News from the Strait of Messina

A stunning Pallid Harrier! Weather is still perturbated with strong wind, clouds, rain and even snowfall! Impressive high waves are breaking against the shore. However raptors are passing the same. This male Pallid Harrier migrated today at the Strait of Messina together with dozens of Black Kites and Marsh Harriers (picture by Giovanni Cumbo). 

Griffon vultures and water

Usually we think that raptors don't like water (and it is true!). However our friends Alan Pittana and Elisa Moretti from Trieste took amazing pictures of Griffon Vultures swimming in a river in Western Spain (here below). It is really impressive to see pictures of griffons freely going into the deep water! This behaviour is probably linked to the necessity of vultures to clean themselves from parasites taken when feeding on carcasses.

Swimming griffon

This stunning sequence was taken by Juan Ramirez some weeks ago at the Strait of Gibraltar. Despite the Strait is only 14 km wide at its narrowest point, the largest raptors find serious difficulties to use flapping flight to overcome it. During the flight across the Strait it is not rare that some vultures or eagles died in the attempt of crossing the Strait. This time a Griffon Vulture fell into the sea but he was not discouraged and he reached the coast "swimming"!  The bird survived and when it dried up it flew away showing an amazing case of how any individuals fight for its survival.

News from the Strait of Messina

In these days we are recording the late passage of raptors at the Strait of Messina, mostly Honey Buzzards even if not exceeding some hundred of individuals per day. While here below a nice picture taken by Giovanni Cumbo of an Osprey in migration  carrying  a fish for his breakfast. 

News from the Strait of Gibraltar

Here below two beautiful pictures taken by Juan Ramirez at the Strait of Gibraltar. The first one was taken yesterday at the Los Lances beach and shows an adult Egyptian vulture. The other one shows an exhausted Griffon vulture just arrived on the European side of the Strait.

News from the Strait of Gibraltar

The 28th of October was a great migration day at the Strait of Gibraltar. Our friends Juan Ramirez and Rachid El Khamlichi have counted the striking number of 2500 Griffon Vultures from the Moroccan coast! Vultures approached the African coast in a sunny day with a weak westerly wind. Together with them two Rüppell's Vultures. Here following the amazing pictures taken by Juan Ramirez:

Pallid Harriers

Here following some amazing pictures taken by Yeray Seminario at our watchpoint at the Strait of Messina during last spring migration. Raptors in the pictures are Pallid Harriers. This species has been observed in good numbers last spring with 75 individuals counted. Moreover also 74 individuals were observed belonging to the unidentified group of Montagu's/Pallid Harrier. The peak day was the 12 April with 28 identified Pallid harriers.

Short-toed Snake Eagles

Here following an amazing sequence of a "discussion" between an adult and an immature short-toed snake eagles. The pictures were taken by Ugo Ferrero in April close to Taranto in south-eastern Italy.

Wintering common buzzards

Here following some pictures of common buzzards wintering in the beautiful Lake of Campotosto (by our friend Eliseo Strinella). This lake is located in the Laga mountains, Central Italy, inside the Gran Sasso-Laga National Park.

Fledgling raptors

In these days chicks of many raptor species are growing fast and in the next days they'll leave their nests. In the pictures below young Kestrels in nest boxes and a nest of Black Kites photographed by Marco Trotta in the coastal area south of Rome (Central Italy).

Passage of Buteo spp. over Marettimo (Sicily)

In the field of the "Raptor Migration Project" coordinated by LIPU BirdLife, our friend Giovanni Cumbo made a whole month of observations at the wonderful island of Marettimo (Western Sicily). Among the observed raptors he counted some individuals of Buteo spp., that are scarce migrants across the Central Mediterranean area. Those birds were Common Buzzards but also Steppe Buzzards and Long-legged Buzzards. Here follow some pictures taken by Giovanni in Marettimo.

Spectacular migration of Griffon Vultures at the Strait of Gibraltar

In November at the Strait of Gibraltar a very singular and spectacular event takes place: the migration of the Griffon Vultures. These birds are large and heavy and they are not made to fly over water surfaces. Therefore they wait on the spanish side of the Strait for a sunny day without wind to attempt the crossing and reach Africa. Unfortunately we are in November and days in good weather conditions are not common. As a result it is not rare the catch the sight of huge flocks of vultures flying over the hills between the towns of Tarifa and Algeciras. Up to 1000 of Griffon Vultures together is an incredible sight, as you can see from the pictures below. To see more pictures click here: Michele Panuccio Blog.

Booted Eagles at the Strait of Messina

Here following an amazing picture of a juvenile Booted Eagle made at the Strait of Messina by Giuseppe Martino. November is a month were tens, or even hundreds, individuals of this species cross the Strait to winter in Sicily. This autumn good numbers of eagles were observed also in late October passing over the Airport of Reggio Calabria.

Pictures of Indian raptors - by Sunil Singhal

Here below some beautiful pictures of birds, mostly raptors, made in India by Sunil Singhal. These photos show Black Kites, Montagu's Harriers, White-Eyed Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Sirkeer Malkoha. Pictures were made in Sorsan Blackbuck Sanctuary and another places near Kota, Kota, Rajasthan.

Acrobatic falcons

On the photographic blog of Michele Panuccio a slideshow on the Eleonora's Falcon colony of Andros has been posted. To see it click on the pictures below.

Greetings from Kenya

Our friends Nicoletta Dominicis and Giorgio Busacchi have sent us pictures of two beautiful birds of prey that they have photographed in Kenya. Here below a Secretary Bird in the Savanna and a Tawny Eagle.

Red-handed Marsh Harrier

Here following a nice picture of a Marsh Harrier that is eating eggs in a nest inside a reeds. The picture was made, some days ago, in Apulia (southern Italy) in the Lake Salso wetland. In that area Marsh Harrier is a common species during spring migration (ph.M.Caldarella-CSN).

Photographic report Batumi 2011

On the photographic blog of Michele Panuccio a report on the autumn migration at Batumi, Georgia, has been posted. The pictures show aspects of raptor migration and human threats (poaching and trapping). To see it click on the picture below.

Photographic report spring 2011

On the photographic blog of Michele Panuccio a report on spring migration at the Strait of Gibraltar and at the island of Panarea has been posted. To see it click on the picture below.

Gulls vs. Peregrine Falcon

From Ustica a nice action shot of a mobbing scene.