Birds

For some reason, I can't load any of my holiday pictures onto my blog. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and Habibi's method involves 'a little line of code' - Aaaargh! Not for me. I shall figure it out eventually, I expect, but don't have time or patience right now. In the meantime, here are some pictures of BIRDS!

The Spanish text is an extract from Guía Total a la Sierra Nevada y Alpujarras, published by Avaya Touring Club, 2003, from the library at La Molino Ratonera, but the (loose) translation is my own. Although the Alpujarras are south and east of Granada, and the Molino is in the Sierra Ojete, to the west, conditions are similar, so you find much the same wildlife. There's more to come, but I can't get any more pics into this entry. (I'm sorry I'm so completely useless with IT stuff. I do try.)

La fauna de los bosques y matorrales

Entre las aves que crían e inviernan en los encinares y marojales de la Sierra cabe destacar por su familiaridad el arrendajo y el mirlo común.Son los primeros en delatar con sus graznidos y trinos al caminante que se interna en las áreas boscosas, y suelen dejarse ver incluso al paso de los coches, cruzando las carreteras que rodean la Sierra.

The fauna of woodland and scrub

Among the birds that breed and winter in the oakwoods and brush of the Sierra, the most familiar are the jay and the blackbird. Woodland trail-walkers notice their chatter and trilling calls, but they can also be spotted beside road junctions, and crossing the motorways that run through the Sierra.

También son sedentarios en los bosques mejor conservados el agateador común, la paloma torcáz y el pito real, único pájaro carpintero de estas montañas. Con ellos comparten el habitat pájarillos como el herrerillo común y los carboneros común y garrapinos.

The treecreeper, the woodpigeon and the green woodpecker – the only wood-boring bird in these mountains - are also resident in the best-conserved woodland. They share their habitat with blue tits, coal tits and great tits.

These photos are all from the wildlife photography gallery of Josef & Lubomir Hlasek - fine clear studies rather than art or action shots. Go see! Inputting the Spanish bird names on Google Image Search also took me to some excellent Spanish language sites - often translated into several other languages - on the natural history of the different regions of Spain. Excellent detail. There were also lots of personal sites with remarkable shots by amateur wildlife photographers. I love websites by enthusiasts!