BirdingInSpain

Spring 2017, and the good news is that the outdoor clothing company Patagonia have conceded us one of their environmental grants to help us with our “Bovera, from brown to green” project! Our primary aim is to turn an unused field into a small haven for wildlife, whilst growing organic food and promoting nature-related leisure, education and local business.

Zoning the Pou del Mano project: the original idea

a = lavendar and aromatics; b= well, chill-out area; c = vegetables; d = wildlife

One of the core premises of this project is to plant fruit trees aimed at eventually establishing a food forest, a place where fruit trees will flourish, people will enjoy the shade and picking and eating the fruit growing on the trees, birds and other wildlife will occupy and alter the new niches being created, and bushes, flowers and vegetables can be grown in the shade and open areas between the trees.

Planting a tree in Bovera

Bearing in mind that this is a harsh Mediterranean continental climate, with very low rainfall (below 400mm per year) and very high evapo-transpiration (summer maximum temperatures approach 40ºC), and that we wanted to avoid installing an irrigation system, the first task would be to select the appropriate tree species.

In the end we planted 2 or 3 of each of the following: cherry, quince, persimmon, apricot, pomegranate and fig, and half a dozen sea buckthorn. First off, the sea buckthorn were having none of it, immediately went into a sulk, and started dying. The others dragged their heels, but a quick survey 2 years later and only the original quince and the pomegranate survive.

We did our best, but obviously it wasn’t good enough. So what happened? An analysis of likely factors and explanations would be vital if we were to learn from the experience, which was our intention, rather than to give up. So as not to get too long and technical, we’ll focus on just one factor – water.

Up and down the path we go

Water and drought – even if a relatively drought resistant tree needs only 600mm of rainfall in a Mediterranean climate, when you only get between 200 and 300mm rainfall a year it doesn’t mean you can just add the extra 300 mm or so at the base of the tree (300 litres per square metre) and everything is OK. For one thing, what is the real water deficit of a particular tree in a particular area?

In other words,
(i) what is the tree’s surface area “of influence”, ie does it only extract water and nutrients from 2 or 3 square metres around the trunk?
(ii) Does the dry, unirrigated soil around that area use some of the water that you provide through capillary action, soil-dwelling organisms, invasive roots of other species?
(iii) How do you determine the most crucial moments, when the tree needs water the most?
(iv) If the temperature rises above what is “normal”, how will that affect water consumption and availability to the tree?
(v) What effect does your soil’s water retention capacity have on the ideal frequency and quantity of watering?
(vi) And what other factors can’t I think of right now?

All these are often unanswered questions that may flash through your mind as you struggle down the path with two 25-litre drums, wondering how much water to gift your trees with today.

Then when the trees start wilting you hurry to install olles (see previous Pou del Mano post). Hopes are high, they function correctly, and very soon the surrounding weeds have sent out roots to smother and command this new resource (scramble competition) before any more slow-growing competitors (trees) can get there.

But don’t despair! The new, on-site rain roof, equipped with 2,000-litre tanks and 40 m2 of rain-catching surface will spare us from having to use the mains water, even if we do have to continue watering by hand. If only it would rain. And then … it rains in November, when the trees that have survived the summer won’t thank you for your contributions.

The rain roof and water tanks

So then, your pride around your ankles, you turn to irrigation, just like everybody else. The lessons of life and living.

We recommend

Iceland Awakes! An awesome spring tour.

A real client review

“In September 2018, together with my non birding son, I went on a 10 day tour of Iceland led by Steve West of Birding in Spain. Steve worked tirelessly to find the birds and we had a very successful birding trip.  He also managed to incorporate all the important ‘tourist sites’ and general wildlife into our trip.  A very successful tour on a magical island that catered for everyone.  We even got the Northern Lights.  This was my third birding trip with Steve, he remains my first choice for guided trips.” – Ian, UK.

Next: Where have all the swallows gone? 

The frog in the well

A puzzle for you:

• A frog is at the bottom of a well, which is 30 feet deep (use metres if you prefer). Every day the frog climbs up 3 feet (or metres), but slides back 2. How many days will the frog need to get out of the well?

You can answer in the comments section if you think you have it. Or if you prefer, send us an e-mail.

We’re still waiting for a frog to appear, not in the well, but in the pool. So far, no frog, although we did have a whopping toad for one day. On another day, as I was filling an “olla” with water I was delighted to discover a small frog avidly swimming about inside. I let it crawl out of the top hole as I filled the olla, and didn’t replace the stone over the top of the hole, as I felt certain it would like to go back in sooner or later. That in itself gave me an idea: why not create “micro-reserves” with olles here and there, some with water and some without? Those without water would be refuges for spiders, beetles and woodlice, while those with might be encouragement for more froglets.

Common Toad, Bufo bufo

You can read more about “olles” here, including their function in permaculture, and how to make a terra cotta flowerpot olla:

https://wateruseitwisely.com/olla-irrigation/

Home-made olla for watering

Like many of the gardening tasks, such as weeding, planting and the like, filling and inspecting ollas requires a fair bit of bending over. However, when bent over I don’t have to raise my head to know that one of the local Blue Tits is close, this time inspecting the nest box that I’ve put up for them on the dying persimonn tree. Last year they built a nest, but for some reason they abandoned before any eggs were laid. When I ascended to clean out the nest box there was the nest, but none of the dirt associated with a used one. I think the problem is that they are of a very nervous disposition and cannot accept my presence, even when I’m face down and bent over most of the time and only watch them through the corner of my eye!

Blue Tit nest box on persimmon tree

This year they haven’t nested, despite repeated attempts by the male to encourage the female to have a look around the lovely new residence he had discovered. I think she took a dislike to the neighbours (me) and that hers was the final word. Even the shading I had put up for the box to compensate for the lack of branches and leaves was not good enough for her more refined tastes.

Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus, at drinking pool

If you are thinking about making, purchasing and erecting a nest box for hole nesting birds such as the Blue Tit, or indeed even a considerable array of other potential birds, you really should read up well to maximize the possibilities of success. You could do much worse than to buy this book published by the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology)

https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/bto-books-and-guides/nestboxes-your-complete-guide

At the Pou del Mano I haven’t seen much evidence of nesting birds. Certainly early in the spring we had a Corn Bunting singing almost non-stop for weeks above and around the couple of hay bales which we use for mulch, and more or less at the same time two male Sardinian Warblers were in avid pursuit of a female Sardinian Warbler. The Black Redstarts that frequented the rain roof throughout the winter were no longer there one day in mid-spring, while the singing Hoopoe from last year seems to have moved elsewhere. Golden Orioles nest in trees close to us, but not on site, and the Stone Curlew has been in fields close by for the last two breeding seasons. On the upside we’re getting a lot of interest from this year’s Little Owl juveniles, exploring the area close to where they were born, while doing their best to avoid the couple of marauding cats we try to keep off the site. A Black-eared Wheatear puts in the occasional appearance, and this year the Red-rumped Swallows seem to be a little less common than in previous years. 

Male Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala

Red-rumped Swallow, Cecropis daurica

But back to the frog in the well: the Pou del Mano is actually 13 metres deep, so how long would the above-mentioned frog need to get out of the well?

Next chapter: Tree planting – dreams and realities

BIS feedback, what real people say about us

Bill W., UK, May 2019
Unlike some of the others on the trip, this was my first time birding in another country, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. However, the fact that it was so enjoyable was undoubtedly due to being in the company of you both. From the moment you picked us up from the airport, we knew we were in good hands.
Your bird knowledge Steve, I found to be extraordinary, and I would never have seen my 52 “lifers” without your help.
Also, many thanks to you both for your help with Spanish translation and pronunciation. I am now seriously considering looking for a local Spanish conversation class.
All the very best to you both, and I hope we get the opportunity to meet again in the not too distant future.

Thanks Bill!

We recommend:

Iceland awakes! An awesome spring birding tour