Motacilla flava
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Places › Northern shore · Watchpoint
El Algarrobo watchpoint
Algeciras · 36.09° N, 5.48° W
A viewpoint above the N-340 between Algeciras and Tarifa, overlooking the eastern front of the Strait. On westerlies, soaring birds approach the sea here and cross towards Ceuta. A Programa Migres watchpoint in autumn.
- 185
- bird species
- 1905–2025
- first and last open record
within about 2.5 km · Natural Earth cartography, public domain
90 % of the records are from 2012 onwards.
September
What to watch this week
The species with the largest share of their open observations in these weeks of the year, here (week 37 and its two neighbours). A likelihood, not a promise: observations measure effort as well as presence.
67% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalOspreyPandion haliaetusPhoto: froggymum, CC BY
65% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantSand MartinRiparia ripariaPhoto: Вячеслав Юсупов, CC BY
64% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantCommon RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusPhoto: Сергей Неклюдов, CC BY
61% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalAlpine SwiftApus melbaPhoto: Paul F Donald, CC BY-SA
61% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentSpanish Imperial EagleAquila adalbertiPhoto: Antonio Lucio Carrasco Gómez, CC BY-SA 3.0
58% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalWesthern Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosusPhoto: Artem Kuznetsov, CC BY
57% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantWillow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusPhoto: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5
57% of its observations here fall in these weeks
Where to watch today
Forecast wind at Algarrobo, 10:00–16:00
9km/h from the SW
Gusts
30 km/h
Light poniente: crossing in the east
A westerly shifts the passage east. Soaring birds approach the sea between Algeciras, Punta Carnero and Gibraltar, and cross towards Ceuta and Jbel Musa.
Watchpoint: Algarrobo and Punta Carnero
Forecast for Tuesday 8 September, Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). A reading, not a prediction of passage.
The ones that define the place
Species more concentrated here than in the rest of the Strait: their share of observations at the place divided by their share across the whole area. An index of 3 means three times more frequent here than expected.
Most observed birds
Birds with 30 or more open records within the site radius. It measures observation effort as well as presence.
- Booted Eagle13,051
European Honey Buzzard8,784
Short-toed Snake Eagle8,121
Black Kite6,805
Eurasian Sparrowhawk4,855
Egyptian Vulture3,435
Griffon Vulture2,302
Common Chaffinch1,535
Each species' line is its weekly distribution here; the vertical tick is the current week.
The place's calendar
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
55 %
SO
N
D
Protection
- Reserva de la Biosfera Intercontinental del Mediterráneo
Important Bird Area (IBA)
Outside every IBA, right next to Sierras del Bujeo, Ojén, del Niño y Blanquilla: 0.7 km.
Inventory kept by SEO/BirdLife within BirdLife International's IBA programme. It is not a legal protection status, but it carries weight in impact assessments and in court.
Natura 2000 network
The point is not inside any Natura 2000 site.
How to watch
A viewpoint above the N-340 between Algeciras and Tarifa, overlooking the eastern front of the Strait. On westerlies, soaring birds approach the sea here and cross towards Ceuta. A Programa Migres watchpoint in autumn.
- The colonies on Isla Verde and Isla de las Palomas are watched from a distance. Binoculars and telescope, no approach.
- No drones over islands, breakwaters or docks: they flush the birds and are forbidden in the port domain without authorisation.
Other places
- Cazalla
- Isla de las Palomas
- Los Lances
- Punta Carnero
- Palmones
- Isla Verde
- Getares
- Flysch
- Sierra de la Plata
- La Janda
- Punta Cires
- Jbel Musa
- Ceuta
- Cabo Espartel
CC0 and CC BY records from GBIF and OBIS in the own database, deduplicated, within about 2.5 km of the point. Natura 2000 sites from the European Environment Agency. Protection designations as currently in force; no legal value. 8 September 2026.