The Island of Tarifa (also known as Isla de las Palomas, 36°0’10″N 5°36’33
In the early XIX Century, a road was built to unite the island and the continent, and has been used as a strategic military base ever since. In 2003, it was declared part of El Estrecho Natural Park. This way, the access to this unique site is strictly regulated by the Spanish Ministry of Interior and the Natural Park authorities.
October and November are some of the best months of the year to watch the seabird migration in the Strait of Gibraltar, both in terms of quantity of birds and diversity of species.
That´s why we organized a birding trip last 31st of October for the Andalucia Bird Society. We were pleased to arrange all the required permits to access the Island of Tarifa.
We spent a very enjoyable morning of seawatching with a group of 14 keen birders. This was an excellent opportunity to test the recently built bird observatory! It provides shelter from rain and wind, significantly enhancing the seawatching experience. Good numbers of Gannets of different ages entertained us with their spectacular dives at low angle to scoop up their prey, along with Sandwich Terns and Yellow-legged Gulls. A juvenile Arctic Skua provided striking views flying close to the shore in search of any eventually unaware Tern to rob its prey. This was an excellent opportunity to photograph their aerial displays. Equally remarkable was a group of Bottlenose Dolphins jumping in front of a cargo.
However, the non-stop stream of thousands of Scopoli’s Shearwaters moving west into the Atlantic made the most remarkable sight. These days over 3000 individuals/hour have been counted by researchers from Fundación Migres! Some Balearic Shearwaters showed up as well. It must be noted that the intensive monitoring carried out from the Island of Tarifa the last years has unveiled the existence of a much bigger population of Balearic Shearwater than previously expected (now estimated in over 20.000 individuals).
We are very grateful to the Andalucia Bird Society members for this much enjoyable morning together, and we are hoping to share another birding experience with them.
Birding The Strait would be pleased to arrange guided visits to the Island of Tarifa, upon request. During the forthcoming weeks, thousand of seabirds will keep moving across the Strait of Gibraltar, with the remarkable presence of Razorbill and Puffin. Do not hesitate to contact us for any further information.
