Field diary

January 2006

The earliest "spring" migrants are on the move. On 18th January we spotted the first Great Spotted Cuckoo of the new season.

There is a very large concentration of ducks on some of the local the reservoirs, with a particularly noteworthy total of 15,000 Pintail on the Embalse de Gargáligas.

On the 27th a new Interpretation Centre for Cranes was opened at Moheda Alta just outside Navalvillar de Pela. This is very welcome as it is indicative of greater public investment in initiatives supportive of birds. Full story (in Spanish).

On 29th January a snowfall occurred in the area for the first time in 22 years! It is quite an event in an area unaccustomed to snow, although by the end of the day most of it had melted away.. The snowy conditions seemed to trigger curious behaviour in the cranes, many of which were observed performing display dances.