Bear cub photos
June 26th, 2009 by nick
Fapas have managed to capture some lovely photos of Villarina. the bear cub that was found alone on a road last year, and was later released back into the wild.
More on bears on the forum
Iberianature - pagerank of 5
June 22nd, 2009 by nickIberianature now been upped to a Google Page Rank of 5 and is now in Google Directory’s top ten travel sites for Spain. According to Google Analytics, iberianature (without the forum) receives every month over 70,000 visits, around 160,000 page views and 60,000 unique users
J.G. Ballard on the Costas
June 18th, 2009 by nickJ.G. Ballard wrote some fine landscape pieces in Cocaine Nights (1996 ) on an imaginary but all-too-real Costa del Sol, the archetype of all the Costas. A frightening contemporary vision of the present-future of this part of Spain. Note Sotogrande does not exist.
The mountains had withdrawn from the sea, keeping their distance a mile inland, Near Sotogrande the golf courses began to multiply like the symptoms of a hypertrophied grassland cancer. White-walled Andalusian pueblos presided over the greens and fairways, fortified villages guarding their pastures, but in fact these miniature townships were purpose-built villa complexes financed by Swiss and German property speculators, the winter homes not of local shepherds but of Düsseldorf ad-men and Zürich television executives.
And later
The retirement pueblos lay by the motorway, embalmed in a dream of the sun from which they would never awake. As always when I drove along the coast to Marbella I seemed to be moving through a zone that was fully accessible only to a neuroscientist and scarcely at all to a travel writer. The white facades of the villas and the apartment houses were like blocks of time that had crystallised by the side the road. Here on the Costa del Sol nothing would ever happen again and the people of the pueblos were already the ghosts of themselves.
J.G. Ballard ‘Cocaine Nights’ 1996
Save the Tajo
June 15th, 2009 by nick
Environmental groups are planning a large demonstration in Talavera de la Reina on 20th June to campaign for the recovery of the longest river in Iberia, the Tajo (Tagus).
Thanks to Damien Martin of the excellent Wild Spain for bringing this to my attention. He notes here:
The rally…seeks to bring attention to the fact that 80% of the Tagus is siphoned off to fuel industrial agriculture and urban development in the Spanish Mediterranean regions of Murcia, Alicante and Almería (fruit and veg for export, golf courses for ex-pats and tourists) and that the small portion which finally flows into Portugal is heavily polluted with effluent from Madrid.
The Tagus Network (Red del Tajo) have produced this PDF in English:
All Spanish and Portuguese children are taught that the Tagus, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, has its source in the Albarracín Mountains of Spain and runs westwards for over 1000 km, before flowing into the Atlantic next to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. Sadly this schoolbook statement is currently fiction or, to be exact, only 20% true. The fact is 80% of the Tagus is siphoned off to fuel industrial agriculture and urban development in the Spanish Mediterranean. What remains of the natural mid and lower reaches of the Tagus are a shadow of their former selves, heavily polluted, and, in places, little more than open sewers. Read full text in English: Battle of the Tagus: Citizens of Spain and Portugal unite to save their greatest river
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Photo above of El Tajo at Toledo (Wikipedia)
Otters no longer threatened
June 7th, 2009 by nickThe otter is no longer threatened in Spain and Portugal and now occupies almost the entire Iberian Peninsula, with populations only still under threat in Guipúzcoa, Almería and Alicante. As elsewhere in Europe, otter populations hit their nadir in the 1980s, but increased protection for wetlands and the animal itself, the banning of poisons such as DDT and the clean-up of rivers have allowed the nutria as it is known in Spanish to recover. The otter has for instance returned to the provinces of Barcelona, Gerona, Huesca, Navarra, La Rioja, Cantabria, Palencia, Segovia and Valladolid. ADN
18 lynx cubs born in captivity in 2009
June 2nd, 2009 by nick
The final numbers for the lynx captive breeding programme have been released in 2009. A record 18 lynx cubs have been born, 11 in El Acebuche and 7 in the new La Olivilla centre. There are now a remarkable 78 lynxes (36 born in the wild, 42 in captivity) in the programme, which is clearly on target for the first wild releases scheduled for 2010. The new centre at Zarza de Granadilla (Cáceres) is also to be built in the near future. El Mundo
Above photo is from the ex-situ website and is of Espliego one of last year’s cubs.
Destruction of the Spanish coast
June 2nd, 2009 by nickThe destruction of the Spanish coastline is subject to this slideshow in today’s Guardian. In the photos below, Benidorm in 1960 and in 2009. A graphic example indeed, though I think the sprawl of second homes in the last twenty years has done much more harm and benefitted far fewer people.
See also:
- Destruction at all co(a)st 2008 Report on the situation of the Spanish coast (Greenpeace) “The Builders and Developers Federation estimates that Spain needs more than 300,000 new dwellings every year. However, during the last four years, this number has almost tripled with 800,000 new dwellings valued between the second half of 2006 and May 2007. Now, the slump in the real estate market has plunged the construction sector into a depression that has affected the entire country.” Excellent review
- State of the Spanish coast (iberianature 2004)
- Also in today’s Guardian: Campaigners warn of threat to one of Spain’s last pristine beaches “Politicians have long promised to bulldoze the Algarrobico hotel, but the 411-room glass and concrete structure still towers over the El Algarrobico beach in Almería, south-east Spain. Now campaigners say the authorities have changed their tune and are opening the way to more building on this stretch of protected Mediterranean coast.
Portuguese Men O’ War in Spanish Mediterranean
May 26th, 2009 by nick
The Portuguese Man O’ War (Physalia physalis), one of the world’s most poisonous “jellyfish”, has been spotted off the Andalusian coastline near Almeria and along the Costa del Sol between Cadiz and Malaga. This is the first time they have reached Spain’s coasts for ten years. Scientists have warned the creatures could soon arrive in waters around the Balearic Islands and the Catalan coast. The species is not a true jellyfish but but rather a siphonophore – a colony of four kinds of minute, highly modified individuals, which are specialized polyps and medusoids.
Their sting is 10 times stronger than an ordinary jellyfish. Wikipedia notes:
The stinging venom-filled nematocysts in the tentacles of the Portuguese Man O’ War can paralyze small fish and other prey. Detached tentacles and dead specimens (including those which wash up on shore) can sting just as painfully as the live creature in the water, and may remain potent for hours or even days after the death of the creature or the detachment of the tentacle.Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin which normally last about 2–3 days after the initial sting, the pain should subside after about 1 hour. However, the venom can travel to the lymph nodes and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, more intense pain. A sting may lead to an allergic reaction. There can also be serious effects, including fever, shock, and interference with heart and lung action. There have even been deaths, although this is rare. Medical attention may be necessary, especially where pain persists or is intense, or there is an extreme reaction, or the rash worsens, or a feeling of overall illness develops, or a red streak develops between swollen lymph nodes and the sting, or if either area becomes red, warm and tender.
Treatment for Man O’ War stings elsewhere on the body involve washing the affected area with salt water and then applying ice to dull the pain. More here
“Climate change is changing the migration patterns of many creatures. If they establish themselves it would be very worrying because they really are very dangerous,” Xavier Pastor, the European director of the Oceana ecological campaigning group, told the Independent.Even dead or washed up on shore the creatures still pose a threat because their tentacles retain their poison.”The Portuguese Man O’ War hasn’t been seen in the Mediterranean for a decade, and its appearance off the Spanish coast could herald a process of colonisation, which has happened with other invading species,” Mr Pastor said. Read in The Daily Telegraph
The Portuguese Man O’ War (named caravela-portuguesa in Portuguese) is named for its air bladder, which looks similar to the triangular sails of the Portuguese ship (man-of-war) Caravela latina (two- or three-masted lateen-rigged ship caravel), of the 15th and 16th centuries. As can be seen in the photo. Photo (wikipedia)
See also last year: Portuguese man o’war threat in Cantabrian Sea
Captive bears mate
May 4th, 2009 by nick
The captive bears Paca and Furaco have finally mated after failing to do so last year. Paca has lived with her sister Tola in a mountainside enclosure for many years and both have play a great role in making bears accepted in Asturias among the general public. As I understand it any cubs are likely to have the fate, and be kept in semi-captivity.
More on Paca and Tola here and the story of the pairing here
A guide to Wild Spain
April 20th, 2009 by nick
Teresa Farino, iberianatureforumer and probably the most knowledgeable English guide to Spain’s flora recently published her latest book: Wild Spain: The Animals, Plants and Landscapes. This is something I would have liked to have written but she beat me to it, so fair play to her. An essential read which you can buy from our Amazon bookshop at no extra cost here.
Here’s the blurb:
Spain is one of the richest countries in Europe in terms of flora and fauna - its mammals include wolves, bears and the endemic Iberian Lynx, it has the highest number of breeding bird species in Europe, some of the best butterfly sites and an outstanding array of wildflowers. The range of habitats is vast, from the snow-capped mountain peaks of the Pyrenees through evergreen forests, olive groves and wood-pasture to freshwater wetlands and the arid sub-desert of the south. Few other European countries can rival its appeal to those interested in wildlife and the environment. “Wild Spain” celebrates the landscapes and natural history of this surprisingly diverse country, including the Canaries and Balearics. Expert naturalist and landscape historian Teresa Farino examines the geography and climate, the many different habitat types and the remarkable variety of wildlife, including the many endemic species and impressive list of rarities for which Spain is a last refuge. More than 230 superb colour photographs bring alive their dramatic world. The past 20 years have seen a revolution in Spain in terms of wildlife conservation and environmental awareness, and the final section of the book looks at the country’s protected areas, the development of green tourism and where to watch wildlife.
One customer has written:
This is a wonderful book, containing many superb photographs of Spain’s tremendously varied wildlife by a well-known photographer of many years experience who lives in Spain. However, it is not just a picture book (like so many photographic books are), but a detailed and authoritative guide to the habitats and fabulous and often unexpected fauna and flora of Spain. It is currently the best book available on Spain’s wildlife and habitats in terms of the type of information it provides, and an absolute visual delight. Thoroughly recommended.
When Teresa isn’t writing books, she does these very popular tours with her outfit Iberianwildlife.
Latest lynx news
April 17th, 2009 by nick
This year’s Iberian lynx captive breeding programme is going well. Here is a quick round-up the latest figures.
11 females have so far given birth to cubs . There are now 19 surviving cubs born this year, 17 of which are being raised by their mothers and 2 are in intensive care at El Acebuche. More detail here
On the negative side, I’d missed this bad news from Doñana in March reported on Dan Ward’s Lynxblog.
Theo, a seven year old female lynx, pregnant with two cubs, was killed by a motor vehicle on 13 March on a road between Algodonera and Laguna de San Lázaro, within the Doñana protected area. This incident follows a number of similar lynx deaths in the area in recent years, including just six months ago when a lynx was runover on the busy Almonte - Matalascañas road alongside the National Park. Moreover, Theo was killed on an agricultural road that had been recently re-surfaced and upgraded to allow traffic to drive much more quickly. Read complete article
The above photo is from the ex-situ website and is of one of last year’s cubs.
The recovery of the Imperial eagle
April 2nd, 2009 by nick
The Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) has recovered “spectacularly” over the past 30 years, and is one of the success stories of conservation in Spain, increasing from 38 pairs in 1974 to 253 in 2008. The latest figures are from a study published recently in the journal Oryx and in this interview from Science Daily.
“This study shows that the species has recovered and has responded well to conservation initiatives. Although it has been known for a long time, the study shows once again that this species is highly affected by changes in adult survival rates”, Santi Mañosa, one of the authors of the study and a researcher at the University of Barcelona, tells SINC. Some of the most important reasons behind the failure of the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) to increase its numbers have been premature adult deaths resulting from electrocution on electricity lines and the consumption of poisons used to control predators.lthough the major threat to the birds differs from region to region in Spain, Mañosa says that habitat conservation is essential in order for the bird to be able to nest and hunt. For this reason “it is essential to manage the rabbit population well, because this is what makes up its diet during the breeding season in all areas”, adds the researcher.
However,
“Things have gone well over these past decades, but this could all be lost within five or ten years if things start to go wrong. It is a question of making improvements - electricity lines continue to pose a serious threat to this species, and efforts to resolve this problem are going very slowly,”
Read complete story in Science Daily
See also: Una red para proteger al águila imperial (El Mundo). “Una hembra de águila imperial ibérica (’Aquila adalberti’) ya está incubando en el nido que puede verse, en directo en Internet, gracias a una cámara instalada por SEO/Birdlife en el Parque Nacional de Cabañeros. El macho está buscando la comida. Es una de las 253 parejas reproductoras contabilizadas en la Península Ibérica, un número que se quiere aumentar ahora con una Red de Custodia para que esta majestuosa ave deje de estar en la Lista Roja de especies vulnerables.”
- Photo above from SEO/Birdlife
Lynx photo report
March 29th, 2009 by nick
El Pais has this interesting photo report on the successful Iberian lynx captive breeding programme in Acebuche, Doñana. In the photo, the lynxes are monitored 24 hours a day by a team of biologists.
And sorry but I couldn’t resist this one of Elfo at three weeks old, the first “grandcub” to be born in the programme. He was abandoned by his mother Brisa and has been raised by the captive breeding team.
Tourism in Spain under threat
March 27th, 2009 by nick
Spain is currently the world’s second-biggest tourist destination after France, with the population of 45 million being bolstered every year by as many as 60 million foreign visitors, 80% of whom flock to the coasts. Tourism contributes more than 11 per cent of Spain’s GDP and employs more than two million people. These figures are going to fall in the next few years because of the economic crisis, but the sector faces a much greater long-term threat, that of climate change. According to the Fundación Empresa y Clima “the changes are going to be far more drastic than those caused by the current economic crisis”. Impact are likely to include higher temperatures, loss of beaches due to sea level rise, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems, the reduction of water resources and the increase in forest fires. El Mundo
Meanwhile, the EU has delivered a stinging criticism of Spain’s property laws, allowing urban sprawl and corruption, voting overwhelmingly to freeze hundreds of millions of euros in Spain’s EU funding if the Spanish government does not tackle what the parliament condemned as “extensive urbanisation” practices. BBC
And again, the long-term prospects for the traditional Spanish tourist industry may not be rosy. Over-development of the country’s coasts has seen them lose their much of their appeal for tourists. Some statistics:
- In the six years between 2000 and 2006, urban development within the first two kilometers of the coast of Huelva increased by 48.1 percent.
- Urban sprawl in Valencia increased by 53.1 percent. In just six years, concrete was blighting one out of every 10 previously untouched kilometers of Valencia’s coastline.
- In Alicante and in the Andalusian province of Málaga, more than half of the first two kilometers of coast are under concrete. In Barcelona, just 32 percent of the coastline remains undeveloped. Across Spain, coastal urban sprawl has increased by 22 percent in just six years.
La Comunidad Valenciana construyó un 10% de su costa en sólo seis años (EL País)
Rise in stork population
March 21st, 2009 by nick
The population of storks in Spain is continuing to rise, rising from 6,700 pairs in the mid-1980s to 35,000 pairs today. Specifically in Catalonia numbers have risen from just 8 pairs in 1974 to 358. The reasons for their recovery lie in a greater respect for their nests, more nature reserves, availability of food from rubbish tips and the change in their habits due to warmer temperatures. This latter point has meant that some 10,000 storks no longer undertake the arduous migration to Africa, but instead migrate to sites in southern Spain. It appears that the old Castilian adage Por san Blas la cigüeña verás in reference to the arrival of storks in early February (San Blas is on 3rd February) no longer applies.
- La Vanguardia
- White storks in Spain (Iberianature)
