Who lives in the old olive trees?

Here we see some really old olive trees, hundreds of years have sculpted their stumps and gnarled trunks full of holes. These cavities are hiding places for small mammals such as mice (Mus sp.) and greater white-toothed shrews (Crocidura russula) which breed in holes in the dry stone banks. The shrews crawl under the rocks and run from stump to stump looking for insects to feed on. These tiny mammals are also food for predators: during the day they have to dodge the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) unmistakable when hunting as it hovers in the air above. At night and in the early hours, camouflaged between the branches, it is the little owl (Athene noctua) who will pounce on them.