The Western Subalpine Warbler continued to show around the hilltop today, making it the second latest record in the Algarve. I watched a lone Griffon Vulture between Vila do Bispo and Sagres this morning and this was confirmed by the recorder at Cabranosa, as the bird made an appearance there. The Griffon left Cabranosa after a while, taking with it an incredible 28 Short-toed Eagles which had arrived on the peninsula earlier. I began my watch after midday when five Short-toed Eagles were in the air. This next juvenile was remarkably unstreaked on the underwings, the streaking can vary to an extent. A fabulous Peregrine Falcon perched for a long time in trees close to my car. The temperature this afternoon was at least 24C. The air was filled with ruddy darter dragonflies and red admiral butterflies were seeking out late flowers. It was more like early September than mid November. Booted Eagles began to show in increasing numbers, flying up from the Sagres direction. Seventeen Booted Eagles came through giving a spectacular show for quite some time. My session ended after a Marsh Harrier had been tracked through. For some reason, this bird seems to have some string or perhaps fishing line tangled on its body. Two or three Common Buzzards were seen in the woods, the resident Kestrels were active as were some Ravens and the Choughs. All in all, a very good afternoons' birding.
After the huge movement of Griffon Vultures, there have been some interesting raptors over the last week. Some Griffons did linger for another day or so, these were seen from Raposeira. Fresh arrivals of eagles began to take place, notably Booted and Short-toed Eagles. A top view of the Booted Eagle showing the white 'headlight' feathers on the shoulders nicely. This Short-toed Eagle settled in a tree a short distance from Cabranosa. The last two days have seen a juvenile Iberian Imperial Eagle between Vila do Bispo and Cabranosa. Flying very high all the time, he wasn't an easy subject to observe and left to the North this morning. As the Imperial Eagle departed, a flock of twenty Short-toed Eagles arrived from the North over Vale Santo and flew to the Cape. Turning around quickly they came over me a second time and I saw what I believe to be a female Hen Harrier (top right) with them. Again, all the birds were incredibly high today. Returning to Cabranosa this afternoon, at one point I counted 32 Short-toed Eagles leaving to the East and ten Booted Eagles also. I cannot recall seeing so many Short-toeds together and certainly, never in November! Speaking of late departures, this Western Subalpine Warbler at Cabranosa, late this afternoon was also a bit of a surprise. More playtime with the new camera and I couldn't resist this handsome Cormorant in Porto da Baleeira. I'm always pondering over some gull or other and can't make my mind up as to whether this is a 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull or 3rd winter Herring Gull (argenteus). Help me out somebody?? There are often Sandwich Terns in the harbour and today I found the juv Common Tern had come back and was sharing a mooring buoy with a Sandwich Tern. I noticed one of the Sandwich Terns was carrying a 'flag' on its right leg marked JO213. So far, I have found that this Tern was ringed in Gdansk in Poland and hope to have more information on its travels shortly. ....... and finally, that Cormorant again!
I have commented previously on how it has been a strange and quiet Autumn, down here in Sagres. Yesterday, nature struck back in spectacular fashion, bringing around 2,000 juvenile vultures into the national park. This great show of strength probably answers two of our previous questions - yes, it has probably been adverse weather that has bottled up all these raptors somewhere, and no, there hasn't been a change to the migration route taken by these juvenile birds. It was around 0930hrs when looking towards the windfarms at Barao, one flock of vultures could be seen, lifting off in the heart of the windfarm. We knew from yesterday's movements that large flocks had settled overnight, throughout the park from Barao down towards Cabranosa. It wasn't too long before the huge movement commenced again today. There were many different flocks taking to the air and numbering 4,5 and 600 birds easily, counted by our environmental recording team operating in the park. At times, birds would fly lower and we could check among the Griffons for a Cinereous or Ruppell's Vulture. Unbelievably, there wasn't a single Ruppell's Vulture seen by anyone in the 2000 or more birds. We had more luck with Cinereous Vultures, a few were recorded and I was lucky to pick one out, in a flock this afternoon. The next image shows some of this morning's vultures, clearly having to flap their wings as they search out areas of warm air, in order to gain height. The number of Griffons increased through the day and at times we had the most superb views. This is the moment I discovered a Cinereous Vulture, it is flying higher than the Griffons which is why it appears smaller. It is actually larger than a Griffon Vulture. A few other raptors appeared during the day including Short-toed, Booted and Bonelli's Eagles. Two Common Buzzards and this colourful Red Kite flew over our watchpoint. My first raptor of the day was this dark form of Booted Eagle which I realised was perched nearby, whilst watching an Iberian Grey Shrike. ..... and a very nice Shrike!
While birding has been very quiet recently, there is one species which shows up regularly on the Sagres peninsula each autumn, that is the Richard's Pipit. A large pipit, having long legs with which it stands very upright (except today!) The Richard's Pipit makes a long journey from Siberia each year and is found in two or three places around Sagres. The sides are a warm brown and the breast (seen in later images) is mainly white. The red mark on the next image indicates the 'pointed' median covert feather which is diagnostic on a Richard's Pipit. The above shows the white outer tail feathers. The same pipit in different light. Chiffchaffs are becoming more noticeable this week, this one on a Aloe Vera leaf. Fan-tailed Warblers were the most numerous warbler on my early walk. After breakfast, we set off for Carrapateira with Chris and Sue to a most beautiful beach on the West coast. A coastal lagoon there had only a Little Egret this morning, sometimes a variety of small waders can feed here. Ellie the dog enjoyed the largest expanse of sand dunes ever, now a crazy ten year old. The rocks at one end of the beach had a very disguised pair of Grey Plovers, watching the incoming tide. From the beach we made our way up and onto the headland where there are excellent sea-watching viewpoints. Although it was already mid-morning, a steady stream of Gannets were still passing South. There are very few juvenile Gannets this year however, the sheer number of adults and sub-adults that have passed through here and Sagres over the weeks is very encouraging. Chris picked out our first and only Razorbill rocketing through and Cory's Shearwaters glided along fairly regularly. This image shows the locals enjoying their fishing pastime, as they have done for a century and more. Standing precariously on the cliff edge, they cast lines a long way down into the crashing sea below. After a fabulous lunch in Carrapateira, we made our way back via the windfarms, on the lookout for passing raptors. The skies here were empty unfortunately and it wasn't until reaching Vale Santo that we found a small number of Booted Eagles. Here are a few gulls from around this week. Firstly an adult Audouin's Gull ringed in Portugal as one of a hundred birds studied in 2010, making this gull - thirteen years old!! It carries a blue ring on the left leg, with the notation PH76 and a metal ring on the right leg also. It was seen in the Porto do Baleeira. A winter adult, or near adult Greater Black-backed Gull was found among the Yellow-legged Gulls at Porto do Baleeira. ......... and lastly, more camera testing (eye focussing) on a smart Yellow-legged Gull.
The clocks went back in the early hours, signalling the beginning of the winter months and what the weather will bring is anybody's guess. This has been by far, the quietest Autumn for bird migration that I have experienced down here on the Sagres Peninsula. Days have been spent with hardly a raptor showing up at Cabranosa which is quite unprecedented when it continues day after day. Our weather has been very changeable and it is also necessary to look at weather conditions further north. Temperatures have been very high, followed by rain, a considerable storm and the general feeling is that the birds may have chosen another route in which to migrate south. I encountered some atrocious weather recently which destroyed my camera gear as I was taken completely by surprise in a deluge of rain. The outcome of that is I have acquired the Canon r7 mirrorless camera and the 100-400 is usm lens to suit. While most of the camera menus are familiar, the actual camera operation is a complete change and will require a lot more practice to get the very best from this equipment. I visited a small wood not far from Vila do Bispo for my first tryout, picking small birds out in the tree canopy. Nuthatch. Long-tailed Tit. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male). Today we visited Alvor marsh where a pale-bellied Brent Goose (juv) has been seen on several occasions in the last week. Any goose is a rarity in the Algarve and this one is hundreds of miles further south than usual for this species. The Brent Goose with Bar-tailed Godwits. Two feeding Whimbrel. One of the regular Ospreys. The German-ringed Ruff continues its long stay on the marsh.
A little more camera practice in Sagres harbour. This falcon was first seen at high level together with two other raptors. After disappearing from view, it later approached at speed, braking at the last moment to perch in a nearby dead tree. The Eleonora's Falcon is a regular Autumn visitor here, but only two or three sightings most years. This was a nicely marked juvenile Eleonora's and the first seen this Autumn since my arrival at least. Yesterday, we had a rarer sighting of a Golden Eagle, somewhat distant but possible to identify it as a first year bird with large white patches on the underwing and an extensive white tail, tipped with a black band. Golden Eagles are not seen here every year and this was a nice addition to the list of migrating raptors. Perhaps the most numerous raptor this week has been the Short-toed Eagle with twelve seen today and seventeen yesterday. Two Bonelli's Eagles have shown up, often harassing other raptors. Another single Egyptian Vulture flew with two Black Kites before leaving the area.
The first full day back on this 'hallowed ground', the hill at Cabranosa. It was a hot, sunny day spent in the company of our friends and the migration recorders, with only a few birds flying very high in the still conditions. The day finished in spectacular fashion with the arrival of a juvenile Spanish Imperial Eagle. This raptor was picked up distantly and approached from the east, before dropping into the wood just before the hill. It remained there for about half an hour before lifting off again and giving spectacular views, as it flew past our cars as we were leaving. It had been a day when Sparrowhawks and Peregrines showed frequently, four or five in the air at times. Other arrivals included 6 Honey Buzzards, 1 juv Bonelli's Eagle, a Hobby, Booted Eagle and both Black and Red Kite seen flying together at one point. A distant Montagu's/Pallid Harrier failed to come close enough for an accurate identification. Some awakening birds on Atalaia from just after sunrise. Chough, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart and Whinchat.
On its third day at Sammy's Point just up river from Spurn NNR, it took me three hours to relocate this superb vagrant and only my fourth record since seeing my first in 2007. Normally found from Finland through Siberia and wintering in SE Asia, this 1st winter/female bird has migrated in a westerly direction and found itself gracing our east coast. Last week I was pleased to see a Red-breasted Flycatcher around here and this was quite an exceptional show from what was a very elusive bird, most of the time. There was more excellent migration going on in terms of Meadow Pipits, where 11,000 birds passed through Spurn before midday. Every fence line had considerable numbers of these small pipits making their way South for the winter. Small numbers of Northern Wheatears were found, these were on the Humber bank at Sammy's Point. Pied Flycatchers were in very small numbers but showing well wherever they were found. A single Common Redstart was feeding in the horse paddocks. The morning's high tide saw a pale Arctic Skua hunting along the estuary. There are always raptors to be seen at Spurn, here a Common Buzzard and a juvenile Sparrowhawk. A timely warning of an approaching winter when Pink-footed Geese drop in after their journey from the far North. Note: Following the recent hurricane in America there is an unprecedented number of American passerines in the U.K. particularly in Wales. Birds such as Magnolia Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Baltimore Oriole to name but a few are now on our shores. I won't be travelling to the west coast but there's always a chance something may drift over here.
Today was going to be the best day for weather this week and I decided perhaps we should make the trip to Teesside, to see the Brown Booby which has settled in the Tees estuary. First seen ten days ago in this location, the Brown Booby is found in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico as a rule. This bird has found a new home on the no.5 buoy (green) at the entrance to the river Tees and far out in mid river. You may see the green buoy on the image below. For the duration of our visit, the Brown Booby remained on the buoy, only moving around to preen occasionally. The images below reflect the best I could do, given the distance from the shore, however I'm delighted to see the bird on our east coast. The Tees estuary is a great venue for birding as I found out on a previous visit, to watch Arctic Skuas here. There was no shortage of seabirds on the river today. Within the estuary there were many terns, mostly Sandwich and Common, with one Black Tern going out to sea. A few Gannets passed by and this Kittiwake was unusually close to the shore and alone. Both Razorbills and Common Guillemots were in large numbers, feeding and resting on the river. A walk along the beach south of the river produced several wader species, including Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and eight very smart Bar-tailed Godwits. An excellent day with a great rarity and a wonderful area for birding.
A trip that has been almost a year in the planning finally came to fruition yesterday, when eight friends were reunited at the Straits of Gibraltar, for a timely Autumn migration spectacular. For two couples, Chris, Sue and Carl and Julie, a driving trip East from Portugal's Algarve brought them to the Dulce Nombre Hotel outside Tarifa. The remaining four - myself, Angela together with Pam and Brian, had made a quick two and a half hour flight down to Gibraltar from Manchester in the early hours. Thanks to the captains' flight plan, we were treated to spectacular views of 'The Rock' and the Bay of Gibraltar as we made a sharp turn towards the small airport. After collecting our hire car, we headed in the direction of Tarifa stopping for supplies at one of two supermarkets. It was in the air here, four of us had our first taste of what migration at 'The Straits' was about to look like. Around five hundred White Storks were circling purposefully and directly over the car park. We were able to watch them for around five minutes. After these few minutes and without warning, they headed off in a broad swathe and began their crossing to North Africa. All eight of us met at the hotel where we spent our first evening chatting and enjoying our dinner, some of us thankful to be warm and under blue skies once more! Just prior to dinner we had seen a Short-toed Eagle come off the hill behind the hotel, carrying a snake which it appeared to be devouring in flight. Around the hotel, Red-rumped Swallows were gliding lazily and our first flock of twelve Bee-eaters flew towards Tarifa. Day One - Mirador Watchpoint, El Cabrito and Tarifa. With due regard to the wind direction (a westerly), we drove to the Mirador Watchpoint on the east side of Tarifa. An easily accessible watchpoint on the side of the main road and complete with cafe too. Visited by many tourists also, this viewpoint gives spectacular views across the sea to Morocco. Here we found passing Griffon Vultures which we later heard were most likely part of a nearby resident colony. An easterly wind which was strengthening all the time failed to produce a significant movement of birds from here. We saw our first two Honey Buzzards make their way across, occasional Short-toed and Booted Eagles also appeared. A small dark falcon and at least one juvenile Egyptian Vulture were seen by some members of our group. Around lunch-time we moved on to El Cabrito where we had a similar experience, with mostly Griffon Vultures and Short-toed Eagles showing up. For the remainder of the afternoon, we drove down off the hills and enjoyed a walk around Tarifa town. With regard to birds, Yellow-legged Gulls accounted for everything seen around the harbour, though we were treated to another White Stork sighting, with around fifty birds passing over, as we relaxed with some well deserved drinks in a cafe. Los Lances beach at Tarifa. Day Two - Facinas Watchpoint. The small town of Facinas can be seen in the distance, behind the watchpoint (above) and lying to the north-west of Tarifa. Access to this watchpoint is on foot (unless you have a robust 4X4) and sadly, one of our team suffered a nasty fall on the loose stony ground. This meant our visit here was briefer than planned although, again the birds were not showing in significant numbers. The time spent here was interesting as one of the first arrivals turned out to be this beautiful adult Egyptian Vulture. Bee-eaters could be heard high above us, two flocks of fifty and twenty birds passed overhead. At least two Short-toed Eagles remained in the near area, being almost constantly in view. Five or six Griffon Vultures patrolled nearby hills, odd Booted Eagles showed up as did this Black Kite. On our return down to the cars, a juvenile Woodchat Shrike showed nicely for us, one of very few small birds seen apart from passing swifts. Day Three - The Barbate Estuary Wetlands. The morning commenced in the most unusual and exciting fashion at the hotel. As we were always seen to be carrying our 'bins', cameras and the like around the grounds, this particular morning, Carl was approached by one of the hotel staff. It was a minute or two before Carl returned, whisking me off in the direction of the hotel's hen coups. Crouched in the corner of the hen coup was a massive juvenile Goshawk!! In the opposite corner was another of the hotel staff with what looked like a length of rubber hose. Carl and I reckoned the Goshawk was about to meet its end and, without hesitation Carl's shirt was off and over the Goshawk's head. Carl has experience in handling small raptors and quickly marched the young Goshawk out of the hen coup and onto an area of open field where we could examine it more carefully. We suspected it may be slightly concussed but no other signs of injury. The immediate problem was that it had taken a fancy to Carl's shirt and was not letting go of it at all! Julie took hold of one foot and received a sharp talon in a finger from the other foot. We put the bird on the ground to give it some space where it later let go of the shirt. The 'nice' hotel man contacted a local rescue organisation who came and picked up the Goshawk, after we had set off for Barbate. Through the land of what seemed like a thousand wind turbines, some nice coastal scenery and we arrived in the small town of Barbate. To the east of the town, the river Barbate flows down to the sea. A mix of tidal wetland, fish farms and farm fields provide a fantastic habitat for many species of waders, herons, flamingos, seabirds and wildfowl. Even from a brief first visit, it is fair to say that most wader species would be seen when the tide is receding or out. At high tide, many birds become hidden in the vegetation. Little Terns, mostly juveniles were fishing on the first lagoon from the road. Among the waders seen were Redshank, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet and Ruff. A Ruff with extensive white plumage was quite different to most. Flamingos here number into the hundreds and were feeding throughout the wetland. We were searching here for the Northern Bald Ibis. This Ibis is critically endangered and recent introduction programmes in Andalucia have met with some success. With only minimal information on their whereabouts, we toured the immediate area, enjoying the countryside and keeping an eye out for 'dark birds!' Stopping briefly for a drink, we had a chance encounter with a new butterfly species for us, the Two-tailed Pasha. One of the most impressive European butterflies I have seen, equalling the Monarch and Spanish Festoon. I think I'm correct in saying we saw both male and female butterflies here. Returning to a different part of the Barbate marshes, an approaching harrier appeared in the form of a dark morph male Montagu's. In one fairly close fly-by it was soon gone, but gave us sufficient time to take in the overall dark head, upper and under wings. The Barbate Wetlands are an excellent area which require much more time than we were able to spend in one day. On our return to the hotel, Carl and I spent some time birding from a roof terrace where a surprise Lesser Kestrel stayed around for a few minutes. Very few passerines were around the hotel and in fact, in the wider area too. A handful of Spotted Flycatchers and one Pied Flycatcher were the only signs of an impending migration. This particular afternoon, Bee-eaters came over in small flocks of twenty or so birds and totalled around 160 in the space of an hour. A Sparrowhawk passed over and a Short-toed Eagle settled on a tree up the hillside. Day 4 - The Mirador and Cazallas Watchpoints. The day was spent raptor watching from the two above watchpoints. We had not been long at the Mirador when Carl called out a Lanner falcon, passing over the road and heading East. Without doubt the best bird of the day though I only managed a photo when it was in poor light. Whether this juvenile falcon was of Southern European race or North African, never became clear. At times the wind could be quite gusty and this was not ideal passage conditions for large numbers of birds. Nonetheless, the raptors we did see were impressive enough, including this adult Egyptian Vulture, one of eleven to make their way across the Straits. Our day totals amounted to:- 54 Griffon Vultures, 11 Egyptian Vultures, 1 Black Vulture, 6 Short-toed Eagle, 22 Booted Eagle, 20 Honey Buzzard, 6 Black Kite, 1 Lanner, 1 Peregrine, 2 Kestrel, 3 White Stork, 4 Common Swift and one unidentified Buzzard species. Day 5 - La Janda. Once another huge wetland, La Janda was extensively drained and is now very much an agricultural area. Some of the canals and old waterways are now used for irrigation. During the night, we heard thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain. There would be little chance of soaring birds after the rain, so La Janda seemed a good way to spend the day. We were still met with short, light showers and as the thunder rumbled away over distant hills, we took a slow drive through this vast plain. Crested Larks and Common Sandpipers were on the road, a flock of around 50 Bee-eaters were drying out in some trees. Of the raptors we found, Marsh Harriers were predominant with 14 seen along the length of the road, sometimes three or four on the ground in one field. 9 Spoonbills passed over in one place and we began to find juvenile Purple Herons along the canal banks. Common Pheasants were seen here, unlike the Algarve where they are scarcely seen at all. We had a remarkable sighting of 5 Black-winged Kites together in one field, a little too far for my camera but worth watching for a good while. Again, small birds were few and far between. Some Corn Buntings, both a Reed and Sedge Warbler together with occasional Yellow Wagtails. On leaving, we noticed a Short-toed Eagle drying out on a pylon. Whilst on this road which takes you through a good part of La Janda, we met a few birders. In particular, a nice lady who helped us out with our Bald Ibis quest, as we were still no nearer finding this rarity. We set off towards a golf course in the area where they were breeding and sure enough, there were three Northern Bald Ibis strutting about on the greens!! Oh wow! There he was, a 'lifer' for most of us and interesting to make comparisons with the more familiar Glossy Ibis. It was mid afternoon by now and there was still time for a return visit to the Barbate marshes. After a lunch at a roadside restaurant between the sea and the marsh, we set off for more birding. The tide was at its highest on the marsh and Yellow Wagtails flitted between islands of vegetation. The Ruff seen previously was still present on the marsh. Black-winged Stilts called noisily in the air. A final look at the farmers' fields by the road at KM3 (kilometre marker) revealed no less than 33 Northern Bald Ibis, in what could be loosely described as a horse paddock. They were indeed in the area we had first come to, but we hadn't looked in the right field where they obviously grubbed about for food! A brilliant way to end a long day in the field. Day 6 - Bolonia and Cuevo del Moro. Outside Bolonia remains a Roman archaeological site named Baelo Claudia. A temple, forum and fish-salting factory can be seen among other ruins. This site has recorded Black-eared Wheatear, Short-toed Lark and Tawny Pipit among others. However, we were to continue our run of very few passerine species and after a welcome coffee at an 'interesting' beach restaurant, we added only an Audouin's Gull in the bay, to our trip list. The weather on this day was beautiful - clear and sunny as we made our way up into the hills and to our next site at Cuevo del Moro, the Moorish Cave. An entire afternoon was spent in this peaceful location with the opportunity to see several raptor species. Griffon Vultures have a small colony here and we watched them coming and going from their craggy homes. Also on the rock face were at least 5 Blue Rock Thrush. On the very summit, we could just make out 2 Black-eared Wheatears hopping from rock to rock. Ravens flew by and 30+ Bee-eaters passed over towards the coast. Other raptors seen here included 1 juvenile Egyptian Vulture, male Montagu's Harrier, 5 Black Kites, 1 Honey Buzzard, 1 Osprey and a Short-toed Eagle. 3 Crag Martins were seen to enter the cave on the rock face. Day 7 - CIMA and Cazalla Watchpoints. A view across the Straits of Gibraltar, early mist lingering on the Moroccan side. Our day began at the CIMA's watchpoint where Whimbrel were seen in the field below us. Two Cory's Shearwaters were picked out at sea and 30 Bee-eaters flew across the Straits. With heavy rain in the north of Spain, raptors were still not on the move and our count here comprised - 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 1 Short-toed Eagle, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Egyptian Vulture, 1 Black Kite, 1 Honey Buzzard, 4 Booted Eagle and our first 2 Black Storks. The Observatory at Cazalla. Counts in the afternoon were not much better with - 3 Short-toed Eagle, 6 Booted Eagle, 3 Griffon Vulture, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Osprey, 3 Common Buzzard (type) and 2 Black Kite. Day 8 - Final Day at The Mirador and Cazalla. It was on our final day that we witnessed the migration of the Honey Buzzards from both watchpoints. Having been at the 'Straits' for a week, it is reasonable to say that large movements of birds will follow periods of unfavourable weather. This may be locally in the form of high or gusty winds, or adverse weather to the north where birds will accumulate in numbers. On arriving at the Mirador, Honey Buzzards were already streaming over in loose groups. Most birds were flying very high with odd birds making a lower passage. Some birds rested for a while as with this Short-toed Eagle on a pylon. A flock of 15 Black Storks made a spectacular appearance over the hills. The local Griffons observed everything that was going on. A pause in the Honey Buzzard movement saw us moving across to Cazalla. A good indication as to activity depends on whether the wind turbines are running or stopped. It is encouraging to see that at least during this migration time, the turbines can be turned off when birds are approaching. Here we found different species moving through and a cracking adult Egyptian Vulture came straight for the watchpoint. In comparison to the previous visits, our day total was - 750+ Honey Buzzards, 40 Booted Eagle, 20 Black Kite, 18 Short-toed Eagle, 10 Griffon Vultures, 9 Egyptian Vultures, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 3 Buzzard, 2 White Stork and 16 Black Stork.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
|