April meeting

Palm Sunday

7.00am. Palm Sunday (It's really 6.00am but they fiddled the clocks last night)

Already, the air is soft and warm, rich with the smell of damp earth, pine, eucalyptus trees. Even the wind is down.

There, on top of a dead tree is a great grey shrike on the lookout for a mate. A merlin glides by, majestically surveying the scene. A blackcap shoots off into the undergrowth. Stone curlews with their weird sticking out yellow eyes cry out their songs of lament. Here is a cuckoo calling. There the crested skylarks trilling. A green woodpecker, drilling. The terns are back, screeching over the lake. Swifts hang in the air, screaming with delight. Swallows are dive bombing each other for the fun of it. An avocet, elegant in black and white, stalking on its blue legs. Pink flamingos gurgle their own pecualiar sounds, whilst delicately balancing on one foot. No traffic noise yet on this Palm Sunday. The loud silence exquisite. In the distance, a cock crows.

The rising sun warms everything. Now the butterflies are up. White, orange, and then a swallowtail flutters by. Here are tiny white orchids.

Tread softly now, for you are treading on my dreams.

Suddenly, loud yelling and shouting rips through the pastoral scene: men on bicycles conversing at the top of their voices. They approach fast, racing each other, wrecking the silence with their screaming fluorescent spandex sportsgear. They wear crash hats. Gloves, even. Testosterone on wheels, ridng high. Faster and faster, the hordes are getting nearer, shouting 'Hay perro!' Is it any wonder that intelligent dogs instantly clock the imminent danger and want to bite off the cyclists' feet?

The birds have fled. Their songs died.

Courtesy of Heinke Woodbridge.

Swallows in our park

Following the monthly meeting of the Rutas y Caminos de la Sal in the Casa Forestal at La Mata, the members and some of the public were entertained by an excellent video which tells of the life cycle of the swallows which come here every year. Justo, the bird expert at the Natural Park described the long and difficult migration these birds make each year, always returning to the same nest, which they then repair if possible. Their offspring have to find their own places to nest build! We saw the little ones being fed in turn, a most exhausting process for the parents which make 400 journeys per day to the nest. Then as they grew bigger, we saw their attempts to fly. Many do not survive the journey. To close the day, we took turns in looking at the nest; these birds are so used to being around people that they are not alarmed by this. There followed a short video about their life and migration which was produced by SEO/Birdlife (Sociedad Española de Ornotologia), since 2014 was “the Year of the Swallow”. A most interesting morning which was enjoyed by all.

Thanks again to Jenny for this post!

PS After the talk Justo led a walk to the Acequion (canal) where we were treated to some bird watching through his powerful binoculars.

New President

The Asociación de las Rutas y Caminos de la Sal, the group of volunteers who for the last 12 years have been caring for the Park at La Mata, recently held their AGM, when they appointed new officers. Having achieved this they then heard about the continuing and new projects which lie ahead. Notices are needed to indicate to the public where they are allowed to go, and what should not be done, in order to protect the animals and plants in the Park. A small team work on these every Saturday morning, by etching, colouring and varnishing the new signs. Recently we joined forces with a Spanish waling group, Andar por Andar, and spent a morning collecting a large quantity of rubbish in the area leading up to the dovecotes.We join in other Park activities which also involve the public.

We welcome new members at our meeting once a month, the next of which will be on the 11^th of April.

To find out more please look at our website which is www.lamataparkvolunteers.blogspot.com

If you would like to join us please contact our new president Stephen Boll on email: exgp10@yahoo.co.uk or secretary Maggie on tel. 96 684 8432

Thanks to Jenny Dodd for this post