The Partridge Family on La Palma

A family of Barbary partridges Alectoris barbara koenigi beside the road to the Roque de Los Muchachos

I've seen lots more partridges near the Roque de Los Muchachos than last year. They mostly seem to live in the higher reaches of the pine forest, where they wander out onto the road sometimes. Earlier in the summer, I often saw families which all disappeared into the bushes before I could get my camera out. That makes it all the nicer to have caught this family before they flew off (with a characteristic whirring noise). But I do hope it isn't one of the families that started out with about eight chicks, because they definitely only had one chick with them yesterday.

Bookmark with:

Del.icio.us

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Furl It

Newsvine

StumbleUpon

Things that go SKRAWK in the night

At this time of year in La Palma, you might hear rather unnerving Howie-howie-SKRAWK! noises in the night, something between a furious tom cat and a duck. You're particularly likely to hear it near the sea.

The first time I heard it, I wasn't exactly scared, but I was rather glad that I was inside a solid house and the whatever-it-was clearly outside. I'm sure I'd have felt decidedly uncomfortable about it if I'd been camping, especially in the dead of night. In fact, I've heard of people thinking it was the witches or the devil.

There's an audio recording here. See what you think yourself. Now imagine that it's dark and you're half asleep.

Actually it's just Calonectris diomedea borealis a nocturnal seagull called Cory's Shearwater, or in Spanish a Pardela Cenicienta. Or you might have your romantic, sea-side stroll inturupted by a Manx shearwater, (Puffinus puffinus) which sounds like this. Again, it's fine as long as you know what it is, and unsettling if you don't.

Bookmark with:

Del.icio.us

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Furl It

Newsvine

StumbleUpon