Friday 25 October 2013, Gaucin, mostly cloudy, occasional light rain pm, calm air-light W-SW wind, 20C

Whilst checking out new walking routes near Castellar I passed through a cattle farm where there were 150+ Griffon Vulture feasting on a couple of dead cows; an amazing spectacle. As the corpses were some distance from the live cattle they may have been left out deliberately as carrion for the vultures.

Other than the vultures, there were 3 Common Buzzard, small flocks of Meadow Pipit, large flocks of mixed finches, several Crested Lark, Woodlark, Stonechat and Sardinian Warbler. There were a lot of Chiffchaff sp. around including one singing Common Chiffchaff.

In nearby Jimena de la Frontera at the same time last year there were still Booted Eagle and Barn Swallow around, but none seen today.

Mandrake Mandragora officinarum