Today was the Big Day for the Black Kites in the Strait of Gibraltar. More than fifteen thousand were waiting for the easterly winds to drop in the surroundings of Tarifa, and after a spectacular morning with disperse flocks with hundreds of kites absolutely everywhere (some compact flocks had more than two thousand birds), they started crossing in the afternoon, according to our friends from Migres.
It was also a good day for the storks, with a big flock of approximately one thousand moving in compact formation above Tarifa, and a total of about ten thousand crossing.
We were constantly receiving pictures and videos in our phones from local non-birders, as they were very excited to see this magnificent show. It’s comforting when the general public notices that something extraordinary is taking place and feel compeled to tell others what’s going on. Surely locals in the Strait of Gibraltar are getting more familiar with birdlife and the migration, which we believe it’s a a very positive trend.
Tomorrow more!