Sunday, April 29, 2012

Migration drama above the skies of Gibraltar


This time of year sees a life and death drama unfold on numerous occasions above Gibraltar's skies. Tired migrating raptors reach the cliffs of the Rock of Gibraltar after crossing the sea. Here they are met by territorial Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus brookei and Yellow-legged Gulls Larus michahellis.


The Peregrines are defending their nest area and have daily battles with the gulls for rights to airspace


The gulls do the same, hanging in the wind above the nests, ready to pounce on anything that comes near...


The levels of aggression increase now that the young have hatched...




So migrating raptors are up against it...


For starters, they have the sea crossing, often in high winds. Here a Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus struggles to reach the Rock. In the background, Ceuta on the North African coast, where it has come from, with the tall Rif Mountains behind.


Utterly exhausted, it crash lands


Others, like this Black Kite Milvus migrans, are immature birds in moult or with many flight feathers missing. This doesn't help either...



Then there are the gulls and the falcons...



That also forces unexpected landings...


Some of these birds recover and fly off but others are not so fortunate...


they ditch in the sea, and drown...


So this is the real drama of life and death. Can we blame the gulls and the falcons? I think not. They are just defending their own...














Sunday, April 8, 2012

Where the Imperial Eagle is Lord and Master


We spent some time watching and photographing the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti in one of its traditional haunts, in the Monfrague National Park of Central Spain.


This is the home of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus, which nests in colonies on the impressive cliffs


Here the vultures come and go as they please, it seems, but this time they weren't to have everything their way...



The morning seemed quiet enough, even a newly arrived Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus pausing to look for unsuspecting snakes


An adult Imperial Eagle arrives - it has decided to nest on some trees close to the Griffon colony


It patrols the cliff line and even comes down near to the vultures' nests


It is an amazing bird at close quarters...


...and it chases off any Griffon that ventures near!


We watched the eagles for a couple of hours and Stewart came home with a wonderful range of images of this spectacular eagle. All where the Mediterranean forest meets the cliffs in Monfrague