Tarifa (Spain) area September 2008
KDD, JW and myself had a week around Tarifa in early September 2008 mainly for the raptor migration but we also had some superb encounters with a flock of Collared Pratincoles at La Janda and some nice Odes. The main problem for photography was the height of the raptors as it was very hot and birds were quickly high in the mornings and the heat also made it difficult to get any decent evening images due to shimmer at La Janda. The winds were not in our favour on some days and hence there was restricted raptor migration. Had my first Ruppell’s Vultures and and after the event tick when we found out that a White-backed Vulture had been photographed during our time there and examination of my images revealed that we had indeed seen the same bird!
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
Collared Pratincoles
As noted we visited La Janda most days after the raptor passage slowed to look for harriers and waterbirds and our main success here was bumping into a cracking flock of Collared Pratincoles that were feeding over the fields and landing on the tracks and track sides offering superb views but testing the autofocus of the then Canon 1D3 which did not have the greatest AF system ever invented. I only took the Canon 300 2.8 lens along with 1.4x and 2x converters but once the heat haze declined it was beautiful light on these superb birds. There was a mixture of juveniles in various stages of post-juvenile moult and moulting adults. The first juveniles I had ever seen and some of the best views of this species to boot.
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
Egyptian Vultures
There is something about getting above raptors and seeing the uppersides that we seldom get to view that makes getting images of birds from above all the more satisfying and with some species like Egyptian Vulture the upper side is that much more interesting.
African White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus with two Griffons Tarifa Spain September 7th 2008
African White-backed Vulture
As noted an unexpected addition to the raptor list as we had overlooked this mega, first for Spain, during a heavy movement of Griffons at Cazalla but fortunately I managed to photograph it by accident!
Odonata
added some nice species to the list and some great encounters. All images taken with the 300 2.8 lens and usually the 1.4x converter.
Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta male
Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta female
Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta male
Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta male
Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis female
Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis female
Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis male
Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis female
Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens male
Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens female
Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii
Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii
Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii male
Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii male
Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea
Violet Dropwing Trithemis annulata male
Violet Dropwing Trithemis annulata male
Yellow-veined Skimmer Orthetrum nitidinerve male
Yellow-veined Skimmer Orthetrum nitidinerve male
Africa looks to be very close but to raptors the strait is a major obstacle that most soaring species typically choose to overcome from late morning when thermals allow them to gain enough height for a long glide towards the imposing Jebel Musa. Below are a selection of images from around Tarifa. Although the energy companies co-operate with the bird agencies it still seems so unnecessary to site all these wind turbines on one of Europes busiest migratory flyways.
One of the growing number of wind farms north of Tarifa and just south of La Janda
Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius
Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius
Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius
Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture upper, with Eurasian Griffon
Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture Gyps rueppellii
Some of the other species that we had on the trip but with poorer images; as noted the heat was the main problem with getting sharp shots of raptors and using the 2x converter on the 300 2.8 was a mistake.
Left and three images in the gallery Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture a new bird for me and we saw at least five in the week along with the Griffon flock thanks mainly to a cow dying in a very useful location below the raptor view point at Cazalla.
