Saturday 30 July: Another warm day but with a change of wind direction to N-NW. Personally I didn't see any Black Kite today despite looking to the skies at every opportunity! I suspect any passage was further to the east given the wind direction and other observers appear to support this with reports of over 1000 passing down the Genal valley towards Casares this afternoon. I did see a couple of juvenile Red-rumped Swallow along the Los Ranosos track almost opposite the entrance to La Almuna on the Gaucin-Jimena de la Frontera road; they were chasing in and out of a covered terrace where Barn Swallows have nested previously so I'm hopeful that we may get some breeding nearby next year. Also 25-30 European Bee-eaters on the wires opposite the Brenaverde restaurant just outside Gaucin on the same road.

Saturday 30 July: Huge numbers of Black Kites drifted down the Genal Valley on Saturday evening (30th). Between 6pm - 8pm at least 1,000 birds were seen with more pouring through before then. (per John & Penny Hale - Casares).

Gibraltar will be the place to be on Sunday 31st July to watch them cross the Strait of Gibraltar! (posted by Wingspanner).

Friday 29 July, Gaucin, clear skies, very warm, variable E-SE wind: There was an impressive passage of Black Kite today with reports of 150 passing by the north-west of the village during the morning (per Jorrian van de Schaaf) and another 150, and a single female Marsh Harrier, during early afternoon (per Wingspanner). These birds were mostly flying along the Genal valley then 'turning right' in front of Sierra Crestellina before heading SW towards Tarifa. These reports inspired me to brave the heat and have a concerted look which was rewarded with a further 225, most of these birds passed directly over the centre of the village, in a 10-minute period between 1720 and 1730! The Black Kite were joined on the thermals by the occasional, presumably local, Booted Eagle (one pale morph and one moulting dark morph) and Short-toed Eagle.

Thursday 28 July: Very quiet; since the small party of Black Kite seen by Wingspanner last weekend there's been no sign of returning migrant raptors. Still plenty of Swift activity including another Alpine Swift over Calle Convento at 1915hrs today.

Tuesday 26 July, clear skies, hot: A couple of Short-toed Eagle displaying over the valley below Gaucin during the late afternoon and an Alpine Swift low over Calle Convento at 1830. Wingspanner reported a couple of White-rumped Swift over the river Guadiaro in Cortes on Sunday afternoon.

Tuesday 26 July: Another report of an Eagle Owl in Gaucin village; at 01:30hrs this morning one was seen low over the rooftops in C/Lorenzo Garcia - thanks to Tony Bays. This is the third record of a bird within the Gaucin urban area since January this year.

Monday 25 July: Wingspanner reported 15-20 Black Kite over the village on Saturday afternoon so the 'reverse' migration has begun!