Archive for the ‘urban wildlife in Spain’ Category
Saturday, July 12th, 2008
Mansin, the Capercaillie who had recently made his home in villages in the Redes Natural Park, Asturias was yesterday found dead in Tarna. Villagers blame a stray dog for his death. Members of the environmental department of the Asturian government and officers from Seprona, the wildlife protection unit of the Civil Guard, have collected what’s left of his body which will be taken to Madrid for forensic tests. There will probably follow an enquiry as the bird, a member of a species threatened with extinction in Spain, was supposedly being monitored to ensure something like this didn’t happen. See previous entries on Iberianature about Mansín and the topic on the forum.
News from lne.es
Tags:Cantabrian capercaillie, killed by dog, Mansin, Redes, Tarna, urban Capercaillie
Posted in Asturias, birds, urban wildlife in Spain |
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
I’m pleased to announce the Barcelona swallow webcam is back on line after some technical hitches this year. Once again it is hosted by iberianature and organised by Galanthanus.
Press f5 to refresh every 30 seconds. There is no artificial lighting so it’s only clear between about 12:00-1600 CET.
The swallows appeared on 2nd April. This year they were given an artificial nest (by Schwengler) in which to nest but preferred to build their own on a wooden beam above. In early May the eggs were laid and on May 18th five chicks hatched of which two fell from the nest and died. On June 11th the fledglings flew for the first time. There is a possibility of another clutch. Information about last year’s webam.
Tags:swallows
Posted in Barcelona, birds, urban wildlife in Spain, webcams |
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
Sad news. A group of vandals have disturbed one of the four “nests” of peregrine falcons in Barcelona. They climbed up one the chimney stacks in Poble Nou where the pair where raising three chicks, and in their panic the chicks flew before they were fully fledged. Two have been rescued but one was found dead in the street. The two rescued chicks are to taken to a nest on Montjuic and introduced to the pair there through hacking. May the full force of the law fall on these idiots. El Periódico
See also Peregrines of the Sagrada Familia
Tags:Montjuic, peregrine falcon, Poble Nou
Posted in Barcelona, birds, On Spain, urban wildlife in Spain |
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Eduard Durany, of the Barcelona Peregrine Falcon Reintroduction Project, a scheme close to my heart, has sent me this photo of chicks in Guadi’s Sagrada Famila. Eduard notes that this year four chicks have hatched in the nestbox, a record for the site. In 2005, 2 chicks were hatched, in 2006, there were another 2, and in 2007 just 1 females. The father was released in Barcelona port in 2001 and the female was born on the Montjuïc cliffs in 2006. Photos here another BCN pair. + More info on Barna’s peregrines.
Thalassia and Galanthus are also organising a Peregrine Watching Day on 10th May from the Plaça del Sagrada Família, which is right in front of the nest. Telescopes will be available. I’m going. The activity starts at 10:00am.
Tags:peregrine falcon, Sagrada Famila
Posted in Barcelona, birds, Catalonia, urban wildlife in Spain |
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
The number of boars in Collserola has doubled in the last three years to some 65o individuals, which are increasingly moving into the city’s outskirts to feed. (El Periodico) Here below a group of 30 boars feeding next to the excellent Vall de Hebron Hospital, where I had my kidney stone removed. Thanks to Lucy on the forum for flagging this. Overfamiliarisation can bring humans dangeously close to what is a wild animal, particularly when this is a sow with young. Wild boar numbers are increasing throughout Catalonia mainly due to the recovery of forests to the detriment of farmland, but also due to proliferation of corn crops. See wild boar in Spain
Posted in Barcelona, Catalonia, Mammals, urban wildlife in Spain |
Tuesday, June 5th, 2007
An enjoyable morning out under the under the cliffs of Montjuic this morning, “helping” to ring common kestrels. In the end only one adult female fell into our talons (common practice states I am not allowed to explain legal method in a public sphere just in case anyone gets any bright ideas). It seems the population has plummeted from European-wide record colony of 20 pairs just a few years ago to possibly just 5(?) or less this year, See here for expalanation http://www.iberianature.com/material/barcelona_birds.html I must say I felt rather privileged to holding such a beautiful beast as the ring-road traffic trundled past. Anyway, here’s some nice picis – unusually for me. 
Here’s the video which was being filmed for Vilaweb.com during the ringing process. It covers peregrines and kestrels. You’ll recognise the kestrel in the second half. The balding guiri in the blue T-shirt is me.
http://www.vilaweb.tv/?video=4878
Written report here:
 http://www.vilaweb.cat/www/diariescola/noticia?id=2418487
Posted in Barcelona, birds, urban wildlife in Spain |
