Natural Spain and some new music

Extremadura's gentle winters and large tracts of land have always drawn migrating storks to stop in the region, but global warming has, in more recent years, lured them to take up residence for a vast majority of the year.
The five churches in Fregenal de la Sierra with towers high enough for the storks to build on have ensured my town as a sort of haven for the birds. Though, I have also seen nests built on power lines, telephone poles, and other precarious places. There's something very majestic about the sheer size and steadfast silence of the storks. They seldom make noise and almost never move.

To give some scale to the nest: that bell is actually very large.

Perched as high and as still as the ornaments surrounding it.

They seem to defy wind and gravity.

Again for scale, look at the cars below.

There are also a number of fields around and within the town that host sheep, horses, chickens, and a variety of wildflowers.  Yes, I often wake up to a rooster's crowing, but I always have something wild to look at while I'm running.  It's peaceful.
The supermarket happens to be right next to a nice little field where I was able to peek through the rock wall and get these pictures.

For Christmas, I was given a little Bonsai plant to bring a bit of nature into my apartment.  I have no idea how it will do, but I've begun the planting process.

And an interesting Swedish band I've recently discovered: First Aid Kit.  An unusual sound (sort of like Julia Stone) with sweet lyrics.  Their single "Emmylou" is up for free download on iTunes this week. The Lion's Roar, their newly-released album, can be streamed in full for free from NPR's First Listen.  Stephen Thompson wrote a good article to accompany it.  Do it!