Walking Holidays in Spain - Frontier Holidays

Raptor Migration Sep 2007

An outstanding tour of the prime hot spots from Straits of Gibraltar to Doñana.

Alcornocales Nature Park, Doñana National Park, Strait of Gibraltar, Los Lances Beach, Bolonia, whale watching boat trip, bird ringing, Medina Lagoon, Bonanza Saltpans, Rocío, Odiel , Ronda city, Sierra de las Nieves, Guadalhorce River (8 days) Tour leader: Cristian Jensen Marcet

Group members: Dorothy & Len Nelson, John & Patricia Christie, and Colin Freeman

169 bird species recorded

Trip report written by Cristian Jensen

September 9th 2007 - Day 1
Today was a transfer day, and the late arrival of the group members did not leave much time for bird watching. We drove from Malaga to the eastern part of the Alcornocales Nature Park and settled in to our charming hotel in one of the white villages of Andalucia with windy streets and steep slopes.

September 10th 2007 - Day 2
We woke up to a beautiful morning and had our breakfast on the hotel’s roof terrace. Spotless Starlings were singing from the surrounding roofs and aerials, and this was the first lifer for Colin, Dorothy, and Len.

Once we had finished our breakfast we got ready for our three hour walk in the Alcornocales Nature Park. An easy walk with a steep bit near the end. During our walk we saw lots of raptors, including Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, lots of “Honeys”, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Short-toed (Snake-) Eagle, and a Sparrowhawk. Among the most spectacular sightings was a group of thousands of House Martins covering the bushes, power lines and cliffs. Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreper, Sardinian Warbler, Crested Tit, and Blue Rock Thrush were also seen, and the marvellous butterfly Two-Tailed Pasha was spotted flying in between the trees. Later on we managed to get photos of this species resting on a branch. A Black Stork was seen flying quite close to us.

At lunchtime, we arrived to our restaurant where “tintos de verano” and “claras” were served for us along with the meal. After lunch we took the van and went to a charming fortified village in the heart of the Alcornocales Nature Park. Raptors flew constantly over our heads, and we added Lesser Kestrel to our list and generally had great views of all the raptor species. Three Monarch butterflies were seen flying over a stream, looking for a suitable flower to land on.

Our dinner was served in the hotel with good wine and delicious desserts.

September 11th 2007 - Day 3
This morning we left our hotel for one closer to the Strait. Our new accommodation was placed in the middle of the forest, with Hawfinches practically on our front step. On the way to the new hotel, we stopped in one of the Raptor Migration (Migres) points where we joined one of the groups of volunteers counting all the raptors crossing to Africa. During our stay there we saw hundreds of Honey Buzzards, Black Kites, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle and Short-toed Snake-eagles. After our picnic lunch we headed to the hotel, where we checked in and had a bit of siesta time.

In the afternoon we had planned a boat trip into the Strait, but we had to postpone it due to the rain. Instead we went to the western part of the Alcornocales Nature Park, to an area with rice fields and wetlands. We saw lots of birds there like Spoonbill, Little and Cattle Egrets, Purple Heron, Montagu’s and Marsh Harriers, Black-winged Stilt, Bee-eater, Red-legged Partridge, Crested Lark, Great Reed Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, and thousands of Spanish Sparrows. But the most spectacular sightings weren’t of the more rare birds, but rather of the mega groups of common species like Goldfinch, Sparrow, swallows and martins, that literally covered the bushes and trees and the ground. In a similar fashion, flocks of White Storks were covering the ground in some areas. All this was seen through a slight drizzle, and without moving from the car!!!

Back in our hotel we had a very good dinner consisting of some Moroccan-style dishes.

September 12th 2007 - Day 4
After breakfast the weather was nice, and we went to the very long, straight beach of Los Lances. We saw many shorebirds, such as Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Red Knot, Sanderling, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, and Bar-tailed Godwit. We also saw larks, including Crested, Sky, Calandra, and Short-toed. Groups of the Iberian Yellow Wagtail, Corn Bunting, and some migrants like Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, and Bee-eater, where also flying around in the area, and over the sea we saw Cory’s Shearwater. A group of Audouin’s Gulls were sitting by the beach.

At lunch time we had an appointment at the Roman ruins and a restaurant by the beach. All of us enjoyed the lovely walk around the ruins, including a mystery sighting of a “chameleon”. In the afternoon we had the whale watching boat trip, but Len and Pat didn’t want to go so we brought them back to our cottages so they could have some time off by the swimming pool or walking in the garden.

Dorothy, John, Colin, and I, went on the boat. Very soon, the first Common Dolphins appeared, followed by Pilot Whales and Bottle-nosed Dolphins. And then we saw a spray in the distance!!! We sailed on, and as we were getting closer, we identified the animal below the surface as a Sperm Whale!!!! Cracking!!! The boat stopped at a respectful distance, and we watched it for a while until the animal exposed its tail and dived into the sea. Later two more Sperm Whales appeared, and then another, and then two more, so a total of SIX Sperm Whales allowed us to see them. Most of them were mobbed by the Pilot Whales and Bottle-nosed Dolphins that obviously had their territories in the area. A great day out at sea!

Back in the hotel, we again had a very nice dinner, this time consisting of more local cuisine.

September 13th 2007 - Day 5
Early in the morning we had a local bird ringer visiting, and he did a demonstration of how and why ringing is done. Shortly after we had breakfast and then started our transfer to Doñana. On the way we had some special spots to check. In a big lagoon we saw Squacco and Purple Herons, Spoonbill, Marsh Harrier, and Great Crested, Little, and Black-necked Grebes.

We went to have lunch in a restaurant close to the birding areas, and after lunch the first stop was the salt pans next to town. We saw lots of waders like Avocet, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ringed and Kentish Plovers, and other birds like Caspian Tern, Slender billed Gull, and Yellow-legged Gull. After watching the Flamingoes perform their strange dance while eating, we saw three Black Storks very close.

After the salt pans we went to a pond, where we saw the White-headed Duck and 52 (!!!!!) Marbled Teals! Night Heron, Shoveler, Gadwall, and lots and lots of mosquitoes were added to our list!!! A short drive later we arrived at our new hotel in El Rocío, on the edge of the Doñana marshes.

September 14th 2007 - Day 6
Before having breakfast, we had a chance to birdwatch in the marshes of El Rocio, and later on we headed west to visit a massive tidal area with salt pans where huge amounts of shorebirds were present. Red-knobbed Coot was added to our list together with Stone Curlew, Eurasian Curlew, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Cormorant, Mediterranean Gull, and - found by Dorothy - an adult Herring Gull; a very unusual sight in Andalucía.

After this area and before Colin starved to death, we arrived at our lunch spot, where we saw Azure-winged Magpie as well as Thekla Lark and Dartfort Warbler. Then we went on an excursion inside the National Park of Doñana. We admired the dunes, and the “corrales” of moving pine forests, and we saw both Red and Fallow Deer, and Wild Boar. Red Kite and Black, Little, Common, and Sandwich Terns, were added to our list. While we were looking for the Spanish Imperial Eagle, we spotted another raptor. It was a buzzard…not a common one, but a Long-legged Buzzard!!!!

After our successful trip inside Doñana and the jumpy ride through the dunes, we went back to the hotel. After dinner I headed out to see Red-necked Nightjar with Colin and Dorothy, and we managed to see four different individuals - two of them very close by. Half an hour later we were back to our hotel.

September 15th 2007 - Day 7
Today was another transfer day, and after doing some birding in El Rocio we headed towards our last destination. On our way we stopped at the town of Ronda to see the impressive ravine with beautiful bridges and lots of Red-billed Choughs.

In the mountains we saw a pair of Golden Eagles in territorial flights, and also Wood Lark, Southern Grey Shrike, and Black-eared Wheatear. We checked into our hotel on the edge of the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, and after a siesta we went for walk inside the nature park. Here we added Rock Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Common Crossbill, Coal Tit, and Long-tailed Tit, to our list.

September 16th 2007 - Day 8
The last day already. We did a short walk around the village and then headed towards Malaga, stopping en route to see Black Wheatear. John and Pat had an early flight, so we left them at the airport while Dorothy, Len, Colin, and I, had a few more hours left for bird watching. We went to the Guadalhorce River mouth close to the airport, where we saw Monk Parakeet, Great White Egret, Serin, Kingfisher, and Mute Swan.

After finishing the check list in the airport we checked in and all headed home.

I wish to thank Dorothy, Len, John, Pat, and Colin, for such a great tour.

Cristian.

Comments from Colin
From breakfast on the roof terrace on day 1, where I had my first lifer (Spotless Starling), to the river next to Malaga Airport hours before takeoff where I saw my 33rd (Monk Parakeet), I enjoyed every minute of the week's birdwatching. Many of the birds I had only seen previously rarely or in brief glimpses were there in numbers in plain view. Cristian not only identified birds but explained the diagnostic features with great patience. Watching the ringing at dawn was an eye-opening experience and the whale watching boat trip nearly to the Moroccan shore an unexpected thrill. The highlight for me was undoubtedly watching the raptors soaring majestically overhead on the way to Africa.

The variety of accommodation was very well chosen, all had great character and who could complain about Hawfinches from the front door at Huerta Grande. I can't wait to go again to find the birds we missed this time. Thank you again Callum and Cristian for a wonderful holiday.

Bird list
1. Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus
2. Black-necked Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis
3. Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis
4. Cory's Shearwater - Calonectris diomedea
5. Balearic Shearwater - Puffinus mauretanicus
6. Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo
7. Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
8. Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea
9. Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
10. Great White Egret - Egretta alba
11. Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
12. Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides
13. Black-crowned Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax
14. Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus
15. Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia
16. White Stork - Ciconia ciconia
17. Black Stork - Ciconia nigra
18. Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus ruber
19. Mute Swan - Cygnus olor
20. Greylag Goose - Anser anser
21. Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
22. Gadwall - Anas strepera
23. Common Teal - Anas crecca
24. Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
25. Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata
26. Marbled Teal - Marmaronetta angustirostris
27. Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina
28. Common Pochard - Aythya ferina
29. White-headed Duck - Oxyura leucocephala
30. Egyptian Vulture - Neophron percnopterus
31. Eurasian Griffon Vulture - Gyps fulvus
32. Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
33. European Honey Buzzard - Pernis apivorus
34. Red Kite - Milvus milvus
35. Black Kite - Milvus migrans
36. Booted Eagle - Hieraaetus pennatus
37. Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos
38. Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus
39. Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis
40. Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus
41. Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo
42. Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus
43. Western Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus
44. Montagu's Harrier - Circus pygargus
45. Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus
46. Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus
47. Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni
48. Red-legged Partridge - Alectoris rufa
49. Common Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus
50. Common Coot - Fulica atra
51. Red-knobbed Coot - Fulica cristata
52. Purple Swamphen - Porphyrio porphyrio
53. Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus
54. Eurasian Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus
55. Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta
56. Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus
57. Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus
58. Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
59. Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula
60. Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius
61. Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus
62. Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
63. Dunlin - Calidris alpina
64. Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea
65. Little Stint - Calidris minuta
66. Red Knot - Calidris canutus
67. Sanderling - Calidris alba
68. Common Redshank - Tringa totanus
69. Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
70. Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
71. Green Sandpiper - Tringa ochropus
72. Ruff - Philomachus pugnax
73. Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata
74. Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus
75. Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa
76. Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica
77. Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago
78. Stone Curlew - Burhinus oedicnemus
79. Great Skua - Stercorarius skua
80. Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus
81. Mediterranean Gull - Larus melanocephalus
82. European Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
83. Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis
84. Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus
85. Audouin's Gull - Larus audouinii
86. Slender-billed Gull - Larus genei
87. Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis
88. Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
89. Little Tern - Sterna albifrons
90. Caspian Tern - Sterna caspia
91. Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
92. Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybridus
93. Feral Pigeon - Columba livia feral
94. Common Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus
95. Eurasian Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
96. European Turtle Dove - Streptopelia turtur
97. Monk Parakeet - Myiopsitta monachus
98. Tawny Owl - Strix aluco
99. Red-necked Nightjar - Caprimulgus ruficollis
100. Common Swift - Apus apus
101. Pallid Swift - Apus pallidus
102. Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis
103. European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster
104. Hoopoe - Upupa epops
105. Calandra Lark - Melanocorypha calandra
106. Woodlark - Lullula arborea
107. Crested Lark - Galerida cristata
108. Thekla Lark - Galerida theklae
109. Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla
110. Lesser Short-toed Lark - Calandrella rufescens
111. Eurasian Crag Martin - Hirundo rupestris
112. Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
113. Red-rumped Swallow - Hirundo daurica
114. Northern House Martin - Delichon urbica
115. Sand Martin - Riparia riparia
116. Tree Pipit - Anthus trivialis
117. Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava
118. Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea
119. Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator
120. Southern Grey Shrike - Lanius meridionalis
121. Great Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus
122. Eurasian Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus
123. Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis
124. Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti
125. Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla
126. Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala
127. Dartford Warbler - Sylvia undata
128. Western Bonelli's Warbler - Phylloscopus bonelli
129. Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus
130. Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita
131. Firecrest - Regulus ignicapillus
132. European Pied Flycatcher - Ficedula hypoleuca
133. Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata
134. Whinchat - Saxicola rubetra
135. Common Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola
136. Blue Rock Thrush - Monticola solitarius
137. Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe
138. Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica
139. Black Wheatear - Oenanthe leucura
140. Common Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus
141. European Robin - Erithacus rubecula
142. Blackbird - Turdus merula
143. Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus
144. Crested Tit - Parus cristatus
145. European Blue Tit - Parus caeruleus
146. Coal Tit - Parus ater
147. Great Tit - Parus major
148. Eurasian Nuthatch - Sitta europaea caesia
149. Short-toed Treecreeper - Certhia brachydactyla
150. Winter Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes
151. Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius
152. Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
153. Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyana
154. Northern Raven - Corvus corax
155. Eurasian Jackdaw - Corvus monedula
156. Red-billed Chough - Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
157. House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
158. Spanish Sparrow - Passer hispaniolensis
159. Common Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
160. Spotless Starling - Sturnus unicolor
161. Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs
162. European Serin - Serinus serinus
163. European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis
164. European Greenfinch - Carduelis chloris
165. Common Crossbill - Loxia curvirostra
166. Hawfinch - Coccothraustes coccothraustes
167. Rock Sparrow - Petronia petronia
168. Corn Bunting - Miliaria calandra
169. Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus