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Western Andalucia late August/early September (1 Viewer)

Clairey-belle

Clairey-belle

Member
We're flying to Jerez at the tail end of August, staying a week probably in Conil de la Frontera so we can do a bit of beach lazing for a day or so in between getting out and about. I'm looking for advice on places to visit for birdwatching.

Is Donana worthwhile at this time of year? I read a bit somewhere that said the midges are awful and there is not much to see as it is all dried up. If we do go, is it worth driving all the way round to the main entrance or is the boat trip from Sanllucar (I think?) worthwhile?

I love raptors and would really love to see some migrating osprey and also vultures or in fact any raptor, so we're going to head down to Tarifa way in the hope of seeing migartory birds. Any tips for best place to watch from? And is there a particular area to head to for vultures that any of you could recommend?

On a non-birding front can I cheekily ask if anyone has done any dolphin & whale watching trips from either Gibraltar or Tarifa and if so which particular operators they would recommend?

Just any and all advice is welcome and appreciated. It's just the two of us so no children to keep occupied and we're fairly free to travel reasonable distances as we'll have a hire car.
 
Hi there, it's a great area all the way south to Tarifa! I'm sure John Cantelo will be on soon to give you details of the area around Alcala de los Gazules, where he has a house.
We stayed in Conil for a week last year, and one of the nearest places was the Laguna at Medina Sidonia a few k's south of Jerez. Ducks Grebes and Herons abound with Warblers in the reeds. You might be lucky to see Red-knobbed Coot there. When I was there last, in May, it was extremely full, so by now it should have receded and provide some muddy margins.
Birds of prey are visible almost everywhere, but at Tarifa, when you are there, the observatory at Cazalla a few k's east of Tarifa is the best place to watch the migration. Also, look along the beach north of Tarifa for Gulls and Terns, and in the grassy areas behind for migrants.

Enjoy
 
The Cazalla watchpoint at Tarifa is on the N340 at km 87. I can vouch for it, it's excellent, particularly in an east wind. I'm heading down that way on the first weekend in September for my annual trip.

One thing to watch out for; the busy road up from Tarifa is a no-no for approaching the watchpoint, if you are approaching from that direction you need to drive past it a couple of km and turn round in the carpark at the mirador d'el estrecho pull-in and approach from that direction. Keep an eye out for the watchpoint as you approach, the turn off isn't signed and it's not the easiest to see as you approach.

They've done it up quite a bit recently. This photo was last year, on previous visits there was just a small hut and somw windswept concrete to sit on.
 

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I'd hate to prove Jon wrong .... PM me with your email address and I'll send you info on how to download my detailed notes on birding sites in the area (regularly updated & refined with 20+ hand drawn maps & 50+ pages). The file is now far too large to email so you have to download it from a file sharing site.

Donana is an iconic site, and as such always worth a visit, but everything you can see there you have a very good chance of in the Sanlucar area or nearby (other than Azure-winged Magpie which is present, but usually tough to see in Agaida). Cazella is excellent, but if you are coming out of Tarifa (and so can't turn left) try the Traffico viewpoint on the right which is nearby (& where birds can be even closer)!

We've tried nearly all of the whalewatching companies and prefer Tumares (there's not a lot of difference in the "standard service"), but the others all let us down in some way when it came to going on their special Killer Whale trips. Unfortunately, the Killer Whales vanished early last year when the adults were, apparently killed by fishermen.

Do let me know if there's any other way I can help or if you want more info on birding sites or other aspects of your trip (historic sites, what not to miss, etc., etc.)
 
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In reality Cazalla (Tarifa) is a bit of a curate's egg of a place - yes, they've done a lot of work to set up concrete 'umbrellas' to provide shade, but as often as not if you sit in the shade you don't get the views! The large new building nearby should have an info centre & restaurant (and those vital toilets), but a year or two after its construction (- well last time I visited) still stands empty. (I'm told it was because they neglected to/haven't got money for putting in electricity & water). It'll be great when it's finished though!

There's a great track behind Conil which is good for Black-winged Kite and other birds too. Look out for Little Swift in Conil - I've not seen them there but others have (as they have recently in Tarifa itself).

'Touristy' things to do in the area include Roman ruins at Bolonia (have tapas at the hotel on the main road), Jerez itself (a super castle, great back streets, boring clothes shops housed in wonderful old palicios, sherry tours & tapas etc.), Vejer de la Frontera (quaint), Tarifa, etc., etc.
 
Oh yes we went to Jerez a few years ago when we toured around Andalucia and I loved it there but it was before we were really interested in nature. In fact when I think back to the places I have been before I was into birdwatching!!! At all of them if only I'd looked into the sky!

Is it worth a day driving east into the mountains? In our previous trip we visited Ronda, Granada, Gibraltar etc so we wouldn't be massively distracted by the main tourist things although I loved Granada and I'm sure my other half could be tempted by the possibility of an evening there watching the sun set over the Alhambra and trying to get pics with a decent camera and a tripod!

I am wondering if we might be better off staying somewhere more central in the region than Conil, as long as we stay somewhere with a lovely pool to relax in/by I wouldn't miss the beach too much I guess.
 
Yes, as the others have said (and I should have done - sorry) do take care on the road up out of Tarifa. I've seen several accidents there over the years.

John's info pack is all-encompassing.

The Bird Fair is on at Tarifa at about this time - it's a great affair if you can make it.
 
Jon Turner said:
Yes, as the others have said (and I should have done - sorry) do take care on the road up out of Tarifa. I've seen several accidents there over the years.

John's info pack is all-encompassing.

The Bird Fair is on at Tarifa at about this time - it's a great affair if you can make it.
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It starts the day after I come home.:C

I passed the bird fair site while it was on last year, but didn't get round to visiting - too busy haring about looking for stuff. I've given myself an extra week this year and I was going to drop in, but I'm still going to miss it.

John's pack is indeed the business.
 
Clairey-belle said:
Oh yes we went to Jerez a few years ago when we toured around Andalucia and I loved it there but it was before we were really interested in nature. In fact when I think back to the places I have been before I was into birdwatching!!! At all of them if only I'd looked into the sky!

Is it worth a day driving east into the mountains? In our previous trip we visited Ronda, Granada, Gibraltar etc so we wouldn't be massively distracted by the main tourist things although I loved Granada and I'm sure my other half could be tempted by the possibility of an evening there watching the sun set over the Alhambra and trying to get pics with a decent camera and a tripod!

I am wondering if we might be better off staying somewhere more central in the region than Conil, as long as we stay somewhere with a lovely pool to relax in/by I wouldn't miss the beach too much I guess.
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Ronda is a superb area worthy of a day trip, especially the rough but driveable track marked "Llanos de Libar" out of Montejaque village. If you check the regional threads on this site, check Europe, then Spain, then Sierra de Grazalema thread - you could contact Peter Jones who undertakes tours in the area. You would have an extremely high chance of him putting you onto Bonell's Eagle which usually favour the peaks behind the village. You could find them yourself, plus Short-Toed Eagle, possibly Golden Eagle, and the ubiqitious Griffon Vulture are other raptors to be seen on this track that goes on for several km's. Mind you , you possibly do not need to go all that way from Tarifa area. But Ronda area is gorgeous as well.
 
wolfbirder said:
Ronda is a superb area worthy of a day trip, especially the rough but driveable track marked "Llanos de Libar" out of Montejaque village. If you check the regional threads on this site, check Europe, then Spain, then Sierra de Grazalema thread - you could contact Peter Jones who undertakes tours in the area.
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Absolutely! In addition to knowing the area better than the back of his hand Peter is absurdly talented in various fields - so much so that you'd really hate him if it were not for the fact that he's also a lovely bloke! So nice indeed that you almost stop envying him that he lives there and you don't! Everyone I've taken to the area (and I've been out there with a dozen or more friends) reckons the Llanos de Libar was the best place we visited. The walk up the Los Molinos valley (near Alcala) being a good second. (There's a nice campsite with basic, but comfy, chalets & a swimming pool there).

The other person well worth contacting is Stephen Daly (see www.andalucianguides.com) who is based on the edge of Barbate (near Vejer). He also has a cottage for rent with a swimming pool. His knowledge of Cadiz province & its birds (plus much else) is unrivalled,
 
Update, Cazalla

I was speaking to someone earlier this afternoon who was in southern Spain in June and he told me that the Cazalla watchpoint was closed when he was there and the access road to it was barred off.
 
Barred Wobbler said:
Update, Cazalla

I was speaking to someone earlier this afternoon who was in southern Spain in June and he told me that the Cazalla watchpoint was closed when he was there and the access road to it was barred off.
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This doesn't surprise me - it was closed for ages a while back. However, it might be a good sign since the authorities might just be upgrading the buildings by laying on water & electricity, setting up displays etc. There are signs that the Andalucian authorities seem interested in 'pushing' birding tourism in general and the Tarifa Bird fair in particular. It'd make sense to get any work done in the next few weeks/months. If it is closed I'd recommend heading a little further down towards Tarifa and to go to the Traffico watchpoint. It's on the seaward side of the road so if you're arriving from Algeciras use the Tarifa junction to turn round and head back the way you came. I think it's then the first right off the main road - you go down into a dip, cross a small stream and then up the slope and park near a white building on the right. The watchpoint is just along a short track.

Incidentally, the boardwalk from Tarifa along Los Lances beach was wrecked by storms this winter so it's easier to park by the gagrage on the Vejer road and walk through to the hide. But you'd have to be really lucky (or early) not find wind surfing idiots who can't read the signs banning them from the area already in situ. They've got the whole damn beach and yet they just have to use the pools as a nursery for tyro surfers! Between them, dog walkers, horse riders and the thoughtless general public the site is getting ruined!
 
If you go to Cazalla it is worthwhile taking some sort of chair. If you happen to be lucky it can be rather like an avian motorway passing overhead, and you may want to simply sit there for several hours.
 
Barred Wobbler said:
Update, Cazalla

I was speaking to someone earlier this afternoon who was in southern Spain in June and he told me that the Cazalla watchpoint was closed when he was there and the access road to it was barred off.
Click to expand...

I was there on Saturday, and it was still closed (see my comment back in May). I drove on to the watchpoint above Bolonia where I joined a Spanish guy who was in radio contact with Tarifa and Morocco! We were then joined by a very knowledgeable Spanish lady and a Polish couple. They were mainly watching for Storks (of which we saw a couple of thousand - trying to head south but turned back by a strong headwind - they all headed off to La Janda. We also saw good numbers of Black Kites persisting with their endeavours, and a few Egyptian Vultures and Montagu's Harriers. Plenty of Griffons, most of which were just drifting about.

I asked about Cazalla and they said there was still work being done, although no-one seemed to be doing anything when i was there.
 
Jon Turner said:
I was there on Saturday, and it was still closed (see my comment back in May). I drove on to the watchpoint above Bolonia where I joined a Spanish guy who was in radio contact with Tarifa and Morocco! We were then joined by a very knowledgeable Spanish lady and a Polish couple. They were mainly watching for Storks (of which we saw a couple of thousand - trying to head south but turned back by a strong headwind - they all headed off to La Janda. We also saw good numbers of Black Kites persisting with their endeavours, and a few Egyptian Vultures and Montagu's Harriers. Plenty of Griffons, most of which were just drifting about.

I asked about Cazalla and they said there was still work being done, although no-one seemed to be doing anything when i was there.
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That seems to be the way of things. When they were building the shelter there a couple of years ago there were huge periods of inactivity interspersed with periods of not very much happening. The track was wired off for ages then.

I'll be there in early September and it'll probably be in exactly the same condition as it was when you were there.
 
Clairey-belle said:
Thanks for the update, I will look up how to get to the watchpoint above Bolonia. Only a few days to go, so looking forward to it!
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Just turn off the main North-South road up to Bolonia. at the top of the hill turn off right on a track and stop on the right after 50 metres. There's a sort of a concrete shelter and that's where I was last week. If there are Migres (the people who do the migration counts) people there, they do speak some English and will tell you what you can see. They even know most of the English names of the birds too, but if you can remember the Latin names, that often helps. A little further on (another 50m) is a car park on the left, which gives unrestricted views all around.

Hope you'll put a note on here of what you see, and have a great time!
 
Just want to say thank you all so much for your tips and advice, we had a lovely trip, everywhere we turned there were raptors it was incredible, saw some juvenile montagu's harriers hunting close up and not bothered by us which was lovely to sit and watch.

Jon we went to the Bolonia watchpoint and the same polish couple (I assume! they were definitely polish) were there and very lovely and helpful - when we arrived they were very excited, just identifying a Ruppels Vulture amongst a group of Griffon Vultures that we would never have noticed, being just beginners. We really enjoyed our time at Bolonia, much more rewarding than the watchpoints on the coast we thought so thank you so much for pointing us in the right direction. We also saw egyptian vulture there (and also we saw them on the tarifa coast).

Thanks again all, your help and advice really made a difference. Especially John - your notes were invaluable, thank you so much for these.

If I can work out how to post a photo here I will post a few of my OH's pics (although of course he isn't happy with them, always the way!!). There is one I would like your thoughts on with what the prey was.
 
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Clairey-belle said:
Just want to say thank you all so much for your tips and advice, we had a lovely trip, everywhere we turned there were raptors it was incredible, saw some juvenile montagu's harriers hunting close up and not bothered by us which was lovely to sit and watch.

Jon we went to the Bolonia watchpoint and the same polish couple (I assume! they were definitely polish) were there and very lovely and helpful - when we arrived they were very excited, just identifying a Ruppels Vulture amongst a group of Griffon Vultures that we would never have noticed, being just beginners. We really enjoyed our time at Bolonia, much more rewarding than the watchpoints on the coast we thought so thank you so much for pointing us in the right direction. We also saw egyptian vulture there (and also we saw them on the tarifa coast).

Thanks again all, your help and advice really made a difference. Especially John - your notes were invaluable, thank you so much for these.

If I can work out how to post a photo here I will post a few of my OH's pics (although of course he isn't happy with them, always the way!!). There is one I would like your thoughts on with what the prey was.
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Glad you found it, we always go to Bolonia when we're in Spain - there's a place on the beach which serves great food and you can watch Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers on the beach while eating, while Gannets and Sandwich Terns cruise past. I've also often seen Audouin's Gulls on the beach. Perhaps you could post a trip report?
 
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