Category Archives: Cadíz Province

Tiny Frogs with Big Voices

Posted on 06/02/2011 | Leave a comment

The warmer weather has woken up the local Tree Frogs. In terms of volume of croaking, they put me in mind as the wrens of the amphibian world – both creatures produce an astonishing and disproportionate level of sound from tiny bodies. At random times throughout the days I have heard the frogs calling raucously from their arboreal homes, but now they have become active after dark and calling from the vicinity of our swimming pool, (no chemicals, just two-thirds full of rainwater). I have been out with a torch to try to locate them, but they quickly fall silent and dive back under the water. However, I was out this afternoon rescuing large black beetles that had fallen into the pool and noticed what I first thought was a slimy black dead leaf  stuck against the tiles of the pool wall. It was a tiny, very dark coloured Tree Frog all hunched up and sunbathing. The tiles are a good measure of its size as they are 2cm x 2cm square, and the frog hardly stretches to two of them.

6/2/11-A very dark Tree Frog clinging to the side of the pool

It clung there, trying to ignore me taking his photograph, but after a few minutes of me trying to get a good angle, he plopped back into the water. He didn’t go far and stayed close to the surface, giving me a good view of his surprisingly long legs. As I walked around the pool to get nearer to him I spotted another frog  dive down to the bottom as I got close, so he’s not lonely in that huge space.

Tree frog displaying his surprisingly long legs

Stripeless Tree Frog Hyla meridionalis (Mediterranean Tree Frog)

Attractive little frogs, about 5cm long. Disc-like suckers on tips of fingers and toes enable them to climb through vegetation easily. Mainly nocturnal, but sometimes discovered sitting in full sun on foliage where they rely on their usually-effective camouflage as protection from predators.

The colouration of the frogs varies considerably and may be adapted according to the habitat. I have seen them in a range of shades from very bright to very dark green, but today’s are definitely the darkest to date.

5/3/07 We came upon this very bright green individual when opening up the table-tennis table, where he may have spent the winter. The photo shows the frog at just about his actual size.

It’s still early days in this year’s Tree frog courtship season, but last year’s, that was based around our pool again and reached its height in late March, was so charming and memorable, I feel it’s definitely worth repeating my journal entries here. It’s a good insight into an aspect of Tree Frog behaviour too:

March 2010

Around the middle of the month our normally peaceful evenings began to be disturbed by some very loud croaking sounds coming from the vicinity of our swimming pool (full of clean winter rainwater since the pump broke down last autumn). The sheer volume led us to believe that the sounds must be emanating from big frogs or toads, but each time we ventured outside to try to spot the croakers the noise stopped and we couldn’t see anything at all. This game of hide-and-seek the frog went on for several nights, then one sunny morning I went out with my camera to tour the garden and was amazed to see a tiny, very green frog sitting on top of the rubber duck that used to hold the floating thermometer. It was such a comical sight I was chuckling to myself for ages, especially as I realised that this tiny creature was probably also one of the participators in the nightly croaking contest. From its size and bright all-over green colour this could only be a Tree Frog, so he must have ventured down from his normal habitat and had staked out the pool as his pitch for attracting a mate.

28/3/10-Tree frog dozing on duck’s back

He was not at all phased by my presence or my photographing him and sat perfectly still, dozing in the warm sunshine for most of the afternoon, no doubt conserving energy for a night of raucous activity tonight.

The defender, vocal sac inflated ready to take on his opponent

That evening, when the cacophony had been underway for a while I went outside with a torch, hoping that now I knew where the sound was  coming from, I may be able to spot the frogs in action. Sure enough , there was ‘our’ little male, still sticking close to his duck ‘island’, his vocal sac inflated to such an extent that it almost doubled his size.

As we watched him we heard more croaking approaching us from the direction of the neighbouring cork oak trees, and then a soft ‘plop’ as a challenger dropped into the water on the opposite side of the pool. Shining the light onto the water we picked him out as he swam across the surface towards our little fellow, vocal sack fully inflated and croaking loudly.

28/3/10-The challenger approaching, fully inflated

A couple of hours later I ventured out for a last quick look and discovered the challenger sitting quietly and I thought, distinctly smugly, upon the duck-throne. That was a surprise, but for them the night was young and there was plenty of time for things to change…

28/3/10- A usurper on the throne

I’m looking forward to this year’s forthcoming events!

 

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Posted in Amphibians of Southern Spain, Cadíz Province, Nature, Nature of Southern Spain, Nature Photography, Wildlife of Cadíz

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Balmy weather and bounty for birds

Posted on 05/02/2011 | Leave a comment

What a difference a week makes; following two weeks of rainy days and general wintry weather, this first week of February has been sunny and warm, with temperatures of 16ºC or more in sheltered spots, and there is a general sense that spring is on the way. The nights are still chilly, but the drier warmer mornings have coaxed the birds from their recent hiding places and they have been much more active and visible. Some have begun to sing regularly, in particular Wrens, Blue Tits and Serins. Thursday morning was quite magical, the first birds I heard were Jays squawking as they made their way through the cork oaks, and my first sighting was of 3 lovely Goldfinches feeding  on weed seeds and Blue Tits, one exploring the nooks, crannies and plants on the terrace, all the while keeping up contact with another nearby. The regular Blackbirds were about on the grass and a Short-toed Treecreeper arrived to scrutinize the trunks of some of the palm trees.

Goldfinch feeding on the seeds of groundsel

A Blue Tit in a sunny spot in a Cork Oak tree

A Short-toed Treecreeper exploring a palm tree trunk

I could hear Spotless Starlings whistling and calling tunefully from high up in the palm trees at the back of the house and watched a Wren, first singing from various spots along the top of the garden wall, then poking about in the foliage growing against it. A very colourful Greenfinch appeared briefly on the fig tree; I haven’t seen one for ages.

Spotless Starling - (this is a young one)

A Wren singing from a shrub growing against the garden wall

Short-toed Treecreeper taking a drink or perhaps looking for insects

From the kitchen window I saw a pair of Blackcaps after the berries on the dama de noche shrub, two Chiffchaffs flitting about, and two female Chaffinches and half a dozen Housesparrows all pecking around on the ground. The Robin was out and about too, again I hadn’t seen one for a while another Treecreeper came in, landed on a yucca tree trunk, then flew across to the birdbath, something I’d not seen one do before. I think it was drinking, but it may have been looking for insects. (My picture was a bit rushed, but the bird was only there for a few seconds and it took me by surprise).

Cultivated garden plant: Night-scented Jessamine– Cestrum nocturnum Spanish: Dama de Noche (Lady of the night)

Berries of Dama de noche

A tropical and semi-tropical member of the Cestrum family, this Mediterranean classic is grown for the amazing night-time perfume that on a hot August night permeates the air (and our house) with its almost-overpowering scent. This is why it is grown, certainly not for its beauty; it is generally a leggy, untidy shrub and the flowers are small, lime green and held in clusters that during the day have no perfume. The small white berries appear in the late-autumn winter, which is why I don’t cut my plant back sooner – I wait until the Blackcaps have enjoyed them.

Blackcap enjoying the berry bounty of the 'dama de noche' shrub

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Posted in Birds of Southern Spain, Cadíz Province, Nature, Nature of Southern Spain, Nature Photography, Wildlife of Cadíz

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Watching beautiful birds the easy way

Posted on 03/02/2011 | Leave a comment

I love to get out and see and photograph wildlife in a wild habitat, but I am so fortunate with the visitors I get to my own garden that I often get better views and insights into behaviour within the confines of my own garden walls. Last February I had some exceptional views of a variety of birds,  without even having to venture out of the house.

Firstly, at the beginning of February, there was the very handsome male Black Redstart. I happened to catch sight of him as I walked past a downstairs window where he was literally a metre or so away, using the leg of an upturned patio table as a perch from which to spy insects that were around on the grass below him. He must have been finding some as he was there for quite some time, making frequent drops to the floor and flying up again.

4/2/10-Black Redstart in the garden

Black Redstarts are resident all over this area throughout the winter months, arriving from their breeding areas in the mountains and more northerly parts around the middle to the end of October and staying until about the third week of March. Every year we have lived here we have enjoyed the company of a female of the species, who until the territory was claimed by a Robin a couple of years ago, would be seen on various perches in the garden close to the house. Now though, as soon as she appears the ever-vigilant Robin chases her away and she is restricted to sneak visits while he attends to business elsewhere. I love to see the Robin of course, but I miss seeing the little Black Redstart perched on the garden furniture, bobbing and quivering her rusty-red tail.

Female Black Redstarts are not as striking as the males, but have a bright and alert presence

When we moved to Spain from South Wales 81/2 years ago,  I brought with me a smallish aloe cactus in a plant pot. The plant has thrived here outside in the garden and is now quite large, producing its first flower spike in February of last year. It soon attracted the attentions of a female Blackcap who began to visit the flower every day and as the plant is not far from my kitchen window, I had some lovely close views through the window without disturbing her in the least.

20/2/10-Blackcap female probing an aloe flower

Blackcap – Sylvia atricapella SPANISH – Curruca capirotada

Blackcap pairs are often closely bonded and frequently seen together as they forage for food, but this time it took a few days for the male to follow suit and even then he was much more wary and stayed for shorter lengths of time.


28/2/10- The male Blackcap followed a week or so later

Some birds seem to be  strongly attracted to yellow/orange coloured flowers, but I’ve never been sure what they are actually eating; I assume it’s a part of the flower itself, unless they harbour tiny insects. In Wales, every spring House Sparrows always tore my yellow crocuses and berberis flowers to shreds and then returned for the re-hot poker flowers later in the year.

A pair of Sardinian Warblers are also regular visitors to the garden, but usually stay well concealed within the hedges and shrubs. I had some lovely views of the male as he visited the ‘Dama de Noche’ shrub that I can see from the kitchen window. Although his mate was never far away, she preferred to stay out of open view, although she did join him for a bath one morning.

26JAN-Sardinian Warbler (M)

Sardinian Warbler – Sylvia melanocephala  SPANISH -Curruca cabacinegra

My ‘bird bath’ is rather makeshift, being nothing more than an upturned flower pot with its saucer balanced on top, but it serves the required purpose and is very well used. I’ve noticed that small birds often bathe together and prefer quite shallow water.

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Posted in Birds of Southern Spain, Nature, Nature of Southern Spain, Nature Photography, Wildlife of Cadíz

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The Egrets have landed

Posted on 01/02/2011 | Leave a comment

30th January 2011

LAGUNA de las CAMELLIAS, SOTOGRANDE PORT

This lagoon, very close to the entrance of Sotogrande Port and backing onto the beach, Sotogrande Playa, is not very big (approx 250x60m), but it is more or less surrounded by reed beds. It is home to a number of resident species of birds that you may or may not see, but one species can be relied upon to provide a regular spectacle: this is the spot chosen by hundreds of Cattle Egrets as their night-time roost.

In the fading light, a White wagtail perched on top of a reed stem in the centre of the lagoon.

I arrived at the lagoon this evening at about 6.15pm as the sun was beginning to go down and tint the sky rose pink. There was not the slightest breath of a breeze, the sea and the surface of the lagoon were almost perfectly flat and the reeds motionless. I heard the calls of Cetti’s Warblers, two of them that seemed to be communicating, saw Chiffchaffs aplenty amongst the reeds,watched White Wagtails dart after flies from perches on reed stems and Crag Martins that skimmed close over the water. But although the light was beginning to fade, there were no Egrets.

A sunlit Cormorant flying to roost

I watched the sky and saw Starlings set off for their roosts, Cormorants in ones and twos passed by hurriedly on their way across to theirs, somewhere upriver and then a single Egret heading my way. It flew in as though to land, but then looped around and flew back in the direction it had come from. Three birds together then did exactly the same thing, then three more. I was baffled by this, wondering if perhaps the water-level, which is very high at the moment, had covered the bank they roost on and forced them to seek alternative accommodation.

Cattle Egret - Bubulcis ibis

Then suddenly they began to arrive in larger groups, flying in quite fast then parachuting down at speed to settle amongst the reeds on the banks of the lagoon like large snowflakes.

A group flying in, legs extended, preparing to drop down to land

The first arrivals were landing in reeds in front of the buildings on the outer edge of the port; although closer to people, this is probably the most sheltered spot. As more arrived, some were slotting amongst those already there while others were spreading further round the bank. In a matter of two minutes the concentration of birds trebled and the noise level increased as the birds jostled for position. I thought back to the birds I had seen earlier and though it possible that they had turned back to wait until a number of birds had settled, seeking the greater safety and security of a large group.

After two or three minutes the covering of birds had begun to thicken - there are about 150 of them in this initial stretch close to the front of buildings and sea wall

After a few minutes of watching I decided to walk a little further around the board-walk to try to find a clearer view and was surprised to discover a second, quite separate roost behind a flooded area of the reed bed that backs directly onto the beach.

A second roost, backing on to the beach

There were a smaller number of birds here, but still about 200-250 individuals.

By 6.50pm the majority of the birds had arrived, although there were still small groups of new arrivals dropping in from the darkening sky

I stayed until it was almost dark and the birds were beginning to settle, although late arrivals set up protests and a few shifts of position. I’m not the best at counting large numbers of birds, but from rough counts from my photographs I would say there were at least five – six hundred birds in the two roosts, maybe even more. I have witnessed the sight on several occasions and it is always one worth making the effort to watch, even when it is as cold as it was last night.

A last picture of birds in the almost-dark


 

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Posted in Birds of Southern Spain, Cadíz Province, Wetlands of Southern Spain, Wildlife of Cadíz

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White Storks sitting out the rain

Posted on 29/01/2011 | Leave a comment

White Storks are a characterful and integral part of the local landscape and their residence here is actively encouraged, with many areas providing purpose-made platforms on top of pylons etc. A breeding colony thrives at San Roque de Estacion where nests occupy the tops of just about every available low-rise pylon set along the railway track. The numbers of birds here has increased noticeably over the eight years we have lived here and birds are having to move along the A-405 road towards Jímena de la Frontera to  find fresh nesting sites. Many of the birds remain here during the winter months rather than migrating to N Africa and can be seen around and about hunting in fields and even up on their nests. I love to see them and if I’m heading in that general direction, often make a longish detour to see what they’re up to and the sight is always included in tours for visitors that don’t know the area.

 WHITE STORK – Ciconia ciconia

By now, late January, many of the birds have returned to their nests with their mates and occupy them pretty much constantly, guarding against the invasion of potential squatters. I went for a look yesterday and found that many of the nests were indeed occupied, by either one or two birds, although there were a few empty ones too. The birds stay put even in the rain and I took some photographs as they were drying off and preening between some heavy falls.

A damp bird preening its feathers

A White Stork (with leg ring) coming in to land

WHITE STORK – Ciconia ciconia Spanish : Cicueña Blanca

  • White storks (Ciconia ciconia) have been studied intensively over the years as their habits and survival are closely connected to how we treat or manage our environment. They are one of the key species used to promote public awareness in the fight for nature conservation.
  • White storks travel south to the warmer climates of Northern Africa for the winter and return to various parts of Europe to breed in summer. According to the last census, Poland is by the far the most popular host for White Storks with over 50,000 breeding pairs. Spain follows second as an attractive host with Portugal and France showing an increase in numbers.
  • Between the years 1970 and 1990, there was a sharp decline in the White Stork population and the census count was at its lowest in 1984. There has since been an increase in breeding pairs, particularly in the western part of their nesting regions but their numbers have not reached what it was before the decline. Their status is therefore listed as ‘depleted’.
  • Hazards: Out of the many factors that affect the White Stork’s survival, mankind has the largest impact. Development in areas that were previously natural breeding grounds displaces them. Uses of chemicals in modern agricultural practice depletes or poisons their food. Some suffer electrocution by high voltage power lines, especially those along the White Stork migratory path.
  • Reasons for Re-population: Between 1984 and 1994-05, the population increase along the western migratory path has been attributed to favourable winter climates. A number of White Storks also chose to winter in Southern Spain instead of crossing the Strait into Africa. Changes in their feeding habits also led to a rise in number of breeding storks along the Iberian Peninsula (more irrigated fields and large garbage dumps provided alternative feeding).

The Human Connection

White Storks build their lives close to humans, nesting near populated areas and even on rooftops whereas their counterpart the Black Stork, chooses to remain at a distance and not have human contact. It makes sense that how we live will naturally affect the life of the White Stork thus effectively changing the status of the White Stork from just being

Extract from Waterbirds around the world. The Stationery Office, Edinburgh, UK. 960 pp. Boere, G.C., Galbraith, C.A. & Stroud,  another bird to being a lighthouse, warning us of the changes in the environment. In paying attention to their survival, we also help protect the land in which we live.

SourcesD.A. (eds). 2006.

Ciconia ciconia, White Stork. http://www.birdlife.org.

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Posted in Birds of Southern Spain, Cadíz Province, Wildlife of Cadíz

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Acacia or Mimosa

Posted on 29/01/2011 | Leave a comment

The weather this week has been wintry, lots of heavy rain, strong winds and generally cooler temperatures. I’m not complaining as I know that by the summer I’ll be longing for such days, but it does curtail outdoor activities for me and the wildlife. My excursions have been very limited, but brightened by the sight of the sunshine-yellow of the Acacia trees planted along the main entrance road into Sotogrande, that are in glorious full blossom now.

SILVER WATTLE, Florist’s mimosa – Acacia dealbata

Spanish/Castilian – Mimosa, hoja fina

A closer look at the blossom & leaves

Acasias, or Wattles are a large genus of shrubs or trees distributed from Africa and India to Australia, where there are many species. Many species are grown in Mediterranean gardens.

The tree and blossom in my pictures are of the Silver Wattle – Acacia dealbata,which originates from SE Australia and Tasmania and which has been widely naturalised and planted  in Spain and Portugal.

It is grown as an ornamental plant, it is highly scented and the flowers are cut and sold by florists as ‘mimosa’, but they are also planted for soil stabilisation.

They are very quick-growing but their branches are rather brittle and it’s not unusual to see broken branches after storms or strong winds have passed.

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Posted in Cadíz Province, Cultivated trees in Southern Spain, Trees of Southern Spain

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Rain in Spain & Blackbird battles

Posted on 25/01/2011 | 2 comments

25th January 2011

Following two weeks of pleasant, spring-like weather, the winter rain has returned and seems to be set in for a while to come. At the moment it is raining hard and water is cascading from the roof in waterfalls, having run in streams down each of the channels created by the curved terracotta roof tiles. Most houses in this part of Spain are not fitted with guttering as those in the UK are, which we found strange to begin with, but having experienced 7 winters here now and realised just how heavy the downpours are, it is now clear that it’s because it just wouldn’t work.

Confined to the house for most of the weekend, and with very little bird activity to watch in the garden and thereabouts, I’ve had a look back through my photographs and journals to see what was happening at this time in previous years for some reminders and inspiration for this piece of writing. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences in levels of activity amongst the birds that I see regularly in the garden and how the weather affects their behaviour too, but I was particularly drawn to a set of pictures I took of a pair of fighting Blackbird males; so Blackbirds it is.

Blackbirds are very numerous hereabouts, thanks no doubt to year-round access to plenty of well-watered lawns, berried shrubs and trees and safe places to build their nests. We have had a pair nesting in our garden each year we’ve lived here so far, most years successfully raising a family of three, and a few times managing two broods. This breeding success, repeated throughout the area, often results in a local population explosion, which come the onset of the next breeding season means there’s a lot of competition for the best territories.

At this time of year I have seen as many as six males in the garden at any one time demonstrating the familiar challenging routine that generally involves a lot of following and retaliatory chasing between two or sometimes more birds, with one usually succeeding in sending the rest packing, often protesting loudly as they retreat over a wall or hedge.

The fight, though, (25th January 2008), took the competition to a whole new level that I had never witnessed before or since. The duelling began in pretty much the same way as usual, with one of the birds shadowing the other as it ran between shrubs or along the corridor between the hedge and the wall, then the one being followed would turn and lunge at its follower and chase it purposefully, attempting to intimidate it into leaving. This behaviour went on for days, with each challenge lasting for quite some time, which must have been very tiring for the birds. The contenders must have been very equally matched and more determined tactics called for, and chases began to be more aggressive, with the birds flying up at one another, bill to bill until one departed. This happened over several mornings, but the incidents were so brief, or in an awkward place that I failed to get anything on camera. Then one day one of them must have decided that enough was enough and that there would be no more Mr. Nice Bird, as the following pictures show……….

Despite the apparent ferocity of the attack, I don’t think either bird was seriously hurt, but I have no idea which one emerged as the victor either.

Later in the year a pair of Blackbirds nested in a fork of the branches of our big yucca tree.

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Posted in Birds of Southern Spain, Cadíz Province

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Orange Season

Posted on 25/01/2011 | Leave a comment

25th January 2011

Recent gifts from friends of carrier-bags full of their organic, home-grown oranges, for turning into deliciously sweet juice, has reminded me how significant citrus trees are in the local landscape, particularly now.

Thousands of orange trees line streets, boulevards and the parks  of towns, cities and villages throughout much of Spain. In the winter, from the end of December onwards, the fruits are ripe and deeply coloured, and suspended against their background of dark evergreen leaves they create a rich and colourful display. Those planted thus are known to British ex-pats as ‘Seville’ oranges, traditionally used for making marmalade and taste bitter and sour to eat; a deliberate ploy where the trees are planted for decorative purposes so the fruit is not picked by passers-by.

In many places the fruit continues to ripen and just falls to the ground, but in the larger cities  such as Seville and Malaga, sometime during January or February,the local governments employ people to pick them and they are sold on a commercial scale for making into marmalade, or the extraction of their essential oil to the perfume industry.

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Out in the countryside the sweet edible oranges are also ripe and ready for harvesting. Most of the oranges grown here are sold for juicing rather than for eating; the bulk of those exported (70%), are grown in the Valencia region. Many supermarkets  buy those produced locally in Spain, and some have juicing machines on the premises to press the fresh fruit for customers on demand. In our local area, in the province of Cadíz, there are many orange groves of varying sizes and growers set up displays of the fruit and other produce they may have, and sell it directly to anyone who wishes to buy it.

Sadly, there are also many groves of fruit that are untended, having been bought up by companies or individuals for the land they stand upon for future development as golf courses, or some other construction. It is sad to see them neglected and to see the fruit fall to the ground and be left to rot, but at least while they remain standing they provide habitat for a variety of small birds and other wildlife.

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Oranges – A brief History of Cultivation

The Persian orange, grown widely in southern Europe after its introduction to Italy in the 11th century, was bitter. Sweet oranges brought to Europe in the 15th century from India by Portuguese traders quickly displaced the bitter, and are now the most common variety of orange cultivated. The sweet orange will grow to different sizes and colours according to local conditions, most commonly with ten carpels, or segments, inside.

Portuguese, Spanish, Arab, and Dutch sailors planted citrus trees along trade routes to provide fruit as a source of vitamins to prevent scurvy. On his second voyage in 1493, Christopher Columbus brought the seeds of oranges, lemons and citrons to Haiti and the Caribbean. They were introduced in Florida (along with lemons) in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, to California by the Franciscans in the 18th century, and were introduced to Hawaii in 1792. (Wikipaedia)

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Posted in Cadíz Province, Cultivated trees in Southern Spain, Nature, Nature of Southern Spain, Nature Photography, Trees of Southern Spain

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