Wingspan in Gaucin - Jan 3rd 2011

Another superb sunny day, high wispy clouds bright sunshine and a lovely temperature of around 16C. I walked the camino Gibraltar from 1pm until 4. the best of the bird sightings was a Bonelli's Eagle displaying over and behind the castle. It made several very steep, stooping dives over the forest before flapping away, lovely.

Spring was most definitely in the air, Blackcaps, Starlings and even a Goldfinch were in song! Butterflies on the wing were Small Whites and a Painted Lady. I added Great Spotted Woodpecker to the sightings on the way back up the hill. There were the usual crowd of Black Redstarts, Blackcaps, White Wags, Sardinian warblers and Siskins but I notice a distinct drop in numbers of Song Thrush and Chiffchaff this winter.

The flowers looked brilliant in the afternoon sunlight:

Broad-leaved Iris Iris planifolia


Paper-white Narcissus Narcissus papyraceus


Bermuda Buttercup - Oxalis pes-caprea