Storks of El Espinar
One of the first things I noticed upon arrival to the town of El Espinar in the Spanish region of Castilla y León were storks nesting on most of rooftops. Most of those nests were occupied by one or two quite large but I suppose still young storks.
If you were not following my recent activity I should probably explain I visited FEMUKA street jazz festival that took place in the area around this Spanish town. To see all posts related to the festival, please click on the FEMUKA label in the right column.
We also have storks nesting in some parts of Slovenia but usually there are just a few nests in each village. In El Espinar I had a feeling I just visited a very popular stork holiday destination in the peak season.
These large birds obviously like this region a lot. I saw them also in other nearby villages but nowhere were so many of them. I needed some time to get used to being awaken by a strange clapping sound they make with their beaks. They did this non-stop but surprisingly I did not find it annoying.
Even if by some strange coincidence next year there is no human crowd gathered for the festival, there will always be a patient crowd clapping (with questionable rhythmic capabilities) from the rooftops to the enthusiastic jazz musicians.
You can actually see their nests on the roof of the church on the above photo. I can't imagine who wouldn't like that kind of audience.
I guess the region is a perfect place for a birdwatcher. If you are lucky enough, you can even spot a stork taking a slow stroll on the pavement.
The only thing you have to keep in mind in order to see them is to visit during their nesting season - every autumn they depart on a long journey south.
Obviously I took quite a few photos of them. I hope you like the ones I actually decided to post.
