Elena and I picked Bob Wright up at eight and we arrived at El Algarrobo watchpoint near Tarifa shortly after 10 am. Strong Easterly winds had pushed most migrating raptors over this way and low cloud cover created some excellent viewing as Black Kites, Booted and Short-toed Eagles and Griffon Vultures were numerous and quite low. Honey Buzzards were streaming across at much greater heights so few close views were available.
Booted Eagle
I start the blog with a very nice shot of a young Booted Eagle sitting on an old fence post on a hillside overlooking the sea. Probably it was waiting for favourable winds before making the long crossing to Africa.
Griffon Vulture
The Griffon Vulture in this shot shows just how low many of the birds were flying due I think to the low cloud cover and strong winds blowing out towards the Atlantic.
 Short-toed Eagle |  Black Kite |
After spending a good 45 minutes watching the activity tailed off so we decided to move on to Cazalla Observatorio where an entirely different display was in progress. Here there were fewer birds in sight but those we saw were almost exclusively Egyptian Vultures. Why they followed a different path to the other raptors is a mystery but they were all flying low and following the contours of the land. Perhaps they are not such strong flyers and require more shelter from the strong winds, I don't know but it was in stark contrast to the other raptors a little farther East of here.
Egyptian Vulture
After Cazalla we decided to drive down to the coast following the military access road, past the Bateria de Costa "Cascabel", down to the cliff area and then west past Punta del Oliveros and on to the CIMA Centre for Migration Observation. This is a pretty rough track and I would not do it in any car, fortunately my old Suzuki 4x4 is designed for this type of terrain.
Booted Eagle
Here's another look at the magnificent young Booted Eagle that we saw down here, and a low flying Honey Buzzard that I initially mistook for another dark morph Booted Eagle, so it was very pleasant surprise to dicover the more interesting species instead.
Honey Buzzard
Griffon Vulture
Finally a couple of shots of Griffon Vulture and Short-toed Eagle to finish this section on the migration watch for this trip, which had been very productive.
Short-toed Eagle
Apart from the easily seen raptors there were very few other birds to be seen. A few Wheatears down by the coast, including this Black-eared Wheatear male on a fence. Stonechats were numerous but nothing much else except a few larks and Sardinian Warblers, a flock or two of Bee-eaters flying low, but little else, so we decided to move on to La Janda.
Black-eared Wheatear
It's worth noting that Elena and I returned here a few days later and found the "Torreta Dep Buque Espana", which is the name of a very large disused gun battery overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar. The photo was taken with my phone and it shows Morocco in the distance across the Straits, which must be at or near the narrowest point just here.
Torreta Dep Buque Espana
The main track through La Janda produced very little, we did see a Montagu's Harrier but it flew away before I could get the camera onto it. One or two distant Marsh Harriers were around but it wasn't until we made the right turn & headed up towards Benalup that we saw much of interest.
Marsh Harrier
Along this track we saw the first of three Black-shouldered Kites, I even managed to grab a quck snapshot of one before it flew off into the distance.
Black-shouldered Kite
As we passed "The Smelly Farm" as Bob likes to call it we spotted a beautiful and very large Otter in the water. I was driving so it took me a minute or two to get the camera onto it but just in time I managed to grab a quick record shot of what was a really nice wildlife sighting.
Otter
As we swung left towards the village of Benalup we came across a pond, or more accurately the flooded edge of a rice field containing a "Raft" of Glossy Ibis, all densely packed and crouching down into the face of a strong wind. There must have been more than 250 birds huddled together.
Glossy Ibis
A closer looked around the Ibis raft turned up a few other waders including this very handsome Ruff, which was a nice surprise. In addition there were Greenshank, Ringed Plovers plus Common and Green Sandpipers.
Ruff
After La Janda and Benalup we went on to Barbate and the salt flats to the South of Town. Here we watched this Osprey swoop down and emerge with a large fish in its talons, whereupon it was joined by a young osprey looking for a meal from its parent. A fun sighting.
Osprey
There were a lot of birds on and around the ponds, most were Gulls of various types but not least this group of Audouins Gulls which are always a delight to see.
Audouins Gulls
Flamingos were present in quite large numbers, along with a few Spoonbill, Avocet, Red and Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, a Great Egret plus Common and Green Sandpiper.
Greater Flamingos
On the ground and in the trees fringing the ponds we picked up several nice species. Elena spotted a Little Owl which sat nicely for a while allowing us to get some nice photos.
Little Owl
Crested and Short-toed Larks were foraging in the sandy soil.
Short-toed Lark
Sardinian Warblers were quite numerous in the stunted trees and bushes....
Sardinian Warbler male
Sardinian Warbler female
...and I was very pleased to pick up a nice Whitethroat in the trees. Small birds are, in my opinion, in serious decline, we see a fraction of the numbers we did just a few years ago. It's a disaster unfolding rapidly with some formerly common species becoming scarce now.
Whitethroat
Zitting Cisticolas were once extremely common, we don't see many any more so it's nice to find a few here.
Zitting Cisticola
It's alway nice to find the Common Redstart. Common is a bit of a misnomer here as they are definitely not common, I suppose it just differentiates them from the other Redstart species we have in Spain which is the Black Redstart, which is in fact far more common.
Common Redstart
Common Redstart female
There was more than one pair of Redstarts and I knew there was a high chance I might find a Pied Flycatcher or two, sure enough there was at least one pair present in company with the Redstarts. I have learned that they are often seen together, and so it was here as predicted.
Pied Flycatcher
Across a narrow strip of water we spotted a Stone Curlew on one of the islands. There always seem to be one or two present on this rather barren plot, probably because it is secure from homosapiens and other land based predators.
Stone Curlew
It was good to see a number of adult and juvenile Woodchat Shrikes flitting around the bushes. Evidence of a successful breeding season.
Woodchat Shrike
Woodchat Shrike juvenile
As we made our way out of the barbate wetlands we caught a second view of the Little Owl that we saw on the way in. An nice bird to finish up with.
Little Owl
On a later pass through La Janda we were held up by a roadblock of Cattle Egrets. There must have been 200 or more closely packed and spread across the road showing no signs of wanting to clear a path for cars that were stopped on each side.
Cattle Egret roadblock
It was fun watching them and speculating on the reasons for such strange behaviour. I always believe the motivation must be something to do with food or nesting, and as the breeding season was over I concluded there must be a food source here somewhere.
Cattle Egrets
I noticed that there was a valve manifold/sluice gate close by which was something to do with the adjacent rice field. i believe they must have been waiting for the valve or sluice gate to open to release water from the rice field which looked very ripe and ready for cutting. They were waiting for the nutrient rich water to be released which would contain at least harvest of the American Crayfish that thrive in the paddy fields, and perhaps much more. Clever birds.
Cattle Egrets on the sluice gate structure
Well we obviously couldn't wait indefinitely so eventually edged slowly forwards, whereupon the egrets flew up, and immediately settled back on the road once we had passed. They appeared to be very single minded and determined to wait patiently for a good meal, something they must have had prior knowledge of.
Cattle Egrets
On the subject of Egrets, here's a Great Egret that was also seen in the fields of La Janda.
Great Egret
This Little Egret on the other hand I photographed in good light on a subsequent visit to the Charca de Suarez, Motril. It's worth posting for the unusual amount of detail of the all white plumage, which close proximity and good light achieve.
Little Egret
Here's another couple of images of a very beautiful Spoonbill, again at the Charca. It is fresh and clean and unencumbered by the usual heavy bling around it's legs. As yet it had not been caught and manacled by the dreaded ringers who seem to take pleasure in blighting the lives of these stunning birds simply because they can. It contributes nothing but misery for the poor birds who are trussed up looking ready for a supermarket shelf with labels and rings all over their legs.
Spoonbill
Spoonbill
As well as the Spoonbill this juvenile Flamingo was wandering around in fromt of the hide so I took a picture to show that remarkable downcurved bill designed to sweep the mud on the bottom of the shallow water in which it wades.
Greater Flamingo juvenile
Finally a nice shot of one of the most common birds in this part of Spain, the Stonechat. This is a handsome male perched conspicuously on the top of some low scrub, making it very easy to take its picture. So here it is.
Stonechat
I don't usually count, or make a list of birds seen, but Bob compiled this list of 70+ species which I think was pretty good in a quick overnight visit. It includes 12 species of raptor so I'll start with them:-
Raptors
Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel, Osprey, Honey Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier.
Waders and Herons
Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Stone Curlew, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great Egret, Heron, Glossy Ibis, White Stork, Spoonbill, Flamingo
Others
Little Owl, Whitethroat, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Willow Warbler, Stonechat, Woodchat Shrike, Audouin's Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Common Swift, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Mallard, Gannet, Cormorant.
Raptors
Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel, Osprey, Honey Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier.
Waders and Herons
Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Stone Curlew, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great Egret, Heron, Glossy Ibis, White Stork, Spoonbill, Flamingo
Others
Little Owl, Whitethroat, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Willow Warbler, Stonechat, Woodchat Shrike, Audouin's Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Common Swift, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Mallard, Gannet, Cormorant.
