There is a quiet, powerful drama that unfolds in the far south of Iberia once the frantic rush of autumn migration has settled. While many birders pack up their scopes in September, we know that the true heavyweight spectacle is only just beginning.
We’ve just uploaded our eBird Trip Report from our recent “Unknown Vulture Spectacle” tour. With a total of 122 species recorded, it was a journey defined by mountain gems, coastal rarities, and a staggering avian phenomenon: the mass dispersal of thousands of Griffon Vultures.
If you think you’ve seen migration, nothing prepares you for the late-autumn “staging” in The Straits. This isn’t just a trickle of birds; it is a massive, coordinated push of thousands of juvenile Griffon Vultures, all converging at the continent’s edge.
Standing at the watchpoints, we watched as the sky literally filled with these soaring giants. They gather at such incredible density that you are looking up at literally metric tonnes of soaring wings overhead. These immense, swirling “kettles” hang in the air as they wait for the precise thermal conditions needed to bridge the gap to Africa. This youth dispersal is a high-stakes masterclass in survival and a spectacle you simply cannot witness anywhere else on earth. Seeing the sky heavy with the sheer volume of these majestic scavengers is, quite simply, one of the most underrated wonders of the natural world.
Our adventure began among the dramatic karst peaks and river valleys of the Serranía. In the high country of the Sierra de Grazalema and the surrounding limestone ridges, we tracked down the mountain specialties that thrive in this rugged terrain:
The Resident Giants: Alongside the dispersing juveniles, we watched the resident Griffon Vulture colonies. We also had incredible views of Golden Eagles patrolling the ridges.
Black Wheatears and Blue Rock Thrushes claiming the rocky outcrops.
Rock Buntings, Cirl Buntings, and Dartford Warblers busy among the mountain scrub.
Reaching the coast, we focused on the unique vulture dynamics that define The Straits.
The Rüppell’s Vulture: The ultimate! We successfully found this African wanderer among the amassing Griffon Vultures—a bird that is becoming a legendary part of our #FlywayBirding story.
The Rule-Breakers: Nature always keeps us on our toes; our list included a remarkably late European Honey Buzzard braving the late-season winds.
Coastal Specialists: we watched Slender-billed and Audouin’s Gulls and an array of Shorebirds.
As birders, we spend much of our time looking up—usually at the incredible soaring birds crossing The Straits of Gibraltar. But recently, we had the pleasure of sitting down (virtually!) with the fantastic team at BatAbility for their Talking Bat podcast series.
Don’t let the name fool you—while Neil and the team are the masters of all things chiroptera, they invited us on for a special “Talking Bird” episode to chat about the interconnected world of ecology, ethical travel, and the magic of migration.
It was a brilliant, relaxed conversation that gave us a chance to reflect on why we do what we do. If you’ve ever wondered about the “why” behind the Bustards, this is the episode for you. We delved into:
The Roots of Inglorious Bustards: How we transitioned from conservation roles to setting up our base here in Andalucia, Spain.
The Eco-Tourism Mission: Why we believe tourism must be a powerhouse for conservation, supporting local economies and protecting the very habitats we love to visit.
The Miracle of Migration: We shared our passion for the East Atlantic Flyway and the breathtaking spectacle of bird migration that defines our lives here in The Straits.
Giving Back to The Gambia: A deep dive into the conservation work we’re so proud of in West Africa and our partnership with the Flyway Birding Association.
What we loved most about this chat was the “wider world of ecology” focus. Whether it’s bats or birds, the challenges—and the joys—of protecting our natural world are the same. We talked about the importance of sustainable guiding and how every trip we run is designed to put nature first.
How to Listen
Whether you’re prepping for a trip with us or you’re stuck in the office dreaming of the Spanish sun, you can listen to the full interview at the link below:
This year’s Swift Weekender was insane! A relaxed opportunity to not only observe Swift migration as well as some of the rarest Swift species in Europe and the Western Palearctic, but also get up close to some of the breeding specialities of the Iberian Peninsula and connect with the flow of early autumn migration.
Day 1 – 25 July
We started fairly early and travelled to the edge of the Embalse de Barbate and into a private permit-only area, where we scanned through the various species on the edge of the reservoir. We were also amongst an absolute raptor-fest with Western Osprey, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black Kites and more passing right by us. However despite these glorious distractions, our focus was on Swifts and we spent time sifting through both Pallid and arriving Common Swifts hawking over the water. After some time we were elated to find not one but two of our very sought-after White-rumped Swifts!
This species is highly localised and scarce in the Western Palearctic, and a real treat for any visiting guests. Avoiding any disturbance to nesting areas, we are able to watch them hawking for insects and at this time of day low just over our heads! They are surely one of the most erratic fast flyers of all the swifts and they are awesome!
After our initial finding we waited, and again the WRS returned for a second foray overhead before departing to higher altitudes. At this point we decided it was time to head off for a celebratory fresquita!
From here we journeyed north to the Laguna de Medina, the largest lagoon in the province of Cádiz and the second largest in Andalucía. Here we sifted through the varied species of duck present – Red-crested and Common Pochards dominating but with Great-crested, Little and Black-necked Grebes floating among the gaps. Here we also got our first views of six White-headed Ducks – a star species for visiting birders to the Iberian Peninsula. However much as this species dazzled us with the males bright blue bill, striking white head and steamboat-like antics, the star was a milky-tea coloured warbler!
A really interesting and range restricted migrant of the Iduna genus, the Isabelline Warbler (or Western Olivaceous Warbler) is found breeding only in North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, with most of the European breeding population within Southern Spain. We didn’t find just one but six of these trans-Saharan migrants.
Day 2 – 26 July
Often we have days where we are excited how it all comes together and this is one of those days! We have refined and planned it for years and it actually offers one of the best day´s birding anywhere in Europe, the Western Palearctic, if not the world! Timing and location is crucial to maximise the abundance of our most sought-after encounters!
So our day started pre-dawn with a drive to private farmland where Inglorious Bustards are exclusively permitted access. Here among the organic, extensive vineyards with a mosaic of fallows, differing crops, scrub alongside mature trees all dispersed among the vineyards, we can find the most enigmatic of species – the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin! Here we were as the sun lifted above the horizon, surrounded by the beautiful song of this stunning farmland bird.
Here the organic, extensive production coupled with mixed habitats provides a life-line for this declining species. It is without doubt a testament to the low-impact, mixed, organic farming practiced here that we are surrounded by this magic! Tails lifting all around us as they fed in the first light and battled to re-establish the day´s boundaries between territories.
Quiet and respectful observations mean that the tail-lifters are often happy to approach and go about their business before the heat of the day kicks in and their activity dwindles. Then it was time to move on from here as we had yet another enthralling surprise encounter…..
We arrived to Chipiona harbour just as it was kicking off! Little Swifts were just leaving their roosts and feeding busily within the proximity of the colony, giving us some hair-parting examples of aerial acrobatics among Common and Pallid Swifts. Here with the backdrop of Spain´s tallest lighthouse we watched in awe as they giggled around us sometimes at shin height!
Here we also had time for an Inglorious Bustards special – that of second breakfast… Hobbit style! We devoured our coffee and freshly-squeezed orange juice and some of the best churros in Spain (if not the world!) as Little, Common and Pallid Swifts whizzed about us.
From here we moved the short distance to the Playa de Montijo – here perfect timing enabled us to walk out among the magic! Roosting Terns and Gulls gave us a smorgasbord of species to sift through and we were loving it! Even if I did get wet feet!
Here we sifted through over 70 Little, 40 Sandwich, 19 Black and 9 Common Terns, among them 73 Med Gulls with a handful of smart Slender-billed Gulls.
Another new location nearby was the Salinas de Bonanza. Here amongst Gull-billed Terns and Slender-billed Gulls with thousands of Greater Flamingoes we sifted through the various shorebirds and took our sustainable (award-winning!) picnic in our pop-up kitchen and dining area!
Our final stop of the day was among nearby agricultural pools. The first ones got us close-by superb looks at dapper White-headed Ducks but the second section of pools was mind-blowing! Here the Egretry was off the chain – a mix of nesting Glossy Ibis, Black-crowned Night Herons, Cattle and Little Egrets and Squacco Herons were not only audibly and visually jumping but the smell was pretty memorable too!
Today the strong levante had dropped giving us the perfect moment to get amongst the soaring bird migration.
Interpreting wind strength and direction is a vital element to get into the flow of migratory birds, and with a bewildering array of watchpoints at the visiting birder´s disposal, it can be a difficult choice. However due to our local knowledge and absolute passion for #FlywayBirding we were in the flow of migratory soaring birds!
3.058 Black Kites cruised out below us and above us and on to Africa as we watched them battle this tiny stretch of water that is such a huge challenge to their ongoing journey.
Groups of White Storks weren´t far behind, with one huge group of over 3,000 stretching out to link the two continents of Europe and Africa. We logged 4,114 White Storks making the crossing right over us! Soon the gateway was overflowing with over 15,000 Black Kites and more than 10,000 White Storks making the crossing and giving us our first big day of autumn migration 2025!
European Bee-eaters filled the nearby campo on their own journey across to Africa as we headed towards the local Vulture colony. Here we encountered an hulking adult Bonelli´s Eagle and the breeding pair of Egyptian Vultures.
Day 4 – 28 July
Today we took our boat trip out into The Straits where we encountered rafts of Scopoli´s Shearwaters and an Eleanora´s Falcon buzzed past the boat! We also found over 40 Wilson´s Storm Petrels adding more avian delights to this brilliant excursion! We also enjoyed sharing the waves with pods of Long-finned Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins.
From here we journeyed the short distance to Punta Camorro where we took our chilled out sustainable picnic as European Bee-eaters, a smart looking Tawny Pipit and more joined us!
From here we explored the once vast wetland of La Janda now sadly drained for intensive agriculture. It still has some fragments that make for very interesting birding – perhaps in the future this once amazing ornithological gold-mine can be returned to some version of its former glory benefiting biodiversity, the environment, water and the wider local community.
For now we still know that great species can be found here and we do just that, with groups of Collared Pratincoles giving us some great views. Other shorebirds are found with a single Little Stint and Ruff, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Green Sandpiper and more. Having already been spoilt with close views and mesmerising swarms of raptors, our senses in that regard were not dimmed with Short-toed and Booted Eagles and both Marsh and Montagu´s Harriers. Two Gull-billed Terns cruised over the ruderal vegetation of the few available fallow areas.
Today we returned to one of the local Vulture colonies where once again we found one of the breeding Egyptian Vultures, Black Kite, Short-toed and Booted Eagles present with a singing Blue Rock Thrush and purring Turtle Dove.
From here we went to the Puente del Rio Barbate and sifted through the vast array of shorebirds. Eurasian Curlew and Whimbrels fed together, 7 Curlew Sandpipers were a highlight alongside dapper-looking Mediterranean Gulls.
After a quick stop for a fresquita, we headed up to the Pinos de la Breña. Here among the Stone Pines, Wild Olive and Cork Oak, we took a relaxed picnic in the cool shade of the trees, where a pair of Eurasian Hoopoes had their nest and Spotted Flycatchers flashed out over the glade returning to feed their recently-fledged young.
Then as the tide was now rising we headed for the Marismas de Barbate. Here once again we were amongst the shorebirds with Collared Pratincoles, more Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stint, a bunch of Ruff, Kentish Plover and more with Greater Flamingoes feeding in the deeper parts of water.
Our last encounters of the day were with the super-cool and rare Northern Bald Ibis on our way back to chill before dinner and MORE Birding!
After our delicious dinner, we travelled the short distance to the edge of La Janda where we waited for our next new addition to this tour´s burgeoning list. As a Black-crowned Night Heron lolloped over we were right on time for the next show! We heard the galloping horse like call …or more like the coconuts being clapped together in Monty Python´s Quest for the Holy Grail! It was the sound of the biggest Nightjar in the Western Palearctic – the Red-necked Nightjar! We heard and saw 4 of these hawking for moths and probably some of the mosquitos that had fed on us moments before – we were happy to feed them up so the Nightjars got a really nice meal!
Red-necked Nightjar – sound on 🔊
Day 6 – 30 July
Sadly it was time for us to say farewell to our Swiftlets and we hope to welcome you back soon!
Making our #Birding count the trip list is available from eBird here
In recent years, Coto Doñana Natural Park has attracted considerable press attention for the parlous state of its aquifer due to intensive soft fruit farming in the nearby area. But following a wet winter and large amounts of rain in recent days, the infamously parched wetlands were once more full of water and life, and we were super-excited to go explore!
Newly-flooded pastures hosted a joyful gathering of Red-crested Pochards, Ferruginous Ducks, Common Cranes, Storks both White and Black, Eurasian Spoonbills, Western Swamphens, Black-crowned Night Heron and Glossy Ibis. El Rocío´s famous Madre de las Marismas lagoon nurtured a wealth of wintering wildfowl, including Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail and Eurasian Teal, while Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe and Black-Winged Stilts waded in the shallows.
On Doñana´s “salty” eastern side, a colony of Little Swifts delighted, Greater Flamingoes promenaded and we met with Caspian Terns, Slender-billed and Mediterranean Gulls, Endangered White-headed Ducks, Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, Little Stint, Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Redshank and Greenshank, Pied Avocet and more!
Soaring over all, Doñana´s impressive selection of raptors included Hen and Marsh Harriers, Lesser Kestrels, Griffon Vulture, Western Osprey and Black-Winged Kite as well as Little and Barn Owl and a roost of nine Short-eared Owls! And our encounters with local royalty – four Spanish Imperial Eagles, including the world´s oldest female – were outstanding!
With delicious locally-sourced and sustainably-produced food nourishing us throughout, and an extra-curricular sampling of El Rocío´s lively horse-based culture, it was a trip to remember!
Day 1 Thursday 23 January
Encounter with Royalty
Niki collected the Sevilla arrivals and we made the hour drive to our lovely Cortijo-style hotel on the outskirts of Matalascañas. After lunchtime bocadillos and fruit in the pretty tiled patio area, we headed out to get stuck straight in!
We headed to the village of Hinojos where we met our two guides – both called Jose Manuel! – from local Nature-watching company Doñana Nature. Their 4×4 jeeps and access permits would take us to very special private areas of the park.
The first of these was Coto del Rey private estate, where we immediately encountered resident royalty, finding two enormous Spanish Imperial Eagles perched side by side on a pylon! We were thrilled to find that one of them was an old friend – the female was the oldest Spanish Imperial in the world at 34 years old! No longer producing eggs of her own, last year she permitted the development of an unusual love triangle, where a younger female lays eggs in her nest, fertilized by her long-term partner, and she then uses her decades of experience to successfully rear the chicks. In 2024 the throuple managed to fledge two chicks in this way, a big achievement for this species!
Wetland wonderland!
Across the pastures we could see many Common Cranes feeding and a couple of Eurasian Hoopoes flitted up from the sandy ground. A Little Owl glowered at us from a stump and we had gorgeous views of a very showy Iberian Grey Shrike. Flocks of Eurasian Spoonbills flew over as Western Marsh Harriers quartered. We picked out a third perched Spanish Imperial Eagle, this young bird presumably the final member of the threesome! As we scanned across the vibrant marshes, it was clear that Jose Manuel the Elder was intensely emotional about seeing the vast marismas brought to life for the first time in over 20 years!
Meanwhile Simon had collected the remainder of the group and arrived safely in the area, also making a start on some brilliant local birding! Taking a look around the lagoons on the outskirts of El Rocío we picked up Black-winged Stilts, Greater Flamingoes, White Storks, Iberian Magpies, an endearing flock of Common Waxbills and hundreds of wintering wildfowl.
Team Sevilla and Team Málaga then convened at our hotel for our first dinner together! The hotel is very much after our own heart, having in place a laudable sustainability policy which has completely eliminated single use plastics from the entire hotel, economises on water and electricity use and sources all water from renewable sources. They had even laid on several extra vegetarian options for the delicious evening buffet-style dinner. WE LOVED it!
After a hearty hotel breakfast, we headed out to explore the birding on offer in the local area, beginning at the famous Madre de las Marismas lagoon on the outskirts of El Rocío village. The “Mother of the Marshes” was today nurturing a wealth of wintering wildfowl, including Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, and huge flocks of Eurasian Coot. Greater Flamingoes and Eurasian Spoonbills waded, and Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe and Black-Winged Stilts fed in the shallows. Common Waxbills, White Wagtails, and many wintering Meadow Pipits browsed the shore.
We next headed further afield to explore the farmland areas to the east of the Natural Park, where the glorious rains had flooded large areas that had been dry for years! Stopping by one such area, we spotted our fourth Spanish Imperial Eagle of the trip perched nearby! Red-crested Pochards and Ferruginous Ducks bobbed about on an area that was until recently a road, and the sounds of whinnying Little Grebes and rejoicing Iberian Pond Frogs filled the air! Hundreds of Little, Great and Cattle Egrets were on show, and we surprised an early or overwintering Little Bittern. Two small Wild Boar ran from the ditch by the roadside, one galloping into the distance and the other swimming ably across the inundated farmland!
Miles and miles more of flooded grassland awaited us alongside the Guadiamar river. Seemingly not content with reclaiming the land, Western Swamphens, Black Storks and Great Egrets roved about on the road! We were privileged to encounter a roost of nine Short-eared Owls and spent a magical time observing them.
Simon and Niki conjured up a picnic lunch by the side of a wild scrubby area, while the group watched quartering Marsh and Hen Harriers, several newly-arrived Lesser Kestrels and a Barn Owl flew right past! which we later relocated for the most fabulous views (see photo). White Storks made a bill-clapping display from their nearby nest and we could see a haze of pink Greater Flamingoes in the distance. Driving on, we got great views of a Western Osprey perched on the telegraph wires.
The Jose Valverde Visitor Centre provided opportunity for a welcome coffee break, and from here we viewed Glossy Ibis, Pied Avocet, roosting Black-crowned Night Heron, Spanish Sparrows and searched for the elusive Penduline Tits we could hear pinging from the bulrushes.
For dinner tonight we headed to famous sandy streets of El Rocío, where things were heating up for the Candeleras de Triana pilgrimage festival. Our friends Sergio and Javi at Restaurante Toruño gave us a warm welcome and fed the group delicious warming traditional tomato-and-bread soup, a local chickpea and spinach dish, tuna steak for those that wished and a yummy flan pudding to finish off. As we wandered the streets back to our vans, we admired the horses and riders in their traditional finery that were filling the streets and enjoyed the sounds of flamenco and banter filling the air!
Day 3 Saturday 25 January
The Salty Side
Second breakfast 😊!
We made a good early start today and headed via Sevilla over to the eastern side of the Guadalquivir River, to explore the saltier side of Coto Doñana!
Finishing our drive at a small harbour town, we arrived at the perfect moment to catch the colony of Little Swifts as they awoke! They were emerging from their nests up in the eaves of the harbour buildings, and we loved watching them zipping around making their engaging “giggling” calls. We were able to keep watching them as we tucked into Second Breakfast like hungry Hobbits! Great coffee and a mountain of hot churros fuelled us up for our next spot!
On next to the expansive salt pans of Bonanza, where we were greeted by proudly promenading Greater Flamingoes! Among them, a great selection of shorebirds included Black-Winged Stilts, Little Stint, Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Redshank and Greenshank, Pied Avocet, Grey Plover, Sanderlings and hundreds of Dunlin. We enjoyed our picnic lunch right here, tucking into local olives, salads and sustainably-produced goat´s and sheep’s cheeses, while Caspian Terns, Slender-billed and Mediterranean Gulls and three Western Ospreys on show. By the tracks, we picked up Crested & Mediterranean Short-toed Larks, and a mass of wintering Crag Martins fed overhead.
After lunch we headed to nearby freshwater ponds – originally established to irrigate local small-scale veg production, they have flourished into natural treasure troves! Today was no exception, with Glossy Ibis, Black-Winged Stilts, Ferruginous Ducks and Eurasian Hoopoe among the gems on show. We were thrilled also to get great looks at two Endangered White-headed Duck.
Day 4 Sunday 26 January
Woodland Tranquility and Coastal Drama
Rain this morning brought a certain magic to the tranquil wet woodlands of Acebrón. Newly-returned House Martins filled the air and the surreal bright pink of a Eurasian Bullfinch stood out against the subdued woodland palette. European Serins jangled and Short-toed Treecreepers and Common Firecrests squeaked through the trees, and we could hear a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nearby. Tiny Pixie Cup lichens tiptoed up the bark of the Cork Oaks. And we thought we spied a rare Iberian Crocodile lurking in a pool….
Heading on to our lunch spot at Acebuche Heath, our guests had time to peruse the excellent Visitor Centre and stock up on T shirts while Simon and Niki prepared picnic! In the end we had additional guests join us, as a gregarious flock of Iberian Magpies arrived to hoover up our leftovers! The photographers had a fantastic time snapping these cheeky yet elegant birds.
For the afternoon we headed to walk off some calories and blow off some cobwebs at the spectacular Cuesta de Maneli dune system. Among tall, well-established Mediterranean scrub we picked up Dartford and Sardinian Warblers. Earth Star fungus sprung from the damp sand. Barn Swallows were arriving in off the sea, and we picked up a surprise Common Kittiwake. Down on the vast empty beach, we felt like we had landed on an undiscovered shore as Atlantic waves smashed the desolate but beautiful coastline.
After some relax time at the hotel, we headed out for dinner at the delightful Restaurante La Plazita in town. Host Elisabeth helped us celebrate our last night in style by treating us to local and house specialities served tapas style, including pescado frito, fried aubergines with dark cane syrup, patatasalioli and with special home-made bravas sauce, and local favourite chickpea and spinach stew – delicious!
Day 5 Monday 27 January
Back to the Coto
Today after breakfast it was already time to exchange goodbye hugs with our earliest departers!
It was now the turn of the second group to head into the heart of the park with Doñana Nature, and chance of a second visit for some! And this time we got to go in a huge 4×4 bus! Today we focused on exploring the heaths of Coto del Rey. Here we enjoyed Iberian Grey Shrike, Thekla´s Larks, Corn Buntings and large flocks of Iberian Magpies. A flock of twelve Woodlarks and two Eurasian Hoopoes browsed the sandy soils. A Griffon Vulture soared overhead, with Common Ravens and a Red Kite, on the lookout for carrion. Common Cranes bugled softly from the grasslands. That same Little Owl persisted in glowering at us from its tree stump and we ended the trip as it had begun, with views of the exalted queen of the Spanish Imperial Eagles!
Farewell Team Doñana 2025, we loved sharing this snapshot of Doñana joyfully rejuvenated with you!
This tour was run in support of our Conservation Partners Proyecto Marambay, who specialize in restoration of traditional salt pans in the Bay of Cádiz to benefit coastal birds and cultural heritage.
The ethos behind Inglorious Bustards´ Nature tourism has always been to use travel to bring positive outcomes for biodiversity in the places we visit and beyond. We came to the ecotourism industry from a background in sustainable agriculture, travel and conservation, full of ideas about how the market can be used to drive conservation initiatives, and determined to put these into practice across the East Atlantic Flyway.
In 2020, Niki completed the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)´s training course in Sustainable Tourism delivery. This excellent learning programme gives a full understanding of GSTC´s Sustainability Criteria and how to apply them appropriately to a tourism business or organisation of any size or scope.
It teaches the importance of having a sustainability reporting and management system in place, to make sustainability achievements measurable, and to help move towards continuous improvement. To this end, we produced a document detailing our present situation according to GSTC Criteria and also our sustainability journey from the beginning and into the future.
It´s taken some time (happily since the world reopened we´ve been a bit busy doing ecotourism things, and only just found time to write them all down!), but we´re now ready to publish the second edition of our Sustainability Management Report and Plan, covering 2021 – 2023.
Since 2016 we have forged partnerships with environmentally-focused charities, non-governmental organisations and businesses across the East Atlantic Flyway, through which we are able to deliver meaningful conservation work on the ground. Highlights include contribution of over 1500 volunteer hours to raptor counts and seabird monitoring programmes in The Straits of Gibraltar through Fundación Migres, and funding an ongoing mangrove forest restoration project in The Gambia through The Gambia Bird Watchers Association – totalling 35ha by the end of the reporting period and growing every year since!
Since 2016 we have sought to use sustainably-produced, culturally-relevant food to provide an engaging bridge between peoples, cultures and Nature. Highlights include meals with local families in the Rif Mountains of Morocco´s Talassemtane National Park and in The Gambia where we can share food and learn about traditional life, and visits to artisanal salt pans in Cádiz, where our guests can learn about the skills and sustainable practices around traditional salt production as well as having a try themselves.
Since 2016, we have been reinforcing the positive socio-economic impacts of caring for biodiversity by ensuring that all our regular accommodation providers and restaurateurs across the East Atlantic Flyway are owned and run by local residents and employ local people. We work with our colleagues to eliminate single-use plastic from group meal times, improve on-site recycling facilities and reduce carbon footprint through offering more high-quality vegetarian and vegan meals prepared with local, seasonal food. We also employ and train local guides across our destinations.
Since 2016 we have reduced single-use plastic waste from our picnics to practically zero.
Since 2017 we have measured, reported and audited all energy used and resulting Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs) related to and resulting from our business, transport, food and hotel stays via World Land Trust carbon auditing service, and then carbon-balanced them in their entirety through the same organisation.
In 2018 we introduced the policy of having at least one meat-free day per trip, instantly reducing the carbon footprint of mealtimes by around 15%.
In 2019 we developed and launched our #FlywayPromise, our first sustainability pledge to our guests, colleagues and conservation partners that we would strive to meet the challenges of responsible ecotourism, and documenting how we would go about it.
In 2019, 2020 and 2021 we were awarded the accolade of Top Ethical Birding Ecotour by Terra Incognita.
In August 2020 we joined the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency movement, announcing our declaration of a Climate Emergency and pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) targets, and make calls to action for travellers, hoteliers, tour operators and more.
In 2021 we launched our not-for-profit arm, the Flyway Birding Association (FBA), an asociacion sin animos de lucre registered with the Junta de Andalucía. Through this organisation we identify conservation projects in our main areas of operation along the East Atlantic Flyway, and determine and record financial contributions.
Since 2022 we have led by example and brought suppliers with us on our sustainability journey. Progressive attitude changes have included a boat-trip provider who now carbon balances all CO2 emissions from excursions, the collaborative design and launch of a 100% vegetarian/vegan menu for a 7-night birding and sustainable food trip; a shift in attitude to offer a plant-based menu option to the whole group alongside the usual meat and fish options, instead of as an afterthought only available to strict vegetarians/vegans; offering iced tap water instead of bottled water at dinner as a matter of course; the removal of single-serving plastic condiment packets.
Since 2022 in The Gambia, where bottled/treated water is essential, we have supported our suppliers to source treated water in large returnable and refillable water containers, eliminating c.250 single-use plastic bottles per trip. In a country where recycling facilities are non-existent and plastic pollution is a huge problem, we consider this to be a major triumph. Our local suppliers benefit financially from this change because it is cheaper to buy water this way. As far as we know we are the first travel company to do this in The Gambia, and our suppliers can now advocate to other companies, potentially eliminating the journey to landfill – and often the ocean – of many thousands of single-use plastic bottles each year.
This of course brings challenges! As conservationists, we are only too aware of the environmental impact of the activities associated with tourism. We want to share the joy of watching wildlife all along the East Atlantic Flyway, but in doing so we inevitably encourage consumption of the planet´s resources.
We launched our #FlywayPromise in 2019, making a pledge to our guests, colleagues and conservation partners that we would strive to meet the challenges of responsible ecotourism. We call this concept #FlywayBirding, putting conservation action and education at the very heart of what we do, to ensure our operations benefit rather than exploit wildlife. On our trips, “eco-tourism” is a promise, not an oxymoron.
Truly sustainable, responsible ecotourism is essential in supporting local economies and preventing the destruction of habitats that not only host much of the world´s biodiversity but provide essential ecosystem service functions such as carbon sequestration. It thereby provides overall net benefit to biodiversity conservation and the wider environment.
The criteria and themes of sustainable tourism are wide-reaching, covering cultural, socio-economic and natural heritage. As a small tour operator, it is not within our scope to change the tourism industry alone. But we can have a positive impact on our little corner of it – traveling to both experience and help nature – as well as holding up a light for others, illuminating the art of the possible.
The theme about which we are most passionate and where we are able to exert the most influence through our small conservation-based travel company is the interconnectedness of habitat and species conservation, food choice and carbon footprint. We believe a nature-watching tour can and should deliver exemplary responsible wildlife-watching and insight into local and global conservation issues. It should link local sustainably-produced food with local natural, cultural, and culinary heritage. We believe that all these things go indivisibly hand-in-hand. This is the central theme of our Sustainability Management Report and Plan, and the area in which we particularly aim to excel.
The report follows the sustainability criteria set out for tour operators by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. They are designed to cover everything up to large tour operators with many staff and their own properties, so not all are applicable. Using guidance and training from GSTC we have used this document to demonstrate what we are doing to fulfil applicable sustainability criteria across the board, and where our journey will take us next.
Whilst the spring migration is driven primarily by lust, the late autumn migration and post-breeding dispersal of the new avian hordes are driven by hunger and the search for sheltered climes – effectively trumping reproduction on Maslow´s Hierarchy of Needs!
Our Ronda and The Straits trip sits right on the cusp of two seasons, giving an uplifting opportunity to enjoy Andalucía as it journeys from late autumn into early winter. A less explored time of year, it is still right in amongst the avian movements of the area – which are both fascinating and spectacular.
It´s a time of great transience, as many breeders from higher altitudes and latitudes head downwards and southwards to find winter retreats. Mountain birds take refuge on lower slopes. We encounter the first groups of the 10,000 or so Common Cranes that will overwinter in Andalucia, arriving overhead in bedraggled V´s and announcing their own presence with soft bugling calls.
Those that have bred here prepare for more lengthy migrations out of Europe altogether. For many, it will be their first time to make the treacherous survival journey to Africa, and for some it will be the only time. I´m referring to Griffon Vultures, of which Spain holds c.77% of the world´s breeding population, and for whose first-year birds the voyage to sub-Saharan Africa is an instinctive leap of faith, with no grown-ups to follow, to spend their formative years “finding themselves” in countries like The Gambia and Senegal.
This event is spectacular, and involves the movement of tens of thousands of one of Europe´s largest birds with a wingspan of up to 2.8m. Individuals who just a few weeks ago could not yet even fly build up in swirling groups around Tarifa and literally soar out across the sea – truly breath-taking!
We designed the tour to coincide with the peak of this dispersal, as well as taking in the last dash of the rest of the raptors migrating The Straits. Often this can give some of the best views of Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Egyptian Vultures, Black Kites and more, and can also be the time for unusual sightings and rarities.
Two bases one mission!
As well as two seasons, we combine two bases of mountain and coast bringing so much opportunity for varied birding, not to mention two of our favourite friendliest accommodation bases with some of the best seasonal sustainable local food you could imagine!
2024 was no exception. Our merry band of bird appreciators gathered at Málaga airport and we wasted no time in whisking them away to the nearest National Park! We had climbed 1000m and were enjoying a picnic amongst the spectacular limestone scenery of Parque Nacional Sierra de la Nieves within an hour.
This very first stop brought us a superb selection of mountain and high woodland birds!
In the stunted evergreen glades of Holm Oak, Crested Tit and Firecrest flitted while Eurasian Jay alarmed. A dapper endemic Iberian Grey Shrike perched up on the Hawthorns and Spanish Fir while Woodlark, Black Redstart, Rock and Cirl Bunting foraged around the boulder-strewn pastures and Dartford Warblers rasped from the scrub.
Overhead, Eurasian Crag Martin and our first Red-billed Chough calling, and stunning views of a Golden Eagle soaring amongst Griffon Vultures.
By the time we had reached Hotel Bandolero in the village of Júzcar, birding the precipitous mountain roads as we went, we had also added great sightings of Black Wheatear and tantalizing glimpses of Rock Petronia.
More and better views of this high-altitude assemblage of tough old birds were to follow, as we explored the surrounding beauteous landscape over the next couple of days, taking in the eerie moonscape and disconcerting rock pinnacles of nearby Los Riscos, the contrasting roaring grey rivers and tranquil azure pools of Cueva del Gato and the plunging crags and soaring Griffon Vulture colony of Montejaque Dam.
During our mountain adventures we also encountered Ring Ouzels, Hawfinch, lofty Iberian Ibex, the dusted blueberry shades of Blue Rock Thrush, dapper Black Wheatears and chough-ing great groups of everyone´s favourite exuberant red-billed corvid!
Our host David made sure we were cosy and welcome at Hotel Bandolero as we explored the quirky murals and winding streets of the blue-washed village of Júzcar. If our eyes were watering from exceptional birding then our mouths were certainly watering every evening as chef Iván treated us to some of his modern Spanish classics made from local ingredients, such as chestnut and mushroom potaje, (Simon´s favourite!) a truly wondrous fennel risotto, (Niki´s favourite!) and a stunning chocolate volcano dessert (everyone´s favourite!)
At the Montejaque Griffon Vulture colony we had already seen the restlessness in the ebony eyes of this year’s itinerant teenage Griffon Vultures, many of which were already well into their journey, having stopped off at the settlement from further north in Spain or France.
From mountains to coast – The Straits
Now it was time to follow them to The Straits and wish them on their way and we descended our second base, Huerta Grande Rural Eco-lodge outside the village of El Pelayo, on the coat-tails of Parque Natural Los Alcornocales.
Here the main Griffon Vulture colony is high up in the limestone and sandstone of the Sierra de la Plata. Normally hosting around a hundred resident pairs of Griffons Vultures, as well as Egyptian Vultures and Bonelli´s Eagle, we were thrilled during our visit to get a sighting of a stunning male Rüppell´s Vulture. Smaller, darker and glamorously spangled, this Critically Endangered African species is increasingly noted in the area as their numbers dwindle on that southern continent and they head north, attaching themselves to migrating Griffons to ease their solitude.
The numbers at the colony were visible augmented by tired-looking adolescents from elsewhere, provoking squabbling and irritation from the resident veteran birds. These juveniles’ antics would not be tolerated long – there´s only so much carrion to go around in this fiercely-defended territory.
So we picked our perfect weather and wind conditions to take up posts at the coast and cheer the youthful pioneers on their way to come of age in Africa.
In two thrilling migration watching sessions at two different watchpoints along the Tarifa coastline, we saw walnut-coloured whirls of intrepid young Griffon Vultures accumulating on shared thermal air currents, and witnessed the caramel mantles and cocoa primaries of over 400 voyagers disappear away from us, over 14km of sea and off into their unknown, to return with luck and a fair wind as adults in two or three years’ time – strong, fit, and ready to challenge for a spot in a colony.
Riding the same thermals was a delicious mixture of the season´s last Short-toed Eagles, Booted Eagles, White Storks, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, as well as Northern Goshawk and a wandering Spanish Imperial Eagle.
And still there were more habitats to explore in this wondrous part of Spain. Outside of mid-autumn migration in the first half of September, the area is often overlooked by birders, much to their loss.
Wetlands and Shorebirds
Wetlands both salty and sweet are teeming with birds on the move in late autumn. At the flooded freshwater fields of La Janda, Common Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Common Greenshank and others had gathered on passage as well as arriving Northern Lapwing. Finding crunchy crayfish aplenty in the rich arable mud, hundreds of White Storks had decided to stay rather than chance the journey to Africa. The first of the inbound Common Cranes graced us with their elegance, while Eurasian Spoonbills, Great Egrets and Glossy Ibis also vied for attention.
Our floaty breeding Montagu´s Harriers had by now been replaced by stomping wintering Hen Harriers, and we counted over forty hunting Marsh Harriers on our beat.
Huge flocks of hundreds of Spanish Sparrow fed in the ripening grain and most, but not all of the Western and Iberian Yellow Wagtails had moved on, to be replaced by flocks of their White winter counterparts. The first of the Bluethroats lit up the ditches with its shrill song and the resident Corn Buntings jangled persistently over it all.
At the local marismas of Barbate, had we not been scuppered by the same torrential rain event that caused the tragic events in Valencia, we would no doubt have encountered a multitude of waders streaming south, with Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers shining amongst the hordes of Sanderling, Dunlin, Common Ringed and Kentish Plover. And out to sea, both Balearic and Scopoli´s Shearwaters are streaming out to Atlantic wintering grounds, while Cory´s pour in and busy groups of Razorbills and Atlantic Puffins sneak a snack break in the sheltered Straits.
Urban Birding Straits Style
The excitement of the passerine post-breeding dispersal is also not to be underestimate! We made a beeline for the Parque Princess Sofia, an unassuming urban park with a secret – at night this dark square of miniature wilderness in the heart of the La Linea-Gibraltar-Algeciras conflagration must look like a haven of peace among the city lights to the passerines above.
Our visit yielded a host of recuperating migrants including Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Whitethroat, and almost a hundred Eurasian Blackcaps and Common Chiffchaffs. In some years this humble blob of green – now with areas managed for tired migrants – has attracted Little Bunting, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Olive-backed Pipit, Yellow-browed Warbler and more!
Not to be outdone on the passerine stakes, our home-from-home at Huerta Grande allowed views of our resident woodland beauties. Morning-people could enjoy Hawfinch, Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper, Crested Tit, Spotted Flycatcher while enjoying an excellent breakfast coffee. And Night-people, after indulging in excellent three-course traditional Andalucian fair from chef Toñi, could enjoy the hooting of a Tawny Owl while Fiery Salamanders and Horned Toads crept rustling through the Halloween leaves like zomb-phibians…
Offshore our private boat trip yielded close up spectacles with Long-finned Pilot Whales, Common, Atlantic Striped and Bottle-nosed Dolphins along with encounters with two Sperm Whales!
This trip was fully carbon-balanced through the wonderful World Land Trust, who use proceeds to protect threatened forest habitats around the world. It was carried out in support of the work of conservation partners Fundacíon Migres.
Find out more about this amazing ornithological wonder-world of mountains and coast here – your place is available for 2025 (and 2026!).
We met up with our migration enthusiasts who had travelled here from Northern Europe, plus three transatlantic vagrants from North America! All with the one common purpose – to witness the first leg of the biannual migration spectacle afforded by the unique conditions where the landmasses of Africa and Europe almost touch – The Straits of Gibraltar.
With our migration comrades assembled, we headed to our base for the week Huerta Grande, an eco-resort in a beautiful woodland setting sandwiched between the two major reserves of the area, the Alcornocales and Estrecho Natural Parks.
In the subsequent days our group explored the major habitats of this wonderful area including venturing out into the sea on a mini-pelagic in search of seabirds and cetaceans, the magical cork oak forest, marismas and salinas teeming with birdlife and home to the one of the largest Collared Pratincole colonies in Europe, all the way up to the mountainous refuge of a Griffon Vulture colony. All within easy reach in this ever-changing and always exciting southernmost tip of continental Europe.
Wednesday 9 April
After settling in to our accommodation followed by a picnic lunch featuring local, sustainable produce, it was time for a short orientation tour of our immediate surroundings.
This afternoon stroll yielded no less than 33 species including Griffon Vulture, Short-toed and Booted Eagle, our first Black Kite, European Bee-eaters, Crested Tit, Melodious Warbler, four recently arrived Western Bonelli’s Warblers – both singing and showing well enough to note all of the salient ID features for those new to this dainty leaf warbler – four Iberian Chiffchaff singing their distinctive song, a Sardinian Warbler, Common Firecrest and Short-toed Treecreeper vying for the ‘highest pitched song’ prize, at least half a dozen Common Nightingale justifying the name and belting out their motifs amongst the wall of noise chorus we were happy to be bombarded with!
A transient Pied Flycatcher, five Hawfinch, and two European Serin completed the highlights of this incredible hour of familiar birds admixed with the flavour of extreme Southern Europe.
The weather in The Straits is very much a preoccupation due to the unique conditions where forecasts can be extremely sketchy to say the least. One of the great skills required by a wildlife guide in this area is a combination of meteorological knowledge, experience, alchemy, and divining the short-term future!
Very high rainfall and Atlantic storms had been battering the area and this day was set for wind and rain. Simon, with over 20 years of experience of guiding in the area knew exactly where to head in order to keep everyone dry for the day. No, the answer was not staying indoors! North and East towards Jerez de la Frontera and the Laguna de Medina.
Our first stop at La Peña added some wonderful passerines to the trip list with Thekla’s Larks, a very confiding Tawny Pipit, and the gorgeous beige and bandit-masked Western Black-eared Wheatear plus the ever-popular sight and sound of Bee-eaters hurrying past on migration plus two nominate flava Yellow Wagtails also with somewhere to be.
Angry-looking skies hastened our own push northwards and our next site Vega del Puente. From our elevated position overlooking the vast reservoir and with commanding views of the surrounding area we added Eurasian Crag Martin, European Red-rumped Swallow and Osprey to our burgeoning eBird list.
Lunchtime was spent out of the wind in a secluded woodland area still within the Alcornocales Natural Park where 70 European Bee-eaters restlessly sallied over our heads in a cacophony of their distinctive warbling calls. Western Bonelli’s Warbler and Common Nightingales provided some beautiful accompaniment.
Laguna de Medina is a place with a positive story to tell. Once referred to as the lake of blood due to carnage levels of hunting, the area is now a nature reserve for everyone to enjoy rather than a miserable place used only for the perverse enjoyment of a depraved minority.
Here can be found a much-coveted and iconic species, White-headed Duck. This frankly odd-looking waterbird undoubtedly cuts a unique niche in terms of European ducks. Almost cartoonish with a squat body, big head, and swollen-based blue bill, their displays are equally as bizarre with much bill-slapping and bubble-making!
Another showy duck – Red-crested Pochard – was appreciated as were two Black-necked Grebes in breeding finery with the golden sprig of head feathers setting off the demonic red eyes.
Common Nightingales and European Serin serenaded our departure as we left for base after another fantastic day.
Friday 11 April
A highlight of any trip to the region must be a visit to the Griffon Vulture colony at La Zarga near Bolonia. While watching these magnificent masters of the sky effortlessly soaring together, it is easy to imagine their ancestors witnessing millennia of human history unfold below their lofty perches. From Neanderthal people painting the vultures´ likeness in their caves to the booming trade hub of the Roman city of Baelo Claudia, vultures have bossed the airspace of The Straits.
Awe-inspiring as our view from the bottom of the sheer rock face was, we were still to be treated to an even more remarkable spectacle as eagle- (or should that be vulture-) eyed Simon found an incredibly rare visitor in the shape of a Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture! This endangered species normally resides in sub–Saharan Africa but a few have been noted in Spain in recent years caught up in the flow of Griffons returning after spending their formative years in Africa.
Rüppell’s Griffon is about 10% smaller than its close relative and the Spanish name provides a good description – Buitre Moteado, mottled vulture. The group really appreciated this bonus sighting and were soon able to pick it out as it soared among its bigger relatives. Another indelible experience logged.
La Zarga is home to a very good variety of birds and in addition to the Rüppell’s excitement we were able to enjoy two Egyptian Vultures, two Common Ravens, a Mediterranean Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Crag Martin, Western Black-eared Wheatear, and Cirl Bunting as a worthy supporting cast!
Owls are always a treat to see and a short opportune stop allowed for some delightful time with two scowling Little Owls as they scoped out beetles from a roadside fence.
With winds easing slightly, the call was made to head south to La Peña as we would be better placed for any incoming migrants. This was indeed the case as the wind guru himself Simon had predicted correctly. Western Osprey, Booted Eagle, European Bee-eater, Woodchat Shrike, nominate flava Yellow Wagtail all moving through.
A post-picnic stroll afforded magnificent views of the various Woodchat Shrikes present and superb intimate interrogation of the finer points of Thekla’s Lark ID.
Stopping briefly at Punta Camorro in the now freshening levante wind we were able to watch Scopoli’s and Balearic Shearwaters perfectly adapted for these conditions doing mini albatross things, expertly scooting along on stiff wings. We marveled as a Marsh Harrier struggled to make landfall in seemingly improbable winds for soaring birds to make the crossing!
After this brief baptism in the teeth of the levante we reached the sanctuary of calm that is Huerta Grande where we ended the day to the songs of Short-toed Treecreeper, abundant Eurasian Blackcaps and Common Nightingales.
Saturday 12 April
We had already alluded to the unique and difficult to read conditions in The Straits. This day the forecast was ambiguous to say the least, with Atlantic storms coming from the south and the levante blowing from the Mediterranean. Where to go?
The best-looking option was to head West and to Barbate and so we did. Once a booming tuna fishing port, the past unsustainable nature of the fishery is plain to see in the town today. Efforts are being made to encourage both tourists and locals alike to enjoy the natural attributes of the area, the big draw for us being the salinas and marismas which provide a haven for a wide variety of species.
Among the first birds we encountered were Black-winged Stilts, aptly named with their impossibly long and delicate looking legs. Soon, the scurrying of busily feeding Kentish Plovers caught our eyes and a quick scan of exposed mud revealed a shorebird bonanza comprised of Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Sanderling, Dunlin, four diminutive Little Stint, and breathtakingly, over 200 Collared Pratincoles – that achingly beautiful in the air or on the ground shorebird/tern/swallow bird! Three Eurasian Stone-curlew completed the impressive shorebird list.
Yellow-legged Gulls dominate here but a close fly by Audouin’s Gull was a bonus and hopefully proved to act as a gateway species for any gull sceptics still on the fence when it comes to appreciating this fascinating family.
The tern extremes were demonstrated too, with four Little Tern and a single Caspian Tern hunting above feeding Greater Flamingos and a lone Eurasian Spoonbill. An awesome flock of 100 Glossy Ibis passed overhead enhancing the already marvellous spectacle.
Songbirds were high on the agenda here too with Greater Short-toed Lark, Western Yellow Wagtail of the local race iberiae, a migrating Tree Pipit calling, and Corn Bunting jangling constantly.
Winds! A window of opportunity opened and the bold call was made to head back towards Tarifa to exploit the improving conditions for large soaring birds to cross The Straits!
It cannot be overstated how much local knowledge and experience play in being able to position ourselves under the flow of migrating birds. It is very easy to see nothing of the epic spectacle if stationed even a kilometre either side of the optimum viewpoint.
Every ounce of faith in Simon is justified as we dash to Trafico just east of Tarifa. In a magical 3 hours we are treated to 13 Black Stork, 180 White Stork, 4 Western Osprey, 23 Egyptian Vulture, numerous Griffon Vulture, 17 Short-toed Eagle, 113 Booted Eagle, 1 stunning Bonelli’s Eagle, 4 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 876 Black Kite, and 1 Atlas Long-legged (North African) Buzzard! Migration – FlywayBirding style.
As if this wasn’t enough, a diverting mix of 10 European Bee-eater, 2 Lesser Kestrel, Thekla’s Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Zitting Cisticola, Sand Martin, Sardinian Warbler, Common Nightingale, Corn and Cirl Bunting kept us thoroughly entertained during any quieter spells during the impressive stream of raptors and storks.
Sunday 13 April
Today we left dry land to explore the stretch of water separating Europe and Africa accommodating the group in two consecutive private trips in the capable hands of skipper Aurelio and marine biologist Ezekiel. We explored the Bahia de Algeciras and sailed into The Straits past Europa Point looking for cetaceans and seabirds.
Firstly, Common Dolphins delighted, bow-riding and breeching all around us when suddenly Ezekiel spotted something bigger. A Bottle-nosed Dolphin which had attached itself to the Common pod and been adopted as one of their own! This easily recognisable individual has been living with its Common family for 14 years!
Dolphins accompanied us for the majority of the trip but birdwatching wasn’t neglected. 2 Pallid Swift, Yellow-legged Gulls, 14 Sandwich Tern, 1 Scopoli’s Shearwater, 30 Great Cormorant, 1 very tired looking Booted Eagle, and Barn Swallows were noted.
The second sailing did just as well in the dolphin stakes with the Bottle-nosed again seen well. The bird list was augmented by a Common Sandpiper and 2 Common Terns with the migrating raptor seen being a Black Kite.
What a day we had on land too with the flow of migratory soaring Birds with our guests experiencing some real in-the-face #FlywayBirding
In just a few hours of observation we logged 1,481 Black Kites, 324 Booted Eagles, 126 Short-toed Eagleswith Egyptian Vultures, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Marsh and Montagu´s Harriers and Ospreys all joining the migratory party.
All the while noisy parties of European Bee-eaters, Pallid and Common Swift buzzed overhead and below are some of the amazing migratory scenes we found ourselves amongst.
The last day of the tour began with the familiar song of a Common Cuckoo at Huerta Grande before we headed to our first stop off of the day at Embalse del Celemín where the small occasional lake and adjacent picnic area boosted our day list with Common Sandpiper, Great Crested Grebe, Eurasian Spoonbill, Booted Eagle, Woodchat Shrike, Zitting Cisticola, European Red-rumped Swallow, Common Nightingale, and Corn Bunting.
This was but a prelude to our visit to the most species-rich area we would explore, Río Celemín, part of the once vast wetland of La Janda.
From the quiet swishing whip of Common Quail to the purring of a Turtle Dove, this area never disappoints! Common Moorhen chipped along the reed edge as three of their bulky, prodigiously-toed relative Western Swamphen high-stepped deliberately through the aquatic vegetation. A nearby field, full of puddles attracted 20 Common and 50 Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, and four Dunlin. White Storks stalked the field and a flock of 8 Eurasian Spoonbills flew by in formation. Herons were present in the shape of a Little Egret, a non-confiding Squacco Heron, numerous Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, and 3 Grey Heron. Raptors were represented by 14 Griffon Vulture, singles of Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, and Marsh Harrier, 7 Black Kites and 2 Common Buzzards. Three Lesser Kestrels completed the raptor list.
An ever-popular Eurasian Hoopoe put in an appearance followed by the captivating sight and sound of 70 European Bee-eaters alternately hawking for insects and sitting for beautiful scope views showing off their rainbow-coloured glory. An Iberian Green Woodpecker was heard calling and a further 3 Woodchat Shrike neatly brings us into the passerines with the highlights being the aforementioned shrikes, 2 Common Raven, 3 Crested Lark, 2 Zitting Cisticola, 1 Melodious Warbler, 1 Common Reed Warbler, 3 European Red-rumped Swallow, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 4 Sardinian Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Common Waxbill, 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrow, 2 Western Yellow Wagtail of the nominate form flava, 2 European Serin, and 2 Corn Bunting in a total of 55 species! Testament to the ornithological richness of this area.
The birding never stops! Even our lunch stop at Los Tornos was accompanied by Short-toed Eagle, Short-toed Treecreeper, Common Nightingale, and Corn Bunting before heading to the Canal Principal Este at La Janda where another Common Quail, Red-legged Partridge, Greater Short-toed and Calandra Larks, iberiae Western Yellow Wagtail, and Common Linnet further boosted our species count.
A fantastic day to be rounded off in a wonderful visit to the colony of Northern Bald Ibis at Barca de Vejer. An astounding experience to see one of the rarest birds in the world at such an improbable and accessible site is just as jaw-dropping on subsequent visits as the first and a fitting finale to our wonderful week together sharing the avian wonders of The Straits.
As our group dispersed on their onward migrations it is fitting to express enormous gratitude to our wonderful hosts at Huerta Grande who add so much to the overall experience. To Katrin and her team, Juan-lu, Toñi, Elena, and Antonio we say muchisimasgracias.
Lastly, thank you so much to our intrepid band of migration enthusiasts for making this such a joyful week of migration watching. ¡Muchisimas gracias y hasta pronto!
This trip was full carbon-balanced through the wonderful World Land Trust, who use proceeds to protect threatened forest habitats around the world. It was carried out in support of the work of conservation partners Fundacíon Migres.
For vast numbers of migrating birds done with the arduous business of raising young in Northern Europe, the southward exodus was well underway. For raptors, prodigious travellers and seeming effortless masters of the sky, obstacles such as mountain ranges serve merely as speed bumps. However, large stretches of open water are like kryptonite.
Soaring birds track the coast until reaching the relative pinch point that is The Straits of Gibraltar. This tantalisingly narrow gap between Europe and Africa is blasted by alternating Easterly and Westerly winds making this crossing flight one of the most perilous of barriers in a journey lasting weeks.
The Rif mountains with the looming mass of Jbel Mousa, counterweight to the Rock of Gibraltar (collectively the Pillars of Hercules from antiquity), the meeting of continents, serve as the backdrop to the drama which has unfolded biannually for millennia and where we gather to immerse ourselves in the miracle of migration – this is #FlywayBirding!
In the seeming blink of an eye, our senses were assaulted by skies filled with European Honey Buzzards, the busy and insistent warbling of waves of European Bee-eaters relentlessly pouring southwards, poniente and levante winds in our hair and the tang of the littoral in our nostrils at Rio Barbate. Intimate views of Spanish Imperial Eagle, an incredibly rare visitor from Africa in the form of Rüppell’s Vulture, multiple sightings of the ravening Bonelli’s Eagle, and the joyous cetaceans of The Straits were just a taster of the many wonderful encounters during our week in the inimitable Straits.
Migration never really stops in The Straits so we were straight into the action after a familiarising ourselves with our ever wonderful base at Huerta Grande – situated between the Estrecho and Los Alcornocales Natural Parks . Lunch, as would be the case for the duration of the trip, was an al fresco affair consisting of fresh, locally sourced extensively-produced and mostly organic produce.
Refreshed and fortified, no time was wasted in positioning ourselves into the flow of migrating wonders at the nearby observatory with sweeping views of Gibraltar and the Bahía de Algeciras.
Raptors, of course, featured – migratory flows of European Honey Buzzards, Short-toed Eagles, Booted Eagles , and Black Kites passing over joined by an Osprey, 3 Egyptian Vultures, 30 Griffon Vultures. A lone Black Stork, European Bee-eaters, and 3 species of swift (Alpine, Common, and Pallid) all contributed to the exciting atmosphere in an exhilarating first hour or so of birding!
A roadside lay-by found us gazing upon a stunning immature Rüppell’s Vulture. This African species has recently become a bit of a speciality in The Straits in recent years as small but increasing numbers are observed crossing The Straits and mingling in local Griffon Vulture colonies.
Start the day as you mean to go on. Migration waits for nobody and we had already logged a nice list of birds from the car park before heading out for the day including 68 Black Kite and 150 Sand Martin heading south plus 30 Griffon Vulture rising on the warming air.
Reading the unpredictable winds in The Straits can seem like some sort of dark magic but thanks to the countless hours spent observing the avian conveyor belt that is migration here, experience positions us in the optimum locations to make the best of the conditions.
We take the winding road up to where the rusting artillery battery betrays the recent military past. From this higher central vantage point, in the right conditions, one can seem to be in the flow of birds. We were to experience this magic when a dashing flock of around 80 wonderful Alpine Swifts, the perfect mix of grace, speed, and power seemed to engulf us for a few unforgettable seconds! The odd European Honey Buzzard and Short-toed Eagle allowed for detailed observation as they drifted close overhead making good use of impromptu raptor ageing and ID mini-clinics held on the fly. 40 Black Kites added to the raptor flight attitude familiarisation before, as is the way in this unique area, the wind subtly shifted and we repositioned ourselves to another nearby vantage point where the raptor quotient was to rise. Definitely an Alpine Swift morning too with a further 34 logged along with large numbers of Common and Pallid. Over 300 White Storks shimmered in the distance like an airborne bait ball as they whirled and twisted to best exploit the invisible thermals and escape the attentions of a Bonelli´s Eagle – one of the White Storks was not so fortunate and was taken down by this awesome flyway killer!
11 Egyptian Vultures passed by our grateful gazes as did three figure numbers of European Honey Buzzards, multiple Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Black Kites and, most spectacularly of all, no less than 4 of the bane of the smaller eagles – the much coveted Bonelli’s Eagle. We were incredibly privileged to see these magnificent raptors chase and be chased by Booted Eagles who often fall prey to the larger and more powerful Bonelli’s.
Even with the unfolding drama above us, brief quieter moments added many nice passerine birds to the daily list with Zitting Cisticola, Melodious, Western Bonelli’s and Sardinian Warbler, Western Yellow Wagtail and Cirl Bunting all gratefully observed.
A leisurely lunch stop in the Valle de Santuario de la Luz added two contrastingly beautiful birds for the day in the form of the subtly gorgeous and confiding Thekla’s Lark and the more showy species sharing this habitat, Western Black-eared Wheatear – a dainty study in ochre, black, and white, and just as engaging.
The culmination of a varied days birding and unforgettable encounters are yet to come as we ascend into the realm of the vulture. The Griffon colony is, without hyperbole, a fantastic place. Imposing, sheer rock faces painted with the telltale splashes of white belying the nests and favourite roosting places of the Griffons. Turn 180 degrees and the vista opens up to reveal the Griffon’s view – woodland and rocky escarpments falling to the sweep of golden sand to the mountains of Morocco.
On the short walk to the viewpoint we come face to face with a young Egyptian Vulture feeding of carrion. We keep our distance until the bird takes to the air and treats us to an eye level flypast! Still buzzing, eyes turn skywards to the Griffons.
Watching these huge raptors with massive wingspans boss the airspace effortlessly at close quarters is undoubtedly a high point of any trip to The Straits.
3rd September
The day begins with some car park migration watching before setting out from Huerta Grande. 200 Alpine Swift, 294 European Honey Buzzard, 2 Short-toed Eagle, 21 Booted Eagle, 1 Montagu’s Harrier and 104 Black Kite logged before even setting off.
Parque natural de Los Alcornocales is an area of predominantly cork oak forest covering almost 1,700 square kilometres. We visited the area where the oaks were moving with resident breeding species admixed with migrating species. Common Redstarts were admired in the morning sunshine as were the sallying antics of no less than 9 Spotted Flycatchers. The mix of species is wondrous as Crested Tits and Common Firecrests and the loud, high-pitched calls of Short-toed Treecreepers and the rattling trill of Cirl Bunting vie for attention.
The skies are rarely quiet for long here – European Honey Buzzards, Black Kites, Short-toed and Booted Eagles continued tracking the coast with 2 migrating Eurasian Sparrowhawks along with the near ubiquitous, heard long before seen, European Bee-eaters. and ripples of delight accompanied 2 Eurasian Hoopoes, a firm favourite with the group.
Heading northwest and different habitats and avifauna in the afternoon at Barbate, a once booming tuna fishing port. Making the most of the tidal conditions stopping first at the Rio Barbate where quiet and patient observation can mean being almost surrounded by busily feeding shorebirds. 20 of the impossibly-legged Black-winged Stilt picked delicately at the exposed mud with 17 Grey Plover, 50 Common Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel, 5 Eurasian Curlew, 2 Common Sandpiper, 135 Common Redshank, 5 Common Greenshank, 1 Ruddy Turnstone, 4 Red Knot, 4 Curlew Sandpiper, 50 Sanderling, and 120 Dunlin completing an impressive shorebird haul. Gull fans couldn’t help but be satisfied with 2 Slender-billed Gulls (subtle, attenuated relatives of the familiar Black-headed Gull), 4 Mediterranean and Lesser Black-backed Gulls among the default large gull of the area, Yellow-legged. 6 Glossy Ibis, Osprey and Western Marsh Harrier were amongst other sightings of note.
Post lunch and to the marismas, this is an ornithological gem. Over 40 species logged including 11 Eurasian Thick-knees, 30 Pied Avocet, 15 Kentish Plover, 32 Black-tailed Godwit, and 7 tiny Little Stint increased the shorebird list beautifully. A further 2 Slender-billed Gulls, 4 Mediterranean, and 130 – the gorgeous, enigmatic Audouin’s Gull. A larger relative of the Mediterranean Gull, this was perhaps up there as one of the rarest Gull species in the world. Thankfully, due to conservation efforts, they are now increasing.
Patient scanning is further rewarded by the presence of the two extremes of the tern world. 9 dainty, diminutive Little Terns busily fishing over the lagoons while hulking sized Caspian Terns with carrot-coloured dagger bills loaf on nearby islands surrounded by Greater Flamingoes quietly going about their business feeding on the local brine shrimp.
Back among the migrating raptors, we alternated between two watchpoints where we were once again treated to the marvellous spectacle of mass migration in the most evocative of surroundings.
In a few short hours 2 Alpine Swift, 204 White Stork, 11 Egyptian Vulture, 23 Griffon and another of the rare Rüppell’s, 18 Short-toed Eagles, 51 Booted Eagles, a Bonelli’s Eagle, 3 Eurasian Sparrowhawks, 38 Black Kite, a Common Buzzard and 3 Lesser Kestrels. Thekla’s Lark, Tawny Pipit, and Sardinian Warblers and over 100 European Bee-eaters were also logged in this session.
Moving inland later in the day to visit the vast agricultural area of La Janda, a once mighty wetland which still provides feeding and refuge for an amazing variety of species.
A dusty drive along the elevated road provides an entirely different birding experience as wetland birds headline here. The ringing whistle of Green Sandpipers betray their presence in the ditches and a small flock of Glossy Ibis grab our attention followed by a rangy Purple Heron languidly flapping by. Eurasian Spoonbills, Cattle Egrets, and Grey Herons all make an appearance and then raptors feature again.
Three species of harrier offer an unparalleled opportunity to study the in-flight ID features when the airspace is shared by the methodical, low level quartering of Western Marsh, Hen, and Montagu’s. These buoyant, restless hunters always create an atmosphere of excitement with prolonged viewing.
Good numbers of Spanish Sparrows chirped from the roadside bushes and 9 red-bandit-masked Common Waxbill were an unexpected treat for members of the group unfamiliar with this introduced African species. Corn Buntings and Cetti’s Warbler joined in the backing track.
The only bird to rival the vivid colours of the waxbills and flock of 50 European Bee-eaters passing through was the brief fly by European Roller.
Two glorious Red-rumped Swallows spent a glorious few minutes darting over the group giving stunning views of the diagnostic features including the ‘dipped in ink’ all black tail.
5th September
This day began as all days in The Straits should, staring upwards. The Huerta Grande car park observatory yielded 34 European Honey Buzzard, 70 Black Kite, 40 European Bee-eaters and nice views of resident Hawfinch before heading to Tarifa to venture out into The Straits.
Due to the size of the group, there were two private mini pelagic trips with local, very experienced and ethical cetacean experts, while the non-sailing were stationed at a nearby watchpoint. Over the course of just a couple of hours observation the figures speak for themselves when considering the range of species and the numbers which can rack up. 271 White Stork, 2 Black Stork, 6 Egyptian Vulture, 205 European Honey Buzzard, 46 Short-toed Eagle, 93 Booted Eagle, 1 Bonelli’s Eagle, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Montagu’s Harrier, 252 Black Kite, 272 Bee-eater and this on a quiet day during a benign period of weather!
The first of the sailings delighted with a sighting of Fin whale, the second largest animal on the planet and 2 species of dolphin, Common and Striped. Cetaceans are natures happiness therapy. Joy ensues from any and all observations of sea mammals and intimate encounters with whales and dolphins create indelible memories.
Birds of note were 30 Black Terns and the stiff-winged mini-albatrosses Scopoli’s Shearwater – the Mediterranean breeding congener of Cory’s. Until recently considered to be the same species they do occur together in The Straits and are separable with experience.
Our final full day of #StraitsBirding was to prove exceptional. Excellent conditions dictated a return to raptor watching in time for us to marvel at birds, whose progress had been slowed by rain showers, resuming their journeys in numbers. 1,040 European Honey Buzzards, 112 Booted Eagle, 671 Black Kite, and 339 European Bee-eater kept the tally counters busily clicking during our watch. Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, 2 Bonelli’s Eagle, 2 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 2 Western Marsh Harrier, and 2 Montagu’s Harrier augmented the already impressive raptor flow.
Welcome avian diversions during lunchtime birding at nearby El Bujeo came in the shape of Iberian Chiffchaff, Common Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, and Common Redstart while raptors still passed overhead.
La Janda always merits repeat visits and this afternoon was to pay dividends.
A notorious skulker, Western Olivaceous Warbler views can be characterised as more hoped for than expected. This afternoon we were treated to delicious views of a bird sitting in the open on top of a tree. Telescope views revealed this beautiful warbler in all its subtle glory.
In complete contrast, the arguable highlight of the day for many, was an altogether different experience. A large eagle sighting always creates a buzz but none more so than the magnificent Spanish Imperial Eagle, once critically endangered but now classified as vulnerable it is still in a fragile recovery.
We picked the Spanish Imperial up at some distance but it suddenly started to get nearer and nearer! We made sure the approaching eagle was kept in view and that everyone in the group was onto the bird. Amazingly, the eagle drifted even closer! We got stunning views of its frosted shoulders and golden head and then it proceeded to land on the ground right in front of us! Holy smokes!
The Spanish Imperial Eagle undoubtedly a fitting finale to our last full day of a wonderful week of flyway birding.
7th September
Our group dispersed on migrations of their own with European Honey Buzzards still making their way south as we say our goodbyes.
Thanks must go to everyone in the group for making it such an enjoyable immersive, fun #FlywayBirding adventure. We shared the magic and the awe of The Straits migration experience which is never the same from one day to the next.
Special mention to Katrin, Juan-lu, Elena, Antonio, Toñi and the team at Huerta Grande for looking after us so well and of course our lovely guests Jan and Derek, Tim and Tim, Andy and Chris, Lauren, Lee and Claire, Helen, Juni, Bob, Marianne and Vivien
Also special congratulations to Jan and Derek on the their golden wedding anniversary!
The Eagle-eyed team!The team – hard to know where to look – raptors overhead, Common Redstarts, Common Firecrests, Crested Tits and Spotted Flycatchers everywhere! locked-on! Lauren tunes into the migratory flow of thousands of European Honey Buzzards! Bob eagerly shares his love of Birding! Juni contemplating which raptor ID she will master next!
Having heard the news in early May that 3 White-backed Vultures with up to 20 Rüppell´s Vultures alongside young returning Griffon Vultures staging at the Jbel Moussa were possibly looking to cross The Straits into Europe, I was intent on finding a White-backed Vulture!
Since then I have logged over 60 hours watching at key positions and watchpoints along The Straits Spanish coastline, only stopped by periods of intense levante wind. I was rewarded this year alone with up to 10 different individuals of Rüppell´s Vultures but despite this rare African Vulture making the crossing, the White-backed was seemingly more reluctant.
It took until the 14th June for me to be on point! In the morning there had been a fairly intense burst of late spring migration with Black Kites, Booted and Short-toed Eagles crossing with the odd European Honey Buzzard and a few groups of Griffon Vultures.
Then it was quiet. The thought had crossed my mind to move somewhere else, but I´m a die-hard for staying in the same spot and the wind was right for there, although nothing much was flowing.
A Peregrine-type arrived on the scene, being harassed by Lesser Kestrels. However this was an odd-looking Peregrine, even taking into account the smaller and often orange-washed look of the brookeirace that occurs here. After some deliberations it seemed to fit more with a possible Barbary Falcon.
After conversations with quite a few people including Dick Forsman, Javi Elorriaga, Alejandro Onrubia, M Irvin, S Gillies and others it seemed to fit. Short wings, pattern of barred tail, that narrow-tapering moustachial and clearly a juvenile!
Juvenile ¨Peregrine¨Falcon possible intergrade with pelegrinoides
Of course we are here at the intergradation of Africa to Europe and as Dick Forsman points out, a possible intergrade cannot be ruled out;
¨Very difficult to say for sure, as they interbreed in your area with many intermediates. However, the head markings and the extensive pale scaling above makes me think Barbary, but IMO an intergrade of some sort can’t be eliminated¨ – Dick Forsman
It soon drifted off. I was upset it didn’t stick around for longer but as the Woodchat Shrikes began hunting right next to me I began scanning The Straits again… nothing… a few Scopoli´s Shearwaters offshore but no soaring birds taking on The Straits! So I watched the comings and goings of the now completely friendly Woodchat Shrikes between scans – after all I have spent a lot of time with them ! Likely because it´s just me and I’m quiet (apart from the odd mumble!) they were by now seemingly quite happy hunting for beetles in front of me!
By then it had hit that midday lull, but I continued scanning, driven on by my tendency to have intense FOMO! I see what I think is a Griffon Vulture clearly struggling with altitude, crossing without the aid of others to show it the way or seek out easier air currents. The wind as I calculated it should bring it into the watchpoint on the hill where I´m sat! I’m willing it to make it – just imagine if that is the White-backed I think to myself… As it gets closer, it looks smaller, streaky, but not like a Rüppell´s. I spend the next eternity talking myself out of it! I clearly want to see a WBV so maybe that is influencing my identification. Now the light is good! It banks just as it makes Europe. It is CLEARLY a WHITE-BACKED VULTURE!!!!
I am shaking I can´t get a photo because I don´t know what to do but it is clearly exhausted and crash lands on the bank right in front of me! I can´t believe it!
I literally hold my breath to take these pictures because if I don´t I’m going to be shaking too much …deep breath and yes!!
The increase in Eurasian Griffon Vulture numbers in Europe may be at least partly responsible for increased occurrences here of vagrant Rüppell’s Vultures and now perhaps White-backed Vultures will continue to do the same, as this leads to an increase in the number of young Griffons dispersing from and returning to Europe.
These largely sedentary critically endangered African Vulture species mix with young Griffons in The Sahel and get caught up in the return flow of these #Birds across The #Straits.
Only when it took to the air once again did I notice that it had a GPS and blue ring identifying it to be one of the individuals that Rachid El Khamlichi had ringed and tagged. I quickly contacted Rachid as it drifted off to the west. Rachid confirmed this as a 3rd year (GA03) and its route across The Straits equipped with a GPS by the #Vulture rehabilitation centre of Jbel Moussa, #Morocco
Thanks to the tagging data from CRV Jbel Moussa Centre de Réhabilitation des Vautours we could see that GA03 roosted on the very northern edge of the Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales and the western side of the Sierra de Grazalema, then left the roost and headed towards Jerez de la Frontera and then back towards the Sierra de Grazalema.
It will be very interesting to see if this bird is seen again in the field. The low detectability of this species is more so than for Rüppell´s as evidenced by the White-backed Vulture ringed and GPS-tagged in The Straits by Fundación Migres (funded by Inglorious Bustards and Viking Optical). This White-backed Vulture 799/Viking did a tour of Spain and visited some very-well watched areas, but was not detected in the field. Only when it crossed into Portugal was it detected, seemingly on its way back to The Straits. As it arrived in The Straits (and it was getting interesting!) the tag sadly failed and the fate of 799 is unclear.
A young Rüppell’s Vulture in central Portugal was taken into care for rehabilitation and subsequently released after being fitted with a GPS tracker. This Rüppell’s Vulture was named “Vouzela” and tagging was conducted in a collaboration by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF).
Vouzela represents only the third time in Europe and the first time in Portugal that a Rüppell’s Vulture has been fitted with a GPS tag. The question of whether these vagrant African Vultures return to sub-Saharan Africa was subsequently proven as Vouzela crossed The Straits of Gibraltar and on to Northern Senegal.
Did Vouzela originate from colonies in the Sahel or perhaps an unknown intra-specific breeding in Eurasian Griffon Vulture colonies in Iberia?
Map showing Rüppell’s Vulture “Vouzela’s” GPS movements since release in Portugal (credit Vulture Conservation Foundation)
Increased tagging and monitoring is essential to better understand the movements of declining African Vultures, particularly vagrant individuals, and to ensure we fully diagnose all the potential and multi-variate conservation issues critically endangered African Vultures face as their European congeners’ population continues to increase.
White-backed Vultures are usually sedentary in many areas, although in west Africa they move north between the July and September wet season to less densely vegetated areas, and then south again in the dry season.
White-backed Vultures just like Rüppell´s Vulture are critically endangered. Not considered of conservation concern until 2007, after which its threat status has been elevated, becoming Critically Endangered in 2015 following severe decline in several parts of range and likelihood of continuing decline. The commonest and most widespread Vulture in Africa is now suffering rapid declines.
One photographed near Tétouan, on the Tangier Peninsula by Rachid El Khamlichi, in late May 2014 is the first reported from Morocco but with at least 3 at the Jbel Moussa this year alone. In Spain there are just 6 records all from The Straits; 2008, 2009, 2011 and two including the tagged 799 in 2021 and now GA03 of 2024.
Our Spring Migration Tour 2024 was truly exceptional! Incredible #FlywayBirding experiences right here in The Straits! Stuart Gillies delves into the magical migration experiences and beyond…
The place where continents and cultures meet, and millions of birds (especially soaring raptors) converge, compelled by ancient imperatives to avoid crossing inhospitable and thermal-free wide stretches of open water.
Welcome to The Straits of Gibraltar, where Africa and Europe meet and almost touch, just 14 kilometres apart!
In a week of magical encounters and discoveries it is difficult to pick out highlights but, if forced to, in the flow of migrating soaring birds just overhead, noisy and wondrous Collared Pratincoles, splendrous Northern Bald Ibis, the sight of over 200 Griffon Vultures, with Rüppell´s and Egyptian Vultures joining the gathering to feed on a carcass and small birds resting among the cork oaks before continuing their northward migrations waiting to be discovered.
This or the complicated tangle that is Yellow Wagtail taxonomy manifest in a flock of assorted races consorting on migration before parting ways as they push northwards. Victory rolls from grateful Eagles as they cross The Straits and feel the relief of thermals under their wings again……This is #FlywayBirding!
Bienvenidos a Huerta Grande Thursday 18 April
Flyway Birders assemble! The group were soon acquainted and settled in to our incomparable home for the duration of the trip. Nestled in the national park, Huerta Grande is the ideal base from which to explore the wonders of the area. With resident delights such as Hawfinch and Common Firecrest plus the added excitement of migrants passing through, necks were certain to receive a good daily workout.
Migration waits for no one and the group were instantly initiated on a familiarity walk around the local environs with European Pied Flycatchers pausing in the cork oaks on their way north and the pulse-quickening sight of raptors including European Honey Buzzard, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, and Marsh Harrier overhead. Butterflies were very well represented with the highlights being Spanish Festoon, Monarch, African Monarch and Scarce Swallowtail. Another popular encounter was with the Spiny or Giant Toad, aptly named as this female was about 15 cms in length!
Serengeti de España or flava of the month? Friday 19 April
A theme which quickly becomes evident to anyone new to Straits birding is the preoccupation with the weather. Specifically, the wind. Migrating birds, especially those reliant on thermals, are not the fondest of crossing open water. The blessing of the narrow crossing in The Straits comes with a cost – the funnelling of winds alternating from East to West adding a formidable invisible obstacle to successful onward journeys.
High winds effectively close the departure gate as most large soaring birds are grounded and forced to wait for more favourable conditions. This is not to say that the flow stops entirely – the imperative to reach the breeding grounds is strong and some birds will still attempt the crossing in seemingly impossible conditions. Such is the unfolding drama we are privileged to witness.
On a day of very strong easterly winds we headed west to Bolonia – an area steeped in millennia of history. From towering sand dunes to the rugged dominion of Vultures this was to be a memorable day.
The relative serenity of watching beautiful ginger-capped Kentish Plovers on the beach was suddenly supplanted by the high drama of willing a Marsh Harrier to make it to land as we followed its battle with the wind, barely keeping out of reach of the waves as it powered towards the sanctuary of landfall. Its fate would prove inconclusive – the harsh realities of long distance migration.
We ascended to the realm of Vultures where humans have witnessed the ebb and flow of bird migrations for millennia. Vultures rule the skies above Cueva del Moro where neanderthal paintings of birds evince the ancient connection with the natural world. Jump forward a few tens of thousand of years and from our lofty vantage point the remains of the Roman city of Baelo Claudia, a major trading point at the meeting of continents, can be seen sprawling below.
Here we have our first close encounters with Griffon Vultures bossing the airspace with their 2 ½ metre wingspan. The Griffons share the cliffs with Ravens and Blue Rock Thrush as the hardiest of Black Kites and Booted Eagles filter through, having braved the crossing.
A wonderful diversion but our next stop is the imposing Griffon Vulture colony where the sky is filled with these magnificent birds, some with young in the nest. They are joined by an incredibly rare but increasingly encountered visitor from Africa, Rüppell’s Vulture. About 10% smaller than the Griffons, the Spanish name Buitre Moteado is perhaps more apt – spotted or mottled Vulture.
Magnificent as the colony is, this spectacle was surpassed as we descended towards Bolonia by the incredible scene of around 200 Griffons joined by 2 Rüppell’s and 2 Egyptian Vultures at a sheep carcass. The view was filled with Vultures attracted to the carrion, perfectly illustrating their value as Nature´s clean up crew.
Still buzzing from the extravaganza, more delights awaited at La Peña albeit in a more diminutive and colourful form.
The Yellow Wagtail exhibits amazing phenotypical variation with many distinct geographical forms. We met with some of these engaging flavas as they sought refuge from the wind and refuelled before resuming migration. The headliners were a male and female of the Fenno-Scandinavian race thunbergi distinguished by their all dark (deep blue-grey) heads. A mixed flock of over a dozen birds of at least three distinct forms was only rivalled by the confiding Western Black-eared Wheatears flashing their black and white tails as they boulder hopped ever closer.
A migrant Eurasian Golden Oriole singing its slide whistle refrain at breakfast time proved an auspicious start to the day.
With continuing breezy conditions a return to the relative calm at La Peña welcomed some hardy arrivals including a European Honey Buzzard, 9 Short-toed Eagles, 4 Booted Eagles, 13 Black Kites and an elegant Montagu’s Harrier. European Bee-eaters, a Red-rumped Swallow and a smaller group of Yellow Wagtails including the striking thunbergi made for another excellent morning.
Afternoon was productively spent exploring the area of the once vast wetland at La Janda. Even in its extremely altered state, this area yields a quite simply stunning variety of birdlife. The Tern-like calls of Collared Pratincoles alert us to the presence of these stunning birds who share the fields with another anomalous shorebird, in the shape of 2 Stone-curlew/Eurasian Thick-knees. Green Sandpiper zip along the irrigation canal as Larks and Corn Buntings dominate the soundscape.
A riot of colour in one field of spring flowers was maxed out in terms of vividness as over 50 European Bee-eaters delighted the group. Perching on fence wires and small bushes or hawking close overhead their warbling calls seemingly surrounding us. A magical moment of excitement punctuated by the sighting of 3 European Turtle Doves – a more than welcome addition to the lists given their rapidly declining status as a breeding bird in Northern Europe.
We spotted some movement in a sand roadside paddock which, to our amazement contained no less than 16 Little Ringed Plovers! Stopping at various intervals we added Reed, Sardinian, and Melodious Warblers plus Zitting Cisticola.
The greatest excitement of the day was reserved for arguably the bird of the day – Black-winged Kite. This charismatic little raptor with its piercing red eyes was a fitting highlight to end the day.
Once a busy town reliant on the tuna fishing industry, Barbate and its environs are an essential stop on any visit to The Straits.
Firstly, taking advantage of the state of the tide, we explored the shorebird haven that is the Rio Barbate. Ten species of shorebird including 40 Curlew Sandpiper (some showing the gorgeous brick-red breeding plumage), an actively sieving Spoonbill and 7 Little Terns gave fantastic views.
Next, the salinas, former salt pans now restored as a nature reserve. A truly spectacular place where the shallow pans teem with shorebirds on passage and 60 Greater Flamingos. Iberian Yellow Wagtails flit along the margins and the sky suddenly fills with Collared Pratincoles roused by the perceived threat of any aerial intruder.
Larks feature here with Crested, Greater Short-toed and Calandra all noted.
Lunch among the pines at Las Breñas produced some nice woodland species with Short-toed Treecreeper, European Pied Flycatcher, 3 Whinchat, Serin and Cirl Bunting. Much happiness ensued for the group as 2 Hoopoes decided to put in an appearance shortly before our departure quickly followed by a Two-tailed Pasha, one of the largest European butterflies.
Our group next spent some time with one of the rarest birds in the world – the always-popular Northern Bald Ibis. Beautiful birds with their embarrassment-red, bare-skinned faces, iridescent plumage and punk crests, they cut a completely different – but equally resplendent – look than their Glossy relative!
Our visit the breeding colony coincides with there being chicks in the nest and their bickering sibling rivalry and the coming and goings of the adults provide us with a fantastic diversion before heading off to see one last surprise of the day where, from a respectful distance, we watched a sleepy young Eurasian Eagle Owl sunbathing on its lofty ledge.
Without local knowledge, it is extremely easy to arrive in the vicinity of Tarifa at peak migration time and completely miss the spectacle of masses of birds making the crossing! An intimate knowledge of the area and years of experience with the unique conditions mean our group would be best placed to be in amongst the birds whatever the conditions.
In ever-changing conditions with winds difficult to predict, we made the short dash up the coast and were rewarded with hundreds of raptors passing overhead, at times close enough to not only identify but even age without the aid of binoculars! Highly coveted species came in double and treble figures during an amazing 2 hour window including almost 1,000 Black Kite, 75 Short-toed Eagles, 79 Booted Eagle, 12 European Honey Buzzard, 97 Griffon and 1 Egyptian Vulture making a stream of raptors! Other soaring birds were represented by 8 Black Stork and 4 White Storks.
A new habitat for exploration in the afternoon was the teeming waters of The Straits. Despite being one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, the narrow stretch sustains an abundance of life above and below water.
Our private excursion around Algeciras Bay and out into the open sea past Europa Point with the famous Rock of Gibraltar looming over provided us with yet another indelible memory. Pods of Common Dolphin joyously bow-riding and breeching always draw gasps of admiration – pure happiness may indeed be cetacean-shaped! Pelagic birds included Sandwich Terns using navigation buoys as loafing points and the always-exciting sight of shearwaters effortlessly cutting through the wind on stiff wings like mini albatrosses. Balearic Shearwater and several of their larger Calonectris cousins, Mediterranean breeder Scopoli’s Shearwater in the main.
Practically in the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar, Parque Princess Sofia is a haven for tired and hungry passerine migrants. European Pied Flycatchers hawk from their favoured perched as leaf warblers such as Wood, Western Bonelli’s, Willow and Iberian Chiffchaff methodically search the foliage. Garden Warbler and Whinchat are also making use of this migrant highway service area. Two roosting Tawny Owls eventually gave themselves up despite being supremely camouflaged.
Another relaxing yet productive lunch at La Peña was rewarded with yet more migrating goodness, this time with the background of Los Lances sands stretching south to Tarifa. An Osprey powered northwards along with 2 Egyptian Vultures, 2 European Honey Buzzards, a Short-toed Eagle, 6 Booted Eagles, a Western Marsh Harrier, and 112 Black Kite.
This raptor feast punctuated by more European Bee-eaters, Tawny Pipit, Serin and great views of singing Cirl Bunting. An ice-cream stop at el Mirador once again had us surrounded by Vultures which passed overhead and at eye level with the stunning vista of Jbel Mousa, part of the Rif mountain range and the monumental southern pillar of Hercules from legend.
Golden Farewell 24 April
A fluty fanfare and a splash of colour to say goodbye as a transient Eurasian Golden Oriole serenaded our departure.
During the week we visited varied habitats and shared the wonderful nature, life and drama on the flyway-highway here in The Straits
We parted with the lasting memories of being immersed in one the natural world´s greatest wonders – migration.
Special thanks to our excellent hosts and partners at Huerta Grande and to our enthusiastic group for sharing this #FlywayBirding experience!
Our delightful very international and friendly group of Flyway Birders with representations from France, Spain, Australia, England and Scotland to witness the miracle of #FlywayBirding
