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.
Tag Archives: birdwatching
#Doñana – Revisited, Revived and Alive!
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!
Discovering the migration magic in Ronda and The Straits
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.
Bird Migration Adventure at The Straits of Gibraltar
Tour report for Bird Migration and Cetaceans 9 – 14 April 2025 by Stuart Gillies 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 byContinue reading “Bird Migration Adventure at The Straits of Gibraltar”
The Story of the Dorsiblanco!
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!
Magical Migration and Beyond: A #FlywayBirding Experience at The Straits of Gibraltar
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… Migrate on over and peek at our 2025 dates! (Spring and Autumn) The place where continents and cultures meet, and millions of birds (especially soaring raptors) converge, compelled byContinue reading “Magical Migration and Beyond: A #FlywayBirding Experience at The Straits of Gibraltar”
Delights from the Eastern Side of Coto Doñana | Birding Tour
Sometimes – albeit rarely! – we do go birding outside The Straits, and one of our favourite areas to take our guests to is the eastern side of Coto Doñana. Only an hour and a half away from The Straits area, it offers some fabulous southern Iberian birding!
Serrania de Ronda 2024
Serrania de Ronda – 1 – 7 February 2024 Leaving the bustling Costa del Sol far behind, we spent the week on a literal avian high, exploring the wide-ranging and varied habitats of the Natural and National Parks of the Serrania de Ronda. It´s always hard to pick the best highlights from such an action-packedContinue reading “Serrania de Ronda 2024”
First White-backed Vulture tagged in Europe – implications for African Vulture conservation
On 3rd December 2021, Fundación Migres ringed and GPS-tagged a White-backed Vulture, a vagrant to Europe and the first one to be ringed and tagged in Europe.
Strength in Numbers – You Can’t Stop The Black Kite Super-flock!
beat! Those of you who follow our social media will have seen the indescribably large numbers passing through Tarifa during those days. “Swirling masses”, “breath-taking spectacle”, “skies literally full” – the superlatives dry up long before the torrent of birds!