At a bend in the Thyme Track, on the right-hand-side, there is a cliff of hard-packed earth. In it is a succession of holes.
The largest is 10 inches wide and has a pile of loose earth underneath, proof of a resident. This, we think, may belong to a badger though it is three foot or so above ground level. No identifiable footprints though.
Nearby is a series of smaller holes which we at first thought may be home to sand martins, but which we now think may be bee-eater nests. Last summer we watched bee-eaters through our binoculars, nesting in similar holes in a sandy bank on the opposite side of the valley. Bee-eaters are regular visitors here, arriving generally at the end of March and staying until late August.
Listen to the song of the bee-eater here.
5 to remember
el hoyo – the hole in ground
el camino – the track
a la derecha – to the right-hand side
el tejón – the badger
la tierra suelta – the loose earth
And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Are these nest holes for bee-eaters? #birds in #Spain via @Spanish_Valley http://wp.me/s3dYp6-holes
