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After weeks of preparation (and not writing many 10,000 Bird posts), my husband and I are in Spain. Algeciras, Spain, to be specific — right around the bay from Gibraltar. Drive a little southwest, and you’ll reach Tarifa, the southernmost point of Europe. And in between, you can stop at the Cazalla Soaring Bird Observatory (Cazalla Soaring Bird Observatory).
This area has gained some notoriety as part of the staging area for hawks, eagles and vultures that plan to soar south across the Straits of Gibraltar every September. It is the western European equivalent of the spectacular Raptor River (River of Rapaces) in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz. And let me tell you, I’m itching to get there.
Our trip to southern Spain was a work trip, so it was a week before I got out and birded in form. Waiting that long made me impatient and, well, rather ignorant. I left for the site at dawn, despite knowing that the hummingbirds didn’t leave until after eleven in the morning. I’m stupid.
However, Spain is a land full of potential lives for a New World birder like me, and I got one almost as soon as I got out of my rental car. European Stonechats is everywhere. Soon, a trio of English-speaking birders arrived, and helped me identify a Willow Warblera Crested Larkand plural European Honey-Buzzards — all alive. Perhaps arriving early isn’t such a bad idea.
European Stonechatsman and woman, at dawn
Even before the thermals developed, there were already many inhabitants Eurasian Kestrels. (If you’re not familiar with Old World birds, you may notice that the people who named them were very fond of words Eurasian and European.) A very washed-out youth Eurasian Blue Tit fed on fennel seeds, and the wonderful name Seat Cisticola made its appearance. (Why do you name a bird Eurasianwhen you can use the word chair?)
A slight blue Eurasian Blue Tit
This Cisticola really chair. Zeet!
And then, little by little, the main event began. More and more people came — from all over western Europe, although I seemed to be the only one from America. And so are the birds that soar. Short-legged Snake-Eagles is consistently the most abundant, with Booted Eagles taking second place.
In dozens of those Short-legged Snake-Eagles overhead, even I was bound to get a good image.
Booted Eagle
Black Kite, larger than any of the unrelated New World kites, occasionally flies high overhead. And then there are a good number of one-offs: a Eurasian Marsh-Harrierfollowed by a juvenile Montagu’s Harrier. An immature Bonelli’s Eagle fly, also nice and low. (I want to show you my pictures, but believe me, you don’t want to see them.) A Peregrine Falcon was seen in the distance, one of the few species in the sun that I can also see in Mexico. One European Sparrowhawk turned around. A Common Buzzard perched on an electrical tower, while a Long-legged Buzzard which landed on a nearby tower caused much excitement among the locals.
Black Kite
youth Montagu’s Harrier
The locals were also happy when a small group of Black Stocks fly above. White Storks (the classic “baby carriers” of legend) are increasingly common in Spain, as they have learned to use human chaos, especially landfills, to their advantage. But Black Stocks seems to be increasingly rare. However, after the smaller group flew overhead, a larger group followed. And then another.
A few out of many Black Stocks
One Black Stork… and a guest
As shown in the previous photo, at this time the vultures began to appear. Old World vultures, unrelated to Mexican vultures, are very large birds. The first to appear is Vultures of Egyptmajestic birds in their own right.
adult Egyptian Vulture
Juvenile Egyptian Vulture: the shape of the tail is the same.
But I had been waiting all morning to see a species… and it came before my limited time was up. There they were… Four Eurasian Griffons! With its nine-foot wingspan, this species is at the top of my wish list.
Unfortunately, by noon I had to leave Cazalla — even though things kept getting more and more interesting. However, I returned to our temporary home satisfied, and thirteen lives richer.
Having had the privilege of experiencing two of the world’s great raptor migrations, I would like to conclude by comparing Cazalla and Mexico’s Raptor River (Río de Rapaces). If I had spent the day on the latter, I would have seen perhaps 100x the number of individual birds I saw at Cazalla. Look over the Raptor River, and you’ll likely see thousands of birds at a glance. But you probably won’t get a photo of a raptor up close, and species ID is more likely by general shape and behavior than by getting a decent view. However, both experiences easily make it into my lifetime top-10. Go if you can.
The view above on the Rio de Rapaces in Veracruz, Mexico.
A similar piece of sky in Cazalla in the afternoon. Before noon, the raptors fly lower.
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