SW 9.4 - ** Santuario de la Luz Tarifa Why visit?
– Raptor & general migration – plus a chance of ‘extras’ such as Ruppell’s Vulture & Rufous Bushchat. é - good viewing along roads; fair paths around the santuario If you approach from the south (i.e. off the N340 Vejer-Tarifa road) scan the fields along the first part of the route carefully as Little Bustard have been reported here. Check all larks carefully as both Crested and Thekla occur. The cactus ‘hedgerow’ here is also reputed to hold, or rather conceal, Rufous Bushchat (I’ve yet to find them here, but others have done so). The rocky slopes in the distance to the west behind Tarifa hold the area’s few remaining Black Wheatear. The hills can be explored via the tracks off this road but a 4x4 is needed. The santuario is a small ecclesiastical building surrounded by trees (often a welcome oasis of shade and where you can enjoy an ice-cream from the kiosk in its grounds). Naturally the cover attracts migrants (e.g. Golden Oriole, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, etc), but it can be busy with picnickers at weekends. The scrub nearby is also another reputed location for Rufous Bushchat although in my experience you’re more likely to see little more than Woodchat Shrike. During migration periods raptors often funnel along this valley so watching from the shade of the santuario, although it limits your view, can be good. Vultures often seen spiralling down towards the watchpoint noted under SW9 – I caught up with my first Ruppell’s here so I like the place! Further along the road towards the Ojen valley it becomes more rugged, but there are a number of tracks that could be explored on foot. When you reach the road near Facinas you can either go left for Bolonia (SW8), or La Janda (SW7) or right for the Ojen valley (SW14); both options are worth while. Access: Turn north off the N 340/E 5 at 78.5km by prominent white ‘gateposts’. Alternatively, if approaching from the Facinas – Ojen valley road turn south onto the road signposted for the Santuario.
SW 10 Migration Watchpoints (N 340/E 5 Tarifa – Algeciras road). Why visit? – Stunning raptor passage – one of the great ornithological spectacles of Europe. é - some viewpoints have poor access but anywhere you can pull off may produce good views of raptors
See also:Introduction for chart on raptor migration. Sites SW8, SW 9.2 & SW 9.3 for migration during easterly winds & in westerlies E9 El Higueron & G1 -Gibraltar ▪ Check -‘Foundacion Migres' (www.fondacionmigres.org) website (if reactivated) for information on this area & raptor migration (in Spanish)
In recent years a series of watchpoints under the aegis of the ‘Migres’ programme have been establish long the Straits (although the current economic crisis has slashed support for this organisation with an inevitable impact on its activities). Those watchpoints along the N340 are best treated as a single linear site (those to the west of Tarifa - Bolonia, La Pena and Playa de los Lances - and to the east – Puntas Camero & Secreta, near Algeciras - have been treated separately). Each site has its own character and idiosyncrasies. Two major factors need to be considered when using and visiting these sites. The first is wind direction – broadly, in easterlies head for sites to the west and around Tarifa and in westerlies head for sites nearer Algeciras. The second consideration is whether sites are north or south of the N340. If north they can usually only be accessed safely if travelling from the direction of Algeciras and if south then arriving from Tarifa is better (see individual sites for details). This is because the N340 is extremely busy with few places where you can safely change direction (El Pelayo is one).