Walking in the Serra de Montgrony
After weeks of rain, the forecast for last weekend was good, so I headed off to one of my favourite places in Catalunya, Montgrony, to do some walking. The hostal of Montgrony is perched on a boundary: below are the pre-Pyrenees, with steep wooded valleys and isolated masias, while above begin the Pyrenees proper, with mountains of up to 2000 metres.
I’m usually looking up at the sky and trees to see birds, but the displays of flowers were so stunning, my attention was constantly drawn to the ground. After a week of studying, I’ve finally identified most of the flowers, with help from Lisa. (I’ve also taken Lisa’s idea of putting the images on the gallery first.)
The high open pastures were particularly impressive: the predominant colour was yellow but there were also swathes of forget-me-nots, flax and red clover, and, with the occasional bright blue or purple gentian (Spring and Trumpet.) Best of all were the Wild tulips: tall, graceful and fragrant, waving in the breeze. There were also some mysterious dark red flowers that I discovered later were Black vanilla orchids (Lisa’s photo) – with a scent of vanilla – wish I’d smelled them! Around the rocks at the top were clusters of Hairy Androsace, or Rock Jasmine (maybe a better name).
I met people with bags crammed with Cama secs (Marasmius oreades), small mushrooms, whose Catalan name means Dry legs – perhaps because their stems are quite tough. There were hundreds still to be picked, and I took some home, being told they store well if you dry them.
When not marvelling at all this, I had time to look up and notice Griffon vultures, and a Short-toed Eagle passing by and some Wheatears on the rocky outcrops.
By the time I was heading back to Barcelona, spring had been overtaken by summer, cows were being led up to the high pasture and the sun was scorching.
It’s the time of year for unusual sightings in unexpected places. Recent observations recorded on 
Shortly after being born, this year’s brood of Peregrine falcon chicks were stolen from their nest in one of the Sagrada Familia towers. The robbery took place out of range of the web cam installed. Visitors have no access to this tower, but there are always plenty of workers milling around, since the Sagrada Familia is still under construction. Eduard Durany, responsible for monitoring Barcelona’s Peregrine falcons, emphasises the need for better security. Last year suspicious individuals were spotted trying to take food up to the falcons, who fetch a high price on the black market. After the theft, two chicks born in a wildlife recuperation centre were placed in the nest, but sadly the intended foster parents rejected them. See also the report on the ringing of 
After considerable procrastination, 
The areas of Barcelona nearest to the Collserola hills are now quite used to visits from the natural park’s thriving boar population, particularly at the end of summer when the ground is rock-hard and food supplies scarce. But on Saturday night a family of boars was seen trotting through Gràcia, a central barrio of the city, accessible only after crossing an extremely busy ring road. The same family has been observed this August exploring Gaudí’s Güell Park. There’s a 
