As usual not much to report in July/August. Our House Martins have pretty much abandoned any attempts to raise a second brood this year, we found a few tiny dead chicks underneath the nests. There are not enough flying insects so the adult birds have to travel too far to find food when the tiny chicks need a constant and steady supply. In previous years our ten nests have been fully occupied and have raised two, or even three broods. This year the birds arrived much later and one nest was not used at all and only one brood was successful. There are fewer Swallows and Swifts around too, in fact all insectivorous birds are in steep decline, what a disaster. We can almost certainly attribute this to chemical crop sprays.
Short-toed Eagle - circaetus gallicus
We have not been bird watching at all but on a trip to Alhama de Granada we spotted this Short-toed Eagle on a pylon at Zafarraya, I took a few photos of it, one of which is not bad as it was taking off. You can see from the perched shot below it had definitely spotted me but didn't seem unduly perturbed.
Short-toed Eagle - circaetus gallicus
It is also worth recording our resident Booted Eagle which flies over the house every day. Shots of the underside of birds in flight are very boring as a rule, but it's just here for the record. I suppose I should record the numerous Greenfinches, House Sparrows and Sardinian Warblers that come to Elena's bird restaurant in considerable numbers, perhaps I'll get the camera out & have a go soon. She is doing her bit for the survival of these species at least. It's a shame we have not found a way to help the insectivores.
Booted Eagle - hieraaetus pennatus
