MIGRATION HOTSPOTS
We’ve all heard of the likes of Spurn, Tarifa and Falsterbo, but what about some of the lesser known but equally spectacular migration bottlenecks? David Lindo investigates…
It has taken me years to work out that my favourite season for birding is actually the autumn. Now, I do love the spring and all that entails, there’s also a lot to be said about summer, and winter can be full of surprises, too. But there is something about the light, the smells, and the fact that, traditionally, it is summer melding into winter, that marks autumn out from all the other seasons. But it’s the autumnal migration that really is so exciting. Like many birders, I am out birding the whole time, regardless of whether the winds and general weather are good for migration. Because, as we know so well, anything can turn up, anywhere, at any time.
When I realised, as a junior birder, that autumn migration was an actual thing, I’d initially thought that birds just poured down south from the north, like treacle trickling over a steamed pudding. Although there is an element of truth in that culinary comparison, in reality there are certain flightpaths that migratory birds take in order to have the smoothest and easiest time migrating. Indeed, most migratory birds follow established flight paths that their ancestors have traversed for eons. Europe is poorly served by established flight paths if you were to compare them with the networks of flight lines covering the Americas and Asia. There are three main migrational paths emanating from the north/ north-east into western Russia and Asia.
Unfortunately, none dissect Britain, with the nearest one to us starting in Scandinavia, skirting northern France, before dipping into Spain through to North Africa. But, that being said, there are recognised locations in Europe and North Africa where birders, ornithologists studying the movements, and the birds themselves flock to while en route south. It must be said that these locations may not necessarily be used in the same way during the spring. Some species choose different routes and if they do migrate through the autumn watchpoints, the movement of birds is hurried and often featuring individuals or small groups as opposed to huge flocks.
There are several very famous sites where the spectacle of migrating birds can be an almost biblical experience. Sites like Sweden’s Falsterbo, Batumi in Georgia, Tarifa, Spain and Eilat, Israel all spring to mind. But indulge me as I introduce you to some of my favourite, lesser known migration hotspots around Europe and the Mediterranean area.
CAPE PEÑAS (CABO DE PEÑAS), ASTURIAS, SPAIN
This headland is the northernmost cape of the Principality of Asturias. The main feature here is cliffs that exceed 328 feet in height,
