The Iberian lynx – one of the world’s rarest wild cats may disappear from the face of the earth within the next 50 years, despite millions of dollars spent on conservation efforts. In the early 2000’s the species was already on the brink of extinction with only around 100 animals left in the wild. The […]
Tag: Spain
Snouted (or Long headed) grasshopper
Acrida ungarica (Truxalis nasuta) – Orthoptera – Acrididae (Spain) – I have wished to photograph a specimen for some years and coming across one is quite an excitement! They come also in green! Common in the Emirates but can been found more rarely also in the south-east of France, Corsica and Spain; its length reaches […]
European Rollers
Coracias garrulusCoraciiformes – Coraciidae This pair has established their nest at 1.50m high in an old tree trunk of which the main branches have been cut off. I dearly hope the landowner will leave what’s left for these birds and for the different species of sparrows nesting in its heart. Cette paire a fait un […]
Butterflies, Bugs and other Insects
Weather dominates the lives of all living things and changing weather patterns have an effect on the life cycles of most species on the planet. We talk about the weather all the time and European weather, if not global weather are going through changes. In south-west Spain we are feeling and experiencing unsettled and abnormal […]
Thread-winged-Lacewing (Nemoptera bipennis)
One of the most beautiful Iberian insects is the Wood Fairy or Thread-winged-Lacewing (Nemoptera bipennis), known as Duende in Spanish which translates as an elf or a fairy. My two younger daughters and I went out to look for them in one of the smaller pine woods on the edge of Barbate Marismas. Within a […]
The European bee eater
Merops apiaster Coraciiformes – Meropidae They are back from their African winter quarters end of may in the South of France but mainly in Spain early in may. As Carrion crows, Black kites and some parrot species, they live as couples within a same colony and mate for life. It is awesome and inspiring to […]
The Little Bustard
Tetrax tetrax – Otidiformes – Otididae – It is the only species of this Tetrax genera and is very endangered on french territory. Also in decline in Spain although still in larger numbers, it lives in dry opened areas. The male does somewhat of a “flamenco dance” on a specific spot about 30 cm wide […]
Migrating Over a Carpet of Flowers
The last few weeks have been pretty busy for me with lots of tours and finding lots of migratory birds. This year’s early rain through the month of March was extreme but all along we knew that it would be a spectacular spring and hence have been rewarded with carpets of amazing multicoloured blooms covering […]