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| 2 ringed Bald Ibis on their cliff-face nests |
Having reached Seville the night before it was another bus
journey, this time back to Gibraltar where I was to spend the afternoon, as I
was meeting my friend at the airport later in the evening. I left the Pallid
Swifts, Monk and Rose-ringed Parakeets behind in what’s a truly beautiful city,
as I began what I anticipated would be a fairly uneventful ride. About half-way
into the journey, at La Barca de Veyer, the bus driver announced he’d be getting off for a 15 minute break, and as I gazed out the window, to my amazement I saw a Bald Ibis flying at eye level!
I jumped off the bus and soon saw another flying low,
seemingly having taken off from a fairly low point further up the road. I
crossed, and walked up, and was shocked to see about 8 Bald Ibis sitting on
nests in a cliff-face colony! I took some quick pictures as a few birds flew in
and out, but without wanting to risk being left here I headed back to the bus
after a few minutes. I later learnt that these extremely endangered birds were
introduced to nearby Zahara 12 years ago, and have successfully bred and thus
branched out, bringing me a very unexpected tick.
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| The view over Europa Point to Morocco |
I arrived at Gibraltar at 13:30 and grabbed a taxi to the
Upper Rock, where I was planning to look for Barbary Partridge and do some
sky-watching. I failed on the former, but did spectacularly on the latter.
Gibraltar is famous for its raptor migration as birds cross the Strait of
Gibraltar from Morocco (which you can see from the Upper Rock), arriving at the
British colony just feet above the water, before hopping on the thermals and
rising up and away. I set up camp on and old fort in scorching heat at 15:00,
and in the next hour recorded a remarkable 11 raptor species, the tally being:
Griffon Vulture - 1
Egyptian Vulture – 1
Booted Eagle – 4 (2 pale-phase)
Black Kite - 43
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| A Black Kite, 1 of 43, comes in off the sea |
Marsh Harrier – 3 (1 male)
Montagu’s Harrier – 3 (2 males)
Honey Buzzard - 1
Sparrowhawk - 4
Kestrel – 2 around
Lesser Kestrel - 1
Peregrine Falcon – 1 around
The Egyptian Vulture was a huge bonus, having only seen 1
before in the Pyrenees a decade ago, and the Honey Buzzard was unexpectedly
early. The figures may not be spectacular, but for the sheer thrill of
migration in action, added to some crippling views of species either very rare
or non-existent in the UK, I would highly recommend a getting a load of this
spectacle at some point. Interestingly, many birders suggested Tarifa, slightly
further west and projecting a little more into the Mediterranean, as a better
place.
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| Yellow-legged Gulls were exceptionally numerous in Gibraltar |
Whilst sitting in the heat I managed a couple of sea birds I
wasn’t thinking I’d get on the trip list, with 2 of Gibraltar’s tiny resident
Shag population noted on the rocks near Europa Point, and a distant Cory’s
Shearwater gliding east. I also managed a lifer, in the shape of a few Blue
Rock Thrushes, delightful songsters that I’d get plenty more of in the days
ahead.
After a tiring walk along the Mediterranean Steps revealed many
Yellow-legged Gulls (and the obligatory 'Apes'), but no Barbary Partridges, I decided to grab some food in
the busy Gibraltarian centre, before watching some of a domestic football game
at the Victoria Stadium. My friend was arriving and we had a car to collect,
before ascending into the mountains to catch sleep before a day of searching
for 4 species, 2 of which I had to get there and then if I was to connect with
them on this trip.
