strait nature news

24th-26th June - A Most Fulfilling Three-day Tour on the Strait - Stephen Knapp writes

After a delightful trip back to England it was lovely to return to Spain and the peace and quiet of living in the “campo”. That said, I didn't have much time to relax as the following afternoon I was back at Jerez airport to meet Graham and Wendy from East Sussex who were joining me on a three day birding tour of southern Andalucia. Like many other clients who join us for these “personally tailored” tours, Graham and Wendy are enthusiastic British birders, but have very little overseas birding under their belts and were keen to see as many new birds as possible.

With this objective in mind, it made sense to spend the last few hours of daylight available to us that evening at a series of lagunas which i knew would hold a good array of wetland, scrub and open country birds. We were not to be disappointed. Hundreds of birds were on show including Black-necked Grebe, Purple Heron, Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, three pairs of Marbled Duck, dozens of Red-crested Pochard and White-headed Duck, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Purple Swamp-hen, Black-winged Stilt, Whiskered Tern, Pallid Swift, Bee-eater, Red-rumped Swallow, Crested Lark, Spotless Starling, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian, Spectacled, Savi´s and Melodious Warblers all of which were target species. As dusk fell the laguna started filling with hundreds of White Storks, Cattle Egrets and Jackdaws, squabbling over roosts and creating a terrible din in the process! It was after dark by the time we arrived at the coastal village of Zahara de los Atunes, so once Graham and Wendy were settled in at the delightful Hotel Almadraba, I headed home to ready myself for the following day.

Eight o´clock in the morning, clear blue skies and not a breath of wind, we headed off to the rice fields and plains of La Janda. This is an amazing place with a huge diversity of birdlife, and if you know where to look, some of the highly sought after specialties of this unique corner of Spain. Once again, wetland birds featured strongly that morning with White Stork, Squacco Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Great White Egret, Little Bittern, Collared Pratincole, Great Reed Warbler and amazingly, fabulous views of a Baillon´s Crake, were all new birds. By mid morning the raptors had woken up and we were treated to great views of Black Kites, Montagu´s Harriers, several late migrating Honey Buzzards, both light and dark phase Booted Eagles, scores of soaring Griffon Vultures and a superb Bonnelli´s Eagle soaring near it´s nest site.

With the temperature rising, the rough dirt track which bisects the dry plains of La Janda can sometimes feel arduous, but today the birds and other wildlife were putting on a great show and the drive was a positive pleasure. Calandra Larks, Black-eared Wheatear, Serin, Spanish Sparrow and Woodchat Shrike were all on show as were an almost continual supply of raptors, bee-eaters, swifts and swallows. The highlights however were a pair of Stone Curlews a Southern Grey Shrike, a family of Egyptian Mongoose and several European Pond terrapins basking on rocks next to a stream. It was just after two o´clock when we left the shelterless heat and glare of La Janda Time for a bit of a rest and a wonderful three course lunch at a local venta.

Not only does the Sierra de Plata area support a fantastic array of very special birds, the views out across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco and the Atlantic are quite simply stunning. First stop was a site for the illusive Rufous Bush-Chat and the very localised Ortolan Bunting both of which were most obliging and gave great views. After a brief stop to watch a superb male Blue Rock Thrush sitting on the Roman ruins of Baleo Claudia we made our way up the Sierra and into the military zone where we spent a leisurely hour or two watching a pair of Egyptian and several pairs of Griffon Vultures feeding young at their nests, yet more Blue Rock Thrushes, a cracking Rock Sparrow and at their nesting caves on the cliff above the road, Crag Martins and both Little and White-rumped Swifts. A fabulous end to a fabulous days birding.

Our final full day of birding once again started at eight and once again the weather was perfect. The Parque Natural Alcornocales is a vast and beautiful area with extensive cork oak forest, mediterranean scrub and high mountains extending from Alcala in the north down to virtually the sea at Tarifa. Our focus for the morning was to be the dry scrub and wet woodland habitats along just one of the many dirt roads that cross through the park. No sooner than we had arrived we were watching Cirl and Rock Buntings singing from the tops of trees in the scrubby habitat. Dartford Warblers seemed fairly common particularly in the short scrub and Woodlark and Western Orphean Warbler were at their regular haunts. In the wooded valleys carved out by mountain streams we found Bonnelli´s Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Hawfinch and Crested Tit along with the african race of Great-spotted Woodpecker. Overhead, Ravens joined the masses of Griffon Vultures along with a handful each of Short-toed and Booted Eagles and a solitary Hobby whilst amongst the throngs of Pallid and Common Swifts were two very late Alpine Swifts!

After leisurely lunch we made our way back past La Janda to the upper reaches of the saltmarsh or marismas which eventually finds the sea at Barbate. This is another military site but with permits to enter we have access to one of the really special birding areas of this region. Crested and Calandra Larks and Blue-headed Wagtails are abundant in the drier marsh areas whilst on the almost desert like barren ground both Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks and Tawny Pipits can easily be found. Where the waters from La Janda flow into the marismas Collared Pratincoles, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover and Avocet breed and the area is teeming with the downy, leggy chicks of these waders. Along the river itself were two superb Caspian Terns, a small group of Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo and Spoonbill and then nearer the mouth of the estuary, mixed wader flocks with Little Stint, Curlew and Common Sandpiper, Kentish, Ringed and Little ringed Plovers to name but a few. Feeling fairly tired from a fairly hectic day we headed back along the coast road to Zahara for an early supper stopping only to admire a flock of 17 (free-flying) Bald Ibis feeding in an area of wet grass near the military entrance.

With about an hour left of daylight we settled down on the edge of the pine forest overlooking a quarry near Vejer de la Frontera. Little Owls were already calling as to was a Tawny Owl,and Lesser Kestrels could be seen hawking in the distance, but our objective tonight was the Red-necked Nightjar and possibly one of the other owls of this great spot. Before the sun had gone fully down we were treated to great views of six or more nightjars displaying right in front of us....so close in fact that just about every feather detail and colouration could be easily seen! Finally, with its haunting call, and the subsequent silence of just about all the other dusk singing birds, a fantastic Eagle Owl put in a brief but memorable show!

With just about every bird of the region already seen, the final mornings birding was spent to the north of La Janda near where I live in search of those species that up until now had remained illusive. Hoopoe was easy, as was three beautiful Black-shouldered Kites, but the Little Bustards that I know breed nearby did not put in a show until I had reluctantly decided it was time to aim for the airport. After nearly an hours searching we saw a male fly low and purposefully across the track before landing half a mile away in a field where it immediately disappeared amidst the vegetation.

21st June - An Early Start for Summer Birds - Stephen Daly writes

Garry Bagnell and Simon Bradfield agreed to share a day tour and split the costs. Both wanted a fairy early start and after meeting we drove down towards Bolonia to look for White-rumped Swifts. It is not always the case that you'll find White-rumped or Little Swifts here early in the morning. I've seen them at all times of the day and in numerous locations such as over my garden, darting in and out of a building site in Conil or high over Barbate's port. There is no telling where they'll be but one of the sites is near Bolonia and is always worth checking out. We waited a while and Little Swifts came past and flew amongst the House and Crag Martins that are nesting there. Blue Rock Thrush, Cirl Bunting and Great Spotted Woodpecker made appearances and we managed to see a pair of Rufous Bush Robin. Egyptian Vultures duly obliged with two adult birds on a large rock near a nest which holds one chick. The head of the chick on the nest was visible through the scope.

Griffon Vultures, Bee-eaters and a considerable number of Raptors showed including Booted and some stunning close-up views of Short-toed Eagles sitting atop a tree and flying. Montagu's Harries also were seen a close range. Strangely Black-shouldered Kites seemed to be saving their energies and we didn't pick one up during the tour. In the evening I was picking up a client at Jerez and low and behold I watched one bird hovering alongside the Vejer-Jerez road! This is what happens when birding....... Purple Heron, Purple Swamphens, Coots, Moorhens and a small flock of Eight Eurasian Spoonbills added to the list with some Collared Pratincoles doing a fly-past on elegant wings.

Bonelli's Warblers flitted in the Cork-oaks between Tarifa and Facinas, Bee-eaters, Ravens and more Short-toed and both phases of Booted eagles were watched.

17th June - White-rumped Swifts and a Curious Ocellated Lizard - Stephen Daly writes

I collected Chris and her husband Peter who come from Enfield, at their hotel at Zahara de los Atunes and we headed to look for Larks, Pratincoles and raptors. Looking along the Barbate estuary and into the fringes of the military zone produced some great birding. Lesser Short-toed Larks were seen straight, followed by all the other larks - Crested, Thekla, Short-toed and the lovely Calandra. Collared Pratincoles flew past us en route to Manzanete and Little Owls, Black-eared Wheatears, Tawny Pipits, hopped on posts and gathered food for their broods with Short-toed Eagles overhead. Caspian Terns, Cormorants, Common Sandpipers and Kentish Plovers fed along the Río Barbate and a few Yellow Wagtails were seen. Booted Eagles, both forms were watched further into the countryside and spectacular views of Montagu's Harriers were had even in the afternoon heat. Great Reed Warblers, Cettis Warblers called, while Bee-eaters and Turtle Doves sat on the electric wires.

An inquisitive Ocellated Lizard was also seen, poking its head over the top of a large boulder, watching us, as we watched  a lovely male Black-eared Wheatear.

 15th June - Rufous Bush Robins Wild Carrots and Ortolan Buntings - Stephen Daly writes

Two UK birders, Martin and his wife Claire kept me company watching Montagu's Harriers hunt along the rich agricultural areas near Vejer. It's impossible to get tired of watching these light, graceful birds fly. They remind me of paper aeroplanes with long tails that you used to make during your schooldays, by the way they glide on long 'V'-shaped wings. The adult males are particularly stunning with long, narrow, wings, the under wing showing two dark coloured bars on the secondary feathers (centre of the wing) and a dusky trailing edge. The wingtips have quite a large dark area. Adult females are dark brown in colour and have whitish patches around the eye and a darker brown cheek-patch.

Most of the larks were present and two Stone Curlews flew across the road as we stopped to watch a pair of Monarch butterflies flitting at the top of a tree.

These photos show both sexes of Montagu's Harrier

Wild carrots seed heads seem to be everywhere this summer. Their basket-shaped flower cups stand quite tall along the country roads on the coast. There are a few flowering plants still left as the temperatures climb to the wonderful summer warmth that we associate with Andalucia.

We watched Peregrine Falcons displaying on the Sierra del Bartolomé and nearby we saw Blue Rock Thrush, Ortolan and Cirl Buntings and a pair of Rufous Bush Robins. Over on the Sierra de al Plata we watched White-rumped and Little Swifts feeding near the summit. Black-eared Wheatears, Linnets, Goldfinches and three Honey Buzzards were also seen.

8th June - Raptors Galore! - Stephen Daly writes

David Jenkins is quite an extraordinary man. From the outset we knew that we going to get on very well together. His daughter Fenella had arranged a day tour, taking in the best of what is current in the way of wildlife along the Strait of Gibraltar.

Born in 1926, David has spent a long time working with the Nature Conservancy (now English Nature) and the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE, now the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) at Banchory. Originally qualifying as a vet, he went on to study for a doctorate based on the social behaviour of partridges, became an ecologist and an expert on grouse and certainly has had a busy an varied life in the field.  

David had been staying at the quiet El Palomar de la Breña, a large country house in the middle of Las Breñas pine forest. The Hotel once boasted the largest pigeon colony in the world and was a gunpowder factory, manure producer for local agriculture and supplying the ships that travelled between Spain and the new worlds with fresh pigeon meat and eggs. A truly remarkable place to stay - or simply visit. Entry to the old dovecot is free of charge.

We had a lovely day exploring the area, accompanied by David's 16 year old grandson Ewan, who had been introduced to Natural History by his grandfather from the age of three. The conversation flipped from one subject to the other, taking in Culture and History of the region, but always returning to talk about birds and wildlife.

Driving along the drier, scrub areas near Barbate and discussing the finer ID points between  Short-toed Larks and Tawny Pipits certainly keeps you alert and seeking out and finding Little Owls, Black-eared Wheatears, Kentish Plovers, Yellow Wagtails and Stone Curlews for David was a pleasure.

Honey Buzzards were seen after a lovely lunch near Benalup and the Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, Black Kite, Short-toed Eagle activity in the area was wonderful to watch. Turtle Doves "purred" from the trees and hedgerows and Bee-eaters called their pea-whistle call as they hawked for insects. Linnets, Goldfinches and Hoopoes flitted past as we drove through the tracks in La Janda and in Vejer de la Frontera the Lesser Kestrels were returning to feed their chicks on their nests with crickets and grasshoppers, shelled on the wing and ready to eat.

I dropped off David and Ewan late afternoon at the hotel, as I had to meet two avid birders from the US in Trujillo. The drive to Extremadura would take me over four hours! More about this next couple of days here......

7th June 2006 - A Great Day Out - Stephen Daly writes

I met Chris and Anne from Derbyshire who were relaxing for a week at Medina Sidonia at the lovely Casa Medina.

We arranged to meet below Vejer de la Frontera, at La Barca, where the Lesser Kestrels were already flying overhead catching crickets and other flying insects to feed their hungry chicks back in the crevices and holes in the old town buildings of the hilltop town. The large Cattle Egret colony on the riverside seemed to be bursting at the seams with so many fledglings calling, exercising their wings and getting ready for a life outside the nest.

We set off and quickly found a good variety of Larks which included Crested, Calandra, Thekla and the smaller Short-toed Lark. Tawny Pipits and Yellow Wagtails were watched and a Little Owl was also seen. Black-eared Wheatears, Linnets, clouds of Goldfinches and some Greenfinches. Collared Pratincoles danced in the air their tern-like flight and aerobatic manoeuvres impressing us all!. These striking summer visitors have a huge breeding colony near us and we can thank them and the other species that keep the flying insect population down!

The windy weather did keep a lot of the raptor activity down although we did have good views of Booted and Short-toed Eagles. Common Kestrels were also seen flying low over the fields as were Montagu's Harriers. A few colourful butterflies were seen including a beautiful Monarch and some Wall Brown's and Clouded Yellows.

We travelled along the Strait and "scoped" an Egyptian Vulture's nest at a small cave in the limestone crags. There was an adult bird on the nest and we all had great views of this quite different vulture. According to Birdlife International, the Egyptian Vulture's European breeding pairs has sharply declined over the last thirty years to between 16,000 - 18,000 pairs. The bird is on the "Endangered" species list so don't ask me where the nesting sites are please. I'm happy to take clients to sites and use the telescope from a distance that won't put any pressure on the birds.

We finished along the valleys between Tarifa and Barbate taking in the sights of the immense sand dune that is literally eating everything in its path. Telegraph poles, cables and the tarmac road to the Military Zone are disappearing  under the sand with the Levante wind blowing with incredible force, building a massive dune at Punta Paloma.

We managed to get good views of Bonelli's Warblers, Cirl Buntings and brief views of Rufous Bush Robin on the wooded areas. Nightingales sang from the trees and bushes and Serins also displayed and sang.

All in all, great birds and wildlife with superb scenery and the Riff mountains of Morocco visible as a dramatic backdrop.

1st June 2006  - Windy Weather But Lots of Birds to See - Stephen Daly writes

Birding was quite tough today as the Levante wind blew as strong as it has done for a while. nevertheless we had a great day's birding with Avocets displaying and the hundreds of chicks from waders scurrying about the Barbate Marismas. Little Terns too have been nesting beside Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers.The two-hundred or so Collared Pratincoles that nest nearby were still hawking for insects although at higher altitude, A few Stone Curlews were seen and Eurasian Spoonbills, Black-crowned Night and Grey Herons, Cormorants, White Storks, Common Sandpipers, Yellow Wagtails and Little Egrets were seen along the tidal river banks. Black-eared Wheatears Corn Buntings and

A pair of Black-winged Stilts                        -                          An Egyptian Vulture

Calandra Larks kept their young supplied with all kinds of insects and Short-toed, Crested and Thekla Larks kept them company. Hoopoes were also seen as were Little Owls and a few Short-toed Eagles and forty or so Griffon Vultures. We watched Spectacled Warblers, Long-tailed Tits, Short-toed Treecreepers and Cirl Buntings feed in the Alcornocales forest and one lovely male Western Orphean Warbler was seen near  a Bonelli's Warbler's territory. We had great views of the Bonelli's themselves. More Short-toed Eagles appeared and displayed, calling as they flew and wheeled over a nearby ridge. Three Booted Eagles came past a short time later with one bird seen plummeting like a stone after some prey.

We headed to a quiet glade near Vejer where Golden Orioles have been seen this year and right on cue the birds appeared and the male started calling.  Linnets, Greenfinches, Serins and Goldfinches were in abundance and other Cirl Buntings were watched.

Honey Buzzard Migrating over the Strait                         -              Looking down the Strait Of Gibraltar to Tarifa

Over on the ridges above Bolonia, a pair of Egyptian Vultures were watched as was Blue Rock Thrush and two Ortolan Buntings. Four Rufous Bush Robins were also seen at several locations as were Black-eared Wheatears, Sparrowhawks and Peregrine Falcons. We took a long look at some Griffon Vulture chicks on their nests and waited until the White-rumped and Little Swifts came back to the nest site. Crag Martins and House Martins came past and a Great-spotted Woodpecker was briefly seen. Common Kestrels  flew along the high limestone ridges and four Honey Buzzards flew over the Strait very high up.

Bolonia, the Roman Ruins with Morocco in the distance

The Almadraba  - The Decline of yet more Sea Species Caused by Man's Greed   - Stephen Daly writes

The Almadraba or tuna fishing off the coast of Barbate seemed to have hit an all time low over the last few weeks, with poor catches coming ashore. It wasn't until last week that the market stalls were crammed with huge sides of fresh meat and throngs of people pushing to buy fresh meat. This sudden good catch was being bought up by hotels, restaurants and locals alike. Keeping tuna in frozen slices in their freezers, just in case this was the last big haul of the year.

The Japanese freighters are still outside the walls of the port, cruising the mouth of the Strait of Gibraltar for any catch they can buy. Money seems to be no problem as the price for fresh tuna has hit an all time high in the sushi bars in downtown Tokyo.

I met one of the Japanese fishermen sipping a gin and tonic in KL's Bar (Krazy Lourdes) last week, who told me his job aboard was quality control. He checks the fat content of these magnificent animals before they are bought from the local fishermen. He only selects the best fish. The Japanese ships are large and can process, freeze and transport thousands of tons of Blue Fin and Yellow Fin Tuna, halfway around the world. The smell of money overpowers the smell of fish on the local port quay sides, as deals are struck and the voracious appetite of the home market in Japan keeps the consumers well supplied with top quality Tuna from southern Europe.

Quite frankly we all know that the reason for the poor catches is caused by the intensity of modern fishing operations. Tuna are seasonal migrants that head every year into the Mediterranean to spawn. From Cape St Vincent all along the Algarve in Portugal the maize of fish nets are set up and anchored on the ocean's floor to trap the tuna on their timeless journey before they can spawn. The fishermen also attempt to catch the tuna when they return from spawning! It's quite often, perhaps even coincidental that during the Almadraba there are increased numbers of dead Dolphins and sea-turtles washed ashore on the Strait. The turtles always seem to have lost their  beautiful shells. About a month ago I found the body of a Stripped Dolphin on the beach beside the port.

Dead Striped Dolphin on one of Barbate's Beaches

In the past, salting and air-dried Tuna and other fish was the staple diet for people who lived and worked by the sea. Today it is carried out for mainly foreign markets with no respect for international quotas or any self imposed local regulations. The Algarve fish factories were in full production, canning and preserving all kinds of fish from Tuna to Sardines between the 1950's to the 1980's. At this time any suggestion that fish stock were being depleted would have been laughed off as crazy. Slowly one by one the factories closed and the tuna processing plants went from twenty-eight large companies to just one in fifteen years. It comes as no surprise that the same decline happened between Huelva and La Linea over the same period of time. By allowing the tuna to spawn and recover in numbers would be the logical answer but we've heard all this before and the ocean's stocks will always be up for grabs until it is internationally Policed. At present, the slaughter is taking place using modern industrial Tuna fishing methods and is quite frankly an unsustainable practice which will leave these two species on the verge of extinction.

5th June - All Things Bright and Beautiful - Stephen Daly writes

These beautiful large  green Lizards are very much in evidence this month with lots of sightings. A great feast for a hunting Short-toed Eagle and sadly many succumb to road injuries whilst sun-bathing on the tarmac as do Montpellier's Snakes. The Ocillated, sometimes known as the "Eyed" Lizard, are confined to southwest of Europe and live off a variety of insects, slugs and snails. Males are larger with a thicker head and both sexes have  green colouration with blue and yellow markings with yellow undersides.

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A beautiful young Montpellier's Snake                                                               A Scorpion

Scorpions and snakes do occur in the south and normally present no threat to man. Both tend to hide if they hear a person or other large animal approach. Both like to find a cool place away from the sun during the summer months when it is particularly hot. Scorpions are quite easy to handle or remove from an area they shouldn't be!  Montpellier's can move at an astonishing pace - usually away from man!

The female Argiope bruennichi Spider is particularly beautiful and can be found throughout Europe. It's about the same size as in the photo. Body length about 20mm.

Barbel

Male Blue Rock Thrush

Male Lesser Kestrel returning to nest with insects

A Thekla Lark

A Common Buzzard

A lovely Whinchat

The coast at Atlanterra

The Common Frog

A Little Swift

A Scarce Swallowtail butterfly