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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 8h

The 1st Birding Two Continents tour of autumn was a triumph! In Morocco: Moroccan Marsh Owls, Terns, Gulls & Moussier’s Redstart over tea in the Rif. In Spain: Northern Bald Ibis, Rüppell’s Vultures, migrating Black Storks, Booted & Short-toed Eagles, 3 Bonelli’s, and a young Spanish Imperial Eagle

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Dropping Levante winds brought migration down to eye level for our Naturetrek guests! Tally included 1,096 Booted Eagles, 367 Short-toed Eagles & 52 Egyptian Vultures. Sheltering in key valleys revealed a Rüppell’s Vulture, Lesser Spotted Eagle & Gibraltar Buzzard! #FlywayBirding #ShowMeTheHoney

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Peak #FlywayBirding with saw 28,422 soaring migrants cross between 7-13 Sept! The volume of birds brought intimate views of Booted Eagles, Short-toed Eagles, Black Kites, Egyptian Vultures, Black and White Storks, Montagu’s Harriers & European Honey Buzzards! #ShowMeTheHoney

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Strong Levante winds made crossing The Straits a challenge. Our group has been right in the flow with jaw-dropping, eye-level views of European Honey Buzzards, Egyptian Vultures, Booted Eagles, Black Storks & Montagu’s Harriers (incl. 2 dark morphs)! #FlywayBirding #ShowMeTheHoney

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Strong Levante winds have locked migration in The Straits! Guests are in the thick of swirling Booted Eagles, Egyptian Vultures & Storks. Proximity is amazing, with low-level European Honey Buzzards - breathtaking encounters! #FlywayBirding #ShowMeTheHoney #IngloriousBustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

West winds brought unexpected rain yesterday, halting migration over The Straits mid-flow. Grounded European Honey Buzzard & Black Kites waited out the downpour. As skies cleared, thousands poured overhead for their cloaca-clenching crossing! This is the heart of #FlywayBirding 🦅🌊

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

With the wind now shifting to a poniente, the eastern side of The Straits is pumping! As the wind turns, it changes the departure point to the east. A steady stream of raptors all day, including over 5,000 Black Kites attempting to cross the divide in just one hour. #Birding #Raptors

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Glorious Bustards, Duck-filled Days and Eagle-icious Views! A week of top-tier birding in the Serranía de Ronda 2026 From the dramatic peaks of the Serranía de Ronda to the vast steppe plains of Osuna, read all… ingloriousbustards.com/2026/08/04/w…

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The migration party is in full swing in Tarifa! Tens of thousands of White Storks ride thermals into The Straits. Here, the *Milanada*—a mass of Black Kites seen only where continents meet—darkens the sky, with 2,000+ attempting the crossing yesterday. #IngloriousBustards #FlywayBirding #Tarifa

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Dawn on our bespoke day tour! 🍇 5 singing Rufous-tailed Scrub Robins in organic vineyards. Pure magic watching them fan that fiery, bold chestnut tail. Agricultural intensification are wiping out the insects they need to survive, causing steep declines. Sustainable land stewardship is key. 🪶✨

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

The ultimate flyway melee! Yesterday was one for the books: thousands of European Honey Buzzards overhead, followed by a feeding frenzy of Griffon Vultures just meters away. This is what birding in the Strait is all about! 🇪🇸🙌 #IngloriousBustards #Birding #MigrationMagic #GriffonVulture #HoneyBuzzard

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Spring passage is in full swing! Black #Kites & Short-toed #Eagles are crossing The Straits despite adverse weather. White Storks are joined by the rarer Black #Storks, while Common #Cranes patrol the rice fields. Our Northern Bald Ibis have now arrived at their nesting cliffs! 🦅🤘 #BirdMigration 🇪🇸🦅

Northern Bald Ibis ©️ Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

The VIP guest list is out! 🐦✨ Our day at Llanos de Osuna was a full-blown Bustard Party. We had front-row seats for 21 Great and 5 Little Bustards displaying, leaping, and marching! Black-bellied Sandgrouse even swung by to crash the bash. 🇪🇸 #Birding #Spain #Wildlife #Nature

Great Bustards Marchin´ already! ©️ Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Spring has broken in The Straits! 🌸🦅 The first Black Kites are crossing from Africa, joined by Barn Swallows, House Martins, and majestic White Storks. Witness the greatest show on earth with our migration tours: www.ingloriousbustards.com #IngloriousBustards #TheStraits #Migration #Birding

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Despite storms and resulting issues, inventive guiding ensured our guests had a great time! From White-headed Ducks and Black-necked Grebes to bugling Common Cranes, Great and Little Bustards, Black Wheatears and 100+ Rock Petronia. + Excellent vegan food at Hotel Bandolero! #IngloriousBustards

Common Chiffchaff ©️ Inglorious Bustards

Black-winged Stilts ©️ Inglorious Bustards

Short-toed Treecreeper ©️ Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Despite #BorrascaLeonardo, birding was electric! ⛈️ Lowland wetlands held White-headed Ducks, Greater Flamingos & Black-necked Grebes. First returning Barn Swallows & House Martins joined passage Eurasian Crag Martins, as a Bonelli’s Eagle smashed into Black-winged Stilts! 🦅

Eurasian Crag Martin ©️ Inglorious Bustards

Black-necked Grebe ©️ Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Spectacular day on the llanos de Osuna! Dodged the weather to see 9 Little & 26 Great Bustards. Hen Harriers quartered the plains flushing Calandra Larks while Red Kites & Black-winged Kites patrolled above - all before the storms returned! ingloriousbustards.com/serrania-de-ronda…

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Mountain birding in the Andalucía rain! ⛈️⛰️ Bushes full of Rock, Corn & Cirl Buntings, while Black Wheatears & Blue Rock Thrushes braved the storms with us. The woods were buzzing with Crested Tits & Common Firecrests. Niki's right: “If you don’t go out, you don’t see owt!” 🔭 #BirdSky #Andalucía

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Spring is here at The Straits! Despite Atlantic storms, migration is on. White Storks are returning from sub-Sahara (Nov–Feb). 🗓️ Black Kites: Accelerate mid-Feb; peak early March. 🗓️ Short-toed Eagles: Late Feb; adults early March. Don’t get Flyway FOMO! ingloriousbustards.com/honey-buzzar...

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

The Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill is without doubt one of the most emblematic & distinctive and one of Africa’s largest #Hornbills. It can be hard to find, keeping to foraging often among the savannah long grass - we were particularly fortunate to encounter them foraging very close to our group!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

There are myriad of colourful #Birds in The #Gambia and some of the most dazzling are the Bee-eaters! We were surrounded by a large group of feeding Northern Carmine Bee-eaters a truly magical experience!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

One of the standout #shorebirds of any tour here in The #Gambia is the stop-the-clock gorgeous Egyptian #Plover - we ended up venerating 14 different amazing individuals! #FlywayBirding #EgyptianPlover

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Among the marshes and mangrove creeks of The #Gambia there are ornithological gems to be encountered and marvelled - here are some of them we encountered yesterday ☺️ #FlywayBirding White-throated Bee-eater, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Goliath Heron and juvenile White-backed Night Heron😊

White-throated Bee-eater ©️Inglorious Bustards

Blue-breasted Kingfisher ©️Inglorious Bustards

White-backed Night Heron ©️Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Of all the amazing #Bird groups here in The #Gambia, the #Coraciiformes are among some of the most striking, and here are some of them we have already had joyous encounters with! #FlywayBirding #Birding #AfricanBirds #africanature

Blue-bellied Roller © Inglorious Bustards

Malachite Kingfisher © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

We arrived in The #Gambia the next month we will be not only guiding but continuing our conservation work with The Gambian Birdwatchers Association - absolute delight to see resident and migratory #Birds using the mangrove restoration we funded and planned together!

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Storm #Claudia brought record Leach's Petrels to The #Straits this week! We ventured north with Spanish Imperial Eagle on the edge of the storm on the #Llanos and an awesome encounter with the largest Dendrocopos Woodpecker - White-backed Woodpecker in northern forests #FlywayBirding

White-backed Woodpecker ©️ inglorious Bustards

Spanish Imperial Eagle ©️ Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

On our recent #BirdingTwoContinents tour this #Osprey flew over us on the fabled Merja Zerga lagoon in #Morocco We now know that she was ringed by Roy Dennis at a nest near Loch Insh in #Scotland on 10/7/18 - this is the first time she has been recorded in over 7 years since her first migration!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

One of the delights of mountain #Birding here this time of the year is watching huge noisy #ChoughNados - Red-billed Choughs! They can form huge groups leaving or coming to roost - a memorable and mesmerising encounter last week with a group of 143 of these fabulous corvids leaving a roost!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Griffon Vultures crossing The #Straits yesterday- pure migratory magic! ….or youth dispersal magic 😉 1,687 Griffon Vultures crossed over our heads!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

We have taken to the mountains once again and among Rock Buntings, Black Wheatears and Blue Rock Thrushes whilst European Black Vulture among Griffon Vultures as a Chough-nado of 143 Red-billed Chough noisily circled over and 2 Ring Ouzel among the juniper scrub

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

The local #Vulture colonies are jumping at the moment with young Griffon Vultures making their way to The #Straits to cross to Africa! Among the masses we found two critically endangered vagrant immature Rüppell´s #Vultures ! #FlywayBirding

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

#VultureMayhem as nearly 5 metric tonnes of Griffon Vultures stage to cross the divide between Europe and Africa here at The #Straits of Gibraltar!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Our guests were under c.5 metric tonnes of Griffon Vultures gathering overhead to cross The #Straits yesterday! 556 Griffon Vultures crossed with Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagles, Booted Eagle, Osprey and a juvenile European Honey Buzzard. #FlywayBirding

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

This ringed Caspian #Tern we encountered recently on our #BirdingTwoContinents #Tour on the fabled Merga Zerja lagoon in #Morocco was ringed as a chick on the Kvädö peninsula in Sweden! 3,101km away, 7 years and 118 days before our observation! #FlywayBirding

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Arrival day for our guests yesterday and our first area to explore on our #Ronda and The #Straits tour is the #mountains! Here we were greeted by masses of Black #Redstarts and White #Wagtails seeking lower altitudes. #FlywayBirding

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

Early winter vibes here in The #Straits with squadrons of young Griffon #Vultures making their way across the continental divide and into #Africa as a massive flow of passerine migration is also clearly underway! Common Eider is back for a 2nd yr, Pipits, Wagtails and Finches are pouring over!

Slender-billed Gulls © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

First new #Bird of our final day in #Morocco 🇲🇦and what a stunning view of this Black-crowned (Hooded)#Tchagra

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

1st leg of our #Moroccan section of our #BirdingonTwoContinents tour has been magic! Greeting us and arriving Short-toed Eagles into Africa were African Blue Tits, African Chaffinch and Common Bulbuls. The fabled Merga Zerja lagoon gave us magical encounters with #Gulls, #Terns and #Shorebirds!

Lesser Crested Term © Inglorious Bustards

Slender-billed Gull © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

We encountered with glee on our #BirdingTwoContinents tour this week the stunning 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐛 𝐎𝐰𝐥! On mtDNA it has been shown to be sister to the fairly genetically homogeneous Tawny Owl of Europe. This species is darker and markedly larger than Tawny Owl with a 20% bigger wingspan. #FlywayBirding

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

El parque de Reina Sofía #LaLinea is jumping right now! Fab urban #flyway #Birding before farewells at #Gibraltar Airport Encounters with Common #Redstarts and both European Pied and Spotted #Flycatchers - the park an ornithological gold mine and absolutely buzzing with migrant #Birds!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

We moved from the campo with thousands of mesmerising Spanish Sparrows to #UrbanBirding in #Tarifa. Here a Little Owl peered at us and the loneliest Common Bulbul in the world hung out with us! As the rain stopped it was time for hundreds of Booted and Short-toed #Eagles to pour out over #Tarifa

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Great day among the #Marismas of the western end of The Straits yesterday among a mass of migratory #Shorebirds Spotted Redshanks, Wood Sandpipers, Ruff and masses of Little Stint among many highlights as Greater Flamingoes, Slender-billed Gulls and Caspian Terns also delighted our guests.

Black-winged Stilt © Inglorious Bustards

Greater Flamingoes © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

608 Booted Eagles & 339 Short-toed Eagles soared just overhead and at eye level and out over The #Straits onto #Africa beyond. Alongside European Honey Buzzards, Black #Kites, Egyptian #Vultures, groups of both Black & White #Storks A vagrant Atlas Long-legged (North African) Buzzard too!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Mega #StraitsBirding day among #Shorebirds here y´day - The first #Bird we got our optics on was a vagrant Lesser Yellowlegs alongside Ruff, Wood Sandpipers, Little Stints & Curlew Sandpipers. Migrant passerines - European Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchat and Northern Wheatear

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

With the strong levante wind making the crossing of The #Straits even more challenging for soaring migratory #Birds many have been cruising the coast looking for a way to cross or lingering in the campo waiting for their moment. This stunning rare dark morph Montagu´s Harrier was among them!

Dark morph Montagu´s Harrier © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

With a moderate to strong levante we positioned ourselves at the sweet spot where those attempting the crossing would come low over us. European Honey Buzzards, Booted & Short-toed #Eagles, Egyptian #Vultures, Montagu´s #Harriers + more, a spectacular #FlywayBirding experience for our guests!

European Honey Buzzard © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

The levante kicked in and so we took ourselves to the Western side of The Straits among an ever increasing passage of #Shorebirds In the campo Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Common Redstarts and Northern Wheatears arrive on their own journey! #FlywayBirding

Common Ringed Plover © Inglorious Bustards

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Yesterday Short-toed and Booted #Eagles lingered before taking the leap into The #Straits right out from our watchpoint joined by Egyptian #Vultures and Black #Storks and then the #HoneyTrain began to flow! European Honey Buzzards storming out over The divide and our gathered optics!

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

The campo was also hopping with small migratory passerines like this European Pied Flycatcher

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IngloriousBustards.bsky.social @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

The nearby #wetlands were teaming with migratory #Shorebirds - Curlew Sandpipers, Ruff, Red Knot, Whimbrel among the masses.

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