Friday 30 August 2013, Gaucin, partly cloudy, light-fresh SE wind, 29C

The male Eagle Owl was calling from somewhere just below Calle del Pino at 0630hrs; I got up to try and see it but by the time I reached the terrace it had gone/gone quiet. There was some spectacular migration during the afternoon with numbers as follows:

1330hrs: 300+ Honey Buzzard, 1 adult and 1 juvenile Egyptian Vulture. The number of Honey Buzzard may have been nearer 500 as there were two large 'kettles' of birds to the SW of the village that were constantly swirling around, intermingling and being joined by new individuals making an accurate count very difficult.

1345hrs: 56 Honey Buzzard
1400hrs: 129 Honey Buzzard, 24 Black Kite, 1 Short-toed Eagle, 30 European Bee-eater
1415hrs: 34 European Bee-eater (possibly same birds as above?)
1530hrs: 110 Honey Buzzard
1700hrs: 2 Honey Buzzard, 10 Black Kite

Other than the large group at 1330hrs, the Honey Buzzards were mostly heading NE-SW over the East of the village. In addition to the migrants there were at least 45 Griffon Vulture, 3 Booted Eagle and 1 Short-toed Eagle around all afternoon.

Thursday 29 August 2013, Gaucin, mostly cloudy, light-fresh E-SE wind, 29C

Some raptor movement during the morning as folows:

1145hrs: 50 Honey Buzzard
1210hrs: 88 Honey Buzzard, 2 Black Kite

Watching on and off during a very cloudy afternoon, with some thunder, there was nothing to be seen. There are still a handful of Swift, a few more House Martin and at least one pair of Barn Swallow around the south of the village.

Stormy sky this afternoon

Wednesday 28 August 2013, Gaucin, partly cloudy, light-fresh S-SE wind, 28C

Afternoon migration counts over the village as follows:

1730hrs: 88 Honey Buzzard, 1 Black Kite
1800hrs: 33 Honey Buzzard
1830hrs: 43 European Bee-eater
1930hrs: 60 Honey Buzzard
2000hrs: 29 Honey Buzzard

Most birds following a N-NE to S-SW route.

Tuesday 27 August 2013, Gaucin, sunny, light-fresh E-SE wind, 28C

After one day of westerly winds we were back to levante and the murky view to the coast that goes with it! Despite reaching 28C, today, like yesterday, had a cool feel to it. There are variable amounts of precipitation forecast over the next few days; if this happens it will be an early return for the rains.

Just the following sightings today:

1830hrs: 49 Honey Buzzard, 12 Black Kite

Monday 26 August 2013, Gaucin, misty am, sunny pm, light W-SW wind, 28C

A change in the wind direction and a 4C drop in temperature and all of a sudden it feels like autumn is just around the corner. We woke to a 'white-out' mist engulfing the village and the autumnal feel was added to by the presence of a Blue Rock Thrush on a roof in Calle del Pino and a European Robin in full song; also a couple of Honey Buzzard at around 1030hrs. It wasn't until mid-day that the mist lifted and I could look for migrating raptors. Nothing much to report until late afternoon when I noted the following:
1700hrs: 21 Honey Buzzard and 1 Black Kite
1715hrs: 48 Honey Buzzard
1900hrs: 7 Honey Buzzard, 1 Black Kite, 2 Common Buzzard and 1 adult female/juvenile Montagu's Harrier

Sunday 25 August 2013, sunny, calm air-light S-SE wind, 32C

From 0930-1100hrs a walk along the Sierra de Espartina (Smuggler's route) produced a handful of Honey Buzzard lifting off from the nearby wooded areas, also Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle (including great views of  two performing a 'bonding' display) and Crested Tit. During the afternoon, frequent scans from the village showed continuing rapter passage with the following sightings:

1530hrs: 5 Honey Buzzard, 4 Black Kite, 1 pale morph Booted Eagle, 1 Short-toed Eagle
1545hrs: 28 Honey Buzzard, 2 Black Kite, 20 Swift sp., 35 European Bee-eater
1615hrs: 5 Honey Buzzard, 3 Black Kite
1715hrs: 23 Honey Buzzard, 25 Black Kite
1730hrs: 28 Honey Buzzard, 29 Black Kite 1 juvenile Egyptian Vulture
1745hrs: 18 Honey Buzzard, 12 Black Kite, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Booted Eagle, 1 Short-toed Eagle
1800hrs: 16 Honey Buzzard, 1 Black Kite, 1 Common Buzzard
1840hrs: 39 European Bee-eater

Saturday 24 August 2013, Gaucin, sunny, light S-SE wind, 32C

The male Eagle Owl was back again in the Calle Convento/Calle del Pino area, calling for 15min from 0215hrs, occasionally 'duetting' with a Tawny Owl!  At 0900hrs there were two male Golden Oriole along the Arroyo del Moro track down towards the Rio Genal and driving back up at 1030hrs the first Honey Buzzard of the day. After yesterday's migration excitement today was a little quieter with sightings during the afternoon as follows:

1540hrs: 18 Black Kite, 6 Honey Buzzard
1740hrs: 2 Honey Buzzard
1805hrs: 1 Honey Buzzard


For most of the afternoon there were a couple of pale morph and one intermediate morph Booted Eagle around, also a beautifully marked adult Short-toed Eagle.

A nice surprise was a 'kettle' of 90+ Black Kite that was building up just to the SW of the village at 2115hrs despite the rapidly fading light.