After 6 weeks of fabulous holidays, starting and finishing with visits to our Mums in WA, but mainly in Spain - it is wonderful to be back home.
We only spent time in western Andalucia and in Extremadura ( as well as the obligatory Madrid and Barcelona), but by the time you spend 4 nights here, 6 nights there, the time disappears.
A highlight for us was the annual spring migration of raptors from Africa back to Europe and, although we were a little early, we still managed to spend a day on a cliff top overlooking the
Strait of Gibraltar watching hundreds of birds, of many different species, make their way back to Europe. Fascinating! Another highlights was a day on the plains of Caceres seeing bustards
(Great and Little) as we spent a week in a beautiful little house amongst the Dehesa of holm and cork oaks.
Can’t fail to mention the highlights of Spanish food, wine and coffee of course!! And a day at El Prado - - - - -
Thanks to Silvia and Phil and Carole for looking after Red Mill House so well.
It is so nice to be back amongst the colours. Green, green rainforest, green, green tree frogs, yellowish-green tree snakes, bright blue butterflies, red-breasted Mistletoebird, and rainbows of colour -
Rainbow Bee-eater in large numbers, Rainbow Lorikeets and flowering tropical plants of all shades.
The birding season has certainly changed since we were last here - Dollarbird, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Black Bittern are all summer migrants that are still here, but the numbers are very diminished
of Pied Imperial Pigeon and Metallic Starling. Lots of Rainbow Bee-eaters around, Figbird, Yellow Oriole, and Cassowary seen every day near Jindalba Boardwalk.
It is always fabulous going away and exploring new places, but it is equally good to be home.
