A hot nest



Before the cleaning

A few days ago, clearing the  access to the swamp of Irabia of little landslides (marls), they appeared by chance a lot of small  and fragile shell eggs.


During the cleaning












I counted 20 eggs in total, between hatched (the majority) and those who followed integers.They had very soft shell.

.When broken one (it was inevitable, using shovel and hoe but carefully) certainly could see what they were.

 Definitely they were common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) rockers, whose eggs were still warm in the loam, south side,  ease to heating.In the picture above we can see still the breeding with part of the yolk that served as food.


Once out of the shell, and letting the sun was getting some vitality.
Lizards are great insect eaters, and unfortunately fun for many school boys and girls in the yards of their schools or walls of  the villages .

Commmon Buzzar (Buteo buteo)dead in a fence

In this photo we can see the remains of a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) that apparently got caught in a fence-ups, made ​​for the purpose of separating the pasture area of the forest, in order to promote better forest regeneration and have controlled livestock (sheep, cattle and horses).




Remains of common buzard (Buteo buteo)



The coin next to the skull gives us an idea of ​​the scale.

This raptor is abundant in all northern valleys, and is often seen in flight or inn above telephone poles or trees like  in this photo,looking for  mices and other small prey.

Common buzard(Buteo buteo) in Irati















Silhouette in flight. To identify: white collar under the neck.

Autumn following

This is the first picture from which we will follow up the color of the wood, depending on the leaf that fall away.
Why lose their leaves?
Deciduous forests lose their leaves as protection against the cold. In Irati  we have beech, oak, chestnut, rowan, elm, willow, hawthorn, hazel, maple, spindles and dogwoods, among others. Each with a different color in autumn, and a different rate of leaf fall.
We can not know exactly when the forest is more beautiful, because it depends on the wheather; cold, rain, and wind.

In the picture we can see the landscape around the point of information. To the left of the watermark there is a small shrub that has already begun to take some yellow color.There is a hazel, which because of its broad leaves, loses too much water. As we have had a prolonged drought, the leaves are needed of water.In any case, this is one of the first species that loose the leaves in autumn.

Arrazola 29 agosto 2012

Losing chick in the forest

This punk chick seemed to have fallen from its nest in a Silver fir (Abies alba) in the way of plaza Beunza ( Irabia´s reservoir). There was unharmed and was able to move quickly. Probably could plan to cushion his fall.

In my opinion could be a baby thrush,  by the incipient spotted breast and wing colors. What do you think?

 I leaved it in a  highest place in the hope that the mother would hear, and  rub off my scent so that she will not reject it. In any case, was all that  could be done. If not working, in a short time would be food for one of the many forest carnivores.

Irabia´s  reservoir  (Aezkoa/Salazar valleys)

Salamanders in Irati forest

Salamanders are a colorful amphibians that in Irati like the freshness of the beech, where they live under rocks, leaves, or wherever they may have moisture.

In the spring often  they go to the wells and streams to lay eggs. The youngs, at first glance,are very much like a newt, but are more minnows. In this picture we can see the gills, like feathers coming out from behind his head that  allow them to breathe in the water. Later they will disappear, as they develop their lungs.

Larva of Salamandra

These are adult salamanders, caught under a log that I wanted away. The further west we go in the Iberian Peninsula, more black and less yellow are. The colors indicate poison, and in contact with the mucous of the mouth of an animal, it inmediately spit it. If someone you touches them, wash your hands before touch yours mouth or eyes.

Salamanders(Salamandra salamandra)

Common swift down

A few days ago I met a swift (Apus apus) falled in Orbaizeta /Aezkoa (Navarre), a few kilometers from the forest of Irati. Apparently had no wounds or looked too young. Neither seemed stunned by a heat stroke, as the temperature did not exceed 25 degrees.

If it flew away,it couldn´t  no more than  about 100 meters and fell back to ground. That way the cats would eat him in few time. So, I took him home and I had quiet and with a pot of water near , around 4 hours.

Then he began to flap their wings vigorously. Take it out into the street, and then yes, he flew away.

It is quite common in many places to see swifts fallen.Their  wings are  too long to start the flight from the ground. If you meet one, I recommend a very good link (in spanish) with all the necessary tips:

 www.accioecologista-agro.org/spip.php?article443

butterflies

In open spaces where the sun comes abundantly, we scan see a multitude of different butterflies.
Each  of them will lay her eggs in one type of plant, which will feed the caterpillar when it born (Nutritional plant ) Thus, the small tortoiseshell caterpillar feeds on nettles , as its  spanish name suggests.

Small tortoiseshell ( Aglais urticae)

This is a moth of  the family Saturniidae common in moist deciduous forest as the forest of Irati.  The spot inside reminds the Greek letter Tau.
This photo was taken in early May on Mount Mendilatz (Aezkoa) but also I saw another some more active near the upper limit of the forest about 1275 mt. altitude near from the Mount Ori (+2000m.altitude)

Tau emperor (Aglia Tau)

The caterpillar of the piedmont ringlet( Erebia meolans) feeds on grasses, which in this case, would be those herbs that cover the pastures of Irati.Is quite common in the mountains of the north of the Iberian Peninsula.



Piedmont riglet(Erebia meolans)



Stonefly (Plecoptera)

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This insect is not a butterfly, but I thought it was interesting to put it, for though never going to bother us, we may fall into the temptation to kill  it . Is a carnivorous insect  who spends his youth in the water feeding on other insects.and some plants. Is a good bioindicator of water quality, and only can see in clean waters. Very important in the diet of trouts.