[Larry Wheatland]

Originally Posted by Simon Wates

Larry, the best I could find in English - see this link: http://aves.team-forum.net/t1886-portugal-trip-feb-2009

The viewing platform mentioned is the best place to view from I understand...

Simon

Hi Simon, sorry but the link sends us to a spanish site, and after trying many times to join, we can´t register. Any chance you could just cut and paste where this platform is into a message on here?

Thanks for your comments everyone, I´ll get round to reporting it at some point. My thoughts exactly were that if Nicky hadn´t taken the pics, then no-one would believe me! I´m having trouble believing my bad luck myself! Hopefully we´ll get a chance to look for them in late April May in the Pyrenees, so it would be great to get a recommendation of the most reliable site around then.

Thanks for all your help.

PS, if anyone hears of any mad rarities in Spain, eg the Mockingbird, I´d love to hear about them in case we drive past them.

[Simon Wates]

Hi Larry, I had no idea that one had to sign up just to view posts in this Portuguese forum - so I have copied the relevant text and images (attached) from a trip report by John Rayner:

"We reached Vila Vilha at 10.15 and stopped at an ancient olive grove on the outskirts of the village to get our bearings and also seeing Hoopoe, Crag Martins, Black Redstart, Serins, 3 Redwings plus commoner birds. Soon we found our way to Portas do Rodao, a magnificent setting viewed from a wooden platform, adjacent to a hilltop hermitage, which afforded full 360 degree views. Here we could overlook the vulture colony at Portas do Rodao, a huge rock portal on the opposite bank of the River Tagus.

Griffon Vultures flew by at eye level and a single Black Vulture passed low overhead but the main target remained elusive. A long wait ensued but birding continued with Sardinian Warbler, Subalpine Warbler in the surrounding scrub, Woodlarks in song flight, a Rock Bunting on the approach road and a Black Stork on the river.

A Portuguese birder arrived briefly to monitor vulture nesting and confirmed that the Ruppell’s Vulture had been seen a couple of days earlier. It is over-wintering at the colony and was even seen nest building in 2008 but can occasionally go missing for a few days. He thought late afternoon was our best chance when more birds would come in to roost. Sure enough, at 15.15, we picked out the Ruppell’s Vulture, first in flight, then perched on a ledge where it preened (arrow)".

The Google map image won't be very clear but I'm sure you can check in more detail - try Vila Velha de Rodão as a search in Google maps.

Oh...and one thing, although the Portuguese are kind and friendly they don't like being thought of as an extension of Spain - they are as different as the English and Irish, maybe more so!

Good luck!

Simon

[Larry Wheatland]

Many thanks Simon. We're in Portugal now. Sorry about the faux pas, but we had such a brief time on the internet that I didn't notice it was Portuguese! We're in Portugal now, and just trying to learn a little of the language. We're a bit lost here, even though we can just about get by in simple spanish in Spain.

Just about to post a report of the first part of the trip in the trip report section.

[Larry Wheatland]

Big thank you to Simon Wates for the Ruppell's gen, as we saw the bird the other day

Another question.... when do the White-rumped Swifts start arriving in southern Spain, and where's the best site these days?

[Simon Wates]

Larry - great news that you reaped the Rüppell's!

The earliest White-rumped Swifts I know of arrive in about the 3rd week of April but mainly in early May. It is the latest of our summer visitors to arrive. I know Little Swiftes are about between Chipiona and Sanlucar de Barrameda though....

[Larry Wheatland]

Originally Posted by Simon Wates

Larry - great news that you reaped the Rüppell's!

The earliest White-rumped Swifts I know of arrive in about the 3rd week of April but mainly in early May. It is the latest of our summer visitors to arrive. I know Little Swiftes are about between Chipiona and Sanlucar de Barrameda though....

Ah, I think we'll have to be heading north by then