PERDIX BIRDER

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.

Strong SSW winds and clear skies led to very little in the bushes but some minimal hirundine movement and a cracking Osprey were today’s only features.

The bird circled up over the Eastern docks just before 1pm and continued NW towards the Castle and beyond.

I also counted 7 Sparrowhawks, all heading West along the cliffs.

A few days of variable weather, with some rain, so light and heavy and wind blowing from all directions but little to show for it.

A Green sandpiper over the cliffs and 5 or 6 Willow Warblers and a few Swallows on the 24th, the Whimbrel in the overspill carpark field was still around on the 25th. Rich and I walked the length of the patch on saturday the 27th, with poor visability, rain clearing and light South Easts and had the first Swift of the year, also the first Hobby, a single Red Kite, 2 Willow Warblers, Reed Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, 20 Swallow, House Martin.

An afternoon visit en route to Sea watch in the bay produced 2 more Willows, and 5 Wheatear on the old airfield. An hours afternoon Seawatch in light NE winds wasn’t awful, a fairly close Arctic Skua, 4 Barwit 18 Whimbrel, 6 Common Scoter, among Gannets a few Sandwich terns and Kittiwakes.

This morning’s (28th) Seawatching totals were as follows: 4 Bonxie, 7+ Arctic Skua, Red Breasted Merganser,  5 Sandwich Tern, 40+ Commic Terns, 16 C Scoter,  Swallow, Whimbrel,  15 Red Throated Divers, Gerald and Nigel also had Great Northern Diver & 2 Velvet Scoter just before I arrived.

Another cold and clear day with light winds from the North. Barely a grounded migrant in the bushes but many Lesser whitethroats are now in, & singing across the patch. c25 Swallow 17 House Martin and 3 Sand Martin all north over the cliff tops, my best day for hirundines this spring. A female Merlin cut in the cliffs at Fan bay and headed north.

A Whimbrel flew North, viewed from Lighthouse down where a Greenshank was heard calling unseen.

Another Whimbrel was feeding on the ground in the overspill car park near Reach Road, where I stood as I picked up a male Hen Harrier gaining height above Fan bay, having presumably just come in off. A brief bit of mobbing from the local gulls and it continued NNE inland at height, the same line I’ve seen this species take here before. Poor pics below, shame it was miles away.

Back from Southern Spain with a bump, a moderate but very cold Northerly wind hit me as I climbed the cliff path early Sunday am. 2 Willow Warblers flitted along the bushes up the path which is usually a good sign that things arrived over night. Sadly the willow count didnt get higher than 6 but a bright male Serin was a good enough highlight. Initially heard calling from an unseen perch somewhere in fan bay it then flew NE and out of sight. Interestingly I had the bird again on another 2 occasions in a similar fashion – heard calling, seen briefly and gone , flew towards Dolphin’s leap and out of sight, fairly standard encounters for here!

30 Siskin, A yellow wagtail over and a female Common Redstart near the coach parking at langdon were the only other notables. 8 Lesser whitethroats were counted singing.

Fast forward to Monday morning and a similar wind direction though not as strong, chilly but better birding conditions, though less Willow Warblers with only one heard singing in Langdon. I accidentally flushed a Short eared Owl out of a hawthorn in Fan bay, which flew about breilfy giving lovely views before flying NE under the cliff top height.

A single Whimbrel flew noisily right over head, just before I realised there were 11 of them right on the cliff edge, they flew out to sea when they saw me.

A yellow wagtail, 2 Wheatears and about 25 Swallows were also noted.

The comparatively smaller numbers of Willow Warblers here in spring have occasionally been a sore point for me, but this spring has so far been was an exception with today especially so! A conservative count of 29 between Langdon cliffs and South Foreland is my highest day count in spring (previously 15) . A foggy morning with a moderate SW breeze – goes to show how good poor visibility can be here.

Other notable birds were a Nightingale singing under the Radar at Langdon and a Common Redstart in the Valley, both picked out of the murk by Peter E who was out and about this morning.

More murk this evening and a light southerly tomorrow first thing…

A clear night and a calm morning with light WNW winds, a Black Redstart was singing and a Little Egret flew East along the cliffs as I drank my coffee in the garden whilst the sun came up.

Highlights up the cliffs were limited to a nice male Common Redstart, 2 Willow warblers, 2 Whitethroat and a single Redpoll in langdon.

I noticed a group of 8 Magpies flying high and North East and decided to count the ones I saw moving for the rest of the morning; I ended up on 48, mostly in small flocks all heading North. This, along with 11 Sparrow Hawks West (on the 8th) are the kind of thing I easily overlook and often only noticed if numbers are moving, although I really enjoy them.

another 5 or so Common Whitethroats were singing around the patch, 3 Yellow Wagtails came in off the sea, 2 White Wagtails North, My first speckled wood and Orange tip butterflies of the year were seen and a single Swallow flying west into the wind was the only hirundine noted.

Another day of strong SSW winds with a few notable arrivals but nothing spectacular in terms of numbers. A Black Redstart was singing from the end of my road at first light, A Ring Ouzel on Fox hill down was the first bird I put my bins on.

2 Willow Warblers were in Langdon as was my first Common Whitethroat of the year, another Whitethroat in Fan bay along with a fantastic singing Nightingale (video below.)

Another Black Redstart (fem type) was above fan bay, 2 Woodlarks flew West over Lighthouse down, I countd 13 Swallows also West throughout the morning, a Red Kite flew North East over the top fields and 4 Wheatear were dotted around the site.