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Peregrine falcon behind Gaudí’s trencadís mosiac and chicks May 2026 in the Sagrada Familia. Kindly sent to me by Eduard Durany of Galanthus Natura. A total of 318 chicks have hatched in the Barcelona metropolitan area since Eduard started the reintroduction programme with the council in 2003.
This lovely tree frog (Ranita meridional in Spanish) I spotted on Montjuïc, Barcelona. Orwell perhaps saw them on the Aragon front in 1937: “Round the drinking-pool that served for the village mules I found exquisite green frogs the size of a penny, so brilliant that the young grass looked dull beside them”
We watched this grey heron (Spanish “garza real”; Catalan “bernat pescaire”) having a good old preen in the trees above Barcelona zoo. More than 100 wild pairs breed in the zoo every year, the largest urban heronry in Europe. They share their tree roosts with dozens of egrets.
I met this friendly blackbird this morning in Barcelona’s Santa Catarina neighbourhood. Mirlo in Spanish, Merla in Catalan.
Paper wasp on its communal nest. Antic Jardí Botànic, Montjuïc. “While not aggressive, they will defend their nests if disturbed” … I can vouch for that…
Enchanting late night looking for hedgehogs in Montjuïc as part of a scientific study, to the raucous concert of thousands of frogs and toads, croaking and beeping in the Mediterranean night, barely 30m walk from la Rambla. With Galanthus, Zoo de Barcelona and Ajuntament de Barcelona#barcelonaurbanwildlife Galanthusnatura. I love urban wildlife.
Cute Mediterranean tree frog (ranita meridional in Spanish, reineta in Catalan) on Montjuic. Captured by Barcelona’s amphibian monitoring programme run by Galanthusnatura. I love urban wildlife.
This grey heron perched on top of the otter enclosure at Barcelona zoo yesterday, I assume waiting for a fish after the nutrias have finished. More than 100 pairs of herons nest wild in the zoo’s trees. Photo by my 8-year-old daughter Iona.
Date palm, possibly the oldest in Barcelona, planted in 1873 in the Casa de l’Ardiaca (Archdeacon) next to the cathedral. In the late 19th century Spain, palms were very much associated with the “Indianos”, hardworking, often ruthless men who made their fortunes -one way or another- in the Indies. They form an essential part of … Read More “Date palm in Barcelona” »
The Riu Besòs this evening, Barcelona on right bank. In the 1970s this was (it is claimed) Europe’s most polluted watercourse, an open sewer, a deadzone. The factories moved to China and the watercourse was cleaned up. It is now a biodiverse river park cutting through a dense metropolis. No kingfishers today but a heron … Read More “A walk along the river Besòs” »
