Month: May 2024

Little to report from this stretch of coast despite a Red-Rumped Swallow and Red-Footed Falcon nextdoor at Bockhill & Kingsdown recently.

2 singing Willow warblers and a Tree Pipit on the 25th, the Tree Sparrow was still around, a first Summer Caspian Gull picked up by Rich B flew SW along the cliff tops, and what looked to be a Hen Harrier arriving off the sea picked up by Richard J were the highlights of the 26th. My first Turtle Dove of the year flew North over Fan Bay on the 27th and a Grey Plover upchannel was the only notable bird on the 28th, Swift numbers are around 40-100 per day with a single Sand martin on the 25th, Smaller numbers of Swallow and even less of House martin occur daily. Hobbies were seen on 3 occasions over the dates.

Ad female Kestrel gritting on the path next to the lighthouse.

Im yet to beat 217 Swifts SW on the 21st this spring

Moderate SW winds, a sea fog and bright sunshine produced a much better day than expected. Black Redstart and Garden Warbler still singing from thier prospective spots on the climb up the cliff, a Hobby flew West over Foxhill down and a White wagtail North were noted before I reached the Lighthouse where a Tree Sparrow flew in over the cliff top and perched up calling, a notable bird on the headland and my first here in spring.

70+ Swallows, c50 House Martins and 12 Swifts flew SW over light house down during the morning and a 2CY Caspian Gull flew along the cliff tops among 100’s of Gulls moving SW.

But today’s highlight came as I was walking home; a female Red–footed Falcon that flew North over Foxhill down, gained height over Broadlees bottom and continued North East.

I took these distant shots as it circled infront of the ‘two sisters’ pylons.

The bird continued at height towards Sherley’s farm and beyond, 40 minutes were spent looking for it in the hope it had stayed put and was hunting but no joy. A thrilling matter of seconds, the third Ive found and a species I think about alot.

As many encounters with migrant birds here go this was both exciting and brief if a little distant and I wondered if checking Worth Marshes would be wise considering the track record the place has with these kind of aerial hunters and made my way there. Whilst driving I saw Bird guides notification of a Red-Foot at Worth come up on my locked screen, Neil Davies had found a female over the great wood from his house. When I arrived I had great views of the White tailed Eagle that had been seen earlier and fantastic numbers of birds in general, no birders to be seen. Before long I had picked up this female Redfoot and had some lovely views.

Whilst watching the bird perched up in dead twigs towards the Pinnock wall I picked up another Redfoot coming towards me! – 2 birds! this happened again 5 minutes later whilst both birds were hunting over the marsh so I knew I wasn’t seeing things. Neil D had now joined me at the gate and we were mostly seeing the one bird, we were then joined by Rob Rackliffe and after a while figured out both birds were hunting over the wood behind us so moved round to enjoy some nice views. One paler bird (above and below) and the other rich dark apricot, Lovely. Im not sure if either are the bird I had at Langdon, perhaps its possible to tell from the mask bleeding behind the eye, the clean tidy wing and underparts, the paler bird could fit? I dont know.

The Darker bird below, quite obvious in the field to separate them, this bird a little untidy in the wing also with strong contrast across the belly.

Light Northerlies under an overcast sky and rain setting in at 9am. A good morning for Hirundine movement with 60 Swallow 18 House Martin and 2 Sand Martin coming in over the clifftops. One of the 3 Stonechat pairs have fledged their first brood of juveniles, the only notable migrant at this date was a Short Eared Owl flushed by a man with his dog in Fan bay.

Luckily the man noticed what had happened and went the other way allowing the Owl to hide in the cover again, only to get disturbed 5 mintues later by Jackdaws. It then proceeded to circuit Fan bay giving fantastic views before heading inland over towards the farm.

3 Red Kites a Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail and c25 Swift were all noted on the 20th.

Light SSE turning SWS with a sea fog that mostly cleared by 9am produced a fantastic Quail that I flushed out of a tussock next to the path on Foxhill down at 6am. It didn’t fly far and I was ready for it the second time and got a nice view of it fly into the crop field bordering the coastguards. I checked the area when I walked back but no sign. Might be worth heading up this evening, my second here after a singing bird last summer.

Whilst scanning out to sea just before 09.30 I picked up the obvious outline of a Honey Buzzard powering in towards the cliffs. It’s trajectory, unfortunately took it up North side of the bay and over the monument but it was a good enough view to see it was male shaped and grey above. The bird circled over the village briefly and continued North.

Another brief view of what I thought could be another HB way out over the sea never re-materialised through heat haze which was now beginning to form, but almost an hour later (10.20) as I lowered my bins after scanning out to sea I picked up another Honey Buzzard right above my head over Lighthouse down, quite a rufous male, which gave a few lazy flaps, circled once and continued due north over the middle of the valley.

Not exactly the views I’ve been used to in Tarifa recently but the thrill is greater!

A trickle of Hirundines, mostly Swallows but 2 Sand Martin and 5 House martin, 9 Shelduck Flew down channel at height and the Ravens have fledged 3 noisy chicks which are already lording up the headland.

My second trip to Tarifa this spring after a brilliant week mid April with LP & GKG, I knew I had to return when Honey Buzzards were in the mix. Not exclusively a birding trip so Amy and I enjoyed some ‘normal holiday’ stuff too but my focus was on migrating HBs of which I saw hundreds. Sunday was the best day for numbers with a moderate Easterly. Below are the photographic highlights, some very close birds were just observed with the bins at the expense of getting close photos but I didn’t want to spend the whole trip looking through a view finder. The ‘Mirador’ just North of Tarifa on the N340 was my preferred spot but many were counted over the town itself aswell as arriving off the sea near the CIMA obs early on and at Punta Secreta in a Westerly wind on the Monday. Birds arriving off the sea were mostly high up but not all of them. 10am – 2pm seemed peak but late afternoon arrivals were evident too. The majority of birds were females as perhaps you’d expect towards the end of the peak dates here but many males were also observed. Big Thanks to Rob Rackliffe for his help and excellent advice.

Two striking females above and below, the above bird showed a dark tail consistently and the pale rufous form with subtle carpals below is something I’ve not seen before, although I’ve seen images from the middle East of this ‘type’.

The following male arrived off the sea at Punta Secreta at eye level, it shows a partially yellow cere still which is thought to indicate immaturity, although some uncertainty surrounds wether this can also be due to variation in adults. Perhaps a 3cy bird and therefore its first north bound migration after its first two winters spent below the equator.

Light Northerlies and some cliff top murk produced a decent morning up top. A Garden Warbler (one of 5 throughout the day) sang from one of the gardens on the seafront as I collected my bag from the car at 6am. A Black Redstart was singing from it’s usual spot but the first decent bird of the day called from the end of the tree line up on Foxhill down – a Wood Warbler, too dark to use the camera but close views of it low down as it called were enjoyable but brief, it quickly flitted away from me and then flew a considerable distance towards the castle, 25 mins of looking for it until the prospect of other things was too much and I gave in.

3 Tree pipits and 2 Yellow Wagtails flew over North as I moved towards Langdon, a Willow warbler and 4 more Garden Warblers were heard singing as was a Nightingale in Fan Bay. At lighthouse down I encountered the next highlight of the morning – a Red–Rumped Swallow which flew low down and close by with 4 House Martin and a Barn Swallow before continuing North over the valley towards Bockhill, a good view of it flying about against the white of the Granville apartments was nice enough though photos weren’t possible. A very similar scenario to the one Rich B and I had 2 years ago in the same spot.

My first Spotted Flycatcher of the year flew in over the cliff just after, perched briefly in a hawthorn then flew down into the valley. More hirundines moved through probably counting c30 Swallow, 10 House Martin and 5/6 Sand Martin plus some Swifts – 8 for me during the morning. I walked the cliff path down home and just as I reached my front door I picked up this slim winged Harrier gaining height above the house and about to fly over the cliff and out of sight.

The bird seemed to lack the diffuse dark primary tips and dark trailing edge of Montys, but could that be the poor back lit photos? An older (3cy) female Pallid Harrier could show a head pattern like this with no apparent boa, I’m told the commas present in the outer greater coverts are suggestive of Pallid, as are the bulging secondaries, but the very long winged look to a couple of shots gives a more Montague’s impression.

I Sent images to a few friends aswell some serious Raptor people who came back with mixed opinions.

The jury’s slightly out on this currently and I’ve been in both camps. Perhaps not id’able from these images. Frustrating but a really fun day to be honest.

Rain over night, light South Easterlies and abit of murk first thing produced some migrants this morning, most notably a Serin that flew West over Langdon hole as I reached the Eastern end. Continuing towards the radar station and not seen again. Also noted was a Nightingale in full voice near the radar, a Firecrest on the cliff path and a Black Redstart singing in in the usual spot at first light.

Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler (above)and Reed Warbler also present at the Western end of the patch with little to report from South Foreland except 6 Med Gulls, calling high up in two parties of 3 and moving North. Also notable were numbers of Common Buzzards on the wing. A Kettle of 26 moved slowly NE over the valley with other smaller groups of 6 and 8 and 5 before and after. Between 6 and 10 appeared to arrive over the harbour as I got home and watched from the garden.

Yesterday was highlighted by a Hobby in off the sea, a Cuckoo up through the valley, a couple groups of Whimbrel North and another Nightingale on Fox hill down, light Hirundine movement both days.