Return to trip reports.A trip arranged at short notice. Travelled from Caithness to Glasgow, a journey of six hours, by car and after an overnight in Glasgow took a charter flight to Malaga. Car hired from Helle Hollis who are highly recommended. [Avda. Garcia Morato no 14-16, 29004 Malaga Tel: 95 204 85 65 Fax: 95 204 85 64 Courtesy bus to and from airport] Drove west past Tarifa to camp at the Rio Jara campsite. To speed the journey through the Costa del Sol it is worth taking the toll road. Spent four nights at Rio Jara before moving on to Ronda.
Dry and warm throughout. On the 8th a strong east wind got up which persisted to 11th. This clearly had an adverse effect on raptor movements and made passerines hard to find in exposed positions.
5th September: Malaga to Tarifa. [Damaged the hire car on arrival at the campsite!]
6th September: Tarifa to Malaga to change hire car! Sotogrande, Palmones and Playa de Los Lances.
7th September: Rio Jara Valley, Zahara de los Atunes, Barbate, Barbate Pinewoods and Playa de Los Lances.
8th September: Playa de Los Lances (south end) and Ojen Valley.
9th September: Tarifa to Ronda, Sierra de Grazalema and Ronda.
10th September: Ronda and Cueva de la Pileta - a non-ornithological must with prehistoric cave paintings.
11th September: Teba Gorge and Fuenta de Peidra. The lagoon was almost completely dry but a small pond at the back of the visitor centre held water and a number of species of wader in small numbers.
12th September: Ronda to Malaga.
Where to watch birds in Southern Spain. Ernest Garcia and Andrew Paterson Helm
Finding Birds in Southern Spain. Dave Gosney, Gostours
Where to Watch Birds in Spain Ed. Eduardo de Juana, Lynx Edicions
General guide: Andalucia: The Rough Guide
Map: Michelin No 446 España: Andalucia
Tarifa has changed. Twenty five years ago it was a small Spanish town with good restaurants, small shops and, if I remember aright, no major supermarket. Today, while still being one of my favorite Spanish towns, it is beginning to show the signs of tourism strain. The development of the area as the major windsurfing centre of Europe and general tourism is starting to have its effect. The restaurants are still there!
There are also good restaurants along the N340 west of Tarifa and in the towns of Barbate and Zahara de los Atunes, both still largely unaffected by non-domestic tourism. The sea food is great - try the locally caught tuna!
Playa de Los Lances, the long beach west of Tarifa, is always worth a visit and in autumn is a reliable place to find Audouin's Gull. Depending on weather conditions, migrating raptors pass over in large numbers.
The tidal estuary at Zahara can be good for waders but I have never seen very much at the disused salt pans at Barbate. Perhaps I have just been unlucky or unobservent!
The Rio Jara valley along the road past the Santuario off the N340 can be very productive, especialy in the evenings and early morning. By following it to its end to the T-junction with the road near Facinas and turning right one can pick up the road through the Ojen valley. The road through the valley has recently been made up and will cause no problems. A change from recent years when the state of the road a times made the completion of the traverse a bit of a lottery. A superb area for raptors.
Ronda is special - go there! Breakfast at Cafe Alba c/Espinel 44 on the best churros and chocolate in Andalucia.
| Species | Scientific Name | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| CORY'S SHEARWATER | Calonestris diomedea | 1 Playa de Los Lances 7th |
| NIGHT HERON | Nycticorax nyticorax | 15 Rio Jara campsite 8th |
| CATTLE EGRET | Bubulcus ibis | Common Tarifa to Zahara |
| LITTLE EGRET | Egretta garzette | 4 Zahara 7th; 2 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| GREY HERON | Ardea cinerea | 1 Sotogrande 6th |
| WHITE STORK | Ciconia ciconia | 6 Palmones 6th Rio Jara Valley 7th; |
| GREATER FLAMINGO | Pheonicopterus ruber | 150 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| MALLARD | Anas platyrhnchos | 2 Sotogrande 6th |
| EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD | Pernis apivorus | 11 Ojen Valley 8th; 1 Rio Jara campsite 9th |
| BLACK KITE | Milvus migrans | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 16 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th; 10 Rio Jara campsite 9th; |
| GRIFFON VULTURE | Gyps fulvus | 3 Rio Jara Valley 7th; ca100 near Zahara 7th; 14 Ojen Valley 8th |
| SHORT-TOED EAGLE | Circattetus gallicus | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 4 Ojen Valley 8th |
| MONTAGU’S HARRIER | Circus pygargus | 1 dark phase south end Playa de Los Lances 8th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| COMMON BUZZARD | Buteo buteo | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| BOOTED EAGLE | Hieraaetus pennatus | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 3 Ojen Valley 8th |
| COMMON KESTREL | Falco tinnunculus | 5 near Tarifa 6th; 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th; 1 Cueva de la Pileta 10th |
| PEREGRINE FALCON | Falco peregrinus | 1 Ronda 10th |
| MOORHEN | Gallinula chloropus | 100+ Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| COMMON COOT | Fulica atra | 20 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| BLACK-WINGED STILT | Himantopus himantopus | 12 Zahara 7th; 20 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| RINGED PLOVER | Charadrius hiaticula | 3 Sotogrande 6th; 10 Playa de Los Lances 6th; 10 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| KENTISH PLOVER | Charadrius alexandrinus | 70+ Playa de Los Lances 6th; 1 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| GREY PLOVER | Pluvialis squatarola | 2 Playa de Los Lances 6th |
| LAPWING | Vanellus vanellus | 3 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| KNOT | Calidris canutus | 4 Playa de Los Lances 6th with 2 on 7th |
| SANDERLING | Calidris alba | 100+ Playa de Los Lances 6th; 1 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| LITTLE STINT | Calidris minuta | 1 Sotogrande 6th; 3 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| CURLEW SANDPIPER | Calidris ferruginea | 10 Zahara 7th; 3 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| DUNLIN | Calidris alpina | 10 Playa de Los Lances 6th |
| RUFF | Philomachus pugnax | 3 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| BLACK-TAILED GODWIT | Limosa limosa | 1 Sotogrande 6th |
| BAR-TAILED GODWIT | Limosa lapponica | 12 Playa de Los Lances 6th; 6 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| REDSHANK | Tringa totanus | 1 Playa de Los Lances 6th; 1 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| GREENSHANK | Tringa nebularia | 1 Playa de Los Lances 6th |
| GREEN SANDPIPER | Tringa ochropus | 1 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| WOOD SANDPIPER | Tringa glareola | 1 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| COMMON SANDPIPER | Actitus hypoleucos | 2 Playa de Los Lances 6th; 1 Teba Gorge 11th |
| TURNSTONE | Arenaria interpres | 1 Sotogrande 6th |
| BLACK-HEADED GULL | Larus ridibundus | 10 Sotogrande 6th; 8 Playa de Los Lances 6th; 40 Zahara 7th |
| AUDOUIN'S GULL | Larus audouinii | 30 Playa de Los Lances 6th with 6 on 7th |
| LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL | Larus fuscus | 40 Playa de Los Lances 6th |
| YELLOW-LEGGED GULL | Larus michaehllis | Very common in coastal localities |
| SANDWICH TERN | Sterna sandvicensis | 50 Playa de Los Lances 6th with 97 on 7th; 20 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| COMMON TERN | Sterna hirundo | 1 Playa de Los Lances 6th |
| BLACK TERN | Chlidonias niger | 2 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| WOOD PIGEON | Columba palumbas | 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| COLLARED DOVE | Streptopelia decaocto | 5 Rio Jara campsite |
| COMMON CUCKOO | Cuculus canorus | 1 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| COMMON SWIFT | Apus apus | 1 Rio Jara 6th; 2 Puerto del Boyer 9th |
| PALLID SWIFT | Apus pallidus | 2 Sotogrande 6th |
| ALPINE SWIFT | Tachymarptis melba | 2 Zahara 7th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th; 3 Ronda 9th; 2 Puerto del Boyer 9th; 1 Ronda 10th |
| EUROPEAN BEE-EATER | Merops apiaster | Steady movement over Rio Jara and Barbate Pinewoods with flocks of 20/40; 15 Ojen Valley 8th |
| HOOPOE | Upupa epops | 1 Barbate Pinewoods 7th; 3 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| CRESTED LARK | Galerida cristata | Common and widespread |
| SKYLARK | Alauda arvensis | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th |
| SAND MARTIN | Riparia riparia | 2 Rio Jara 6th |
| CRAG MARTIN | Ptyonoprogne rupestris | 1 Ojen Valley 8th; 1 Ronda 10th; 5 Teba Gorge 11th |
| BARN SWALLOW | Hirundo rustica | Steady passage in coastal localities |
| RED-RUMPED SWALLOW | Hirundo daurica | 1 Zahara 7th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| HOUSE MARTIN | Delichon urbica | 3 near Grazalema 9th |
| TAWNY PIPIT | Anthus campestris | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th |
| YELLOW WAGTAIL | Motacilla flava | 10 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| GREY WAGTAIL | Motacilla cinerea | 2 Teba Gorge 11th |
| WREN | Troglodytes troglodytes | 1 Barbate Pinewoods 7th; 1 Teba Gorge 11th |
| ROBIN | Erithacus rubecula | 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| REDSTART | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | 5 Barbate Pinewoods 7th |
| COMMON STONECHAT | Saxicola torquata | Common |
| NORTHERN WHEATEAR | Oenanthe oenanthe | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 3 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR | Oenanthe hispanica | 1 south end Playa de Los Lances 8th |
| BLACK WHEATEAR | Oenanthe leucura | 1 Grazalema 9th; 2 Cueva de la Pileta 10th 3 Teba Gorge 11th; |
| BLUE ROCK THRUSH | Monitcola solitarius | 1 Ronda 10th; 2 Teba Gorge 11th |
| BLACKBIRD | Turdus merula | 1 Sotogrande 6th; 2 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 3 Barbate Pinewoods 7th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| CETTI’S WARBLER | Cettia cetti | 1 Sotogrande 6th; 1 Teba Gorge 11th |
| FAN-TAILED WARBLER | Cisticola juncidis | 3 Sotogrande 6th |
| SARDINIAN WARBLER | Sylvia melanocephala | 2 Rio Jara Valley 7th; common Barbate Pinewoods 7th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th; 2 Teba Gorge 11th |
| COMMON WHITETHROAT | Sylvia communis | 1 Barbate Pinewoods 7th |
| GARDEN WARBLER | Sylvia borin | 1 Barbate Pinewoods 7th |
| CHIFFCHAFF | Phylloscopus collybita | 2 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 3 Barbate Pinewoods 7th |
| WILLOW WARBLER | Phylloscopus trochilus | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th |
| FIRECREST | Regulus ignicapillus | 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| SPOTTED FLYCATCHER | Muscicapa striata | 2 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 10 Barbate Pinewoods 7th; 2 Ojen Valley 8th |
| PIED FLYCATCHER | Ficedula hypoleuca | 1 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 5 Barbate Pinewoods 7th |
| LONG-TAILED TIT | Aegithalos caudatus | 3 Ojen Valley 8th |
| COAL TIT | Parus ater | 1 Barbate Pinewoods 7th |
| BLUE TIT | Parus caeruleus | 4 Barbate Pinewoods 7th; 2 Ojen Valley 8th; 1 Teba Gorge 11th |
| GREAT TIT | Parus major | 20 Barbate Pinewoods 7th; 1 Teba Gorge 11th |
| SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER | Erthia brachydactyla | 1 Barbate Pinewoods 7th |
| SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE | Lanius meridionalis | 1 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| WOODCHAT SHRIKE | Lanius senator | 2 Rio Jara Valley 7th |
| RED-BILLED CHOUGH | Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | 100 near Ronda 9th; 200+ Ronda 9th; 2 Puerto del Boyer 9th |
| EURASIAN JACKDAW | Corvus monedula | 200+ Teba Gorge 11th |
| COMMON RAVEN | Corvus corax | 2 Fuente de Piedra 11th |
| SPOTLESS STARLING | Sturnus unicolor | Common |
| HOUSE SPARROW | Passer domesticus | Common and widespread |
| TREE SPARROW | Passer montanus | 2 Grazalema 9th |
| ROCK SPARROW | Petronia petronia | 6 Ronda 9th; 2 Ronda 10th; 20 Teba Gorge 11th |
| COMMOM CHAFFINCH | Fringilla coelebs | Common in suitable habitats |
| EUROPEAN SERIN | Serinus serinus | 3 Grazalema 9th |
| GOLDFINCH | Carduelis carduelis | Common and widespread |
| LINNET | Carduelis cannabina | 2 Teba Gorge 11th |
| CIRL BUNTING | Emberiza cirlis | 5 Rio Jara Valley 7th; 1 Ojen Valley 8th |
| ROCK BUNTING | Emberiza cia | 4 Teba Gorge 11th |
| REED BUNTING | Emberiza schoeniclus | 1 Sotogrande 6th |
| CORN BUNTING | Miliaria calandra | Common and widspread |