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Birds

2010

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

* Subject to acceptance by Gibraltar Rarities Committee.

February

7 Feb:  A Hoopoe was seen around the nets at Jews Gate but was not trapped.  At the northern end of the Rock, an Iberian Chiffchaff was seen and heard uttering its distinctive call; an early arrival.

6 Feb:  Moderate south-westerly winds during the morning encouraged two Short-toed Eagles to cross the Straits.  Also observed were 29 Swallow, 61 House Martins and the first Red-rumped Swallow. 

5 Feb:  Only 3 Black Kites were observed crossing the Straits, but there was a steady passage of hirundines, with 118 House Martins and 34 Swallows seen from the Observatory at Jews Gate.  The first Hoopoe of the year was seen in the Botanic Gardens.

4 Feb:  Several migrants headed north with fresh westerly winds.  These included a total of 30 Black Kites, 5 Swallow, 25 House Martins and a single Sparrowhawk. 

January

30 Jan:  A Black Kite was seen flying over Rock Gun, where it disturbed the Yellow-legged Gulls before heading north.

29 Jan:  A White Stork was observed over the Airport in the morning.  Just after midday a Black Kite and a House Martin were observed heading north over the Rock.

28 Jan:  A Leach's Petrel was picked up exhausted by the shore at HMS Rooke.  It was taken into care and was ringed and released the following night .

21 Jan:  Two Swallows were seen heading north over town during the morning.  At midday a Griffon Vulture flew south over the ridge of the Rock.

20 Jan:  Two White Storks were observed migrating north over the Rock.

19 Jan:  Four Ravens were observed flying north over Windmill Hill, presumably having arrived across the Strait.  A Buzzard was also recorded heading north in the middle of the afternoon, over the Upper Rock.

17 Jan:  At midday, a flock of 250 Cormorants headed south along the Spanish coast, and flew over the airport runway to land on the waters off Western Beach.  The airport authorities, concerned at  the hazard this posed to incoming flights were quick to send their bird control unit who fired off a couple of flares.  The birds took off and headed across the Bay in the direction of the Palmones estuary.  Another flock, or part of this one, composed of 90 birds, flew south along the east coast as far as Sandy Bay, where they turned and headed back north.  This is the biggest flock of the species that has been recorded in the area.  This species was quite rare in the area a decade ago and records from Gibraltar were scarce.

14 Jan:  The first migrant raptor, a Black Kite, was seen arriving across the Strait in the late afternoon and flew north.

09 Jan:  The Winter Bird Count took place this morning, with clear skies and a cold northerly breeze.  The weather conditions of the last week was quite severe, with snow present in much of northern and central Spain, and visible from Gibraltar on the Sierra de las Nieves and the mountains behind Malaga.  This in turn must have displaced many wintering birds, and a marked increase was noted in Chiffchaffs and Black Redstarts.  Zitting Cisticolas were still present on Windmill Hill together with some Robins, Stonechats, and finch flocks mainly composed of Goldfinch and Serins.  Elsewhere Chiffchaffs were frequenting the Aloes where the birds were sipping the nectar from the flower heads.  Kestrels, that had been present in the area most of the autumn had disappeared with the bad weather.  Of note was a Dartford Warbler, an early migrant that was present on Windmill Hill.  Details of the Winter Bird Count will be available once all records are collated.

03 Jan:  A Buzzard was observed flying over the Upper Rock in the afternoon.

2009

Table of spring soaring birds passage 2009

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

* Subject to acceptance by Gibraltar Rarities Committee.

December

26 Dec:  After a period of dry conditions the weather finally broke last week with numerous Atlantic depressions reaching Iberia and affecting Gibraltar with strong westerly winds and heavy rain.  A visit to Europa Point in the early afternoon in southerly winds proved fruitful.  There were many seabirds feeding inshore and passing west, among them over 150 Gannets, 48 Mediterranean Gulls, 89 Audouin's Gulls, 12 Lesser-black Backed Gulls, 18 Great Skuas, 4 Balearic Shearwaters and single Black-headed Gull, Razorbill and Cormorant.  Three Shags flew east past the Point and many Yellow-legged Gulls were also present.

09 Dec:  A Griffon Vulture flew low over town during the morning, disturbing the Yellow-legged Gulls. 

08 Dec:  At midday a flock of 10 Blue-crowned Conures was seen over town.  This is the largest flock recorded to date, of this exotic species which has become established in Gibraltar.

07 Dec:  A Booted Eagle, possibly the same bird again, was over the Rock in the afternoon and was joined by a Short-toed Eagle.  These two species are now regular during the late autumn and winter in the area.

03 Dec:  The Booted Eagle was once again over the Rock this morning, and the Griffon Vulture was perched on a tower by the airfield, and when approached flew off strongly into Spain.

01 Dec:  A single Griffon Vulture flew high over the Rock in the afternoon, disturbing the Yellow-legged Gulls in the process, whilst further down a low flying light phase Booted Eagle was observed over the Botanic gardens.

November

30 Nov:  Five Griffon Vultures flew over the Rock after northerly winds set in during the morning.

22 Nov:  Over the last week several records of Cormorants have been received, as the species establishes a wintering population in the area.

11 Nov: A Razorbill was seen swimming along the waterfront at Europort in the morning. This species enters the Mediterranean throughout November along the centre of the Strait and is rarely observed in inshore waters at this time of the year.

07 Nov:  A flock of 65 White Storks headed north over the Rock during the morning.  The light phase Booted Eagle was again hunting in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.

06 Nov:  At noon a Black Kite was observed flying over the Upper Rock.

05 Nov:  A light phase Booted Eagle was seen low over the town this morning.  Two Cranes were seen on separate occasions flying east to west across the Isthmus.

04 Nov:  A pair of light phase Booted Eagles were seen low along the cliff line of Devil's Gap in mid morning.  Four House Martins were seen off Western Beach flying south.

03 Nov:  A very tired Griffon Vulture was picked up from the area of Europa Point and taken to the Raptor Rehabilitation Centre.

02 Nov:  As winds changed overnight to westerly with a warm front through the region, a flock of 35 White Storks crossed the Straits and flew north, gaining height over the east side of the Rock.

01 Nov: Low levanter cloud brought in some more migrants including many Song Thrushes, a Ring Ouzel and up to 8 Redwings around the Jews Gate Bird Observatory.  Also present were some Blackcaps and Robins, but not as many as the previous days.  The Booted Eagle was still around on the Upper Rock.

October

31 Oct:  Up to six Skylarks were present on Windmill Hill.  Also there were 12 Song Thrushes, 5 Stonechats, 14 Black Redstarts, 10 Robins and a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps apart from the resident birds.  A light phase Booted Eagle was seen hunting over the Rock.

30 Oct:  Many wintering birds arrived again this morning with good numbers of new Blackcaps, Robins, and Black Redstarts.  There were also some Chiffchaffs and Song Thrushes present.  New arrivals included  two Dunnocks, one of which was trapped and ringed.  Small passage of finches and Meadow Pipits continued throughout the earlier part of the morning.  Five Booted Eagles, three Short-toed Eages and a Buzzard made an appearence in mid morning but later flew back north.

29 Oct:  The first Redwings arrived on the Rock with two birds seen around Jews Gate.  Also heard was the first Siskins of the year with other finches moving south.  A late Garden Warbler was trapped and ringed at the Observatory at Jews Gate.  At midday three Booted Eagles flew over the southern end of the Rock, with a Short-toed Eagle also present.

28 Oct:  Many Song Thrushes have been arriving most mornings with the first notable passage of finches.  Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Serin dominated the flocks heading south with some Chaffinches and Linnets also present.  The pair of Peregrines at the southern end of the Rock awaited the flocks.

27 Oct:  Passage of migrants continued with the same species as on previous days including a late trans-Saharan migrant; a Common Redstart.

26 Oct:  Again there was a large fall of migrants with the dominant species Robins and Blackcaps much in evidence.  Also present were good numbers of Black Redstarts, Song Thrushes and Chiffchaffs, with overhead passage dominated by finches and Meadow Pipits heading south.  A late Garden Warbler was trapped and ringed.

24/25 Oct:  The weather over the weekend was glorious with light variable winds and superb clear skies, and temperatures above average in the 26C.  With such weather conditions not many birds were expected in the ringing station, but surprisingly Blackcaps and Robins were everywhere with hundreds of birds in the garden areas and in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, together with many Chiffchaffs, Black Redstarts and Song Thrushes.  Many were trapped and ringed with over 120 birds in the morning.  Among these were some Greenfinches and individual Serin, but the large influx of finches and Black Redstarts of other years have yet to materialise.  Windmill Hill held many of these migrants with good numbers of Stonechats, Black Redstarts, Robins and Song Thrushes.

Off Europa Point, Gannets continued entering the Mediterranean, with some lingering to feed on the flying fish shoals.  These were accompanied by some Corys Shearwaters, as they gather before departing into the Atlantic.  Heading out also were several adult Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns.  Overhead several flocks of Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Linnets, Serins and White Wagtails and Crag Martins headed south across the Straits.

19 Oct:  The winds changed to light north-westerly, and this encouraged some Griffon Vultures to overfly the Rock with 58 birds that returned north accompanied by six Black Storks.

18 Oct:  Light easterly winds encouraged some raptors over the Rock, including a late Black Stork, 45 Booted Eagles and a single Honey Buzzard.  Just after midday a flock of 380 Griffon Vultures flew over the Rock and gathered height before returning back into Spain. 

Some wintering migrants arrived at Windmill Hill and included over 25 Meadow Pipits, 20 Black Redstarts, 14 Stonechats, 7 Dartford Warblers, several Song Thrushes and a Skylark.

16 Oct:  Meadow Pipits and Black Redstarts arrived in small numbers during the end of the week, and three Common Nightjars were trapped and ringed at Jews Gate Bird Observatory.  A Baillon's Crake flew into an apartment in the Westside 2 area and was released the following day.  More news on this here.

12 Oct:  The heavy levanter cloud lifted during the afternoon and in the late evening a Nightjar sp. was seen departing from the Upper Rock.  At night time one Scops Owl was seen perched on the fence close to Moorish castle.

11 Oct: With the return of heavy levanter, the first Black Redstart of the autumn was trapped and ringed at the Observatory together with the arrival of many wintering birds including Greenfinches, Blackcaps and Robins.  The heavy cloud also produced up to three Scops Owls and a late Red-necked Nightjar, on the roads on the Upper Rock.  One of each were dazzled and captured for ringing

08 Oct:  A Red Kite and a Booted Eagle were observed over the Rock in the morning.  At the Jews' Gate ringing station many Blackcaps and Robins arrived over the last few days and many were captured and ringed.  Other arrivals included the first Song Thrushes, and amongst late trans-Saharan migrants were Common Redstart and Whinchat.

06 Oct:  Around midday, about 45 Booted Eagles and 8 Short-toed Eagles flew south along the crest of the Rock in light winds.

03 Oct:  The Eurobirdwatch Day took place in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens and was well attended.  Several species were seen, but the only trans-Saharan migrants recorded were a female Redstart and a Garden Warbler.  Overhead there was a trickle of Sparrowhawks, and a lone Marsh Harrier and two Honey Buzzards flew south.  In the afternoon participants went to Europa Point at the Marine Observatory where Cory's Shearwaters and juvenile Gannets gathered to feed on shoals of Flying Fish.  Several Audouin's Gulls flew past and a couple of Black-headed Gulls stopped below to feed.  Several flocks of Crag Martins flew past heading south, and two Yellow Wagtails were also present in the area.

02 Oct:  A flock of 10 Black Storks flew over the Rock in the late afternoon, and a lone Griffon Vulture soared over the crest of the Rock and stayed to roost overnight.

September

30 Sep:  Thousands of House Martins were flying south this morning over the Rock.  Many were flying along the crest of the Rock, but as the levanter cloud increased, many flocks were low over the town and around Jews Gate Observatory.  With them were several hundred Swallows and a few Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martins.  At the ringing station, many Blackcaps, Robins, and some trans-Saharan migrants, including Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers, Garden Warblers and Willow Warblers continued to be trapped and ringed throughout the morning.  An adult female Lanner* was observed at close quarters as it arrived over Windmill Hill and flew north.

29 Sep:  A drive around the Upper Rock at night produced two Scops Owls.

27 Sep:  Most migrants were still on Windmill Hill with new arrivals including a Reed Warbler, and two Pied Flycatchers.

26 Sep:  The day began with heavy levanter cloud followed by rain.  Several species were caught and ringed including Scops Owl, Whinchat, Orphean Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush and several Willow Warblers, Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers.  Overhead were very large flocks of hirundines, composed mainly of House Martins, with a few Swallows and an Alpine Swift.  Two Grey Herons flew south, and two Marsh Harriers flew over the Rock for a few hours lost in the cloud.  On Windmill Hill a fall of migrants included at least 17 Common Wheatears, one male Black-eared Wheatear, 2 Redstarts, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Stonechats, 6 Whinchats, 7 Blue Rock Thrushes and single Subalpine and Orphean Warblers.  At night 3 Scops Owls and a Red-necked Nightjar were observed along the roads on the Upper Rock.

25 Sep:  A drive around the roads on the Upper Rock at night produced two Red-necked Nightjars.  Both were captured and ringed before being released.

23 Sep:  Several migrants were seen at the Botanic Gardens including at least 4 Pied and 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Willow and one Melodious Warblers, and an Iberian Chiffchaff.

21 Sep:  A Red- necked Nightjar was flushed from the upper nets at Jews gate in the early morning.

20 Sep:  Migrants along the crest of the Rock included several Willow Warblers, Tawny Pipits and two Ortolan Buntings.  Willow and Garden Warblers were also present around the Observatory at Jews' Gate.

19 Sep:  A Lanner* came in from the sea and briefly landed before taking off along the cliff edge at Buffadero.  Small passage of raptors throughout the day with a trickle of Honey Buzzards, Marsh Harriers, Booted Eagles and Sparrowhawks, and single Osprey and Montagu's Harrier.  On Windmill Hill there were 7 Common Wheatears, a male Black-eared Wheatear and several Zitting Cisticolas.

18 Sep:  A Short-toed Treecreeper was observed in the Botanic Gardens.

17 Sep:  Three Egret sp. were observed flying south over the harbour, and a Grey Wagtail was heard in the Botanic Gardens.

16 Sep:  Several migrants were in the Botanic Gardens including many Blackcaps, seven Pied Flycatchers, three Iberian Chiffchaff and single Robin, Redstart, Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher.  Approximately 60 Honey Buzzards were seen sporadically throughout the day.

15 Sep:  Honey Buzzards continued passing south throughout the morning low over town, with over 300 individuals.  A Marsh Harrier was also present. 

14 Sep:  A Purple Heron flew north early in the morning over Europort.  In the evening a small passage of Honey Buzzards was observed heading south from Europa Point.  They included at least 150 of this species, including two Ospreys and two Sparrowhawks.  Offshore there were no signs of any feeding except for a few Corys Shearwaters and a couple of Gannets.  A  single Cormorant flew south overhead, the first arrival of the season.

13 Sep:  Just after midnight an injured migrant was seen hopping in the middle of the road, close to Europort.  It was captured and turned out to be a first year Whinchat.  It was later released on Windmill Hill that morning, where it flew, albeit weakly.  Other migrants were present there including a Hoopoe, Black-eared Wheatear, Orphean Warbler, Whitethroat, Tawny Pipit and Willow Warbler.   Also in the area were at least 10 Zitting Cisticolas, up to 8 Barbary Partridges, and a flock of Swallows and House Martins feeding along the cliff edge with a single Sand Martin, and a hunting Sparrowhawk which narrowly missed a Blackbird.  Overhead at least 120 Booted Eagles flew over the Rock.  In the evening two Robins were heard at the northern end of the Botanic Gardens.

Offshore, at Europa Point there was a feeding frenzy as Striped Dolphins and Tuna chased shoals of flying fish.  They were closely followed by at least 200 Corys Sheatwaters that chased the fish as they broke the surface catching a few in the process.  Yellow-legged Gulls then chased the shearwaters to rob them of their fish.  Several first year Gannets were also present, including a Yelkouan Shearwater.

11 Sep:  A Grey Wagtail was heard over the Botanic Gardens.  Another flock of over 50 Booted Eagles flew over the Rock before returning north.

10 Sep:  As the easterly winds became light, 50 Booted Eagles, and single Egyptian Vulture, Marsh Harrier and an Osprey flew over town.  A Yellow Wagtail was heard over the harbour heading south.

09 Sep:  Several trans-Saharan migrants were observed on the Rock with a Pied Flycatcher and two Common Redstarts around the top of the Rock, and another Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Willow Warbler and 5 Iberian Chiffchaffs.  Tawny Owls were again heard in the Botanic Gardens and have now become a daily feature of the night in the area.  A Kingfisher was observed around Coaling Island within the harbour.

07 Sep:  At least 8 Iberian Chiffchaffs, 15 Blackcaps, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Robin were seen in the woodland bed of the Botanic Gardens.

06 Sep:  A Stone Curlew was again seen along the cliff at the southern end of Windmill Hill.  It may have been the same individual seen previously on the 2nd.  Small numbers of Booted Eagles have flown over the Rock over the last few days, and returned north due to strong easterly winds.

02 Sep:  Raptors began crossing at first light and continued throughout the day with many Honey Buzzards crossing several miles to the east of the Rock and flying directly south to Africa.  Over 6700 of this species were counted, together with 600 Black Kites, 4 Egyptian Vultures, 4 Marsh Harriers, 15 Montagu's Harriers, 9 Booted Eagles, and single Osprey, Eleonora's Falcon and a Black Stork.  Also overhead were several flocks of Bee-eaters heading south as well as some Swallows and a Short-toed Lark.

01 Sep:  The winds changed to light westerly bringing with them some raptors.  Throughout the morning and early afternoon over 3000 Honey Buzzards, 530 Black Kites, 5 Marsh Harriers, 4 Montagu's Harriers, 19 Short-toed Eagles, 57 Booted Eagles 7 Sparrowhawks and a Black Stork flew south over the Rock.  Passage fizzled out during the afternoon.  A visit to Windmill Hill proved interesting when an unseasonal Stone Curlew was observed there.  Also present were several Zitting Cisticolas, and single Melodious Warbler and Tawny Pipit.

August

30 Aug:  Over the last two days small numbers of Booted Eagles have been flying across the bay towards the Rock before returning north.  The prevailing strong easterly winds with associated levanter cloud has prevented them from crossing the Strait.  A  Hoopoe was seen briefly along the Europort area.

28 Aug:  A  female Common Redstart and an Iberian Chiffchaff were observed in the Botanic Gardens.

27 Aug:  A flock of 28 Avocets flew south past Europa Point in the evening.

25 Aug:  Raptor expectations were short-lived as the winds dropped during the morning, bringing only 60 Black Kites and over 100 Honey Buzzards.  Later during the day winds fell light variable and back to easterly in the evening.  A Quail was seen briefly in the Botanic Gardens.

24 Aug:  The winds changed to westerlies and as winds freshened in the late afternoon 70 Black Kites 200 Honey Buzzards and single Booted Eagle and Montagu's Harrier flew over the Rock.  Over 7 Iberian Chiffchaff were feeding in the Botanic Gardens.

23 Aug:  A total of 30 Booted Eagles and 2 Short-toed Eagles were observed at midday .

22 Aug:  Throughout the late morning and afternoon 71 Booted Eagles, 10 Short-toed Eagles and 20 Swallows flew over town.

20 Aug:  Small influx of raptors from Spain over Gibraltar during mid morning, with approx 50 Booted Eagles 30 Black Kites 5 Short-toed Eagles and single Honey Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier and Sparrowhawk.  They all flew across the bay back to Spain.  In the afternoon several hundred Cory's Shearwaters were feeding off Europa Point.

19 Aug:  Another day with easterly winds which only produced six Booted Eagles over the town at midday.  A flock of 6 Avocets flew south past Europa Point in the evening.

18 Aug:  Only three Booted Eagles were over the Rock today.

17 Aug:  Fresh to strong easterly winds have been dominant for over a week now, hampering migrating raptors, some of which headed easterly and arrived over the Rock just after midday.  A total of 120 Booted Eagles, an Egyptian Vulture and 90 Short-toed Eagles were observed during the afternoon, with a further 251 Black Kites later on including at least 20 Swallows.  No crossing of the Straits were confirmed for these birds, which find the weather conditions difficult, and they tend to accumulate in the Strait area until conditions improve or the wind changes.

14 Aug: The presence of Iberian Chiffchaffs in the Botanic Gardens has increased, with at least ten individuals feeding in the more humid and denser parts of the gardens. With them were at least two Spotted Flycatchers, (possibly the local pair) and a Melodious Warbler.

11 Aug:  A Kingfisher was seen at Eastern Beach in the morning, and a Hoopoe was observed flying around the Casemates area.  Just before midday over 70 Booted Eagles and 10 Short-toed Eagles flew in high over town into an easterly wind, with most returning north.

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

09 Aug:  Light winds only produced 8 Black Kites over town during the morning.  A juvenile Goshawk flew low over Montagu Gardens, later returning north.

08 Aug:  Early morning passage of 722 Black Kites and two Montagu's Harriers took place low over the town and harbour.  Winds freshened to a south-westerly in the afternoon producing a further  2294   Black Kites over the Bay and harbour.  A Zitting Cisticola flew south over the Cable Car top station, and a Bonelli's Warbler and a male Golden Oriole were present there.  Common Swift passage was notable with over 1000 per hour heading south.

07 Aug:  A significant passage south of Black Kites over the Rock in the evening, with a total counted of 4978, including 3122 between 16.55hrs and 18.15hrs. Other raptors included an Egyptian Vulture, a Marsh Harrier and two Montagu's Harriers.

06 Aug:  An Iberian Chiffchaff was heard singing in the Botanic Garden.  Westerly winds set in during the morning and progressively freshened bringing some 40 Black Kites and a Montagu's Harrier over the Rock.  By midday, there was a heavy passage of Common Swifts with flocks numbering several hundred flying south along the crest of the Rock.  Two Tawny Owls were calling in the Botanic Gardens at about 11pm.

05 Aug:  As the fresh levanter winds and associated cloud dissipated at midday 18 Booted Eagles, 4 Short-toed Eagles and single Egyptian Vulture and Montagu's Harrier flew over the Rock before returning back north.

04 Aug:  A Kingfisher flew into a window at Water Gardens in Gibraltar Port.   It soon recovered and was released in the Botanic Gardens.  An Iberian Chiffchaff was singing in the Gardens, and a juvenile Woodchat Shrike was at the entrance to Windmill Hill.

03 Aug:   A Spotted Flycatcher still present in the Botanic Gardens.

02 Aug:  As winds freshened in the late afternoon, 44 Black Kites and over 200 Common Swifts flew south over the Rock.

01 Aug:  Two Long-legged Buzzards* were seen over Gibraltar Town.  Recent records are reminiscent of past years when up to two individuals have spent several months on the Rock outside the breeding season.  Recent confirmation of nesting in Cadiz Province, Spain, a mere 18 km to the west of Gibraltar, suggests these birds may be Spanish rather than Moroccan in origin.  In the late afternoon 2201 Black Kites and a Lesser Kestrel flew south .

July

31 Jul:  A Bonelli's Warbler and two Iberian Chiffchaffs (one of them singing) were at The Mount, Gibraltar.  Spotted Flycatchers were still present in the Botanic Gardens.

30 Jul:  A Long-legged Buzzard* was seen over the Rock.

29 Jul:  Two White Wagtails at the Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar.  Clearly a regular presence of this species now in the area.

28 Jul:  Eight Blue-crowned Conures together in the Botanic Gardens, the largest number seen for some months, suggests possible recent breeding

27 Jul:  A Bonelli's Warbler at the Botanic Gardens.

25 Jul:  Spotted Flyctachers still present in the Dell area of the Botanic Gardens.

24 Jul:  Lesser Kestrel census results revealed a total of 15 nests active, with 25 young fledged between them (pus one being reared at the Raptor Unit).  This is a return to 2006 levels as far as active nests (19 in 2007, 21 in 2008), but fledging success is low.  Two of the 2008 sites had been taken by feral pigeons, the other four were empty.

Also a Bonelli's Warbler was singing in "The Dell" within the Botanic Gardens in the morning and a Spotted Flycatcher in the Sandpits area of the Gardens..

23 Jul:  Two Black Kites over the Upper Rock in the early afternoon marked the start of the southward raptor migration as observed from Gibraltar.  A White Wagtail was again at the Victoria Stadium.

21 Jul:  Three Zitting Cisticolas were present on Windmill Hill.  The species disperses at the end of July and August and turns up regularly at this site.  A White Wagtail was at the Victoria Stadium, by Gibraltar airfield.

18 Jul:  A Robin was seen in the vicinity of St. Bernard's Church, in close proximity to suitable habitat at Jacob's Ladder.

17 Jul:  A Hoopoe was observed on Windmill Hill.  This is one of the earliest species to commence its return passage south.

16 Jul:  A Zitting Cisticola was heard calling on the Talus slope, and close by the colony of Alpine Swifts was active with up to 10 birds wheeling around and entering fissures in the cliff face where their nests are found.  These are located 35m above sea-level, on the North Face of the Rock.

Alpine Swifts on the North Face of the Rock                                                      C. Perez/GONHS

15 Jul:  Another Honey Buzzard was observed from Europa Point arriving across the Strait and heading north.

14 Jul:  A late Honey Buzzard flew north over the Rock in the afternoon.  In the evening a juvenile Black Kite was seen flying in from the Strait low over Windmill Hill.  This bird-of-the-year had possibly tried unsuccessfully to cross earlier, but the possibility of a young Moroccan bird dispersing cannot be completely discarded.  The Melodious and Bonelli's Warbler were present in the woodland area of the Botanic Gardens.

13 Jul:  The young Spotted Flycatchers flew the nest over the weekend and the adults were feeding at least two young early this morning.  Also in the same area was a Melodious Warbler.  After four days of light variable winds, the south-westerlies freshened and a Short-toed Eagle crossed the Straits followed shortly by another with a Black Kite.  The first juvenile Audouin's Gull of the season flew out of the Mediterranean past Europa Point.

10 Jul:  The nest of the Spotted Flycatchers was found in a Californian Pepper Tree in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, where the adults were seen feeding young.  This is the first time this species has bred in Gibraltar.

9 Jul:  A Long-legged Buzzard* seen over Gibraltar town in the afternoon.  The pair of Spotted Flycatchers was present still in the Botanic Gardens.

8 Jul:  A Booted Eagle flew north over the Rock in the early afternoon.  A Bonelli's Warbler was again seen at the Botanic Gardens.

7 Jul:  A pair of Spotted Flycatchers still present in the Botanic Gardens.  Two Bonelli's Warblers nearby, one singing.

6 Jul:  Tawny Owls still present in the Botanic Gardens with at least two heard during the night.  Persistent presence in suitable habitat strongly suggests nesting.

4 Jul:  A Short-toed Eagle flew in from the Bay and later headed back towards the west after being forced to land by mobbing gulls.

3 Jul:  A Black Kite flew over the Rock at midday apparently having crossed the Strait.  In the afternoon a Short-toed Eagle flew north as south-westerly winds freshened.

2 Jul:  Small passage of adult Mediterranean and Audouin's Gulls in the late afternoon flying out of the Mediterranean.

1 Jul:  A Short-toed Eagle was seen along the east side of the Rock at midday and another arrived across the Strait and flew over Windmill Hill in the late afternoon.

June

30 Jun:  Moderate south-westerly winds brought some late raptors across the Strait.  These included three Short-toed Eagles and a Black Kite.

29 Jun:  A Short-toed Eagle flew north over the Rock at midday.

28 Jun:  Small passage of mainly adult Audouin's Gulls continued throughout the day, with four adult Mediterranean Gulls, several Black-headed Gulls and Corys and Balearic Shearwaters flying west off Europa Point.  A Grey Heron also flew south.  Two Honey Buzzards arrived across the Strait and headed north.

27 Jun:  As westerly winds freshened, adult Audouin's Gulls were observed from Europa Point heading west, with over 100 birds in an hour.  Also several flocks of Balearic Shearwaters and a couple of Cory's Shearwaters.  Three adult Black-headed Gulls also headed out through the Strait.

26 Jun:  This morning two Spotted Flycatchers were observed in the Botanic Gardens, close to natural habitat in the Mediterranean bed.  They will be monitored to see if they intend to breed in the area. Small passage of Balearic Shearwaters heading west out of the Mediterranean, with 49 birds in an hour, from Europa Point, including two Cory's Shearwaters.  A Short-toed Eagle flew north over the Rock in the afternoon.

25 Jun:  A late Spotted Flycatcher was observed at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens this morning.  In the late afternoon three Honey Buzzards flew north.

24 Jun:  A White Wagtail was seen at the Air Terminal.

23 Jun:  The winds turned to moderate westerlies this morning and produced a Griffon Vulture heading north.  During the afternoon a further three Griffon Vultures, a Short-toed Eagle, a Black Kite and two Honey Buzzards flew over the Rock.  A recently fledged juvenile Lanner* was seen at close quarters, having arrived across the Straits.

21 Jun: A White Wagtail seen in the Westview Park area, where they have now apparently nested for several years.  Another was a relatively short distance away on open ground immediately north of the frontier fence by Western Beach.

19 Jun:  Several Lesser Kestrel nests on the North Face are this year occupied by feral pigeons. Census results will be published as soon as they are available.

18 Jun: This year's census of nesting Peregrine reveals 20 young fledged from 7 pairs.  In addition 7 were reared in captivity, of which 2 have already been trained and released successfully. A flock of approximately 20 Flamingoes were observed flying south off Eastern Beach in the evening.

14 Jun: Three Alpine Swifts were seen feeding over Windmill Hill flats.

12 Jun:  House Martins present at their usual nest sites at Four Corners.  Small numbers seen feeding over Spanish side of isthmus and at least two artificial nests in use, and a late Spotted Flycatcher was observed in the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

11 Jun:  At least one, probably two Tawny Owls were calling during the night at the Botanic Gardens.

9 Jun:  Three Griffon Vultures and four Black Kites flew in from Africa in the mid afternoon, and continued north.

8 Jun:  Four Griffon Vultures and two Booted Eagles were among the raptors seen flying north today.

3 Jun:  Raptor passage observed included 105 Black Kites, 10 Short-toed Eagles, 17 Griffon Vultures and 4 Egyptian Vultures.

2 Jun: A pair of White Wagtails was seen feeding around the sports complex around Victoria Stadium.

May

31 May: Some raptor passage observed, with a Honey Buzzard, 5 Booted Eagles and 69 Black Kites counted.

17 May:  Observed passage included 227 Honey Buzzards and 125 Black Kites.

16 May:  A late Robin was present in the Botanic Gardens, where they have bred sporadically in the past.

15 May:  An interesting day of raptor passage.  The count at Jews' Gate included 189 Honey Buzzards, 303 Black Kites, 80 Booted Eagles, 12 Short-toed Eagles, 249 Griffon Vultures and a Hobby.

14 May:  Passage was small, with only 177 Honey Buzzards, 48 Black Kites and 3 Booted Eagles counted, mainly in the morning before the weather became overcast with low clouds.

13 May:  Only 111 Honey Buzzards and 235 Black Kites seen, but there were also 50 Griffon Vultures and 3 Egyptian Vultures counted.

12 May:  Raptors included 182 Honey Buzzards, 454 Black Kites and 36 Griffon Vultures.

11 May:  A total of 269 Honey Buzzards were counted.  Other birds included 1083 Black Kites, 49 Booted Eagles and 19 Griffon Vultures.

10 May:  Westerlies once again brought soaring birds over Gibraltar , including 1542 Honey Buzzards, 6 Booted Eagles and 2 Black Storks.

03 May:  Despite calm conditions, 2 Egyptian Vultures arrived from the Strait low over Jews' Gate.

02 May:  The only bird of note at Jews' Gate was a Tawny Pipit.

01 May:  Passage seen included 109 Honey Buzzards, 39 Short-toed Eagles, 19 Booted Eagles, 9 Hobby and a Grey Heron.

April

30 Apr:  Passage seen included 15 White Storks, 206 Black Kites, 1 Hen Harrier, 2 Egyptian Vultures, 26 Honey Buzzards and 518 Common Swifts.  Also seen were a Yellow Wagtail and a Golden Oriole.

29 Apr: Raptors included 11 Egyptian Vultures, 151 Griffon Vultures and 7 Marsh Harriers.  Also seen were 4 Red-rumped Swallows.

28 Apr:  Passage noted included 36 Black Storks (including one flock of 25), 26 Sparrowhawks and 233 Honey Buzzards, as well as 620 Common Swifts.  Also seen were 57 Greater Flamingo flying north over the Bay.

27 Apr:  Raptor passage included 909 Black Kites, 10 Egyptian Vultures, 2 Hobby, a Peregrine, 44 Short-toed Eagles and 308 Honey Buzzards.  A Cormorant was also seen flying north.  A flock of 11 Cattle Egrets flew south over Gibraltar harbour this morning.  A White Wagtail was seen in the Europort area, where it has bred in recent years.

26 Apr:  Visible passage included a flock of 22 Black Storks, also 38 Honey Buzzards, an Osprey and a Common Buzzard.

25 Apr:  Passage included 556 Black Kites, 13 Egyptian Vultures, 14 Griffon Vultures, 10 Honey Buzzards, 2 Hobby, 12 Black Stork and 250 White Storks.  Also, an Eleonora's Falcon.

24 Apr:  The first Whinchat of the year was ringed, as was a Red-necked Nightjar.  A late Robin seen (on several occasions since 20 Apr) near the Trafalgar Cemetery, where it has bred in the past.  One caught at Jews' Gate with no fat in contrast to recent migrants also suggests possible nesting attempt.  Only two raptors seen, aHoney Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier.  Also a Red-rumped Swallow.

23 Apr:  The first Spotted Flycatcher of the spring was ringed.

22 Apr: A Scops owl was seen on Signal Station Road.

21 Apr:  The first Honey Buzzard of the season was seen from Jews' Gate.  Passage included 26 Short-toed Eagles, 30 Booted Eagles and 289 Black Kites. One of the Black Kites was carrying green wing tags.  A Short-toed Eagle that had been brought down by gulls was ringed and released. 

20 Apr: Also 367 Black Kites, 14 Booted Eagles, 12 Short-toed Eagles and 47 Sparrowhawks, among others.   A Chiffchaff of the Scandinavian race, Phylloscopus collybita abietinus was ringed.

19 Apr:  Passage observed included a White Stork, 5 Black Storks and a Hobby. The first two Pied Flycatchers of the season were ringed.

18 Apr:  A Green Woodpecker* was seen and later heard near Jews' Gate. The only raptors seen on passage were 2 Black Kites and 3 Sparrowhawks.  Also recorded at Jews' Gate was a Tawny Pipit.  Fall conditions overnight did bring good numbers to the North Front Cemetery, with birds recorded there including 22 Woodchat Shrikes, 14Nightingales, 1 Reed Warbler, 6 Melodious Warblers, 7 Garden Warbler, 1Subalpine Warbler, 1 Spectacled Warbler, 8 Common Whitethroat, 5 Willow Warblers , 1 Bonelli's Warbler, 1 Ortolan Bunting , 5 Common Redstart, 2 Whinchat and 2 Turtle Doves. 4. Two Ortolan Buntings were ringed.

17 Apr: A total of only 62 raptors recorded on passage, but these included a Hen Harrier and a Merlin.  Birds ringed included 2 Scops Owls and a late Iberian Chiffchaff.

16 Apr:  Another slow day for passage.  Among birds recorded were 3 Egyptian Vultures, 50 Booted Eagles, 2 Hobby and 10 Black Storks.  A Woodchat Shrike was ringed.

15 Apr:  Slow raptor passage, the highlights being 22 Montagu’s Harriers and one Hen Harrier.

16 Apr: A Woodchat Shrike was seen at construction site at Europort, where the garden used to be.  A brood of Great Tits, in a nestbox in the Botanic Gardens, left the nest today.  This is one of two pairs in the Gardens this year. Other resident birds present and apparently nesting in the Gardens are Yellow-legged Gull, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Wren, Blue Tit, House Sparrow and Greenfinch.

15 Apr:  Overnight rain brought migrants to North Front Cemetery, including 15 Woodchat Shrikes, 3 Nightingales, 2 Subalpine Warblers, a Whitethroat, a Melodious warbler, a Whinchat and 2 Ortolan Buntings.

14 Apr:  Passage was lighter today and included an Egyptian Vulture, 5 Short-toed Eagles and 14 Booted Eagles.  A Red-necked Nightjar was ringed.

13 Apr:  Passage continued with birds seen including 4 Black Storks, 4 Egyptian Vultures, 39 Booted Eagles, 62 Sparrowhawks and 2 Hen Harriers.

12 Apr:  A good total of 1214 Black Kites and other migrants including 3 Griffon Vultures, 3 Egyptian Vultures, an Osprey, 108 Booted Eagles, 17 Black Storks and 3 White Storks.

11 Apr:  Some raptor passage was seen including 6 Booted Eagles, 4 Montagu's Harriers, 3 Marsh Harriers and a Hobby.

10 Apr:  Continued presence of Eagle Owl confirmed at its usual nesting site with a male seen at dusk.  Passage birds included 512 Black Kites, 47 Montagu's Harriers, 2 Hobby, 5 Black Storks, as well as Bee-eaters, Swallows, House Martins and a Red-rumped Swallow.   A Tawny Pipit was ringed.

07 Apr:  Visible passage included 16 Black Storks, an Egyptian Vulture, 87 Booted Eagles, 2 Ospreys and 3 Hobby.

06 Apr:  A fledged Blackbird was seen in the Alameda Gardens.  Migrants present in the Gardens included a Woodchat Shrike, a Nightingale and a Bonelli's Warbler.  A Garden Warbler and a Black-eared Wheatear were ringed.

05 Apr:  A Scops Owl was ringed at Jews' Gate.  Also a Yellow Wagtail and 76 Bee-eaters seen.

03 Apr:  Raptors included 110 Black Kites, 82 Sparrowhawks and116 Booted Eagles.   Also seen were 84 Bee-eaters and 2 Red-rumped Swallows.

02 Apr:  Some raptor passage was visible, including an Egyptian Vulture, 12 Montagu's Harriers, 176 Booted Eagles and 152 Sparrowhawks.  Other visible migration included a Black Stork, 22 Bee-eaters and 14 Spanish Sparrows.

01 Apr:  A flock of 32 Greater Flamingoes was seen flying north up the Bay of Gibraltar.    Raptors included 16 Booted Eagles, 22 Marsh Harriers, 22 Montagu's Harriers and 24 Sparrowhawks.  Three Ravens were also seen flying north.

March

31 Mar:  Raptors included 13 Short-toed Eagles, 1 Osprey, 13 Marsh Harriers, 135 Sparrowhawks and 4 Black Storks.

30 Mar:  Today's passage included 214 Black Kites,  8 Short-toed Eagles, 53 Booted Eagles, 1 Buzzard and 1 Bonelli's Eagle*.

29 Mar:  Birds seen migrating included 466 Black Kites, 10 Short-toed Eagles, 24 Booted Eagles, 1 Buzzard, 4 Ospreys, 11 Montagu's Harriers, 21 Marsh Harriers, 16 Cormorants and 1 Black Stork.

28 Mar:  Raptors seen moving north over Jews' Gate included 16 Sparrowhawks, 3 Ospreys, 212 Black Kites, 55 Booted Eagles, 5 Egyptian Vultures and 7 Marsh Harriers.  Also seen were 7 Red-rumped Swallows, 3 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Siskins.

27 Mar:  A Scops Owl (first of the year) and 2 Whitethroats were ringed at Jews' Gate.

26 Mar:  The first Orphean Warbler of the year was ringed at Jews' Gate.

23 Mar:  A Linnet and 2 Common Redstarts were ringed at Jews' Gate.  Seen were 8 Bee-eaters and 4 Red-rumped Swallows.

22 Mar:  A small passage of 32 Black Kites and 1 Red-rumped Swallow.   A Bonelli's Warbler and 2 Nightingales were ringed.

20 Mar:  A return to westerly winds for the day resulted in good raptor passage with 2644 Black Kites, 78 Short-toed Eagles, 81 Booted Eagles, 3 Marsh Harriers, 3 Montagu's Harriers, 75 Sparrowhawks, 1 Osprey and 24 Black Storks.

19 Mar:  The only raptor observed was a lone Booted Eagle.  Birds ringed included a Hoopoe, an Iberian Chiffchaff, a Subalpine Warbler and a Nightingale.

17 Mar:  An adult Ring-billed Gull* (2nd Record) was with Yellow-legged Gulls on the sports field at Europa Point.  Four Sand Martins were seen flying north over Jews' Gate.  A Hoopoe was also seen in the area.  A Sparrowhawk was hunting at Martin's Path on the Upper Rock.

16 Mar:  An unusual record of a Coal Tit* seen bathing in a fountain at the Botanic Gardens.  Three Red-rumped Swallows seen flying north; also one Sparrowhawk.  An Iberian Chiffchaff was singing in the Botanic Gardens.  

15 Mar:  The first Bonelli's Warbler of the year was ringed, as was the second Nightingale and another two Iberian Chiffchaffs.

14 Mar:  The first Subalpine Warbler of the season ringed at Jews' Gate Observatory.

13 Mar: A Willow Warbler was ringed at Jews' Gate.  At least one Iberian Chiffchaff singing in the Botanic Gardens.  

12 Mar:  The first Nightingale of the year was ringed today at Jews' Gate.   A Hoopoe was seen feeding on Pine Processionary Moth caterpillars at the Botanic Gardens.

10 Mar:  With Easterlies still blowing, raptor migration was not visible from the Rock.  Birds ringed included 2 Song Thrushes, 2 Iberian Chiffchaffs and a Hoopoe.

09 Mar:  A flock of 13 Cranes flew in from the south-west, over Windmill Hill, and continued in a north-easterly direction. Three Iberian Chiffchaffs were ringed at the Jews' Gate Observatory.  Another was singing in the Botanic Gardens.

08 Mar:  With the change to Easterlies, attention at the Jews' Gate Observatory turned once more to ringing.  A Woodlark was among the birds ringed today.  Also ringed was the first   Willow Warbler of the year, and an Iberian Chiffchaff.

07 Mar:  A flock of 80 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse* seen flying in a north-easterly direction high over the Rock in the afternoon - the first record for Gibraltar in many years.  An excellent day for Short-toed Eagles,  with 1060 counted flying north over Gibraltar.  Other visible passage included 2 Black Storks, 329 Black Kites, 4 Sparrowhawks and a Common Buzzard.

06 Mar:  Better weather was reflected in migration picking up, with 1275 Black Kites, 22 Short-toed Eagles, 12 Egyptian Vultures, and 6 Black Storks seen among a sprinkling of other species.

    White Storks about to land on the cliffs below Windmill Hill                            E. Shaw/GONHS

05 Mar:  Stormy weather resulted in only limited visible migration, the highlight of which was a flock of 103 White Storks which arrived from the Strait in very strong winds, forcing the birds to land on the cliffs below Windmill Hill Flats, a very rare occurrence.  Some flew on about two hours later, watched by HRH The Princess Anne while on a walk up Mediterranean Steps.  The rest stayed on the Flats themselves for a while longer until the wind strength decreased

White Storks resting on Windmill Hill Flats                                                                        L. Glenister

03 Mar:  Rainy, windy weathered curtailed passage, with only a sprinkling of raptors seen, among which were 3 Marsh Harriers and a Lesser Kestrel.  A flock of 24 Crag Martins flew north in the company of House Martins.

02 Mar:  The first Pallid Swift of the year was seen in the area of Cathedral Square in Gibraltar's city centre.   Several Hoopoes were seen in various locations on the Upper Rock today, and one in the Botanic Gardens. An Iberian Chiffchaff was ringed at Jews' Gate.

01 Mar:  The highest number of raptors passing so far this year, with a total of 2468 Black Kites, 48 Short-toed Eagles, 7 Sparrowhawks, a Marsh Harrier and also a Black Stork being observed flying north over the Jews' Gate observatory.

February

28 Feb:  After a spate of easterly winds with some rain overnight, winds subsided and there were many gulls feeding offshore at Europa Point, with a several Kittiwakes, over fifty Black-headed Gulls, ten Mediterranean Gulls and some Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Audouin's Gulls, including an adult on the cricket pitch at Europa.  The North Front Cemetery held a Dartford Warbler and a Corn Bunting, with another three of the latter species on Windmill Hill, together with two Hoopoes, two Skylarks, and over thirty-five Stonechats and many Black Redstarts.

24 Feb:  A further three Iberian Chiffchaff were caught and ringed this morning at the Observatory.  Another bird of this species was heard in the Alameda Botanic Gardens, where it was feeding on the nectar of a flowering Agave with other Chiffchaffs.  Good numbers of Stonechats and Black Redstarts were observed on Windmill with birds returning north.  Also at this site were single Thekla Lark and Hoopoe.  Another Hoopoe was recorded from the North Front Cemetery.

An hours watch at Europa Point produced four Common Scoter heading east, six first winter Mediterranean Gulls and several Black-headed Gulls and Gannets heading west.  Kittiwake passage out of the Mediterranean continues daily with 112 birds counted during the period.

23 Feb:  The first trans-Saharan phylloscopus, an Iberian Chiffchaff, was caught and ringed at Jews Gate.  Arrivals of this species and Bonelli's Warbler were recorded north of Gibraltar, in the Sierra de Grazalema yesterday, (Avesforum).  Another Red-rumped Swallow was recorded heading north today.

22 Feb 2009:  Three Red-rumped Swallows were observed with Swallows heading north over Jews Gate.

21 Feb:  Throughout the day small numbers of Kittiwakes were observing exiting the Mediterranean, with up to twenty eight birds in half and hour.

The first Lesser Kestrel was seen in a nest hole on the North Face.

19 Feb:  Over the last three days the weather improved and clear skies, warm sunshine and light westerly winds must have encouraged raptors to cross the Strait.  Today when the winds freshened a little, there were 30 Black Kites, a Swallow and a single adult Egyptian Vulture, the first of the year, that headed north. A Hoopoe was observed around the Observatory at Jews Gate

17 Feb:  Following an improvement in the weather, a Hoopoe was seen in the Europa Point area.  Off Europa Point, twenty six Mediterranean Gulls flew east against the strong winds.

15 Feb:  The first Hoopoe of the year was seen on Windmill Hill after a night of strong easterly winds. 

14 Feb:  The first Cory's Shearwaters, a flock of 33 birds were observed entering the Mediterranean off Europa Point.  Some Kittiwakes were still in the vicinity, and six Mediterranean Gulls flew east.

with13 Feb:  A Kittiwake was in Little Bay and offshore a flock of 26 flew west. 

12 Feb:  Small numbers of Swallows and House Martins have been flying north during the past week including single Black Kites on the 8th and the 10th.  Off Europa Point, on a fishing boat, one of our members encountered several Kittiwakes which readily came to feed on handouts and were so tame that some could be picked from the surface.

07 Feb:  Thirteen Black Kites flew north over Jews Gate early in the morning shortly followed by four Swallows, but winds went light and no more birds were seen.

06 Feb:  There were at least seven Great Cormorants on rocks off Little Bay and another seven Phalacrocorax sp. possibly also this species, on rocks at Seven Sisters, this afternoon.  At 17:00hrs the Yellow-legged Gull colony on the Upper Rock were disturbed, flying out calling in a great commotion.  Scanning the skies, a very high black bird was seen flying north.  Expecting a raptor, inspection proved the bird to be a Great Cormorant flying at over 1500ft high.  As spring approaches Great Cormorants will begin to head back to northern Europe.

In the evening there was a potpourri of species feeding below Europa Point.  Birds there included a Kittiwake, a Mediterranean Gull, two Black-headed Gulls, 6 Audouin's Gulls, a Shag and numbers of Gannets.

05 Feb:  A morning visit to Europa Point revealed over 12 Black-headed Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull and a single Kittiwake feeding below the Point, together with a two Great Cormorants.  Offshore Gannets were moving out of the Mediterranean with small numbers drifting by.  An adult Audouin's Gull also headed west.  Later that afternoon the winds increased to gale force with strong gusts and the prediction of a possibility of a tornado in the vicinity.  By then all the small gulls had disappeared and only a few Gannets were bracing the conditions.

04 Feb:  A break in the weather in the early morning saw two Black Kites, fourteen Swallows and four House Martins arrive from Africa and head north.

03 Feb:  Two Black Kites and a Sparrowhawk were observed over Windmill Hill heading north.

01 Feb:  Three more Swallows flew north today.

January

24 Jan:  A total of 24 Barn Swallows were counted heading north over Jews Gate.  An early Sparrowhawk was observed arriving from across the strait, and headed north.

29 Jan:  The first Swallow of the year was seen flying north over Jews' Gate at 08:30 this morning.

28 Jan:  Four Black Kites were seen from Jews Gate in the early afternoon arriving from Africa.  A Tawny Owl was heard calling during the night around Jews' Gate.

27 Jan:  A single Black Kite was observed from Jews Gate at 10:00 in the morning.

26 Jan:  Three Black Kites were observed arriving at Europa Point , and later flew north over the Rock.  A Thekla Lark was present on Windmill Hill.

25 Jan:  Winds were backing south-westerly with strong gusts during mid morning.  Around midday 4 Black-legged Kittiwakes were observed heading west along the coast with 2 Balearic Shearwaters and a Great Skua heading west.  Also good movement of Gannets close inshore due to the high winds, with 84 birds, but very little movement offshore.  A sighting of two Common Terns inshore was un-seasonal for the time of the year.  A Cattle Egret was present on Europa foreshore.   A flock of 64 White Storks flew north over the Rock.

Immature Kittiwake and adult against cliffs at Little Bay                                 K. Bensusan

24 Jan:  A mid morning survey of the western coastline revealed that the Black-legged Kittiwakes had moved to the area of Camp and Little Bays with over 20 Black-legged Kittiwakes, 2 Med Gulls, and at least 40 Black-headed Gulls.  Off Little Bay over 40 Gannets were diving on a shoal of small fish and 3 Great Cormorants were also present, but as the northerly winds intensified most of the birds moved out into the Strait.

Kittiwakes feeding along Little Bay                                                                               C. Perez

At Europa Point, another 8 Black-legged Kittiwakes were feeding along the shoreline and 12 Black-headed Gulls were down below the point with a few Gannets moving west offshore.

A Black Kite was observed flying north at 13:00 over the Rock.

23 Jan: Strong onshore winds saw 12 Black-legged Kittiwakes coming very close to shore off Europort, within Gibraltar harbour, which is very unusual for this uncommon species. Another 25 Black-legged Kittiwakes were observed around the Coaling Island in the harbour area.  At least two birds remained in the area the next day, when they were seen off the rocks at West View Promenade.  A wintering Sparrowhawk was seen again briefly on the Upper Rock.

12 Jan:  The annual Winter Bird Count produced some interesting sightings of scarce birds with up to three Firecrests in the south district gardens, two Skylarks on Windmill Hill, and a single Zitting cisticola on the Great Sand Slopes with two more on Windmill Hill.  Low numbers of some species included only 3 Song Thrushes on the Upper Rock with a single on Windmill Hill.  A short summary and species totals can be found in the news page.

10 Jan:  A Short-toed Eagle was seen flying north from Gibraltar over the isthmus.  It is likely that this was one of the three wintering individuals seen in Gibraltar over recent weeks.  Two are currently being cared for at the GONHS Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Unit.

07 Jan:  The first Black Kite of the year was seen flying north over Windmill Hill Flats after coming in over the Strait.

05 Jan:  Birds seen at Europa Point included a Great Skua heading west, 4 Gannets feeding offshore, and 5 Turnstone feeding on the rocks below the Point.

2008

Table of spring soaring birds passage 2008

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

* Subject to acceptance by Gibraltar Rarities Committee.

December

15 Dec:  Two Short-toed Eagles were observed hunting over the southern slopes of the Upper Rock at midday.

14 Dec:  Over 30 Gannets were feeding offshore just a few metres from Sandy Bay where they were sheltering from fresh northerly winds and constantly diving on a fish shoal.  At Europa Point seabirds included a flock of 4 Mediterranean Shearwaters heading west and a Great Skua far offshore.  A flock of four Ruddy Turnstones were feeding at rocks at Europa foreshore.

13 Dec:  A sea watch from Europa Point produced several wintering seabirds including up to 10 Gannets and 21 Black-headed Gulls feeding offshore at least 3 Cormorants, a single Mediterranean Gull, and 4 Audouin's Gulls and two Lesser Black Backed Gull flying west.  A Cattle Egret flew overhead and landed briefly at Europa Mound, and over 6 Cormorants were on the rocks at Little Bay.

8 Dec:  The Short-toed Eagle that had been present for the last few weeks was found injured on the Upper Rock Nature Reserve by members of the public.  It was taken in to the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic where it was found to have ingested poison, and would have starved to death had it not been found.

November

28 Nov:  The Short-toed Eagle and Sparrowhawk, that have been present for the last eight weeks, are still hunting on the Upper Rock and hopefully if there are enough prey items, may stay to overwinter.

27 Nov:  A Red-breasted Flycatcher*, an un-ringed bird and second of the year after one on the 21 Oct, was seen just outside the Observatory at Jews' Gate, where the first was caught.  A mist net was erected to try to capture and ring the bird, but unfortunately the bird was not caught due to windy conditions.  It stayed in the area until midday when it was last seen.

26 Nov:  A Stone Curlew was observed on Windmill Hill after heavy hail storms the previous night.

19 Nov:  At  least six adult Western Mediterranean Shags were on rocks off Governor's Beach, a relief after several are thought to have perished after being affected by oil from a recent shipwreck.  See News.

                               Western Mediterranean Shags on rocks off Governor's Beach     S. Shacaluga/GONHS

12 Nov:  A Common Buzzard was observed flying north over the Rock during the afternoon.  Also the Short-toed Eagle and a Sparrowhawk have been sighted regularly over the past few weeks on the Upper Rock, with the Sparrowhawk hunting around Middle Hill.

11 Nov:  A Kingfisher was seen on the shore at the westside reclamation area near the Mediterranean Rowing Club. Around Jews' Gate, large numbers of Black Redstarts had arrived, and early morning passage overhead included Greenfinches and Serins.  Also good numbers of Robins, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.  A Common Nightjar was trapped and ringed at midday.

08 Nov:  A Common Buzzard was seen over the Rock in the morning.

07 Nov:  A Grey Heron flew south over town in the morning.

06 Nov:  Over 60 Griffon Vultures flew over the Rock on a foraging sortie, returning north soon after.  A female Sparrowhawk was seen hunting over Middle Hill of the Upper Rock, and appears to been around in the same area for about three weeks.

05 Nov:  A Short-toed Eagle, probably the same individual, disturbed the Yellow-legged Gulls during mid morning as it flew over the crest of the Rock.

04 Nov:  A Short-toed Eagle was observed over town at midday, probably the same bird that has been seen regularly, especially over the east side, for several weeks.  Shortly after 26 Griffon Vultures flew over the Rock for a short period and then returned back north.

03 Nov:  Three Dartford Warblers were in open scrub above Lathbury Barracks.  Overhead heavy passage of finches, with many Goldfinch flocks and some Greenfinches, Serins and Siskins.   Five Great Cormorants seen on the detached mole suggest the five seen the previous day on Seven Sisters were of this species.

02 Nov:  In the early morning a flock of 58 Flamingos flew up the bay and over town.  Over the Rock a flock of 15 Black Storks were observed heading back north.  A Shag was sitting on the pier off Governor's Beach and another was fishing below Europa Point - reassuring sights after the recent oil spill casualties.  There were five Cormorant species seen from a distance on rocks at Seven Sisters, north of Rosia Bay.  In the evening a Common Nightjar was heard churring on the Upper Rock.

October

29 Oct:  A flock of 206 Griffon Vultures flew in over the Rock in the morning before turning back to Spain.

27 Oct:  Following a bat survey on the Upper Rock, a Common Nightjar was seen below the Cable Car top station.

25 Oct:  An early morning walk to the northern part of the Rock, after a night of levanter with heavy cloud, produced a fall of thrushes which included over 50 Song Thrushes and at least 15 Ring Ouzels.  Over 8 Black Redstarts and a Dartford Warbler were seen in the open areas, whilst overhead strong passage of finches included many Greenfinches, Goldfinches, with some flocks of Serins, Chaffinches and Siskins.  With them were two Skylarks.  Five Booted Eagles and a Short-toed Eagle also flew in from Spain.

24 Oct:  A flock of approximately 200 Griffon Vultures flew over the Rock in the morning before returning back to Spain.  In the late afternoon four Booted Eagles were observed over the Rock.

23 Oct:  A Nightjar sp. was flushed on the roadway to the Upper Rock in the early hours of the morning.

22 Oct:  A Short-toed Eagle was observed hunting near Middle Hill on the Upper Rock.

21 Oct:  Light easterly conditions with some cloud in the morning produced some interesting migrants that were trapped and ringed at the Jews Gate Bird Observatory.  These included a Common Nightjar, a Firecrest and a first year Red-breasted Flycatcher*; the second record for Gibraltar and the first trapped and ringed.  The bird was caught during the last round in the evening beside the Observatory.  Other migrants included Blackcaps, Robins and single Chiffchaff and Song Thrush.  Several Song Thrushes and two Firecrests were also observed in the Alameda Botanic Gardens

Red-breasted Flycatcher                                                                        R. Guillem/GONHS

19 Oct 2008:  A Common Redstart was trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate, on the Upper Rock.

17 Oct:  An immature Lanner was seen over Windmill Hill Flats.  The Flats also held numbers of Black Redstarts and Stonechats, as well as several Meadow Pipits, two Thekla Larks and individual Northern Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail and Zitting Cisticola  During the afternoon a Common Buzzard was seen over the Rock.   A late Garden Warbler and two Pied Flycatchers were trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate.

16 Oct:  At midday, in calm conditions, over a dozen Booted Eagles flew over the Rock.  Most did not attempt a crossing and flew back north.  A Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin was seen at the entrance to Jews' Gate; a very late date for this trans-Saharan migrant.  On Windmill Hill Black Redstarts had arrived in good numbers, with over 25 individuals feeding around the fennels.  They were accompanied by over 20 Stonechats, and in the low bushes at least 10 Dartford Warblers were observed.  Several Song Thrushes were heard in the Olive trees and Robins were very vocal, whereas overhead several large flocks of Crag Martins headed out to sea to cross the Strait.  A Common Nightjar and a further three Pied Flycatchers were trapped and ringed at the Jews Gate Bird Observatory.

15 Oct:  A large number of Robins and Blackcaps were trapped and ringed at the Jews' gate Bird Observatory; other birds included three Black Redstarts and two Pied Flycatchers.

14 Oct:  Stormy weather was still present in the area of the Strait, but unfortunately the rains did not materialise over Gibraltar.  There were signs of another good arrival of Robins this morning, with many individuals in full winter song in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens.  They were accompanied by two Firecrests, and many Blackcaps.  Large numbers of Robins and Blackcaps were caught and ringed at the Jews Gate Bird Observatory, and included a nice Bluethroat.  As the afternoon cleared, a walk on Windmill Hill revealed four Corn Buntings, two juvenile male Common Redstart, and two Black Redstarts, several Meadow Pipits and Song Thrushes, and single Dartford Warbler and Northern Wheatear.  There were about a dozen Stonechats left, and a flock of Goldfinches and Linnets were resting on the fennels.  Overhead White Wagtails were heard uttering their call, and a flock of Swallows headed south.  In the late afternoon three Marsh Harriers flew south very high over the Rock, in the light easterly winds, and in the evening a Barn Owl was seen at the southern end of WIndmill Hill. A juvenile Cormorant was seen in the Little Bay area preening vigorously, and may be slightly oiled.

13 Oct:  The first victims of the oil slick pouring out of the stricken cargo ship, the Fedra, were observed off Little Bay.  Three Shags were seen on the rocks, a juvenile and two adults, with the adult birds showing signs of oil contamination to their plumage.  One particular individual was finding it hard to fly but was swimming well and catching fish.  A rescue operation was mounted but was unsuccessful.  We will be monitoring the coastline over the next week to see if we can recover these and other birds that are affected by the slick. More on this here.

                       Vegetation on Windmill and other exposed places around Gibraltar have suffered from the

                       salt spray and even hardy Olive shrubs are turning brown

12 Oct:  New arrivals at Windmill Hill included over 10 Song Thrushes, a Garden Warbler, two Common Redstarts.  The Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits had gone although two of the latter were heard overhead heading out across the Strait.  There were still some Stonechats left and some Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Serins were present.  Over the Rock good numbers of hirundines, mainly House Martins, were taking advantage of the lull in the weather to feed.  They were accompanied by some Swallows and a single Red-rumped Swallow.  In the middle of the afternoon four Honey Buzzards and five Sparrowhawks flew overhead and attempted a crossing.

11 Oct:  The Fedra split into two overnight, spilling light fuel oil into the sea.  The winds subsided to a light easterly and by morning plumes of the oil slick were seen entering the Bay of Gibraltar, and spreading close to the shore.  The situation will be monitored over the next few days to see if seabirds, and in particular the Shag colony, is affected.  Offshore, thankfully, there was little evidence of the concentrations of Cory's Shearwaters of the previous week, and few birds were observed.  On Windmill Hill, most of the vegetation was in the process of decomposition due to the salt spray and heavy seas washing the whole area in sea water.  Unfortunately the storm was not accompanied by heavy rains, which would have washed away much of the salt.  Despite this some migrants were around, including over 25 Stonechats, 17 Meadow Pipits, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Dartford Warblers, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Northern Wheatears 2 Song Thrushes and single Subalpine Warbler and Common Redstart.

The Fedra, broken in two, will require a lengthy salvage operation.

10 Oct:  Severe easterly gales hit Gibraltar and the area of the Strait during the evening and night forcing two cargo ships to drag anchor with the catastrophic result that one ship, the Fedra, crashed onto the cliffs below Europa Point, and the other drifted onto a reef close to Algeciras port on the other side of the Bay. 

7 Oct:  A Reed Warbler was trapped and ringed at the Jews' Gate Bird Observatory.

6 Oct:  Light Easterlies brought in some Booted Eagles and a small flock of Black Storks which attempted to cross but turned back.  In the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, the sound of Robins was evident and two Firecrests were observed feeding around Juniper trees.

Offshore the Cory's Shearwaters were still present off Europa Point with several hundred mainly resting in large gatherings, and occasionally taking off to chase flying fish.  With them were several Gannets and a lone Great Skua that joined in the fray.

A local fisherman photographed a bird which flew into his cabin two miles off Europa Point. After a rest the bird took off.  On examining the photo the bird proved to be a Common Starling.

5 Oct:  A large arrival of wintering birds took place overnight as the ringing station at Jews' Gate caught good numbers of Blackcaps and Robins, and included the first Song Thrush of the autumn.  Other migrants caught included a Common Nightjar, Orphean Warbler, Reed Warbler and several Common Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers.

4 Oct:  Today we celebrated Eurobirdwatch day, with activities at the Alameda Botanic Gardens and a sea watch at the Marine Observatory at Europa Point in the afternoon.  It was very successful and the bird walks and ringing demonstration produced four Common Redstarts, four Pied Flycatchers, four Robins, and four Willow Warbler and single Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler,Chiffchaff and Iberian Chiffchaff and two Grey Wagtails apart from more common birds. Overhead a single Honey Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk were the only raptors of the morning. At Jews' Gate a Tawny Owl was heard calling in the evening.

The afternoon turned out better than expected as we were not very optimistic with the fresh easterly winds and cloudy conditions that prevailed at the time.  Nevertheless, 100 metres offshore, shoals of flying fish provided a seabird spectacle with hundreds of Cory's Shearwaters, and many Yellow-legged Gulls and Gannets in a feeding frenzy reminiscent of seabird documentaries.  The Cory's Shearwaters would patter their feet on the surface and scare the fish into flight that would encourage any close birds to chase down, providing the birdwatchers with excellent views.  Gannets, mostly recently arrived juveniles, were constantly diving on the shoals, which, no doubt, were also being harassed by predatory fish from below.  Among them we observed at least four Mediterranean Shearwaters and two Sooty Shearwaters* that provided exceptional views of their characteristics.  Four Common Terns flew below heading eastwards, and offshore a flock of seventeen Sandwich Terns flew west in a tight flock.  Throughout the afternoon a total of eight Audouin's Gulls, all adults, four Mediterranean Gulls and four Black-headed Gulls flew west, albeit a little far to show the visitors good views.

3 Oct:  A Scops Owl and a Grey Wagtail were trapped and ringed at the Jews Gate Bird Observatory, amongst other common migrant and winter visitors.

2 Oct:  Calm conditions prevailed throughout the day with large numbers of Booted Eagles flying in from across the Bay.  At least 200 Booted Eagles flew low over the town and Upper Rock, and most took advantage of the light conditions and flew across the Straits towards Morocco.  With them were five Short-toed Eagles and numerous Sparrowhawks.  One observer saw a flock of 30 Sparrowhawks over the Rock, and several smaller flocks were seen throughout the day.  Along the Mediterranean Steps well over 2000 House Martins were feeding on insects; mainly flying ants recently emerged after the rains.  Only a few Swallows were seen within the flocks and a single Crag Martin arrived over Jews' Gate.  Early Greenfinches and Serins were also seen, and some migrants including Willow Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts were still around.  At least seven Pallid Swifts were still flying around the town area. An Orphean Warbler was trapped and ringed at the Jews' Gate Bird Observatory.

1 Oct:  The light easterly winds prompted Booted Eagles to take the wing.  Over 100 Booted Eagles with three Honey Buzzards and several Sparrowhawks were seen from the east side of the Rock.  No systematic counts were made.  

September

30 Sep:  The day commenced with moderate easterly winds but the heavy cloud over the Strait had lifted and blue skies and sunny spells were the order of the day.  Many passerines must have taken the opportunity to continue their migration south, nevertheless most areas still held numbers of grounded migrants, and a visit to Europa foreshore in the morning produced some species.  There were six Yellow Wagtails, two Stonechats, three Willow Warblers, and single Tree Pipit, Whinchat, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail and Zitting Cisticola  Overhead two Turtle Doves flew in towards Windmill Hill, and a male Subalpine Warbler was feeding along the Aloes below the cliff.  Offshore, at Europa Point, over twelve Sandwich Terns and a Common Tern were feeding in the murky brown waters, the result of muddy rainwater flowing into the Bay of Gibraltar.

Windmill Hill still held some of the previous days migrants, with extra Common Redstarts present and including Spectacled and Subalpine Warblers.

29 Sep:  After a weekend of heavy rains in the area of the Straits, large numbers of passerines had been grounded.  Around the Alameda Botanic Gardens numerous Willow Warblers were feeding in most trees and shrubs with over 50 present, and accompanied by Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts and single Robin and Subalpine Warbler.  They were actively feeding on emerging scarab beetles between showers.

Willow Warblers were also present at Camp and Little Bays were they were seen feeding on insects on the fennels.  Also there were single Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and a Spectacled Warbler.  Overhead flocks of Yellow Wagtails were seen and heard calling, and a House Martin flock and single Alpine Swift and Honey Buzzard were looking for shelter from the strong winds.

That evening a visit to Windmill Hill proved most fruitful, but only allowed the northern half to be surveyed.  This area covers approximately six hectares, and was densely occupied by grounded passerines.  The shooting range was dominated by a flock of 54 Yellow Wagtails, but also included several Whinchats, Northern Wheatears, and Tawny and Tree Pipits.  The adjacent fennel patch held a Corn Bunting, Grasshopper Warbler, Woodchat Shrike and a flock of six Quails.  It was very dark and windy throughout and prevented good views of most birds which quickly took cover.  Tree Pipits were located mainly to the north of the Signal Station where most of the 16 birds were.  The stony central part held the majority of the Tawny Pipit flock which numbered 26, and the eastern edge held most of the 15 Stonechats and 12 Whinchats and also the 2 Ortolan Buntings and single Redstart, with two Nightingales calling from deep in the bushes.  Willow Warblers were spread evenly among the fennels but many birds were missed in the dark and windy conditions and the total lacked Sylvia warblers.

26 Sep:  Three Turnstones were on the rocks at Europa foreshore in the afternoon.

25 Sep:  A interesting fall of migrants on Windmill Hill produced five Northern Wheatears, and three each of Zitting cisticolas, Whitethroats, Spectacled Warblers, Stonechats, Whinchats and Willow Warblers and single Orphean Warbler and Nightingale.

22 Sep:  Overnight rain produced a small fall of migrants with over 14 Yellow Wagtails, two Stonechats, and single Whinchat and Grey Wagtail.  The highlight in failing light was a juvenile Trumpeter Finch* that showed well to the observers in the evening; the ninth record, and only the second in September.  All others have been in late April and May.

21 Sep:  Levanter conditions with light easterly winds produced over 80 Booted Eagles over the Rock.  Most flew back inland during the morning.

17 Sep:  A very early Crag Martin was observed flying around the cliffs at Hole in the Wall.  Several Pied Flycatchers and Willow Warblers were grounded at the Alameda Botanic gardens.

16 Sep:  A Yellow Wagtail was heard around Jews' Gate in the morning and a Grasshopper Warbler  was observed on Windmill Hill.

15 Sep:  Heavy levanter conditions clouded over much of the Rock throughout the morning, but  by midday the cloud disappeared and over 300 Booted Eagles, together with 3 Egyptian Vultures and a Honey Buzzard flew over the harbour and town; with many birds returning north.  Six Stonechats, a Northern Wheatear, a Tree Pipit and several Zitting Cisticolas were at Windmill Hill.  A male Common Redstart, a pair of Pied Flycatchers and several Willow Warblers were also observed at the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

14 Sep:  The first Pied Flycatcher of the season arrived at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, where the Common Waxbill is still present.  Some migrants were on Windmill Hill, with two Northern Wheatears and a Tawny Pipit including a Stonechat, an early wintering bird.

12 Sep:  The winds improved, especially after midday, producing a good passage of raptors.  Highlights included 1718 Honey Buzzards, 25 Montagu's Harriers, 51 Sparrowhawks, 3 Ospreys and a single Red Kite.  Several flocks of Bee-eaters were also seen and heard overhead, and the hirundine passage continued constantly with only 850 Swallows, 150 House Martins and 20 Sand Martins counted between pauses in the raptor passage.  Some passerines flew over the crest of the Rock and included 2 Tree Pipits, five Short-toed Larks and an Ortolan Bunting.  One lucky observer saw a flock of four Night Herons early in the morning, and there was a lovely male Black-eared Wheatear at Windmill Hill.

11 Sep:  Light westerly winds with thunder storms in the Sierras in Spain produced few raptors, but constant flocks of hirundines were observed flying low over the town and harbour with over 278 Swallows, and 22 House Martins including a flock of  45 Yellow Wagtails flew over in a thirty minute period in the early afternoon.

10 Sep:  Light variable winds throughout the day halted much of the raptor passage except for good numbers of Sparrowhawks, with 25 in three hours.  Single Tawny Pipit and Northern Wheatear were around the top Cable Car Station.  A flock of four Little Egrets were seen on two occasions flying off Europa Point, and a flock of 22 Cattle Egrets flew south off the eastern side of the Rock.

A Red-necked Nightjar hawking for moths  appeared in  the lights at the Open Air Theatre in the Botanic Gardens at 03.00hrs   A Little Owl was calling at the same time nearby.

08 Sep:  A Tree Pipit was observed at Windmill, and small numbers of Booted Eagles totalling 35 birds flew in over the Rock with light westerly winds, including 3 Montagu's Harrier, a single Marsh Harrier and an Eleonora's Falcon.

07 Sep:  Better conditions with a light westerly wind picking up after midday produced throughout the morning and early afternoon 6390 Honey Buzzards, 333 Black Kites, 30 Sparrowhawks and a small number of Marsh and Montagu's Harriers, Egyptian Vultures and single Griffon Vulture and an Eleonora's Falcon that flew low over town chased away by the Peregrine Falcon.

06 Sep:  For an hour around midday some raptors crossed over the Rock including 1297 Honey Buzzards and an Eleonora's Falcon.

05 Sep:  An early Spotted Flycatcher was in the Alameda Botanic Gardens, together with some Iberian Chiffchaffs and the Common Waxbill is still present there.

01 Sep:  Seabird passage at Europa Point has been poor for the time of the year but a close adult Caspian Tern flying west and a Kingfisher on the rocks improved the spirits of observers there.

August

31 Aug:  Smaller numbers were counted today with only 3200 Honey Buzzards, 420 Black Kites, 14 Egyptian Vultures, 2 Griffon Vultures, with 56 Montagu's Harriers and 55 Sparrowhawks among other raptors.  Several large flocks of Bee-eaters flew south throughout the day, with some flocks of Swallows, and individual House and Sand Martins.  Swifts included some late Common Swifts hunting insects along the ridge of the Rock and a few Alpine Swifts.

30 Aug:  The winds finally turned to westerly by mid-morning and observers were not disappointed.  In under four hours in the afternoon between 15:00 and 18:50 over 10492 Honey Buzzards, 245 Black Kites, 9 Egyptian Vultures, 11 Marsh Harriers, 38 Montagu's Harriers among other species of raptors were recorded.

28 Aug:  A Robin calling at the Botanic Gardens in the same location it has been heard since the spring.  While nesting has not been confirmed, it is almost certain that at least one bird summered in this wooded section of the Garden.   The Common Waxbill was still present also.

27 Aug:  The strong easterly winds with heavy levanter cloud, in the past week, is playing havoc with the raptor migration, with hardly any birds over Gibraltar.  Only four Booted Eagles were over the Rock this morning.

                                    Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild, in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens            C. Perez

26 Aug: The waxbill was eventually located and proved to be the species Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild.  It was observed feeding on grass seeds near the Alameda Botanic Gardens offices. 

24 Aug:  Variable wind conditions with calm seas produced the first Black Tern passage off Europa Point, with over 50 birds heading south.  This included several Common Terns and a couple of Sandwich Terns.  Several second year Gannets were also seen heading out of the Mediterranean.  A Whimbrel was observed on the rocks of Europa Foreshore.

23 Aug:  The North Front Cemetery only had a Melodious Warbler and a couple of Serins mixed in with a large flock of House Sparrows, but a Hoopoe and a Black-eared Wheatear were observed at Windmill, and at least six Nightingales were heard calling from the scrub above Lathbury Barracks area.  

22 Aug:  Cloudy and foggy conditions with levanter winds was responsible for a small fall of Iberian Chiffchaffs with over eight birds in the Alameda Botanic Gardens, including a Bonelli's Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher.  A visit in the evening to Windmill Hill produced 4 Zitting Cisticolas, and single Reed, Melodious, Willow and Dartford Warblers, a Hoopoe and an adult Woodchat Shrike.  A Kingfisher was fishing from the rocks at the Europa foreshore.

21 Aug:  Five Booted Eagles were seen in heavy levavter cloud over the Rock.  A juvenile and adult Great Tit were observed at the Alameda Botanic Gardens, proving successful breeding of this scarce species on the Rock.  A Waxbill sp. was also heard in the gardens, although the bird was not located.

       A total of 9 Blue-crowned Conures were seen together near the gardens of the Convent in Main Street.  This can be taken as virtual confirmation of successful breeding as reported on 11 August.

17 Aug:  Several Terns were observed lost in foggy and calm conditions a mile off Eastern Beach.  Amongst them were several Sandwich and Black Terns and a Gull-billed Tern that settled on the buoy off the runway.

16 Aug:  A juvenile Bonelli's Eagle flew in from the Bay over the north end of Gibraltar Town and proceeded to spend several hours hunting over the Upper Rock.  A Waxbill sp. was heard and seen flying low over the Calpe Rowing Club.

15 Aug:  A Robin was heard calling in the Alameda Botanic gardens and a Kingfisher was recorded  near the Hospital at Europort.

14 Aug:  At least four Iberian Chiffchaffs were observed and heard calling at the Alameda Botanic Gardens.  A Melodious Warbler was also seen close by.

13 Aug:  Over 500 Black Kites flew from the Sierra Carbonera across the head of the Bay and were seen from Gibraltar.  The first Sparrowhawk of the season was observed over the Rock.

12 Aug:  The late afternoon saw a good passage of 600 Black Kites and a Montagu's Harrier over the Rock.

11 Aug:  After several months when only two or three Blue-crowned Conures had been seen together, a group of six was at the garden of the Convent in Main Street, suggesting possible nesting for the first time since 2005. Over 778 Black Kites passed over the Rock in the late afternoon and headed across the Strait.

10 Aug:  Two Buzzards were observed frequenting the east side cliffs above Catalan Bay.  One bird , a dark individual, had been seen sporadically in the area for the last two weeks.  The other, a lighter bird, was not seen properly and may have been a Long-legged Buzzard, but this needs to be confirmed if the bird stays in the area.

9 Aug:  A juvenile Griffon Vulture was picked up in the town area, and transferred to the Raptor Rehabilitation Centre.

8 Aug:  The Iberian Chiffchaff was heard again in the same location in the Alameda Botanic Gardens. Small passage of Black Kites throughout the morning with 46 birds and a dark phase Booted Eagle hunting over the Rock.  Common Swift passage was notable with over 200 birds every 10min; with some Pallid Swifts present.  A further 18 Black Kites and a Montagu's Harrier were seen from Europa Point in the afternoon.

7 Aug:  Small flocks of Black Kites, totalling 315 birds, flew south over the Rock in the afternoon.  An Iberian Chiffchaff, an early migrant, was heard this morning in the Dell of the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

6 Aug:  An Eleonora's Falcon was seen at Europa Point.

5 Aug:  Up to fifteen Short -toed Eagles were observed flying in and out of the levanter cloud that formed over the Rock in the morning.

1 Aug:   Light winds only produced twelve Black Kites in the afternoon.

July

28 Jul:  Several hundred Cory's Shearwaters were observed passing close below Europa Point yesterday and today, heading into the Strait area from the Mediterranean, combating the strong westerly winds.  Also observed were many Audouin's Gulls, with over 42 settling on the Cricket Pitch at Europa yesterday.  Some juvenile and adult Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls also passed quite close.

                                     Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus in worn adult plumage.

27 Jul:  Light westerly winds only produced six Black Kites. A late Short-toed Eagle was seen heading north and a Long-legged Buzzard* was chased by Yellow-legged gulls and headed across the Bay.

26 Jul:  A small number of Black Kites totalling 91 birds crossed over the Rock heading south.  A Griffon Vulture also arrived from the north but later turned back. 

25 Jul:  Raptor migration is now well underway. A total of 680 Black kites were recorded, although the most exciting bird of the day was an Eleonora's Falcon which showed well over Europa Point. Several flocks of Common Swifts also joined the raptors south.  Six Common Kestrels were also seen coming in from the Strait. The sea watch was not as productive, probably because of the north-westerly wind prevailing up the coast. Nevertheless, Mediterranean and Audouin's gulls flew past the observatory, with two Oystercatchers also flying close.  On Windmill Hill, an early juvenile  Woodchat Shrike was recorded.

24 Jul:  Two Black Kites flew south over the Rock in light westerly winds during the morning.  Later with the westerly winds becoming stronger, a Booted Eagle arrived across the Strait and flew north, and a Honey Buzzard arrived low over Alameda Estate soaring and also heading north; two very late migrant.  A Spotted Flycatcher was observed on Windmill Hill; an early or late migrant?

23 Jul:  Heavy levanter cloud with moderate easterly winds produced two Hoopoes in the area of Middle Hill.  A further Hoopoe was brought in with an injured wing.  Up to six Zitting Cisticolas were seen on Windmill Hill in the evening.  An early Melodious Warbler was also present.

22 Jul:  Two Zitting Cisticolas were heard on a visit to the Great Sand Slopes.  The only other birds were a couple of Sardinian Warblers and a Common Kestrel.

20 Jul:  A dark phase Booted Eagle was seen soaring over town, and later flew north.

19 Jul:  An Iberian Chiffchaff was heard calling in the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

14 Jul:  Very cloudy conditions, unusual at this time of the year, including heavy rain showers in the region, with strong Easterlies and levanter conditions, must have proved an obstacle for one early migrant.  This bird was handed in to the Veterinary Clinic, a second summer Great Spotted Cuckoo, tired but in good condition.  The bird was later ringed and released.

7 Jul:  A light phase Booted Eagle was soaring over the Botanic Gardens in the early afternoon.  It is not known whether this was a migrant or a local bird foraging.

A White Wagtail was also seen on the roof of the Morrisons superstore.  This is the area where a few years ago a pair of this species nested for the first time.

5 Jul:  An afternoons sea watch from Europa Point produced over 70 Audouin's Gulls heading out of the Mediterranean.  Most were adult birds, with some 2nd and 3rd year birds.  At least three bore colour rings and others solely with metal rings, no doubt from the Ebro delta colony.  Four Mediterranean Gulls, three adults still in summer plumage and a 1st year bird were also observed.  Offshore up to 100 Cory's Shearwaters were seen feeding, and several Balearic Shearwaters headed west.  Also recorded were two late Black Kites and two Honey Buzzards that crossed the straits and headed north.

3 Jul:  The Lesser Kestrel nest survey completed today revealed 21 active nests.   Unfledged young were observed in 20 of these.  The remaining nest entrance could not be seen well enough to confirm the presence of chicks, but the behaviour of the adults strongly suggested that young were present there also.  This is the highest number of nests recorded on the North Face of Gibraltar for several decades.

An early Black Kite was seen flying south over the Rock, while several hours later a late Honey Buzzard was seen heading north.

June

25 Jun:  A male Lesser Kestrel was seen carrying a lizard (probably Psammodromus algirus)  to its nest on the North Face of the Rock.  What is significant is that the prey item had been caught on the Great Sand Slopes, an area recently restored to natural vegetation.  This is the first confirmation of use of the area by birds from the North Face colony, which could be an important development as the traditional hunting grounds on the isthmus have all but been built over.  An early adult Woodchat Shrike was observed on Windmill Hill, obviously on its way back to its winter quarters in Africa.

24 Jun:  An immature Short-toed Eagle flew low over town, chased by Yellow-legged Gulls and headed north.

23 Jun: A strong south-westerly wind brought another Booted Eagle from across the Straits; this time a dark phase.

22 Jun:  A light phase Booted Eagle was seen heading north over the Rock in the late evening, after the winds had turned back to westerly.

17 Jun:  Another Hoopoe was observed on the Upper Rock Nature Reserve during the morning and heralds an early return passage of this species.

13 Jun:  A Hoopoe was during seen in the morning in the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

10 June:  A flock of 40 Flamingos flew south over the harbour early this morning, but turned back north.

2 June:  Some late raptors were seen arriving across the Strait, including 11 Honey Buzzards at midday and 8 Griffon Vultures, 4 Short-toed Eagles, 11 Booted Eagles and a Hobby in just under an hour and a half in the afternoon.

2 June:  At least five occupied artificial House Martin nests at Western Beach.  No natural nests observed.  These are at present Gibraltar's only nesting hirundines.

1 June:  Fledged Peregrines from most pairs are now flying.  Details of this year's nesting success will be published here soon.

May

21 May:  An adult Eagle Owl was seen flying from the crevice where nesting is suspected this year.

16 May:  A late Robin calling in the Botanic Gardens regularly was last heard on this date.

8 May:  A small fall of migrants on Windmill Hill included over twelve Spotted Flycatchers, four Pied Flycatchers and small numbers of Whinchat, Melodious Warblers, with single Redstart and Whitethroat.

7 May:  Three Red-necked Nightjars were flushed from the undergrowth around the Jews Gate Bird Observatory, following a spate of unsettled weather.

4 May: 2 Spotted Flycatchers and single Melodious Warbler, Whinchat (female), Common Redstart (male)
and Subalpine Warbler (female) were at West View Promenade in the morning.

3 May : Single Woodchat shrike, Hoopoe and Nightingale were at West View Promenade during the afternoon.  At Jews' Gate single Wood Warbler and a Red-necked Nightjar were observed with other migrants, with another of the latter species around the Moorish Castle area.

April

29 Apr:  Fifteen Hobbies were recorded with other raptors;  this is an exceptional number for a species that is usually overlooked as they generally fly high.

23 Apr:  Three Zitting Cisticolas were seen and heard calling on the East side Sand Slopes.  This is refreshing news, as the species suffered a demise with the cold winter some years ago.

21 Apr:  The first Honey Buzzards of the season, 12 recorded, were seen with other migrating raptors.  These included 57 Griffon Vultures; a species that arrives in increasing numbers in late April, May and early June.

19 Apr:  Single Ortolan Buntings and Golden Orioles were observed on the Rock, arriving in a fall with other migrants.

18 Apr:  A Red Kite was recorded with other raptors over Jews' Gate.  This species has become scarce in the last twenty years as most winter further north and do not cross the Straits.

17 Apr:  The first Hobbies were observed crossing north with other raptors.  Also the first arrival of Melodious Warblers seen at North Front cemetery.

15 Apr:  A Squacco Heron*, third record, was observed at North Front Cemetery.  Also present were    Woodchat Shrikes, Redstarts and Whitethroats.

14 Apr:  A late immature Cormorant was seen fishing inside the Harbour.

13 Apr:  A flock of approximately 45 Flamingos was observed flying west out of the Strait at midday.

06-10 Apr:  A period of bad weather with cloudy and windy conditions produced the first Pied Flycatchers on the 6th and Orphean Warbler on the 7th followed by early two Red-necked Nightjars that were observed on the Upper Rock roads on the night of the 8th.  Another Red-necked Nightjar flew into a dwelling the following day and was released after being ringed.

01 Apr:  The first  Garden Warbler of the season was trapped and ringed at Jews Gate.

March

31 Mar:  A single Scops Owl was picked up exhausted in the town.  After a short rest the bird was ringed and released.

30 Mar: A small fall of migrants at North Front cemetery produced several trans-Saharan migrants including Woodchat Shrikes, Subalpine Warblers, Common Redstarts and single Hoopoe and Whitethroat.  Also there were late wintering migrants moving through with Song Thrushes, Robins and Black Redstarts.

28 Mar:  Further arrivals of trans-Saharan migrants included Common Redstarts and Nightingale at Jews Gate ringing station.

27 Mar: A large Aquila, possibly an Imperial Eagle flew north with other raptors.

24 Mar:  The first Bonelli's Warbler was trapped and ringed at Jews Gate today.

22 Mar:  The first flocks of Bee-eaters arrived across the Strait with light westerly winds.

20 Mar:   First Woodchat Shrike at the North Front Cemetery in the company of a Subalpine Warbler.

15 Mar:  Fresh westerly winds throughout the day encouraged raptors to cross the Straits in good numbers with an impressive 2587 Black Kites, 103 Short-toed Eagles, 24 Marsh Harriers, 130 Sparrowhawks and 39 Booted Eagles amongst other raptor species.

14 Mar:  The cloudy weather produced a further nine Willow Warblers, five Subalpine Warblers and a single Tree Pipit at the Jews' Gate Observatory. 

13 Mar:  First trans-Saharan migrants arrive with four Willow Warblers and a single Subalpine Warbler trapped and ringed.

10 Mar:  Passage included 4 Cranes, 45 Black Storks, 77 White Storks, over 1500 Black Kites, over 350 Short-toed Eagles and 5 Egyptian Vultures.  Passage also of hirundines, including 4 Red-rumped Swallows.

09 Mar:  Soaring bird passage continued and included 14 Black Storks, 5 White Storks, 644 Black Kites, 70 Short-toed Eagles and 7 Egyptian Vultures.  Passage was monitored also by GONHS and University of Rabat observers on the Moroccan side of the Strait from which hundreds of birds were seen departing.

08 Mar:  Impressive northward passage of over two hundred Short-toed Eagles throughout the morning.  Also 8 Black Storks, 3 Egyptian Vultures, Booted Eagles and numbers of Sparrowhawks.   A small passage of Gannets, Balearic Shearwaters and Lesser Black-backed Gulls west through the Strait.

07 Mar:  Steady passage north of Black Kites in the afternoon totalling about 1300.   Other raptors included a male Hen Harrier.

01 Mar:  Lesser Kestrels present at the traditional nesting cliff on the North Face of the Rock.  Two seen, more heard.

February

27 Feb:  An influx of Chiffchaffs was noted in the Botanic Gardens and in the Town Centre.  Observations included five together, feeding on aphids on a Hibiscus just off Main Street.   Also another Hoopoe in the Botanic Gardens, seen feeding on Pine Processionary Moth caterpillar.

26 Feb:  An Iberian Chiffchaff was seen and heard around Jews' Gate and was later trapped and ringed.

23 Feb:  A single Pallid Swift was seen over Gibraltar town centre in the morning.

17 Feb:  Another Hoopoe at the Botanic Gardens.

16 Feb:  Three Hoopoes seen on the Upper Rock.

15 Feb:  The first two Hoopoes of the year today:  one seen at the Botanic Gardens and the other on the Upper Rock, including one ringed at Jews' Gate.

11 Feb:  Passage of Cory's Shearwaters into the Mediterranean:  255 in one and a half hours flying east past Europa Point into gale force winds.

2 Feb:  Four Barn swallows arrived at Europa Point and flew north with light northerly winds.

1 Feb:  A Griffon vulture was seen over the Rock at 17:00hrs heading north.  The bird may have either flown across the Bay or crossed the Strait from Morocco.

January

31 Jan:  The first Black Kite of the season was recorded at midday soaring over the Rock in light variable winds.

30 Jan:  A Common Buzzard was observed at 15:00hrs soaring over the Upper Rock.

20 Jan:  An American Turkey Vulture was seen flying north low over the east side of the Rock and into Spain.

12 Jan:  A three hour count in the morning at Europa Point revealed a steady passage of Gannets with 586, mainly adults, moving westwards through the Strait in the period.  Forty-three Mediterranean Gulls gathered at the entrance to the Bay of Gibraltar.  Also recorded were 3 Shags and several Great Cormorants, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Sandwich Terns and 13 Balearic Shearwaters.

08 Jan:  A Short-toed Treecreeper noted in the garden of The Convent in Main Street.   A Great Cormorant seen in the North Mole area; this species is now clearly regular in Gibraltar harbour in the winter, reflecting an overall increase in the area at this time, including a roost of approximately 300 birds on the Rio Palmones across the Bay (F.Barrios, pers. comm.).

07 Jan:  Two Tawny Owls heard calling during the night from the grounds of The Mount on Europa Road.

2007

Table of spring soaring birds passage 2007

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

* Subject to acceptance by rarities committee.

December

22 Dec: Two White Wagtails flying around West View Promenade during heavy rain.

20-21 Dec:  Around 20 Northern Gannets from juveniles to adults, seen fishing within the Port and around the North Mole, up to the area of the Western tip of the airport runway, no doubt sheltering from the easterly gale in the Strait. Sandwich Terns and a Great Cormorant also observed.

11 Dec:  Firecrest seem to be numerous on the Rock with up to six individuals seen in small areas of the Upper Rock.

09 Dec:   A flock of 27 White Storks arrived across the Strait in the early morning and headed north, the first signs of northward passage.

02 Dec:  A single Griffon Vulture was seen over town in the morning.

November

29 Nov:  A flock of 28 Griffon Vultures came in over the Bay and flew over the Rock at mid-day, but then headed back into Spain.

28 Nov: Cormorant flying North off the Detached Mole. Sandwich Terns feeding within the harbour.

25 Nov:  At least three Firecrests were seen in the Governor's Lookout area, and another two were present in the Alameda Botanic gardens.  A pair of Thekla Larks were again wintering in the area of Europa Point.

18 Nov:  Six Cormorants were sitting on the mussel rafts off Eastern Beach, and four Turnstones were present on the rocks at Europa foreshore.

15 Nov:  Two Common Buzzards were seen over the Rock.  At least ten Common Starlings were present with Spotless Starlings in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens.  A sub-adult Kittiwake was observed below Europa Point.

14 Nov:  Two Booted Eagles, one light and one dark phase were seen over the Rock.

13 Nov:  A Booted Eagle and a Griffon Vulture were recorded over Gibraltar.

12 Nov:  Eight Short-toed Eagles and a light phase Booted Eagle flew in over the Rock when the strong easterly wind abated.

08 Nov:  A Common Buzzard seen over Town heading towards the Upper Rock.   Also, 20 Griffon Vultures circling over Town and then heading south.

06 Nov:  Two Pallid Swifts seen entering gap under eaves at sunset in Gibraltar Town.

03 Nov:  A dead Woodcock was found in the South District.  A Little Swift was seen feeding with Crag Martins over the Valderrama golf course in San Roque, Spain, during the Volvo Masters golf tournament.

October

27 Oct:   A large concentration of several thousand Cory's Shearwaters was seen sheltering in the bay south of Ceuta on the African side of the Strait.  There was evidence of movement northwards along the Mediterranean Moroccan coast, with some venturing round the Ceuta headland to head westwards through the Strait.

21 Oct:  The Upper Rock was teeming with wintering birds with good numbers of Song Thrushes, Blackcaps, and Robins with smaller numbers of Chiffchaffs and Black Redstarts.  Also present were finch flocks including several flocks of Siskins and Chaffinches.  Overhead, two Booted Eagles flew over the Rock in the evening.

20 Oct:  Again a good arrival of Robins and Black Redstarts everywhere.  A single Dartford Warbler was present at North Front Cemetery.

18 Oct:  A Zitting Cisticola was present on Windmill Hill together with an early Siskin.

and 17 Oct:  Two Short-toed Eagles flew over town in the morning and probably returned north, since the easterly winds were unfavourable for a crossing of the Strait.  A Firecrest was heard around the observatory at Jews Gate and there were a small passage of finches with several flocks of Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Greenfinches settling to shelter in the maquis above the Observatory.  With them were several flocks of House Sparrows that are occasionally observed at this time of the year on migration.

15 Oct:  Large arrival of Robins on the Rock with many singing individuals setting up wintering territories on the Upper Rock and in the Alameda Gardens. Also small numbers of Blackcaps and Black Redstarts on the Upper Rock.  Single Ring Ouzel and Dartford Warbler, Woodlarks and two Skylarks, three Meadow Pipits and five Black Redstarts on Windmill Hill in the evening.

11 Oct:  Small numbers of Booted Eagles over the Rock with the easterly levanter conditions.

10 Oct:  A Whimbrel and a Black Redstart at Europort.

09 Oct:  Arrival of Crag Martins with some flocks feeding over the Alameda Gardens in the evening.

08 Oct:  A Northern Wheatear at West View Promenade.

07 Oct:  A Whimbrel at West View Promenade.

06 Oct:  A steady movement west of several seabirds off Europa Point, mainly Gannets and Sandwich Terns.  A Northern Wheatear was on the foreshore. 

04 Oct:  Four Turnstones were feeding at Europa foreshore in the evening, and several Sandwich Terns were patrolling along the coastline and were joined by a Lesser-crested Tern.

03 Oct:  Single Redstart, Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler and Wryneck have been trapped and ringed over the last few days at the Gibraltar Bird Observatory ringing site at Jews' Gate.  This has also included an increasing number of Blackcaps, and the first Robins arriving from northern Europe.

September

27 Sep:  A juvenile Lanner* was observed by members of the Raptor Rehabilitation Unit and chased the hybrid falcon they were flying over Windmill Hill.

25 Sep:  Over the last few days small number of Gannets, including the first juvenile birds of the year, have been observed.  Some flocks of Sandwich Terns have been seen flying west out of the Mediterranean and some have lingered to fish in the harbour.  Two Oystercatchers were down on the Europa foreshore, feeding on the rocks at low tide, and a Grey Heron was seen flying low over town and sitting on the rocks at the North Mole the following day.

21 Sep:  The overnight rain produced a fall of migrants and Orphean, Garden and Reed Warblers were caught and ringed.  North Front cemetery had several Turtle Doves, a Quail, four Spectacled Warbler, and single Nightingale, Tree Pipit, Whitethroat, Olivaceous and Garden Warblers and Iberian Chiffchaff and Corn Bunting.  Many Nightingales were heard all over the Rock and on Windmill Hill, and overhead Tree and Tawny Pipits and Yellow Wagtails were calling.  Two immature Rock Thrushes and several Blue Rock Thrushes were feeding on flying ants recently emerged after the rains in the company of two Common Wheatears on Levant Battery, whilst down on Windmill Hill a further ten Common Wheatears, two Black-eared Wheatears, nine Whinchats, eight Tawny Pipits and single Hoopoe, Spectacled Warbler, Zitting Cisticola and a pair of Whitethroats were busily feeding, with Nightingales calling from the bushes.

19-20 Sep:  Unsettled weather with levanter cloud brought down a single Red-necked Nightjar, and a drive around the Upper Rock the following night, just before a spectacular thunder storm, produced a Long-eared Owl, two Scops Owls and two Red-necked Nightjars; one of which was trapped and ringed.

18 Sep:  Tree Pipits could be heard flying over the Rock in the morning, and a single Ortolan Bunting was observed around Jews Gate.

16 Sep:  After a long spell of easterly winds westerly winds finally brought some raptors over the Rock with 175 Booted Eagles, 84 Sparrowhawks, 94 Honey Buzzards and 13 Short-toed Eagles amongst the more numerous raptors, but also included two Egyptian Vultures and single Red Kite and Osprey.

9-16 Sep:  Small numbers of grounded migrants have been seen in different around Gibraltar in the past week and include Bee-eaters,Yellow Wagtails and Tawny Pipits calling overhead, Nightingales uttering their alarm call in the scrub, and several Melodious, Subalpine and Willow Warblers with Whitethroats and Pied Flycatchers feeding in the area.  A Zitting Cisticola was present on Windmill on the 13th and a Scops Owl was seen at Middle Hill on the night of the 15th.

5 Sep:  Some migrants were grounded around the Rock and a dead Cuckoo was found along the Northern Defences in the morning.  Other species included Subalpine Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Melodious, Willow and Garden Warblers and Nightingales.

1 Sep:  A Kingfisher was at the pond in the Open Air Theatre in the Botanic Gardens.  Greenfinches were feeding young nearby.  Booted Eagles and Egyptian Vultures were circling above the Town but did not cross the Strait in the prevailing easterly wind conditions.

August

31 Aug:  A good raptor passage over the Rock produced 2229 Honey Buzzards and 2309 Black Kites together with small numbers of Egyptian Vultures, Montagu's Harriers, Sparrowhawks and Booted Eagles and included four Black Storks.  A Common Buzzard has been seen regularly hunting on the Great Sand Slopes on the east side of the Rock since 24 August. 

30 Aug: A variety of waders seen from Europa Point Marine Observatory included Redshank*, Oystercatcher and 4 Whimbrel. 5 Grey Herons were also seen. Seabirds included Audouin's Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Sandwich Terns, Cory's Shearwaters and Northern Gannets.   Southward passage during the day included Egyptian Vultures, Honey Buzzards, Black Kites, Montagu's Harriers and Black Storks.   A Grey Wagtail was at the Botanic Gardens.

27 Aug:  The levanter conditions produced an influx of raptors over the Rock which included seventy-nine Black Kites, forty Booted Eagles and one hundred and seventy Short-toed Eagles, most of which were seen to return north by mid afternoon.

25 Aug:  Several migrant passerines were seen at North Front Cemetery and included Woodchat Shrike, Melodious and Olivaceous Warblers, Iberian Chiffchaffs and Nightingale.   Two Olivaceous Warblers and a Spotted Flycatcher were also present in the Botanic Gardens and Hoopoe and Reed Warblers were observed at Windmill Hill.

14 Aug:  Passage of raptors was poor with only 228 Black Kites, mainly in the early morning, but the persistence of one observer paid off when he saw a White-rumped Swift* in a mixed flock of Common, Pallid and Alpine Swifts; third record.

13 Aug:  After a good evening of Black Kites the previous day, passage resumed early, at 07:40 and continued well into the afternoon with a few breaks.  The total for the day stood at 6373 Black Kites, one Egyptian Vulture, five Montagu's Harriers, three Honey Buzzards and a single Booted Eagle and a Long-legged Buzzard* that came in from the south and flew over the Rock for a few minutes before returning south.  There was also a large passage of Common Swifts with some Pallid Swifts and a few flocks of Bee-eaters moving south. .

12 Aug:  In the late afternoon and evening a steady stream of 2638 Black Kites flew low over town and headed south-west across the Bay.  With them was a lone Red Kite, the first of the season.

8 Aug:  An Iberian Chiffchaff and a Grey Wagtail were heard during the morning in the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

7 Aug:  A large passage of  Common Swifts heading south over the Rock and in the late evening a rush of 248 Black Kites attempting to get across the Straits.

6 Aug:  A visit to Windmill Hill in the morning produced a further six Zitting cisticolas, that eventually flew south.  A flock of thirty Black Kites also flew overhead with some approaching from the east, and the first juvenile Audouin's Gulls of the season were migrating out of the Mediterranean past Europa Point.

2 Aug:  A Hoopoe was seen at British Lines Road, and Zitting Cisticolas were back, with four at the Aerial Farm (passage birds) after an absence of two years when Gibraltar suffered an exceptional cold spell in February 2006, that severely affected populations of this species in the region.

July

31Jul:  A Sparrowhawk and a Black Kite flying south over Gibraltar.  Passage of Black Kites is well on its way in the area, but due to easterly winds, very little has been seen over Gibraltar.

28 Jul:  A Robin was seen once again in the Botanic Gardens.

26 Jul:  A Robin at the Botanic Gardens.  An un-seasonal record could possibly indicate nesting considering there was also one present on 7 June.

23 Jul:  The feeding movement of Cory's Shearwaters was still very evident at Europa Point.  Two Mediterranean Gulls spent the afternoon below the Point.  Two Oystercatchers flew west and a Common Sandpiper was also seen.   Passage west of Audouin's Gulls (still mainly adults) continued.

One of two adult Slender-billed Gulls at Europa Point.                        A. Fortuna

22 Jul:  A total of 56 Audouin's Gulls ( mostly adults and a few sub-adults - no juveniles yet) were seen flying west past Europa Point during the afternoon.  An additional 33 were resting on Europa Sports Ground.  Other birds seen were numbers of Cory's Shearwaters flying west, 3 Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Slender-billed Gulls*.

21 Jul:   A steady feeding movement west of Cory's Shearwaters was seen in the afternoon from Europa Point.  A moderate passage west of Audouin's Gulls and some Mediterranean Gulls, Sandwich Terns and Balearic Shearwaters was also noted.  Also recorded was a Whimbrel.

20 Jul:  The first Black Kite of the season was seen flying south over Gibraltar Town, while a late Short-toed Eagle flew north.

19 Jul:  A very late Honey Buzzard was seen from Europa Point coming in from Morocco over the Strait and then continuing north along the east side of the Rock.

18 Jul:  Three Oystercatchers, the first of the summer, were seen heading West past the Europa Point Marine Observatory. Other species recorded that day were Balearic Shearwater, Cory's Shearwater, Northern Gannet, Audouin's Gull, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull and Western Mediterranean Shag.

June

27 Jun:  Two Roseate Terns* were observed flying west at Europa Point, fourth record for Gibraltar.

                               Composite picture of the Roseate Terns at Europa Point.                              C. Perez

21 Jun:  Another juvenile Lanner*, maybe a different bird, was seen arriving at 13:00hrs with three Black Kites from Jews' Gate.

18 Jun:  A juvenile Lanner* was once again seen over the Rock.  A young Peregrine which had been bred in captivity at the GONHS Raptor Rehabilitation Unit and was being trained for release escaped on 8 June and was found a week later in Murcia, about 450km northwest of the Rock.

16 Jun:  A young Lanner* was seen over the Rock.  Juveniles are regular at this time of year and probably derive from the apparently large population of north Morocco.

14 Jun:  Three Griffon Vultures were rescued from the sea in the Strait by the Gibraltar Diving team.  The birds were exhausted and forced into the sea by Yellow-legged Gulls which had constantly been mobbing them.  The birds were taken into care by GONHS' Raptor Rehabilitation Unit. When fully recovered they will be released back into the wild.  Other Griffons were more successful and managed to fly through into Spain, and in the last few days over 20 birds have arrived from Africa, together with small numbers of Black Kites, Honey Buzzards, Booted Eagles, and single Egyptian Vulture and Hobby; all very late migrants.

11 Jun:  A Nightingale with brood patch was trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate.  This is not the first time that nesting by this species has been suspected at this site on the Upper Rock.

07 Jun:  A Robin calling in the Botanic Gardens.  Unusually late, but has bred at this site in the past.

May

07 May:  A Bonelli's Warbler was singing in the Botanic Gardens.

05 May:  A flock of four Redshanks* flew west past Europa Point; 14th record.

02 May:  A male Golden Oriole  was seen in various gardens in the South District.

April

26 Apr:  A Black Vulture and 7 Ravens were among the birds seen from the Jews' Gate Observatory.  Honey Buzzards have already made an appearance.

17 Apr:  An Alpine Accentor was seen by the road at Queen's Gate in the morning.  This is the latest record of this sporadic wintering species for Gibraltar.

14 Apr: A Night Heron arrived from the Strait and landed in a garden at Europa Point.  It was tired and thin and was handed in and looked after by the bird rehabilitation unit.  It was released three days later and flew away well.

                          The Night Heron at Europa Point                                                       Photo: Nick Chapman

12 Apr: A visit to the North Front cemetery site after thunder storms the previous night resulted in a good fall of migrants with over 25 Whitethroat, 15 Woodchat Shrikes, 13 Garden Warblers,10 Orphean Warblers, 10 Nightingales, 9 Subalpine Warblers, 4 Redstarts, 2 Corn Buntings, 2 Hoopoes, 2 Northern Wheatears, 2 Chiffchaffs and single Willow, Bonelli's and Spectacled Warbler.  Windmill Hill had a further 4 Black-eared Wheatears, 4 Northern Wheatears, and a number of other migrants as well, and as the weather improved during the day migrant warblers were seen flitting among the vegetation in the gardens and green areas in town.

9-11 Apr: Adverse weather conditions during this period resulted in daily falls of migrants that produced good ringing totals for some species and included over 45 Bonelli's Warblers, 24 Nightingales, 34 Willow Warblers, 10 Subalpine Warblers, 6 Whitethroats and 6 Garden Warblers among the main species.  Also caught and ringed were Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, Tree Pipit, Whinchat, Orphean Warbler, Chiffchaff, Iberian Chiffchaff, Woodchat Shrikes, Spectacled Warbler a female Bullfinch and a Red-rumped Swallow.  A very entertaining three days.  Grounded migrants were also recorded from the North Front Cemetery site with other species there including Corn Buntings, Northern and Black-eared Wheatears, and Dartford Warbler.  A good find was a male Rock Bunting on the 11th after the rains at Europa Point; a species not recorded for some time now.

8 Apr:  The first Bonelli's Warblers were late this year with three caught and ringed at Jews' Gate together with three Willow Warblers a Subalpine Warbler and other migrants.

4 Apr:  Spring passerine passage seems to have got off to a slow start with very few migrants encountered and many not yet recorded.  Nevertheless the first Nightingale of the season was trapped and ringed at the Jews' Gate Observatory.

2 Apr:  An immature Lanner* flew north over the Rock in the early afternoon with other raptors.

March

31 Mar:  Although the weather was cloudy and windy with few raptors crossing the Straits, several Griffon Vultures and a Black Vulture, eighteenth record for Gibraltar, managed to cross, together with other raptors.

30 Mar: A female Bullfinch was trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate; the 16th recent record for Gibraltar.

20 Mar:  An Iberian Chiffchaff was heard around the Observatory at Jews Gate in the morning.

19 Mar:  Small passage of finches crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, including some flocks of House Sparrows and four Yellow Wagtails .  The first Scops Owl of the season was trapped and ringed at Jews Gate.

18 Mar:  Two Willow Warblers and one male Common Redstart were trapped and ringed at Jews Gate ringing station and were the first for the season.

13: Mar:  A short visit to Europa Point produced over 40 Cory's Shearwaters and 12 Balearic Shearwaters returning to the Mediterranean, together with 5 Audouin's Gulls and a flock of 11 Oystercatchers.

8 Mar:  A good day for soaring birds, including 1990 Black Kites, 10 Egyptian Vultures, 4 Ospreys, 38 Black Storks and 12 White Storks.   Other birds included 4 Red-rumped Swallows, 20 Meadow Pipits and 3 Tree Pipits.  Also 4 Greylag Geese flying east.

6 Mar:  692 Black Kites and 124Short-toed Eagles among the raptors seen flying north.

5 Mar:  5 Black-winged Stilts were seen on Gibraltar airport runway.

3 Mar:  A total of 71 Short-toed Eagles among the raptors counted over the Rock today.

2 Mar:  A very good passage of raptors over the Rock included 1506 Black Kites, 551 Short-toed Eagles and 14 Egyptian Vultures and 10 Lesser Kestrels.

February

28 Feb:  Egyptian Vultures have been crossing the Strait in good numbers over the past few days including 22 birds today, bringing the total so far to 53 birds.

26 Feb:  Two Pallid Swifts, the first of the year, were observed looking for a place to roost in the evening over the Town.

25 Feb:  Steady passage of raptors in light north-westerly winds including a flock of 400 White Storks up the centre of the bay.  Five Lesser Kestrels were flying around the colony on the North Face, and a Hoopoe was seen in the Botanic Gardens.

24 Feb:  Over the past few days there has been a trickle of Black Kites, Short-toed Eagles and Egyptian Vultures, and some Swallows and House Martins but most have crossed in the middle of the Strait due to northerly winds.  Highlights of the day was a flock of 6 Cranes, and a Woodlark and 2 Red-rumped Swallows.

18 Feb:  Favourable winds provided a good day for raptors with the first Egyptian Vultures and plenty of Black Kites crossing the Strait including a flock of 87 White Storks.

17 Feb:  Small passage of raptors continued today including the first Short-toed Eagle of the season.

09 Feb:  Northbound migration continued with 111 Black Kites, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Black Stork, 55 House Martins  and 17 Swallows counted over the Rock.

07 Feb:  The first migrant Hoopoe came through Gibraltar and was seen on Queen's Road in the Nature Reserve.

08 Feb:  The first northbound raptors of the season, two Black Kites, flew in from the Straits and headed into Spain today.  Also during the afternoon 8 House Martins and 2 Swallows flew north over Jews' Gate.

06 Feb:  A Great Spotted Cuckoo was seen flying out of a Stone Pine near the Dell in the Botanic Gardens this morning.

04 Feb:  The first Swallow of the season flew north over Jews' Gate after arriving from the Straits.

January

30 Jan:  Following a severe storm with easterly gale force winds reaching 113km/hr, a Great Spotted Cuckoo was picked up at the North Mole.  The bird was tired and wet but recovered and was ringed and released in the Botanic Gardens.  The Booted Eagle also survived the storm and was seen flying over the Rock this morning.

26 Jan:  The wintering Sparrowhawk was seen several times throughout the week from Jews' Gate and Windmill Hill, and the Booted Eagle is still around as well.

21 Jan:  A pair of Lesser Kestrels was on the North Face.  The Booted Eagle was once again hunting over the area of Jews' Gate, and an Alpine Accentor was seen at the top of Mediterranean Steps.   These observations were made during the annual Winter Bird Count.

19 Jan:  A Sparrowhawk was seen over the Upper Rock.

16 Jan:  A dark phase Booted Eagle flew south over the town chased by Yellow-legged Gulls.  The light phase wintering Booted Eagle was hunting over the Rock in the afternoon.

11 Jan:  An early Lesser Kestrel was back at the North Face this morning, the first arrival of the year.

9 Jan:  A Sparrowhawk flew north over Europort at 09:05 this morning.

8 Jan:  A Blackbird nest with 3 eggs was discovered in the Christmas Tree, located at the western end of West View Park, that was about to be taken down.  The decorations have been removed but the tree was allowed to remain until the Blackbirds have fledged.

4 Jan:  A Griffon Vulture was foraging over the Upper Rock, and could have been the same individual that was present on several occasions during December.

1 Jan:  In the quiet early morning of the first day of the year the wintering Booted Eagle was sunning itself perched on a tv aerial on the roof of the Eurotowers block of flats in the middle of the town, despite the attentions of the Yellow-legged Gulls in the area.