This is a place of tranquility and peace. Surrounded by nature, animals come very close to the house. Rabits burrows are located near the house as they feed on the succulents in the garden. Needless to say we accept this, as they do not have any supermarket around the corner. A young fox was seen having a drink at our watering place. He also looks out for mice in the bushes around the house and of course for rabbits…

A small Scops Owl often sits in the huge pine tree in front of the house und calls for his or her mate. They breed inside a hole in the stone wall of the house. One of the most impressive sounds is the song of the Eagle Owl.  A couple is breeding in the cliffs below our place. Sometimes their calls echo through the valley in the dusk and they also can be seen sitting opposite of the house sometimes. Golden Eagles, Bonelli’s Eagle and Griffon Vultures circle above the land while Bee-eaters, falcons as well as other very rare birds like the Black-eared Wheatear, Melodious Warblers and Crested Larks live and breed here..

Ziegenmelker

Sometimes at night, the Little Owl and from time to time the Nightjar are resting in the middle of the dirt road and are in risk to be run over. Their voices are the soft background noise of the night. The Crested Tits are dancing all over the twigs of the pines. They breed in the pine branches near the house.

Some gaps and holes in the exterior wall of the house, originally formed by the green woodpecker, are homes for the Little Dormice. They sleep for seven months and are only active during the summertime.
The Hoopoe breeds in the carob-, almond- or olive-trees. Stonechats, Golden oriole, Short-toed tree creeper, as well as Long-tail tits search the old trees as a habitat. The enthusiastic bird-watcher will get to see a lot.
Lizards live around the house and they are not too shy. They hunt for insects and are welcome. So are the harmless geckos that love the lamps at the outer wall. Moths, spiders and other insects are their prey. Good to observe at night.

Raupe des Segelfalters

Butterflies are active in spring and summer. Some very rare ones can be found around the finca. They suck the juice of the strawberry tree and their caterpillars feed on his leaves.
Wild-, bumble- and honey-bees are circling the flowers, and so does the Hummingbird hawk-moth. The air smells like thousand different fragrances, of ethereal oils of rosemary, thyme. A range of different herbs grow in the machia, that blossom especially in springtime: rosemary, thyme, centaury, wild asparagus, heather, matrix-bushes, fennel, calendula, rockrose, viper’s bugloss, common rue, iris, some orchids and everywhere the hardy esparto grass, that is used to make carpets and baskets. By the way: Best time for herbal excursions is April to June.
The loud songs of the cicadas and also the field crickets belong to the acoustic background of the summer as well. Ground beetles are staggering across the terrace and dragonflies look out for the watering place of the birds near the house. All insects form the very important part of the food chain that finally makes us survive as well!