Tarifa, August '23 - big stuff

European Honey-buzzard 

Big stuff? There was a lot of it, especially concerning raptors - as well as huge numbers of Black Kites (see last post) and masses of Griffon Vultures (see next), there were a great many Booted and Short-toed Eagles, plenty of Egyptian Vultures, a good showing of Montagu's Harriers, a Rüppell's Vulture, multiple Bonelli's Eagles, Ospreys, Black-winged Kite, Marsh Harriers, lots of Honey-buzzards, an interesting cirtensis-type Buzzard.....

Pale-morph Booted Eagle and Honey-buzzard 

 ... and not forgetting the storks, of course; huge, swirling masses of Whites, dramatically materialising from nowhere and regularly attempting crossings, and a good scattering of Blacks, often mixed with raptors in kettles rising above the land.

White (above) and Black (below) Storks

Greater Flamingos

Booted Eagle and Honey-buzzard

Honey-buzzard

Short-toed Eagle

Black Storks

Osprey

Egyptian Vulture

Tarifa, August '23 - Black Kites

Ah, Black Kites.... there's a good argument for them being the bird of the trip, such was their abundance, omnipresence, ability to hypnotise and personify the migration experience of the Straits of Gibraltar, more than perhaps any other species (and there were plenty of others....).

There were days when we had many thousands - in fact, multiple days when we had many thousands - and every day involved a spectacle that involved them; whether swirling in murmurations over our heads, bombing low over the undulating, last-stop-before-Africa banks along the coast, resting en masse on a sheletered hillside, or bravely attempting the crossing in loose squadrons, with 14km of water opening out below them.

A migrating Black Kite heading out over the Straits, against the backdrop of our hire car....

Tarifa, August '23 - Orcas!

 

The first of a few posts from our recent Yorkshire Coast Nature trip to Tarifa and its environs, where Spain reaches out towards Africa and divides the North Atlantic from the Mediterranean. We (Amity and I) were there for a week's recon before my YCN group came out, during which time we took two boat trips out into the Straits - one of which was blessed with these magnificent beasts coming to investigate, at heart-stoppingly close quarters....

Orcas are migratory in the Straits, and are usually encountered only in July and August, so our timing was perfect; in fact, this was the last that was seen of them for the season. Lucky, lucky us.....

Isle of Mull, July '23 - Coll pelagic

After the first date for our booked pelagic - out of Tobermory to Coll and back - was cancelled due to (very) unsuitable conditions, we were happy to see our rescheduled trip falling on the calmest day of our week on Mull.

We had a very fun three hours moseying out into reasonably calm inner Hebridean waters, with highlights (in no particular order) including great views of European Storm-petrels, the famoue White-tailed Eagle pair close up on the cliffs, a bonus Golden Eagle, and several co-operative Minke Whales....

.... but the outstanding highlight were the huge, seemingly endless rafts of Manx Shearwaters all around us when we reach the northern tip of Coll. we'd never seen so many and the spectacle was a joy to drink in. We estimated 10,000, but there could easily have been many more involved.

Great times with the Mrs and Pearson Snr!

White-tailed Eagle pair

Isle of Mull, July '23

Ringed Plover chick 

We - the Mrs, the old man and I - returned from a great week on Mull about a month ago, staying in a lovely remote cottage (the former base for the RSPB when White-tailed Eagles were reintroduced many moons ago) and having a fine time relaxing and exploring what is, by all accounts, a ridiculously beautiful place.

Otter 

Pearson Snr has been many times before (and so knew the place well), but we were Mull debutantes, and it was a great pleasure sharing it with both. We had mixed weather - it is the Hebrides, after all, and all the better to fully appreciate the land- and seascapes - and six days of stunning scenery, rich and varied wildlife, plenty of laughs and offline quality time.

Common Snipe

White-tailed Eagle and Hooded Crow

Short-eared Owl

None more Mull - neolithic stone circle with Highland cow and calf

Common Sandpiper

Golden Eagle

Tobermory

The cottage

.... in a heavy storm

Golden Eagle

White-tailed Eagle with Greylag gosling

Hen Harrier and standing stone

White-tailed Eagle with Common Gull chick

Otter

Ringed Plover chick

The clothes line at the cottage