Category Archives: Beach holidays

Beach holidays, Biodiversity, Birds, Climate Change, Writing

Whirlwind August

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This August we have been in Spain, Portugal, and then the UK and in various counties, Oxfordshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, Yorkshire. Holiday time for the grandchildren has been busy and also catching up with friends, family and a wedding after those two quiet years.

And so this is a quick post to catch up with myself and with the blog on the last day of August.

Water still flowing at the 12 spring fountains in Fuenteheridos

Finally family can visit but now has to be August because of school holidays. Water is becoming problematic even in our ‘wet’ Sierra. Some villages now have water shortages. The water levels are low and there is no way to pipe water from the reservoir. So Seville gets plenty and no restrictions but many here do not. Fuenteheridos springs still flowing but down in the important wetlands of Doñana so many lagoons are completely dry which is devastating for birdlife there.

Climbing the olive trees

Exploring Navasola and the local villages where each have a municipal pool with good showers and a bar. ‘Encanto’ the film was a bit of a theme. Did this link us to ‘building a house with the help of the village’!

We were also lucky in Portugal to see wild dolphins ‘playing’ off the Algarve coast along the Ria Formosa. A first for me. They stayed awhile and it was as if the whole beach were given a spectacular show. Sorry no pics just in the ‘inner eye’.

There are real dolphins out there

And we loved the gecko in our bathroom.

And it was also so good to have so much open air music; in the local village squares, in Tavira and back in the UK at Cropredy with Fairport Convention. I finally get to use my ticket after a two year wait.


Bee eaters visit Norfolk, build a nest in a sandhole and at least two babes have now fledged.

Courtesy of RSPB webcam

In London German Shepherds ‘parent’ a rescued kitten.

Time for a snooze

I hope August has brought some happiness and holiday time in spite of all the news and for us the problems with drought and wildfires in Europe. It is time for governments to act on climate change issues. Our grandchildren deserve to inherit and enjoy a nature rich world where extremes of climate do not destroy lives.

With best wishes to all and I will catch up soon!