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Southern Portugal 8-17 April 2017 (1 Viewer)

wolfbirder

Well-known member
A brief report - by my standards - of a family holiday in the Algarve, highlighting 3 of the best coastal spots west of FARO along the Algarve coast, as well as the obligatory day out to the Lower Alentejo around Castro Verde. Overall I saw 92 species, including both bustards, many birds of prey including 3 Black Vultures, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Lesser Kestrels, as well as Rollers, Bee-eaters, Calandra Larks etc, but my only 2 lifers were introduced species in Common Waxbill and Black-headed Weaver.

LOGISTICS

As usual we take or main family holiday to coincide with Easter school holidays, we were pleased to get an All Inclusive holiday 9-night holiday at "BeLive Palmeiras Family Village" hotel for the 4 of us for £1400 through HolidaysOnTheBeach.com, including Ryan Air flights from Birmingham. A good price I think.

The night before departure, the evening of the 7th April, we received a simple text from Ryan Air saying our flight the next morning was cancelled - this was due to the French Air Traffic Controllers strike though the text did not tell us that. They said they could look to put us on the next available flight but did not know when, or refund us. I was totally unaware of this strike that lasted 3 days and was due to start on the morning of the 8th. I chose the 2nd option & Ryan Air refunded us £250 for the 4 outward flight tickets, and that same evening I managed to book on line with Monarch from Birmingham but that cost me an extra £527 - so all in all I had to shoulder an extra £258 cost. When I got there I learnt that the next proposed strike period was 16-18 April, with us being due home on 17th! Thankfully this was called off, so the return Ryan Air flight was unaffected. I hoped I would be able to reclaim on my Insurance but strike action is an exception in my policy. The reason Monarch was not affected on the outward leg was that they are prepared to fly a longer route outside French airspace.

Upon arrival at FARO AIRPORT on 8th, we struggled for an hour to find the kiosk where 'Luz Marine Car Hire' was situated - away to the left at a small kiosk shared by other small car hire firms, on the extreme Car Park 4, whilst all the main Car Hire firms are just to your right as you pass through customs, and they are all clearly signposted. A cleaner eventually told us where to go for the lesser known (cheaper:-O) car hire companies.

A rattling Ford Focus with limited boot space was duly provided, costing me £78 for the 9 days, and after inspecting several scratches in the rain, we set off the 40 miles to the hotel with suitcases on kids laps - not the delightful start overall to the concept of a relaxing holiday.

I won't go into detail, people can study maps of the Algarve coast west of Faro, but basically the N125 is the old coastal road that runs adjacent to the more modern A22 motorway that is partially a toll road.

The hotel was lovely in fairness, located between PORCHES and the somewhat unattractive overly built-up resort of Armacao de Pera.

Investigating tracks on unused land between the N125 and our hotel I found a Bee-eater colony, where Azure-winged Magpies and 4 Jays were seen. Yellow-Legged Gulls frequently sailed over the hotel, and around 15 Alpine Swifts were seen well over a pretty little cove and beach 100 metres from our hotel, immediately to the left of the Pestana Viking Hotel. Other than that sighting there was little to see around my hotel, as I downed the San Miguels. Blackbirds sang loudly, and several Sardinian Warblers were in the scrubby patch next to the hotel. A few Swallows, House Martins and Swifts passed through but there was nothing to set the pulse racing.

I did not investigate the popular birding areas at Quinta de Lago nor Ludo Farm, near the Rio Formosa near the Airport. Many of the coastal areas are fairly similar with the same species being seen anyway.

THE BIRDING

The nearest birding spot to Porches was PERA MARSH, and the adjacent LAGOA DA SALGADOS. It seems pointless trying to give directions, as John Hardacre admirably tries to do in his book on Birding in The Algarve. Get a map and work it out for yourself. They are often accessed via series of roundabouts which makes giving directions difficult - if you go wrong just try again.

Attached are a map and aerial image of Pera Marsh and the adjacent lagoon. Please excuse the appalling screen shots.

On the approach I saw a few White Storks, Cattle Egrets and a Turtle Dove briefly. The lagoon appears to your left, and there is a small screen to view the birds along the western edge of the lagoon, as well as a sort of metal hide on the southern edge. A few Coot, Moorhen, Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard, Great and Little Grebe were present when I visited in extremely windy conditions, but the best birds were several Black-winged Stilts, 4 Kentish Plovers, a group of 8 Spoonbills, several Sandwich Terns, and 6 Black Terns passing through. I also checked out the southern reedbed of the lagoon along with the adjacent, undulating, scrubby beach area, finding a Whimbrel and 6 Short-toed Larks. There were no flamingo's present on this visit though a lot of gulls were present including Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed, Black-headed and Mediterranean. A few Goldfinches, Linnets and Greenfinches were also in the scrubby areas, and 6 Bee-eaters showed very well by the car park, down at the SW edge of the lagoon.

On another visit it appeared much quieter, but birding activity at this site varies especially, according to time of year and water levels.
 

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I am a winter visitor to the area so will be keen to see how it performs in spring.

You should be drinking Sagres not San Miguel! ;)
 
The next birding area I visited was the ALVOR ESTUARY at CAMINO DA ROCHA - I preferred to bird this area of Alvor as opposed to the restricted area you can access from the town of Alvor itself. Look at the attached map to see how the estuary divides the two areas.

This area is reached by driving around 15 miles west along the N125 from Porches, and then just after Alvor, taking a left hand turn "opposite" the second of 2 signs for Mexilhoeira along the unsignposted "Caminho Da Rocha". Mexilhoeira is actually inland of the N125 but the 2 signs for this small town are an important reference point. The 2 signs are situated within 100 metres or so of each other, but if arriving from the east, you should ignore the left hand turn opposite the first of these as it only leads to the railway station ("Estacio" I think). The left turn you want is a short distance later, opposite the second Mexilhoeira sign, and having taken the turn, you immediately go past a compound to your right with palm trees & a large green sign with "????? Mediterranean" on (or something like that). You quickly pass over the railtrack, and somewhere along here is supposed to be a ringing centre that allows access to the public on Thursdays.

This driveable track leads for a couple of miles through fields with trees, where a few Bee-eaters lingered, and after driving down the hedge-lined track for a while, you eventually emerge to a wide-open vista at the obvious estuary where there is ample space to park up. You can walk up to a raised footpath at the coastal area which looked over a vast expanse of empty sandbank. The most interesting area from an orthinological perspective is the tidal lagoon which held 18 Greater Flamingo's, single Redshank, and several Black-winged Stilts. At the car park area, do check the field behind you as a pair of Little Owls seemed to favour a small obvious concrete structure. From the car parking area, a rutted track wide enough for cars leads straight out westward between the lagoon to your left, and a weedy area of field to the right. 3 Common Waxbills were seen by the fence by the car, along with House Sparrows that seem to favour every sort of habitat as well as houses. The weedy grass to the right of the track quickly gives way to inner tidal creeks, and as I walked the few hundred metres along this track I saw several Fan-tailed Warblers, Crested Larks, Corn Buntings, and then at the end where the track raises to another bank, I came across a male Blue-headed Wagtail, Corn Bunting, Greenfinches, Linnets, and a family of Stonechats, that all perched on the fence by the track - a great sight in the one scope view, providing a real splash of colour. I watched the Stonechats closely, especially the stunning male with its jet black head and mantle, broad pale collar, belly, rump and tail sides, and reduced but distinctive deep apricot breast patch. It was more reminiscent of Siberian Stonechat, but apparently this colour-morph of "rubicola" Stonechat is quite common in Southern Portugal. A few Avocets were noted and a Stone Curlew flew overhead. More Fan-tailed Warblers were noted as I drove back an alternative way back to N125, along the track adjacent to the estuary. This track can be taken on the approach, by taking the same turning off the N125 but then by turning right immediately having crossed the rail track.

Alvor Estuary can also be accessed from the town of Alvor itself, but I think the inner tidal creeks are probably more productive. You can see this by looking at the map.

More blurred photos of the map and aerial images of Alvor Estuary are now attached. They are quite frankly appalling attachments and I am not sure f they help at all. Looking at the aerial image (2nd one), park up where it says "unnamed road" and talk the obvious track in a WNW direction, and then return or alternatively walk the loop back to the car. The blue track shown on this image is the end of the blue track shown on the map version from the N125, whilst on the map version (1st image) the grey track shows the alternative return route back to N125. Park where it says "unnamed road" on the aerial image attached.
 

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I am a winter visitor to the area so will be keen to see how it performs in spring.

You should be drinking Sagres not San Miguel! ;)

Sadly it was the only beer available at the hotel - the drawback of paying All-Inclusive I suppose. Sadly I didn't get to Sagres either, so I'm not sure you will learn a lot from me here mate, it was a very laid-back relaxed holiday with only intermittent birding.
 
The final coastal area I chose to visit was PARC AMBIENTAL, at VILAMOURA.

Again, Vilamoura can be accessed from a few signposted points off the N125 coastal road, but bare in mind the birding area is along the western side of Vilamoura, so those unfamiliar with the area should ensure they take the turning signposted for "Vilamoura" at the western end. Again study a map. Therefore the Vilamoura-signposted road you take off the N125 is called " Avenida Vilamoura XX1" at the western side of the resort.

"Parc Ambiental" and the adjacent "Falesia Lagoon" are not signposted as far as I know. So as highlighted above, after taking the correct turning in a coastal direction off the N125 towards Vilamoura, you will go through a series of roundabouts. The area you see is very neat and pristine and is based around well-maintained golf courses and nice apartments. From memory, you take a right turn onto one of the golf centre service roads after 3 roundabouts, but on the map it looks like more. Either way, you know you have taken for the correct turn because in twenty metres there is a slip road off to the left that serves some very nice apartments. You can park up anywhere along this cobbled slip road and check the immediate area as there are loads of Azure-winged Magpies, a few Hoopoe's and I also had a feeding Common Sandpiper here. Walk back to the road you have just turned off, and check the reeds below the bridge. As John Hardacre suggested in his book, I found a male Black-headed Weaver (Masked Weaver) here, and a Little Bittern was flushed.

Actually from the cobbled slip road, you can park up and walk between the apartments on an obvious footpath, which then bends round to the right and borders the river, after a few hundred metres it adjoins the road where you walk back to your parked car.

Back in the car, rejoin the golf service road, drive across the bridge and after a few hundred metres the golf service road bends right and then you can see a left hand turn off within a few hundred metres, it is a wide rough, hard-core track leading to the water works. Drive down this track for a few hundred metres, birding all the way. I had a few Cetti's Warblers, Nightingales, Serins, Kestrel and 2 Woodchat Shrikes. Of course the first 2 species were only glimpsed. Just before you reach the obvious Water Works compound on the left, park up and take the track to the left, which goes alongside dense scrub on your left, and a bamboo-lined ditch on your right (with the Water Works behind that). The first fifty metres is prime birding habitat, disturbed by the laying of water pipes whilst I was there. Both Waxbill and Black-headed Weaver are in this area, with up to 6 Black-headed Weaver's being seen along with their distinctive nests, through a gap in the bamboo shoots. Nightingales, Cetti's Warblers and Azure-winged Magpies were seen or heard as I progressed along this track, after a couple of hundred metres take the obvious tree-lined path across a field, on your left, which leads to a hide. Quail were heard here, and Fan-tailed Warblers and common finches seen in these trees, aswell as Azure-winged Magpies. The view from the hide is not that great, with only a single Purple Swamphen & 3 Grey Herons seen. Though it would be a nice time to bird watch here in the evening, as Black-winged Kite was being reported by others. After leaving the hide, you can normally rejoin this track and walk round to a second hide overlooking the large water treatment lagoons, but access was blocked whilst I was present due to the extensive pipe-laying.

If you rejoin the main road ("Avenida Vilamoura XX1") you can take the next right turn off it, along "Avenue da Praia da Falesia", that after a dog leg, leads across "Falesia Lagoon" to your right. A car park at the end held a few Thekla Lark as well as a Short-toed Treecreeper in the pines.

I now attach a map and aerial photo of Vilamoura.
 

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My main day out was up into the LOWER ALENTEJO at CASTRO VERDE

I would certainly suggest taking the toll motorway signposted for Lisbon as E1/A2/IP1 off the N125 up to Castro Verde. Unless you want to enjoy an extremely winding and slow N2 as an alternative to Castro Verde, through the mountains with limited opportunity to stop, you should reach Castro Verde in just over an hour.

When you come off the toll motorway where Castro Verde is signposted, make sure you do not take the first turn off into town, as you will be in a complex road system around the town. By taking the second turn off into Castro Verde you quickly come to a roundabout. From this roundabout you can actually see a sign for the N123 Mertola road across to your left, and also at this island you can take a left turn along a lane towards Beja. These are the two roads you will need to reach the key birding areas of the Alentejo. There are many better and more detailed reports than this, as well as Gosney's guides.

There are a few key areas :-

1) About 2-3 miles out of Castro Verde on the Beja road, I took the right hand turn to the LPN centre (there is a sign post for some educational centre but I'm not sure it says anything about LPN here). Birding all the way along the track (about a mile) to the centre, I enjoyed superb views of a few Montagu's Harriers, many Crested Larks, White Storks, Corn Buntings, Tawny Pipit, Cattle Egrets, and by the centre a pair of Rollers and a number of Kestrels, Lesser kestrels and Jackdaws. But there were no bustards seen here, and in fact the grass was even in April too long to easily find Little Bustards (as I did in a previous March visit). I did hear Quail.

2) I drove back into Castro Verde and took the N123 towards Mertola. Just a mile out of Castro Verde, birding can be good anywhere, but do take care as the N123 is quite a fast road. The turn-offs you should later take are very narrow and potentially easy to drive off into a ditch or down a bank - so beware!

There are two river bridges you cross within a few miles of leaving Castro Verde on the N123. I have previously enjoyed great views of Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin here, but no sign this year. Both are worth stopping by, as they hold Bee-eaters, Nightingales, Red-rumped Swallows, Kingfisher, Woodchat & Southern Shrikes, Hoopoe's, hirundines, whilst anything raptor wise can be seen overhead. I had Black Kite, pale-phase Booted Eagle and a few more beautiful Monty's. In fact I reckon I had a minimum of 16 Montagu's Harrier's this day, at least 12 were males.

There are also a few specifically good birding points to check out in my humble opinion off the N123 :-

3) Just after the 2 N123 river bridges, take a right turn signposted for Santa Barbara de Pedroes. This loop you will take is debateably the main birding area. This initial narrow road is excellent (but again take great care because although its quiet it could be dangerous). I had a Great Bustard fairly close to the road, and a few more Monties. After a mile or two you go past the village of Rolao - carry on to the next village at Viseus, where you take the obvious left turn. I cannot remember what the signpost says but this turn is what you want - in the direction of Guerreiro. Study the map. It goes past a tiny village Alcaria do Coelina, and straight on to Guerreiro. You may wish to take a right hand turn towards Figuerinha but only for a mile or two. I usually find this is a good general area for raptors, I had 3 Black Vultures and a Red Kite here, and a few Crag Martins breed under a small river bridge. After this short detour, head back & at the T-junction turn right towards Gueirreiro. As you approach this tiny village an obvious track leads off to the left. Take this for about a mile, until you reach the green LPN gates. You may see a few distant Great Bustards anywhere along this track, park up by the LPN gates but DO NOT enter the prohibited area. The area is a great spot to take a picnic as it is possibly the most productive area. By scanning in all directions from here, I found a male Little Bustard briefly, 4 Great Bustards,, Griffon Vulture, and 4 Calandra Larks along the fence. It is often a case of pot-luck, but the area (a mile or two in any direction) around Guerreiro is a real hotspot. Driving back past the village on the loop back to the N123, I came across an immature Spanish Imperial Eagle and a Black Kite. A few Spanish Sparrow flocks were encountered as well as a few Lesser Kestrels and of course far more Kestrels. Only 3 Woodchat Shrikes and 3 Southern Grey Shrikes were seen during the day.

4) Re-joining the N123, many head on eastward a few miles and park up around the two sets of Green LPN gates at Sao Marcos da Ataboeira. I have not found a particularly good spot here, but Spanish Sparrows nest within the White Storks nests on tall posts here. You can drive on along the N123 towards Mertola if you wish to investigate the 'Park Naturale de Guadiana', I simply didn't have time today.

5) Viewpoint at the small chapel at Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Aracelis - this can be superb for raptors but I saw little in the mid-afternoon I visited. To get there, at Sao Marcos da Ataboeira on the N123, take the left turn for Monte Salto. After about 5 miles (again beware this raised narrow road with steep banks on either side is potentially lethal if you are distracted by a passing eagle!!), Monte Salto is off to the left. There is a raised hill away to your right, and so you just carry on the road until a sharp turn on your right takes you up the road to the small chapel, where you can watch and scan for raptors. It is signposted but easy to miss.

I now attach a couple of maps but not all the villages are shown. Where it says "unnamed" locations, these are key birding spots. To the left is the LPN centre on the Beja road, at the bottom are the LPN entrance gates just north of Guerreiro, and towards the top right is the viewpoint at site 5 at the chapel (Ermita).
 

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A great report Nick! Some good species there that I would like to ''frame''. I think I'll take a leaf out of your book for next time. Ditch the bike/shanks's pony...and hire a car!...gotta be worth it for Bee-eater/Monty's Harrier and Roller, all species I failed to connect with in Cyprus. Cheers Ken.
 
Hi Ken, personally I would swap for Cyprus due to the treasures you can find on migration. As you did.

Having said that, Castro Verde / Lower Alentejo is a stunning area to bird. At the right time of year anyway. Though Little Bustards are hard after March.

In Cyprus Roller and Bee-eater are more or less nailed on if you have a car and know where to go. But what you gain by having a car, you often miss by walking/cycling it. You did better on the headland than I have ever done though, really pleased for you!
 
Nice one. Not done Castro Verde for a few years and you have encouraged me to consider it next winter!

You have done a good service to others with your maps. :t:

Cheers,
Andrew.
 
Andrew thats great - hope its not a let down - it usually is'nt if you research exactly where to go. It really delivers some great birds :t:.

Rich - it may well have been a Delorean, but thought they were meant to have been pretty smart cars at one time (with the emphasis being on the past):-O
 
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