Cadiz province, Spain - Migration Time

[salacalvet]

As some of you may now in a few hours we leave for a week to our home in Cadiz Spain for a week. We will be spending most days watching various bird species migrating back to Africa for the winter and a couple of days in the mountains North of Gibraltar looking for Southern Spanish Ibex (Capra Pyrenaica Hispanica). The later may be a harder task than we thought as the locations they normally appear at none have been seen recently. We will try all the same. Another major part of what we are hoping to see is over 20 Raptor species from close quarters, fingers crossed.

We arrive early Saturday morning and on the way home we will spend a few hours in the marshes south of Seville. Main reason for this is to get Purple Heron, Great Egret, Spoonbills, Purple Swamphen, King Fishers, Couple of species of Weaver finch (only breeding colonies in Europe I’ve been told), Black Stork and various other marsh birds. More to keep Louise happy as she loves the area

Sunday we are off to Tarifa area for Raptors. Spanish Imperial Eagle (been spotted yesterday), Bonelli's Eagle, Booted Eagle, Short Toed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Griffon & Egyptian Vultures, Montague’s, Marsh & Hen Harries, Black shouldered Kite, Black Kites are some of the raptors we are hoping to photograph. My main hope is melanistic Montague’s Harrier.

Then it’s to the mountains for Ibex and today we have been told that the Red Deer have started to rut fingers crossed.

Rest of the week will be local to our home looking for various species.

Will post some unedited pics throughout the week and updates

 

[u8myufo]

Have a safe journey Martin and I wish you all the best in getting as many shots as possible

 

[mark richards]

any room for me ....have a great time, ...mark.

 

[mex]

envious

 

[salacalvet]

Hi All
Internet is down so have limited access at the coffee shop, so here is a brief of what has happened till today.

We arrived on Saturday and within a hour were in the marshes south of Sevilla and highlights were. Purple Heron, flock of 40+ Purple Swamphen, Black headed golden Weavers, Squacoo and Night herons.



Sunday in the Tarifa area and what a day. 15 species of Raptor including, Marsh & Montaque's Harriers, Eagles (short Toe & Booted), 50+ Lesser Kestrel hunting in the same feild and being robbed of there cathes by Perigrines (fantastic Behavious to watch). Non Raptor highlights Roller, Red Backed Shrike & Woodchat Shrike. In late afternoon we headed to the mountains round Rhonda for a couple of nights and that evening watched 1300+ Honey Buzzards migrating over our friends house.

Honey Buzzard

To give you a idea of the migration flocks the below are white Storks. The picture is a 1/4 of the flock and contains over 130.

Monday was in the mountains looking for Ibex and we were lucky to find 13 females and some young, however no Males Still fantastic.

Southern Iberian Ibex

Also saw Red Deer. In the late after noon we headed down to the river and saw various fly catchers, Kingfisher, but the highlight was Bee Eaters diving in the water to wash and drink. A behaviour not easy to witness at water level. Belive it or not my highlight of the week

Finished the day of with watching Eagle Owl of the cliff behind another friends home

Today we spent the day round a area called La Janda and what a day filled with various Raptors including the rare Melanistic Montaque's, Spanish Imperial Eagle (only brief but no photo - will get her again by the end of the week fingers crossed). Then Louise's highlight, a Little Owl.

ShortToe Eagle

The pics have only been slightly cropped as the netbook has limited photoshop. Please be gentle and hope you enjoy them

Will try and post more updates before the week is out but if not I will when I get home

 

[u8myufo]

Looking good for you Martin, tell em to stay around till I get out there next week

 

[salacalvet]

Thanks Rich

Last year we went the same time as you are going. There is still lots of action to see Hooney Buzzards & Bee Eaters will be mostly gone but there should still be some about.

It also looks like a Levante is about to start which is a South wind fromt eh Sahara and if so nothing will be able to cross for about 3-5 days and then there is virtualy tons to see were you will be as they stop a little in land and in the hils/mountains