Late Ortolans

Late Ortolans



The wet weather continued north and southern Spain was once again bathed in sunshine. Saying that though, rain is forecast for the coming weekend.

Back out in the field, La Janda’s tracks are passable with care and you can get through to Benalup from the main N340 road. There are a few sticky bits with mud run-off from the deluge but the farmers were clearing it off the tracks.

A lot of the birds have migrated further south across The Strait to Morocco. Thousands are of course still here and more will arrive from the north to winter with us if weather conditions are fair.

There have been some late migrants passing though including two Ortolan . This was the latest recorded sightings I have had and usually the birds are through to Africa long before November! Perhaps this pair of juveniles came from an Eastern European group.

Black winged Kite 8685

Black winged Kite w9500

Eurasian Spoonbill juv 8684
, juvenile

Ortolan, Chiffchaff, 9439
Ortolan Bunting with and

Ortolan Bunting 1st winter 9425
Ortolan Bunting

Zahara Rain Strait 8692
Rain on The Strait

Acantillado Barbate 9393
Clouds over the Acantilado de Barbate

Chiffchaff spider 8958
Chiffchaff eating a spider

Common+Crane+ad

Common Cranes ad juv 0139

Common Cranes 5806
Common Cranes at La Janda

Green Sandpiper dancing 4936

La Janda cenrte 8701
Flooded La Janda – just the way it should be!

La Janda main track 8709
Beautiful sky over the main canal at La Janda

Ri%CC%81o Barbate Libreros 8712
Libreros, Vejer de La Frontera

Short eared Owls 8927
Some Short-eared Owls came in, then kept on going…

Marsh Harriers 8692
Marsh Harriers hunting at La Janda

Northern Bald Ibis 9331
Staring competition with a at Barbate

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Stephen Daly

Stephen Daly

Stephen Daly, has been birding since he was eight years old in his native Scotland. After living in Germany and France he established Andalucian Guides the successful birding and wildlife tour company on The Strait of Gibraltar in Spain and has been living here since 2001. Photographing birds in flight is one passion and his photos can be found in many books, magazines and journals. Studying bird behaviour and bird migration are two other positive aspects of being based on one of the busiest migration routes on Earth.

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