I've just received fantastic news for birdwatchers in Andalucia regarding the annual birdwatching weekend in Casarabonela, a lovely white village perched on a mountainside in the province of Málaga.
I interviewed the organisers of this event on the radio last year and I can assure you it's worth travelling to Casarabonela to participate if you love birds. Your organisers humbly refer to themselves as "amateurs", but believe me, these dedicated non-professionals know their local bird community like the back of their hands. And this year they have the support of the Spanish Orinthological Society (SEO - Sociedad Española de Orintología) as well as talks by dedicated experts, local conservationists and the authors of interesting books about birdwatching in the south of Spain.
So, if you are looking for an entertaining opportunity to learn more about local bird life in Andalucia, here's all you need to know to get involved:
Casarabonela Bird Fair – Dia de las Aves - October 3-4
Saturday 3rd October
Opening ceremony at Midday, release of wild birds of prey.
Location- Casarabonela swimming pool
CREA ( Centro de Recuperacion de Especies Amenazadas ) will be releasing 4 birds of prey back into the wild after rehabilitation. These include Eagle owl, kestrel, booted eagle and black kite.
13.00 Tapas route – Information on the Town hall stand.
15.00 Visit to the Birdwatching area. Information at SEO stand
16.00 Lecture by Author & biologist Aitor Oliver – Theme “ Swifts and Swallows of Casarabonela”
17.00 Guided tour of the principle monuments of the village. Information at Town hall stand.
Sunday 4th October
10.00 & 11.00 Visit to Birdwatching area with local guide. Contact SEO stand for details.
13.00 Prize giving for children’s drawing competition.
15.00 Guided tour of the principle monuments of the village. Information at Town hall stand.
16.00 Lecture by Tomas Rueda, co-ordinator of the Sierra de las Nieves . Theme “Space for conservation and development of the Sierra de las Nieves”.
18.00 To close the birdwatching weekend a presentation of a new book by Juan Oñate y Marta Oñate “ Paseo por las aves de la Serrania de Ronda”. ?????? ????? ????