Well, it has been great weather for flying.
Since we arrived, our first five days have been 25°C and that’s in the shade, as temperatures should be measured. I’ve been struggling to decide for some years whether 24C of 25C is perfection. Since I can’t make my mind up, I will tag them both with that label. I should develop a Franco temperature scale – maybe it could be called Francoheit. I could probably make it about as obscure as Fahrenheit.
A few years ago on a previous Spanish Xmas visit, we had seen some dragonflies basking on rocks beside our local Ríu Jalón on December 23rd. Given our currently beautiful weather, I was keen to see if I could find any dragonflies this year. I did but only a single species and a cryptic one at that. I think this is a Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) but don’t quote me. We saw about half a dozen individuals that have extended my season by a month or so. Very welcome, even if I’m not sure about what I was looking at.
We popped in to Calpe the other day where we were hoping to grab some lunch at a corner restaurant that does reasonable seafood. Regrettably, the tourist season being over, the restaurant we had in mind was all locked up. Shame! On a more positive note, we were treated to a synchronized flying and landing display by some of the flamingos on Las Salinas.Here are three of them touching down, with a disinterested friend.
As we were enjoying sitting in the afternoon sun at Casa this afternoon, we heard a familiar cry and began searching the sky. A raptor worked its way effortlessly down the valley. I thought we’d missed our chance to identify it but it did eventually return. It’s behaviour at first made us think it might be something unusual but as it returned it began whirling in a very Buzzard like fashion. I managed one decent shot and, sure enough, that’s what it turned out to be.
Our luck cannot last. This run of unseasonably warm weather has got to break soon Our luck just isn’t normally that good.
Leave a Reply