Friday 27 November 2015, Gaucin, sunny, calm air-light S-SE wind, 20C

After the 'cold spell' at the beginning of the week, the northerly winds contributing to night-time temperatures of 3C on Tuesday/Wednesday and day-time temperatures of 13C, the last couple of days have been rather warm again.

Down on the Rio Genal on Thursday morning there was a Redwing (first of the winter) amongst a small group of Song Thrush but sadly little else due to the close proximity of hunters; late afternoon there was a Firecrest in the small oak trees opposite Bodeguita Chaparro. There are quite a few Paperwhite Narcissus around which look wonderful in the winter sun.

Paperwhite Narcissus

female Black Redstart

This afternoon at 15:30hrs there were at least 150 Griffon Vulture below the Brenaverde restaurant on the Gaucin-Algeciras road. I went down to have a look but the only carrion I could see was a small snake so not sure what the attraction was! They were flying in from all directions, forming several large swirling kettles, so an accurate count was difficult but 150 would be a conservative estimate; it was quite a spectacle.

On the west slope of El Hacho the highlights were a pale morph Booted Eagle, Peregrine, a covey of 8 Red-legged Partridge, Blue Rock Thrush, 10+ Crag Martin, Meadow Pipit, 10+ Stonechat, Black Redstart, 2 male Dartford Warbler and Cirl Bunting.

Some of the many Griffon Vulture seen this afternoon: