Irati news(2011)

Here is a cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) in migration to Africa fell yesterday as they won over the habit of doing.


(16/10/2011)

Yesterday we were lucky to see a bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), about 2 years old fliying around the entry to the forest of Irati to the Valley of Aezkoa(Navarre), from the information point of Arrazola.

Today the show we had been with the thousands of cranes (Grus grus)that  have flown the same place from 13: 10 to the rest of the Day. In 3 hours we counted about 1950 cranes.

Tourists who were comming  there have had the opportunity to use astronomic binoculars to see them that we have for tourist and us, as well as several hands binoculars.

Arrazola (Irati-Aezkoa) October 20, 2011.

Here we have an abundant mushroom roadside, edible but almost nobody takes it, and we're going to do a little experiment.

This picture I took yesterday at 14:00 p.m. .How much will grow in 24 hours? And 48 hours?

Today at the same time I will take a picture and measure, and will continue so until the mushroom dies or somebody pick it up.

(22/10/2011)
Two days later, our mushroom was complety destroyed, probalbly for a cow or a mare,quite common around this area.End of the experiment!
We will try in a next one.

(12/11/2011)

50 Starlings in the entry to irati forest by Orbaizeta.

Today, at 15:00 p.m. we have seen around 50 Starlings ,perched among the cows, in the distric of Larraun (Orbaizeta).
Stirlings usually lives from the north of the pyrenees, and come to Iberian peninsula in winter during the migration.The next photo is of some of today´s birds.

Starling(Sturnus vulgaris).

common cranes (grus grus)killed by golden eagles(Aquila chrysaetos)(15/11/2011)

On Sunday October 13, a  environment warden, told us  that in the way of the holes of Anbulolatz (SL50-C),in about 10 minutes of information point of Arrazola, were the remains of a common crane (Grus grus),  which there were only some feathers and possibly had been struck down by a pair of Golden eagles that they live in Irati.

Based feathers were bitten, which are not made for birds of prey;they pluck the feathers of their victims,no bite them, indicating that once the crane landed, she was attacked by a carnivore, which  took her to eat later elsewhere. As is a large bird, I thing that could be attack for a  fox or badger, both very common.

 

In this photo, in February of this year 2011, we can see a dead crane in Azpegi (Irati) whose attack was observed, and we know they were golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) who attacked her.
The photo is  of Alfonso Senosiain.

something about crabs..

The Navarre native crayfish almost completely disappearances many years ago illegally introduced American species, perhaps thinking that introduced that would increase the chances of capture.

   As is almost always that man introduces a new species in an ecosystem, this was a terrible mistake, it was afanomicosis carrier, a fungus that are immune to two types of American crayfish (crayfish and signal crayfish), but deadly to the native.

Survives today only in racing headers to which Americans have not arrived.

While the American is, the native can not return to their old places, because the disease survives in American guests.

In this photo taken from the reservoir lake of Irabia, we can see the signal crayfish, present in almost all rivers in Navarre, and identifiable by the white markings of the tweezers.
The crabs play an important role in cleaning rivers, work now performed by American crabs to have kill  the locals.
it is important that Irati racing crabs remain free, because otherwise they could end up eating the eggs and kill anfibiosn protected species such as the Pyrenean frog or russet frog.

Reptiles in the forest of Irati

Arrazola (Irati from Aezkoa) October 6, 2011

Even when the heating season is running, you can still see some reptile heat up the road, when the black asphalt, on sunny days gets very hot, and as the reptiles are warm-blooded no need to get that heat outside.

The picture shows an asp (Vipera aspis) hit the road to Irati, who brought a friend so we could see it.

Tourists who spent yesterday were surprised to have the opportunity of seeing a snake so closely.

The rutting in Irati forest.

Four days ago (15-9-2011) has begun, especially audible at dusk, the rut. Consists of the sound (bellowing) emitted during the deer mating season. Henceforth, the males will fight among themselves to mate with the does that make his harem.

It is a good time to approach the forest and hear and even see them, because in this time are not so careful and they can be caught easily.
(26 / 9 / 2011)

The good weather is not favorable for the rut, and these days you are not hearing so much as in other years. However, today, to 9 in the morning have been heard several males from the point of information Arrazola .

(1/10/2011)

Surely now is a good time for berrea.During the last  days has been heard anywhere in Irati and at almost any time, although the first and last hours of the day are a priori the best.