To expand my knowledge on bird migration, I set off early in the morning towards Tarifa. You can't miss the watchpoint next to the road if you come from Algeciras. I had taken a quick look at the weather forecast the day before, so I was surprised to see that it started to rain and a quite strong wind was blowing when I arrived. To make things even worse, it was a bit chilly too. I enjoyed the magnificent view over the Strait of Gibraltar, but it could have been much better if it hadn't been so foggy, I could barely see Africa.
After a while I was joined by ornithologist Diego Herrera, who runs the observation centre. Soon the weather started to get better and, much to my delight, a lot of birds of prey started to come to land. Among the hundreds of birds we saw were Short-toed Snake Eagles, Red and Black Kites, Booted Eagles, Ospreys, Vultures and a flock of Storks, to name only a few.
The wind was coming from the east, so this spot was an ideal location for watching birds come in on that particular day. We were later joined by another two bird observers and glanced at the sky for hours, watching and identifying the big number of birds that flew over our heads heading north.
This watchpoint has a bar, which was temporarily closed, and another building on the site has a meeting room. Outside there is a shelter and more than enough space to park. It is also easy to find and to access. Definitely a top spot for birdwatching.
When you look at the landscape between the hills, you can see the beginning of a huge windmill park. I find it paradoxical that the place where a lot of migratory birds come ashore is so densely covered with these dangerous constructions, which obviously pose a big threat, together with a network of power pylons.
This is the list of al the different species I was able to see:
White Stork
Osprey
Egyptian Vulture
Eurasian Griffon Vulture
Short-toed Snake Eagle
Booted Eagle
Eurasian Marsh-Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Red Kite
Black Kite
Eurasian Kestrel
Barn Swallow
Sardinian Warbler
Spotless Starling
Eurasian Blackbird
European Goldfinch
I am already looking forward to going back in September, when huge flocks of birds cross the Strait in the opposite direction to winter in Africa.
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