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Birdwatching in Straits of Gibraltar & La Janda (1 Viewer)

John,just a thought if you arriving at Malaga there are normally some white headed duck at the Guadalhorce reserve near the aiport,but beware of car thieves.....Eddy
 
Apparently there's a Citrine Wagtail on La Janda (per Facebook) today and sightings of a 'strange Short-toed Eagle' - could it be the Beaudouin's Snake Eagle (Circaetus beaudouini) reported from Portugal last week?
 
Bste & Cw

Apparently there's a Citrine Wagtail on La Janda (per Facebook) today and sightings of a 'strange Short-toed Eagle' - could it be the Beaudouin's Snake Eagle (Circaetus beaudouini) reported from Portugal last week?

Hi John,

Not heard from you for some time hope your keeping well.

Regarding the possible Beaudouin's Snake Eagle, I remain sceptical although it is not entirely impossible, given other species south of the Sahara have appeared, e.g. Bateleur Eagle. We see so many aberrant STE's in May / June that would be hard to distinguish adults from one species or the other. However, Juveniles seem to be quite different but not a lot can be deduced from the single out-of-focus image here http://on.fb.me/17eTpXh and the possibility of Cirtensis Long-legged Buzzard has been suggested which is also possible and certainly cannot be discounted. Seeing the bird in the field makes a big difference with regards to flight action, as Circaetus sp. have a very different flight to Buteo sp.

With regards the Citrine Wag, any idea where in the La Janda its supposed to be lingering I may go 2morrow and have a look.

Regards.
 
Hi John,

Not heard from you for some time hope your keeping well.

Regarding the possible Beaudouin's Snake Eagle, I remain sceptical although it is not entirely impossible, given other species south of the Sahara have appeared, e.g. Bateleur Eagle. We see so many aberrant STE's in May / June that would be hard to distinguish adults from one species or the other. However, Juveniles seem to be quite different but not a lot can be deduced from the single out-of-focus image here http://on.fb.me/17eTpXh and the possibility of Cirtensis Long-legged Buzzard has been suggested which is also possible and certainly cannot be discounted. Seeing the bird in the field makes a big difference with regards to flight action, as Circaetus sp. have a very different flight to Buteo sp.

With regards the Citrine Wag, any idea where in the La Janda its supposed to be lingering I may go 2morrow and have a look.

Regards.

Hi, good to hear from you too - pity we've yet to meet up in the field - should be out in the spring so do come up to see 'our' LKs from the terrace. As I understand it the Beaudouin's was seen by experienced birders unlikely to confuse a STE type bird with a buteo ... but who knows? Sorry to say that @'ve no more info on the Citrine than 'La Janda',
 
Hi there just got onto this,the citrine wagtail was seen in the uncut rice paddy just past the bridge on the left side,past the paddies with the water.As far as I know the possible Beaudouins was seen along the Jara valley near to Kilometre 9 but that was yesterday 23rd and I have no other info re today although the birder was Ed Hunter,the same who found the citrine,the rosefinch and the yellow browed warbler so if he thought it was a strange short toed there might be something in it.I don't know if he managed a photo and of course the bird could have crossed the Straits.For what it's worth.....Eddy
 
Hi there just got onto this,the citrine wagtail was seen in the uncut rice paddy just past the bridge on the left side,past the paddies with the water.As far as I know the possible Beaudouins was seen along the Jara valley near to Kilometre 9 but that was yesterday 23rd and I have no other info re today although the birder was Ed Hunter,the same who found the citrine,the rosefinch and the yellow browed warbler so if he thought it was a strange short toed there might be something in it.I don't know if he managed a photo and of course the bird could have crossed the Straits.For what it's worth.....Eddy

Thx for the info Eddy.

With regards the BSTE, Im questioning the presence of the species and not the reliability of Mr Hunter. There are a lot of species who's acceptance in this area relies a lot on photo evidence, the Lesser Spotted Eagle is one such species.
 
Hi Andy,I've looked at the various photos and I am not convinced it is not an errant STE but again I'm not an expert so what I am trying to say is that if there is photo evidence of the bird seen in Santuario it would be nice to compare with the bird seen in Portugal.I am not in direct contact with Ed so I will try and find out if there is a photo or not and post back the answer.I forgot to say re the citrine that there is a stick and can marker at the spot where it was last seen.I cannot get out at the moment so the best of luck,cheers ....Eddy
 
Hi, good to hear from you too - pity we've yet to meet up in the field - should be out in the spring so do come up to see 'our' LKs from the terrace. As I understand it the Beaudouin's was seen by experienced birders unlikely to confuse a STE type bird with a buteo ... but who knows? Sorry to say that @'ve no more info on the Citrine than 'La Janda',

Yeah il try make it this time, last time I was very busy sorry.

Yeah I agree, buteo and circaetus have two very diff flight behaviours which cannot be deduced from a dodgy photo. I only mentioned Buteo because they mention it on that FB page not because I think they are similar, they certainly arent. I hadnt ever heard of such Eagle before so wouldnt know what distinguishing features to look for to distinguish it from normal STE. Its certainly interesting if its proven beyond reasonable doubt.
 
Hi Andy,I've looked at the various photos and I am not convinced it is not an errant STE but again I'm not an expert so what I am trying to say is that if there is photo evidence of the bird seen in Santuario it would be nice to compare with the bird seen in Portugal.I am not in direct contact with Ed so I will try and find out if there is a photo or not and post back the answer.I forgot to say re the citrine that there is a stick and can marker at the spot where it was last seen.I cannot get out at the moment so the best of luck,cheers ....Eddy

Thx Ed, ever so helpful :)
 
I was at the observatory El Cabrito from 1300 to 1600 this afternoon and saw a total of approx,800 griffon vultures.The weather was sunny with a light northwestern wind and the birds were circling above and then attempting to cross the Straits.They appeared to be going in a direct line but then they would circle again and return in land.After about an hour and a half they climbed again and then made their way out to sea until they could no longer be seen due to the hazy conditions on the other side.
Seen also 2 black storks,4 short toed eagles,three booted eagles,a sparrowhawk and a red kite.Regards to all ....Eddy
 
I was at the observatory El Cabrito from 1300 to 1600 this afternoon and saw a total of approx,800 griffon vultures.The weather was sunny with a light northwestern wind and the birds were circling above and then attempting to cross the Straits.They appeared to be going in a direct line but then they would circle again and return in land.After about an hour and a half they climbed again and then made their way out to sea until they could no longer be seen due to the hazy conditions on the other side.
Seen also 2 black storks,4 short toed eagles,three booted eagles,a sparrowhawk and a red kite.Regards to all ....Eddy

Interesting. Yesterday over 700 Griffons, 3 STEagles & a single Black Kite congretated over Gibraltar before going back north into Spain with several vultures cross back across the bay. Could well be the same group of Vultures.

Also had 2 Crane, and single Purple Heron & Red Kite and several Bluethroats in La Janda, otherwise quiet.
 
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Yesterday I went with two friends to the Tarifa site of the common bulbul,having been three times previous with no luck,I decided early was better so at 08.15 we arrived parked the car and walked up the lane.We hadn't gone ten paces when we spotted the first sitting on a TV aerial and within five minutes all four birds were seen together in the area before they went out of sight heading west.We looked for them later but they were not to be seen.Talk about the early bird etc.A life 1st for me and my friends.

After a good breakfast at the Apollo in Tahavilla we were on La Janda by 9.30 and it was quite chilly at 11 C but sunny with no wind.We were making a day of it so we had time scope most of the areas and in all saw a total of 45 species including the highlights as follows.
Several 100's common cranes flying into feed,100's white storks,with one black stork flying with one circling group of whites,9 spoonbills feeding in the cut rice paddies,20+marsh harriers of both sexes and all ages,1 booted eagle,1 great egret and one purple heron being harrassed by about 5 marsh harriers,2 red kites,1 little owl,2 black winged kites but the highlight of the whole day was good close views of 2 juvenile Spanish Imperial eagles hunting over the alfafa fields before flying off in the direction of Benalup.
As an aside we lunched at the El Nene restaurant in Facinas and I can thoroughly recommend the vast menu but as it was Sunday it was packed and as we were there before 2pm we managed to get a table.Sorry for the ramblings but a great day out good food good company and great birding.Regards ...Eddy.
 
Good to hear that you caught up with the Bulbuls - it took me three visits too. Envious not only of the SIE as I've yet to get a really good view of the species on La Janda having always had them 'going over', but also breakfast at the Apollo - a favourite stop of mine. I look forward to investigating El Nene which, I assume, has nothing to do with the Hawaiian Goose (aka Nene)!
 
No John,El Nene,is the name of a bullfighter, the restaurant has a bullfighter theme and includes toro brava steaks and Jabili meat on the menu....Eddy
 
Reports of possible Beaudouin's Snake Eagle Jara Valley

Hi there just got onto this,the citrine wagtail was seen in the uncut rice paddy just past the bridge on the left side,past the paddies with the water.As far as I know the possible Beaudouins was seen along the Jara valley near to Kilometre 9 but that was yesterday 23rd and I have no other info re today although the birder was Ed Hunter,the same who found the citrine,the rosefinch and the yellow browed warbler so if he thought it was a strange short toed there might be something in it.I don't know if he managed a photo and of course the bird could have crossed the Straits.For what it's worth.....Eddy

Hi guys.

I've read some of this thread (and smiled at some of it) does anyone have the contact details for Mr Hunter the person who saw the bird.

Any details you have please email to [email protected]

I would be very grateful, as I saw the putative Beaudouin's Snake Eagle at Cabranosa, Sagres in early October.

Thanks

Esticadinho
 
I am trying to contact Mr.Hunter and if he is reading this could he please PM me.....Eddy

Me too - I've lost my last few hundred emails and no longer have contact.

Note to Martin - from the little that he mentioned to me his bird didn't sound like ours. I suggested he should contact Rui as he requested photos of the bird in Portugal.
 
Me too - I've lost my last few hundred emails and no longer have contact.

Note to Martin - from the little that he mentioned to me his bird didn't sound like ours. I suggested he should contact Rui as he requested photos of the bird in Portugal.

Hi Simon,

I wasn't aware the bird didn't sound like ours, but who knows, it may turn out to be the same bird. Even the photos we have show the bird to look different in different photos!!!

Rui and me have been in contact to ensure we get in touch with Mr Hunter using any means possible, be it Facebook, Twitter (albeit Rare Bird Alert didn't retweet my message, I'll be calling them tomorrow) Does anyone know whereabouts Mr Hunter resides in the UK?

Esticadinho

PS - the Cabranosa bird still hurts my brain... very confused and many questions still need answers finding. People talk about aberrant STE's - I still can't find any pictures of any dark ones!
 

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