An aerie of eagles

Pete is my most lucky visitor, when it comes to eagle ‘experiences’ in the Barranco.

He is a keen walker and visits most years, in October.

Last year, we spotted a route up the mountain to the north east of our Casa. After a short stroll down the 'rambla', we started to ascend the rocky spur that would take us up 400 metres to an altitude of nearly 1300 metres.

In spring the mountain slopes resemble an alpine meadow, but at this time they were covered in purple lavender. Its sweet scent followed us for the entire walk, and we were accompanied by the hum of honeybees, busily working the flowers, even at this altitude and so late in the year. A falcon swooped past, but perhaps even more impressive was the glint of sunshine on the Mediterranean, visible beyond other lower sierras, 25 kilometres away as the falcon flies!

I have never looked down on an eagle before, but today, we spotted two, slowly circling with deep wing beats, above the summit of a neighbouring lesser peak. They must have spotted us too, because they moved off down the 'rambla', only for one of them to reappear minutes later, no more than 20 metres above our heads. It used the strong wind on its huge wings like a kite, to hover there for a couple of minutes. Very clearly, we could see the marking of the golden eagle, the fronds at the ends of its broad wings and the wedge shaped tail. It seemed to look disdainfully down us, as if rebuking us, for having the nerve to look down on it!

It is always a joy to see an eagle in the Barranco, but I feared that after that day's experience, it would never be quite be the same.

But not so! Yesterday evening we saw 13, yes without precedent for me, 13, Golden Eagles circling over the mountain behind the casa. With such a large group, we thought maybe they were vultures, but our binoculars did indeed confirm them as Golden Eagles; as they circled, and came in one by one, to settle on the high cliff top’ to rest and preen themselves and look down on the world as the sun began to set.

So this morning, Pete, John (another visitor) and I decided we were going to try and get a closer look. Off we went with the excited dogs, Millie and Holly, through the hamlet towards the climb up the mountain.  We exchanged ‘holas’ with my neighbours. Jose who said that yesterday, he had seen 6 wild goats at the fuenta. “Perhaps the eagles want to feed on goat,” joked Merito. 

Up we went, and the higher we climbed, the finer the view became. Beyond the foothills of the Sierra de las Estancias towards Partaloa, was the Almanzora Valley and then the Sierras de los Filabres, with the distinctive Mount Tetica,  and the observatory at Calar Alto prominent; and beyond them the Sierra Cabrera with an ultimate vista of the shimmering Mediterranean at Garrucha.

As we ascended we could just make out the eagles peering down on us. Occasionally, one would stretch its massive wings, but while they could curiously see us slowly heading towards their Piedra del Águila,( Eagle Rock) we were sure they wouldn’t move on, until they could see us no more. Sure enough, as we traversed around a rocky slope, that took us out of their view, they set off.

    I know it may be hard to imagine, but the black dots at the centre top of the rock face are eagles

They glided over the Barranco in the direction of Saliente, before catching a thermal that took them far away to the east.

I think I managed to catch 11 of the eagles as they set of on mass towards Saliente

A Visitor from Portugal

Merito and Francesca were passing by the casa as they returned from harvesting the almonds from some of their trees. Merito is well into his sixties, but the heavy sack of nuts that he carried on his shoulder seemed no effort to him. The work and cultivation of the land has been the perfect gymnasium for my neighbours. No matter their age, they all seem to have so much strength and energy.

He rested the sack and then he and Francesca, excitedly told us that some people from Fatima in Portugal were visiting next Monday afternoon. They were going to go around all the Barranco; stopping at every house; calling in and taking a photo, and this was the first time for 60 years that this had happened!

Now, you probably wouldn’t know it, but the people in these parts don’t really talk Spanish. It’s all together, another language they speak! As far as the rest of Spain is concerned, it’s probably worse than a cross between Geordie and Glaswegian!  So it’s no wonder, that we sometimes wonder, what is really going to happen.

Monday came around and we weren’t a lot wiser; but I had done an internet search on Fatima, and discovered that the place was famous, because a young girl from there, had seen a vision of the Virgin Mary. Could this be something to do with it?

Anyway, our neighbours were really busy preparing a grand olive bower and floral arrangement at the fiesta area, and it turned out that in fact, the statue of the Virgin of Fatima was being brought to the Barranco, for all to see and venerate. 


Now I’m not at all religious, but because my neighbours were so enthused and excited about the event, I cast aside any hypocrisy, and joined in.

The Virgin arrived accompanied by 2 liveried ‘brothers’ and the young local priest Miguel, who has a great sense of fun, not to mention a fine singing voice and a talent for the guitar. The women of the Oria ‘love’ him!  


There was a short service with some singing and prayers and ‘Ave Marias’ , to welcome the Virgin of Fatima to the Barranco, and then the whole community, about 60 of us, processed off to each house in turn; as many as would fit going inside; to have a blessing on the household with the Virgin sitting centre of attention, on a convenient table that was draped with a cloth and decorated with flowers and candles.

The emotion of the occasion got to many people. Many were teary eyed.

Heather got gently admonished by the priest for wanting to take her own photos before the blessing was made at our house. Heathen!

And yes you cynics were right. It all came at a cost – if we’re not going to go to Church, then they are going to bring the collection plate to us!

But really, it was an amazing afternoon. A whole afternoon, of a whole community coming together – talking together, walking together, and visiting each others houses, with a great sense of community and friendship.