Looking Down On The High Flyers.....
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| Vivid red brightening up the greenery: a Linnet basking away—Close-up by Assumpta Bosch (Click on picture for an enlargement. Clicking again on the enlargement gives a full-screen blow-up) |
It’s not something that happens often – getting a bird’s eye view of avian activity in all its frenzy and intensity, and its moments of calm and repose. And the Pla de La Calma (Plain of Tranquillity) is probably one of the few Catalonian nature reserves where this is possible.
The La Calma nature reserve -- a sprawling area of grassland and scrubland with some interspersed woodland of Holm oaks and poplars on gently undulating terrain between 1000 and 1250 metres up the western flank of the Montseny Mountain range -- was where GOT birders came upon this rare sight of a male Linnet, resplendent in breeding plumage.
The Linnet (arrowed) in true perspective, perched prominently atop a bramble bush on the slopes below us. Picture: Abul Fazil
A small passerine in the finch family Fringillidae, Linnets thrive in the protected ecosystem of La Calma which abounds with its favourite food – seeds of dandelions, thistle, flax and hawthorn. The Linnet derives its English name from its partiality for seeds of flax, from which linen is made, and its scientific name, Carduelis cannabina, from its fondness for hemp. The male in breeding plumage has crimson patches on either side of the breast and a crimson patch on the crown, but the most distinctive feature is its fast and pleasant warbling song. Open land with thick bushes is favoured for breeding, and there is plenty of that on La Calma.
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| A male Red-backed Shrike on a thistle plant looks out for potential prey –Picture by Assumpta Bosch |
The butcher birds
Three members of the Shrike family, all wearing their distinctive black masks, were also in evidence on La Calma: the Red-backed (Lanius collurio), the Woodchat (Lanius senator), and the Southern Grey (Lanius meridionalis). Unlike the vegan Linnet, Shrikes are carnivorous passerines with a penchant for impaling captured prey on a thorn or the fork of a bush or tree. This cache or "larder" is designed to hold the victim while it is being eaten, to store prey for later consumption, or to attract mates. The official name Lanius is derived from the Latin word for "butcher" and this, together with its unusual feeding habit, has earned the genus its “butcher bird” tag. Medium-sized and migratory, Shrikes hunt from prominent perches and prey on large insects, frogs, rodents, lizards and even small birds like finches.
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| A female (left) and another male (right) Red-backed Shrike–Pictures by Assumpta Bosch |
The Red-backed male has generally reddish upper parts, a grey crown and rump and the black stripe through the eye. The underparts are tinged pink, and the tail has a black and white pattern. The female has brown upperparts adorned with wavy lines.
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| Another butcher bird, a Woodchat Shrike –picture by Assumpta Bosch |
The male Woodchat shrike is a striking bird with black and white plumage and a reddish crown and nape. It is also the only shrike member with pale rumps and a plain face that gives it a gentler expression than other shrikes. Like the female Red-backed, the female Woodchat too has a buff and vermiculated underpart.
The La Calma reserve is probably the closest one can get to a perfect sanctuary for avian wildlife and wild flora. Human presence is scarce, apart from the few weekend hikers, who stick to the single dirt track that cuts across the whole length of the terrain, park rangers on their bicycles or four-wheel drive vehicles, and the occasional organised group of ecotourists. A steep, narrow, very winding, asphalt road takes you from Tagamanent, one of the numerous small towns nestling at the foot of the Montseny, to La Calma’s only carpark, obligatory stop for all private vehicles, a thousand metres up. Not for the faint-hearted is the 30 minute crawl up or roll down, especially on a wet day.
The La Calma reserve is probably the closest one can get to a perfect sanctuary for avian wildlife and wild flora. Human presence is scarce, apart from the few weekend hikers, who stick to the single dirt track that cuts across the whole length of the terrain, park rangers on their bicycles or four-wheel drive vehicles, and the occasional organised group of ecotourists. A steep, narrow, very winding, asphalt road takes you from Tagamanent, one of the numerous small towns nestling at the foot of the Montseny, to La Calma’s only carpark, obligatory stop for all private vehicles, a thousand metres up. Not for the faint-hearted is the 30 minute crawl up or roll down, especially on a wet day.
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| The western flank of the Montseny range, some 15 kilometres in the distance. The black arrow marks Tagamanent peak and the ruins of the Church of Santa Maria. The saddle (red arrow) is La Calma itself. Picture by Abul Fazil |
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Deep in La Calma: tranquil, certainly, but far from flat. In the background lies the Montseny’s most iconic peak, the Matagalls (1697m) --Picture by Abul Fazil |
Some 74 nesting species have been recorded on La Calma, although GOT birders spotted only 29 species during the three hours we were up there. Most numerous were Common Swifts (Apus apus) and Alpine Swifts (Apus Melba). Flocks of more than 50 each time kept swooping down on grassland around us in feeding frenzies. Alpine Swifts are readily distinguished from the Common Swifts by their larger size, white belly and throat, short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent. The Common Swifts look entirely black during flight, and move much faster than their Alpine counterparts. Both are migratory and fly off to Africa for the winter.
An African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) in repose, one of the 74 species in La Calma—pictur by Assumpta Bosch
Picture on the left shows GOT birders taking a short break amidst some mountain ferns under the shade of a Holm oak, and contemplating the breathtaking sweep of the Cingles del Berti (Cliffs of Berti) in the distant background. The picture on the right shows the group striking out along Sender 5 de Gran Recorregut (Long-Distance Trail 5), 1250m ASL on La Calma. Referred to simply as GR5, the path links one end of La Calma to the other, and is a well-trodden stretch of the network of long-distance mountain trails, trekking routes and footpaths -- each over 50km in length -- that crisscross the entire country and form part of the larger European-wide network of long-distance footpaths. In Catalunya alone, the GR network covers almost 4500 km. The trails are blazed with characteristic marks -- a white stripe above a red stripe -- which appear regularly along the route, especially at places like forks or crossroads.
List of birds seen on La Calma, compiled by Ferran Pasqual:
1. African Stonechats, Saxicola torquatus, Tarabilla Común, Bitxac comú, Afrikanische, Schwarzkehlchen, Tarier d'Afrique
2. Alpine Swift, Apus melba, Vencejo Real, Ballester, Alpensegler, Martinet à ventre blanc
3. Blackbird, Turdus merula, Mirlo Común, Merla,Amsel, Merle noir
4. Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla, Curruca Capirotada, Tallarol de casquet, Bergeronnette grise,Fauvette à tête noire
5. Cirl Bunting, Emberiza cirlus, Escribano Soteño, Gratapalles, Zaunammer, Bruant zizi
6. Common Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs, Pinzón Vulgar, Pinsà comú, Buchfink, Pinson des arbres
7. Common Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus, Cuco Común, Cucut, Kuckuck, Coucou gris
8. Common Raven, Corvus corax, Cuervo, Corb, Kolkrabe, grand corbeau
9. Common Swift, Apus apus, Vencejo Común, Falciot negre
10. Common Whitethroat, Sylvia communis, Curruca Zarcera, Tallareta vulgar, Dorngrasmücke, Fauvette grisette
11. Common Woodpigeon, Columba palumbus, Paloma Torcaz, Tudó, Ringeltaube, Pigeon ramier
12. Corn Bunting, Emberiza calandra, Triguero, Cruixidell, Grauammer, Bruant proyerc
13. Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, Curruca Rabilarga, Tallareta cuallarga, Provencegrasmücke, Fauvette pitchou
14. Dunnock (hedge sparrow), Prunella modularis,Acentor Común, Pardal de bardissa, Heckenbraunelle, Accenteur mouchet
16. Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin, Curruca Mosquitera, Tallarol gros, Gartengrasmücke, Fauvette des jardins
17. Hoopoe, Upupa epops, Abubilla, Puput, Wiedehopf, Huppe fasciée
18. Linnet, Carduelis cannabina, Pardillo Común, Passerell, Bluthänfling, Linotte mélodieuse
19. Mistle Thrush, Turdus viscivorus, Zorzal Charlo, Griva, Misteldrossel, Grive draine
20. Red-backed Shrike, Lanius collurio, Alcaudón Dorsirrojo, Escorxador, Neuntöter, Pie-grièche écorcheur
21. Red-legged Partridge, Alectoris rufa, Perdiz Roja, Perdiu roja, Rothuhn, Perdrix rouge
22. Rock Bunting, Emberiza cia, Escribano Montesino, Sit negre, Zippammer, Bruant fou
23. Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala, Curruca Cabecinegra, Tallarol capnegre, Samtkopfgrasmücke, Fauvette mélanocéphale
24. Skylark, Alauda arvensis, Alondra Común, Alosa vulgar, Feldlerche, Alouett des champs
25. Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius meridionalis, Alcaudón Real, Botxí meridional, Südliche Raubwürger, Pie-grièche méridionale
26. Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia cantillans, Curruca Carrasqueña, Tallarol de garriga, Weißbartgrasmücke, Fauvette passerinette
27. White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, Lavandera Blanca, Cuereta blanca, Bachstelze, Bergeronnette grise
28. Wood Lark, Lullula arborea, Alondra Totovía, Cotoliu, Heidelerche, Alouette lulu
29. Woodchat Shrike, Lanius senator, Alcaudón Común, Capsigrany, Rotkopfwürger, Pie-grièche à tête rousse
Words: Abul Fazil 
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