Andalucian Guides - Birdwatching in Southern Spain

take the test - a little ID quiz on birds

Red-necked Nightjar, near Barbate September 2008

Western Andalucia is huge and one day may not be enough time to visit most of the variable habitats for specific species. Be realistic and book a few days with us and you'll see a whole lot more!

For more information about migration, click on Strait Nature News Blog

3 Great Photo ID Pages - Click here

Rüppell's Vulture at Algorrobo migration watchpoint 1st Oct 2008

Atlas Long-legged Buzzard and Bonelli's Eagle (juv) in winter

Griffon with Black Vulture and Golden Eagle in winter

Andalucian Guides Introduction

We are really very fortunate to be based on the western edge of The Strait of Gibraltar, close to Cape Trafalgar and the towns of Vejer de la Frontera and Barbate. These two towns are within the province of Cadiz in Andalucia, close to Europe's most southerly point.

From this unspoilt and clean Atlantic location, we look across to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. On clear days you can easily pick out the minarets of the Mosques in the bustling north African port of Tanger (Tangiers), just thirty-five minutes away by the fast ferries from Tarifa.

Since moving south to The Strait of Gibraltar since 2001, Patricia and Stephen Daly's lifestyles changed dramatically. From buying property at Higueral de La Oliva, forming Andalucian Guides and the birth of their two daughters here in Spain, life has been quite busy to say the least!

Stephen's passion for birding started back with his brothers in the early 1960's in East Lothian. As a small child, roaming the countryside in search of different birds, newts and frogs, you have no idea of what the future holds. Working in the UK then in Germany in the 1990's gives you a broad outlook on life and in some ways encourages you to explore and understand a bit more about life.

Moving from Germany's Black Forest to Andalucia was a difficult choice, as this is another exceptionally beautiful area, full of wildife, great food and culture. There is of course no comparison possible between these two special areas.

Moving south was literally like a breath of fresh air to us, where our decision to lead what are now highly successful birding and wildlife tours, was like a dream come true.

Taking a good hard look at this particular location was something that convinced us that this is a very special place. The area around the town of Barbate is surrounded by two large Parque Naturals and a massive Military training ground that takes in almost the entire coastline between Barbate and the eastern coastal town of Zahara a de Los Atunes and inland to the north to the vast plains of La Janda. Any development is strictly limited and offered us an ideal base to start professionally led guided tours.

A year was spent closely studying the seasonal wildlife differences and weather effect along The Strait before offering tours to the public. The information and experience gained from this first twelve month period gave Stephen a good base from which to build upon and of course the following seven years has given both of us an intimate knowledge of the area, its bird and other rich wildlife.

Sharing this knowledge is also something very pleasurable indeed. Who could get tired at looking at all this beauty?

Human, Heron and Otter tracks

Birding and wildlife day tours can be booked at any time during the year and you can also rent Hoopoe cottage, a separate holiday house in the garden. Simply relax by the swimming pool and let the resident Sardinian Warblers "scold" you from the wild olive trees, or at dusk in summer, and watch the bats and Red-necked Nightjars hawk for insects.

You can book a guide or the cottage for as many days as are available.

Also on offer, are longer birding and wildlife holidays for small groups, travelling to various Iberian and other European birding and natural history hot-spots.

This special area is known as the Costa de la Luz and is famous not only for its wonderful sandy beaches, but also boasts some of the rarest breeding birds on the Iberian peninsula or even in the Western Palearctic. Our very own rarities include Northern Bald Ibis (now breeding freely near Barbate - see 1st nest & chicks here) Spanish Imperial Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite (Largest breeding populations with over 35 breeding pairs in Cadiz province, 2006) White-rumped Swift (five breeding sites), Little Swift (numerous sites) and Osprey (Breeding for the first time on the Iberian peninsula for 60 years!).

If you enjoy birds and wildlife, then do try a day tour with us. All our tours are taken at a relaxed pace and we enjoy sharing not only the natural history of this area, but the complex historical story of this fascinating land. We are surrounded by stunning scenery and take travellers through the very heart of Phoenician, Roman and Moorish trails where we explain some aspects of their civilisations and cultures.

Come with Andalucian Guides and enjoy a slice of this unique ornithological paradise on one of the busiest bird migration routes on Earth. We know the best places to look and have permission to go onto numerous estates in search of quality birds and other wildlife. Many of these special private places hold key species and are not listed in any guide books or trip reports.

This is without doubt one of the busiest bird migration routes on Earth

We'd also be happy to show you a broad selection of butterflies and other wonderful insects unique in southern Spain. If your interests lie in other areas such as wild flowers, other plants, amphibians, reptiles or the mammals of Iberia, then please ask when the best time would be to view them.

Tour leader Stephen Daly Sea watching at Cape St Vincent, Portugal

Macro insect photography Wild flowers and Montagu's Harriers near Vejer

Scenes from previous tours to Extremadura

Bird spotting, birding, birdwatching, twitching, ornithology, call it what you will, it's still one of the most popular and enjoyable outdoor hobbies around today!

Bird and wildlife photography is something we also enjoy and are happy to show photographers where to get some of the best photos in Spain or Portugal.

Spring from one continent to another

The bulk of the spring migration takes place from March until May, when literally millions of migrant passerines, raptors, storks cross over The Strait of Gibraltar. The geographical location of The Strait starts on the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Trafalgar on the Spanish mainland, to Cape Espartel in Morocco. This is the widest point of the channel at some 25kms from the coast of North Africa. Progressing eastwards, the Strait narrows dramatically to only 12kms across at Tarifa which is just around the corner from the rock of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is actually on the Mediterranean Sea. This entire stretch of coastline is the obvious easiest crossing point for many central and northern European migrant birds and the best place place to watch their migration in spring.

White-rumped and Little Swifts breeding on The Strait -Both normally return in March

To see the mass movement of of migratory birds of prey in late summer and early autumn, is without doubt one of the most visually stunning experiences anyone remotely interested in birds or nature can have.

Take a look at our autumn raptor migration itinerary here

This tour is something that birders and nature lovers must witness at least once in your lifetime. It is absolutely thrilling, memorable as well as giving you better experience in bird of prey identification skills.

Birding during the other months of the year

We lead day tours from January right through to December, and we'd be happy to show you the best of birding, natural history, walking and enjoyment, all at a relaxed pace, irrelevant of your birding ID or wildlife experience.

Read below for more Day Tours information.

Summer and Autumn Day Tours - We now do half day tours in summer! Early Starts, before the day heats up

A typical full day's Birding tour starts early near Vejer de la Frontera. As an example, we could head through Barbate and go across private farm tracks that lead into La Janda. From nearby Benalup the surrounding countryside tracks can be accessed in the summer season (dry), through more private farms to watch or photograph species such as Glossy Ibis, Squacco Herons, Little Bitterns, Eurasian Spoonbills, Purple Swamphens, Night Herons and Collared Pratincoles. We can then travel via Facinas and on into the cork-oak forest and Parque Natural of Los Alcornocales, climbing slowly up to the sierras on old drovers tracks. In summer we come here to watch Rufous Bush Robin, Black-eared Wheatear, Tawny Pipit and Woodchat Shrikes. From this point we can descend down to Los Lances beach at Tarifa for a "venta" (restaurant) for a typical "rural" lunch.

Afternoons can include a walk at the coastal limestone slabs for Ortolan and Rock Buntings or watching perched Griffon Vultures and Egyptian Vultures at a local colony at the coastal Sierras where White-rumped Swift breed and Little Swift can often be found. or leisurely birding around the tidal estuary and military zone's fringes at Barbate and with luck we'll see the colony of free-flying -free-breeding programme of Northern Bald Ibis, as well as Stone Curlew, Little Bustard, Montagu's Harrier, Black shouldered Kite, Thekla, Calandra Crested, Greater Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks feeding there.

White-headed Ducks, Greater Flamingos and White Storks near Puerto Real

If you are looking for a self-catering break in the sun?

Why not Rent our guest house, 'Hoopoe cottage'

click on the Spanish Imperial Eagles above, for more information and photos

All photographs, logos and text are © Stephen Daly/Andalucian Guides

Read the Latest News on Stephen's Blog here! or click any Finnstick below....

Or you can click here to look at archived reports month by month - if you are planning a trip down this way

and

Click below and activate some of the photo albums to take you to lots of places - it's not only Spain we travel to

Take A Look At The Andalucian Guides Holiday Experience

Montagu's Harrier Cadiz, Spain Barred Warbler Lake Neusiedlersee, Austria

Lanner Falcon (ssp. erlangeri), Cadiz Spanish Imperial Eagle, Cadiz, Spain

Little Bustards-males displaying Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Cadiz

Bonelli's Eagle, Cadiz, Spain Red-knobbed Coot, Cadiz, Spain

Northern Bald Ibis, Cadiz, Spain - Black shouldered Kite, Cadiz

Come and see the Wintering Bluethroats and Marbled Ducks

Citril Finch, Pyrenees, Spain Black Woodpecker, Hungary

Red-necked Phalarope Portugal Ring Ousel, Schneeberg, Austrian Alps

Black-shouldered Kite Vejer area Black Stork migrating south

Male Black-eared Wheatears with & without throat patch, Barbate

Bonelli's Warbler, Facinas, Andalucia Krüper's Nuthatch, Turkey

Ocellated Lizard, Tarifa, Spain Booted Eagle, Bolonia, Spain

Monarch Butterfly, our garden, Spain European Chameleon, Portugal

Icterine Warbler, Neusiedl, Austria Yellow-Crowned Gonolek, The Gambia

Two-tailed Pasha, Facinas, Spain Ortolan Bunting, Gredos, Spain

Red-rumped Swallow, Vejer, Spain Northern Bald Ibis, Tamri, Morocco

Lesser Kestrel Extremadura, Spain. Slender-billed Gull, Cadiz, Spain

Purple Swamphen, La Janda, Spain White Stork, Ephesus, Turkey

Rufous Bush Robin, Cadiz, Spain Little Bustard, Castro Verde Portugal

Spanish Festoon, Cadiz, Spain Montpellier's Snake, Ronda, Spain

Wryneck, Cape St Vincent Portugal Spanish Imp. Eagle,Monroy, Spain

Barbary Macaque, The Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Beautiful Demoiselle

Long-eared Owl, Holland Rock Sparrow, Monfrague, Extremadura

Bluethroat, Sierra de Gredos, Spain Thekla Lark, Fez, Morocco

Penduline Tit, wintering Cadiz, Spain Eastern Orphean Warbler, Turkey

Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Cadiz, Spain Yellow Wagtail, Miletus, Turkey

Updated

30th of November 2008