Our friends Frank and Cathy enjoyed a week’s break at the Apartment early this September and had some great finds including an Eurasian Dotterel – a rare bird for this area. With strong westerly winds on a few days, migrating Honey Buzzards re-orientated back from across the Mediterranean and arrived in excellent numbers, with many very low over the beach and apartment. On the 10th over 1000 Honey Buzzards were seen!
Here is Frank’s highlights for their stay:
(Note all photographs courtesy of Frank Cackett)
Bird Sightings from balcony and surrounding area during 4th – 11th September 2025
4th September (light southerly wind)
13 Glossy Ibis
20 Cory’s Shearwaters
1 Balearic Shearwater
2 Scopoli’s Shearwater
6 Black Terns
1 Night Heron (Juvenile) by bridge
50+ Red Rumped Swallows
5th September (southerly wind)
2 Honey Buzzards
1 Glossy Ibis
30 Booted Eagles
3 Griffin Vultures
Large movement of Red Rumped Swallows and House Martins
1 Woodchat
1 Green Sandpiper
2 Kentish Plovers
2 Sandling
1 Dotterel
6th September (strong Levante wind)
Many Cory’s
1 Balearic Shearwater
1 Sooty Shearwater
1 Osprey
7th September (light easterly wind)
40 Cory’s Shearwater
2 Separate flocks of Bee Eaters over balcony
5 Black Terns
2 Gannets
8th September (strong westerly wind)
3 Night Herons from balcony at dusk
Spent day at Tarifa enjoying the raptor migration
9th September (strong westerly wind) – all from Balcony
150 Honey Buzzards (in off the sea)
20 Black Kites (in off)
4 Ospreys
900+ Bee Eaters (over)
10 Avocets
1 Marsh Harrier
10th September (westerly wind)
1000+ Honey Buzzards (in off)
1 Juvenile Montagues Harrier
150 White Storks
3 Black Storks
80 Alpine Swifts
1 Juvenile Flamingo
6 Adult Flamingos
11 Glossy Ibis
3 Spoonbills
1 Great White Egret
1 Hoopoe (in off)
Numerous Bee Eaters
Several Booted Eagles and Black Kites
Numerous Shoveler flocks (in off)
11th September
Spent a further day at Tarifa enjoying the raptor migration
