SEPT 7TH - DAY 5 OF 7 -DAY MIGRATION TOUR

TARIFA - LOS LANCES BEACH - LA JANDA - BARBATE MARSHES

A SUPERB DAY AT THE COAST WATCHING THOUSANDS OF RAPTORS HEADING OFF TO AFRICA.

We set off early and arrived at Tarifa at 9:30am just in time to see the raptor migration spectacle. There was a fairly strong easterly wind blowing which kept many of the birds on this side of the Strait.

At the raptor watch point just above Tarifa we watched about 50 Egyptain Vultures at close range together with a number Honey Buzzards, Black kites, Booted Eagles and Short -toed Eagles. The odd Sparrowhawk zoomed passed too.

Some of the group at the raptor watch point near Tarifa

At Los lances beach we had a fantastic time, it was a bit windy but still extremely enjoyable. On the beach we found a good selection of waders which included Kentish Plover also, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and a Whimbrel. Gulls and terns also enhanced our enjoyment. But it was the raptor migration that was truly spectacular. About 300 Black kites were on or around the beach area when we arrived, then as the morning wore on a constant stream of birds filtered over the top of us and headed towards Tarifa in an attempt to cross to Africa. Many were very high up and were holding back because of the wind, but quite a few were a lot lower and had tremendous views of individual birds. Often large 'kettles' would include mixed species such as: Honey Buzzards, Black Kites, Booted and Short-toed Eagles and Egyptian Vultures. Small groups of Black Storks also passed over and several Sparrowhawks circled too. What a great sight.

Two shots of a juvenile Kentish Plover - interestingly I saw this bird a few weeks ago as a fledgling!

Its either a Godwit that has flown into a plate glass window or a Whimbrel?

Yellow Wagtail - a good number were seen today

 Yellow Wagtails were seen on the beach and Short-toed Larks, Crested Larks and Goldfinches fed on the grass behind the beach. The stars of the morning had to be the two ROLLERS that came in off the sea, they looked wonderful in the morning light and they landed on fence posts behind thre grassy fields.

After a couple of hours we decided to find a sheltered spot for our picnic lunch so we drove inland along the Ojen Valley and parked by a dry stream. Throughout our lunch we could still see a stream of raptors overhead with more Griffon Vultures joining them.

Next we visited La Janda and again we had a wonderful birding experience. We found a flock of 200+ Glossy Ibis with many White Storks, Little Egrets and cattle Egrets. A lone Grey Heron sat in the rice fields and a Purple Heron walked along a bank on the main 'drain' next to us. A Marsh Harrier put up the Ibis flock and also disturbed a flock of some 15 Collared Pratincoles and 4 Common Snipe. We also saw Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and at least 3 Montagu's Harriers.

Further along the track we spent some time watching a very obliging Hoopoe that was feeding on a grassy bank, we also saw lots of Zitting Cisticolas, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Corn Buntings and Yellow Wagtails. A Kingfisher sat nicely for us as we watched some pond Terrapins and several Lesser Kestrels perched on the pylons.

On the track to Benalup we found a large flock of Yellow Wagtails on a freshly mown field together with a few Tawny Pipits and a single Northern Wheatear. In the scrub near the 'smelly farm' we saw Red-legged Partridges, Common Pheasant and a flock of Jackdaws.

After a coffee stop near the village of Vejer we visited the Sewer works nearby, also known as Barbate marshes. The marsh was full of birds, hundreds of Black-winged Stilts joined many more Glossy Ibis and together with Coots, Moorhens and Mallards the whole area was alive with birds.  A few waders were found, Green Sandpiper (5), Common Sandpiper (2), Spotted Redshank (1), Wood Sandpiper (4) and a single Ruff.

Two great finds were in the shape of ducks, a female Red-crested Pochard appeared briefly and then as we were watching a Shoveler a beautiful male Ferruginous Duck swam out into the open water, what a lovely bird and much appreciated by the group.

Well that just about wrapped up the day's birding we had a long drive back to Gaucin and most of the group had a little snooze along the way.