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Birds, Dolphins and the Navy
This article has been submitted by:
| This
article has been submitted by: Stephen Daly |
| Stephen Daly,
a Scot now settled near La Oliva, Barbate, offers a day's guiding
all the year round - seeing the best birds and taking you to quality
birding sites. |
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So, whether
you are an old hand who simply can't get enough of them, or an outright
beginner just wishing to learn more, there's no better way to enjoy
the thrill of watching birds of prey.
You can contact
him through his excellent website at www.andalucianguides.com
or by phoning 956 432 316 or 647 713 641.
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 We went out on a Whale Watching trip a short time ago, with a smaller company that operates from Tarifa. We wanted to see if we could spot Cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar. Up until now I’ve never undertaken such a tour, and really wanted to find out for myself what large mammals could be seen in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Three species of Dolphin can normally be seen including the Striped, Common Dolphin and Bottlenose. Three or four species of whale too are feeding in the area including Orcas in the summer months and with a bit of luck can also be seen here.
It was really choppy after rounding the island at Tarifa and the Coastguard ordered us to stay a mile and a half away from a sensitive NATO convoy that was entering the Strait. They had a helicopter and an Orion maritime patrol aircraft buzzing about, and an advance group of minesweepers and a small fast frigate all, without doubt, operating Sonar.
 As we hung about a couple of nautical miles offshore to let the grey ships pass we could see some early bird migration. Flocks of Black Kite continued flying sometimes quite low along the Costa de la Luz to Tarifa, waiting for favourable winds to fly to Africa. The last few weeks has seen huge movements of these early migrants with White Storks crossing. Two Common Kestrels were out in mid channel and did an about turn and returned to Tarifa due to the increasing wind.
I saw lots of juvenile Yelkouan Shearwaters in the distance heading out from the Mediterranean. Their size, markings and their rapid wingbeats low over the wave tops followed by long glides confirmed their identification. Unfortunately we had no chance to view them through our binoculars as it was so rough.
 A lone Honey Buzzard flew low, right over the boat on it's way to Morocco and beyond, quite early for this bird's migration south. The larger birds, for example White Storks and Eagles will wait for hot thermals to build and then soar and glide from a greater height to cross to Morocco usual having to expend little energy. Some recon that birds can cross faster than the hydrofoil to Tanger!
Some Common and Striped dolphins came along side us with their young but all the other larger mammals were disturbed due to the undoubted sonar activity in the Strait.
Just as the Dolphins appeared the military traffic controller ordered us back from the channel and we headed back to port.
The sun was shining as ever and even although the wind started to pick up in the afternoon, the coastline of Morocco was clear and you could see the windmills on the first hills of the African continent.
The interesting thing about going out to sea from an area that you know intimately, is that it takes on a whole new and interesting perspective. Even low down in the water you could feel that the process of bird migration is a true test of the fittest.
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