I was rewarded this morning, the blessed cool start to another baking hot August day, when I took my first cup of tea of the day out onto the terrace.

[photo: focusingonwildlife.com]

[photo: orientalbirdimages.org]

[photo: a-z-animals.com]

[photo: Wikipedia]

[photo: Wikipedia]

The ‘ki-ki-ki’ of a booted eagle, which rested in a tree on the horizon opposite. From underneath he is almost completely pale, with dark flight feathers. The head, neck and tail feathers are darker than the body.

The ‘craaaw’ of a female golden oriole in the plum tree, pale green, speckled breast, perhaps more beautiful than her flamboyant partner. Then he flew right to left in front of the terrace, along the line of the valley. A flash of bright yellow and black as he flew, undulating, as if blown by a non-existent breeze.

A silent, almost continuous presence: the buitres roosting on the hill opposite, waiting for the morning heat to rise so they too can rise into the sky. We can see the vultures with the naked eye, practised at recognising their shape on the horizon, knowing which are their favoured trees.

And the ever-present sparrows, chattering like teenage girls at a bus-stop.

5 to remember
inexistente – non-existent
la forma – the shape
el horizonte -horizon
las niñas adolescentes – the teenage girls
la parada de autobus – the bus stop

‘RSPB Complete Birds of Britain and Europe’ [UK: Dorling Kindersley]

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
What a morning for exotic #birds in the #secretvalley #Spain http://wp.me/p3dYp6-1G6 via @Spanish_Valley