After a week with family visitors we decided on another quick break in the Tarifa/La Janda area during the migration period. We stayed in a hostal on the edge of Vejer de la Frontera which is a beautiful hill town, great for a night out after a hard day's birding.
I start with perhaps the best photograph of the trip, a stunning Osprey that was sat on a pylon by the road through La Janda, and who should be sat in the car right beneath it? Ricky Owen. I recognized his big lens poking out through the driver's window. I pulled up right behind him and took a few shots myself. It is not often we get a close-up opportunity like this and the result speaks for itself. What a great bird.
I start with perhaps the best photograph of the trip, a stunning Osprey that was sat on a pylon by the road through La Janda, and who should be sat in the car right beneath it? Ricky Owen. I recognized his big lens poking out through the driver's window. I pulled up right behind him and took a few shots myself. It is not often we get a close-up opportunity like this and the result speaks for itself. What a great bird.
Osprey - pandion heleiatus On the way here we had stopped at a favourite migration watchpoint near Tarifa to see some of the raptors crossing the Straits on route to their wintering grounds in Africa. The most prolific species was the Booted Eagle, lots of them. One of the smallest of eagles without the long wings and powerful flight of the larger species I think they need very favorable winds to cross the Straits, so we were treated to the spectacle of lots of them swirling low around the coast waiting for the right conditions. Similarly the only slightly larger Short-toed Eagles were doing the same thing, giving me good photo opportunities.
Booted Eagle - aquila pennata
Sort-toed Eagle - circaetus gallicus
There were a few late Honey Buzzards whose flight appeared to be more direct, they just crossed the sky on their way to Morrocco, more powerful in flight perhaps than the small eagles.
Honey Buzzard - pernis apivornus
I had been here two weeks previously and then there were lots of Egyptian Vultures. This time I only saw one but fortunately it passed quite close by, enabling a photo. I believe all the Griffon Vultures and the larger Eagles were very high in the sky, not within camera range for sure.
Egyptian Vulture - neophron percnopterus
Honey Buzzard - pernis apivornus
The shots above shows how relatively large and powerful the Honey Buzzard's wings are in comparison to the Booted Eagle below right. The young Short-toed Eagle (left) has quite large wings but it does not seem quite so flexible and powerful in flight as the Honey Buzzard, although they are well known for their ability to hover when searching the ground for snakes.
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The young Eagle above brings to mind how many young birds can be seen at this time of year. The juvenile Woodchat Shrike below was very easy to photograph on a fence near the marshes at Barbate. Perhaps it has not yet learned to be so wary as its parents.
Young Woodchat Shrike - lanius senator
Similarly the Northern Wheatear below was quite happy to sit on the fence as we passed by in the car. I think this is a young bird purely because of its small size.
Northern Wheatear - oenanthe oenanthe
When I first spotted the little wader below I thought Kentish Plover, on closer inspection however I see it is a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, it's just started to get some yellow specks on the orbital ring.
Juvenile Little Ringed plover - charadrius dubius
The Whimbrel below was conveniently grazing in front of the hide at Los Lances beach. There were plenty of waders to be seen here but all too far away for photography. I will not list them all but was pleased to note the presence of what I believe were some Red Knot in amongst the Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Sanderling, Black Tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers on the beach. A solitary juvenile Flamingo attracted the attention of some of the beachgoers who were by now becoming quite numerous, so we headed off to get some lunch then head for home as it was too late in the day here to see much else.
Whimbrel - numenius phaeopus
Finally another look at the Osprey who gave us such a thrill in La Janda. A cracking bird.
Osprey - pandion heleiatus
