Iberian ibex among the winter in Montserrat

Male of Iberian ibex eating oak leaves.

During the winter, the ibex (Capra pyrenaica), also called Iberian ibex, due to the seasonal decline of herbaceous plants, increases the proportion of their diet browsing trees and shrubs. On the south-facing slopes of Parc Natural de Montserrat (as in this one in the municipality of Collbató), they take advantage of the presence of holm oak (Quercus ilex), boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), aladierno (Rhamnus alaternus), rusco acuelatus), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) or rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus or formerly called Rosmarinus officinalis), to feed on its leaves. In the months of November and December, they can also eat the fruits of the strawberry tree. In the lower parts of the massif, they also feed on the leaves of olive trees resulting from ancient crops. In general, males have a higher proportion of woody plants in their diet than females, the young being the ones that have most of the herbaceous plants in their diet.

In this area you can see the presence of the oak, boxwood and rosemary.

On the north slope, there is a higher proportion of deciduous trees and shrubs such as the downy oak (Quercus pubescents), the hazel (Corylus avellana), the linden (Tilia cordata), the rowan (Sorbus domestica), the mostard (Sorbus aria) , maple (Acer monspessulanum), orón (Acer opalus), amelanchier (Amelanchier ovalis), terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus) or round rubin (Cytisophyllum sessilifolium). Due to the absence of winter leaves of all these plants, they focus their browsing on semi-deciduous plants such as blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius) or evergreen plants such as holm oak, boxwood, juniper(Juniperus communis), cade juniper(Juniperus oxycedrus) and very occasionally pines (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra and Pinus halepensis).

Evergreen species pedrominate in the south side.

Great jump by iberian ibex

Iberian ibex herd

Iberian ibex in the rocks

Iberian ibex in Montserrat

Reproduction of Iberian ibex

The fox in the night

Wild boar bathing on the mud

Fog in the Pla de Bages

Roe buck resting in the forest

Montserrat viewed from Puigventos massif