where we live in Soria there are village myths that are connected to the otter, proof that they were very much a part of the landscape many years ago.

We will be going on some ‘Otter’ walks over the next few weeks, so we hope to post our observations and findings over the next few weeks.

We set off on a hike today around Hinajosa de la Sierra, the most beautiful spring day, the kind that you would expect in summer, blue skies zero wind. Hinajosa is yet another one of those villages in Soria that used to be very important during the Middle Ages and in the 15th century, which is evident by the grand Palace and Castle remains. Nowadays we tend to see it empty until the month of August when all the families return to their holiday homes.

The surrounding area is an excellent place for bird spotting around Lake La Serna, which was recently included in the Regional Catalogue of Wetlands of Special Interest, ‘Catalogo Regional de Zonas Humedas de Interes Especial de la Junta de Castilla y Leon’. A bird Observatory was opened here in 2007, where with the correct equipment, you can spot migratory birds such as,

Common Crane Grus Grus
Black Stork Ciconia Nigra
Limosa Limosa Black tailed Godwit
Recurvirostra Avosetta Pied Avocet
Egretta Garzetta Little Egret
Philomachus Pugnax Ruff
Tringa Totanus Common Redshank
Charadrius Dubius Little Ringed Plover
Actitis Hypoleucos Common Sandpiper
Calidris Alpina Dunlim
Podiceps Cristatus Great Crested Glebe
Pluvialis Apricaria Euro Golden Plova
Anas Querquedula Garganey
Himantopus Himantopus Black Winged Tilt
Anas Platyrhynchos Mallard
Gallinula Choloropus Moorhen
Fulica Atra Common Coot
Milvus Migrans Black Kite
Ciconia Ciconia White Stork
Falco Tinnunculus Common Kestrel
Rallus Aquaticus Water Rail

When we arrived at Hinajosa we noticed that a several pairs of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) had returned to their nests high on the castle walls. Some were perched quietly and looked to have settled in nicely, that was until a flock of around 8 others appeared and circled above them. This is when the bill clapping sound started. Generally the clapping is associated with mating; however these seemed to be doing it as the others flew above, almost as a warning sign. Sometime in May they will lay 3 to 5 eggs, which should hatch by July. By this time there will be an estimated 50 to 100 pairs in Hinajosa alone. They will feed on frogs, insects, lizards and small rodents, to be found within the wetlands.

Spring is in the air!

Last week, when we were out on a few daytrips, we noticed that spring finally has arrived on the northern plateau.

Wild flowers
Everything is in flower and we saw among other things: Euphorbia, Asphodelus aestivus, Ornithogalum umbellatum, Iris germanica and lovely parasites from the Orobanche family.

Birds
On a daytrip nearby the river Duero, we spotted the first big group (around 30!) of Merops apiaster, Bee-eaters, just returned after wintering in tropical Africa.

Mushrooms
But what we enjoyed the most is that, after some spring-showers, we found some beautiful spring-mushrooms! We picked Helvella spadicea (a kind of Saddle) in the banks of the river Duero. In the meadows we found Pleurotus eryngii (King oyster mushroom), Agaricus campestes (Field mushroom) and Marasmius oreades (Fairy-ring champignon). With the ones found in the meadows we made a delicious mushroom soup. In short: spring is in the air!