There was a change today in the birds.
–––
All through the Autumn and Winter, flocks of the mountain residents have been feeding upon the bounty of the Dehesa.
These groups of the small birds have lived and slept together for warmth and security.
Their songs and calls commingled into one long thrilling opera of the ecology.
The Stonechats have changed that.
A male in full glorious breeding plumage decries his territory from the top of a giant boulder this morning.
His intention is clear, keep out this is mine, this is where my family will be raised.
All across this place, the song is repeated as that ancient instinct is stirred, the desire to breed and to continue the line.
It is another sign that Spring approaches and the deep natural intelligence of the Earth rises in procreation to meet the warming of the sun.
Photo: Stonechat. Courtesy of the author.