Bald-Headed Ibis, Geronticus eremite, found in the Province of Cadiz Spain.

In 2014, we made an excursion to try and find a Bald-Headed Ibis, sometimes referred to as a Waldrapp. This would entail visiting Vejer de la Frontera in the Cadiz province of Spain. The main focus was to find some and then photograph these scarce birds.

To reiterate what we said then, they are critically endangered. Following the Spanish re-introduction program, they are still found in Morocco and now Spain. They also existed in Syria in small numbers, but the last few years have obviously been bad for the Syrian birds, and as of now, we still do not know their fate.

This February, we arrived again at Vejer de la Frontera, where the re-introduced birds have made their own roost and nest site in Spain. First released onto the cliffs near Barbate in Andalucia, they found this nesting site after sustained gull predation at the release site.

It appeared the Ibis were doing well. Once again, the weather could have been better for us. We managed to take these pictures of them up on the cliff face.

All the birds carry multiple Identification rings.

In 2014, some birds had radio telemetry devices fitted on their backs; none were seen this year.

A bald-headed Ibis returns to the roost, looking like a flying witch!

When a bird returns to the nest site, there is an act of welcome or courtship!

At times, quite a few birds arrived together; as they queued to enter the hollows in the cliff face, there seemed a familiar resemblance to the opening of the British Parliament, Black rod, cloaks, drivel and all that pageantry!

They launch directly over the Cattle Egret colony below from the cliff face. It may be a coincidence, but their original release site was alongside an Egret colony.

Press on the link http://roadrunnersmikelinda. To see the Cattle Egret colony. blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/cattle-egret-bubulcus-ibis-what.html

Others find higher vantage points to watch over the proceedings below.

They appear to be doing well. There are now other areas across Cadiz province where they can be seen, along with a few in Portugal, and a tagged bird from Vejar de la Frontera has turned up in Morocco. With other programs underway in Austria and Switzerland, let us hope the bird that was once nicknamed the' forest raven ' will continue making good progress.

Press on the link http://roadrunnersmikelinda.blogspot.co.uk/20 to view our previous visit.

14/11/northern-bald-headed-ibisgeronticus.html

Happy Days!

Northern Bald Headed Ibis(Geronticus eremita) at Vejer de la Frontera Spain

We arrived at Vejar de la Frontera in the Cadiz province of Andalucia Spain, our journey, to try and photograph the critically endangered Bald Headed Ibis. In Spain there has been a reintroduction programme, as in Turkey and Austria. As for the wild populous, critically endangered, really is awful reading, for the last 300 hundred years they have been in decline. Just look at these numbers in the wild!  Morocco, about 500 birds and in Syria 10 birds, but who knows of their current fate! The decline sadly reads as with other species,  notably to hunters, pesticides and loss of habitat.
Once common but no more! 

Spain set up a reintroduction programme and the first birds were released into a area owned by the ministry of defence at La Janda, close to Barbate. Once again more trouble, this time Seagulls predating on the eggs. This provoked the birds to find their own nesting site at Vejar.

Arriving from Cadiz or Tarifa you turn on to the A-314 road to Barbate, in no distance you come upon restaurants and large gravelled parking area. This also means you have passed the birds, as they are up on the cliff face as you arrive at the parking. They are of huge interest and usually there will be a row of people standing along the carriage way staring upwards.

As usual nothing is easy, the sun would not shine, the birds stopped flying and on our second day the mist came down!

Interestingly they seemed to be nest building, a fallen egg was retrieved by a warden.

We appear to be lucky enough to photograph a new arrival!

Due to the importance of these birds all have multible tags and also electronic trackers.

Nesting material on the way up to the cliff face.

On this arriving bird you can see the tracking device and aerial.

They seem to enjoy the newspapers! Actually, as they collected the discarded papers it became apparently clear it was dangerous for them, the paper folding over their heads in flight! If you visit the site do not drop litter as they love to line their nests with it.

They may be rare, but they know where to find a good deal!