My dad told me there was a bird fair in Tarifa on Friday 24th September and if I was keen to go with him. Fortunately I was on leave from work and could make it, and I'm so glad I did! When we arrived I discovered a large marquee and inside were plenty of stalls providing everything from general birdwatching information, free DVD's to selling clothes and camera lenses. We managed to collect some leaflets on typical birdwatching areas in Southern Spain that we hadn't yet visited, some maps, restaurant information and even details regarding accommodation.
We weren't sure at what time the bird fair started and inevitably, we got there two hours early so we decided to head to Los Lances, a typical birding spot in Tarifa. During the two hours that we spent there, we managed to see 16 different bird species. What a great start to the day that was! Here's the list of what we managed to catch a glimpse of:
- Little Egret
- Spoonbills
- Ring Plover
- Sanderlings
- Black-headed Gulls
- Mediterranean Gulls
- Grey Heron
- Booted Eagle
- Short-toed Eagle
- Osprey
- Wheatear
- Crested Lark
- Alpine Swift
- Swallows
- Fan-tailed Warbler
- Godwits
We also spent some time in a hide and all of a sudden the Godwits went into a frenzy and we wondered what they'd seen that we hadn't until we saw an Osprey perform a spectacular splashdown as he dove for fish, his feet brought forward. I had only ever seen this bird in flight so it was a nice change to see it feeding instead. My dad has the photos on his camera so I'll upload some pics in a few days time hopefully.
I began birdwatching with my father when I was about 5 years old and I remember being terrified of the Yellow-Legged Gulls. It was mating season and their nests were perched all along the Mediterranean Steps in Gibraltar and as we walked along the pathways the Gulls would attack us to protect their eggs. Not the best day of my life but certainly one I will never forget!
My dad has always loved birds, nature and going on outings so that he can photograph everything he comes across. He's been birdwatching now for quite some time but I've only just started to REALLY get into it myself over the past 2 years. Within those 2 years we've visited different locations in Southern Spain, Gibraltar, and even driven down to Portugal. The relationship with my father has become better than ever as we get to spend more time together and we both share a hobby, and now my uncle has joined us during our outings, we certainly have some good laughs along the way!
I decided to write a blog to keep a diary of our outings, as I've always wanted to do this and I finally have the time. I'll also be posting photos of birds, landscapes, etc but as they are taken (and intended), and not fiddled around with Photoshop. So, for anyone who's stumbled across my blog well I hope you enjoy it...
