31 Mar:  Overcast skies with heavy showers in a fresh westerly wind.

A half hour watch at Europa Point in the late afternoon produced 23 Gannets, a Cormorant, four Shags, four Black-headed Gulls, six Audouin's Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, six Sandwich Terns and three Willow Warblers.

Two Cormorants and three Shags were present on rocks at Little Bay.  

30 Mar:  Mostly cloudy skies in the morning with heavy showers continuing in the afternoon with some sunny intervals.  Winds fresh westerly.

Four Common Sandpipers at Western Beach, and four Common Swifts.

29 Mar: Mainly cloudy skies in the morning with persistent showers.  Showers continuing in the afternoon with some sunny intervals.  Winds fresh south-westerly.

Ringing Totals

At North Front Cemetery there were five Woodchat Shrikes, two Hoopoes, two Chiffchaffs, two Sardinian Warblers, two Blackbirds, three Common Redstarts and a Wheatear.

A trickle of raptors and soaring birds in showers produced 11 Black Storks, 11 Short-toed Eagles, 41 Booted Eagles,  three Sparrowhawks and 14 Black Kites.  Also seen were five House Martins.  A flock of 34 Flamingoes flew south along the east side of the Rock, and then west at Europa Point.

Flamingoes off Europa Point heading west.  (T. Finlayson).

A colour ringed Audouin's Gull was seen at Europa Point.

28 Mar:  Mostly cloudy with heavy rain showers in a strong southerly wind.

Only one new bird trapped and ringed in the bad weather conditions, a Serin.

Twenty-two Black Storks were seen heading north over town;  also seen were 248 White Storks, an Osprey, 61 Booted Eagles, four Marsh Harriers, six Sparrowhawks, 284 Black Kites and seven Kestrels.

At North Front Cemetery there were two Woodchat Shrikes, a Chiffchaff, a Blackbird and two Common Redstarts.

A 90min watch at Europa Point in the late afternoon produced 38 Gannets, four Balearic Shearwaters, a Manx Shearwater*(First Record for Gibraltar), four Shags, eight Audouin's Gulls, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two Sandwich Terns.

Manx Shearwater (R. Perez).

Manx Shearwater (R. Perez).

27 Mar: Cloudy with heavy rain showers.  Winds fresh to strong westerly in the morning, becoming gale force south-westerly in the afternoon.

Only two new birds ringed at the Observatory,  Willow Warbler and an Alpine Swift that was picked up outside Atlantic Suites, probably having  collided with a window.  It was released after it had recovered.  This is only the first recent ringing record of Alpine Swift, the first, a bird that also flew inside a flat in town, was ringed by Brian Etheridge back in the 1970s.

Several hundred Black Kites with a few Booted Eagles were seen arriving at Europa Point in strong winds.

Counts made revealed 57 Booted Eagles, five Sparrowhawks, 247 Black Kites, a Swallow and five Linnets.

At North Front Cemetery there were two Woodchat Shrikes and a female Common Redstart.

26 Mar:  Cloudy skies with showers in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon in fresh south-westerly winds. 

The Black-eared Wheatear was still present at North Front Cemetery.  Two Black Storks headed north over the Bay.

An hours watch at Europa Point produced eight Gannets, two Audouin's Gulls, two Gull-billed Terns, six Sandwich Terns, six Common Swifts, six Sand Martins, 11 Swallows, and 23 Black Kites.

25 Mar:  Overcast skies with some sunny intervals.  Winds moderate to fresh westerly.

Over 1000 Black Kites flew north at dawn, including an Osprey and a Booted Eagle.  The latter was seen hunting over Middle Hill.

A flock of over 100 Cormorants flew west past Europa Point.

At North Front Cemetery there were four Woodchat Shrikes, two Sardinian Warblers, a Subalpine Warbler, and a Black-eared Wheatear.

24 Mar:  Overcast skies with high cloud and Saharan dust, together with levanter cloud over the Rock and town.  Winds fresh easterly turning to westerly in the late afternoon with thunderstorms.

Ringing Totals

At the Europa foreshore there were single Woodchat Shrike, two Willow Warblers, a Blue Rock Thrush and a Meadow Pipit.

North Front Cemetery held a Hoopoe, a Woodchat Shrike, two Sardinian Warblers and three Redstarts.

There were seven Cormorants at the western end of the  runway, and 15 Flamingoes took a short-cut there and flew north east.  A Yellow Wagtail was observed at the mound at Europa Point, and three Shags were present on rocks at  Little Bay.

 In the evening, just before showers arrived, over 1000 Black Kites flew north, with some Booted Eagles and an Osprey.

23 Mar:  Cloudy and overcast skies with poor visibility due to Saharan dust.  Winds moderate north-easterly.

Ringing Totals

A visit to Windmill Hill produced single Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, five Sardinian Warblers, three Blackbirds, a Nightingale, a Black Redstart, a Blue Rock Thrush and six Meadow Pipits.  A steady passage of Swallows and the occasional House Martin was also observed.

A visit to North Front Cemetery in the morning produced two Chiffchaffs, nine Sardinian Warblers, six Blackbirds, a Redstart and Nightingale.

 At Europa Point there were 32 Gannets, 27 Balearic Shearwaters west, 10 Black-headed Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull east and three Sandwich Terns.  Also arrival of Swallows in two and threes across the Strait.

22 Mar:  Cloudy and overcast skies with Saharan dust and levanter cloud.  Winds fresh easterly.

 Ringing Totals

 A quick visit to Europa Point found quite heavy swell on the sea where there were about 100 Yellow-legged Gulls settled just offshore with five Balearic Shearwaters  Also five Gannets, seven Black-headed Gulls and two Gull-billed Terns.

At North Front Cemetery there were  a Hoopoe, a Bonelli's Warbler and three Common Redstarts.

21 Mar:  Overcast skies with a chance of rain.  Levanter cloud developing during the morning.  Winds moderate easterly becoming fresh.

Ringing Totals

At the Europa foreshore there were 10 Cormorants, two Shags, two Chiffchaffs, a Subalpine Warbler and two Robins.  Three Marsh Harriers were observed over the Rock in the late afternoon.

There was a male Redstart at the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

20 Mar:  Cloudy morning with intermittent sunshine.  Brighter in the afternoon with sunny intervals and remaining Saharan dust moving away to give a sunny afternoon.  Winds fresh westerly in the early morning, but winds dropping to a  light westerly to north westerly.  In the afternoon winds continued light and sometimes moderate westerly turning to moderate south-westerly in the evening.

Ringing Totals

An spectacular passage of Black Kites at first light for an hour until winds dropped, for a total of 1450 birds.  Passage continued with only a trickle of raptors mainly composed of Marsh Harriers and Booted Eagles.  Raptor passage picked up in the afternoon, but with few Black Kites, but an impressive number of Marsh Harriers Booted Eagles and Ospreys.

Totals for the day 30 Ospreys, two Egyptian Vultures, 23 Short-toed Eagles, a Lesser Spotted Eagle*, 142 Booted Eagles, 70 Sparrowhawks, 150 Marsh Harriers, a female Hen Harrier, a male Pallid Harrier*, two Montagu's Harriers, 2038 Black Kites and a Buzzard.  Also seen were 51 Black Storks, 42 Swallows, a Red-rumped Swallow, 12 House Martins, eight Sand Martins, a Yellow Wagtail, two Chaffinches, a Greenfinch and a Goldfinch.

Lesser Spotted Eagle

Pallid Harrier

A male Pied Flycatcher was seen along Inglis Way and the Europa foreshore held six Turnstones.  Seven Sanderlings and a White Wagtail were observed at Western Beach, and at the Small Boat's Marina there were four Cormorants and a Little Egret on the rock revetment.

19 Mar:  Hazy sunshine with Saharan dust in the air.  Winds light variable.

Ringing Totals

House Sparrows on Tree Mallow Lavatera maritima at Europa foreshore. (J. Downing)

Five Swallows north past St Bernard's Hospital, and the Kingfisher still by the rocks at Westview promenade.  A Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk were seen in the morning from Ocean Village.

At North Front Cemetery there were single Bonelli's Warbler and Black Redstart.

A Razorbill was seen near the shore at Eastern Beach. At North Front Cemetery there were single Woodchat Shrike, three Sardinian Warblers, a male Subalpine Warbler, two Blackbirds and a Black Redstart.

A boat trip a couple of miles off the east side of the Rock produced six Gannets, 10 Balearic Shearwaters, 17 Cormorants, four Shags, two Black-headed Gulls, three Mediterranean Gulls, 47 Puffins, 42 Razorbills and two Sandwich Terns.

18 Mar:  Hazy skies with high cloud and plenty of Saharan dust in the atmosphere. with a light easterly wind.

Finally a good trapping session, bolstered by trans-Saharan migrants now arriving.  Catches previously have been unusually poor possibly due to many wintering birds staying in Iberia due to good weather and record temperatures over the autumn and winter.

Ringing Totals

Busy day at the ringing room with Roger Dickey and Sheila Bennet (M Cutts)

A Hoopoe was spotted at the top station of the Cable Car, A Trumpeter Finch reported from the Europa foreshore was seen at Europa Point.  Also seen from this site were 16 Gannets, 13 Balearic Shearwaters,  and 37 Razorbills.

Trumpeter Finch at the Europa foreshore. (J. Downing)

At North Front Cemetery there were three Bonelli's Warblers, two Sardinian Warblers and a male Common Redstart.

In the evening there were two Marsh Harriers observed form Ocean Village.

Male Common Redstart at North Front cemetery (C. Fortuna)

17 Mar:  Mainly clear skies but visibility poor with Saharan dust skies with a light to moderate easterly wind.

At Western Beach there were three Common Sandpipers, two Chiffchaffs, and a Black Redstart.

A Bonelli's Warbler was present at North Front Cemetery. 

Bonelli's Warbler. ( J. Downing).

At the foreshore, a bird was seen with a pink bill, that later turned up to be a Trumpeter Finch.

At Europa Point there were 50 Gannets flying west, two Audouin's Gulls, two Sandwich Terns, a Hoopoe, two Chiffchaffs, and 10 Goldfinches.  Two Swallows were seen over Little Bay, and a Red-rumped Swallow over the Botanic Gardens.  The Kingfisher still present by Westview promenade rocks.

A Cormorant was present at the pond at Commonwealth park feeding on the Koi carp.

16 Mar:  Clear skies but with some Saharan dust, with a light to moderate easterly wind.  Fog bank developing at the east side early afternoon, and creeping around the Rock later.

A Black-eared Wheatear was observed at Spur Battery.  Three Common Sandpipers were present at Western Beach.  At North Front cemetery there were single Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike and two Black Redstarts.

 Ringing Totals

The Kingfisher was again observed by rocks at  Westview Promenade.

At the foreshore, a bird was seen with a pink bill, that later turned up to be a Trumpeter Finch.

At Europa Point there were 50 Gannets flying west, two Audouin's Gulls, two Sandwich Terns, a Hoopoe, two Chiffchaffs, and 10 Goldfinches.  Two Swallows were seen over Little Bay, and a Red-rumped Swallow over the Botanic Gardens.  The Kingfisher still present by Westview promenade rocks.

A Cormorant was present at the pond at Commonwealth park feeding on the Koi carp.

15 Mar:  Clear skies but rather hazy with poor visibility across the Strait.  Winds moderate north-westerly with westerly in the Strait freshening in the afternoon.

 Ringing Totals

Sedge Warbler a scarce migrant. (M. Cutts)

A trickle of raptors throughout the morning, continuing during the afternoon.

In total there were 45 Short-toed Eagles, 18 Marsh Harriers, a Montagu's Harrier, 14 Booted Eagles, 13 Sparrowhawks, 62 Black Kites, 11 Ospreys, two Lesser Kestrel and a Kestrel sp.  Also seen were three Swallows, three Red-rumped Swallows, two Serins, eight Chaffinches,  two Linnets,  and three Siskins.

At North Front Cemetery there were single Woodchat Shrike, two Blackbirds, three Black Redstarts, Stonechat and a Wheatear.

The first Bonelli's Warbler of the season was seen in the Nature Reserve.  A Kingfisher was observed by rocks at  Westview Promenade.

A Tawny Owl was heard from the Mount gardens.

14 Mar:  Cloudy from the west with sunny intervals, clearing in the afternoon..  Winds light variable to light westerly, increasing late afternoon.

Ringing Totals

A Hoopoe was seen at Governor's Lookout and another at the top station of the Cable Car.  A Jackdaw was observed by Tank Ramp.  At North Front Cemetery there were single Woodchat Shrike, two Blackbirds, three Black Redstarts and a Wheatear.  A Hoopoe was present at Europa foreshore.

Woodchat Shrike at the North Front Cemetery. (J. Downing)

As soon as winds freshened in the late afternoon, a spectacular number of Black Kites arrived across the Strait.  From 17:30hrs to 18:45 several thousand Black Kites flew north over the Rock.

Totals were three Short-toed Eagles, 18 Marsh Harriers, six Booted Eagles, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk, 2200 Black Kites and two Ospreys.  Two Swallows and several hundred Pallid Swifts were seen over town in the evening.

13 Mar:  Overcast skies with high cloud and levanter cloud over the Rock, town and harbour.  Winds fresh easterly.

 Ringing Totals

A Hoopoe was seen near Europa Mosque, and another by the Cable Car top station.

Four Swallows were seen arriving at Europa Point. At North Front cemetery there were single Woodchat Shrike, six Sardinian Warblers, three Blackbirds and a Stonechat.z

12 Mar:  Clear skies earlier in the morning, but levanter cloud developing as winds became stronger.  Levanter cloud over the Rock, town and harbour.  Winds moderate easterly.

A Woodchat Shrike was seen at Westview Promenade.  Two Swallows were observed from the Observatory.

11 Mar:  Clear skies with a light north-westerly wind, becoming moderate westerly mid afternoon.

Light winds hampered the raptor count over the Rock, with most of them heading to Punta Carnero.  As winds turned to moderate westerly in the afternoon, some raptors then headed over the Rock.

Totals for the day were 34 Short-toed Eagles, seven Marsh Harriers, a Hen Harrier, three Booted Eagles, 16 Sparrowhawks, 135 Black Kites, 10 Lesser Kestrels, five Common Kestrels, 27 House Martins, 15 Swallows, two Red-rumped Swallows, and three Serins.

 A flock of approximately 20 Cormorants were observed flying north over the Bay.

 At North Front Cemetery there were six Hoopoes, a Woodchat Shrike a Robin and two Black Redstarts.

10 Mar:  Cloudy skies with showers and some sunny intervals in the morning.  Winds light to moderate in the morning becoming fresh westerly, and fresh north-westerly with strong gusts in the afternoon.

 A flock of 32 Cormorants flew east at Europa Point.

An extended watch at Europa Point from 11:30-17:45hrs produced 65 Gannets, two Balearic Shearwaters, a Great Skua, 45 Cormorants, three Razorbills, five Turnstones, six Shags, 51 Black-headed Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls, seven Audouin's Gulls, 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, four Sandwich Terns, a Hoopoe, a Chiffchaff, and a Swallow.  Also seen were many raptors that form part of the total below.

There was an Iberian Chiffchaff at Governor's Lookout, and a Hoopoe at Transport Lane, with another two Hoopoes around the Observatory.

A visit to North Front Cemetery produced the first Woodchat Shrike of the season, a Hoopoe, a Willow Warbler and a Black Redstart.

After yesterdays rainy day, when raptors were held up at the southern end of the Strait, there was a rush of raptors between the morning showers and plenty more when the weather cleared completely.

Totals of raptors and other soaring birds were 57 Black Storks, 11 White Storks, three Egyptian Vultures, 140 Short-toed Eagles, seven Marsh Harriers, a Hen Harrier, 17 Booted Eagles, two Buzzards, 10 Sparrowhawks, an Osprey, 3607 Black Kites, two Kestrels, two Lesser Kestrels and four Kestrel sp.  Also seen were a flock of nine Cormorants flying north over town, four Pallid Swifts and two Swallows.

One of thousands of Black Kites arriving at Europa Point. (S. Morgan).

09 Mar:  Overcast skies with constant light rain.  Winds calmed down at 07:00hrs after a night of gale force south-westerly winds.  Winds now light westerly.

 At Europa Point there were single Cormorant, five Black-headed Gulls, an Audouin's Gull and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

A flock of nine Sanderlings were seen at Western Beach.

Sanderlings at Western Beach.  (C.  Fortuna). 

08 Mar:  Cloudy with some sunny intervals and rain showers.  Winds light westerly, becoming moderate to fresh as the afternoon progressed.

Just after dawn, a flock of at least 500 Black Kites flew north over the Rock.  Seven Pallid Swifts were observed heading north avoiding the rain shower.  Black Kites continued to cross in breaks in rain showers with some spectacular numbers involved.

In total there were one Short-toed Eagle, two Marsh Harriers, a Booted Eagle, nine Sparrowhawks, 6357 Black Kites and two Kestrel sp.  Also seen were 100 White Storks.

A Great Skua was observed flying west at Europa Point.

07 Mar:  Cloudy with sunny intervals.  Winds light westerly.

A visit to Western beach produced a Cormorant, two Ringed Plovers, a Black Redstart, and a White Wagtail.

Ringing Totals

06 Mar:  Mainly clear skies earlier in the morning but levanter cloud developing soon after. Some sunny intervals in the afternoon.  Winds light to moderate easterly.

 A Hoopoe was ringed at the Observatory this morning, sixth one so far this year.(M. Cutts).

Ringing Totals

05 Mar: Mainly clear skies with some high cloud.  Winds light north-westerly in the morning becoming light and variable in the afternoon.

A Buzzard was observed heading north early this morning. A Subalpine Warbler and a Serin were ringed at the Observatory among other birds.

Serin

Subalpine Warbler

An evening watch at Europa Point produced 15 Gannets, six Balearic Shearwaters west, a Common Sandpiper, three Cormorants, two Shags, eight Black-headed Gulls, the local Peregrine and a Black Redstart.

At Europa foreshore there were nine Turnstones, two Sardinian Warblers, seven Spotless Starlings, a Blue Rock Thrush and three Stonechats.

04 Mar:  Overcast skies with some light showers.  Winds light to moderate north-westerly.

 Light winds again marred raptor passage with just a trickle during the day.  Totals an Egyptian Vulture, 25 Short-toed Eagles, 10 Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk and a Lesser Kestrel.  Also seen were 89 Black Storks and a Stone Curlew.

A late afternoon watch at Europa Point produced 16 Gannets, a Common Sandpiper, 54 Black-headed Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, an Audouin's Gull east,  and a Black Redstart.

03 Mar:  Cloudy skies with sunny intervals throughout the day.  Winds light to moderate north-westerlies.

Due to the light and northerly winds, most of the raptor passage took place along Punta Carnero, with the site registering over 2000 Short-toed Eagles, (the peak passage).  They also had over 80 Egyptian Vultures numerous flocks of Black and White Storks and hundreds of Black Kites. 

In contrast Gibraltar only 13 Black Kites a Harrier sp. possibly Pallid, 23 Short-toed Eagles an Egyptian Vulture and a flock of 43 White Storks, both up the bay.  Also seen five Pallid Swifts.

Little Bay held a Cormorant, two Shags and a Gannet offshore, Rosia Bay had two Sandwich Terns and Europa Point held 134 Black-headed Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls west and three Sand Martins north.

 A Sparrowhawk that was ringed at Jews' Gate Observatory in October of last year was retrapped at the Observatory.  This was one of the birds that is wintering on the Rock, and seen occasionally on Windmill Hill and the Nature Reserve.

The wintering Sparrowhawk. (M. Cutts).

02 Mar:  Clear skies at dawn becoming increasingly overcast with rain showers during the late morning, and continuing cloudy with some sunny intervals and light rain shower in the afternoon.

A trickle of Short-toed Eagles during the morning and afternoon until 16:00hrs. Then a a flock of 500 Black Kites flew north at 17:00hrs with some more later on.

In total there were 120 Short-toed Eagles, two Marsh Harriers,  a Booted Eagle, a Buzzard, three Sparrowhawks, 681 Black Kites, three Lesser Kestrels and a Common Kestrel.  Also seen were 13 Black Storks and a Purple Heron.

 At Europa foreshore there were six Shags, eight Turnstones, a Whimbrel and Meadow Pipit.

At Parson's Lodge battery there were five Gannets offshore, a Little Egret, a Sandwich Tern, a Jackdaw, a Blackcap, two Blackbirds, a Black Redstart and a Blue Rock Thrush.

01 Mar:  Clear skies with a moderate to fresh west to north west wind.

Two Siskins were observed at the Frontier fence.  The Moroccan White Wagtail is still present at Europa Point, and a Magpie was seen there as well.

An evening watch at Europa Point produced four Gannets, two Cormorants, and 50 Black-headed Gulls.  Also seen were raptors that figure in totals below.

In the Nature Reserve there were 11 Chiffchaffs, a Great Tit, a Blue Tit, two Blackcaps, six Sardinian Warblers, four Blackbirds, a Wren and three Greenfinches.

A trickle of raptors throughout the day again due to northerly winds until 17:00hrs when a spectacular arrival of Short-toed Eagles crossed north until sundown.

Totals for the day were 373 Short-toed Eagles, three Marsh Harriers, two Booted Eagles, 11 Sparrowhawks, 48 Black Kites and six Lesser Kestrels.  Also seen were six Swallows and a Pallid Swift.