Archive for March, 2007
A white-tailed eagle (Lat. Haliaaetus albicilla - Sp. Pigargo común) has been seen in Spain for first time in 53 years on Monte Perdido. Observan por primera vez un ejemplar de pigargo europeo en Monte Perdido (El Mundo). This is the first time the bird has been sighted in Aragon. The images were taken by an automatic camera set up to monitor fauna.
According to the Libro Rojo de las Aves, the last sightings of white-tailed eagle in Spain were:
Albufera de Valencia (1887 and 1916), Castellón (1942) and Delta del Ebro-Tarragona (1953). Each individual was shot.
This Ministerio de Medio Ambiente document states they are classified as extinct, and that once definately bred in the Balearics (Ibiza and Mallorca) the latter in 19th (?) century, and possibly in Girona
See
Pigargo_comun.pdf
Follow forum thread on white-tailed eagle in Spain here http://forum.iberianature.com/index.php?topic=22.0
Aragon, birds | |
The stork webcam in Avila is up and running again 
here http://arevalo.seo.org/ in Arévalo in Northen Avila.
birds, urban wildlife in Spain, webcams | Tags: Arévalo, storks|
I’ve put together this guide to ballooning and balloon trips in Spain
Balloon trips in Spain
Outdoor pursuits in Spain | |
Great news! Three lynx cubs have been born in captivity in the El Acebuche centre in Doñana, the first this year. The parents are Aura, a female born in Doñana and Garfio, a male from Sierra Morena. Pairs are deliberately put together from different areas to increase DNA variety.
 
 First images of cubs
Video here from Canal Sur:
El Pais
 UPDATE Another lynx, Artemisa, unfortunately miscarried Here (El Mundo)Â
 In 2005 and 2006, nine cubs were born of which six survived. More are expected this year. See also http://www.iberianature.com/material/iberianlynxnews.htm
Andalucia, Doñana, Iberian lynx, Uncategorized | |
I finally got round to posting Frances Barrett’s extremely entertaining writings on food.
Francis Barrett’s Deconstruction of Catalan and Spanish Food A Guide for Newcomers. http://www.iberianature.com/material/spanishfood.html
A couple extracts below:
- Sitting in a scenic country spot with a glass of wine and watching Spanish family members preparing a paella over an open fire in a shallow pit is rather like attending a choreographed performance of gender roles; I suppose the same could be said about Americans or Australians or British or even Irish people at a barbecue.
- Butter { mantequilla } is considered a strange thing to put on bread, but can also be bought with or without salt. Manteca means lard, which can be used for cooking but does not make a good spread. Margarine is sold in supermarkets, but I cannot imagine what sort of moron buys it. Mermelada means both marmalade and jam, and is commonly eaten at breakfast with croisans [croissants] (usually made with manteca rather than mantequilla , so not as nice as the French variety). If you want to see Spaniards go into total shock, give them some Marmite or Vegamite.
- Â Cardes / cardos / thistles are not widely consumed in Catalunya, but are very popular in Navarra, where several of my friends come from. The stems have to be peeled and boiled for a very long time in salty water, but the result is very pleasant either on its own or in combination with peppered celery and / or broccoli. They have a high reputation as a heal-all, being supposed even to cure the plague. Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing contains the line: ‘Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus and lay it to your heart; it is the only thing for a qualm…. I mean plain Holy Thistle.’ This presumably refers to external application, but many older Spaniards regard thistle soup as medicinal in the same way as soup made from / ortigas / nettles and / dock leaves. Galicians also recommend Rubarbio / rhubarb for medicinal purposes but I’ve never heard anyone here enthuse about their granny’s rhubarb recipes, and Catalans seem to regard all these plants as only fit for donkeys
Catalonia, food | |
Despite all the changes Montjuic has suffered in recent years, the hill still has considerable biological and geological interest. Iberianature has teamed up with DEPANA, Montjuic Study Centre and Galanthus to support a move to turn part of the mountain into a nature reserve. More here.
See also http://www.iberianature.com/material/foixarda_panta.htm + http://www.iberianature.com/material/montjuic.htm
Barcelona, Catalonia, Conservation, urban wildlife in Spain | |
The first two iberian lynxes have been born in the wild this year in Doñana. A second female very probably also has given birth. Last year 64 lynxes were born in the wild between Doñana and Sierra Morena.
Doñana, Iberian lynx | |
05/03/2007 New Lynxbrief from Dan Ward with: (Photo by forum member SNiDE)
Traffic calming proposals in Donana
Lynx killed by hunting activities
An update about the captive breeding programme
64 lynx born in the wild in 2006. Here Lynxbrief 8 (pdf).
Andalucia, Iberian lynx | |
02/03/2007 Iberian lynx images. Just came across the great selection here and picked up on the foro linceiberico
Iberian lynx | |
02/03/2007. Trip to Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. We started out from the car park a couple of km from the Congost de Mont-rebei. Straight away we had raptors above our heads and read on forum
Â
Catalonia, trip reports | |
27/02/2006 I recently bought Anfibios y Reptiles de la Peninsula Iberica e Islas Baleares (Guias Verdes) by Toni Aragon Rebollo, 2006. 39 euros or thereabouts. This is a very well organised and clearly written guide. Before the field guide itself, there is an ample introduction on the status of herps in Spain and a fascinating section on their place in Spanish folklore, from which I’ve quickly translated this on lizards.
In the north of the Peninsula, it was believed that lizards were friends of men, while snakes were related to women. They told that lizards would leap at women during their period (Translator’s note: My mother-in-law has told me about this). Similarly in Seville , geckos were said to chase after women. There also stories of lizards climbing into women’s vaginas while they slept. In the southeast there is the belief that if you come across a lizard with two tails and you put it in a plate scattered with flour, it will draw the winning numbers in the lottery (two-tailed lizards occasionally occur when a new one is regrown without the old having been totally severed). Another belief related to lizards tails is that they are a cure warts. This belief should be combated as the loss of its tail can cause great harm.
There is also lots information on the folklore around individual species in the field guide part. On the Turkish gecko we have for example:
Murcia they are known as pelás. This comes from the “powers” they are said to have. It is thought that if you misfortunate enough for a gecko to fall on your head you will go bald as a coot. In some villages just the mere spit from a gecko is enough to leave you hairless”.
All no doubt true, although biologists claim that geckos can’t spit. Thoroughly recommended. Good drawings and photos too.
See Foroum on this Book on Spanish reptiles and amphibians
books, folklore, reptiles & amphibians | Tags: lizard folklore, Toni Aragon Rebollo, Turkish gecko|
03/03 
