Tarifa - 15th to 21st September

Pam and I returned to Tarifa in September, flying to Gibraltar for a change and a shorter drive. All was going to plan until an announcement that heavy cloud over Gibraltar might be a problem. As we flew down the Spanish Mediterranean coast the Captain announced that we would have to land at Malaga from where a bus would be arranged for the transfer to Gib. We landed and taxied to some far off part of the airport, waited for 20 mins then the Captain announced we were now cleared to land at Gibraltar so up we went again and finally landed at our intended destination, 3 hrs late including take-off delays at Manchester. Still it was only a short drive to Tarifa from here. We hired a car from Espacar at La Linea so we left Gibraltar on foot and soon found the man with our car in the designated underground car park.
Arriving in the town we saw a few Honey Buzzards heading out over the Straits, our first Spotless Starlings and a couple of Turnstone down by the Castle.
Los Lances the following morning produced 25 Kentish Plover, 7 Knot, 3 Whimbrel and 40 Calandra Larks with a few distant Audouin's Gull in the distance on the beach. Moving on to Cazalla there were a few raptors on the move in a light SW wind ; 35 Short-toed and 31 Booted with 30 Black Stork and 23 Pallid Swifts, not a bad start.
The following morning I started again at Los Lances and was just negotiating the collapsing footbridge when a Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin flew from the side of the bridge and landed in some scrub by the side of the river. The first I have seen in Spain, I walked back along the bridge and found a track close to the river and had brief views again as it flew out a landed on the top of a bush before diving in. Brief but reasonable views but no chance of a photo.
The wind was picking up a blowing a decent force 4 or 5 easterly so I headed up to Trafico where the birds appeared to be following the valley and heading just inland of the coastal watch point so I moved to the dirt track crossroads about 1km inland. Here birds were passing very close, mainly Booted Eagles (120) with a few Short-Toed Eagles and Black Kites. It provided a good opportunity to get photos of the variation in underparts colour in the Booted.

Colour variation in juvenile Booted Eagle

Moving back to the coast at La Pena had had the chance to have a good look at some of the larks on the hillside most were definitely Thekla but there also appeared to be 1 or 2 Crested. Having taken some photos I went back down to the beach near Los Lances where I had seen Crested earlier in the day to get some comparison photos. 

Thekla (left) v Crested Lark

Not the best comparison with a rather tatty Crested Lark but it shows the long curved culmen of Crested v the straight and shorter culmen of Thekla. I think it's sometimes easier to compare the shape of the culmen rather than the straight lower mandible of Crested with the slightly convex lower mandible of Thekla often quoted in books but this is more apparent in the photo below.. The breast and flank streaking of Thekla is also very obvious in this photo and is more restricted to the upper chest in Crested (see photo below).
In the afternoon I went up to La Pena and counted 12 Thekla and 2 Crested Larks allowing further comparison.

Thekla (left) v Crested Lark

In a reasonable flight view the orangey underwing of Crested Lark is usually fairly apparent compared with the greyish underwing of Thekla.

Thekla (left) v Crested Lark underwing

In the strong winds I went down to the beach to have a look at the Yellow-legged Gulls flying around the causeway to Tarifa Island. The birds were coming close and providing some good photo opportunities.

Yellow-legged Gull - moulting to 1st winter

The following day we went to La Janda which was very disappointing. Cotton appears to have been planted in many of the areas that used to be rice and the whole area is very dry, consequently there were very few herons, egrets or water birds. I did manage a single but distant Black-winged Kite, a distant juvenile Bonelli's Eagle, just two Montagu's Harriers and a more obliging juvenile Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike juvenile

I made a few visits to the wooded valley by the Castle in Tarifa which leads up to El Olivar. It held a few common migrants such as Garden Warbler, Whitethroat and Blackcap and I also heard one of the few remaining Common Bulbul calling but failed to get any photos.

On the 19th we met our good friends Richard and Janet Hart, he and I went up to Cazalla which produced an amazing flock of 300 Alpine Swift, 62 Short-toed and 26 Booted Eagles plus singles of Spanish and Bonelli's Eagles.

Alpine Swifts

Spanish Eagle juvenile

The following day we went to Barbate, not an area I have visited too often but it proved to be a good choice, we went up the southern edge of the lagoons and soon found at least 6 Stone Curlew and a decent group of Calandra and Short-toed Larks in the neighbouring fields probably 40 or 50 Calandra and a dozen Short-toed. Audouin's and Yellow-legged Gulls were preening on the islands with at least 19 Audouin's. Several juvenile Woodchat Shrikes were sat along the fence posts and in the final patch of trees there appeared to be something of a fall of migrants with 2 Pied Flycatcher, male and female Redstart, Willow Warbler and at least 3 strikingly yellow Iberian Chiffchaff.

 

Iberian Chiffchaff - juv/1st winter

I came back the following morning when there were over 250 Calandra and 75 Short-toed Larks but only single Iberian Chiffchaff and Pied Flycatcher remained in the wood but a Tawny Pipit was an addition to the trip list.
Returning to Tarifa we drove the Santuario Road stopping for an hour at the high point. Several Griffon Vultures appeared in the distance drifting towards us and as they came closer one turned out to be an immature Ruppell's.

Ruppell's Vulture

It circled at some distance drifting north with the Griffon's but was soon lost to sight.
On my final morning I returned to Los Lances, crossing the listing wooden bridge and whilst looking at a Stonechat was surprised to see a small trip of 7 Dotterel sat in the field.

Dotterel

Our light back from Gibraltar was uneventful and it was certainly a much shorter drive then flying from Malaga so worth considering.

Coto Donana & the Alentejo with Bird Holidays 28th April - 5th May - Part 1 El Rocio Area

I went with Bird Holidays for another trip to Spain & Portugal. Flying out to Faro on 28th April we drove to El Rocio arriving late afternoon. We then spent 4 nights at the beautifully located Hotel Toruno which over looks the flooded lake of Charco de la Boca. There has been plenty of rain over the winter so the water level was quite high. Walking the few metres from the hotel to the lake on the first evening Great Reed Warblers were singing in the reeds by the walkway but one of the first birds I saw was a male Little Bittern flying across the top of the reeds. Over the next few days I saw Little Bittern both morning and evening and must have seen at least 3 pairs. The males were calling and doing a slow flapping display flight as well as chasing each other and the females. We all had amazing views.

Littler Bittern - upper male in flight, female and male and lower male

A Ruddy Shelduck with Greylag Geese on the far side of the lake was a surprise but has apparently been present for some time. All the starling are Spotless so identification isn't a problem but in any case in spring they are all in spotless plumage with a kind of greasy sheen.

Spotless Starling

Black Kites wheeled over the lake many of them with very rufous underparts making confusion with Red Kite a strong possibility for the unwary.

Black Kite

On our first morning we drove the short distance to La Rocina, a reserve with several hides and a walkway through pines, wet woodland and scrub. Purple Gallinule was soon added to our list with several birds feeding in and around the reed beds. As well as House Martins several Red-rumped Swallow were hawking over the tree tops and, as we walked, we had good views of Serin, Melodious Warbler and Woodchat Shrike.

Serin - male in song

From La Rocina we carried on through the reserve to the Palacio del Acebron. A Wryneck was calling as we parked the car and after a short walk a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen in trees close to the footpath but the most striking bird was a small male Common Waxbill which was collecting nesting material.

Common Waxbill - male

As we walked towards the palace at least three Iberian Chiffchaff were singing, distinguished by there chiff-chiff-chiff rendition of their song rather than the chiff-chaff we hear at home. They stayed in the tops of the trees but I managed a photo of one from below. They show a little more yellow streaking on the underparts but other than that can only be distinguished by the wing formula.

Iberian Chiffchaff

There were very few butterflies but this Green Hairstreak put on a good show.

Green Hairstreak

The familiar calls of a party of Long-tailed Tits could be heard in the trees, the birds here are of the Iberian race irbii, with a grey back and cheeks and often with darker markings on the upper breast.

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus irbii)

Driving down towards the coast we stopped at the wetland reserve of Acebuche.

Watching Iberian Azure-winged Magpies at Acebuche

 
There were plenty of Iberian Azure-winged Magpies around the car park and in the neighbouring woodland but the wetlands had few birds although Stonechats were very much in evidence and Marsh Harriers were seen hunting.

Iberian Azure-winged Magpie

Back at El Rocio the Little Bitterns put on another show and a Ruddy Shelduck was a surprise find although I understand it has been there some time.
It was an early start the following morning as we returned to La Rocina where Red-necked Nightjars obliged by sitting in the middle of the road and we had decent views by flash light. 
We then drover around the Coto Donana Reserve to the Valverde Centre, a place I have not previously visited but would certainly go again. The water level was perfect and as we stopped we were greeted by a cacophony of Great Reed Warblers making so much noise it almost drowned out speech.

Great Reed Warbler

Difficult to count but there must have been dozens in the small reed bed and surrounding Tamarisk bushes. Nearby a Western Olivaceous sang insistently but I was unable to see it in the dense vegetation.
Black-necked Grebes were present in good numbers and often quite close to the track and all in beautiful summer plumage.

Black-necked Grebes

Scanning across a large open area three Pin-tailed Sandgrouse flew across the marsh before dropping in to a wet area, presumably to drink. It started to rain late morning but we had great views of Whiskered Terns before we retreated to the centre for lunch.

Whiskered Tern

One of the real delights of the Valverde Reserve are the breeding herons, egrets and ibis. We saw at least 6 pairs of Purple Heron nesting in the reedbed behind the centre and had amazing views of Squacco Heron with the most striking bill colour I have seen.

Purple Hero

Squacco Heron

A male Ferruginous Duck was a nice find as we left the reserve and headed off for Dehesa de Abajo. Here we saw the spectacle of breeding White Storks which are nesting at little more than head height. We were searching for Crested Coot but saw only one or two Common Coot but were compensated by reasonable views of a Marbled Duck which is becoming increasingly scarce in Iberia.

Marbled Duck

The following morning (1st May) we headed of for the wetlands of Brazo del Este close to Los Palacios.

Birdwatching on the road to Los Palacios

A male Montagu's Harrier welcomed us to the area but we were soon watching an incomer from Africa; Black-headed Weavers at their nests.

Black-headed Weaver

A short drive away we were heading up the track overlooking the flooded areas and soon found a group of Collared Pratincoles which duly flew directly over our heads.

Collared Pratincole

Several Woodchat Shrike were using the fence posts bordering the track as perches and giving very close views.

Woodchat Shrike

At one point we could see eight Purple Swamphen feeding around the edge, and even in the open on the marsh. Larks could be heard singing over the dryer areas and we soon identified both Crested and Short-toed.

Short-toed Lark

Whilst watching the larks a sharp eyed member of the group picked out a female Kentish Plover also on the dried mud and possibly nesting in the area.

Kentish Plover

We heard several Golden Oriole and had brief views of a female as it crossed over the embankment in front of our vehicle. On the way back to El Rocio we called in at the Zorillo pools but the weather was worsening and we had more rain but we did manage to locate three White-headed Duck before we were rained off.
The following morning we set of for Portugal where we will be staying in Mertola but more of that in the second instalment. On the way we stopped of close to Huelva at the Marismas del Odiel. Nest platforms for Osprey have been erected with some success here and we soon located a bird sitting close to one nest. The Osprey is quite scarce in SW Spain so this is one of the best places to see them. We were soon adding shorebirds to our list with some superb Curlew Sandpiper resplendent in their breeding plumage. Little Stints, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Whimbrel and Grey Plover were also feeding on the marshes. We had expected Yellow-legged Gulls but they were only present in low numbers and we saw a single Audouin's Gull which is becoming increasingly common around the Spanish coast but a second summer Slender-billed Gull was a surprise.

Audouin's Gull - second summer

 Star bird for me though was a male Montagu's Harrier which circled directly over us.

Montagu's Harrier - male

Surprisingly the only White Wagtail of the trip was seen at the information centre whilst we ate our lunch. Then we headed off for Portugal.

Southern Spain Part II - Tarifa

We arrived at Tarifa late in the afternoon and checked in to the delightful Meson de Sancho hotel, as I locked up the van I noticed several Short-toed Eagles flying back inland from the nearby coast, presumably to roost overnight having decided not to make the crossing today. I ended up standing next to the van for over an hour and counted 50 Short-toed and 10 Booted Eagles,10 Black Kite, 6 Honey Buzzards, 4 Griffon and single Egyptian Vulture plus 6 Black Stork, 4 Alpine and 15 Pallid Swift all crossing the road above the hotel. A fantastic welcome to Tarifa!

Short-toed Eagle

I was up early the following morning, although it was almost 8:00 before it was properly light. I caught several Short-toed Eagles heading back towards the coast whilst Serin and Robins called from the hotel garden.

Plenty of decent habitat around the hotel pool

After breakfast we headed a few kilometres down the coast to the Cazalla raptor watchpoint. Between 09:45 and 13:00 we recorded the following;
Short-toed Eagle 106
Booted Eagle 104
Black Kite 10
Common Buzzard 1
Honey Buzzard 2
Spanish Imperial Eagle 1 immature
Lesser Spotted Eagle 1
Egyptian Vulture 12
Griffon Vulture 15
White Stork 100+
Black Stork 150

Raptor watching at Cazalla

Booted Eagle

Black Storks

Honey Buzzard - juvenile

Unfortunately the Spanish Imperial and Lesser Spot were distant but had some great views of everything else.
In the afternoon we took the boat trip into the Straits. The Bottle-nosed Dolphins came right up to the boat and included at least one calf, they looked to be enjoying themselves and several animals had a spell of breeching. 

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - adult with calf

Bottle-nosed Dolphin breeching

A pod of Pilot Whales appeared next and again we were treated to boat side views of these superb animals.

Pilot Whale

Birds were few and far between but we managed 4 or 5 Scopoli's Shearwaters and a small flock of terns which looked like Black but were rather distant.
The following morning we went down to the hide at Los Lances beach just West of Tarifa. We had great views of Knot, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit and a single Curlew Sandpiper in with the Dunlin. The Kentish Plovers were a little distant as was a group of around 20 Audouin's Gulls with  a similar number of Yellow-legged.
Across the road we had several Tawny Pipits along with the common Stonechats and Corn Bunting.
Returning to the hotel for lunch we added Short-toed Treecreeper and Firecrest to the holiday list and I had nice views of a female Sardinian Warbler before heading to the flooded rice fields of La Janda. 

Sardinian Warbler

We made a slight, but unsuccessful, diversion to the cliffs behind Bolonia following a call from Mick Cunningham to alert us to a Ruppell's Vulture on the cliffs but it left before we got there.
There were large numbers of Glossy Ibis and White Storks in the paddy fields and we had 3 Black-winged Kites along the dirt track that dissects the area, one was reasonably close and peared down at us looking almost cat like, but the other 2 were rather distant and heat haze can be a problem with distant birds.

Black-winged Kite

Further on a small river passed under the track and we had several Red-rumped Swallows hawking overhead.
I got up early the following morning and went down to Tarifa beach with a view to photographing the Audouin's Gulls. They were not quite where they had been yesterday so I had a long walk up the beach but got some photos just after the sun rose.

Audouin's Gull - adult and 2cy

On the walk back I came across two Iberian Chiffchaff fly catching from some stunted pines close to the beach. I was surprised how yellow they looked and wondered if I had misidentified some earlier birds around Los Palacios as Willow Warbler at the start of the week.

Iberian Chiffchaff

We returned to Cabala after breakfast. Birds were a bit higher than our previous visit but we had several hundred Booted and Short-toed Eagles with Booted the commonest. Several parties of Alpine Swift appeared overhead and disappeared just as quickly. A few more Honey Buzzard and some close Griffon Vulture and a single Goshawk gave us some variety before heading back for lunch.

Griffon Vulture

In the afternoon we returned to La Janda and were quickly rewarded with a female Montagu's Harrier and, surprisingly, my first Squacco Heron of the trip. A large flock of Woodpigeon numbering several hundred had not been there two days ago. Further on we found a nice Purple Heron and superb juvenile Woodchat Shrike amongst a scattering of migrants including Whinchat, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher.
On our final morning Phil and I went down to Tarifa beach, a change in wind direction had brought Scopoli's Shearwaters much closer inshore but still distant for photos. 

Scopoli's Shearwater

All too soon we were heading for Malaga airport and our flight home. It was a fantastic trip and I won't forget the circling raptors over Cazalla or Little Swifts at Chipiona. Thanks to all the members of Cambridge U3A for making it such an enjoyable adventure.