Friday, May 13, 2011

On site: Gêres and a special cow


So meet the Barrosã ox, a very unique animal that is uniquely found in a northern area of Portugal: Gerês.
The Peneda-Gerês National Park is known for its breathtaking beauty, where hikers of all ages can enjoy a great mountainous landscape. However the landscape is far from being harmonious as it has a lot of pressures from human impact that challenge the survival of the flora and fauna. This ox in particular is highly endangered, and one of its threats is the also endangered Iberian Wolf. Thus a lot of programs have been devised in order to make these two species co-exist peaceful, because if the bovines are kept safe, then the wolves will hunt something else, and voilá, problem solved. That simple.
It is without a doubt gorgeous region, incredibly photogenic, so it's well worth a trip :)

July 2010
all photos by Laura Nunes

Monday, May 9, 2011

On Site: Castro Marim, Portugal

This Nature reserve is perhaps one of the best locations to observe and photography birds in Portugal. Squashed near the Spanish Border, it might be small and often overlooked but it still shelter an enormous diversity of fauna and flora.
Unfortunately with the recent construction of a bridge that crosses right in the middle of the natural reserver, connecting Portugal and Spain across the Guadiana rivers, it might not be a very quiet area, but its vast natural beauty extends miles from the highway so a few moments of peace can be encountered for those that enjoy a good walk. In the mean time, you may be rewarded with a great flock of flamingoes either on land or cutting through the blue sky

April 2010

Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim V.R.S.A, Algarve Portugal

all photos by Laura Nunes
April 2010