Alert state was declared in Spain on 14 March 2020, as a management measure for the health crisis situation caused by COVID-19. The main command for the majority of the population is to stay at home, confined.
This exceptional situation has not allowed us to choose where to stay this period at: stay at home. But we are so lucky, we live in a small village in Cangas de Onís, Asturias. Just for you to know… we don’t want you to be jealous. We have a small garden and a meadow so we can walk a little bit, do some birdwatching, enjoy nature (flowers, insects…) and, very ,very important, open space views.
Spring has shortened, it seemed they were taken it all from us and we are eager to go out to the field and enjoy wildwatching. No doubt. But we are aware of the huge difference between us and a lot of families, closed up in tiny flats, sometimes without windows or with small ones, looking to other buildings. We consider ourselves as privileged for being able to enjoy this short spring, but spring in the end.
Ever since this “house arrest” started, everybody has found different ways to spend this time as best as they can: games, movies, books, etc. We added another one: birdwatching.
Hemos podido observar cómo se relacionan entre ellas las diferentes especies: algunos lances de caza de insectos para alimentación, algunos cortejos propios de primavera, recogida de materiales diversos para la fabricación de nidos. También hemos sido testigos de la llegada de algunos de los viajeros anuales como golondrinas, colirrojo real o milano negro.
We have seen how different species behave: some hunting attempts on insects for lunch, some of the usual spring mating approaches or nest stuff gathering. We have witnessed, as well, the arrival of some of our usual friends like barn swallows, redstart and black kites.
Here you have the list with all the species we have seen along these confinement days:
Mallard – Common swift – Woodpigeon – Yellow-legged gull – Great Cormoran – Grey heron – Cattle egret – Egyptian vulture – Griffon vulture – Black kite – Buzzard – Barn owl (sound) – Tawny owl (sound) – Great spotted woodpecker – Green woodpecker (sound) – Golden oriole – Jay – Magpie – Carrion crow – Blue tit – Great tit – Swallow – Chiffchaff – Cetti´s warbler (sound) – Long-tailed tit – Blackcap – Nuthatch – Song thrush – Mistle thrush – Blackbird – Robin – Redstart – Black redstart – House sparrow – Grey wagtail – Pied wagtail – Chaffinch – Goldfinch – Serin – Rock bunting
