In search of flamingos

The Delta l’Ebre was recommended by several people as a “must-see” natural area in Spain. It’s an alluvial plain created by the Rio Ebro over thousands of years and now occupied by rice farmers and more recently, tourists. The extensive rice farms and the remaining estuary make up one of the largest migratory stopovers for birds heading from Africa to the far northern reaches in Europe like Finland. There are some flamingos however that have stayed and create a little colony of nesting pairs. We must have seen some 30 plus flamingos from the quiet blinds (called “hides” here) and they were fairly close. Their large light pink bodies, supported by thin, long dark pink legs with their heads were down feeding made for quite a sight. And when they flew to a new spot, you got to see under their wings: black and a darker pink. I loved watching them walk around, how their knees bend the other way and the fluidness of their movement as they fed. Two bumped into each other, said excuse me and moved on. Unfortunately with sea level change from global warming and other environmental pressures, the delta is at risk. I am glad we got to experience it.

Our stay there was way to short, only two days. So much to explore in this region of mountains and coast. We were lucky enough to stay on an olive farm with our wonderful hosts, Mark and Sheila Fowler. They have 350 olive trees that need pruning, water and harvesting: knowing how our 21 fruit trees keep us busy, this is mind-blowing to me! According to Mark, they rotate pruning through ¼ of the trees each year (still!) and optimal pruning looks like an open hand that allows the light to come in. They harvest from October through January as different olives ripen and take the fruit to a nearby “molina” for milling to oil. The olive is a slow growing, hardy tree and Mark showed me one that was over 1000 years old. Some of the trees in this area date back to Roman times. And ancient stone walls from unknown origins weave through the trees creating a beautiful, tranquil and timeless scene. 

PS: If you look closely in the photo you will see our newest member of our traveling team, Azul. It's a Dahon foldable bike that fits inside Bridgette (the car).