RFI: Bolonia, Tarifa, March '09

[nialltkeogh]

Hi,

I will be spending a week from 9th-16th March '09 in Bolonia, near Tarifa. As I will be on a college field trip dedicated birding will be limited but I will have some time to wander about (by foot). I will be spending a good deal of my time on the coast.

Could anybody suggest reading material, websites etc. to look up?

What species could I expect to see? I understand it will be still a bit early for the main migration period but as I have never birded the continent before I should still manage to get a few lifers!!!

Cheers,
Niall

[John Cantelo]

Send me a PM for my birding notes on Cadiz province which should give you some ideas. Off the top of my head, amongst the "non-British" birds (rarities aside) you can expect in March in the immediate vicinity of Bolonia are Short-toed & Booted Eagles, Egyptian & Griffon Vultres, Black Kite, Lesser Kestrel, Blue Rock Thrush, Crested Lark, Pallid, Alpine & Little Swifts, R-R Swallow & Spotless Starling. A close look at passing gulls should produce an Audouin's Gull. It's a bit early for migrating warblers (although some early migrants could turn up), but Sardinians are resident and should present no problem. You should also get "semi-British" (!) birds like Hoopoe, Kentish Plover, Balearic & Cory's Shearwater. If you walk south (i.e. towards Tarifa) there's some nice coastal scrub that can hold migrants. Walk up the hill past the Roman ruins and you get into the low sierras which are good for Blue Rockthrush & Little Swift - details in my notes. If your field trip involves any coach trips along the coast you may well see Flamingo (Cadiz salt pans) and other species. If you have any idea of your itinerary I might be able to offer some suggestions. I'll be out there a fortnight earlier and will probably visit Bolonia so can let you know what I see. It's a brilliant area so I'm sure you'll have a great time,

[Steve Lister]

Add Bonelli's Eagle to John's list of possibilities.

Steve

[nialltkeogh]

Many thanks for the info lads.

John - I'll get back to ya soon enough with the exact details of where I'll be visiting when I'm over there.

Cheers,
Niall

[Jon Turner]

Niall,
I'll be out there - well, nearby (Jimena de la Frontera) from 1st - 18th Feb, so if I go to Bolonia, I'll try to remember to let you know what I see.
Black Kites can go through in spectacular numbers ( I seem to recall seeing thousands one March a few years back) and other birds of prey are good too. Keep your eyes on the sky!
A little further north is La Janda..... Should still be some Cranes there in early March.
Jon

[Barred Wobbler]

Niall,
I'll be out there - well, nearby (Jimena de la Frontera) from 1st - 18th Feb, so if I go to Bolonia, I'll try to remember to let you know what I see.
Black Kites can go through in spectacular numbers ( I seem to recall seeing thousands one March a few years back) and other birds of prey are good too. Keep your eyes on the sky!
A little further north is La Janda..... Should still be some Cranes there in early March.
Jon


The cranes might be touch and go for March at La Janda Jon. I've been there a few times in the last week February and only managed to see small numbers if any (although there was a flock of several hundred there once). Late February seems to be their time for heading off. On 26th February last year I was further north at Monfrague and it was mayhem - the sky was full of big flocks of cranes all day, all heading north.

Never say, never though.

Black-shouldered kite is a possibility at La Janda, particularly in the vicinity of the road north near the cattle farm.

[Jon Turner]

Yup, agree Cranes usually head off at that time, but I have seen small flocks in March. Couldn't find BSK there last week, but didn't go right across towards Benalup, where I have seen them in the past.
Mmmm the very thought of a visit to Monfrague! Haven't been there at the righ ttime for Cranes .... yet!
Jon

[John Cantelo]

Late February seems to be their time for heading off.
Black-shouldered kite is a possibility at La Janda, particularly in the vicinity of the road north near the cattle farm.

I've never seen large numbers of Cranes in mid-late February and I'd guess you'd need to be pretty lucky to see them from a passing vehicle. The last couple of years I've found BWK pretty easy on La Janda and they do seem to have increased markedly in the area in the last few years. It's worth keeping a sharp eye open for any 'different' hovering raptors in the area - although La Janda is probably the best site in winter, I've seen BWK near Vejer, between Benalup-Alcala (also good for SIE), Laguna de Medina, Medina Sidonia, Espera & Arcos de la Frontera. So if you're travelling round keep your eyes peeled!

[Barred Wobbler]

Had BSK at Laguna de Medina once, John. Other than that I think they've all been at La Janda when I've seen them that side of the Guadalquivir (most recently last September) - I might have seen one elsewhere in the region, but I'm losing my marbles and can't think where. They seem to like perching on the irrigators when they aren't hunting.

SIE at La Janda once.

[Jon Turner]

We had a pair (of BSK) a few miles east of Jimena last spring, and in September I found a juvenile in the same place. Bit disappointed last week not to find any there!
Never seen SIE at La Janda, but did see 2 Bonelli's Eagles there one winter.
Will look again next month.
Jon

[Barred Wobbler]

Haven't seen Bonelli's at La Janda as such, but I saw one nearby just off the Zahara road at Al Zarzuela.

[CAU]

Off the top of my head, amongst the "non-British" birds (rarities aside) you can expect in March in the immediate vicinity of Bolonia are Short-toed & Booted Eagles, Egyptian & Griffon Vultres, Black Kite, Lesser Kestrel, Blue Rock Thrush, Crested Lark, Pallid, Alpine & Little Swifts, R-R Swallow & Spotless Starling. A close look at passing gulls should produce an Audouin's Gull.

I believe that at least Cattle Egret, Crag Martin, Short-toed Treecreeper, Black Stork and Zitting Cisticola can be added to the list (as well as sharpei Geen Woodpecker, a possible split based on recent research). In the nearby area there are probably also some Spanish Sparrows, at least there were lots of them in La Janda last November. Lesser Short-toed, Thekla and Calandra Lark could perhaps also be possible to find in the right habitat (Tarifa beach held at least the latter two species among lots of Crested and Skylarks).

This list shows the passage periods for the migratory species:
http://www.gonhs.org/SpeciesPassagePeriods.htm

Had BSK at Laguna de Medina once, John. Other than that I think they've all been at La Janda when I've seen them that side of the Guadalquivir (most recently last September)

I saw at least six Black-shouldered Kites at Laguna de Medina last November (only one at La Janda, but there should be more of them there). At La Janda were also two Bonelli's Eagles (adult and juvenile) along with lots of other birds (e.g. White and Black Storks, Glossy Ibises, Spoonbills, the aforementioned Cranes etc.). From what I've read on the net Spanish Imperial Eagle bred there successfully last year, but the other parent is of captive origin (if that matters).

[John Cantelo]

I believe that at least Cattle Egret, Crag Martin, Short-toed Treecreeper, Black Stork and Zitting Cisticola can be added to the list (as well as sharpei Geen Woodpecker, a possible split based on recent research). In the nearby area there are probably also some Spanish Sparrows, at least there were lots of them in La Janda last November. Lesser Short-toed, Thekla and Calandra Lark could perhaps also be possible to find in the right habitat (Tarifa beach held at least the latter two species among lots of Crested and Skylarks).

This list shows the passage periods for the migratory species:
http://www.gonhs.org/SpeciesPassagePeriods.htm

I saw at least six Black-shouldered Kites at Laguna de Medina last November (only one at La Janda, but there should be more of them there). At La Janda were also two Bonelli's Eagles (adult and juvenile) along with lots of other birds (e.g. White and Black Storks, Glossy Ibises, Spoonbills, the aforementioned Cranes etc.). From what I've read on the net Spanish Imperial Eagle bred there successfully last year, but the other parent is of captive origin (if that matters).

Yes, Cattle Egret, Zitting Cisticola & Crag Martin should be easy. I've never actually had Short-toed Treecreeper at Bolonia, but there may be some in the wooded areas (away from the eucalyptus trees!) and a fly-over Black Stork is always a possibility. Spanish Geen Woodpecker I find rather patchily distributed, but are a possiblity. There are indeed many Spanish Sparrows on La Janda, but you need a bit of luck elewhere as they very patchily distributed. I would be very surprised if you got Lesser Short-toed away from its preferred saline/marsh habitat, but Thekla and Calandra Lark may be possible. I think where you go on your jaunts beyond Bolonia may be crucial!