strait nature news
Summary As the autumn migration already kicks in, I'll be heading off to lead some longer tours down The Strait of Gibraltar in the coming weeks. Most of my tour leading at this busy time focuses on the movement of raptors, storks and other birds that funnel down to Southern Iberia and then cross over The Strait to Morocco. I'll try and update this page with info on the migration when I can - Apologies but I'm pretty busy right now Here's some of the latest news
Imm. Golden Eagle at Algorrobo - 17th September 2008 18th Sept Weather change in the air with rain forecast for later. There was a noticeable calming down today of birds heading south. With a depression moving in from the South-West the migrations seemed to just stop dead. Down on the plain of La Janda Montagu's Harriers (8), one Hen Harrier and 20= Marsh Harriers were watched hunting across the rice fields. Kingfishers seemed to be on every post of water pipe and two newly arrived Bluethroats (ssp. cyanecula - from Central Europe) were seen. Yellow Wagtails, Black-winged Stilts, Green Sandpipers and Glossy Ibis galore. Good numbers of Calandra Larks were feeding on the sunflower stubble and Corn Buntings are also starting to flock together. A few Black Storks sat around close to huge flocks of White Storks. Quail were seen and thousands of Spanish Sparrows were watched. 17th Sept Honey Buzzard seemed to be in their hundreds this morning with Golden Eagle (1juv.) and Ospreys (3) making an appearance. Good numbers of Griffon Vultures gliding past and watching the spectacle from on high with passing adult and juvenile Egyptian Vultures (20+). More Sparrowhawks and one Goshawk seen. Today we also saw an adult Mongoose sniffing around Tráfico watchpoint.
16th Sept Back on the coast near Barbate the N Bald Ibis seemed oblivious to the military practicing beach landings with their amphibious vehicles, with 9 juv. birds seen drinking at a cattle trough. Down at Tarifa, Booted Eagles seemed most numerous with Short-toed Eagles preferring to sit around most morning. Good numbers of Sparrowhawks were seen and an incredible close flypast at Tráfico from a young Peregrine Falcon. Lesser Kestrel still passing south in good numbers too 15th Sept Woodchat Shrikes, Whinchats and N Wheatears were all around the Jerez airport area today. Over on the Guadlquivir plains Willow Warblers and Yellow Wagtails were seen in abundance. The Marbled Ducks have been joined by Teal, N Shoveller and huge numbers of Mallard. A few hundred C Pochard are also in the area and small numbers of Greylag Geese. Red Kites (8) and Ospreys(4) were seen with distant Marsh and Montagu's Harriers seen along the reed beds and scrub. Dispersing Kingfishers were seen having territorial squabbles and large parties of White Storks were moving south-east One White-winged Black Tern, Black Terns (20+), Whiskered Terns, Whimbrels and Bar-tailed Godwits 14th Sept Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed and Booted Eagles seemed to be the most numerous with the morning migration just non-stop. Birds were low and great views were had by all. Just and amazing day! Large passage of White Storks with good numbers of Black Storks passing in singles and small parties. Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Black Kites and Honey Buzzards crossing. Bee-eaters were also back - loud and fast as usual, but coming low flitting in between amazed onlookers, their adrenaline running high and just so happy to be flying. Great views and photos of Montagu's Harriers on private land where very few birders can get in with vehicles. The tracks of La Janda, now improved and widened have increased traffic particularly from visiting birding groups and locals taking shortcuts 13th Sept Black Vulture high over Barbate. Out at Sea - Slender-billed Gulls, White-winged Black Tern (1 juv) and Black Terns (4) Cory's Shearwaters (10) and more and N Gannets off Barbate harbour wall 12th Sept More Golden Orioles, Black Storks (Very High), Lesser Kestrels (feeding in local farmland), Glossy Ibis (La Janda), Spoonbills & Greater Flamingoes (Barbate Estuary). N Bald Ibis (11 on farmland near La Zarzuela) Few Bee-eaters heard (V high) Loads of Monty's including at least two Melanistic birds Local Tawny Owls are going bananas, probably due to the Barn Owl (s?) that are arriving. Must get a better nights sleep tonight and may have to play Eagle Owl... 11th Sept Black Shouldered Kites at Patria (3). Barn Owl roosting for one night in my garden! (New garden tick) 10th Sept Whinchats, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers and more Hoopoes and the first of the N Wheatears. Still the same raptors but increased numbers of Goshawks and Sparrowhawks 9th Sept Montagu's Harriers (30+) , Few Hen Harriers, Local Marsh Harriers plus more migrant juvs arriving to feed. Lots of juv Marsh Harriers winter here. Lesser Kestrels (100+) Egyptian Vultures (12), Ospreys (2) Red-necked Nightjars still here. Whinchats arriving. More Bee-eaters (200+) 8th Sept More Honey Buzzards 150+, Egyptian Vultures 10, Montagu's Harriers 25+, Marsh Harriers 20+, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Bonelli's Eagle (1ad), Osprey (1), Glossy Ibis 200+ , Black Storks (two groups 9 + 5), Alpine Swifts, Lots of Hoopoes, Rock Sparrows, Spotted Flycatchers, Calandra Lark flocks of 100+ 7th Sept Black-bellied Sandgrouse at La Janda 6th Sept Red Kites on the move 5th Sept Marbled Ducks and Red-necked Grebes arrive back at their wintering grounds Slender-billed Gulls back in good numbers 1st & 5th Sept Little Bustards forming into large flocks (20+) near Barbate, Los Naveros and Benalup - 4th Sept Six out of the seven Spanish Imperial Eagles can still be seen near Benalup Long-legged Buzzards still occupy the Military land near Barbate July, Aug, Sept Lanner Falcons near La Janda on private land, Betis and Guadalmesi
Bee-eater passage is getting noticeably lighter compared with the late August rush when they awaken you during the night with their amazing calling! More Black Storks in evidence. Brazo del Este, La Janda and small groups crossing The Strait of Gibraltar Still seeing Rollers,Golden Orioles, Red-rumped Swallows coming through - 5st Sept Little Swift last seen 22nd August but may be some still around White-rumped Swifts last seen 29th August. Worth checking all swift flocks for Little and White-rumped and of course the larger Alpine Swifts Now is the time for Dotterel sightings Two Rüppell's Vultures seen recently at Algorrobo migration watchpoint. One came over the house two weeks ago - nice garden tick!
____________________________________________________________________________________ Chemicals and woodlands just don't mix Why A Silent Forest ?
This is traditionally the driest time of the year and the ground surface is parched and showing little in the way of green growth. Underground it is quite a different picture with streams running down from the Alcornocales Natural Park, toward the sea. Some of these springs can be seen flowing right on the rocky coastline at places like like Los Caños de Mecca or Guadalmesi. Under the canopy within the Cork-oak forest of the huge Alcornocales, you can find greenery, ravines filled with water and enough shade to keep the ground damp and this is very attractive to insects and animals. It's such a pity that aerial spraying is carried out each year, we are told, to "control" moth caterpillars infesting the cork trees and thus affecting the quality of the harvested cork. The problem for wildlife is quite catastrophic, eradicating whole groups of insect life in the wake of this indiscriminate spraying. The food chain is broken and where we had fantastic variety of singing, breeding birds, has left huge area a pretty, but extremely silent forest. |
__________________________________________ Calling all Philatelists - 1st of September 2008 Andalucian Guides Virtual stamps go on sale today !
Andalucian Guides Stamps Celebrating successful Spanish, Bavarian and Turkish tours After long and protracted agreement with other mainland EU countries an agreement was reached to sell Andalucian Guides virtual stamps within EU countries. Please print as many as you'd like and send them to all your family and friends!
____________________________________________________________________________________ Food For Thought Harassed Harriers
Montagu's Harriers are one of my personal favourite raptors to watch. Their bouncing, gliding hunting flight is just poetry in the sky. They are very slim and surprisingly light birds weighing four times less than the commoner Marsh Harrier! They hunt crickets, locusts, grasshoppers as well as small mammals and young birds if the opportunity arises. The recent price inflation of world cereals has had an effect on this scarce bird. Monty's as they are affectionately called by a lot of birders, are ground nesting birds. Their nest sites are often to be found amongst the wheat fields in southern Spain and their breeding period often occurs during harvest time. There have been schemes throughout Europe and particularly in Spain to try and protect nest sites and save the fledglings being "baled" with the crop.
Adult male Montagu's Harrier newly arrived in Springtime from wintering in Africa
Juvenile Montagu's Harrier preparing to leave for Africa in Autumn. Both photos were taken in Cadiz province ____________________________________________________________________________________ Spanish Imperial Eagle Hacking
The hacking project of re-introducing Spanish Imperial Eagles to southern Cadiz province in Andalucia has constantly met with objection from quite a few respected environmentalists, local conservation groups and birders. Part of the reason was the lack of truthful information put out by those running this rather expensive programme. Hacking is a recognised way of successfully duping (dupe = deceive; trick. ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from dialect French dupe ‘hoopoe,’ from the bird's supposedly stupid appearance.) the chicks that their re-location just before fledging, is the correct area that they come from. The re-location of chicks and parts of nest, faeces, old bones etc is something that reinforces the belief that their new location is where home is and the birds remain in the vicinity and eventually when they reach sexual maturity, pair and breed. It was roughly 60 years ago that this area lost its last pair of breeding Spanish Imperial Eagles. Breeding numbers have steadily risen and there are over 250 breeding pairs in Spain with neighbouring Portugal having their own dispersed and natural breeding birds.
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Juv Black Storks may stay in Andalucia the whole winter
Norhern Bald Ibis near Barbate
Melanistic or dark form of Montagu's Harrier - Quite stunning to watch them come through. They may be from a group in NW Spain on the border with Extremadura and Portuga.
One of the juv Black shouldered Kites at Patria
Montagu's Harriers
Now is the time to get out and spot a few Dotterels
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Honey Buzzards have made an early start to their southern migration this year. Perhaps the wet and cooler summer months in central and Northern Europehad contributed to this early departure ..........
Honey Buzzards Coping with the Levante
Honey Buzzards were quite early on the move this year. We had the first birds coming through on the 22nd of August and several hundred passed over our house on the 27th.
I was birding most of that day and the Levante wind had been blowing all week, forcing most larger migrants to a few feet off the ground. The Levante is a fairly local phenomenon, caused when an area of low pressure hangs around the Mediterranean. From Almeria, at the extreme eastern end of Andalucia, the east wind batters the coastal stretches and to some extent, inland as well. The height of such a wind isn't any more that around 3,000 meters in height, so feeding insects rise above and beyond to carry out their own predatory lives and swifts and swallows follow and feed, clear of the wind.
There are of course migrants that will try and out of and fly above the Levante wind. Birds with experience in migration or younger birds that watch adults climbing high, follow and quickly master the secret that height is important to cope with such a strong head-on wind. Once clear, the wind direction above can often come from the west or south. At certain times you can watch lower clouds travelling westwards at a fast rate and all the time above this often tiring wind, lighter winds are moving in the opposite direction. Too much cloud watching when this is all taking place can make one a bit light headed and often the best remedy is sheltering at one of the bars along the coast with a large beer. It works for me!
One bird that has been turning up in late summer and autumn is the North African or Atlas Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus s sp. cirtensis)
Osprey's normally migrate alone and can travel fantastic distances over the sea, so a crossing over The Strait is easy work.
Black shouldered Kite
Quite a few birds have been breeding in Cadiz province this year. There is a programme running where coloured wing tags with letters and numbers are used to identify birds.
Lesser Ketrel adults already seem to have passed through leaving the juvenile birds hunting in good numbers in places like Trebujena and La Janda
Last weekend we saw many Orb Spider females "out on their webs". These remarkable and fairly large European spiders are particularly beautiful to study. This one caught a fly and was spinning its web around the captive when I came across her.