The Birdman of Alcossebre (Spain)

Protecting Nature – Sometimes a Tightrope, Sometimes a Noose!

The nearest Nature Reserve/Park to me in Alcossebre; North East Spain is next to a small town called Torrenostra.
It’s called El Prat de Cabanes and is known to the locals as ‘Home of the Ducks’. It covers some 812 hectares so is a fair size. It is a mixture of ponds – some natural, and some dug out of the peat soil, marshland – some dry some wet, scrubland and a long coastal strip – mainly consisting of pebbles. See photos.

The local landowners who agreed to sell their land for the cause of Nature Conservation received a modest sum. Now they are not happy because their neighbours outwith the park area have sold their land to property developers for a good price!
This resentment has manifested itself in the form of three large fires in the Park area causing a lot of damage – see photos.

Fortunately the fires so far have been in the winter months.

Since the Park was set up in 1988 progress has been slow. However since the advent of European Union moneys for Conservation work there has been a lot of improvements, particularly in the last couple of years.
Diggers have been brought in to create new ponds.
Existing paths have been improved and widened and disabled access made available.
Several watchtowers have been installed.
Information boards have been put up, albeit vandalised already.
So slow steady progress
See photos

Now for the downside. The local landowners still have the shooting rights over the Park area and they let these rights out to hunters for premium rates – result? From October to March the birds are decimated! So where is the point in all that Conservation work when this is allowed to happen?
OK the hunters are all – as far as I have seen older men – and hopefully the younger generation will not take up the gun?

But for how much longer have we got to put up wth these scenarios?
Outwith the shooting season the Park area is a wonderful vibrant place for all the birds and other wildlife.

Another irony is in this part of Spain there are actually more birds in the winter months than in the summer months.
So I will carry on recording the wildlife of this great place and keep you updated with developments.

Meanwhile the Montagu’s Harriers, Collared Pratincoles and Red Crested Pochards are nesting blissfully unaware of the drama that surrounds them!

Posted by Flamingo at August 12, 2005 2:04 PM