#FlywayBirding and wildlife adventures from the epicentre of migration in Andalucia, Spain
Another season has passed us by, and from 5th May 2021 to 5th December 2021 Fundación Migres has once again been monitoring the passage of migratory birds through here at The Straits of Gibraltar
For our small part we helped with the counts whenever we could for this important programme, which has been running since 1997.
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!
The stunning tail of the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is one of the sought-after sights of Mediterranean birding! Find out how evolution has whittled it to perfection.
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”
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!”
Dave Grundy – leading authority on Andalusian moths and expert guide for Inglorious Bustards’ Mothing The Straits holiday – tells us about this phenomenal eruption of Gypsy Moths!
Going out to a restaurant isn’t something we’ve been able to do a lot of recently, but today we were thrilled to be invited to an eatery with a difference! The menu didn’t really appeal – we’re all for trying new things but offal, rotten eggs and cow dung are a bit too avant-garde evenContinue reading “Breakfast with Vultures!”
Birding is good for you – it’s a scientific fact! The happy buzz that many of us know – and need – from spending time in Nature is gaining traction as a proven means of boosting mental health. In England, for example, research revealed that access to urban green spaces reduced residents’ sense of isolationContinue reading “Make Birding Your New Normal!”
On a rainy afternoon we found ourselves reminiscing about our superb trip to beautiful Doñana earlier this year, in all its wintery wonder! It was perhaps the perfect antidote for our guests that week for their Northern European January. Thousands of wintering waders, wildfowl and wetland birds filled the lagoons, ponds and saltpans, including Red-knobbedContinue reading “Return to Doñana”
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!”