22 March – 28 March 2026
Our spring expedition to the legendary Straits of Gibraltar delivered an absolute masterclass in bird migration and regional biodiversity. Set against the backdrop of changing winds and rugged Andalucían landscapes, the week provided breathtaking spectacles—from massive kettles of over 1,200 migrating Black Kites, soaring Booted Eagles, Short-toed Eagles, and a majestic Bonelli’s Eagle shifting over the coast to intimate maritime encounters with resident dolphin pods.
By exploring a magnificent mosaic of habitats including the Cork Oak woodlands of Los Alcornocales, the freshwater havens of Laguna de Medina, the vast plains of La Janda, and local intertidal salt pans, our group integrated world-class birdwatching with low-impact ecotourism. From elegant Greater Flamingos, Glossy Ibises, and newly arrived Collared Pratincoles wading in the wetlands to colourful European Bee-eaters, woodland Common Firecrests, and the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis, we celebrated the very best of the East Atlantic Flyway alongside exceptional local gastronomy and vital conservation insights. The impressive numbers on the eBird Trip Report are only half the story! Read on for the rest!
Day 1 Sunday 22 March Welcome to the Enchanted Forest
After assembling from various hotels and mid-morning flights, we arrived at the beautiful, forested grounds of Huerta Grande Rural Eco-Lodge. The grounds consist of seven acres of mixed woodland on the edge of Los Alcornocales Natural Park. Once a secluded retreat for Franco’s military top brass, these woods are now a sanctuary for forest birds. After settling into our log cabins and turn-of-the-century houses, we set out for a preliminary exploration of our surroundings.
We enjoyed great views of Hawfinch, Common Firecrest, Crested Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Iberian Chiffchaff, and Short-toed Treecreeper. All the while, we could look up to the skies to see migrant eagles right above our heads, including Short-toed Eagle and Booted Eagle, along with the odd Black Kite. Our first dinner at the lodge was a romantic candlelit affair thanks to a badly-timed local power outage! Cooking by headtorch, amazing Chef Toñi, provided us with the full delicious menu, featuring a magnificent salad of tomatoes from the property’s own allotment, a creamy wild mushroom rice dish, and a sumptuous strawberry cheesecake. Yum!
Day 2 Monday 23 March Dolphins of the Bay & Sky-High Raptors
Our organic, fluid itinerary in this area is dictated entirely by winds and weather, and plans change constantly during the week to ensure the team is on point for the best possible wildlife experience each day. Today, we headed straight out onto the water, making use of the relatively calm weather to head into the Bay of Algeciras with skipper Aurelio and marine biologist Ezekiel. Splitting into two smaller groups allowed us to benefit from his cruiser yacht, the Miamita, which gave both groups fantastic, intimate encounters with large pods of Common Dolphins. This is one of the species that inhabit the bay itself, successfully breeding here despite all the heavy shipping traffic.
We delighted at the sight of some tiny calves playing around the prow of the boat and a huge group of adults surfing the boat’s bow wave. Northern Gannets, Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls patrolled the surf.
Meanwhile, up on the cliffs above Tarifa, the raptor migration was kicking off! Positioning ourselves in exactly the right location for the prevailing levante (easterly) wind, we found ourselves at eye level with hundreds of raptors including 192 Booted Eagles and 52 Short-toed Eagles streaming in over our heads! Among them Black Kites, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Lesser Kestrels, and Marsh Harriers! European Bee-eaters, Woodchat Shrikes, Common Nightingale, Tawny Pipit and Red-rumped Swallows provided a strong supporting cast.
We stayed right here on the sunny clifftop for our picnic lunch, which—as it would be every day—was packed full of local, sustainably produced salads, regional cheeses, organic wines, and fresh artisan bread from the local bakery in Pelayo. We spent a relaxed semi-siesta watching the flow of eagles gradually peter out before heading a little further west along the coast.
In the valley of Santuario de la Luz, we enjoyed some time at the watchpoint of La Peña, where successfully-crossed birds were assembling to hunt, find somewhere to roost, and regroup for their onward journey. More Black Kites, Booted Eagles, and Short-toed Eagles soared above our heads, mixing with the resident Griffon Vultures.
We also took some time to look down into the Mediterranean scrub, where we enjoyed singing Thekla’s Larks, Spanish Sparrows, Black Redstarts, and an extraordinary Woodchat Shrike that posed for a long time to give the photographers a cracking shot at getting some superb images.
Finally, we took a look at the medieval sky-burial site, where in days of yore, the area’s Visigothic Christian communities placed their dead for their final journey, assisted by the neighbourhood vultures.
An absolutely stupendous and action-packed day, we headed back to relax with a well-earned gin and tonic!
Day 3 Tuesday 24 March Watery Wonders
Today, the area’s famous levante winds reached a real peak, so we headed inland, escaping its vicious strength whilst giving us an excellent opportunity to build an even better list of birds. Stopping first at the Embalse de Barbate, we overlooked many pairs of White Storks busily building and reconstructing their nests for the upcoming breeding season. Overhead, more arriving raptors kept us occupied, whilst the surrounding vegetation was alive with singing Corn Buntings, Zitting Cisticolas, Spanish Sparrows, Iberian Yellow Wagtails and more!
After a welcome comfort stop, we headed to the main event at the Laguna de Medina. We spent the rest of the day working our way around this expansive body of freshwater—a rare and precious commodity in this arid landscape.
Among the assembled rafts of Common Coots, Gadwall, Common Pochard, and Northern Shoveler, we were able to add some great specialist species to our trip list, including 34 Red-crested Pochards, two examples of the elusive Ferruginous Duck, two endangered and extraordinary-looking White-headed Ducks. In groups of Little and Great Crested Grebes, even more glamourous Black-necked Grebes shone out.
The air was full of hirundines, with Barn Swallow and Red-rumped Swallow evident amongst the hundreds of assembled House Martins. Among a huge flock of 400 Mediterranean Gulls with Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-Backed, we picked out three sheltering Little Gulls. The sounds of Western Bonelli´s Warbler and Common Nightingale filled the air and a migrant Willow Warbler showed well. A Eurasian Stone-curlew called and a beautifully vocal Western Olivaceous Warbler moving through the reeds.
Day 4 Wednesday 25 March The Vulture Cliffs & The King of the Skies
With yesterday’s exhilarating wind now subsided to a moderate breeze, it was the perfect day to head west along the coast to the seaside town of Bolonia and the mountains of the Sierra de la Plata beyond.
We pulled into the beautiful, breezy beach at Bolonia, where delicate Kentish Plovers awaited us on the sand and we were able to spot through the scopes elegant Scopoli´s Shearwaters navigating the ocean drafts like absolute bosses.
Incredibly, directly over our heads, arriving raptors were hitting the coast—including Black Kites and Booted Eagles. These unstoppable wind warriors had just made a grueling sea crossing of over 25 km from Africa to reach Europe today.
We moved on up the limestone crags to the local Griffon Vulture colony at the cliffs of La Zarga. As we peered at the guano-spotted cliffs, our eyes adjusted to the handsome vulturine forms lurking there, and we could see more and more of them settled at their nests. Soaring overhead were their partners and extended family, swishing, cackling, and bringing in additional nesting material. We had superb views of the resident pair of Egyptian Vultures, newly arrived back at their nest site. Common Ravens and Common Kestrels shared this lofty site, and we spotted a gorgeous Blue Rock Thrush singing from a high pinnacle.
We had anticipated the wind would pull migrating raptors into this area, but we were still completely overwhelmed by the spectacular nature of the event that awaited us. Over the course of the morning and lunchtime, we clocked over 1,200 Black Kites in great, swirling masses directly over our heads! Amongst them, more Booted Eagles, Montagu’s Harriers, Western Marsh Harriers, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Short-toed Eagles, and even an impressive young Spanish Imperial Eagle joined the throng.
Suddenly, the watchful resident Common Ravens signalled danger at the arrival of the baddest bird in the skies: a stunning adult Bonelli’s Eagle!
After a fabulous picnic in this awe-inspiring place featuring all our favourite local treats, we headed further on up to the very top of the crag. Stopping en route, we got superb views of a super-fresh and exceptionally handsome Western Black-eared Wheatear, which posed perfectly for us on top of a low shrub.
Up at the height of the Cueva del Moro, we were able to look down across the stunning seascape beneath us, taking in the ancient ruins of the Roman town of Baelo Claudia, while the caves above us sat rich with local palaeo-art dating from the early Stone Age. Griffon Vultures soared above us again, just as they had over all the civilisations that came before. A final, late push of migration featuring 400 Black Kites, interspersed with Montagu´s and Marsh Harriers, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, and a Western Osprey brought our high-altitude day to a high-octane close!
Day 5 Thursday 26 March Riches of the Salt Pans & The Secret Ibis
After yesterday’s mind-blowing migration spectacle, we went for a complete change of scene today, visiting the coastal intertidal mudflats, salt marshes, and woodland habitats of Las Breñas y Marismas de Barbate—Spain’s smallest but arguably most perfectly formed Natural Park.
Great avian riches awaited us at our first stop: the ancient salt pans at the eastern end of the town of Barbate. We were thrilled to see and hear the antics of the newly arrived Collared Pratincoles, which had taken up residence in their breeding colony once more, squeaking and bobbing noisily above us.
We filled our binoculars, scopes, cameras, and hearts with views of Little Tern, Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Sanderling, Kentish Plover, Pied Avocet, and Common Redshank—all set against a gentle, pink-hued background of hundreds of Greater Flamingoes.
The wind had dropped overnight, filling the shrubs with passerine migrants including Iberian Chiffchaffs and Western Subalpine Warblers by the score. From the adjacent farmland sang Greater Short-toed Larks, Calandra Larks, Crested Larks, and Corn Buntings, while a huge group of newly arrived White Storks cast flying squadron shadows on the ground around us. Fabulous!
Our picnic lunch amongst the Stone Pines and Cork Oaks of Las Breñas was packed with delicious local produce, including a fantastic local cheese matured in rosemary, fresh bread from the bakery, organic wines, fresh salads, local olive oil, and artisan salt. While it was being prepared by our woodland picnic fairies, Simon and Niki, the group wandered under the canopy, enjoying Short-toed Treecreepers, singing and displaying Eurasian Hoopoes, European Serins, Iberian Chiffchaffs, and Common Redstarts.
After lunch, we dropped back down towards the marshes where the low tide had revealed vast stretches of estuarine mud. Viewing from the shelter of a bridge, we got lovely close views of Sanderling, Dunlin, and Common Ringed Plover, and were happy to add more avian treats to our list, including Common Greenshank, Whimbrel, Caspian Tern, and a Western Osprey perched on a post dynamically devouring a Grey Mullet!
Time to head back, but not before two more treats! The first was a refreshing ice cream stop, and the second, arguably more memorable one, took us to the small town of Vejer de la Frontera. Simon’s secrecy paid off beautifully; the group found themselves totally surprised to be looking right across a busy road at a thriving breeding colony of the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis just metres away from where we stood!
These stunning, iridescent birds with their crazy head feathering and bald faces are anything but ugly, and we stood for an inordinate amount of time enjoying their antics at the nest site as they bonded, regrouped, and incubated eggs for the forthcoming generation of this incredibly rare and special bird.
Back at the lodge, Toñi and the team feathered our nests superbly again with a fresh salad, garlic-roasted new potatoes, homemade pisto (a local take on ratatouille), and a deliciously sweet, fresh fruit salad.
Day 6 Friday 27 March La Janda, Butterflies & Buntings
Still more of the incredibly varied habitats of this glorious area awaited us today. We headed inland once more through Los Alcornocales Natural Park, making an initial stop by the Tajo de las Figuras crags, where ancient cave paintings have been found depicting hundreds of birds with dozens of identifiable species—perhaps an early prehistoric eBird list, or simply a very old menu!
After getting good looks of Woodchat Shrike and Little Ringed Plover, we moved on to the main event of the day: the historic rice fields and farmlands of La Janda.
This once-spectacular wetland lagoon, covering 3,000 hectares in its heyday, was looking mighty fine for nature today after a very wet spring and recent warm weather. The vast expanse was alive with vibrant wildflowers, muddy margins, fallow fields, and newly planted crops. We sat back and simply enjoyed the sight of over 300 Greater Flamingos and dozens of Glossy Ibises and Eurasian Spoonbills feeding in the muddy rice stubble. Among them was a brilliant riot of newly arrived Western Yellow Wagtails, where we picked out both the local Iberian breeding subspecies (iberiae) and migrating British (flavissima) individuals.
After viewing an Egyptian Vulture investigating a cow pat in a nearby field, we moved onward through this vast landscape, making another stop to enjoy Spanish Sparrows, Corn Buntings, Red-rumped Swallows, European Bee-eaters, and more.
We enjoyed lunch in a sheltered, sunny glade near the village of Facinas. After devouring our picnic, we turned our attention to the beautiful butterflies of this spot, successfully picking out Bath White, the intricate Spanish Festoon, Painted Lady, Provençal Hairstreak, and the striking Moroccan Orange Tip.
Switching it up once more for the afternoon, we headed into the picturesque coastal town of Tarifa. Simon and Niki steered the group through the labyrinth of narrow, whitewashed streets to the historic Church of San Mateo, where we enjoyed the lively activity of several pairs of nesting Lesser Kestrels.
After some free time to wander, enjoy an ice cream, and listen to the calls of Tarifa´s famously solitary Common Bulbul, we headed back to Huerta Grande one final time for a celebratory gin and tonic and a delicious three-course meal, climaxing with Toñi’s excellent vegetable soup and everyone’s favourite—an authentic regional paella.
Day 7 Saturday 28 March Fond Farewells
It was already time to leave after a magical week of migration wizardry and hugely varied birdwatching in this superb part of the Iberian Peninsula. The group enjoyed one last breakfast amongst the resident Common Firecrests and Hawfinches before dispersing for onward flights, train journeys, and extended holiday stays. Simon and Niki would like to thank the entire group for their unerring patience, inevitable good humour, and wonderful ability to soak in the natural splendour of The Straits. We hope to see you all on the flyway again soon!
Flyway Promise
This tour was proudly carried out in support of our primary conservation partners, Fundación Migres. Their tireless work keeps migratory birds safe from regional power infrastructure, and their long-running data gathering program remains utterly invaluable to global avian migration science. Thank you for helping us support them!
Trip report via eBird here https://ebird.org/tripreport/492245
