At around 08:00hrs several groups of European Bee-eater, totalling 200+ individuals, flew over the village.
Afternoon raptor movement as follows:
17:45hrs: 5 Honey Buzzard, 1 Booted Eagle
18:00hrs: 43 Honey Buzzard
18:15hrs: 20 then 18 Honey Buzzard, 1 Black Kite, 1 Booted Eagle
Still 2 or 3 Common Swift around Calle Convento.
Wednesday 31 August 2016, Gaucin, mostly sunny, light SE wind, 30C
Tim B, Rob and I headed out at 08:00hrs on quite a cool morning to see what we could find along the Serrania de Ronda.
First, in almost misty conditions, we visited the Salto de Cura where we saw: Wood Pigeon, Firecrest, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Chiffchaff sp.; Great-spotted Woodpecker and Eurasian Nuthatch were heard.
Next up was the Las Pilas track above Algatocin, where we logged: Griffon Vulture, 2 Black Kite, a dozen or so Honey Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Common Kestrel, Common Raven, Eurasian Jay, European Bee-eater, Common Swift, Crag Martin, House Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Spotless Starling, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, a stunning male Common Redstart, 2 Black Redstart, Stonechat, Black-eared Wheatear, Black Wheatear, Crested Tit, Sardinian Warbler, Common Whitethroat, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Cirl Bunting.
Our final stop, it was now rather warm, was the Encinas Borrachas track between Atajate and Ronda. Here we were treated to: Griffon Vulture, Common Kestrel, Red-legged Partridge, European Bee-eater, Southern Grey Shrike, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Thekla Lark, Stonechat, Great Tit, Melodious Warbler, Blackcap, Spectacled Warbler and Serin; Bonelli's Warbler was heard.
In all, 44 Species seen and 3 heard.
Back in the village there was a third Monarch butterfly in three days, with one over Calle Convento around 14:00hrs, also 7 Booted Eagle and 2 Honey Buzzard moving through at 18:00hrs and 3 Honey Buzzard at 19:15hrs.
Yesterday there was a Eurasian Hoopoe in the woods above the La Umbria route (R Gordon).
A couple of photos of the tame Thekla Lark seen along the Gaucin paseo over the past few days.....
First, in almost misty conditions, we visited the Salto de Cura where we saw: Wood Pigeon, Firecrest, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Chiffchaff sp.; Great-spotted Woodpecker and Eurasian Nuthatch were heard.
Next up was the Las Pilas track above Algatocin, where we logged: Griffon Vulture, 2 Black Kite, a dozen or so Honey Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Common Kestrel, Common Raven, Eurasian Jay, European Bee-eater, Common Swift, Crag Martin, House Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Spotless Starling, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, a stunning male Common Redstart, 2 Black Redstart, Stonechat, Black-eared Wheatear, Black Wheatear, Crested Tit, Sardinian Warbler, Common Whitethroat, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Cirl Bunting.
Our final stop, it was now rather warm, was the Encinas Borrachas track between Atajate and Ronda. Here we were treated to: Griffon Vulture, Common Kestrel, Red-legged Partridge, European Bee-eater, Southern Grey Shrike, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Thekla Lark, Stonechat, Great Tit, Melodious Warbler, Blackcap, Spectacled Warbler and Serin; Bonelli's Warbler was heard.
In all, 44 Species seen and 3 heard.
Back in the village there was a third Monarch butterfly in three days, with one over Calle Convento around 14:00hrs, also 7 Booted Eagle and 2 Honey Buzzard moving through at 18:00hrs and 3 Honey Buzzard at 19:15hrs.
Yesterday there was a Eurasian Hoopoe in the woods above the La Umbria route (R Gordon).
A couple of photos of the tame Thekla Lark seen along the Gaucin paseo over the past few days.....
Monday 29 August 2016, Gaucin, partly cloudy, light W-NW wind, 36C
A change in wind direction to poniente produced a very warm and humid day.
Highlights of a morning walk around La Umbria were a male Pied Flycatcher and a second Monarch butterfly in two days, also a singing Iberian Chiffchaff.
Very little raptor migration with just a couple each of Short-toed Eagle and Booted Eagle mid-afternoon. There was a (local) Common Buzzard over Calle Convento during the morning. At 18:30hrs a flock of 50+ European Bee-eater headed south over the village - it's difficult to know if they were migrating as there is a group of about that size around most days at the moment.
Good news from Tim B who reported hearing an Eagle Owl at 06:00hrs this morning - I haven't seen nor heard one since 22 October last year!
Highlights of a morning walk around La Umbria were a male Pied Flycatcher and a second Monarch butterfly in two days, also a singing Iberian Chiffchaff.
Very little raptor migration with just a couple each of Short-toed Eagle and Booted Eagle mid-afternoon. There was a (local) Common Buzzard over Calle Convento during the morning. At 18:30hrs a flock of 50+ European Bee-eater headed south over the village - it's difficult to know if they were migrating as there is a group of about that size around most days at the moment.
Good news from Tim B who reported hearing an Eagle Owl at 06:00hrs this morning - I haven't seen nor heard one since 22 October last year!
Sunday 28 August 2016, Gaucin, hazy sunshine, light SE wind, 33C
A very warm and humid day, but plenty of raptor migration to see:
14:00-15:00hrs: 83 Honey Buzzard (groups of between 6 and 38 birds), 12 Booted Eagle, 2 Short-toed Eagle, 134 European Bee-eater (groups of 43, 39 and 52)
16:30-17:00hrs: one group of 50+ Booted Eagle (moving through in front of Sierra Crestellina, then heading west at the wind turbines, this was the biggest single group I've seen), 1 Honey Buzzard, 1 Short-toed Eagle, 2 Common Buzzard
Local birds included the usual dark morph Booted Eagle and its occasional pale morph companion, plus 3 Common Swift, a Barn Swallow, 20+ House Martin and a singing first summer Blue Rock Thrush on a roof in Barrio Alto.
An early evening walk along the paseo alongside the (Gaucin-Algeciras road) produced a further 2 Honey Buzzard, a very tame Thekla Lark, Stonechat and, a first in the village for me, a Monarch butterfly (one has been reported near the castle recently).
Observations from Tim B:
Hundreds of Honey Buzzard again today. They started early (1100h) - I counted 200 in an hour late afternoon, but most were high and distant.
A minimum of 6 Swifts over the village, a female Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine this evening.
14:00-15:00hrs: 83 Honey Buzzard (groups of between 6 and 38 birds), 12 Booted Eagle, 2 Short-toed Eagle, 134 European Bee-eater (groups of 43, 39 and 52)
16:30-17:00hrs: one group of 50+ Booted Eagle (moving through in front of Sierra Crestellina, then heading west at the wind turbines, this was the biggest single group I've seen), 1 Honey Buzzard, 1 Short-toed Eagle, 2 Common Buzzard
Local birds included the usual dark morph Booted Eagle and its occasional pale morph companion, plus 3 Common Swift, a Barn Swallow, 20+ House Martin and a singing first summer Blue Rock Thrush on a roof in Barrio Alto.
An early evening walk along the paseo alongside the (Gaucin-Algeciras road) produced a further 2 Honey Buzzard, a very tame Thekla Lark, Stonechat and, a first in the village for me, a Monarch butterfly (one has been reported near the castle recently).
Observations from Tim B:
Hundreds of Honey Buzzard again today. They started early (1100h) - I counted 200 in an hour late afternoon, but most were high and distant.
A minimum of 6 Swifts over the village, a female Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine this evening.
Saturday 27 August 2016, Gaucin, sunny, calm air-light SE wind, 31C
Some good raptor passage from mid-afternoon today as follows:
15:00-16:00hrs: 76 Honey Buzzard, 140 Black Kite, 1 Booted Eagle
16:00-17:00hrs: 100 Black Kite
17:00-18:00hrs: 23 Honey Buzzard, 36 Black Kite, 1 Booted Eagle, 30 distant, unidentified raptors
At this point I had to go to a wedding so the count was over. I did, however, notice that there were still plenty of Honey Buzzard moving through during the (outdoor) ceremony at 19:00hrs!
The following observations from Tim B:
A Sparrowhawk on the Convento roof for 30 min early this morning (the female has been seen around in that area quite a bit lately per Chris D)
50+ Bee-eaters back and forth through the day
At least two swifts around
500 Honey Buzzard and 150 Black Kites heading south - spectacular mid-afternoon
One Peregrine, also heading south
15:00-16:00hrs: 76 Honey Buzzard, 140 Black Kite, 1 Booted Eagle
16:00-17:00hrs: 100 Black Kite
17:00-18:00hrs: 23 Honey Buzzard, 36 Black Kite, 1 Booted Eagle, 30 distant, unidentified raptors
At this point I had to go to a wedding so the count was over. I did, however, notice that there were still plenty of Honey Buzzard moving through during the (outdoor) ceremony at 19:00hrs!
The following observations from Tim B:
A Sparrowhawk on the Convento roof for 30 min early this morning (the female has been seen around in that area quite a bit lately per Chris D)
50+ Bee-eaters back and forth through the day
At least two swifts around
500 Honey Buzzard and 150 Black Kites heading south - spectacular mid-afternoon
One Peregrine, also heading south
Friday 26 August 2016, Gaucin, mostly sunny, light SE wind, 30C
A pre-breakfast walk around La Umbria produced Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, 2 Turtle Dove, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Firecrest, Bonelli's Warbler, one, possibly two Iberian Chiffchaff still singing, and in one pine tree, Short-toed Treecreeper, Spotted Flycatcher, Crested Tit and Coal Tit.
Whilst I've been out elsewhere the last couple of mornings a Eurasian Hoopoe has been heard (Janys) and seen (Chris D) at the top of the Camino de Gibraltar.
On Thursday Tim B reported three Red-rumped Swallow at the far end of El Hacho, plus a flock of 20 Blue Tits; at 1500hrs 30 Honey Buzzard low over the village, that eventually went very high and then peeled off one by one, southwards and one Black Kite at Jimena in the afternoon.
Whilst I've been out elsewhere the last couple of mornings a Eurasian Hoopoe has been heard (Janys) and seen (Chris D) at the top of the Camino de Gibraltar.
On Thursday Tim B reported three Red-rumped Swallow at the far end of El Hacho, plus a flock of 20 Blue Tits; at 1500hrs 30 Honey Buzzard low over the village, that eventually went very high and then peeled off one by one, southwards and one Black Kite at Jimena in the afternoon.
Wednesday 24 August 2016, Gaucin, mostly sunny, light-fresh SE wind, 30C
Having recently told someone I hadn't heard a Tawny Owl for some time, one promptly called for a few minutes in Calle del Pino in the early hours of this morning.
There were at least 2 female/imm Pied Flycatcher in the cork oaks behind El Hacho mountain above El Peso mid-morning; also Firecrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Bonelli's Warbler and Chiffchaff sp.
There was a bit of Honey Buzzard migration this afternoon with groups of 4, 5 and 5 moving through between 17:00 and 17:25hrs; also 2 Short-toed Eagle. Tim B reported 30 European Bee-eater this morning, 2 Short-toed Eagle around lunch time, 2 or 3 Swift sp. during the afternoon and 30 Black Kite over the village at around 19:00hrs.
An interesting side-effect of the impact of Diclofenac on vulture population in India:
Zoroastrian tradition under threat
There were at least 2 female/imm Pied Flycatcher in the cork oaks behind El Hacho mountain above El Peso mid-morning; also Firecrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Bonelli's Warbler and Chiffchaff sp.
There was a bit of Honey Buzzard migration this afternoon with groups of 4, 5 and 5 moving through between 17:00 and 17:25hrs; also 2 Short-toed Eagle. Tim B reported 30 European Bee-eater this morning, 2 Short-toed Eagle around lunch time, 2 or 3 Swift sp. during the afternoon and 30 Black Kite over the village at around 19:00hrs.
An interesting side-effect of the impact of Diclofenac on vulture population in India:
Zoroastrian tradition under threat
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