Red-footed Falcon - Falco vespertinus and Pallid Harrier - Circus macrourus

Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus), another rarity on The Strait of Gibraltar
Happy New Year everyone!

It's good to be back home and out birding after our family holiday. I've been trying to catch up on a lot of work although the good weather we've been enjoying has helped keep the rarer wintering birds to stay with us and not head south. The warm days are particularly good for hunting with the Pallid Harriers and the other birds of prey finding plenty of food and I have been out catching up on what's around as well as taking some photos.

I received a text message on the 6th of January from Stephen Knapp, alerting me that he'd seen a male Red-footed Falcon close to where he lives between La Muela and Patria (Vejer area). I was down on the other side of The Strait at the time and came back up for a search of the area.
I've seen the closest groups to us of Red-footed Falcons in Hungary and Austria as well as the eastern birds out in Turkey and Greece but have never seen one in Spain before.

I searched the power lines and cables, knowing that Red-foots like to perch on such. I took my time and searched slowly around the open meadowland wooded dehesas of the Patria plateau and down through the undulating valleys, checking bare tree-tops and any likely flying bird. I did come across the local Common and Lesser Kestrels hovering as Red-foots often do. There were also two Black-winged Kites hunting in the area, always lovely birds to watch. It wasn't too long before I spotted the bird, a fine male with distinctive red-orange legs and vent. Just as expected, the falcon was sitting on a wire.

As was normal on the country roads there was no place to stop but I quickly reversed back and parked at an entrance to a field and went on foot. I managed to get some shots of the bird on the wire before a group of kids on bikes came past and scared the bird off. Yesterday was a fiesta of the epiphany here in Spain and there was a lot of traffic and people heading for lunch.

I did managed to get some flight shots and you can see from these more clearly that this young male, probably a bird that fledged in 2009, is retaining some juvenile primary and secondary flight feathers and other plumage.

In the photos you can see that the bird has been ringed on the left leg with what seems to be a normal metal band. I could not see any other signs that this could be an escapee from a private collection somewhere but still have a nagging doubt about an near adult bird turning up so late in the south. Juvenile birds would be more likely, but then perhaps I'm just being cautious as it's my first one in Spain and can't believe what a cracker that's flying around here!

The answer for such a bird turning up here in SW Spain may be that as Red-footed Falcons expand their range in central Europe westwards, there could be a more westerly migration movement with Austrian, Slovenian and (Western) Hungarian birds moving south in autumn through Germany and France, then on down through the Iberian peninsula.
The presence of Pallid Harriers (scroll down below) now wintering in Cadiz province Andalucia does show that this western trend could lead to other species becoming more common on the Iberian peninsula but probably more apparent down on The Strait of Gibraltar where there is an abundance of food, particularly with the enormous numbers of Meadow Pipits, White Wagtails and other wintering passerines. The sightings of Great Egrets in Spain ten years ago was considered quite rare. Now they are increasing in larger numbers and in fact breeding here and many other western European countries. Rose-coloured Starlings could be down in the south with us too amongst the millions of Common Starlings that winter here. I thought I saw one juvenile Rose-coloured Starling last year, a bird with a really pale rump and back, much lighter over all than juv Common Starling, but by the time I put down my bins to pick up my camera rattle off a few photo shots that I could later have a good look at back on my computer, the flock took off, spooked by a peregrine!
The few birders that are down this way, few that is compared to the UK or The Netherlands, will be keeping their eyes busy and keenly focused on any other rarities as well as noting what trends occur with the overall migration patterns and our wintering birds activity and numbers.

Eastern migratory birds usually make their way along the Danube River to the Black Sea, heading for Turkey and down through the Middle East. Red-footed Falcons have been massacred on migration in Cyprus and other Mediterranean countries and this is a particularly vulnerable raptor that needs all the protection and breeding help Man can give. Perhaps the on-going projects in Hungary and protection of new breeding sites in Slovakia and Austria will help populations that may eventually migrate through or winter in SW Spain.

Red- footed Falcon
Ricard Gutiérrez (Rare Birds Spain & Birds Spain Blogspot) has since written an interesting article outlining Red-footed Falcon records in Spain. The article also shows detailed maps indicating where the bird was ringed and the distance it's flown from Hungary to Andalucía.
You can read about it here

There are an incredible amount of birds feeding at La Janda this winter. More Common Cranes have been moving back and forth across the site of the ancient laguna at La Janda as well as a few Eurasian Bitterns present although getting decent photos is a challenge or a matter of being in the right place at the right time as you pass the rice-fields, the remnants of last year's harvest are being turned to mud as the tractors flail the remaining stalks and let them rot. The remaining stalks were a great place for bitterns to skulk and feed.

Warm weather is just perfect for larger birds of prey like this young Bonell's Eagle, one of at least seven Bonelli's in and around La Janda from Facinas to Los Naveros


Probably the commonest raptor at this time are the wintering Marsh Harriers. This young male takes off from his perch beside the main collector canal. Few trees are in the area and quite often
you can see six or seven such birds having an afternoon preen or nap.

Now for some more Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) photos

I've been spending quite a lot of time watching their behaviour, hunting techniques and flight.

Diving at speed after Serins

Some flight profile shots above and below

Stronger body not so far away from Hen Harrier but with four primary feathers not five as in Hen.

Underwing markings of the adult female Pallid

Deep chest, more prominent than in Montagu's but slighter than with the heavier Hen Harrier

A slight tussle with a young Marsh Harrier and as such air combat, the Pallid is much more nimble leaving the Marsh Harrier behind. A bit like a motorcyclist leaving a Ferrari in town traffic...Hmm..how do I know about that?

Heads down and off hunting again.

A Booted Eagle passes over Barbate Marismas.

In addition to the raptors previously mentioned, the Spanish Imperial Eagles, both from the re-intro programme and 'local' birds can still be seen with a fair degree of regularity, in and around La Janda. Same goes for Golden Eagles. You have to know where they are likely to be and what time to go to these areas as well as calculating previous weather patterns and present hunting conditions.

I had a sighting of a sub-adult Egyptian Vulture last month and there are a few that do stay on here during winter. Black Kites have been crossing back from Morocco seen in increasing numbers with five birds seen on the 4th January.

I found a roost of the Short-eared Owls last week and counted seven birds in two trees with two others flying and being mobbed by Common Magpies, another species on the increase here although the Great spotted Cuckoos do parasitize magpies nests. This could therefore give us an extended viewing season of Great spotted Cuckoos down this way as they normally stop off here to feed before heading where magpie populations and more numerous.

Sunset over Cabo Trafalgar

Sunrise over Cabo Trafalgar

Lesser Kestrels have been starting to flock around Vejer de La Frontera and becoming steadily more vocal especially in the mornings as the sun heats up the town.

More news and updates soon. Happy birding and have a great year!