LYING in my pool looking up at the three Griffon Vultures gliding in a circle above me, I was waiting for the end… of summer that is!

As the days get shorter and migrant birds, like the Bee-eaters make their way back to Africa, I think back to some moments of interest.

I was fortunate enough to inspect a Bee-eater at close quarters as one of my neighbours cats had decide to put one on his menu for that day. He saw what was happening and managed to rescue the bird and brought it round to me to put in my aviary to recover. After a few hours it was released to join a flock that was in the area at the time.

Now there were seven Vultures overhead which reminded me of the day I caught seven Barbel in the River Guadiaro. This included my biggest from this river to date, a nice fish of 1.3 kilos.

On most days at the riverside there are always lots of birds and animals to see. Sitting for long periods helps catch moments of magic, like the time fishing with sweet corn as bait earlier in the summer. The can of corn was open on the ground about a metre from the bank’s edge, which apart from attracting the local fly population caught the interest of a mouse. The raider would scurry from just under the edge of the bank, climb the side of the can, help itself to a tasty piece of corn and then scurry back over the bank. This was repeated numerous times every few minutes until its hunger was satisfied - pity the fish did not take the corn as easy as the mouse!

There is a pair of Kingfishers that hunt and breed in this part of the river which I see often when fishing or just sitting on the terrace of the El Gecko Hotel.

Other birds I have seen in this area this summer include;- Herons, Yellow and Grey Wagtails, Dunnocks, the Sardinian, Orphean and Bonelli’s Warbler, Booted and Bonelli’s Eagle, and the Robin. The odd Water Snake and Turtle have also been seen recently in the River and of course the Barbel which are always on patrol.

This summer a pair of Goldfinches decided to nest in a branch right beside the terrace above the stairs leading down to the river side, successfully raising a brood of chicks, just in time, before a windy day decided to remove the branch from the tree.

This same tree proves popular with the Long-tailed Tits which appear in small flocks working their way up and down the branches like a team of circus acrobats looking for insects under the leaves, all the time calling to each other.

The flock of Vultures was getting bigger by the minute right above me, perhaps I should move a leg or an arm just in case they think I am the next meal.

My thoughts drifted back to the bar terrace and the night I had a meal with a group of friends.

Above our heads and under one of the beams a Wren had reformed an old warblers nest (seems to be the trend in this part of the valley at the moment) into which eggs had been laid and quite a few chicks were raised.

As the light began to fade the whole family would be enticed back to the nest by the parents to roost for the night. The young birds flocked around our table while taking it in turns to enter the nest, landing on glasses, people’s heads and other various perches. The fledglings lack of control and inexperience in flying proved very entertaining - especially to our friend’s little dog.

The Vultures, like the summer, are now moving on.

Autumn is around the corner which brings migrating birds through the valley on their way further south.

Perhaps a chance to see something new?

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Jim Nitchen's First 'Tales From The Riverbank'
Saturday, 01 October 2011
LYING in my pool looking up at the three Griffon Vultures gliding in a circle above me, I was waiting for the end… of summer that is!...

© 2012 - Secret Andalucia - Guadiaro Valley, near Ronda

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