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Birds

2012

January  February  March  April  May June  July  August  September  October  November  December

February

02 Feb:  Moderate westerly winds with some cloud and a slight drizzle early in the morning as a front passed through the Straits, breaking up to reveal sunny spells and a drop in temperature as winds settled to a fresh north-westerly.  Seven Black Kites were observed heading north in the early afternoon.

01 Feb:  The day dawned with a  light to moderate westerly wind with clear skies and some high cloud.  Very sunny throughout most of the day, but meteorologists have warned of an impending cold snap tomorrow.  Just after midday a Griffon Vulture flew in from across the Bay in the company of several Yellow-legged Gulls.

In the afternoon a Hoopoe was seen on Windmill Hill; the first of the season.

In the evening two members went in search of the Eagle Owl .  At around 19:30 the owl was spotted flying around the cliffs from the north face to the east side cliffs.

January

31 Jan:  Weather conditions improved and returned to the calm variable anticyclonic weather of the past few months.  A Kingfisher was observed at the Wildlife park of the Botanic Gardens.  Many wintering birds are taking advantage of the fine weather conditions and are very active, with Chiffchaffs calling and feeding on the nectar of the Aloes at the Botanic Gardens.  Many Chaffinches and Black Redstarts are also present there.

There were 3 Whimbrels and a Shag on the rocks at Little Bay.

29 Jan:  After a cold and wet day yesterday, with some snow in the surrounding Sierra de las Nieves, an Alpine Accentor was observed feeding along the cliffs at the top station of the Cable Car.  Colder conditions this week may have encouraged the species to lower altitudes. Nine Cormorants were resting on the rocks at Little Bay.  The wintering light phase Booted Eagle is still about and was seen over the southern end of the Rock.

Gannets are now migrating out of the Mediterranean with several flocks seen during a brief spell at Europa Point.  Several Black-headed Gulls were feeding close inshore, with a couple of Cormorants that were harrassing the shoals of Grey Mullet.

19 Jan:  In the morning an exhausted Storm Petrel was discovered on the deck of a ship in the harbour area, and taken into care.  The bird looked fine but died a few days later.

18 Jan:  After a few days with some heavy rain showers the weather cleared a bit but temperatures had dropped substantially and an influx of Chiffchaffs arrived on the Rock with many birds seen in the Botanic Gardens feeding on the nectar of flowering Aloes.

14 Jan: A female Marsh Harrier was observed flying over the Rock at 13:15 in the afternoon.  It is not known whether the bird was a new arrival from across the Straits or a wandering individual from Spain.

9 Jan:  Thirty-nine birds were trapped at the Observatory during an overcast day with strong easterly winds.  Of these 27 birds were new, with 10 Robins, 8 Blackcaps, 5 Black Redstarts, 3 Greenfinches and a Sardinian Warbler.

5 Jan:  Mainly clear skies with light easterly winds.  At the Observatory 20 new birds were ringed among which were 8 Blackcaps, 3 Black Redstarts, 4 Robins, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Greenfinches and a Blackbird.  Six retrap Robins, and 4 retrap Blackcaps were also caught at the site.  The Tawny Owl was heard calling throughout the night.

4 Jan:  Another clear day with sunny conditions and light variable winds turning to light easterly.  Ringing operations resumed at the Observatory and among the new birds trapped were a Meadow Pipit and a Kingfisher.  Both these birds were in caught on the slopes of the Rock in the Mediterranean scrub habitat; an unusual habitat for the pipit that frequents open ground or the Kingfisher that is normally found in fresh water courses, although some frequent the coastline in the autumn.  Other new birds included 6 Blackcaps, and single Song Thrush, Robin, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Chaffinch.

1 Jan: Happy New Year to all.  Clear skies with moderate northerly winds.  The first three Black Kites of the season, the earliest to cross the Straits, were seen heading north.  The dark phase Booted Eagle was still around the southern end of Gibraltar.  In the evening a flock of approximately 2000 Common Starlings arrived at the South District forming their characteristic aerial displays before descending into the trees to roost. A Tawny Owl was heard calling throughout the night around the Observatory at Jews' Gate.

                                  Common Starlings coming to roost at the South District.                 Eric Shaw/GONHS

2011

January  February  March  April  May June  July  August  September  October  November  December

Table of Soaring Birds 2011

* Subject to acceptance by Gibraltar Rarities Committee.

December

31 Dec:  Clear skies with moderate westerly winds.  Another Lanner, or possibly the same bird that was seen on the 17th and 18th of the month, returned to the cliffs at Europa Point.

30 Dec:  Clear skies with north-westerly winds.  Five Griffon Vultures were observed heading north over the Botanic Gardens after midday.  Wintering birds in the Botanic Gardens included several Black Redstarts, Robins, and Chaffinches.  The characteristic Chiffchaffs feeding on the nectar of the Aloes in flower are down in numbers with only a few individuals benefiting from this rich resource.  Twenty one new birds, 9 retraps and a Spanish controlled Serin were the results of the mornings ringing.  New birds included 10 Robins, 4 Blackcaps, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Chaffinches, and single Blue Rock Thrush and Sardinian Warbler.

29 Dec:  Clear skies with some high cloud. Winds light westerly.  A Grey Heron was observed at the western end of the Runway.  Also there was a flock of 8 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Cormorants on the railings of one of the jetties on the Western beach side.  In the evening a flock of approximately 300 Common Starlings flew south over the Botanic Gardens.  The low temperatures in Central Spain may have displaced this species further south.  At the Observatory 12 new birds were ringed with 7 Robins, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Blackcaps and a Greenfinch, and included 13 retraps with 10 Robins.

28 Dec:  Moderate easterly winds becoming light and variable in the afternoon.  Mainly clear skies with some cloud forming over the Rock in the morning.  A large gathering of Cormorants of approximately 15 birds on the rocks at Little Bay, with two more fishing just below Europa Point.  Also there were 34 Black-headed Gulls, with just a few Gannets offshore fishing in the swell that was subsiding after the easterly gales of the previous days.  The dark phase Booted Eagle was seen over Windmill Hill.

Finally we reached the 7000 new birds ringed in Gibraltar, with three days to spare, a new record.  with 24 new birds and 19 retraps today.  Included in the new birds ringed were 13 Robins, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Black Redstarts, 3 Sardinian Warblers, and a single Greenfinch.

27 Dec: Winds remained strong with a heavy swell off Europa Point.  Skies were cloudy over the town and harbour with sunny spells in the afternoon.  It was a good day at the Observatory, possibly due to birds moving south to escape the freezing temperatures in central Spain,  with 41 birds processed of which 27 were new birds.  These consisted of 11 Robins, 7 Black Redstarts, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Sardinian Warblers, and single Chiffchaff and a nice Blue Rock Thrush.

26 Dec:  Cloudy mainly over the town and harbour with gale force easterly winds.  At the Observatory, 10 new birds were ringed with 6 Black Redstarts, 3 Robins and a single Greenfinch.  Among the 7 birds retrapped was the Wryneck that had been ringed on the 11th November, retrapped on the 4th December and caught again today.

25 Dec:  A Happy Christmas to all.  A Little Egret was seen on the Extension jetty in the North Mole area.  Wintering birds can be seen all around Gibraltar, including in urban and sub-urban areas where there are Black Redstarts and Spotless Starlings on the roofs of Montagu Gardens residential area, and many Robins, Black Redstarts, Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds and Wrens in the Gardiners Road area and the Alameda Botanic Gardens.  There were 7 new birds ringed at the Observatory with 3 Black Redstarts, 2 Robins and single Blackcap and Serin.  Among the 4 retraps was the Dunnock that was first ringed on the 9th November.

24 Dec:  A visit to Windmill Hill produced a range of wintering species which included 4 Barbary Partridges, 5 Meadow Pipits, 1 Skylark, 4 Stonechats, 2 Blue Rock Thrushes, 3 Blackbirds, 15 Black Redstarts, 2 Robins, 3 Sardinian Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Serins, 1 Goldfinch, 10 House Sparrows and 15 Spotless Starlings.  The dark phase Booted Eagle is still hanging around the area.  At the Observatory 9 new birds and 7 retraps were processed, with 3 Robins, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Greenfinches and single Blackcap and Goldfinch amongst the new birds.

At 15:00hrs a Short-toed Eagle flew in from the bay and headed south.  The dark phase Booted Eagle is still around.

23 Dec:  Another 17 birds were trapped today of which 13 were new and included 6 Black Redstarts, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs and single Robin, and Sardinian Warbler.

22 Dec:  Light variable becoming light to moderate south-westerly.  Seventeen new birds were ringed at the Observatory with 4 retraps.  Species included 5 Black Redstarts, 5 Blackcaps, 3 Robins and single Blue Tit, Sardinian Warbler and Greenfinch.

21 Dec:  Light variable winds with clear skies and quite sunny.  At the Observatory 21 birds were trapped with 14 new birds consisting of 6 Robins, 5 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Black Redstart.  A dark phase Booted Eagle that had been taken in for rehabilitation was now fit and was ringed and released.  The light phase bird is still about.

20 Dec:  The Booted Eagle is still around flying low over the Rock in search of prey.  A Short-toed Eagle flew over the Rock in the morning.  Forty-nine birds were trapped at the Observatory among which were 31 new, with 16 Robins, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Black Redstarts, and single Sardinian Warbler, Blue Tit, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.

19 Dec:  Moderate easterly winds with a cloudy levanter sky for most of the day clearing in the late afternoon.  Weather conditions improved for ringing with 33 birds trapped in the morning.  Twenty-three of these were new with 6 Black Redstarts, 5 Blackcaps, 5 Serins, 3 Sardinian Warblers, and single Song Thrush, Greenfinch and Crag Martin.

18 Dec:  Mainly clear skies with fresh northerly winds.  Only two new Black Redstarts were trapped and ringed in the windy conditions at the Observatory.  The adult Lanner was still hanging around the same location, in the territory of one of the local Peregrines, and several aggressive encounters ensued.  Fortunately Clive Finlayson managed to obtain several excellent shots of these birds.

Adult female Lanner Falco biarmicus                                                     Clive Finlayson/FNP

Peregrine (above)  defending territory against Lanner              Clive Finlayson/FNP

17 Dec:  Moderate to fresh northerly winds.  There was a rain shower early in the morning but the clouds soon dissipated and sunny intervals was the order of the day.  An adult Lanner was seen flying along the easterly cliffs at Windmill Hill in the afternoon.

16 Dec:  Fresh to strong northerly winds and feeling rather chilly.  high cloud in the morning becoming overcast later in the day.  A Grey Heron has been frequenting the easterly shoreline and was seen landed on the airfield.

15 Dec:  Clear skies with a light to moderate north-westerly wind.  Northerlies have persisted over the last few days and bad weather in the northern half of the Iberian peninsular may have pushed some birds further south.  Around the town area several Black Redstarts have set up territories and can frequently be seen feeding and perching on balconies and corners of buildings. In the Alameda Gardens there has been an increase in Chaffinches with small flocks feeding along the Grand Parade entrance and around the Cottage.  Early this morning we heard the call of a Short-toed Treecreeper. This species occasionally turns up in Gibraltar in October with a return movement in late January and February. 

Windy conditions have hampered the ringing effort and it will be more difficult to achieve the target of 7000 new birds ringed by the end of the year. A return to easterlies may improve the situation.

14 Dec: Moderate northerly winds with mainly clear skies and sunny spells.  Another windy day at the Observatory with only 4 Blackcaps, 2 Black Redstarts, and single Robin and Serin ringed.  The light phase Booted Eagle is still around, flying from one end of the Reserve to the other and upsetting all the Yellow-legged Gulls.

13 Dec:  Cloudy with fresh westerly winds turning to north-westerly in the afternoon.  Only the one bird, a Serin ringed at the Observatory

12 Dec:  Light northerly winds with clear skies.  Only eight new birds were trapped with 4 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs and single Sardinian Warbler and Greenfinch.

11 Dec:   A damp start to the day with a rain shower early in the morning clearing early on with some cloud and moderate westerly winds.  Still cool with wind affecting the ringing operation with only 6 birds trapped; 2 new Robins and a Black Redstart, and 2 retrap Sardinian Warblers and a Robin.

10 Dec:  Clear skies and moderate to fresh northerly winds and rather cold.  Very windy at the Observatory, and this hampered the catching rate with only two new Black Redstarts ringed.

09 Dec:  Clear skies with light variable winds becoming light westerly in the afternoon.  Another 40 birds trapped at The Observatory with 33 new birds ringed, mainly Blackcaps with 14 birds, and included 9 Black Redstarts, 4 Greenfinches and single Chiffchaff, Robin, Serin, Goldfinch and a Blue Rock Thrush.

08 Dec:  Very humid overnight with light easterly winds and levanter cloud, becoming moderate throughout the day, and turning light again in the evening with high cloud from the west.  Two light phase Booted Eagles were observed over the southern end of the Rock in the morning.  A  good days ringing with 47 birds caught with 32 new birds of which there were 12 Blackcaps, 11 Black Redstarts, 4 Robins, 3 Sardinian Warblers, and 3 Chiffchaffs.

07 Dec:  Light variable winds becoming light easterly with some wisps of levanter cloud over the Rock throughput the day.  Cloudy conditions helped at The Observatory with 20 new birds ringed, with 7 each of Robins and Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Sardinian Warblers and single Black Redstart and Song Thrush.  Sixteen retraps and a Belgian controlled Blackcap was the highlight of the day.

06 Dec:  Another cold day with light northerly winds becoming light westerly with clear skies.  Light winds improved the catching rate at the Observatory with another 15 new birds trapped, which included 7 Robins, 4 Blackcaps 3 Black Redstarts and a Crag Martin.  There were 7 retraps and included a Blackcap that had been ringed back on the 10th November 2005; a rather old bird still doing well!

05 Dec: Clear skies and a cold north-westerly wind.  A Common Sandpiper was seen on the rocks at Westview promenade in the morning.  The cool conditions and winds affected the netting site and only 6 new birds were ringed.

04 Dec:  A  spring-like day with clear skies, light variable winds and quite warm for the time of the year.  The Booted Eagle was still around flying up and down along the ridge of the Rock. At the Observatory several new birds were ringed with 8 Blackcaps, 5 Robins, 5 Black Redstarts, 3 Chiffchaffs and a single Sardinian Warbler.  Retraps included a Wryneck that had been ringed there in early October.  At midday a juvenile Black Stork came in from Africa and flew north.  At least 10 Black-headed Gulls were present at the western end of the Runway, together with the usual 5-6 Cormorants.  One Cormorant was seen fishing in the water under the boardwalk of Ocean Village.

Wryneck ringed at the Observatory on the 11th Oct and retrapped today.                      Ian Lees

03 Dec: Northerly winds with clear skies and a brisk temperature encouraged a flock of 24 Griffon Vultures to fly towards the Rock over the Bay before turning north and heading back into Spain.  Catches at the Observatory were good with 32 new birds and 19 retraps.  New birds included 10 Black Redstarts, 6 Blackcaps, 8 Robins 4 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and single Crag Martin and Serin.  A visit to Windmill proved interesting with a good population of birds settling in for the winter.  Among the interesting sightings were 14 Meadow Pipits, 4 Skylarks, a Thekla Lark, 6 Zitting Cisticolas 11 Chiffchaffs, 4 Stonechats and the most numerous bird there, 19 Black Redstarts.

02 Dec:  Winds turned to westerly, with plenty of cloud as a front crossed the area giving some light rain.  Conditions were not appropriate at the Observatory, nevertheless 11 birds were trapped with 4 Robins, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Black Redstarts and 2 Chiffchaffs.

01 Dec:  Light easterly winds with some wisps of levanter cloud.  At the Observatory, 26 new birds were ringed with 11 Black Redstarts, 7 Blackcaps, 4 Robins 2 Chaffinches and single Serin and Chiffchaff.  A Great Tit was also retrapped. A Whimbrel was observed at the southern end of the South Mole, and a Grey Heron flew over the Europa Point area.

November

30 Nov:  Light variable winds and clear skies becoming cloudy with moderate easterly winds picking up.  At the Observatory 23 new birds were ringed with 8 Blackcaps, 6 Robin, 3 Black Redstarts, 3 Chiffchaffs and single Sardinian Warbler, House Sparrow and Blue Tit.  Eight Cormorants were at the western end of the runway, and 5 Black-headed Gulls were seen off Western Beach. 

Another 23 new birds were trapped this morning at the Observatory.  Blackcaps and Robins were the most prominent species with 8 and 6 birds respectively.  Black Redstarts continue to feed on the red berries of lentisc bushes around the Observatory, but only 3 were caught.  Three Chiffchaffs, a Sardinian Warbler, a Blue Tit and a House Sparrow completed the total.

29 Nov:  Clear skies with light variable winds and quite warm for the time of the year.  At Windmill Hill a covey of 4 Barbary Partridges was an encouraging sight.  Also observed were at least 15 Black Redstarts, 3 Meadow Pipits, 7 Blue Rock Thrushes and a Stonechat.  A  Zitting Cisticola was also heard. At the Observatory 20 new birds were ringed.  This included 5 Black Redstarts, 4 Robins, 7 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, and single Sardinian Warbler and Song Thrush.

28 Nov:  Clear skies with light variable winds turning to light to moderate westerly in the evening.  The light phase Booted Eagle continues on the Rock, and was joined by another light phase bird in the late afternoon.  A quick visit to Windmill Hill produced at least 10 Black Redstarts, 3 Blue Rock Thrushes and 2 Stonechats.

Twenty-nine new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included 9 Robins, 9 Black Redstarts, 6 Blackcaps, 2 Sardinian Warblers, and single Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Chaffinch.

27 Nov:  The fine weather continued with clear skies and light variable winds with high cloud approaching from the west in the afternoon. A pleasant day for ringing with 27 new birds and several retrap, including the Dutch Blackcap that was first controlled on the 25th.  Among new birds caught were 7 Black Redstarts, 7 Robins, 5 Blackcaps, 2 Song Thrushes, 2 Chiffchaffs, and single Greenfinch, Blackbird and Serin.

The years ringing total now stands at 6500 new birds ringed; an all time record.  This is due partly to the effort of the resident and visiting ringers who have put in many hours of excellent work, and also to the extended period of ringing days which will continue until the end of the year, when we expect to reach the target of 7000 birds ringed.  Congratulations all round to everyone who have participated in any way to the ringing effort of the Gibraltar Bird Observatory.

26 Nov:  Light easterly with mainly clear skies and warm sunshine.  There were 22 Cormorants sitting on the rocks at Little Bay this morning, with some juvenile Gannets and a Sandwich Tern feeding offshore.  A total of 41 new birds were ringed in the morning and included 13 Black Redstarts, 10 Robins, 13 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, and single Sardinian Warbler and Greenfinch.

25 Nov:  Moderate easterly with some levanter cloud over the city and harbour.  The cloud helped in the ringing catching rate and many more new birds were caught including 11 Black Redstarts, 10 Robins, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Greenfinches, and single Sardinian Warbler, Blue Tit, Chaffinch and Blackbird.  There were several retraps including a control Blackcap from the Netherlands.

24 Nov:  Moderate easterly with cloud concentrated over the Strait area and the south of the Rock. Some rain at midday.  Numbers of birds trapped at the Observatory have now stabilised to about 25-30 birds in a morning.  This morning 5 Black Redstarts, 8 Blackcaps, 4 Robins, 6 Greenfinches, and single Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff and Serin were ringed.

23 Nov: Light variable winds with clear skies.  An Audouin's Gull was among a flock of over 100 Yellow-legged Gulls sitting at Europa pitch.  At the foreshore, 4 Turnstones and a Whimbrel were foraging around the rocks.  At Little Bay 18 Cormorants were present.  The Booted Eagle was also seen flying over the Rock and a Short-toed Eagle flew over the north end of the town before returning back into Spain.  At the Observatory 7 Robins, 7 Black Redstarts, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Chaffinches and a single Song Thrush were trapped and ringed.

22 Nov:   Colder than of late with clear skies and a brisk fresh northerly wind.  At midday a flock of 36 Griffon Vultures flew over the Rock and gained height before returning north into Spain.

21 Nov:  Cloudy with sunny spells throughout the day, with moderate northerly winds freshening during the afternoon.  A visit to the Talus slope with visiting birders from Seville produced their target bird, a flock of 5 Barbary Partridges foraging on the ground.  Also present were good numbers of Black Redstarts with at least 35 birds in the area.   Three Stonechats, two Blue Rock Thrushes and a several Sardinian Warblers were also observed, and a male Spanish Sparrow was discovered sitting on a Lentisc bush.

At Little Bay a count of Cormorants produced 22 birds with 20 on the rocks and two that flew north along the coastline.  A surprise observation was an Oystercatcher that flew past heading south.  The Booted Eagle was seen flying over Jacobs Ladder with prey in its talons.

At Europa Point, very few Gannets remained, as the northerly offshore winds had pushed birds away.  A Cormorant flew high over the Lighthouse, and the Dartford Warbler was still present in the vegetation there.

Three Shags were present on the rocks off Governor's Beach, together with 2 Cormorants.  A further 3 Cormorants were present in the area.  The Oystercatcher that was seen previously that morning, had relocated to the rocks at Governor's Beach.

Only 13 birds were trapped at the Observatory with 6 Black Redstarts, 3 Robins, 3 Blackcaps and a Greenfinch.  Among 12 retraps was a Black Redstart that had been ringed in January this year.  A Dunnock was heard calling in dense vegetation close to the Observatory.

20 Nov:  Cloudy with moderate westerly winds and showers during the morning easing off in the afternoon to reveal sunny spells.  In the morning there were some 12 Gannets and 2 Sandwich Terns fishing offshore.  At Little Bay 18 Cormorants were counted resting on the rocks.  The newly landscaped area of Europa Point held several Black Redstarts, a Chiffchaff and a lovely male Dartford Warbler.  Two Cormorants were feeding below the Point and at least 35 Gannets and 3 Black-headed Gulls were feeding offshore, and an Audouin's Gull and a Balearic Shearwater flew west..  As skies cleared in the afternoon and winds became light variable, at least 30 Crag Martins were feeding over the flooded playing field at Europa Point.  Also present there were several Black Redstarts and a White Wagtail.  Only the pond nets were opened for a short space of time due to the weather, and 2 Black Redstarts and a Blackcap were ringed.

19 Nov:  A very cloudy start to the day with light westerly winds and the threat of heavy rain approaching in the distance that became a reality in mid morning when a thunderstorm with torrential rain lashed down on the Observatory.  From then onwards thundery showers continued unabated throughout the day.  Only a few birds were trapped at the Observatory before the rains ceased the operation.  The total included 11 Robins, 2 Black Redstarts and 2 Blackcaps.

18 Nov:  Slightly cloudy with light easterly becoming light variable, with high cloud moving in from the west in the evening.  Another day with 50 new birds ringed, with 18 Robins, 13 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 6 Greenfinches, and 3 Sardinian Warblers.  In the evening a female Hen Harrier was observed flying high over the harbour.  A Cattle Egret was observed sitting on the landscaped area at Europa Point.

17 Nov:    Weather conditions for the day were fair, with clear skies and a light easterly winds.  Migratory movement of passerines was significantly easing off as the catching rate dropped with an average of about 45 birds trapped during the morning.  New Black Redstarts, Blackcaps and Robins were still caught with 10, 14 and 9 birds respectively, but there was an increase in the retrap rate, suggesting that birds were now establishing wintering territories and staying put.  Six Chiffchaffs, 2 Chaffinches, and single Goldfinch, Serin and Sardinian Warbler completed the catch.

16 Nov:  Clouds disappeared overnight to reveal a sunny day with clear skies and light westerly winds. The temperature was cooler than of late, and the inclement weather in the last two days must have encouraged some birds to move further south.  There were plenty of Black Redstarts seen around in the urban surroundings as well as in the Botanic Gardens where a new arrival of Robins were contesting wintering territories.  Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were also active with the former flycatching, and the latter species gorging themselves on the abundant crop of wild olives.  Crag Martins headed north to their feeding grounds in Spain after spending several days waiting for a change in the weather, and the Yellow-legged Gulls were rudely awakened by the Booted Eagle which has decided to spend the last few days hunting locally.

At the Observatory a total of 49 new birds were trapped and ringed which included 18 Black Redstarts, 13 Robins, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, and single Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Crag Martin and a Corn Bunting.

15 Nov:  Fresh westerly winds ahead of a frontal low brought heavy thundery showers during the morning and eased off during the afternoon.  The Booted Eagle, which roosted on the Rock, soared over the south district as a Short-toed Eagle flew in from the north chased by Yellow-legged Gulls.  At least 6 Barbary Partridges were counted at Windmill Hill in the afternoon.

14 Nov:  A very cloudy day with easterly winds which soon became light as an approaching warm front penetrated the Straits, bringing some showers which increased throughout the afternoon.  Only 6 birds were ringed as nets had to be closed as the rain stopped the operation.  Two Blackcaps, 2 Black Redstarts, and single Robin and Greenfinch.

13 Nov:  Another cloudy levanter day  which provided good ringing conditions.  Black Redstarts were again the main species caught with 22 birds.  Also trapped were 21 Robins, 10 Blackcaps, 7 Greenfinches, 3 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, and single Song Thrush, Chaffinch and Firecrest.

12 Nov:  A warm day with moderate easterly winds and levanter cloud, with high cloud obscuring the sun.  Black Redstarts were numerous with another 30 new birds ringed.  Twenty Blackcaps and 13 Robins, made up a productive total for the morning together with 10 Greenfinches, 6 Sardinian Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, and single Wren, Blue Tit, Chaffinch and Serin.  The Booted Eagle was again hunting around the Rock, and the Tawny Owl was observed perched on the flagpole by the Observatory..

11 Nov:  A light to moderate easterly with some cloud over the Rock persisted until midday when the sunshine broke through.  Another interesting mornings' ringing with 27 Blackcaps including another control from Belgium.  Also trapped were 24 Robins, 21 Black Redstarts, 7 Chiffchaffs, 3 Greenfinches, 2 Chaffinches, 2 Serins and a Sardinian Warbler.

10 Nov:  The weather changed back to easterly with the levanter cloud shrouding the Rock for most of the morning.  Conditions were good for ringing as most of the nets were in shade, resulting in the capture of over 100 birds.   Many adult Robins were trapped; a change from the juvenile influx of the past few weeks, and a total of 41 birds were ringed.  Blackcaps were also numerous with 28 birds that included a control from Belgium.  Also trapped were 23 Black Redstarts, 13 Chiffchaffs, 3 Sardinian Warblers, and single Greenfinch, Serin and a nice juvenile male Dartford Warbler.

Another 14 Cormorants were seen early in the morning heading south along the east side.

09 Nov:  Early in the morning a flock of 8 Flamingoes followed by a flock of 20 Cormorants headed south along the east side of the Rock, but the Flamingoes turned back north.  Later in the morning a flock of 4 Cormorants flew north over town.

It was a very warm and sunny day with temperatures reaching 22C, and light variable winds. The morning catch at the Observatory included 25 Black Redstarts, 16 Blackcaps, 13 Robins, 8 Song Thrushes, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Chaffinches and a Dunnock.  Two Booted Eagles were seen over the Rock.

A Grey Heron, probably the bird seen on the 7th, was seen again over town.

08 Nov:  Winds turned from fresh northerly to a moderate westerly later in the day.  Skies were mainly clear with some high cloud.  At the Observatory, a total of 56 birds were trapped and ringed.  Among them were 18 Black Redstarts, 17 Blackcaps, 6 Robins, 4 Greenfinches, 3 Chaffinches, 2 Sardinian Warblers 5 Chiffchaffs, including a control from the UK, and a single Blackbird.  A Short-toed Eagle flew over the Observatory in the morning.

 The Booted Eagle returned over the Rock and was seen hunting to the consternation of the Gulls.

Several Cormorants were sitting on rocks at Little Bay, and there was one of this species fishing below Europa Point.  Also at this site were 14 Black-headed Gulls feeding at the sewerage outfall.  Offshore at least 30 Gannets, mainly juvenile birds, were fishing.  Two flocks of Cory's Shearwaters numbering 34 and 58 birds were migrating out of the Mediterranean and heading west.

07 Nov:  Clear skies and a cool start to the day with northerly winds and 11C.  At the Observatory, flocks of finches, mainly Serins, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and a few Linnets flew south and Crag Martins were out early from their roost and heading north to feed , after a few days of inclement weather.  The ringing effort produced 28 Black Redstarts, 9 Chiffchaffs, 2 Song Thrushes, 8 Robins, 12 Blackcaps, 12 Greenfinches, 4 Sardinian Warblers, 3 Chaffinches, and a single Goldfinch.  

A 'fat' Grey Heron flying low over the Botanic Gardens in the morning may explain the recent loss of most of the goldfish in one of the ponds there!

Mid morning a flock of 62 Griffon Vultures flew in over the Rock before heading west across the Bay, and at midday a light phase Booted Eagle was seen hunting around the Rock Hotel gardens.

06 Nov:  With northerly winds and clear skies set in, a flock of 34 Griffon Vultures flew briefly over the harbour before heading back into Spain.

05 Nov:  The depression moved further east and the cloudy skies finally gave way to clear weather with fresh north-westerly winds.  The temperature had dropped since last week and the cold winds were gusting around the netting site, but despite this 50 birds were trapped in the morning, including 14 Black Redstarts, 7 Robins, 6 Blackcaps, 5 Chaffinches, 5 Greenfinches, 4 Chiffchaffs,4 Sardinian Warblers, and single Blue Tit, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Goldfinch and a Dunnock.   There was a single Booted Eagle over the Rock at midday

04 Nov:  A very cloudy and wet day with fresh westerly winds.  The rains eased off a little during the afternoon with showers throughout.  Only two Black Redstarts were trapped.  A Northern Wheatear was present at Europa Point.

03 Nov: Heavy rains with fresh westerly winds throughout the night dampened the spirits of ringers at the Observatory.  As dawn broke, revealing leaden skies and approaching rain clouds, it was decided to abort the ringing operations.  In the warm drizzle of the morning, Black Redstarts, which had been caught out by the storms, were very active on the Upper Rock roads, with many birds taking off in front of the car headlights and looking for suitable shelter. There must have been several hundred on the Rock, and they were a common sight in the Botanic Gardens and in the town area.  Some Crag Martins were foraging in between showers, but overall, most birds were just happy to keep out of trouble and seek shelter until the weather improved.   In the afternoon the rain showers ceased and some of the more sheltered nets were unfurled.  A total of 45 birds were caught including 10 Black Redstarts, 5 Robins, 3Blackcaps and single Greenfinch, Sardinian Warbler Stonechat.

02 Nov:  A fast approaching front from the Atlantic heralded rain later in the day.  The high humidity resulted in low levanter cloud covering much of the Rock, with light easterly winds.  The Observatory was busy with over 150 birds caught, with 55 Blackcaps, 32 Robins, 42 Black Redstarts, 7 Chiffchaffs, 6 Greenfinches, 3 Song Thrushes, 3 Serin, 8 Sardinian Warblers including a Spanish control, and single Crag Martin and Garden Warbler to add to the variety.  The highlight of the morning was a juvenile female Merlin, the first of the species to be trapped at the Observatory.

Juvenile Merlin, caught for the first time at the Observatory.                                          Yvonne Thompson/GONHS

A Tawny Owl was heard in the Botanic Gardens just after the sun went down.

01 Nov:    The levanter cloud loomed over the Rock with light easterly winds prevailing.  A late start to the ringing session missed the first rush of birds.  Despite this Blackcaps were the most numerous species trapped with 58 birds.  Also caught were 32 Robins, 15 Black Redstarts, 5 Chiffchaffs, 5 Sardinian Warblers, 4 Greenfinches, and single Blackbird, Serin, Dunnock, and a very late male Common Redstart.   Overhead Song Thrushes were dropping into the vegetation, and finch flocks headed south.

As the cloud cleared at midday a flock of 10 Booted Eagles and 2 Short-toed Eagles flew in over the Rock.

A visit to Windmill revealed a fall of Black Redstarts with over 80 birds counted in the site.  Also seen were 3 Song Thrushes, 5 Skylarks, 3 Stonechats, 3 Blue Rock Thrushes, and several Blackcaps, Robins, Sardinian Warblers and Chiffchaffs.

October

31 Oct:  The day began with moderate easterly winds with the levanter cloud developing and thickening progressively during the morning.  A good day for Black Redstarts which arrived on the Rock with the return to easterly winds.  The morning ringing session proved very successful with 61 Black Redstarts, 33 Robins, 28 Blackcaps, 4 Sardinian Warblers, 3 Song Thrushes, 6 Greenfinches, and single Blackbird, Chiffchaff and Chaffinch.

30 Oct:  The winds returned to light easterly with some levanter cloud thickning in the afternoon.  Many birds were about and a total of 64 Blackcaps,41 Robins, 18 Black Redstarts, 11 Chiffchaffs, 9 Song Thrushes, 2 Chaffinches, and a Firecrest were trapped and ringed. 

A few juvenile Gannets were fishing off Camp and Little Bays, and 4 Great Cormorants were back at their usual resting place on the rocks at Little Bay.  At Europa Point over 250 Gannets, mainly juvenile birds, were feeding offshore on flying fish and mackerel shoals.  With them were around 25 Corys Shearwaters, and migrating out of the Mediterranean were a flock of 30 of this species.  A Black-headed Gull, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, a Shag and a Cormorant were also seen.

A single Booted Eagle flew in over town at midday.

29 Oct:  Light variable winds turned to moderate north-westerly after midday with plenty of sunshine. A  turnaround at the Observatory saw the return of Ian and Yvonne Thompson as the ringers in charge of the Observatory.  They started the day well with over 100 birds trapped and ringed and included 43 Robins, 35 Black Redstarts, 12 Blackcaps, 7 Song Thrushes, 11 Chiffchaffs, 3 Chaffinches, 2 Serins, 2 Greenfinches and single very late trans-Saharan migrants; a Common Redstart and a Garden Warbler.

Overhead migrant flocks of finches headed south with Greenfinches, Serins, Goldfinches, and a few Linnets calling as the flew by.  Crag Martins were also present in good numbers in the late afternoon as they gathered around the Observatory for a last chance to catch insects before retiring to their roost on the cliffs and cave of the east side of the Rock

There were two Shags on the rocks at Little Bay.  At Europa Point several flocks of Crag Martins numbering over 200 birds headed south across the Striats.  With them were several flocks of Goldfinches, and a few Linnets.

28 Oct:  Clear skies and a brisk northerly wind welcomed ringers at the Observatory.  A brief ringing spell with only two rounds in the morning produced 34 birds among which were 11 Song Thrushes, with plenty more calling from the undergrowth, and included 5 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Black Redstarts and single Robin and Chaffinch.  There had been a small fall of Song Thrushes, as many more were heard from the Botanic Gardens, and a flock of 60 birds were seen on the Sand Slopes on the eastern side of the Rock, and when flushed the flock flew along the cliff up to Middle Hill..  Throughout the morning small groups of Griffon Vultures flew in over the Rock, and soared for a few moments before returning back into Spain.  A total of 48 birds were counted, with some passing low over the Rock, putting up the Yellow-legged Gulls at Rock Gun, which had recently returned to the Rock.

27 Oct:  The winds in the morning turned to fresh north-westerly, blowing strongly along the net rides and preventing some of the more exposed nets to be opened.  Nevertheless a few birds were caught for a small total of 5 Black Redstarts, 7 Robins, 2 Sardinian Warblers and single Song Thrush and Blackcap.  Overhead several flocks of Serins and Meadow Pipits could be heard heading south, and a small falcon with reddish underparts and a grey back momentarily confused the observers, until it dawned on us that this was a female Merlin.  The falcon came in from the bay and soared above the Observatory before heading south across the Straits.  In the evening several rain showers approached across the bay, with some rain overnight.

26 Oct:  A fresh westerly wind blew throughout the day with some occasional cloud from the west.  The nets were billowing somewhat in the wind and the sunshine made the nets stand out .   Catches were lower than on previous occasions, but some variety and numbers of species made for an entertaining morning. In total 27 Blackcaps, 31 Robins, 8 Black Redstarts, 2 Song Thrushes, 4 new Sardinian Warblers, 8 Chiffchaffs, 2 Chaffinches, 3 Greenfinches and a single Stonechat were trapped and ringed. 

25 Oct:  The rain of the previous day lowered the temperatures somewhat, and the morning dawned with clear skies and a light north-westerly wind.  Despite the clear conditions some birds had arrived and were trapped at the ringing site among which were 20 Blackcaps, 13 Robins, 16 Black Redstarts, 6 Chiffchaffs, 3 Chaffinches, and 8 Greenfinches which were caught throughout the morning at the Observatory. Highlight of the day was a Brambling trapped at midday; only the third ringed at the Observatory.  At midday a flock of 34 Griffon Vultures and 2 Egyptian Vultures flew in from Spain, and after gaining height over the Rock, crossed the bay back from where they came.  Another Griffon Vulture flew south over the Rock in the middle of the afternoon.  A Swallow joined a flock of Crag Martins returning to their roost on the east side of the Rock.

24 Oct:  At last the first heavy rains of the autumn period arrived.  It rained heavily throughout most of the morning with moderate westerly winds and low cloud as the front passed overhead.  By the afternoon the rain eased off and some clear patches developed in the evening.  This hampered the ringing effort which only resumed in the late evening when only a few birds were trapped.

23 Oct:  The anticyclonic conditions of the past few weeks have now finished, as a low front is slowly approaching the Straits.  The easterly winds finally changed to light southerly becoming westerly and cloudy with sunny spells.  The day began and ended with the capture of two Common Nightjars.  Throughout the day many birds were ringed including 47 Blackcaps, 30 Robins, 9 Black Redstarts, 10 Song Thrushes, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Sardinian Warblers, 4 Greenfinch.  The highlight of the day was a Hawfinch, only the second ringed at the Observatory.  The species is resident in the surrounding oak woodlands, but rarely disperses, with some juvenile movement in late summer, and occasional southerly migration in the autumn. 

Common Nightjar                                                                             Ian Lees/GONHS

At Europa Point there was a steady movement of Gannets moving into the Mediterranean with many juveniles offshore diving on flying fish shoals.  With them were scores of Cory's Shearwater, with many settled on the water.

The Ringing Team; Jeremy Martin, Ian Lees, Linda Lowndes, Resident Ringer Ray Marsh and Andrew Hadnam.

.22 Oct:  Heavy showers early in the morning with easterly winds prevented the ringing effort until later in the day.  Despite this, 16 Blackcaps, 16 Robins, 10 Black Redstarts, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Song Thrushes, 2 Sardinian Warblers and single Dartford Warbler and Greenfinch were trapped and ringed.

21 Oct:  Cloudy conditions with easterly winds persisted over the Rock, but sunny spells were frequent, especially over Spain and the Straits.  Some flocks of Greenfinches, Goldfinches and some Serins flew south over the Observatory.  At least 30 Black Redstarts were present in the Jews Cemetery and the area surrounding, with several caught and ringed.  Also trapped were 36 Blackcaps, including a control from Slovenia, 15 Robins, 20 Black Redstarts, 3 Greenfinches, 3 Sardinian Warblers, and single Stonechat, Blue Tit and a late Garden Warbler, with the highlight of the day; 2 juvenile Ring Ouzels, one each of the ssp. torquatus and the more scalloped ssp. alpestris. 

Ring Ouzels; ssp alpestris and ssp. torquatus     Ian Lees/GONHS

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus                   Ian Lees/GONHS

20 Oct:  A calm day welcomed ringers, with hazy sunshine and variable winds.  Overhead single Meadow Pipits flew south together with a few Greenfinches and Serins. Another successful ringing day with 82 Blackcaps, 16 Robins, 9 Song Thrushes, 10 Chiffchaffs and 14 Black Redstarts have been caught together with 4 Greenfinches and 2 Serins, one of which was a Spanish control.  Low cloud came in from the east during mid morning, with hazy upper cloud overhead.  A Common Wheatear was observed on a lamp post in the Lathbury Barracks area.  A Nightjar sp. was flushed from the road above Jews' Gate.

19 Oct:  There was a significant arrival of Black Redstarts around the Observatory, despite clear skies and light easterly winds, with many birds feeding along the roadside and in the Jews' Cemetery.  A total of 30 Black Redstarts were trapped, among them some stunning adult males.  Other birds trapped included two Common Nightjars, 42 Blackcaps, including a French control, 10 Robins, 12 Sardinian Warblers, 3 Greenfinches, and a single Firecrest.

First-year male Black Redstart                                                      Ian Lees/GONHS

18 Oct:  The day dawned with clear skies and only moderate levanter winds become light in the afternoon.   Trapping was again productive with more arrivals of wintering birds for a total of 33 Blackcaps, 29 Robins,5 Song Thrushes, 15 Black Redstarts and 6 Chiffchaffs.  Also caught were single Serin and Scops Owl.

Scops Owl                                                      Ian Lees/GONHS

A visit to Windmill Hill produced 8 Black Redstarts, 2 Meadow Pipits and a single Stonechat.  A migrant Short-eared Owl was also seen there later in the day.  The site is not appealing to migrants as drought conditions, after over six months without any significant rain, has affected the flora of the site which looks parched.

17 Oct:  Cloudy levanter conditions continue.  Three Great Cormorants flew south in the morning over the Observatory, and the southerly movement included several Greenfinch flocks and single Serin and Meadow Pipit.  Trapping was again productive with more arrivals of wintering birds including 42 Blackcaps, 11 Robins,6 Song Thrushes, 7 Black Redstarts and 4 Chiffchaffs. 

16 Oct:  Weather conditions remained much the same as the previous day.   Wintering birds continued to arrive with plenty of birds trapped at the Observatory.  Among them were 73 Blackcaps, 26 Robins, 4 Song Thrushes, 4 Chiffchaffs, 6 Black Redstarts, 3 Stonechats. Also caught were 2 Blackbirds and 2 Sardinian Warblers, and in the evening a Barn Swallow and 4 Crag Martins were trapped and ringed. 

Five Black Redstarts were seen on the east side cliffs.

15 Oct:  Cloudy levanter conditions returned in the early morning, with easterly winds freshning.  The Observatory was busy with 72 Blackcaps, 17 Robins and 4 Song Thrushes trapped and ringed, including single Sardinian Warbler, Common Redstart and Black Redstart. In the evening two Crag Martins were caught returning the their roost. A light phase Booted Eagle was present around Jews' Gate.

At least 5 Stonechats were present on the Talus slope on the east side of the Rock.

Small numbers of Cory's Shearwaters and Gannets were feeding offshore from Eastern Beach, and 120 Balearic Shearwaters flew south.  Many more Cory's Shearwaters and Gannets were seen off Europa Point, including a Great Skua.  A Great Cormorant, the first of the season, was seen near the pier at Eastern Beach.

14 Oct:   Clear skies with light variable winds welcomed the ringers in the early morning.  Over to the east, the Mediterranean was shrouded in a thick fog bank which slowly made its way into the Straits and crept into the Bay of Gibraltar.  Birds flying in these conditions must have headed towards the Rock, which loomed above the fog.  The catching rate at the Observatory was constant with good numbers of Blackcaps trapped, indicating a large movement of the species south.  Other species caught included numbers of Robins, Chiffchaffs, and single Stonechat and Song Thrush.

The first Meadow Pipits of the season were heard making their way south over Europa Point.  Three White Wagtails were also resting at this site.  Offshore at least 300 Cory's Shearwaters had gathered in preparation for their exodus from the Mediterranean.  Many were feeding on flying fish shoals, that were disturbed by Common Dolphins, and were caught by the birds in mid air.  Gannets, mostly juvenile birds were also diving on the shoals.  Two Balearic Shearwaters flew east.

13 Oct:  The exceptionally good weather continues, with fog patches offshore, clear skies and high temperatures.  Despite this, falls of migrants continue with 61 Blackcaps and 11 Robins trapped at the Observatory.  Three Song Thrushes, 7 Chiffchaffs, 2 Garden Warbles,  5 Sardinian Warblers, were also ringed together with single Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Short-toed Treecreeper, Scops Owl, Dartford Warbler and Common Nightjar.  Another Common Redstart was also heard close to the observatory, and a Booted Eagle flew over the Rock at midday and was seen again landed in a pine tree in the Botanic Gardens.

Short-toed Treecreeper                                                                          Ian Lees/GONHS

12 Oct: Winds have now dropped to light easterly but the anticyclonic weather is still keeping temperatures very high for the time of the year with up to 26C max. Clear skies throughout most of the night and early morning but some mist patches over the Straits may have resulted in some migrants not crossing. At the Observatory a Common Nightjar was trapped in the early morning, after which there was the usual flurry of Blackcaps involving 94 birds.  Also trapped were 5 Robins, a juvenile male Common Redstart, a Kestrel, a Greenfinch, 4 Common Chiffchaffs and a Garden Warbler completed the catch.

Overhead a couple of light phase Booted Eagles soared over the Rock. Some flocks of Crag Martins headed south and 8 White Wagtails flew over Jews' Gate.

11 Oct:  An early morning session at the Observatory with playback produced two female Red-necked Nightjars that were trapped and ringed.  Also caught were 48 Blackcaps, 8 Robins, 3 Greenfinches, 2 Chiffchaffs and single Stonechat and Common Redstart and a Wryneck.  Overhead several Goldfinches and Greenfinches flew about and a single Serin was heard calling.

10 Oct:  The fair weather over Iberia is affording migrants an easy crossing until they encounter Gibraltar's levanter cloud where they lose orientation and then settle to get their bearings.  This is turning out to be a very productive spell at the Observatory, with 64 Blackcaps and 22 Robins trapped and ringed during the morning.  With them was the second Song Thrush of the season, 2 Stonechats, and two trans-Saharan migrants; a female Common Redstart and an adult Scops Owl.  A  search along the Upper Rock roads at night produced a Scops Owl and a Red-necked Nightjar.  The Tawny Owl returned to the Observatory answering to playback.

A  light phase Booted Eagle was seen soaring low over the Botanic Gardens in the late afternoon, and the Kingfisher was again heard flying through the gardens.

09 Oct:  The ringing station was again busy with 41 Blackcaps and 22 Robins dominating the catch, as the levanter cloud continued to produce falls of migrants.   Two Common Redstarts were also ringed together with 2 Common Chiffchaffsand a Nightingale.

08 Oct:  Light to moderate easterlies resumed once again as the anticyclone settled over Iberia.  Cloudy skies provided yet more arrivals of Blackcaps and Robins with 29 and 12 of each, and included a female Bluethroat; only the fourth trapped at this site.  Also trapped were 2 Stonechats, 2 Chiffchaffs and single Garden Warbler and Common Redstart.  A Black Redstart eluded the nets and overhead several Greenfinches were showing sings of migratory restlessness, as a few headed out south towards the Straits.  In the evening a Tawny Owl turned up at the Jews' Gate and settled in the Cypress tree above the Observatory.  The daily sortie of raptors over the Rock in the mornings has now stopped as most of them must have headed south during a lull in the weather the previous day.

Bluethroat  1st/yr female                                                                                   Ray Marsh/GONHS

The flocks of Cory's Shearwaters and Gannets are still feeding on flying fish offshore at Europa Point.

The Grey Heron was seen again in the Harbour by the Camber area where it seems to prefer a floodlit area of rocks from where it is catching fish.

07 Oct:  Finally the easterlies that had dominated the winds in the Straits gave way to variable winds, and the day dawned with clear blue skies and warm sunshine.  There were some mist patches and fog was creeping in along the Moroccan coastline into the Straits.  An unexpected fall of migrants delighted ringers at Jews' Gate ringing station with 51 Blackcaps trapped including a British control.  With them were several Robins that had arrived more or less at the end of their journey, with fat reserves spent and low weights; ready to set up wintering territories.  Several trans-Saharan migrants were still about and included 2 Common Redstarts, 4 Garden Warblers, 1 Iberian Chiffchaff, 1 Common Chiffchaff and single Pied Flycatcher.

A Dartford Warbler was present at Europa Point.

Overhead several Booted Eagles soared over the Rock together with a juvenile Egyptian Vulture.  These birds could now see the Moroccan coastline as visibility had improved, and many were now heading south.

Most migrants had left Windmill Hill, but two Northern Wheatears and a Common Redstart were still there.  Also present were 3 Stonechats and a single Zitting Cisticola.  A flock of 8 Crag Martins with 2 Swallows flew south.

06 Oct:  Levanter cloud was still present early morning but soon dissipated by midday giving way to brilliant sunshine and very warm temperatures.  Several Booted Eagles numbering around 60 birds flew in over town together with some Short-toed Eagles and a pair of Black Storks. 

05 Oct:  The easterly winds continued to dominate the weather with levanter cloud over the Rock for much of the day.  The usual sortie of Booted Eagles and Short-toed Eagles appeared over the Rock during mid morning with some staying into the early afternoon.  At the Observatory the first Song Thrush and Chiffchaffs of the season was trapped and ringed.  It arrived with good numbers of Blackcaps and several Robins.  A Common Redstart , Black Redstart, Nightingale and a juvenile male Firecrest  provided some variety. Four Grey Wagtails were present in the Botanic Gardens.

A  drive around the Upper Rock roads at night only produced one Scops Owl, as the levanter cloud had thinned out by then.

Hundreds of Cory's Shearwaters were feeding on flying fish off Europa Point.  With them were several juvenile Gannets.

04 Oct:  A low levanter cloud with moderate easterly winds produced a fall of migrants with Blackcaps dominating the catch.  Ninty-six Blackcaps were trapped and ringed together with 4 Robins, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Common Redstarts and 2 Willow Warblers.

At Europa Point two Gull-billed Terns flew west, and a Common Wheatear was also present at this site.

During the mid morning many Booted Eagles and some Short-toed Eagles began to arrive on the Rock from Spain, and repeat their sortie along the Rock until most returned to Spain by early afternoon.  A Grey Heron flew over Windmill Hill and headed north along the eastern side of the Rock.  A Grey Heron had been reported in the Gibraltar Harbour seen roosting during several nights of the past week.

An afternoon walk around Windmill Hill, an area that holds many migrants, produced 10 Common Wheatears, 10 Stonechats, 2 Whinchats, 8 Common Redstarts and a Zitting Cisticola.

03 Oct:  As morning broke the day revealed very overcast skies, but the winds were much lighter than on previous days.  Raptors took advantage of the lighter winds, coasting along and flying across the bay early in the morning to arrive low over the harbour and town.  Several large flocks of Booted Eagles were seen soaring low over the buildings and gaining height over the Rock, with an estimated 300 plus birds.  Among them were several Short-toed Eagles and Sparrowhawks. 

The weather conditions had produced a small fall of migrants with 47 Blackcaps trapped and ringed at the Observatory, including a control of a Belgian ringed bird.  Also ringed were 7 Common Redstarts, 5 Robins, 2 Nightingales, 2 Stonechats, 3 Garden Warblers, and single Reed Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher and Iberian Chiffchaff.

02 Oct:  Strong easterlies with overcast skies continued today.  Over 200 Booted Eagles and several Short-toed Eagles and at least 3 Egyptian Vultures were seen over the town and the Rock, with most heading back into Spain after midday.

A  flock of 15 Crag Martins flew south at Europa Point and a Common Wheatear was present there also.

A drive around the Upper Rock after dusk produced 3 Scops Owls with two on the road up to O'Hara's Battery and one along the Cable Car top station.  Two Red-necked Nightjars and a Common Nightjar were also seen settled in the middle of the road.  A Tawny Owl was heard calling above Rooke Battery near the Queen's lookout.

01 Oct:  The strong easterlies increased overnight and the morning revealed overcast skies.  Eurobirdwatch day was celebrated today with a raptor and ringing demonstration at the Alameda Botanic Gardens; full account on news click here.

Ringing in the gardens was very successful with the usual mix of resident birds, Blackbirds, Blackcaps, Blue Tits, House Sparrows and Sardinian Warblers, and included migrant species with single Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler.  The highlight of the day was the retrapping of the Little Bunting that had been caught at the Observatory a few days earlier and is the first record of the species for Gibraltar. The bird was processed and several new photographs were taken.

Little Bunting retrapped in the Botanic Gardens                                                          K. Bensusan/GONHS

Overhead a few Booted Eagles were seen over the gardens and the town, but the strong winds had prevented most from heading to Gibraltar.

The Ringing Station at Jews' Gate Observatory was also manned during the morning and produced the first two Stonechats of the season.  Also ringed were 4 Common Redstarts, 2 Robins, and single Iberian Chiffchaff and Spotted Flycatcher as well as several Blackcaps.

A  seawatch during the afternoon as part of the event proved fruitful with feeding flocks of Cory's Shearwaters and several juvenile Gannets feeding on shoals of flying fish offshore.  At least 15 Mediterranean Shearwaters, and over 200 Cory's Shearwaters were counted, including a single Sooty Shearwater;  with many of the birds heading east..  Also seen were 6 Great Skuas, 2 Pomarine Skuas, 4 Audouin's Gulls and single Lesser-Black Backed Gull and Black-headed Gull.  Overhead a mixed flock of hirundines composed of many House Martins and several Swallows and at least one Red-rumped Swallow headed out across the Straits. The Europa mound held 4 Yellow Wagtails that attempted to cross but were blown back.

September

30 Sep:  Over 500 Booted Eagles with several Short-toed Eagles and Egyptian Vultures flew towards the Rock in the morning where they slowly gained height over town and into the levanter cloud.  These birds are being held up by the strong prevailing easterly winds that have been dominating the weather conditions in the Straits.  Several Sparrowhawks were also seen among the raptor flocks, with some heading out to attempt a crossing of the Straits; the rest of the raptors flew back into Spain to try another day.

29 Sep:  A very cloudy start to the morning gave way to some rain showers earlier on, becoming brighter by midday.  Several Yellow Wagtails flew over Jews' Gate, early in the morning giving an indication that migrants were about.  Two Robins and several Blackcaps were calling from the undergrowth close to the Observatory.  The first few rounds produced an Orphean Warbler, a female Common Redstart, a Greenfinch and 4 Blackcaps, with a single juvenile Swallow that had been feeding low over the nets.

At midday several Booted Eagles approached the Rock over town as skies in the surrounding area cleared.  At least 30 Booted Eagles were counted although many more may have been missed.

28 Sep:  Strong easterly winds overnight and heavy levanter cloud ensured some migrants at Jews' Gate Observatory in the morning.  First round, a female Common Nightjar, and an Orphean Warbler  graced the ringers extracting the birds.  But pride of place must be the bunting extracted from net 9 which turned out to be Gibraltars' first Little Bunting* .  Robin and Julia Springett and trainee Jeremy Martin were very pleased with the bird which was duly processed and released, not before Robin had taken some photographs.  Catches continued with a Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Common Redstart and a Wryneck to provide cryptic plumage and colour to a wonderful morning.

Little Bunting                                                                         Robin Springett/GONHS

Little Bunting                                                                 Robin Springett/GONHS

A prospective drive around the top roads on the Upper Road after dusk to search for Nightjars and Owlswas successful.  Firstly a couple of Scops Owls were perched on the railings close to the top station of the Cable Car.  One of the birds was dazzled and caught with a butterfly net.  Further along a Red-necked Nightjar settled in the middle of the road; its eyes reflecting the beam of the car.  It did not allow close approach and flew off.  Another two Red-necked Nightjars were located further down the road, and another two were located at Middle Hill and on Queen's Road, one of which was captured using the above method.  On the way down at the Moorish Castle barrier, the security guards pointed out an owl that was perched on the flag pole.  It was calling and turned out to be a Tawny Owl.  The guards told me that the owl was a frequent visitor to the Castle and would sometimes come and land outside their offices.  They also mentioned seeing a white owl, probably the Barn Owl, seen frequenting the area of the Siege Tunnels.

27 Sep:  A nice adult female Whinchat was trapped and ringed at the Observatory.  Other birds included 3 Common Redstarts, and single Subalpine Warbler and Garden Warbler.  The Kingfisher at the Botanic Gardens is still there as it gives its presence away by calling as it flies through the courtyard outside the offices on its way up to the Dell ponds.

26 Sep:  Cloudy skies and easterly winds with the levanter cloud continued to produce some migrants at the Observatory.  Birds ringed included 5 Garden Warblers, 4 Common Redstarts, 2 Pied Flycatchers and a single Spotted Flycatcher.

24 Sep:  Levanter conditions returned with some cloud developing by mid morning, giving way to clearer skies in the afternoon.  Migrants caught at the ringing station included 3 Garden Warblers and single Willow Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart.  A very early Black Redstart was also trapped and ringed.

23 Sep:  Calm conditions continued today, but it got progressively cloudier and started to rain in the early afternoon easing off as evening came.  Only three Black Kites were observed heading south over the Rock.  At the Observatory Blackcaps were the most common species caught with many showing the characteristics of the longer winged northern populations.  Also trapped and ringed was an adult male Common Redstart.

22 Sep:  Calm conditions prevailed throughout the morning with a light south-westerly breeze picking up in the afternoon.  By mid morning, raptors that had been held up by the easterly winds flew in over the Rock.  There were several large flocks of Booted Eagles over the town with others heading south over the ridge of the Rock.  In total between 350-450 Booted Eagles were observed with most setting off across the Straits.  Among them were 44 Honey Buzzards, 4 Black Kites, 6 Egyptian Vulture, 8 Short-toed Eagles and 5 Sparrowhawks.

Ringing at the Observatory produced 7 Garden Warblers, and single Orphean Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, and Pied Flycatcher.

A visit to Windmill proved disappointing with only 2 Zitting Cisticolas and several Blue Rock Thrushes present.  Two Barbary Partridges were flushed from the undergrowth.  Offshore, several flocks of Cory's Shearwaters accompanied by a number of juvenile Gannets were feeding on shoaling fish.

21 Sep:  Heavy levanter conditions with associated cloud prevailed throughout the morning with Booted Eagles arriving over the Rock from across the bay.  Over 180 Booted Eagles were seen soaring in and out of the cloud throughout the morning together with several Honey Buzzards, and single Short-toed Eagle and Egyptian Vulture.  Most returned north as the winds eased and the cloud gave way to some sunshine in the afternoon.  Single Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were still present in the Botanic Gardens.  A Red-necked Nightjar and a Pied Fycatcher were trapped and ringed at the Observatory.

20 Sep:  Cory's Shearwaters were feeding off Europa Point and several Sandwich Terns headed out of the Mediterranean.  A Whimbrel was foraging on rocks down on the foreshore.  Two Iberian Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, and single Garden Warbler and Pied Flycatcher were trapped and ringed at the Observatory among other resident birds.  Two Pied Flycatchers and a Common Redstart were observed in the Botanic Gardens.  A juvenile White Wagtail was feeding in the Westview Promenade, and a Hoopoe was observed on the Upper Rock.

19 Sep:  The levanter conditions returned during the morning with strong winds gusting around the town.  A small number of raptors flew over the Rock including 15 Honey Buzzards, and single Egyptian Vulture and Sparrowhawk.  A Tawny Owl was heard in the evening around the Observatory.  At least 6 Northern Wheatears were observed on Windmill Hill  The birds were reluctant to fly due to strong winds, and ran along the ground some distance from the observers.  Also present was a Tawny Pipit.

18 Sep:  Winds were blowing fresh westerly but conditions were very hazy with a lot of cloud and mist around the surrounding mountains with visibility across the Straits poor.  The day was disappointing despite what looked like good conditions for raptors with only a trickle of birds heading south with most Honey Buzzards following the coastline along the bay.  Only 39 Honey Buzzards, 4 Marsh Harriers, a juvenile Montagu's Harrier, 4 Booted Eagles and 20 Sparrowhawk were counted in the morning with negligible passage thereafter.  A few Swallows followed the east coastline to Europa Point and then turned north up the bay, unable to see Africa.  A couple of Yellow Wagtails flew south overhead.  At the Jews Gate Observatory 3 Garden Warblers and 3 Pied Flycatchers were ringed along with single Nightingale and Willow Warbler.

17 Sep:  The morning commenced with calm conditions and no wind.  Several Sparrowhawks headed south, as a fog-bank progressed through the Straits and drifted into the bay.  Then as a westerly breeze set in mid-morning and a rush of raptors descended over the Rock with birds arriving low over the east side of the Rock and low over town which was now enveloped in fog.  Some were rising over Rock Gun and heading south over the ridge of the Rock.  The flocks were mainly composed of Honey Buzzards and Booted Eagles with the occasional Sparrowhawks joining them.  Looking down on the soaring flocks with the backdrop of the fog and town, from the top of the Rock was quite a spectacle as the well marked uppersides of the Booted Eagles showed well and contrasted with the evenly coloured backs of the Honey Buzzards.  Shortly after noon the winds veered to the south-westerly and raptor passage stopped.  The total count was 292 Honey Buzzards, 345 Booted Eagles, 110 Sparrowhawks, 2 juvenile Egyptian Vultures, 3 Marsh Harriers, 7 Kestrels and a single Osprey.    Another Osprey passed over the Botanic Gardens in the evening heading south, and the Kingfisher was seen again in the theatre pond. A Red-necked Nightjar was flushed from the ground around the Observatory.

Two Willow Warblers were seen at the top station and a Tree Pipit was heard overhead heading south.

16 Sep:  Easterly winds dropped in intensity during the morning and eased during the afternoon, with bright spells and sunny conditions later in the day.  This encouraged Booted Eagles with between 300-400 birds soaring over the Rock.  With them were 2 juvenile Egyptian Vultures, 2 Black Kites, one with wing tags, 2 Sparrowhawks and a single Montagu's Harrier.  A Kingfisher was sitting outside the offices in the Botanic gardens eyeing the goldfish in the pond.  A good catch of migrants at the ringing site at the Observatory included 7 Garden Warblers, 3 Reed Warblers, 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Iberian Chiffchaffs, and single Swallow and Nightingale.

15 Sep:  Levanter conditions continued and over 30 Booted Eagles were observed over the Rock.  Migrants ringed at the Observatory included 3 Iberian Chiffchaffs, 3 Reed Warblers and single Redstart and Nightingale.

14 Sep:  Heavy levanter cloud and strong easterly winds prevented most raptors crossing the Straits.  Under these conditions raptors fly into the wind following the coastline and surrounding hills until they reach the Rock of Gibraltar where they arrive low down over the town and bay and rise on up-currents to soar into the levanter cloud, before returning inland to try another day.  Today was no exception as well over 100 Booted Eagles were soaring along the north face of the Rock providing and exceptional spectacle. 

Migrants in the Botanic Gardens included several Pied Flycatchers and Iberian Chiffchaffs, and single Spotted Flycatcher, Bonelli's Warbler and an early Robin.

13 Sep:  Three Phylloscopus warblers, a Common Redstart and a Pied Flycatcher were present in the Botanic Gardens. The ringing effort at the Observatory produced two Garden Warblers and single Iberian Chiffchaff, Bonelli's Warbler and Pied Flycatcher.  A Scops Owl was heard calling around the Jews' Gate Bird Observatory.

12 Sep:  A visit to Windmill Hill produced several migrants and included dispersing resident birds among which were 36 Sardinian Warblers, 6 Blackbirds and 3 Blue Rock Thrushes.  There were between 4 and 6 Barbary Partridges, a welcome sight as the species has become scarce at the site.  Migrant species seen were 2 Whinchats, 2 Melodious Warblers, 8 Zitting Cisticolas, and single Spectacled Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler, Willow Warbler and Robin. 

11 Sep:  Winds were light westerly in the early morning and subsided by mid morning with raptors heading west along the Spanish coastline.  Passage picked up in the afternoon to ensure a good passage of raptors.  These included 1644 Honey Buzzards, 27 Black Kites 9 Egyptian Vultures, 5 Marsh Harriers, 3 Montagu's Harriers, 11 Sparrowhawks, 3 Booted Eagles, 3 Lesser Kestrels and an impressive 34 Kestrels, and a single Osprey.  Many raptors were missed in the afternoon as winds freshened and pushed raptor passage well to the east of the Rock.  Several flocks of Bee-eaters  and 20 House Martins headed south including a single Black Stork.  A Pied Flycatcher and a Melodious Warbler were ringed at the Observatory among other resident birds caught.

10 Sep:  Winds changed back from light variable to light to moderate westerly in the afternoon, and produced some raptors over the Rock.  A total of 978 Honey Buzzards, 60 Black Kites, 3 Egyptian Vultures, 5 Booted Eagles, 5 Montagu's Harriers, 3 Ospreys 21 Sparrowhawks, 12 Kestrels, 3 Lesser Kestrels and single Short-toed Eagle and a migrant Peregrine that was chased by one of the local birds provided an entertaining day.  Also seen were several flocks of Bee-eaters and Swallows heading south.  Two Pied Flycatchers and 2 Spotted Flycatchers were seen in the Botanic Gardens.

09 Sep:  An influx of Pied Flycatchers, with seven counted in one small area of the Botanic Gardens.  A Cattle Egret flew south along eastern beach.

08 Sep:  A sprinkling of migrants in the Botanic Gardens:  A Hoopoe, a Bonelli's Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher.

07 Sep:  The easterly wind as usual resulted in raptors circling over the Rock.  These included 66 Booted Eagles, 3 juvenile Egyptian Vultures and an Osprey.  A Willow Warbler was in the Botanic Gardens.

06 Sep:  A Common Redstart was seen in the Botanic Gardens.

05 Sep:  Westerly winds dropped to light early on, so that an early morning ruch of 200 Honey Buzzards was the total of raptors counted over the Rock.  An Iberian Chiffchaff and a Common Redstart were seen in the Botanic Gardens.

04 Sep:  A steady passage of raptors for most of the day, totalling 1167 Honey Buzzards, 132 Black Kites, 4 Booted Eagles, 4 Sparrowhawks, 3 Egyptian Vultures, one Short-toed Eagle and a Marsh Harrier.

03 Sep:  Passage of Honey Buzzards continued, with 3000 counted, as well as 50 Black Kites and a female Montagu's Harrier.  A juvenile Shag was on rocks at Little Bay.

02 Sep:  Cloudy conditions with heavy showers affecting southern Spain and Gibraltar halted raptor passage.  By mid afternoon the weather improved and over 40 Honey Buzzards flew south.  A Green Sandpiper was found injured on the airport runway.

01 Sep:    A  sub- adult Lanner was seen in the vicinity of Europa Point.   It was observed and quickly photographed by Stanley Olivero, one of the members of the Raptor Rehabilitation Unit and experienced in falcons.

Sub-adult Lanner                                                                                   Stanley Olivero/GONHS

August

31 Aug:  Raptor passage commenced early in the morning but a full watch was not carried out.  Nevertheless over 1250 Honey Buzzards, 40 Black Kites and 7 Egyptian Vultures were counted at regular periods during the morning and early afternoon.  An injured Hoopoe was picked up near Europort, but subsequently died.  A Robin and a Spotted Flycatcher were seen near Europa Pass.

30 Aug:  As winds freshened from the west, a sporadic count took place and accounted for 857 Honey Buzzards, 5 Black Kites, 3 Sparrowhawks and an Osprey.

28 Aug:  A few light rain showers accompanied south-westerly cloud throughout the morning.  Winds were mainly light variable with onshore westerly sea breezes.  Four Honey Buzzards and two Sparrowhawks were observed throughout the morning.  A visit to Windmill Hill produced two Zitting Cisticolas and four Melodious Warblers.  Two Barbary Partridges were also seen at the site.

27 Aug:  Heavy levanter cloud persisted over the Rock throughout the day.  A couple of Booted Eagles were observed over town in the early afternoon.

26 Aug:  Winds were light variable turning to easterlies in the late afternoon.  A Flamingo was seen from Eastern beach flying south offshore.

25 Aug:  Light westerlies freshened in the afternoon providing good conditions for raptor passage.  A count during mid afternoon produced 140 Honey Buzzards, 223 Black Kites, 3 Montagu's Harriers and single Sparrowhawk and an Eleonora's Falcon.  The Eleonora's Falcon spent some time catching dragonflies around the crest of the Rock at Middle Hill.  Most raptors were displaced to the east and approached the Rock at a high altitude, with some continuing their migration south over the sea.  Several flocks of Swallows headed south over town.

24 Aug:  Light westerly winds continued throughout the day, with south-westerlies in the Straits.  Two Iberian Chiffchaffs were flycatching in the Botanic Gardens together with a Spotted Flycatcher.

23 Aug:  A light westerly breeze dominated the day with moderate south-westerlies blowing in the Straits area.  Raptors were absent for most of the day until 18:00hrs when over 1000 Black Kites and a single Montagu's Harrier flew north as winds freshened overland. 

22 Aug:  A Spotted Flycatcher was observed in the Botanic Gardens where one of the Short-toed Treecreepers was also present.

21 Aug:  Stormy conditions two nights ago must have grounded migrants on the Rock, but a visit to Windmill Hill was ruled out because of strong winds.  This morning winds were light, and a visit to the site produced 7 adult and 5 juvenile Woodchat Shrikes, 3 Melodious Warblers, 5 Nightingales calling from thick scrub, and 8 Zitting Cisticolas.  Also present were over 35 Sardinian Warblers, a large number for the site indicating dispersal, and several Swallows and Common Swifts feeding on insects in the light conditions.  A flock of Bee-eaters headed south over the site.  Variable winds with light north-westerlies brought in a flock of 200 Honey Buzzard, together with two Booted Eagles and a Sparrowhawk.  Fifteen Audouin's Gulls were resting on the Europa cricket pitch, together with approximately 60 Yellow-legged Gulls.  Some more Audouin's Gulls headed out of the Mediterranean throughout the day.

20 Aug:  An Iberian Chiffchaff was singing in the Botanic Gardens.

19 Aug:  A Kingfisher was again seen at the Open Air Theatre pond in the Botanic Gardens.  A Bonelli's Warbler and an Iberian Chiffchaff were also seen in the area.

18 Aug:  A juvenile Hoopoe was found injured in Gibraltar Town.

17 Aug:  Easterly winds have dominated the weather all week and has prevented raptor passage over the Rock.  Nevertheless a single Black Kite was observed over the southern end of the Rock.  At least 15 Zitting Cisticolas were observed on Windmill Hill.  Many of the birds soon took off uttering their distinctive calls, and flew south heading across the Straits.  Also present at the site were two Melodious Warblers.  Among birds trapped and ringed at the Observatory were single Reed Warbler, Orphean Warbler and Garden Warbler, and three Iberian Chiffchaffs. 

16 Aug:  The first Garden Warbler of the season was trapped and ringed at the Observatory.  A Melodious Warbler was present in the Botanic Gardens.

15 Aug:  A short visit to Europa Point revealed a loose group of approximately 50 Cory's Shearwaters feeding offshore.  Among trans-Saharan migrants ringed at the Observatory were single Willow Warbler, Orphean Warbler and a Nightingale.  A Kingfisher was at the pond at the Open Air Theatre in the Botanic Gardens, where the species had not been recorded for several years.

14 Aug:  A juvenile Audouin's Gull was resting on the cricket grounds at Europa Point in the company of Yellow-legged Gulls.  Late in the evening a male Hen Harrier was seen from the Observatory.

13 Aug:  Trans-Saharan migrants are moving south now with new species trapped for the season that included a Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler.  Also caught was a Melodious Warbler among other resident birds ringed.

12 Aug:  As strong easterly winds eased off overnight, a visit to Windmill Hill produced three Zitting Cisticolas and a Melodious Warbler.  Ringers at the Observatory trapped a Nightingale, Orphean Warbler and a Reed Warbler among other resident birds.  A Booted Eagle was seen over town at midday and in the afternoon.

11 Aug:  Iberian Chiffchaffs were still around the Botanic Gardens with up to six counted.  The Short-toed Treecreeper of the 8th was relocated in the Gardens and was accompanied by another calling close by.

10 Aug:  At least 8 Iberian Chiffchaffs and a Spotted Flycatcher were present in the Botanic Gardens.  The birds were actively feeding and bathing in the fountain in the Dell area in the heat of the afternoon.

09 Aug:  Heavy levanter conditions with cloudy skies persisted throughout the day.  A Short-toed Treecreeper was seen and heard in the Botanic Gardens together with two Iberian Chiffchaffs.

08 Aug:  A Zitting Cisticola and a Melodious Warbler were present on Windmill Hill.  A Bonelli's Warbler was seen around the Observatory at Jews' Gate, and two Iberian Chiffchaffs were observed in the Botanic Gardens.

07 Aug:  A light south-westerly wind was not favourable for raptor passage, and only two Black Kites were recorded.  A Griffon Vulture ventured over the Rock from the north but soon returned back into Spain.  A flock of 16 Greater Flamingoes took a short-cut across the runway from the Mediterranean sea into the Bay of Gibraltar and headed to the river Palmones estuary.

06 Aug:  As with previous days, raptors headed south over the Rock in the afternoon, with 743 Black Kites, two Short-toed Eagles and a Sparrowhawk.  As the light was fading in the late evening, a flock of six Lesser Kestrels headed south over town.

05 Aug:  No raptors were seen over the Rock in the morning, but passage was noted in the early afternoon when 1185 Black Kites were counted.  A single Sparrowhawk was also recorded.  Common and Pallid Swifts continued to head south in the hundreds.

04 Aug:  A Melodious Warbler and an Iberian Chiffchaff were trapped and ringed at the Observatory.

03 Aug:  The morning commenced with light variable winds, turning to light easterly, before a south-westerly sea breeze set in for the afternoon.  Conditions for raptor passage were unsuitable as only one Black Kite ventured over the Rock before returning north.

02 Aug:  The morning commenced with light westerly winds, and a lone White Stork was observed soaring low over the town.  As winds freshened after midday the first Black Kites were seen at 14:45 with an exceptional heavy passage of the species migrating south over the Rock and harbour.  The count by 16:50 numbered 10,601 Black Kites, with several Lesser Kestrels also heading south.  Accompanying the raptors were thousands of Common Swifts, covering the skies over the town and along the ridge of the Rock.  On occasions several flocks of Bee-eaters were also seen and heard as they flew south.  An exceptional day of migration.

01Aug:  Heavy levanter cloud and strong winds with high upper cloud providing light rain was an unusual start to the month.  A flock of 88 Black Kites flew in from the west, apparently lost in the cloudy condition, and unable to cross the Straits.  They flew over the Rock for a short period with some returning north into Spain and some heading south and lost in the cloud layers.  The ringing effort provided several migrants, with 2 Melodious Warblers and single Nightingale and Bonelli's Warbler, among other resident juvenile and adult birds.

July

30 Jul:  A Cetti's Warbler was heard calling in the Botanic Gardens, in a different location to where one had been heard on several occasions last winter and spring.  Thirty Black Kites flew south in moderate westerly winds in the morning, together with a light phase Booted Eagle.  As the winds freshened, 2000 Black Kites were counted over the Rock in the afternoon heading south over the Straits.

24 Jul:  A female Montagu's Harrier was seen arriving at Europa Point from the east, struggling against the strong westerlies, and then proceeded to head southwest towards the Strait.

27 Jul:  A Hoopoe was seen on Windmill Hill.  The species is also an early migrant.  Among resident birds trapped and ringed were two Nightingales, of which one was a retrap from previous days.

26 Jul:  A Robin which had been ringed at Jews' Gate in April was retrapped today, together with a new Nightingale and a Melodious Warbler.

25 Jul:  Melodious Warblers continue to head south with another trapped at the Observatory.

23 Jul:  A recently fledged juvenile Spotted Flycatcher was seen at the other end of the Botanic Gardens suggesting the possibility of another pair.  Migrants trapped and ringed included a juvenile Nightingale together with a Melodious Warbler, as well as other resident birds.

22 Jul:  Three Black Kites flew south at midday, and a further Melodious Warbler was trapped and ringed at the Observatory.

21 Jul:  With the return of two of our resident ringers, Ian Thompson and Yvonne Benting, the ringing operation at Jews' Gate has started again, with plenty of juvenile Sardinian Warblers, Blackbirds, and Blackcaps trapped and ringed.  Included in the catch were three Melodious Warblers, early migrants already heading south.

19 Jul:  Thirty four Black Kites headed south over the Rock in the afternoon.

18 Jul:  A Griffon Vulture flew in from across the Strait and headed north.  The westerly winds also brought the first southward-heading Black Kites over the Rock, with 88 seen in the late afternoon.

17 Jul:  There was an exodus of Audouin's Gulls heading out of the Mediterranean at Europa Point, with strong westerly winds, with over 500 birds counted during a short period in the afternoon.

.  14 Jul:  A Mistle Thrush was seen flying around the Observatory at Jews' Gate in the morning.  This is an interesting observation as the species is present in surrounding woodlands in Spain, and is presumed to be resident.  The last one was seen ten years on the 4th October, but the species has also been observed previously in July, and has not been encountered since at this time of the year, as observers rarely venture up the Rock in the middle of the heat in the summer months. This may indicate that there is a small movement of this species across the Straits in July .

12 Jul:  Light variable winds in the morning freshened to a south-westerly at midday, and a 2nd year Short-toed Eagle flew in and disturbed the nesting gulls on the Upper Rock.  Another Short-toed Eagle flew high over the Rock in the mid-afternoon heading north; two very late non-breeders migrating north.

11 Jul:  A Robin was heard in scrub just below the top station of the Cable Car, where the bird had been briefly heard but not confirmed three days prior.

10 Jul:  The situation of the Barbary Partridges on Windmill Hill remains critical. Feral cats have decimated the population.  Nevertheless, two birds were seen in scrub in the lower parts of the site.

8 Jul:  As westerly winds freshened during the afternoon, two Short-toed Eagles, 2nd year birds, crossed the Straits and flew north over the Rock.

4 Jul:  Seven Balearic Shearwaters were seen heading west off Europa Point.

June

28 Jun:  A  juvenile Shag was sitting on the rocks to the south of Little Bay while four adults were fishing in the area.

27 Jun:  Possibly up to three fledged young Spotted Flycatchers were heard calling to the parent birds in thick woodland at the northern end of the Botanic Gardens.  The pair have only reared one chick in successive years since the species began to breed in the Gardens.

26 Jun:  An adult and a recently fledged young Spotted Flycatcher were seen in the Botanic Gardens in the morning, confirming the third successful breeding of the species in the Gardens.

22 Jun: Two pairs of Serins which were feeding and calling around Windmill Hill, have been there since the previous month, and may breed nearby.  Present also was a concerned Corn Bunting uttering an alarm call when approached, that could indicate a nest close by. 

18 Jun:  Preliminary results of the annual nesting bird of prey survey are worrying, with a suggestion that several Peregrine nests have failed, and some traditional Lesser Kestrel nests have been taken over by Feral Pigeons.  Full details will be posted on this page shortly.

17 Jun:  As winds freshened from the south-west in the morning, an immature Short-toed Eagle arrived from across the Straits and slowly gained height over Windmill Hill, chased by over a dozen Yellow-legged Gulls.  The bird managed to head north with the pursuing party on its tail.  Another Short-toed Eagle flew north over the Rock in the early afternoon together with four Griffon Vultures.  This was followed by two Booted Eagles later in the afternoon.

16 Jun: Several pairs of House Martin are nesting in their usual site at western Beach.

14 Jun:  Strong south-westerly winds brought in some late migrants which included several Black Kites, three Short-toed Eagles in the morning over Catalan Bay, and two more over the Rock in mid afternoon with two Booted Eagles.  Two Iberian Chiffchaffs were still singing in the Botanic Gardens.

12 Jun:  An adult Barbary Partridge was found dead near Governor's Cottage on the Upper Rock, apparently killed by a car.  This is a concern given the decreasing population of the species in Gibraltar.

11 Jun:  Two White Wagtails, an adult and a recently fledged juvenile were seen on the roof of the Morrison's Supermarket and may have bred successfully again in the area where the species was also successful.

10 Jun:  Several Griffon Vultures numbering 23 individuals passed north over the Rock.

09 Jun:  Twenty Griffon Vultures and a light phase Booted Eagle were seen heading north.  The Iberian Chiffchaff reported in the Botanic Gardens on the 3rd was still in the area singing.  The Spotted Flycatchers are still around, but only one has been seen regularly; the other may incubating eggs.

08 June:  A further five Black Kites were seen heading north over the Rock in the late afternoon.

07 June:  As clear skies gave way to the cloudy conditions of the previous day, a few raptors were noticed in mid afternoon heading north.  Twenty Honey Buzzards and nine Black Kites were observed, but more may have been missed throughout the day.  The Sandy Bay pair of Peregrines have raised three young, which are now flying strongly.  The Little Bay pair did better with four young.  We will report on the success of all pairs of Peregrines, Lesser and Common Kestrels in the near future.

06 June:  An unseasonably wet and thundery morning greeted observers to Windmill Hill.  The only birds seen were a pair of Barbary Partridges that were flushed from relative shelter at the lower end of the site, and a Zitting Cisticola that called when disturbed in the flatter northerly part of the site.

04 June:  A White Wagtail was seen in the area of Westview Promenade, a site where the species successfully bred a few years ago.

03 June:  An Iberian Chiffchaff was heard singing in the Botanic Gardens.  The bird may be a late arrival as the species soon departs to its winter quarters in Africa in late July and August.

May

31 May:  Raptors continued to pass over the Rock for a total of 18 Griffon Vultures, 25 Black Kites and a Short-toed Eagle.

30 May:  Winds finally turned to fresh westerly, and a trickle of raptors flew north across the Straits and over the Rock.  Although no constant watch was kept, several Griffon Vultures arrived low and landed on the Rock, but took off after a short rest.  At least 10 Griffon Vultures were seen, with many more missed.  Also observed over the Rock were 10 Egyptian Vultures, mainly immature birds, several flocks of Black Kites, some Honey Buzzards and a Hobby.

26 May:  Easterlies have continued throughout most of the month, but the arrival of a low pressure system this morning produced cloudy conditions and for once the winds turned to westerly for a few hours.  During this period a Honey Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier were seen heading north over the Rock.  Easterlies are predicted for the rest of the week.

25 May:  Three seperate Zitting Cisticolas present on the grassy Sand Slopes on the east side of the Rock.  This now seems to be the only place the species may be breeding at in Gibraltar.  At least two pairs of Spotted Flycatchers are present in the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

20 May:  A Serin and a Corn Bunting have been seen and heard singing at Windmill Hill.  The latter species has bred at this location previously.

16 May:  Very little to report, since the easterly winds have dominated the week, preventing any further raptor passage.  Nevertheless a lone Booted Eagle was seen over the Rock on the 13th, and a Short-toed Eagle was observed around the north face of the Rock, from where it flew across the Bay..  Some Bonelli's Warblers have been reported from the Botanic Gardens; obviously passage birds.  A Spotted Flycatcher has also been seen in the Botanic Gardens throughout the week, with one at Little Bay yesterday.

13 May:  Two Black-winged Stilts* (12th record) were photographed sitting on rocks at the western end of the airfield runway.

Black-winged Stilts                                                                                             Harry Walsh

10 May: A further two Red-necked Nightjars were trapped, with one flying around the Observatory in the evening.  Also caught were single Whitethroat, Melodious Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and a Kestrel. 

08 May:  Easterly winds returned to the Rock, and among birds trapped and ringed at the Observatory was a Red-necked Nightjar.

07 May:  The westerly winds returned, as predicted by the Met Office, for just the day.  This produced a steady flow of raptors in the morning until midday when winds dropped, but things improved after 16:00hrs as winds freshened.  Totals for the day included 1395 Black Kites, 378 Honey Buzzards, 11 Egyptian Vultures, 72 Griffon Vultures, 12 Short-toed Eagles, 8 Sparrowhawks, 26 Booted Eagles, 2 Marsh Harriers, and single Osprey, Montagu's Harrier and Hobby.  Also observed crossing the Straits were 5 White Storks and 6 , 16 Swallows, 2 House Martins, a flock of 28 Bee-eaters.  A Cormorant flew north over the Bay and a Turtle Dove flew by the Observatory.  Three Shags, two adults and a juvenile were resting on rocks off Little Bay.

06 May: Light easterly winds with sea fog in the Straits was the order of the day.  A few passerine migrants were trapped and ringed at the Observatory, including 5 Willow Warblers, 2 Bonelli's Warblers, 5 Garden Warblers, 3 Melodious Warblers and 3 Reed Warblers.

Female Cirl Bunting trapped and ringed at the Observatory.                      Ray Marsh/GONHS

05 May:  Light variable winds in the morning slowly turned to easterly.  A few raptors were seen from the Observatory but most were seen further out over the Bay as winds increased.  A total of 99 Honey Buzzards, two Swallows and a single Sparrowhawk were the only migrants observed crossing. The ringing effort produced 3 Reed warblers, 3 Melodious warblers, 5 Garden Warblers, 5 Willow Warblers, 2 Bonelli's Warblers and a surprising catch of a female Cirl Bunting with a brood patch.  Cirl Buntings are resident in the Spanish countryside and are not considered migratory in the area.  Records from Gibraltar are few, but a female with a brood patch may indicate that a pair might be breeding near the Observatory.

04 May:  Raptors crossed the Straits on a broad front with a following south-westerly wind picking up at midday.  Many headed for Punta Carnero, and some flew up the bay.  But most headed over the Rock with many slipping around the east side of the Rock.  A total of 1376 Honey Buzzards, 353 Black Kites, several flocks of Griffon Vultures numbering 115 birds, 18 Egyptian Vultures, 4 Marsh Harriers, a single Montagu's Harrier, 74 Booted Eagles and 24 Sparrowhawks were counted from the Observatory.   Many Swallows and House Martins flocks were constantly intercepted when trying to pick high flying raptors, with some low flying flocks, and passage must have involved several hundred of each species.  Common Swifts were also observed heading north.

03 May:  Light winds picked up in the afternoon with south-westerlies freshening.  Most birds flew up the bay, but some raptors headed for the Rock, including a spectacular low-flying flock of 137 Griffon Vultures for a total of 192 for that species for the day.  other birds recorded included 207 Black Kites, 97 Honey Buzzards, 3 Egyptian Vultures, 31 Booted Eagles, 9 Sparrowhawks, 8 Hobbies, and single Short-toed Eagle and Montagu's Harrier.  Several flocks of Common Swifts, Swallows, Bee-eaters and House Martins also headed north.

02 May:  Fresh westerlies provided good raptor passage with 1652 Honey Buzzards, 117 Black Kites, 14 Booted Eagles, 7 Sparrowhawks, 4 Hobbies, and single adult Egyptian Vulture and Marsh and Montagu's Harriers.  An adult Lanner flew north over the Observatory in mid afternoon, to the delight of the observers.  Other species seen from the site were 5 Cormorants flying north, high over the Bay, (a very late flock), and a Woodpigeon that circled the Observatory before disappearing from sight into the south district area.

01 May:   A Red-necked Nightjar was trapped and ringed at the Observatory.  The Cetti's Warbler at Camp Bay was still there, singing in the undergrowth.

April

30 Apr:  Honey Buzzards dominated the raptor passage with 1027 birds counted.  Other raptors included 129 Black Kites, 2 adult Egyptian Vultures, 4 Marsh Harriers, 5 Booted Eagles, 2 Sparrowhawks, and single Montagu's Harrier and a very late Merlin.  Other species heading north were 56 Swallows, several flocks of Common Swifts numbering 347 birds and a very late Meadow Pipit.

29 Apr:  Moderate south-westerlies prevailed during the day, and Common Swift flocks flew north for a total of 721 birds, although many more were missed.  Honey Buzzards were on the increase with a total of 156 birds.  other species included 16 Black Kites, 17 Griffon Vultures, 2 Marsh Harriers, 8 Booted Eagles, 12 Hobbies and only a single Sparrowhawk, after good numbers earlier in the week.  A Grasshopper Warbler was heard in the vicinity of the Observatory, and an Ortolan Bunting was seen on Windmill Hill.

28 Apr:  A Spotted Flycatcher was seen in the Botanic Gardens at the site where the species was first recorded nesting in Gibraltar in 2009.  An Iberian Chiffchaff was singing in the gardens of The Convent in Main Street. The ringing effort at the observatory produced single Woodchat Shrike and Melodious Warblers amongst other birds trapped.

26 Apr: For the third day in a row, a Golden Oriole was present in a Ficus marcocarpa tree in the Botanic Gardens throughout the morning.

25 Apr: Westerly winds freshened during the morning resulting in some raptors flying over the Rock.  They included 6 Honey Buzzards, 196 Black Kites, 11 Short-toed Eagles, 3 Marsh Harriers, 4 Montagu's Harriers, 6 Booted Eagles, 2 Kestrels, a good total of 46 Sparrowhawks, and 6 Hobbies.  Hirundines included 3 Red-rumped Swallows, 96 Barn Swallows, and 25 House Martins.  Bee-eater flocks also passed north overhead.

The Golden Oriole once again spent the morning in the same tree in the Botanic Gardens.

24 Apr: A male Golden Oriole was feeding in a Ficus macrocarpa tree in the Botanic Gardens all morning.

23 Apr:  Light variable to westerly winds produced small numbers of raptors totalling 5 Honey Buzzards, 56 Black Kites, 37 Sparrowhawks, and single Hobby and Marsh Harrier.  A Scops Owl was heard calling at Jews' Gate Observatory, and the Cetti's Warbler, first recorded in December last year, was still at Camp Bay.

22 Apr:  Small numbers of raptors crossed the Straits including a flock of 36 White Storks.  raptor totals for the day were 41 Black Kites, a flock of 54 Griffon Vultures, 16 Booted Eagles and single Osprey, Honey Buzzard and Short-toed Eagle.

21 Apr:  A flock of Bee-eaters was sheltering in the lee of the Rock in the Botanic Gardens, the characteristic calls resounding around the gardens.  The birds, recently arrived from Morocco where obviously lost in the cloudy and wet conditions and sought shelter there.  A Common Nightjar and a Red-necked Nightjar were seen on the ground in the Botanic Gardens in the evening.

20 Apr:  Cloudy conditions persisted, with winds dropping in intensity, but rain in the form of drizzle continued throughout the afternoon, and winds remained easterly.  Small numbers of migrants continue to be trapped and ringed at the Observatory, with many Willow Warblers and including a single Turtle Dove, and the first two Grasshopper Warblers of the season.  A fine male Golden Oriole flew past the Observatory and into dense undergrowth during mid morning.  At midday a flock of Black Kites were seen low over the Upper Rock emerging and then disappearing into the levanter cloud.  The expected fall of migrants at Windmill Hill did not materialise, with only 2 Woodchat Shrikes, 2 Nightingles, 2 Willow Warblers, single Tree Pipit and male Whinchat and a flock of 14 Corn Buntings.  Some Swallows ventured north across the Straits arriving in the wet and misty conditions prevailing during the day.

19 Apr:  Fresh to strong easterly winds have continue throughout the last few days, with some rain showers yesterday and overnight.  At 14:00hrs, ahead of a heavy rain shower, 910 Black Kites, 5 Booted Eagles and a Marsh Harrier flew in from the Straits.  The birds arrived low over Europa Point in three flocks, and most headed into the wind and flew along the east side of the Rock.

16 Apr:  Bird ringing continued throughout the morning and produced 3 Orphean Warblers and 3 Garden Warblers, one of which was a control; a French ringed bird.  Small number of hirundines and Bee-eaters also headed north.

15 Apr:  The easterly winds are persisting throughout the week, preventing raptor passage over the Rock.  Nevertheless 2 Black Kites and a Sparrowhawk made it across the Strait.  The latter, a female, was trapped and ringed.  Among other birds caught were 6 Common Redstarts and 3 Garden Warblers.

14 Apr:  The first two Garden Warblers of the season were trapped and ringed at the Observatory.  Amongst other birds caught were 2 Orphean Warblers, and single Melodious and Wood Warbler.

13 Apr:  Despite cloudy and unfavourable easterly winds, 100 Black Kites managed to cross the Strait and head over the Rock.  Several flocks of Bee-eaters were seen and heard, and a Turtle Dove landed on the roof of the buildings in front of the Observatory.  The cloudy conditions produced a fall of migrants with 18 Willow Warblers, and 16 Pied Flycatchers trapped and ringed at the Observatory. Also processed were 2 Wood Warblers, 4 Bonelli's Warblers, and single Subalpine Warbler and Woodchat Shrike.

12 Apr:  A late Song Thrush was trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate Observatory, together with several Nightingales, Willow Warblers, and single Pied Flycatcher and Orphean Warbler.

11 Apr:  Winds turned back to easterlies, and only produced 3 Marsh Harriers and a Booted Eagle.  The Lanner was still in the area for the third day in a row. 

10 Apr:  Raptors continued to cross the Straits throughout the day for a total of 277 Black Kites, 129 Griffon Vultures, 16 Short-toed Eagles, 11 Marsh Harriers, 84 Sparrowhawks, 209 Booted Eagles, 2 Ospreys, 2 Hobbies and single Egyptian Vulture, Montagu's Harrier and a Long-legged Buzzard.  The first two Honey Buzzards of the season were observed as well as the Lanner seen yesterday, that was still in the area.  Eleven Black Storks and a single White Stork also crossed the Straits.  Diurnal passage included good numbers of hirundines and finches as well as Bee-eater flocks. 

09 Apr:  Finally the winds turned to westerlies, and raptor migration headed towards the Rock.  A very satisfactory count was made which included 776 Black Kites, 6 Egyptian Vultures, 2 Griffon Vultures, 24 Short-toed Eagles, 18 Marsh Harriers, 13 Montagu's Harriers, 63 Sparrowhawks, 179 Booted Eagles, 2 Buzzards, 6 Ospreys, 3 Hobbies, and single Red Kite, Kestrel, Lesser Kestrel and a Lanner.  Other birds on passage included 260 White Storks, 10 Black Storks and several flocks of Bee-eaters, Swallows and Martins and finches.

08 Apr:  A trickle of raptors continued under unfavourable easterly conditions for a total of 12 Black Kites and a single Sparrowhawk.  Red-rumped and Barn Swallows continued to cross the Strait and head north, together with small number of finches.  The ringing effort produced a Tree Pipit and a Whinchat amongst other migrants.

07 Apr:  Some raptors ventured towards the Rock in light easterly winds, among which were 18 Black Kites, and a single Sparrowhawk.  Willow Warblers was the most common species caught at the Ringing Station with 21 birds.  Other species trapped and ringed included Nightingales, Bonelli' s and Subalpine Warblers, Whitethroat and single Iberian Chiffchaff.  A short watch at Europa Point produced a flock of 20 Cory's Shearwaters heading into the Mediterranean, and single Cormorant and Shag in the area.

06 Apr:  The ringing effort at the Observatory produced a Sedge Warbler.  This species is rarely encountered in Gibraltar as suitable habitat, (fresh water and reed-beds) is not available.  Other birds trapped and ringed included 14 Willow Warblers, and single Whitethroat , Common Redstart and Bonelli's Warbler, amongst other local birds.  The first Whinchat of the season was seen at North Front Cemetery where several Woodchat Shrikes, Bonelli's Warblers and a Willow Warbler were present.  A late Robin was seen at the Alameda Gardens.

04 Apr:  A  female Merlin flew close by at the Observatory, with a single Kestrel being the only raptors for the day.  Iberian Chiffchaff was caught and ringed, and a Tree Pipit was present in the netting area.  A late Robin was still present in the Botanic Gardens, and a male Common Redstart was also seen there.

03 Apr:  Overcast skies with light westerly winds and fine drizzle produced few birds. There was hardly any raptor passage but 4 Black Kites, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Booted Eagles and single Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were seen from the Observatory. An Osprey was seen heading north in the evening over the frontier.Ringing produced Pied Flycatcher and the first two Orphean Warblers of the season.  Few grounded migrants were on Windmill Hill, with two Nightingales heard and single Black-eared Wheatear and Northern Wheatear, Tree Pipit, male Subalpine Warbler and 6 Corn Buntings. 

02 Apr:  Light northerly winds hampered raptor passage.  Those that crossed the Straits included 2 Black Kites, 2 Montagu's Harriers, 6 Sparrowhawks and single Osprey and Kestrel.  The first Turtle Doves of the year, two birds, were seen from the Observatory and included 36 Bee-eaters and some finches throughout the morning.  Amongst birds trapped and ringed were a Woodchat Shrike and an early Melodious Warbler.  A Cetti's Warbler was heard in dense vegetation above Camp Bay.

01 Apr:  Very few birds about with light variable winds, with only one flock of Bee-eaters recorded from the Observatory and a Tawny Owl calling from the top of the monument opposite the Observatory  The Trumpeter Finch was seen again at Windmill Hill close to the perimeter fence, where it was first seen.

March

31 Mar:  Highlight of the morning was a Trumpeter Finch caught in the lower net rides at the Bird Observatory.  Possibly the same bird that was seen at Windmill Hill just a few days ago.  The bird, an adult, was ringed and released after the usual photo shoot, (see Home page).

30 Mar:  Light westerly winds produced some raptors withless numbers than the previous day.  Totals involved were 98 Black Kites, 8 Egyptian Vultures, 55 Short-toed Eagles, 23 Marsh Harriers, 10 Montagu's Harriers, 67 Booted Eagles, 60 Sparrowhawks, 2 Buzzards, 9 Ospreys, 7 Common Kestrelsand 2 Lesser Kestrels.  Other birds included 4 White Storks, and good numbers of hirundines, finches and flocks of Bee-eaters.

29 Mar:  A good raptor day with lots of species seen and good numbers Booted Eagles.  In total 220 Black Kites, 8 Egyptian Vultures, 42 Short-toed Eagles, 43 Marsh Harriers, 3 Hen Harriers, 23 Montagu's Harriers, 128 Sparrowhawks, 350 Booted Eagles, 2 Buzzards, 7 Ospreys, 23 Kestrels, 2 Hobbies and a migrant Peregrine were seen heading north.  Also observed were 8 Black Storks and 56 White Storks, together with Swallows and House Martins, 5 Sand Martins, several flocks of Bee-eaters often heard overhead, and some late Meadow Pipits.

28 Mar:  Light westerly winds improved in the afternoon to bring in a total of 246 Black Kites, 2 Egyptian Vultures, 9 Short-toed Eagles, 14 Marsh Harriers, 77 Booted Eagles, 102 Sparrowhawks and single Buzzard and Merlin.  Six late Crag Martins were counted with other hirundines and finches seen throughout the day.  Late Black Redstarts were present on Windmill Hill and at the Observatory.  One of the Southern Grey Shrikes was still present on Windmill Hill together with a newly arrived Wryneck, 2 Hoopoes, 3 Wheatears and 1 male Black-eared Wheatear.  Hoopoes and a Common Redstart were also present in the Botanic Gardens

27 Mar:  This morning north-westerly winds were blowing, and raptors and other diurnal migrants had to face a difficult head-on wind.  Consequently numbers of raptors were low earlier on, but there were good numbers of hirundines and finches, including some flocks of Meadow Pipits and some Yellow Wagtails.  The trickle of raptors increased during the morning, and included a total of 353 Black Kites, 1 Red Kite, 5 Griffon Vultures, 56 Short-toed Eagles, 36 Marsh Harriers, 8 Montagu's Harriers, 1 Hen Harrier, a smart male *Pallid Harrier, 201 Booted Eagles, 177 Sparrowhawks, 2 Ospreys, 3 Kestrels, 1 Lanner and a migrant Peregrine.  Other birds included 161 White Storks, and many finches and hirundines, with 188 Swallows, 126 Red-rumped Swallows, 171 House Martins, and 11 Sand Martins, and 276 Greenfinches, 184 Goldfinches, 15 Serins, 28 Linnets and 3 Siskins.  Interesting diurnal migrants also included 46 Bee-eaters, 5 migrant Ravens and 32 Common Swifts.

26 Mar:  Easterly winds became lighter during the morning and encouraged raptors to cross.  Some were even seen from the Observatory, which is unusual during this type of wind.  In total there were 346 Black Kite, 2 Short-toed Eagles, 7 Booted Eagles, 13 Marsh Harriers, 20 Sparrowhawks, 5 Kestrels and a single Osprey.  A Long-legged Buzzard approached low over the south District and flew into the wind, but luckily approached the Observatory where the main features, including the 'dark trousers markings', were apparent.  Birds trapped and ringed included 6 Bonelli's Warblers, 4 Iberian Chiffchaffs, two Subalpine Warblers, and single Spectacled Warbler, Whitethroat and Nightingale.  The Woodpigeon was seen again flying around the Observatory.

A fall of migrants was apparent on Windmill Hill, with many birds catching insects on the fennels, and many grounded birds in the low scrub.  These included 2 Hoopoes, 11 Black Redstarts, 3 lovely male Black-eared Wheatears,3 Northern Wheatears, a male Stonechat, two Robins, 4 Woodchat Shrikes, 2 Southern Grey Shrikes, 6 Corn Buntings, and Zitting Cisticola, Yellow Wagtail and Nightingale.  The fennels contained most of the phylloscopus warblers with 25 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers and a Bonelli's Warbler.  Some finches were present including a single Greenfinch, 4 Linnets and a superb Trumpeter Finch (10th record).

Trumpeter Finch Rhodopechys githaginea                                                   C. Perez/GONHS

Migrants were also in the North Front Cemetery with 3 Common Redstarts, 2 Black Redstarts, 4 Woodchat Shrikes, and single Spectacled Warbler, Hoopoe, Chiffchaff and Robin.

At Europa Point 3 Little Gulls, a 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull 12 Gannets and 4 Sandwich Terns, and 3 Shelduck were seen.

25 Mar:  Overnight drizzle produced a small fall of migrants and the ringers had a good time with over 80 birds trapped.  These included single Tree Pipit, Spectacled Warbler, Serin, Nightingale, and six Subalpine Warblers.  Phylloscopus Warblers featured this morning with five species caught, and included 15 Chiffchaffs, 8 Willow Warblers, 3 Iberian Warblers, two Bonelli's Warblers and a very early Wood Warbler.  Overhead some raptors held back by the bad weather were attempting crossing and included several Black Kites, Marsh Harriers, Montagu's Harriers and Egyptian Vulture.  A Woodpigeon (8th record) was seen flying around the Observatory.

24 Mar:  The weather continued favourable for ringing and two Nightingales, two Common Redstarts and a Sparrowhawk were among the birds trapped and ringed.

23 Mar:  Trans-Saharan migrants caught and ringed at the Observatroy included single Woodchat Shrike, Subalpine Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler, male Common Redstart and Hoopoe (the 11th of the year ringed).  A Woodchat Shrike was present in the Alameda Gardens.

21 Mar:  Cloudy conditions continue with few birds of interest to report except for a very early male Pied Flycatcher that was caught and ringed at the Observatory.

20 Mar:  Cloudy levanter conditions have now set around the Rock, and ringing totals include two Subalpine Warblers and an Iberian Chiffchaff.

19 Mar:  Of late some Barbary Partridges have been recorded around Windmill Hill and the Lathbury Barracks area, but numbers are still low.  Two Black-eared Wheatears were present on Windmill Hill, and the first Nightingales of the season arrived on the Rock, with one heard singing close to the Observatory and another trapped and ringed.

18 Mar:  Light westerly winds and clear skies resulted in poor raptor passage , the daily total of which was 74 Black Kites, 3 Marsh Harriers, 8 Sparrowhawks and single Short-toed Eagle, male Hen Harrier, Osprey and Booted Eagle.  A Black-eared Wheatear was on Windmill Hill and over 400 Pallid Swifts were now observed feeding over the town in the evening.

17 Mar:  Westerly winds produced some raptors for a total of 323 Black Kites, 2 Griffon Vultures, 3 Egyptian Vultures, 26 Short-toed Eagles, 10 Marsh Harriers, 4 Sparrowhawks, 9 Booted Eagles, and a single Hen Harrier.  A large Aquila species was observed from Jews Gate but was not identified.  A lovely male Black-eared Wheatear was admired by tourists that were at Europa Point.  In the Alameda Gardens two Hoopoes were present as well as a Cetti's Warbler that was heard several times close to the Wildlife Park; the site where one was heard back on the 14th January, and may have been the same bird that has stayed on.

16 Mar:  Plenty of migrants were seen on a visit to Windmill Hill.  These consisted of 20 Black Redstarts, a male Common Redstart, 15 Meadow Pipits, 7 Spectacled Warblers all bunched close together in the low scrub, 5 Corn Buntings, 3 Hoopoes and single Dartford Warbler and Black-eared Wheatear.  Two male Blue-rock Thrushes may have been migrants.

15 Mar:  A few migrants continue to arrive with a Corn Bunting present at Europa Point and at least six Hoopoes and two Woodchat Shrikes in the Alameda Botanic Gardens.  Overhead raptor passage consisted of 396 Black Kites, 56 Short-toed Eagles, 12 Sparrowhawks, two Lesser Kestrels and single Marsh Harrier and Kestrel.  Small numbers of Swallows and House Martins continue to head north and a single Alpine Swift was seen from the Observatory.

14 Mar:  Overnight rain finally cleared at lunchtime, with evidence of grounded migrants at the Botanic Gardens including 2 Hoopoes, a Woodchat Shrike, 4 Willow Warblers and evidence of an influx of Robins and Black Redstarts.

12 Mar:  Winds changed to westerlies during the night and raptors that had been held up by the bad weather ventured across the Strait at first light.  Hundreds of Black Kites and other species of raptors covered the skies over the Observatory at 08:00am, and in the space of half an hour several thousand raptors flew north.  After 09:00 several hundred were seen but it was just a trickle of birds throughout most of the day as heavy clouds lingered over the mountains over Morocco, possibly stalling the passage of more raptors to the straits area.  In total 2151 Black Kites, 170 Short-toed Eagles, 15 Marsh Harriers, 23 Sparrowhawks, 8 Booted Eagles and including some Egyptian and Griffon Vultures, and single Hen Harrier and Buzzard.  A visit to Windmill Hill produced three Spectacled Warblers a male Common Redstart, three Corn Bunting and three Hoopoes amongst other migrants and included good numbers of Black Redstarts and Stonechats.

11 Mar:  Migrant Blue Rock Thrushes were about with two trapped and ringed at the Observatory, and included another Bonelli's Warbler and two Iberian Chiffchaffs.

10 Mar:  For the past few days the weather conditions have been atrocious, with heavy levanter cloud and strong to gale force easterlies and rain.  In the short lapses between showers some observers have seen Hoopoes on the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, and a few Iberian Chiffchaff have been heard calling in the Botanic Gardens.  Otherwise birds have taken cover wherever possible and have not been showing much.  The ringing effort has also been hampered; nevertheless, between showers, two Iberian Chiffchaffs, two Hoopoes, and single Spectacled Warbler and Dartford Warbler, were trapped and ringed, the first of the season.  A couple of Swallows were feeding in Rosia Bay, trying to maintain their strength in the bad weather.

08 Mar:  Recently grounded phylloscopus warblers were present at the ringing site on the Upper Rock with twelve Chiffchaffs and six Iberian Chiffchaffs, eleven Willow Warbler, and a single Bonelli's Warbler trapped and ringed.  The first Subalpine Warbler of the year and two Hoopoes were also trapped and ringed, and the first Woodchat Shrike of the year was seen in the Botanic Gardens, to the consternation of the resident birds which were mobbing it.  A Whitethroat was also recorded bathing at the Observatory pond.  Twenty-six Audouin's Gulls were seen resting on the Europa pitch.

07 Mar:  Rain showers throughout the night with the accompanying heavy levanter cloud over the Rock produced the first Willow and Bonelli's Warblers, with 6 Willows and a single Bonelli's trapped and ringed and another unringed of the latter species bathing in the Observatory pond, to the delight of the observers there.  Two Iberian Chiffchaffs were also ringed.  Many Blackcaps and Black Redstarts, obviously migrant birds, were also present in suitable habitat on the Upper Rock and the Botanic Gardens.  Audouin's Gulls continued to head east in fresh easterly winds, and two Cory's Shearwaters were observed off Europa Point  A Pallid Swift was present in the town area in the afternoon.

06 Mar:  Twenty-seven adult Audouin's Gulls were resting at the Europa cricket pitch, with others heading east into the Mediterranean.  Several Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls were also observed feeding off Europa Point.

05 Mar:  Heavy levanter cloud produced a fall of Iberian Chiffchaffs, with at least 8 birds calling and feeding in the Convent Gardens in the town centre.  One was trapped and ringed up the Rock at the Observatory.

02 Mar:  Easterly winds settled in over the Rock and two Hoopoes were seen on Queen's Road, in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.

01 Mar: Single male Marsh Harrier and Lesser Kestrel, together with 17 Red-rumped Swallows and a Pallid Swift were the only birds observed heading north in light variable winds.  A Hoopoe was trapped and ringed at the Observatory.

February

28 Feb:  Winds decreased throughout the day and some raptors were observed from the observatory, for a total of 52 Black Kites, 3 Sparrowhawks, 3 Lesser Kestrels, and one Common Kestrel.  A flock of 70 White Storks flew north and a flock of 45 Greater Flamingoes were seen flying up the Straits from the Observatory.  An Iberian Chiffchaff was trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate.

Three Cormorants were sitting on the fence by the airfield runway.

Great Cormorants by the runway.                                                                           Harry Walsh

27 Feb:  Fresh westerly winds prevailed throughout the day to produce a steady flow of raptors across the Straits.  A very good total of 3189 Black Kites were counted, but variety was poor with only 2 Egyptian Vultures, 6 Short-toed Eagles, 5 Sparrowhawks, 9 Lesser Kestrels, and two Common Kestrels.  Flocks of 91 White Storks and 200 Cranes provided an interesting spectacle for the observers at the Observatory.

26 Feb:  A return to light westerly winds produced a small passage of migrating raptors totalling 137 Black Kites, 3 Egyptian Vultures, 31 Short-toed Eagles and the first Sparrowhawk of the season.  A female Lanner, which had just arrived from across the Straits, had a squabble with one of the local Peregrines that chased the bird away which then headed north.  Small number of hirundines headed north and included Red-rumped Swallows, Barn Swallows and House Martins.  The first Iberian Chiffchaffs, two birds, were ringed at the Observatory.

23 Feb:  A Tawny Owl was heard from the gardens of The Mount.

22 Feb:  The first Pallid Swift of the season flew over Jews Gate and headed north.  Over fifty Swallows and two Sand Martins were observed at Jews' gate flying north.  Light westerly winds also produced single Buzzard, Egyptian Vulture and Black Kite and also 12 Short-toed Eagles.

21 Feb:  Northerly winds still blowing, but some raptors ventured into the headwind, with two Black Kites, four male Lesser Kestrels a single Kestrel and included single White and Black Stork.  Hirundines were evident with 47 Swallows and 94 House Martins, and other diurnal species included three Chaffinches, five Greenfinches, 63 Serins and single Meadow Pipit and White Wagtail.

20 Feb:  Conditions were still not ideal but 5 Black Kites, a single Egyptian Vulture 4 Kestrels and a male Lesser Kestrel flew north.  Red-rumped Swallows, Swallows and House Martins were also observed.

19 Feb:  Light to moderate north-west winds witheld raptor passage and only three Black Kites, and single Short-toed Eagle and Marsh Harrier crossed the Straits.  Nevertheless several flocks of hirundines flew north and included a total of 26 Swallows and 89 House Martins.  Two Hoopoes and 10 Chiffchaff were in the Alameda Botanic Gardens, the latter feeding on the nectar of aloes.

18 Feb:  Calm conditions with a light westerly breeze produced only 9 Black Kites, a single White Stork and 16 Swallows and 31 House Martins.

17 Feb:  Ideal weather conditions were excellent for raptor passage with birds crossing the Straits from dawn till dusk, for a total of 820 Black Kites, 3 Egyptian Vultures, 2 Short-toed Eagles and also included a flock of 13 White Storks, 8 Swallows, 7 House Martins and 2 Greenfinches.

16 Feb:  As winds improved in the afternoon and turned south-westerly 138 Black Kites were observed from the Observatory at Jews' Gate, and included single Black Stork and a Swallow.

14 Feb:  Twenty- five Black Kites and a Sparrowhawk headed north over the Rock in light westerly winds.  Also seen were 9 Swallows, 15 Red-rumped Swallows and 19 House Martins.

13 Feb:  A single White Stork flew north over the Rock.

11 Feb:  A Hoopoe was observed on Windmill Hill.

09 Feb:  An adult Tawny Owl was picked up dead at Bayside School after presumably hitting a window.  The first Lesser Kestrel of the year was seen at the colony on the North Face.

06 Feb:  A  small flock of about 10 Common Starlings was feeding on fruit in a large Ficus in the Botanic Gardens.  A  single House Martin was observed heading north at Jews' Gate.

04 Feb:  A pair of Turnstones were on the rocks at the Europa Foreshore.  Another 9 Swallows made their way north, in brilliant sunshine.

3 Feb:  Another Swallow this morning also included a total of 5 House Martins crossing the Straits in light easterly winds and gorgeous spring-like anticyclonic weather conditions.

02 Feb:  The first Swallow of the year was seen from Jews' Gate heading north.

January

30 Jan:  Two Griffon Vultures flew over the Rock in the early afternoon, as winds blew from the north-west and the skies cleared.  A total of 26 Great Cormorants were counted on the rocks at Little Bay, the largest number at this site so far.  Up to three Gannets and five Sandwich Terns were feeding off Camp Bay.

28 Jan:  Wet and cloudy conditions overnight with westerly winds produced a noticeable increase in many wintering birds now beginning to head north.  Black Redstarts were particularly common on the Rock, and Blackcaps and Robins could be heard in small numbers.  The weather conditions also produced the first Hoopoes of the season; two birds that were feeding in the Jews' Cemetery behind Jews' Gate.  Taking advantage of a break in the weather mid morning was a Black Kite that successfully crossed the Straits.

26 Jan:  Disturbance to the Gull colony on the Upper Rock was finally attributed to a juvenile Goshawk that was seen hunting in the area.  It was also observed on the cliffs above Catalan Bay on the east side of the Rock.

25 Jan:  The first Black Kite of the season was seen struggling in gale force levanter winds over the Rock.  Unusual for the bird to have ventured across the Straits of Gibraltar in these conditions.

21 Jan:  After a spate of unusual records of Cetti's Warblers, one that was heard at Little Bay at the end of the year and in the Botanic Gardens (7th and 8th records), one was trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate ringing Station( only the third ringed).  The species is mainly sedentary in its breeding grounds and certainly rare in Gibraltar where there is no suitable habitat for the species.  Nevertheless almost all have been recorded near fresh water, albeit artificial ponds in the Botanic Gardens and at Jews' Gate.

Cetti's Warbler trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate                                R & J Springett

14 Jan:  A flock of 20 Greater Flamingos flew north off Eastern Beach just after midday, and another observer saw a another flock of at least 50 Greater Flamingos heading south off Sandy Bay.  A Cetti's Warbler was heard in the Botanic Gardens.

12 Jan:  A Griffon Vulture was seen flying north over the Rock, but was forced down by Yellow-legged Gulls on the east side of the Rock..

10 Jan:  A flock of 50 Greater Flamingos flew south over the Rock.

6 Jan:  An Osprey was seen over the Rock this morning.

3 Jan: Twelve Black-headed Gulls were seen feeding off Western Beach.  A covey of seven Barbary Partridges were recorded on Windmill Hill. 

1 Jan:  A Shelduck Tadorna tadorna* flew onto the seashore at Eastern Beach and later flew north towards Spain. Please see cropped photos below.

Shelduck at Eastern Beach Photo: Gerard Olivero (above) and Albert Yome (below)

Thanks to Johnny Grech for the use of his camera.