EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD Migration

By DAN FORDER WILDLIFE (@DanFWildlife)

Male Honey Buzzard flying in off the Mediterranean sea on spring migration,
at Atalaya Isdabe, Estepona, Spain. 15/05/22

On the 15th of May, the wind was blowing through the western Mediterranean quite strongly from the west - this can cause migrant raptors heading north, attempting to cross the sea at the Strait of Gibratar, to drift eastwards, missing their targets of Gibraltar or Tarifa, & instead making 'landfall' further east along the Costa del Sol. Positioned about 70km north-east, at Atalaya Isdabe, Estepona, I was able to watch good numbers of European Honey Buzzards come in off the sea, pass over the coastal urban areas, & continue on their way north into Andalucia, with this one passing low & close enough to me for a decent photo.

They continued to come in to the bay here on a few days throughout the week depending on the wind, usually in small groups, but numbers stated to fizzle-out by the end of the week - in past years it has usually the week prior that I've watched 'Honeys' arriving in this area, but as with most migrants this year, they seem to be a little late.

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