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!
Tag Archives: Raptors
The strange case of a Black Kite marked in Tarifa and recovered in Benin, West Africa.
Migratory birds don’t recognise borders, and finding out where they are passing through, and going to and from is vital not only to understand the threats and areas for conservation but also to bring to life the epic story of migration. Flyway-scale conservation and funding must be driven by good science, wise spending and cross-border,Continue reading “The strange case of a Black Kite marked in Tarifa and recovered in Benin, West Africa.”
A Wing In Each World
For All Souls Day, friend and colleague Eddi – the original Culture Vulture on the Inglorious Bustards team – reflects on a recent trip to experience the awe-inspiring Griffon Vulture migration, and gain understanding of their liminal nature in local lore… The Strait of Gibraltar last Saturday morning was calm, suspended between us and Morocco.Continue reading “A Wing In Each World”
Saying “Később találkozunk!” to the Honey Buzzards!
This week, along with our friends and conservation partners at Fundación Migres, we counted just a handful of European Honey Buzzards crossing The Straits of Gibraltar on their migratory journey. Picked out from amongst thousands of Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Black Storks and Griffon Vultures, each one of these gorgeous birds merited closeContinue reading “Saying “Később találkozunk!” to the Honey Buzzards!”
Safe travel to The Straits is back!
As COVID-19 remains under control in Spain and cases continue to dwindle, we are extremely pleased that we can now begin to safely deliver our day trips and tours! With the announcement of Europe-wide “air bridges” on 4 July, international travel to Spain from many countries is now available with stringent health precautions en routeContinue reading “Safe travel to The Straits is back!”
Loving the moths but missing the moth-ers!
Somewhere in a parallel universe, this weekend Dave Grundy and I would just have been saying goodbye to a group of moth-ers and wildlife lovers, having spent a week enjoying Andalucía’s lepidopteran delights! Here’s a heartfelt message from renowned moth expert Dave, as well as some stunning photos to look back on from the excellentContinue reading “Loving the moths but missing the moth-ers!”
A tale of two Eagles
A young Italian called Michele caused a frisson of excitement here in The Straits last month, turning up safe and well after being missing in Africa since mid-November! Not long after his reappearance he was on his adventures again, awaiting fine weather on the northern shores of Morocco before jetting across the Straits and spendingContinue reading “A tale of two Eagles”
Fourteen Kilometres of Joy and Sorrow
Read our award-winning blog about how a sudden drop in the wind on an autumn day in Andalucía inspires heart-stoppingly spectacular mass avian movement, but also provokes thought on travel, conservation and global change… Fourteen kilometres of sea and sky are all that separate two continents. At 9am, the Mediterranean sun is alreadyContinue reading “Fourteen Kilometres of Joy and Sorrow”
Boosting the Count
The eBird database just received a significant boost, in the form of information on almost two million migrating birds from our conservation partners, Fundación Migres! Many is the joyous day we’ve spent with our conservation partners Fundación Migres, helping with the autumn migration count, gazing up spellbound as literally thousands of raptors migrate over ourContinue reading “Boosting the Count”
Braving the Blades & the work of Fundación Migres
We all know that turbines and soaring birds don’t mix. So what is being done to help our avian nomads as they pass these whirring legions marching across the Estrecho Natural Park, one of the most important raptor migration bottlenecks in the world? We report on the Compensatory Measures Project, just one strand of the immenselyContinue reading “Braving the Blades & the work of Fundación Migres”