Spain Enebro de Punta Day 8

A great trip out from Tarifa into the Straits to observe cetaceans including this Bottle-nosed Dolphin

  Early this morning I went to have a look at what the main man, Dave Grundy, had trapped overnight in his five moth traps! He stays during the winter months at the observatory until May and then later in October, makes he regular visit to St Angus for a few weeks also trapping moths. It was good to see him but unfortunly the moths were low in numbers. There were also a few birders at the obs and they told me, as it was a easterly breeze, that it was probably best to observe the raptors coming in at the the far north end of Tarifa Beach at Enebro de Punta near to the dunes. Driving along the main road, I noticed a buzzard on wires close to the road and pulled over. I thought that I had got a possible Long-legged Buzzard but later on speaking to others in the area and abroad, it was thought to be a Buzzard with Long-legged Buzzard influence in it and was maybe to be the Gibraltar Buzzard?

 Some species of moth that Dave trapped. I can't remember what Dave identified them as but I had a lot of new species.

Waved Umber

Cream-spot Tiger

Ochropleura leucogaster

Phyllodesma kernesifolia

Spider sp?

Long-horned Beetle sp?

This Buzzard with Long-legged Buzzard showed pretty well at close range

  At 11.30, I reached an opening half way up Paloma Hill and raptors were pouring in. It was some three hours later that I called it a day and still they were arriving in off the sea but in smaller numbers. Serin and Sardinian Warbler were all over the shop and I also had a Tree Pipit come in and Swallows.

Totals included from 11.30-14.30

100+Short-toed Eagle
1500+Black Kite
18 Booted Eagle
19 Sparrowhawk
2 Osprey
2 Egyptian Vulture
3 male Marsh Harrier
2 Buzzard
1 Tree Pipit
7 Swallow

Egyptian Vulture

2 Osprey arrived with Black Kite

There were 3 male Marsh Harrier

I must of seen some 40 Sparrowhawk in the last week including 19 today

Up to 18 Booted Eagle 

Over 1500 Black Kite

But only 100+Short-toed Eagle

  I would of liked to have stuck around longer but at 17.00 I was on a boat trip into the Straits towards Morocco to hopefully see some cetaceans. It didn't take long until we came across over 30 Bottle-nosed Dolphin. This was quickly followed by an equal number pod of Long-finned Pilot Whale and feeding with the whales were 2 superb Sperm Whale! A new species for me and they showed on and off at close range in the twenty minutes that they performed. Returning back to Tarifa in the last hour of light, 40+Scopoli's and 4 Balearic Shearwater passed close by east. If you visit Tarifa I highly recommend a trip out into the Straits.

The Bottle-nosed Dolphin were in a mood for showing off with The Rock in the distance

Long-finned Pilot Whale

The highlight of the trip was stolen by the 2 Sperm Whale Anyone like to guess how many plastic bags are in these two whales??

Over 40 Scopoli's and 4 Balearic Shearwater, including the two above of the latter species, finished off a great day!

Gibraltar Rock

Joan As Police Woman has just brought out a new single and she's still got class!