And this is a crucial moment. “any discomfortno matter how little, the baby can be carried ahead“, warns Marco Antonio Beardnaturalist and bander authorized by the Catalan Institute of Ornithology (ICO). This is what happened in a nest of the Baix Llobregat. The presence of climbers climbing up one unauthorized rocky area chased away one pilgrim couple who decided leave the nest.
Beard has been right in front of this failed nest with three rural agents to recover the forlorn eggs and try to know exactly when the birds gave up breed. This could start a investigation and find out who broke one protective tape and then failed to comply with what was dictated by a informative poster.
The drought also complicates the nesting season for various birds, which has begun these days
“The fever for opening new climbing routes does a lot of damage,” says carles barescoordinator of Mountain Support Group of the Corps of Rural Agents of the Generalitat. The restrictions are “surgical”, only at points where there is evidence of the existence of nests. In addition, they last a short time: “During the rest of the months, when it is not breeding season, there are no limitations and it can be easily climbed. You just have to comply with the regulations, on the web you can check which walls are allowed and which are not.
Success in the Penedès
After collecting the samples from this abandoned nestthe three agents and the naturalist head towards another breeding area, in the penedeswhere a new nest. THE NEWSPAPER accompanies them. First, they stop the vehicle and they study the mountain with the binoculars to know what strings they will need. During this check, they observe indications that there has been illegal climbing in the area, something that worries them.
“The fever to open new climbing routes causes a lot of damage to the hawks”
Carles Barés, rural agent
They then continue driving to the highest part of the mountain range and there they begin to equip themselves: gloves, helmet, carabiners and bags of clothes to introduce the chicks.
When Pubs starts to go down, rappel modethe swift and powerful flight of the female Peregrine falcon interrupt the scene. He crosses in front of the rural agent with nervous flutters and a loud screaming: “Wiaaaa woaaaa!”. Together with the male, she is in charge of feeding the young and watching over the nest, so she feels the threat of human presence.
suspended on the cliff, the rural agent introduces his hands inside the ledge where the birds built the nest and takes out first one chick and then another. He puts them inside the bags and start to climb upwards. He returns to the top of the mountain, tired and sweaty, and hand over the bags to Barba, who will check the health condition of the little falcons and ring them.
chicks squeak restlessly and get stressed. They resist by moving their already sharp little claws. To reassure them, Barba places a hood on the head that will prevent them from seeing. “I present to you fastest animal in the world“, proclaims the specialist while holding one of the pups. The process is quick: they are fix the ring on the leg that will identify them from now on and then they go back inside the bag.
more threats
The rural agents they will go down again to the nest (hanging on the rocks) to return to the chicks to their house and not disturb them anymore. His parents they will continue to feed with the prey they catch. “In this area, they feed on thrushes, orioles, wood pigeons. In some cases they venture to liquidate other birds of prey that compete with them, such as the european hawks“, details the ICO bander.
“In some spots, peregrine falcons have bred less than in previous years”
Marco Antonio Barba, naturalist
In a few weeks, if all goes well, the small peregrine falcons they will dare with their first flights. Later, they will have to find a new place to breed. The couple who have settled in this area were born in the city of Barcelona, where years ago a reintroduction project of this species to fight against plague of pigeons.
In some territories, this breeding season is not being particularly positive. In it Basque CountryFor example, some chicks have not grown enough, maybe because of lack of food. In Catalonia, there is still a lack of data to specify how the season has gone. “But it is known that in MontserratFor example, some habitual nests have not been occupied“, warns Beard. In the massif of Montsant something similar happens.
“For us, the follow-up of these protected species It is important. They are a bioindicator of the quality of our ecosystems“, it states Pubs. The drought, according to his account, affects all species, but some, like the peregrine falcon, can trick the catastrophe because they modify their diet: “They can feed of many different prey“.
“That of the peregrine falcon is important because it acts as a bioindicator of the ecosystem”
Carles Barés, rural agent
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when the Mountain Group of the rurales was born, more than 20 years agothey began collaborating with the bearded vulture banding in the Pyrenees and Bonelli’s eagles in it Garraftwo birds in slope at that time. “We are working with more and more species of raptors and scavengers: Egyptian vultures, culebreras, vultures either eagle owlsto name a few”, celebrates Pubs.
His 21-member group organizes itself to respond to requests for universities, researchers either associations like the ICO. It is made up of rural agents who perfectly master climbing techniques. During the month of May, a few weeks of hectic work. It’s a month of breeding and they have to register and ring so many birds as possible.