31 Dec:  A count at Europa Point produced 65 Black-headed Gulls and two Shags.

A inshore boat trip around the Rock produced eight Cormorants, four Shags, a Kingfisher, six Razorbills and five Sandwich Terns.

30 Dec:  At Little Bay there were three Barbary Partridges, four Black Redstarts, a Grey Heron, a Shag and three Razorbills, and Europa Point held a Razorbill,  four Shags and a Sandwich Tern.

29 Dec:  Two Razorbills near the shore at Little Bay.

28 Dec:  The Osprey was seen again at the western end of the runway.

26 Dec:  Razorbills seen around Gibraltar with two at Little Bay, two at Europa Point, two off western end of the runway and singles off Gorham's and the Detached Mole.  The Sparrowhawk was seen again at Windmill Hill.

24 Dec:  Five Razorbills off Little Bay, and one in Rosia Bay.  Seven Cormorants on Little Bay rocks.  

21 Dec:  Some cloud and levanter cloud over the  Rock, with sunny spells in the afternoon.  Winds light easterly.

Windmill Hill

Rosia Bay held a Grey Heron and four Sandwich Terns, with Little Bay recording a Cormorant, three Razorbills and three Sandwich Terns.  There were five Sandwich Terns at the Small Boats Marina

19 Dec:  Overcast skies with levanter cloud over the Rock town and harbour and Strait area, with some sunny spells away from the Rock.

In the afternoon between Camp and Little bays, there were three Cormorants, a Whimbrel, five Razorbills and five Sandwich Terns.

Whimbrel

Med Gull 2nd/w

Razorbills

At Europa Point a single Gannet, a Cormorant, three Shags, 12 Black-headed Gulls and nine Mediterranean Gulls.

18 Dec:  Clear skies early in the morning in a light variable wind becoming moderate easterly mid morning with levanter cloud increasing.  Sunny spells in the afternoon with increasing easterly cloud.

An evening watch at Europa point produced seven Gannets, seven Cormorants, four Shags, two Black-headed Gulls, three Mediterranean Gulls, a Kittiwake, a Common Sandpiper, two Razorbills, two Black Redstarts, three Serins, a Greenfinch and eight Goldfinches.  On the Aloes behind the Mosque there were nine Chiffchaffs, a Sardinian Warbler, a Stonechat and three Goldfinches.

First winter Black-legged Kittiwake at Europa Point.                   R. Perez

17 Dec:  Light showers overnight but a dry morning with some cloud and sunny spells increasing.  Winds moderate westerly.

The Little Bay area held 10 Cormorants, two Shags, a Sandwich Tern and two Chiffchaffs in the surrounding vegetation.  there were another two Chiffchaffs and a Common Sandpiper by the waterfall.

A Grey Phalarope was found dead at Sandy Bay.

An early afternoon watch at Europa Point produced two Cormorants below the Point with a flock of seven heading west, two Shags, 12 Black-headed Gulls, 15 Mediterranean Gulls and a Sandwich Tern.

Two of the flock of seven Cormorants heading west over Europa Point.                       C. Perez

16 Dec:  Overcast skies in the morning with prolonged showers with sunny spells in the afternoon as clouds broke up Winds moderate westerly becoming moderate north-westerly.

There were three Sandwich Terns and a Gannet at Rosia bay.  Camp Bay and Little Bay held three Gannets three Sandwich Terns and a Shag and two Cormorants were resting on Little bay rocks.

An afternoon visit to Europa Point produced eight Gannets, 10 Black-headed Gulls, thirty-three Mediterranean Gulls, including a second winter bird with a French ring,  six Sandwich Terns and two Razorbills.

Second winter Mediterranean Gull with a green colour ring on the left leg, and a metal ring on the right leg.  Colour code comes from French ringing scheme.

Mediterranean Gull R4TX data from France.

At Waterport there were three Gannets, seven Cormorants, 11 Black-headed Gulls, a Lesser Crested Tern and four Sandwich Terns.  Also a dead Yellow-legged Gull floating on the sea and a sick individual also there.

In the evening at Europa Point two Balearic Shearwaters and three Razorbills apart from the gulls feeding below the Point and Gannets offshore.

A Razorbill was rescued from the GSLA Pavilion where a Sandwich Tern and a Little Egret were also seen.

15 Dec:  Overcast skies with showers from the west in a fresh to strong westerly wind.

An afternoon  visit to Europa Point produced eight Gannets, a Shag, 15 Black-headed Gulls, 44 Mediterranean Gulls, an Audouin's Gull, 10 Sandwich Terns, six Razorbills and a Grey Phalarope.

14 Dec:  Overcast skies with a fresh westerly and rain showers in the morning with a break in rain after midday and showers continuing into the evening with winds becoming strong westerly.

A sporadic watch at Europa Point in the morning produced 14 Gannets, a Shag, 8 Black-headed Gulls and 10 Mediterranean Gulls, and 8 Sandwich Terns. 

An hours watch in the afternoon from Europa Point produced 6 Gannets, an Arctic Skua, two Shags, six Razorbills, 10 Black-headed Gulls, 40 Mediterranean Gulls, two Kittiwakes, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, six Audouin's Gulls and 54 Sandwich Terns, with most birds heading west into the Bay and just a few feeding below the Point.

12 Dec:  Cloudy with rain showers from the west and some sunny intervals after midday.  Winds strong westerly.

A quick visit to Europa Point saw three Gannets, five Black-headed Gulls, eight Mediterranean Gulls and three Sandwich Terns.

11 Dec:  Overcast skies with gale force south-westerly and heavy rain showers in the morning.  Showers continuing in the afternoon but winds eased off to a fresh south-westerly with sunny spells.

An afternoon watch at Europa Point produced two Balearic Shearwaters,18 Gannets, a Cormorant, two Shags, 18 Black-headed Gulls, four Mediterranean Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, two Audouin's Gulls, and in the surrounding scrub four Chiffchaffs, two Black Redstarts and a Stonechat.

There was a feeding frenzy of approximately 50 Gannets 100 metres offshore at Eastern Beach.

10 Dec:  Westerly clouds and sunny periods in a moderate north-westerly wind.

At least four Gannets, 15 Black-headed Gulls and 30 Mediterranean Gulls were seen at Europa Point.

08 Dec:  Overcast skies with a light variable wind, with light easterlies and low levanter cloud in the morning changing to moderate to fresh south-westerly in the afternoon with rain showers.

A Sparrowhawk, apparently a wintering bird, was seen over Windmill Hill, and the two Ravens were observed over Tovey Cottage.

06 Dec:  Cloudy with some showers from the west clearing to give sunny spells in the afternoon.  Winds moderate westerly.

Razorbills present at Waterport and two at Catalan Bay.

05 Dec:  Overcast skies with levanter cloud but winds turning to westerly in the afternoon.  Some heavy showers.

 Two Razorbills in Rosia bay.

04 Dec:  Overcast skies with heavy  levanter cloud over the Rock in a light to moderate easterly.

Three Sandwich Terns were present at Rosia Bay.  A couple of hundred Crag Martins have roosted on the window sills of Harbour Views residential complex, possibly sheltering from the easterlies.

Crag Martins ready to roost at Harbour Views.          J. Mesilio.

In the last few days there have been reports of dead Razorbills washed up along the shoreline in the Bay and Spanish beaches close by.

03 Dec:  Overcast skies with low levanter cloud.  Some drizzle in a light easterly wind.

A Grey Heron was present at GSLA Pavilion.  A Sandwich Tern present at Rosia Bay.  A Short-toed Eagle was seen over the Rock heading west.

A Lesser Crested Tern was captured entangled in fishing line along the western end of the runway.  It was later released and flew well.

Lesser Crested Tern rescued entangled in fishing line.        N. Ramos

02 Dec:  Cloudy with levanter and westerly cloud, and some sunny spells in a moderate easterly wind.

A Kingfisher was present on the rocks by the small boats marina.  The four Jackdaws were present around the Moorish Castle.

01 Dec:  Overcast skies with rain showers overnight and early morning, and some more rain in the afternoon.  Levanter cloud forming in the morning in a fresh easterly wind.