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| The specially built tower |
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| The tower seen from behind |
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| The food is cut to pieces and meticulously weighed before it's fed to the birds |
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| Inside view of the tower |
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| Chúss overlooking the Medina Lagoon |
What is it that makes you like birdwatching?
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| One of the ringed Kestrels sitting on top of the cage |
How did you get started with birdwatching?
In 2010 I started devoting more time to birdwatching and bird volunteering projects. I became an environmental volunteer for the Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales and learned about all the interesting and necessary bird conservation projects in my province, so I enrolled in many of them: Spoonbills, Ospreys, Montagu's Harriers, Swifts and Martins, Kentish Plovers, waders in general, terns, seabirds and so on.
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| A Kestrel devouring we had left in one of the outside feeders alongside the tower |
Which equipment do you have?
I have a telescope, binoculars and a bridge compact camera. The camera is very useful because I can take pictures and then look the bird up in the guide to learn its name, habitat and many other interesting facts about it. The telescope is very useful for seabirds, which are my latest passion.
Do you have any professional link with birdwatching?
Well, I am an English-Spanish technical translator, and in recent years I have had the opportunity to translate many texts and a couple of books about birds. So I feel very fortunate that I can sometimes connect my passion for translation with my passion for birds and nature.
How often do you observe birds?
I go out almost every day. At least for an hour. It's the break I take from my daily duties. I can't help looking out for birds everywhere I go.
That's amazing! Which is your favourite location for birdwatching?
In the province of Cadiz I love going to Cabo Roche to watch seabirds. Also the Cetina Marshes in Puerto Real are a very interesting spot. And of course, the Strait of Gibraltar at migration peaks to watch the crossing of many thousands of birds to and from Africa during spring and autumn migration.
Can you tell us a special anecdote?
Well, I have many, but there is a beautiful one that I remember with a family of Eurasian Nuthatches. I was sitting on a bench at a table near a lake eating cashew nuts. I had a handful of them on the table and was picking them one by one. Suddenly a male Nuthatch came to the table, picked one cashew nut and flew straight to the nearest tree to insert it in the trunk. Then again. Then it was the male and the female... And then IT WAS THE CHICKS!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. The fascinating thing about it is that the chicks never took a cashew nut from the table. They only looked and went straight to the tree where the parents were hiding the nuts to feed from there. Absolutely AMAZING!!!
Do you have any favourite bird?
Well, I used to say that my favourite bird is the 'Lechuza', Barn Owl in English. So people call me LeChussa as a play on words with my name. But the more birds I see, the more species I like. So it is getting quite difficult to stick to just one bird.
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| A Kestrel flying into the open cage to pick up food |