End of an Era.

Good Bye Antonio!

This morning Antonio left his beloved Veniata to return to Madrid, leaving the hotel which has been his dream and his life for several years now, The new owner, Jesus, seems intent to continue the calm ambiance of this very special place, and we look forward to working with him.

Under Antonio's calm and quiet jurisdiction, the Veniata became more than merely an hotel; it became a mecca for people from all the continents of the world, to meet, talk and often to form lasting friendships. Above all else, the Veniata has been responsible for highlighting the position of the Iberian Grey Wolf in the Sierra de la Culebra and it is Antonio who has brought all this together under his roof. 

                                                                            

We wish you well,Antonio, with our love and thanks,

John and Margaret.

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Easter Eagle Owl!

Easter Eagle Owl...plus chicks!

One of John's favourite birds..eagle owl on the nest with three chicks. One chick can be seen near the end of the video showing it's head from underneath the adult bird. This was taken this Easter weekend not far from us here in the Sierra de la Culebra.

Two wolves were seen today and we enjoyed a good view of otter last Friday too.

I finish this  Easter blog entry with video of a super Subalpine Warbler, just arrived from Africa in the last few days and is now singing to attract a mate.

Wishing you all an excellent Easter weekend!

Margaret.

Newsletter March 2015

Spring has definitely sprung now here in the Sierra de la Culebra from the first barn swallow seen at Cional on 3rd March through various sightings of golden eagle,great spotted cuckoo, hoopoe, grey and white wagtail, black kite, harriers and the sound of drumming from great spotted woodpeckers and persistent cuckoo calls.Cold, frosty morning watches have generally given way to warm, clear days, where meals are enjoyed al fresco watching our garden birds  forget their inhibitions in attempts to be noticed by potential mates.

Reptiles are more noticeable now. John had his first ocellated lizard of the year last week.

The wolves have also been vocal this month as they fortify territorial rights and pack structure. March is when wolves mate here in the Sierra de la Culebra. I heard two wolves howling early one evening from my garden seat, and John caught this scene of tail wagging  and pack interaction on video on 10th March. This was in an area where red deer have been showing recently in fantastic numbers;  John counted 96 one morning this month, so plenty of prey evident here!

                                                                                     


    This Spring there seems to be an increase in numbers of roe deer in the reserve,with some splendid examples.    

On one morning this month, John was able to record a lucky escape as a wolf trots down the track to eventually disappear into the heather ,but just watch as the video scans down to rest upon a red deer stag totally motionless in a successful attempt to be ignored.                    


Friend Roberto did not enjoy such pleasant weather as he was unlucky to be here during the coldest, dampest days of this month, but such privations were forgotten when,along with sister Bea and friends Agustin and Louis,they relished wonderful sights of four wolves on the morning of 19th March. These wolves provided lengthy sightings moving through the heather and indeed coming out into full view on the track.

Residents were excited to be able to view this wonderful fox at such close quarters. It regularly appears during dinner in the grounds of the hotel!


                                                                                                 

The weekend of 21st/22nd March was the annual Donkey Fair held in nearby San Vitero and the weather settled for the traditional walking of the boundaries. Everyone was in good spirits for this traditional welcome to Spring; infants, donkeys and visitors alike.

Last week, John had wolf sightings on four consecutive days, a pattern that will hopefully continue for the encroaching spring and summer!

Margaret.

Slow Down...Wolf Crossing!

Slow Down...Wolf Crossing! 

John was quick on the draw this morning ( 3rd March) to film this wolf crossing the road...you have to be quick to catch it too! Just another example of the traffic encountered here as mentioned in February's Newsletter!

Newsletter February 2015

Newsletter February 2015.

This has been a month of crisp sunshine and clear viewing. It also heralded the return of the storks to our villages with the first sights here being recorded on 8th February. Now the beak clacking is in full swing and new arrivals are establishing their nest choices whilst we also welcome the older birds to their regular nests.



Two days later, on 10th February John had a first for us here in the Sierra de la Culebra...a Woodcock flying up just in front of him whilst out walking the trails. We are also excited to learn of studies being undertaken in the rivers in Sanabria near here to record the presence of  the Iberian desmon. The waters here are so unpolluted that it appears to be providing a safe and productive habitat for this lovely little creature.  John and I have seen old photographs of desmon taken by villagers here,but it is heartening to learn of their continued presence and indeed in such healthy numbers.

Another interesting sight just as we were eating our lunch in the garden on 27th February was our first sandmartin of the year flying over our heads making alarm calls and then progressing to begin mobbing a sparrowhawk which had been displaying above us. One day later,on the last wolf watch of February, John had a lovely view of a nearby sub-adult golden eagle leisurely quartering the valley below him,hunting over the same territory as the wolves. Two apex predators...one avian and one terrestrial.

En route to the viewpoint,he also encountered this super roe deer buck with the velvet of it's antlers clearly visible.

But what of the wolves this month? They have granted us tremendous views as they are still obviously in their full winter pelt and looking in fine condition. Here is a video taken by John this month of a large wolf, This was a fine specimen sporting its full winter pelt and we were able to watch for about fifteen minutes as it went about it's business undisturbed although fully aware of our presence.

The roads here are generally pretty traffic-free, but as you can see from these photos taken in the past fortnight, it is not always the cars you have to watch out for!

Already this morning, 1st March, John has had a weasel running across the road...too quick for a photograph...but we certainly have some interesting encounters on our journeys. You just never know what is going to be using the carriageway!

Margaret.

Newsletter January 2015.

Newsletter January 2015.

One of John's first wolf sightings of the New Year!

Well here we are with the first Newsletter of the year, and indeed the year started auspiciously with a very good sighting of a wolf walking down the  path into the valley before turning into the heather moorland on a cool, but beautifully crisp January 2nd.


 Eva,our daughter,was here in the Sierra de la Culebra for New Year and such a wonderful wolf sighting was a bonus for her!

Over the New Year weekend, the glorious weather meant that we could enjoy lots of walking with Eva and we were able to share close views of Red and Roe deer and red fox.

Although certainly not the rutting season, this January has seen a lot of sparring among young stags here. These two were repeatedly testing each other out:-

The lovely light, sunny days continued for the first part of Chris and Keny's tour in early January and it was truly wonderful that only 2 hours after being collected from Zamora railway station, Chris was watching 2 wolves! As John called out in stage whispers, "Lobo, lobo!" Chris quickly got them in his scope and could savour this magical moment for him as he watched these two predators go about their business.Such a sight will no doubt live in Chris' memory as he reviews his wonderful tour of Spain. Indeed,en route to the Sierra de la Culebra from Zamora we saw our first white stork of the year, soaring high above us in the clear blue sky.Always a welcome sight! During their time here in the Sierra de la Culebra, which was planned as part of a grand tour of Spain undertaken by Chris from Maine,U.S.A.and Keny who had flown in from  India, Chris was.eligible to sign the book and the board having seen 'his' first wolf.

Chris examining some fresh wolf tracks

Good clear tracks and scat made walks exciting and meaningful .

On the first day, Chris and John were delighted to catch sight of crested tit after hearing their clear trill; other birds spotted were coal tit and rock bunting along with many red kites and common buzzards.

. Earlier in the morning wolf watch,Chris and Keny had been able to get excellent views of red and roe deer plus Iberian green woodpecker, in stunning sunrise light. This being Epiphany, our guests were invited to sample the traditional cake eaten at this time and it was appreciated.

Aaaaahuuuuu!

This huge,full moon on our first evening,completed a wonderful evening for Chris and provided us all with a clear light for our return back to the  hotel for one of Antonio's lovely,home cooked,Zamoran rice dinners.

The weather was not so kind on the final couple of days of Chris and Keny's tour, but that did nothing to dampen any enthusiasm  As Chris remarked,"It just adds to the atmosphere of the place!" When walking around the old villages, the open welcome from the local people was apparent to  Chris and Keny who soon realised that you can not go far in these villages without being invited in for a cup of tea or a glass of beer! There is always time here to share stories and we find the villagers are very proud to show their homes and to talk about their lifestyles with our interested clients.

  The calm hospitality served up by Antonio was appreciated here by Chris and Keny,as has been the case with so many of our clients over the years.

The weather has capriciously improved immediately after Chris and Keny's tour, and wolf sightings have been steady this month, sometimes with 7 from the same pack being spotted at one time. The attached video was taken by John on the morning of 14th January...hand held so apologies for the wavering! This was one of 2 wolves seen that morning by John:- 

All this bodes well for our future watches and John and I look forward to 2015 with its opportunities to share this wonderful part of Spain with many of you

Margaret.

".Keny and I had a lovely time.  It was really amazing, the combination of nature, wildlife, the unique atmosphere - thanks!  Your pictures are great... Again, thanks.  will be in touch.  hope to be able to return some day! " 

 . Chris (U.S.A.)

Black-Winged Kite & Southern Grey Shrike

While out wolf watching on a frosty morning today, we came across these two beauties, Black-winged Kite and Southern Grey Shrike, both willing to pose for pictures.

A grey sky, but a bright day for us!











Plenty of wolf news and sightings to report in our January Newsletter published later this month.