Bird of prey migration. (1 Viewer)

eddy the eagle · Mar 22, 2013

Yesterday,strong ,force 6/7 easterlies,no BOP over Los barrios,none over Pelayo area,moved on to Cazalla,where met up with my Danish friends Tage and Marrianne,just could see one or two black kite struggling against the wind alond the coast near Traffico.After half an hour or so being blown to death moved to Bolonia and to the hide at Azar where there were the usual 20 or so Griffon nests with birds coming and going and over flying.At about 3pm 3 northern bald ibis overflew,together with a few black kite and short toed eagles.Then decided to move to the cave area on Sierra Plata and watch the Griffon nests there.Also the two resident Egyptian vultures put in an appearance and landed on the cliff face in front of us and mated.The remained there for a good half hour preening and the like.Overflying this area were,male hen harrier,male and female marsh harrier,many,sparrowhawks,booted eagles and short toed eagles and later about 6 ish 100´s of black kite.All the birds seem to be coming from the southwest ie,Zahara or Barbate area so I think that is where they were blown to.At 6.30pm went for a beer in Bolonia and saw a large number of black kite coming in from the sea across the village.At this time the wind had dropped to about force 4/5.Whilst watching the Egyptian vultures was able to see a bald patch on the chests of both birds, which I have never seen before.I will post this under a new thread on BOP. Kind regards to all ...Eddy.

occasional · Mar 22, 2013

.All the birds seem to be coming from the southwest ie,Zahara or Barbate area ?????

eddy the eagle · Mar 22, 2013

Occasional,do you have a question? Eddy

Birdman7 · Mar 22, 2013

Bonanza - Brazo del Este

I spend the day yesterday touring Bonanza salt pans northeast towards Braze del Este. Amongst the raptors recorded included, Black kite, Red Kite, Osprey, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Common Buzzard, Marsh harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Black-winged kite Common Kestrel, Lesser Kestrel.

Other birds recorded included my first Purple Herons, Great-short-toed larks, Yellow wagtails, European Bee-eater, Woodchat Shirke, Spectacled Warbler & Black-eared Wheatears of the Spring.

Other birds included Slender-billed Gulls and a plethora of waders, Stone-Curlew, Glossy Ibis, Great White Egret, Purple-Swaphen, Alpine Swift, Azure-winged Magpie, Calandra, Crested, Thekla & lesser short-toed larks. Overall a very successful rewarding day.

Will be posting more photos on my blog soon,

Regards.

eddy the eagle · Mar 22, 2013

Ocasional,to answer your question????? I was not privy to the actual landfall of the birds but could only give the direction from which they came.The wind was so strong that the birds could have made landfall further west ,they are obviously being blown towards the Atlantic in these winds any stronger and I don´t think they would have crossed at all.I hope this answers your question.......Eddy

occasional · Mar 22, 2013

Hi Eddy,

As I read your post you were in Sierra de la Plata with birds appearing from the SW.

Barbate and Zahara are NW of Sierra de la Plata and it seems unlikely that birds would arrive from that direction - so interested in clarifying your post.

O

Birdman7 · Mar 22, 2013

Wind displacement

occasional said:
Hi Eddy,

As I read your post you were in Sierra de la Plata with birds appearing from the SW.

Barbate and Zahara are NW of Sierra de la Plata and it seems unlikely that birds would arrive from that direction - so interested in clarifying your post.

O

Hi Occasional.

it is not uncommon for birds of prey to arrive via an open sea route. We see it very often in late-summer in Gib on strong south-westerlies, especially during late July & August, it is common to find Black Kites & Honey Buzzards arriving from Mediterranean east, south-east and even from the south on the straits itself and seeming heading the 'wrong way north'. After arriving in Gib, they quickly find thermals and then head south-west against the wind, decending and mostly gliding all the way towards Morocco from considerable height, its a migratory, energy-saving technique.

These are wind-displaced groups.

occasional · Mar 22, 2013

Birdman7 said:
south-east and even from the south on the straits itself and seeming heading the 'wrong way north`

Is there any evidence that these are not simply birds which have turned round when part way across ?

And whilst I am asking - in spring what proportion of raptors arrive in Gib from the SE rather than SW ?

Birdman7 · Mar 22, 2013

Raptor migration & lens

occasional said:
Is there any evidence that these are not simply birds which have turned round when part way across ?

And whilst I am asking - in spring what proportion of raptors arrive in Gib from the SE rather than SW ?

In spring we only get raptor migration in Gib during Westerlies. Most birds one picks up as incoming 'specks' are mostly arriving and drifting north / north-east from either a south-westerly or southerly direction and very little from the SE (definitely wind blown)

During autumn, there is a flow of raptors just east of the rock over the Med too, but in strong SW winds, you can pick them out very low over the sea from the E, SE or even S, flapping intensely and struggling to get back to the rock. That is evidence enough that they frequently get displaced by strong facing winds. There is a prob a westerly route too across the strait (one of several across the entire breadth of the strait) now during spring which entails raptors leaving Cap Spartel in morocco and head due north towards Bolognia / Cape Trafalgar , very similar to the easterly one over the Rock during the autumn. There is evidence to show that passerines crossing the straits use mostly this route in Autmun.

As an aid, when you see them incoming, flapping and gliding with the winds either parallel to the side or from behind, they are in track. When you see them heading towards the prevailing wind, and flapping intensely, they are trying to get back in track (wind blown). When you see them circling, it means they have picked up a thermal pocket. When you see them gliding and gaining height, its a wind deflected updraft. Use this as a guide only as you will see exceptions to this.

eddy the eagle · Mar 22, 2013

Occasional,I apologise,at the site I thought,wrongly that Zahara and Barbate were to the southwest,however looking at the map I now realise that they lie to the northwest as you stated.It is my experience that when birds make landfall in strong winds they follow the coast until a suitable route is found to travel inland.I think on this occasion(pun intended) they made landfall on the other side of the Sierra de la Plata and then followed the coast until they were on the eastern side of the sierra and then they made their way in land.I am sorry for the confusion.........Eddy.

Tiger_mz · Mar 22, 2013

Could someone summarise what has been happening. Has the weather been unusually bad this year and for how long has it been inclement?

Birdman7 · Mar 22, 2013

Tiger_mz said:
Could someone summarise what has been happening. Has the weather been unusually bad this year and for how long has it been inclement?

Unusually unstable for this time of the year. First half of winter was pretty dry, now we seem to be having a 'late wet winter'. The birds urge to migrate is greater than the unsuitability of the atmospheric conditions though.

Tiger_mz · Mar 22, 2013

Birdman7 said:
Unusually unstable for this time of the year. First half of winter was pretty dry, now we seem to be having a 'late wet winter'. The birds urge to migrate is greater than the unsuitability of the atmospheric conditions though.

Is that not going to end up with lots of casualties?

Jon Turner · Mar 22, 2013

June Atkinson said:
I'm intrigued. Are you there specifically for the migration period, maybe with a Birdwatching group, are you on holiday or maybe you live there? I do envy you all

Well we have a house in Jimena and come out when we can, this year is earlyish for the main migration (of samller birds) but the BOP migration starts now so we take advantage!

Today, a very few Black Kites (12?) and a few more Booted Eagles (20) but the weather is a pain - still cool with rain and not much wind here. Drove out into the country this afternoon and saw a lone Bee-eater, along with a very friendly Hoopoe.

eddy the eagle · Mar 22, 2013

I forgot to mention that yesterday at the Sierra de le Plata there was a group of 15 beeaters,a first this year for me and a group of 20+white stork flying NNW.Also at the top of the cliff above the cave very good views of a blue rock thrush hunting insects flycatcher style......Eddy

Barred Wobbler · Mar 23, 2013

eddy the eagle said:
I forgot to mention that yesterday at the Sierra de le Plata there was a group of 15 beeaters,a first this year for me and a group of 20+white stork flying NNW.Also at the top of the cliff above the cave very good views of a blue rock thrush hunting insects flycatcher style......Eddy

Regarding bee-eaters Eddy, I was in Morocco at this time last year and on the night of 20th March we were sitting having a late beer at the outside bar at our digs in Ouarzazate and we heard the sounds of a flock of bee-eaters overhead as they were migrating north along the river valley. It went on and on, so I glanced at my watch. It took at least three minutes for that flock to pass us. There must have been thousands up there in the dark.

An osprey in the desert at M'Hamid a couple of days later was another surprise. It was following the valley north, even though the river often disappears into the sand on its course south..

On another note, we're busy sorting out digs for this autumn for the migration, so we might be bumping into you again shortly.

eddy the eagle · Mar 23, 2013

Hi Alan,nice to hear from you again,I´m sure God willing we will meet up later in the year.....Eddy

Jon Turner · Mar 23, 2013

wet wet wet..... cool and no wind so virtually no BOPs in the air at all, one male Montagu's, 3 Griffons, and about 12 Lesser Kestrels, with a further 13 seen over the castle this afternoon. However, bumped into a friend out in the campo, with news of Black-shouldered Kite this morning. Needless to say I couldn't relocate it, either this morning or late this afternoon. Will look again. A small flock of 16 Bee-eaters in a tree looking very wet and miserable. Maybe more rain tomorrow, but warming up thereafter, typical - we go home on Weds!

occasional · Mar 23, 2013

Tiger_mz said:
Is that not going to end up with lots of casualties?

I dont think there is anything particularly dangerous about damp weather during migration - it simply slows things down (which might affect subsequenr survival, but that is not particularly apparent).

occasional · Mar 23, 2013

Birdman7 said:
During autumn, there is a flow of raptors just east of the rock over the Med too, but in strong SW winds, you can pick them out very low over the sea from the E, SE or even S, flapping intensely and struggling to get back to the rock.

Birdman, I hope you wont mind if I ask a string of questions about this route east of the Rock.

Does the flow east of the rock happen at all wind strengths ?
Does the route imply that one can sit near the airport and watch birds fly into the lee of the rock ?
Why would a bird such as a kite struggle to reach the rock, when turning round and flying downwind is probably an easier and more reliable way of reaching land ?

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