I'd seen frequent references to "Cortijo Buho" when questions and emergencies with regard to birds arose in the media; I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the venture.
I first contacted the owner, Matilda in September last year. She allows visits to her home where a variety of bird species and animals live and are cared for. It is not open to the general public and requires a personal appointment to visit. It is a refuge and rescue centre and I was able to arrange a much coveted appointment on November 7th. We watched as the horror of devastating floods, first in Valencia and then in Malaga at the end of October unfolded. Matilda suffered damage at the refuge. As well as caring for unsettled birds, she had to organise repair of damaged tracks, clearance of rubbish deposited and reinstatement of demolished walls. As the property was a 2½ hour drive away and we had no way of knowing what devastation there might be en route; we decided to cancel the appointment and try again in the future.
A new date was arranged for January 8th, 2025. It was a glorious start to the day and as we drove towards the Sierra Nevada, temperatures dropped to 3°. There was time to stop en route for a coffee and admire the thick snow on the peaks of the Sierras.
On our arrival, we were invited into Matilda's cave house home. It is over 1,000 years old and used to store salt being transported along a nearby river. It's current usage as a home provides an abode where temperatures remain fairly stable both throughout the hot summers as well as the cold winters. Sitting inside we were snug, warm and comfortable whilst Matilda gave us a brief outline of what we'd be able to see at the refuge.
After a cup of coffee, we met the first of numerous birds brought to the refuge for safety, protection and healing. The small owl we were introduced to first of all was Lucy. Lucy is a Little Owl, and has poor eyesight, however was so calm and trusting; she loved being stroked.
Lucy lived indoors in her own special place, as did several cats, one of whom was a Maine Coon whose name I have forgotten. Just as Matilda was telling us of the adventures of this cat because of a compulsion to get inside bags and hats, so he curled up inside Chris's cap which he'd placed on the table. Chris had a conversation with him, however it made no difference, the cat made himself comfortable and wasn't for moving!
Outside, temperatures had warmed up. We were given a guided tour and introduced to a variety of owls and birds. There were also two resident Meerkats! They had the run of 2 enclosures connected by a tube. They were quicker than we were moving from one to the other and were hilarious as they popped up looking for food. Everything was done in double quick time along with chirrups. Florian, one of the Meerkats has a stub tail which apparently dropped off because his mother continually used it to carry him.
As we started to be introduced to the owls outside, a pair of Kookaburras and their young one made a series of their loud, vibrating sounds. Matilda mentioned that she had to have them inside her home during the floods when their enclosures were damaged; the noise must have been deafening at times! I took a photo, however the netting to their enclosures was thick and I don't have the patience to edit it all out! We started with Matilda showing us some of the smaller owl species and gradually worked our way up to some of the larger residents. Matilda explained about each species, their character, diet and natural habitat as well as many interesting historical facts. The owls loved being stroked and it was lovely to see how they all interacted both with Matilda and us as they were introduced. We met Mystic a Northern White Faced Scops, (now known as White Faced owls) who also lives indoors when it's cold. Sesi is a male Snowy Owl and Darcy is a beautiful black Barn Owl whose face will darken in the coming years until it is black.
The largest owl was a gentle giant called Matty. He is a European Eagle Owl. Whereas some of the smaller owls when being held, would be constantly on the alert, looking above for predators, this big boy sat serenely and loved having a few cuddles with Matilda. He was heavy to hold and at one point Matilda had to balance him using her knee.
Matilda was briefly called away to help deal with a neighbour's problem. While she was gone the resident cockerel decided to have a go at one of the turkeys. He was vicious and only a timely return by Matilda ensured that no blood was shed!
The bird of prey we met was Sasa, a female Harris Hawk. She is a retired contract bird and used to help keep areas clear of other birds. Now she can enjoy a more relaxed way of life and is one of a triumvirate with Sesi the male Snowy Owl and Matilda! Sasa was loud and adopted what seemed to be aggressive poses, however was happy to be stroked and have us near.
Although there are no birds of prey displays, we were able to watch the normal daily feeding habit of Molly a Barn Owl who is chief diva! She flew in for some food from Matilda's gloved hand, swooping down from a roof where she had been perched. Once she had taken the food, she flew through an archway at a tilt, through a door in the barn and into the privacy of her own space to eat her meal.
Matilda is a qualified avian specialist and is able to carry out most vetinary procedures herself. It is clear that the birds and animals in her care are cherished and it was such a privilege to have such a unique, relaxed experience. It was also educational and we left with knowledge and also a sense of wonder at being able to be so close and able to handle these creatures which we would normally only be able to see from a distance. There is no charge for the experience and the birds and animals are only there because they may not be able to return to the wild or may be in need of attention.
We made our way home leaving this relatively remote area having had such an enjoyable and unexpected experience. It had been a memorable day.
Thank you cousin June for the wonderful experience you wrote about! I absolutely love owls….we actually found a dead eagle owl at the top of our track in Alhaurin el Grande. It must have been electrocuted by the power cables. What a magnificent bird!