Misty, wet, cold and queasy

An unusual bump

The lumpen bump symbolises the lack of joyful activity on a misty, wet and cold day in the mountains. I probably nearly poisoned us on yesterday's arrival picnic and am feeling about as enthusiastic as the weather. Last night's dinner didn't help and we're sticking to pubs from now on. Bring on the tv football and enthusiastic friendly people.

Nothing like a nice cup of tea!

As the day unfurled, I wrote a phone list of mainly highlights to distract from the lows. It reads as follows:

Misty, wet and cold in Sierra de Cazorla

Queasy, post-stomach ache

Approachable fox in the forest

Drove mountain roads to source of Guadalquiver River 

Nuthatch

Crested Tits

Less Mist and rain

Mistle Thrush flying to nest - watched from a distance

Recorded Red-billed Choughs calling in ravine at Griffin Vulture site

AND THEN

Driving back, nearly got the super huge beeping vehicle stuck in a slim street. It was extremely nerve wracking, particularly as the street narrowed gently as we squeezed through between the houses. It was either the houses or us. We may have had three inches on either side. I hopped out to monitor the squeeze and the poor driver had to put up with super-beeps inside, getting louder and more shouty. We just made it, but goodness knows what we would have done it we'd got stuck.......   

Encounter with a forest fox

Into Olive and Nightingale Country

There are so many abandoned houses in the Spanish countryside, that I can get enough of them. This was a particularly fine specimen.

I wonder who lived here...

Olive trees in all directions

A knitting pattern?

Trees growing right up to the walls of the house

Flamingos in the Wind

Stuck in this windy flat featureless landscape, apart from endless patchworks. However... there are lakes to be explored, according to 'the book'. Ignored the one in town, pessimistically assuming it would be dry. Headed out of town to another, Laguna de Manjavacas. It was as windy as Tierra del Fuego on a bad day and there were no birds.

Nothing here but wind

Returned to town and the beginning of an incredible day of showy birds, including a TOTALLY NEW ONE - a White-headed Duck. There were quite a few and they popped up around the edges of Laguna de La Vega del Pueblo, which must have had just the right amount of water in it. I'm not a great duck fan, but how cool is this...

My White-headed Duck

Mine, because it was so windy that it was difficult to keep my modest camera steady. You can't see any white horses in this picture, but there were plenty and the lake was literally bubbling because of the wind.

An impression of the super lake and some of its flashy residents

Other favourites included Black-necked Grebe, obviously the Flamingos and Little and Black Terns.

The stars of my 'Flamingos in the Wind' film

A lonely colourful little house on the windy plain

Water Mill to Windy Plains

Departed the compact accommodation at Hotel Rural Molino del Batan, close to the town of Molina de Aragon. There seemed to be three or four men 'in charge' and when we arrived they only had eyes for the football on tv in the basement bar. They were so glued that the beers were shoved at us without payment. The wind got up and their washing was strewn all over the place. The room was rustic but compact. The bathroom challenge included towels like exfoliators. 

Breakfast included the Chinese Grand Prix on tv, and of course the serving men were glued - as we were. Lewis Hamilton won and maybe that's why we were offered more toast. All this seemed insignificant when soon after we watched the spectacle of a tiny Buzzard repeatedly mobbing a huge Golden Eagle.

The Football/Grandprix Hotel - Hotel Rural Molino del Batan

 Drove through patchwork country...

 ...heading south-west in strong winds...

...to Pedro Munoz and the Finca Mirador El Encinar de Haldudo

We seem to be the only two staying in the current residence which is entered through a very grand typically Spanish set of metal gates. When we returned from the local 'pub' the gates were closed. It felt like one of those 'my linguistic skills aren't going to manage this in a phone call or a return to the pub' moments. I fleetingly envisaged a night in the super bleeping vehicle. It probably doesn't allow all night sleeping. A shining knight appeared and saved us. Another happy ending.

Trees at last!

Can you catch a whiff of the clean air and hear the gentle flowing Taho River...

...and hear the Firecrests and Treecreepers singing?

Tiny little unnamed flower 

And more trees

Favourites

Three of my favourite birds just happened to pop up on Little Owl's house roof at the same time. You'll have to excuse the size, but I was a long way off in the car.

Little Owl and Hoopoe on the Little Owl house roof of yesterday

Another house guest who popped up further along the roof at the same time - a Red-legged Partridge

One of my favourite tipples

Drove through one of many industrial wine growing areas on our way to Molina de Aragon.

Up with the larks

Thankfully, today wasn't a horrible story. Intrepidness kicked in again and we headed off to the El Planeron area which is a Spanish Ornithological Society reserve, aimed at conserving Dupont's Larks, our target bird of the day. The reserve is in a vast steppe (elevated plains) landscape comprising a mosaic of cereal fields, irrigated areas and grassland. This sounds like a geography lesson and is a mix of me, the book and the husband (the one I brought with me). And this is him, in it:

Spot the birder

Although the above may not look too thrilling, when we turned up there was no wind and it was totally devoid of horrible noises (cars, tractors, jet fighters). There was just buzzing in the heat, croaking and warbling from the nearby small lake - whoops - sorry, 'the largest oasis of Belchite's steppe'. There was also an aroma of thyme on the gentle breeze, beautiful clear blue skies and unidentified larks singing. 

I heard the Dupont's lark singing several times but we didn't see it. We even heard it close to the car when we left and will come back at dawn tomorrow. Calandra Lark was the best identified today - the rest were a pain, especially as it got hotter and hotter. That's when I became a pain. 

We had several glimpses of Little Owl on a crumbling building, but it was twitchy and couldn't get a picture. Instead, this is the door of its building.

Little Owl's front door

A general view of El Planeron