TARIFA, SPAIN: 7 - DAY TOUR - AUTUMN MIGRATION - DAY 3 - 12TH SEPT 2014

GIBRALTAR - SAN ENRIQUE WOODS - PINAR DEL REY - CASTILLO DE CASTELLAR - CAZALLA RAPTOR WATCH POINT TARIFA.

We took a bit of a break from full-on birding today and visited some tourist spots. Light westerly winds did not bode well for a great raptor passage so we spent more time looking for passerines.

my motley crew - taken at Europa Point

We set off for Gibraltar at 7:45 and got through the new,  chaotic layout,  within the hour and parked along the east cliff at 9am. The weather was beautiful, clear sky and a westerly wind.

We spent some time scanning for Barbary Partridge without success but found several raptors flying high over the 'rock', these included Egyptian Vulture, Honey Buzzard, Black Kite and lower down Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. Out in the sea we saw a huge pod of Bottle Nosed Dolphins and a handful of Cory's Shearwaters.

A quick visit to the ringing station was a disappointment, it was all locked up, not a 'ringer' in sight! So we walked the coastal path and found a few birds in the scrub, Sardinian Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, European Robin and not much else. On the rocks above us we saw Blue Rock Thrushes and few Barbary 'Apes'.

 

no not one of the group - but a resident of Gibraltar - Barbary 'Ape' 

We then went down to Europa Point to join the throngs of tourists, after searching for half an hour we came up with very little,  a small flock of Black Kites out at sea with a couple of Short-toed Eagles, a few more Cory's Shearwaters and another Blue Rock Thrush on the rocks.

The 'metropolis' on the west side of Gibraltar was as usual very busy, heavy traffic hundreds of motor scooters, motorcycles cycles and pedestrian tourists. We got through unscathed and drove off the 'rock' via the new exit which brought us out down by the beach.

Pied Flycatcher

So off we went to San Enrique Woods hoping for sightings of migrating passerines, but it was very quiet with just a handful of Pied and Spotted Flycatchers. On the river we saw Common Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper and in the sky we listed a few Homey Buzzards, Black Kites, Booted Eagles and plenty of Alpine Swifts, Barn Swallows and House Martins.

We ate our picnic lunch in the tranquil setting of Pinar del Rey, the smell of warm pine trees filled the air as we sat eating, a Pied Flycatcher entertained us over lunch. A walk through the woods produced Short-toed Treecreeper, Crested Tit, Blackcap, Subalpine Warbler, European Robin, Common Chaffinch, Jay and a Wren.

From the woods we drove to Castellar because the group wanted to see the Two-tailed Pasha Butterfly and the Castle. The butterfly was most obliging, however, it was very windy there so it never settled much. We also stopped to watch more Monarch Butterflies on the way up to the castle, they also showed very well for us.

At the castle we enjoyed a nice coffee break, a walk around the 'village' within the castle walls and a few birdies overhead. Griffon Vultures drifted over, small flocks of Alpine Swifts were joined by the odd Pallid and Common Swift but not the White-rumped Swift. We left there around 5pm and headed back to Tarifa making one stop at the raptor watch point at Cazalla. It was very windy up there, all the birding fraternity had left so we watched alone as a few Black Kites, a single Common Kestrel and a lone Short-toed Eagle struggled to cope with the westerly wind.

the hills around Tarifa are blighted but these  'blots on the landscape'

 

Back the hotel for 6:00 we had time to relax before tucking into a Paella washed down with a glass wine as we sat out on the terrace of the hotel.'