strait nature news

September - The Migration of Birds to Africa Hits Full Swing - Stephen Daly and Stephen Knapp write

What can I say about birding in September - simply this is by far the most spectacular of raptor migrations anywhere on the planet. We haven't had much of a chance to keep up-to-date with the monthly pages, simply because we have been out in the field leading the raptor migration tours. Stephen Daly was leading an eight day tour for Limosa Holidays and the Travelling Naturalist staying down at Tarifa while I was based at Zahara de Los Atunes with another eight-day group. It certainly has been excellent and we'd like to give readers a general summary of what September brought us in the way of birds and wildlife. I must add that we saw an absolutely remarkable number of bird species together with a wonderful array of butterflies and other insects. We saw other mammals, reptile and amphibians as well as showing clients some plants that do exist on the Strait of Gibraltar, even in such dry conditions as in September.        SK

September - One Of The Busiest Months Of The Year For Birds, Wildlife and Guiding!

I was co-leading a tour with Robin Chittenden at the beginning of the month over on the Algarve in Portugal for Limosa Holidays. There was plenty to see across on the Atlantic coastline of the beautiful Algarve, all the way to Cape St. Vincent. Some of the highlights were with waders, finding a juv. Red-necked Phalarope, Red-knobbed Coots, Great and Little Bustard and all the other "Classic" raptors and passerines.

Another couple of longer tours of our own and an eight day Limosa/Travelling Naturalist tour kept me busy down on the Tarifa end of the Strait. Lots of great birds, lovely clients and lots of fun as well!        SD

The famous migrant Lesser Kestrels nesting in the Andalucian "Pueblos Blancos" or White Villages

and the resident Black-shouldered Kites of Cadiz Province

Highlights - Spanish Imperial Eagle Breeds in the La Janda Area

The safe first flight of Spanish Imperial Eagle over the La Janda area was a fantastic sight to witness.

This was the first time in 50 years that a Spanish Imperial Eagle had bred within Cadiz province. A programme of re-introduction of these rare and magnificent eagles has been going on since 2002. The method used is called "hacking" (don't ask where the name came from). It involves birds being taken from nests when they are a few weeks old, but not quite ready to fly, and re-located on an artificial nest at the programmes new location. The bird is fed and often models of parent birds are placed nearby. Some nest debris from the chicks original nest are placed inside the nest or on the tree and the chick gets to know its new surroundings, as well as the smells of its original nest.

The Spanish Imperial Eagle programme is an continuing one and will last 10 years. Traditionally and statistically large eagles have a mortality rate around 60% and although this first is free flying it is in an area where there are potential threats from Man caused through disturbance and the breaking up of large "wild" areas with more industrialised agriculture and wind farms.

This particular chick came from a male bird that was released in the area in 2003 and a free flying female. Their nest was in an Eucalyptus wood near to La Janda.

 Spanish Imperial Eagle - A first year bird.

The first breeding pair of Spanish Imperial Eagles for 50 years in Cadiz Province

It's worth noting that the Strait of Gibraltar has the only breeding Ospreys on the Iberian peninsular.

 - The only free-flying Bald Ibis colony in Europe.

 - Rare White-rumped and Little Swifts in ever increasing colonies.

 - Breeding Egyptian Vultures and the largest concentrations of Griffon Vultures in Spain.

 - Little Bustards - Iberian Green Woodpeckers - Glossy Ibis's - Audouin's and Slender-billed Gulls - Bonelli's Eagles -  Mediterranean  and Cory's Shearwaters ....to mention just a few

The diversity of habitats and the close proximity to Morocco make the Strait of Gibraltar one of the richest natural wildlife locations in Europe

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Some Butterflies of Andalucia                                                      Photos Stephen Daly

Painted Lady                                                                             Scarce Swallowtail

Small Copper                                                                                Wall Brown

Two-tailed Pasha                                                            Western Marbled White

Striped Grayling                                                                   Spanish Festoon

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Juvenille Spanish Imperial Eagle - La Janda, September 2006

An adult Spanish Imperial Eagle diving after prey

Raptor Highlights - Bonelli's Eagles return to over winter in the La Janda area

September Migration Highlights - Long-leeegged Buzzards on the Strait

Southern Swallowtail Butterfly

A lovely bright species of butterfly and an

extremely agile, fast flyer.

Fairly widespread during September

A young Iberian Hare

We just happened to catch a glimpse of

this lovely mammal ducking down as we

passed a dried out meadow

Black Stork migration

This month is the best time to see mass

Black Stork migration across The Strait

An Egyptian Grasshopper on a Sea-Lilly

I must try and find out more information

about both these beauties!

A Long-tailed Tit -

Less pink than the central and northern

European birds and a lot darker than the

white-headed Scandinavian race

Another split waiting to be done?

An adult Black Stork over Tarifa town

migrating in September in a small flock

of Black Storks heading south for winter.

Black Storks keep to their own species

generally not mixing with their cousins

the more abundant White Storks

An adult Black Stork

You can see the difference in plumage

and bill and leg coloration in comparison

with the juvenile bird under the BCN Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Quite a common nocturnal bird in Andalucia

and it has a healthy global population

and distribution.

Nevertheless a lovely bird to see any day!

A juvenille Black Stork

Note the lack of sheen on the plumage

and pinkish bill and legs. Adults are much

brighter in colour

Little Bustard

Still a difficult species to assess

populations, but Little Bustards still have

good numbers in certain areas on the

Iberian Peninsular

You've got to get them young!

Lucia (3)and Amelia (2) helping Dad

Long-legged Buzzard

This bird is od the race Cirtensis and

occurs in North Africa. There are a few of

these stunning buzzards seen every year

during the autumn migration period

An adult Egyptian Vulture

Egyptian Vultures breed on the Strait of

Gibraltar and are still at risk with numbers

declining worldwide

Booted Eagle - This one is a dark morph

(or phase of Booted Eagle) These birds

are the smallest of the "European" Eagles

and are roughly the same size as the

Common Buzzard

A sub-adult Egyptian Vulture. This bird is

still molting out the juvenile feathers,

hence the dirty appearance

A Green veined White Butterfly

Black-shouldered Kites are back in

greater numbers for winter joining our

resident birds. The Strait of Gibraltar holds

the highest number of Black-shouldered

Kites in Europe!

A light morph (or phase of) Booted Eagle

You can just make out the tell-tale

"landing lights on the shoulder

The orange-eyed Short-toed Eagle -

This bird was migrating across the Strait

of Gibraltar to Morocco in Africa

A stunning Lesser Kestrel.

Lesser Kestrels are globally endangered

birds of prey.

If you happen to live in any of the

Pueblos Blancos(Andalucian "White Village")

or own a house there, please put up a nest

box or better still, a row of nest boxes to

help stabilise their decline. Thanks.

A rather battered looking Sage Skipper

Butterfly

An injured Cattle Egret

This little fellow was another casualty,

injured his wing when he collided with

electricity cables. More cables need to be

marked in some way that birds see them.

Lots of electricity pylons are still not

properly earthed and larger birds

particularly eagles fall victim of

electrocution

Andalucian snails have a long wait in

summeruntil the rains fall in October

An European Roller passes on migration

These wonderfully colourful birds like

to use abandoned Green Woodpecker

nesting holes but have to compete with

other species for the privilege.

Rollers arrive in April and leave to return to

Africa at the end of August.

This is another species that is in decline

particularly due to the lack of large insects

that form its main diet