john-henry
Well-known member
A week in Portugal. 26th April – 2nd May 2005 J.H.Johns
Sorry it's a bit long but I've given plenty of detail in case anyone is planning a trip or wants to relive a past trip.
Flew from Newquay Airport with Ryanair at 08.50, arriving at Stansted Airport 09.50. Then on to Faro with Easyjet at 16.40, arriving 19.30.
Time in Portugal is the same as in Britain so no need to alter clocks.
Picked up hire car from Rentauto and set off for Oasis Village in Vilamoura, where I had pre-booked a week in a studio apartment through Superbreak.com. This was self-catering, fairly basic but clean and had about all that was needed for a short stay. At £112/week for the studio, capable of taking 2-3 people, I thought it good value.
I also found Vilamoura a very handy place to stay if intending to cover the central Algarve and the Alentejo.
(It could also be good for birders with a family as it is a fairly quiet complex with a swimming pool etc. available for the non-birders and a free courtesy bus that goes into Vilamoura for shopping, beaches etc.).
27th April – First full day here was spent at Quinta do Lago, only a 20min. drive away.
This is part of the Ria Formosa Natural Park and consists of a large area of tidal mudflats, salt-marshes, two lakes, a good mixture of woodland with some scrub and an adjacent golf course. The path to the left when exiting the car park is the most productive area and also leads to the saltpans at Faro.
From previous visits good numbers and a good variety of birds are to be found and today was no exception.
The first stretch along the estuary held Dunlin, Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stints, Turnstones, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits and Black-winged Stilts – many of these were in various stages of summer plumage and looking really smart. Little Terns fished the estuary and a Purple Heron flew up river to the salt-marshes.
On the inland side Sardinian and Cetti’s Warblers were singing away, Crested Larks, a few Wheatears and Yellow Wagtails on the golf course and a Woodchat Shrike on top of a bush made a good start to the day.
The next section, with the main lake and a tower hide, was not to be outdone and about a dozen Red-crested Pochard were swimming and sitting around, several Mallard, Gadwall, Coot, Moorhens, Little Grebes and a Little Egret kept them company. A Glossy Ibis was found in the reeds when looking down from the hide and several Purple Gallinules walked around the edges while a Great Reed Warbler sang from the top of the reeds. Further back on the lake several hundred gulls, mainly Lesser Black-backs and Yellow-legged Gulls were bathing and more Little Terns diving. Swallows, Swifts and House Martins were in the air, with the occasional fly-by of a White Stork on its way to its nest. More Sardinian Warblers sang in the trees, joined by Serins, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Great Tits and a Wryneck while a few Wheatears, Blackbirds and Spotless Starlings were picking away in the golf course grass.
Passing the lake the sides of the track become lightly wooded with the golf course on the left and a large area of rough pasture on the right, a good area for passerines. Crested Larks, Sardinian, Cetti’s, Fan-tailed and Willow Warblers, more Wheatears, one Whinchat, several Pied Flycatchers, a superb male Redstart, Woodchat Shrikes, a pair of Hoopoes, good numbers of Iberian Magpies – some obviously nesting, small groups of Common Waxbills totalling about 20, Short-toed Treecreeper, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serins, Collared and Turtle Doves, Cuckoo, Wryneck (possibly the previous one), and a Mistle Thrush feeding fledged young were all seen or heard.
Further along the track a large open area of water on the right always seems to be full of birds, various duck, Coots by the hundred, Cormorants, Great Crested Grebes, Little Egrets, Spoonbills (c.20), Flamingos (sev 100), etc. A few White Storks were nesting in the trees around its edge. Walking on a little further a metal gate on your right has a short path leading straight into Ludo Saltpans. Today, with temperatures in the 80’s, it was too hot to walk around them but I would have expected to see good numbers and variety of waders, terns, including Caspian, egrets, herons, etc.
After sitting in the welcome shade of the trees for a while it was time to turn around and do it all again, but not before a pale phase Booted Eagle put in an appearance over the trees inland.
What a great day, loads of birds and some pictures to go with them.
28th April – Up at 05.30 and left for Castro Verde area about 07.00, taking the IP1 toll road (just under 5 euros but well worth it), being at the first bridge on the Mertola road by 08.00
Another hot, sunny day starts, this was the pattern for most of the week, the only problem of course was heat haze and from late morning strong winds caused by the heat, but after leaving the grey days of Cornwall behind I certainly wasn’t going to complain.
The first and second bridges along the road had more or less the same birds present at both so I’ll mention them together - I shall never get to finish this report otherwise!
Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Red-rumped Swallows, Corn Bunting and Spanish Sparrows were sitting on overhead wires, (the swallows staying put for a few photos of them at close range), Red-legged Partridges, Stonechat, Sardinian, Cetti’s, and Willow Warblers, Nightingales, White Storks, Lesser Kestrels, Red and Black Kites, Little Owl, Little Grebe and Purple Heron – I’m not sure if this was the first or second bridge but it was the one with most water,
From here I drove past the turning for Rolao and on to Sao Marcos de Ataboeira. No sooner had I taken the track on the right, (opposite the village sign at the far end of the village), I saw a Little Bustard away to the left on a rough grassy slope, so quickly turned around and drove a short way up the main road parking near where the Storks are nesting, this was a lot closer. Over the next 30 minutes or so two male Little Bustards put in an appearance on the slope - one must have had terrible wind from the noises it was making. It came to within a couple of hundred yards so I tried for a few pics but with the wind and heat haze knew I was wasting my time really, still I got a couple of record shots. It was quite pleasant sitting in the shade watching the bustard, the storks and sparrows coming and going from their nests, the Iberian Magpies doing the same and a Great Spotted Cuckoo obviously looking to parasite them. But time was marching on and I wanted to cover the track before it got too hot.
Good numbers of Short-toed and Calandra Larks were singing and displaying regularly along the track with one certain Thekla Lark singing from a rock. Montagu’s Harriers quartered the area, always seeming to be at least one in the air. A few kms. along the track there is a green, grassy area away to the left with several trees around it, about 20 Great Bustard’s heads and necks were seen poking above a small bank, gradually they did move around a bit and some showed well out in the open, excellent birds.
Returning back along the track I thought I’d stop for a little while near a pile of stones, I stopped there on the way in and a Short-toed Lark landed on them to ‘inspect’ me. I was hoping it would happen again but this time I had the tripod, scope and camera set up in the car for a pic or two, nothing ventured nothing gained as the saying goes. Shortly after stopping one was walking in the short grass near the pile so I quickly got the scope on it, focused and – hells bells it’s a Calandra Lark, I managed a few shots before it saw me and took off -what a stroke of luck. While I was still counting my lucky stars the Short-toed Lark landed on top of the pile and stayed there singing and posing for a couple of minutes, giving me plenty of time to take several close shots of it, I couldn’t believe my luck, these were two of my target birds to get some pics of.
After I’d come back to earth I drove back down the road and took the turning for Rolao. Black-eared and Northern Wheatears, Bee-eaters, Spotless Starlings, Cetti’s Warbler, Red-legged Patridges, 1 Red and 2 Black Kites, Buzzard and Montagu’s Harriers were seen along the stretch of road from Rolao to the crossroads at Viseus. Turning left here a quick look at the pool, now pretty dry and looking stagnant, held another Black-eared Wheatear and nothing else, so on to try the track on the left just before the Alcarias turning only to find this has been fenced off and a private road, no entry sign erected. Unfortunately several other sites have now been fenced off preventing access to them.
Time to try the area above Castro Verde. Driving back via the Santa Barbara de Padroes road, some excellent habitat again but didn’t stop until I reached the bridge over the river just before reaching Castro Verde, here there were about 100 Cattle Egrets, Bee-eaters and a male Golden Oriole.
Taking the E802 north from Castro Verde I crossed over onto the old road after 3-4kms. and headed for the Media Ambiente Environmental Centre. Along the track the first bird seen was a Tawny Pipit sat on a fence wire, soon to be followed by Short-toed and Calandra Larks, then the bird of the holiday, a first year Spanish Imperial Eagle sat on the ground only 200yards away, after a good look at it I tried to turn the car around, the camera was rigged up on the passenger side, but it wasn’t having it and took off, however, it gave excellent views as it slowly circled around overhead. I saw it again later in the day nearer the M.A. centre and also here on the 1st May. What a day this is turning out to be.
Around the Centre itself a pair of Rollers were courtship feeding and inspecting a nest-box erected in a tree for them. A pair of Southern Grey Shrikes spent the afternoon chasing a Little Owl every time it left its own tree, Red-legged Partridges, Crested and Short-toed Larks, Corn Buntings, a pair of Common Magpies, Kestrels and Montagu’s Harriers were also seen. I spent the rest of the afternoon sweating in a red-hot car trying to get a few pics of the Rollers, I managed a few but the heat-haze certainly takes the edge off them.
What an excellent day and what an excellent area the Alentejo is. It was a 300km round trip but well worth it.
29th April – Pera Marsh today, another of my favourite areas but usually visited in January.
It was good to see the water level has risen since my last visit in January this year – it was very low then and fears of it being drained for development were being expressed.
Hundreds of waders were present including Dunlin, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, Sanderling, Turnstones, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, also Flamingos, Spoonbills, Grey Heron, White Storks, Cattle and Little Egrets, Coot, Purple Gallinules, Mallard, Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Little and Sandwich Terns, Crested and Short-toed Larks, Woodchat, Wheatear, Sardinian Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, etc.
I only spent a couple of hours here as it was blowing a gale, no good for photography!
I decided to go back to Vilamoura and try to find the Parque Ambiental Nature Reserve – like trying to find a needle in a haystack!! There should be an entrance from Falesia Beach end but I couldn’t find any signs for it, I eventually found a sign that took me several kms. west over a lot of roundabouts and found a building belonging to the Parque, this informed me there was no admittance and no parking from here, this was to be found in a certain street I forget the name of but on looking around at the street names nearby I discovered I was already in the street and so was the Parque building – the mind boggles!!! There was a track that ran in front of said building so I decided to drive down it and see what transpired, very little really. I’m almost sure I shouldn’t have been on it but followed the track around several overgrown fields seeing a few Hoopoes, Serins, Yellow Wagtails, Nightingale, Turtle Doves, Spotless Starlings, Sardinian, Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, Crested Larks, etc. I passed someone’s house, half-expecting to hear a shout and found a hide out in the middle of nowhere, by now I was a bit wary of leaving the car so headed back the way I came and called it a day.
While on the approach road to Falesia Beach car park I stopped at the bridge over the river and found a stunningly bright male Golden Bishop Weaver building a nest in the reeds.
30th April – Castro Marim Reserve was on the agenda for today, right on the border with Spain.
What’s this, no sunshine, clouds and wind with no sun, ah! well one day out of five isn’t too bad.
First area looked at was around the Reserve Centre, a good start with Great Spotted Cuckoo sitting on the TV aerial of the admin. house, Southern Grey Shrike, Red-legged Partridge, House Martin, Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Swift, Yellow Wagtails, Spotless Starlings, Marsh Harrier, Little Owl, 2 Stone Curlews, 4 Spoonbills. On the pools were small numbers of Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpipers, Ruff, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Common Sandpiper, Turnstones, Redshank, Greenshank, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Black-tailed Godwits and Little Egrets. On leaving two more Great Spotted Cuckoos and a Hoopoe were found just before reaching the main road.
Next I tried the salt-pan area from the track leading to the works on the west side of Castro Marim. Unfortunately, being a weekend I suppose, the gates to the salt-pans was closed with no entry signs posted, even barriers put up at the ends of the gates where you could squeeze through before, so I presume they mean keep out. From the track Flamingos and Spoonbills could be seen on the pans plus a few waders, Crested and Short-toed Larks were no surprise but 8 Lesser Short-toed were as they flew over calling, as was the Little Bustard on the slope to the right of the track, Whimbrel, Cattle Egrets, Bee-eaters, Yellow Wagtails and Corn Buntings were also seen.
1st May – Another trip to the Castro Verde area and back to being hot, and windy of course.
Ist and 2nd bridge birds almost the same, no Purple Heron but Little Bustard and Short-toed Eagle extra, Shrikes, Warblers etc. still present. Sao Marcos track area, still 1 Little Bustard on slope and several Great Bustards in taller grass at top of slope, plus as I was driving further up the road 3 Greats took off from the field on my left, these landed in a large open field about a mile away. Driving back down the road a short distance and taking the turning for Salto brought me alongside the field they were in but although at least 400 yards away as soon as the car stopped they started walking away, soon to disappear over a brow where they couldn’t be seen from the road.
I decided to drive along the Salto road for a few kms. having not been along it before. There’s plenty of good habitat along both sides of the road with a good mix of steppe, arable land, woodland etc. and some good birds too – Short-toed Eagle, Red and Black Kites, Montagu’s Harrier, Buzzard, Raven, Little Owl, Quail, Red-legged Partridges, Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Black-eared Wheatears, Wryneck, Crested, Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Spotless Starlings, Stonechats, Corn Buntings, Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows and Swifts being noted in a few kms. drive stopping at suitable points.
From here I went back to the area between Castro Verde and Entradas and the M.A. Centre for another go at some Roller pics. The Tawny Pipit was still there as was Crested, Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Magpies, Little Owls(2), Red-legged Partridges, Southern Grey Shrikes, Montie’s, Kestrels, Corn Buntings and of course the Rollers plus Short-toed Eagle, Black Kites, Ravens and a male Little Bustard. The Spanish Imperial Eagle was also present but more of that later.
Anyway I spent a good part of the late afternoon and early evening sitting in the car, sweating but happily watching the Rollers, confidently waiting for them to land on a post I’d seen them perch on several times before, did they hell, they landed on just about every post that had something in front of it, and just to bring home the fact they had got my number I happened to look out of the rear side window and there was a Roller about 30 feet away perched on a post I couldn’t see, or train the camera on, looking at me and I’m sure it was smiling. It was 7pm now and I knew I was on the losing end of this one, the light was beginning to go so I pulled out of the way and took my gear apart ready for the trip back to Vilamoura. Driving around the corner of the building what was sitting on a fence post about 100 yards away, yes, the Imperial Eagle, and I’d just put my gear in the boot!!! As slowly as I could I sneaked out of the car, luckily it was on the blind side, lifted the boot just enough to take out my tripod, opened the rear door just enough to take out the scope and camera, put them together, lined up the bird through the scope, wound down the rear passenger window and watched it take off and fly away, (the next bit is not fit for this report) but you can imagine what I was saying on the hour long trip back to Vilamoura.
2nd May – Last full day in Portugal and one place left to visit, the Quinta de Marim at Olhao, Part of the Ria Formosa Natural Park.
Today the tide was in so there were plenty of waders in the pools, 200+ Knot many in summer plumage, Dunlin, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, Turnstone, Sanderling, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Godwits, etc. several Little Terns obviously breed here and one Caspian Tern was also present – seeing them side by side really brought home the vast difference in size. Gulls were few, just small numbers of Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed, on the small, reedy lake were a few Mallard and Gadwall, several breeding Little Egrets, Coot and a Purple Gallinule. A walk through the woodland and along the various paths gave close views of nesting White Storks, most, if not all with young in the nest, Crested Larks, Hoopoe, Bee-eater, Collared and Turtle Doves, Sardinian, Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, Serins, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, etc. One thing that did surprise me was that I didn’t see Iberian Magpies here.
By now it was red hot again, I’d seen just about all I was going to see, so thought it time to call it a day and head back to Vilamoura to start packing and write up a few notes on the trip. No new birds this trip but I never expected any. Off to Donana area in Spain for a week tomorrow.
One last thing, birds seen at or around Oasis village – Iberian Magpies coming onto the balcony for food - they’re even better looking birds up close, House Sparrows, Serin, Greenfinch, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sardinian, Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, Nightingale, Turtle Dove, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Little Owl, Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Yellow-legged and Black-headed Gulls, Swift, Swallow and House Martin, also a Nightjar churring the first night I was here.
Sorry it's a bit long but I've given plenty of detail in case anyone is planning a trip or wants to relive a past trip.
Flew from Newquay Airport with Ryanair at 08.50, arriving at Stansted Airport 09.50. Then on to Faro with Easyjet at 16.40, arriving 19.30.
Time in Portugal is the same as in Britain so no need to alter clocks.
Picked up hire car from Rentauto and set off for Oasis Village in Vilamoura, where I had pre-booked a week in a studio apartment through Superbreak.com. This was self-catering, fairly basic but clean and had about all that was needed for a short stay. At £112/week for the studio, capable of taking 2-3 people, I thought it good value.
I also found Vilamoura a very handy place to stay if intending to cover the central Algarve and the Alentejo.
(It could also be good for birders with a family as it is a fairly quiet complex with a swimming pool etc. available for the non-birders and a free courtesy bus that goes into Vilamoura for shopping, beaches etc.).
27th April – First full day here was spent at Quinta do Lago, only a 20min. drive away.
This is part of the Ria Formosa Natural Park and consists of a large area of tidal mudflats, salt-marshes, two lakes, a good mixture of woodland with some scrub and an adjacent golf course. The path to the left when exiting the car park is the most productive area and also leads to the saltpans at Faro.
From previous visits good numbers and a good variety of birds are to be found and today was no exception.
The first stretch along the estuary held Dunlin, Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stints, Turnstones, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits and Black-winged Stilts – many of these were in various stages of summer plumage and looking really smart. Little Terns fished the estuary and a Purple Heron flew up river to the salt-marshes.
On the inland side Sardinian and Cetti’s Warblers were singing away, Crested Larks, a few Wheatears and Yellow Wagtails on the golf course and a Woodchat Shrike on top of a bush made a good start to the day.
The next section, with the main lake and a tower hide, was not to be outdone and about a dozen Red-crested Pochard were swimming and sitting around, several Mallard, Gadwall, Coot, Moorhens, Little Grebes and a Little Egret kept them company. A Glossy Ibis was found in the reeds when looking down from the hide and several Purple Gallinules walked around the edges while a Great Reed Warbler sang from the top of the reeds. Further back on the lake several hundred gulls, mainly Lesser Black-backs and Yellow-legged Gulls were bathing and more Little Terns diving. Swallows, Swifts and House Martins were in the air, with the occasional fly-by of a White Stork on its way to its nest. More Sardinian Warblers sang in the trees, joined by Serins, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Great Tits and a Wryneck while a few Wheatears, Blackbirds and Spotless Starlings were picking away in the golf course grass.
Passing the lake the sides of the track become lightly wooded with the golf course on the left and a large area of rough pasture on the right, a good area for passerines. Crested Larks, Sardinian, Cetti’s, Fan-tailed and Willow Warblers, more Wheatears, one Whinchat, several Pied Flycatchers, a superb male Redstart, Woodchat Shrikes, a pair of Hoopoes, good numbers of Iberian Magpies – some obviously nesting, small groups of Common Waxbills totalling about 20, Short-toed Treecreeper, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serins, Collared and Turtle Doves, Cuckoo, Wryneck (possibly the previous one), and a Mistle Thrush feeding fledged young were all seen or heard.
Further along the track a large open area of water on the right always seems to be full of birds, various duck, Coots by the hundred, Cormorants, Great Crested Grebes, Little Egrets, Spoonbills (c.20), Flamingos (sev 100), etc. A few White Storks were nesting in the trees around its edge. Walking on a little further a metal gate on your right has a short path leading straight into Ludo Saltpans. Today, with temperatures in the 80’s, it was too hot to walk around them but I would have expected to see good numbers and variety of waders, terns, including Caspian, egrets, herons, etc.
After sitting in the welcome shade of the trees for a while it was time to turn around and do it all again, but not before a pale phase Booted Eagle put in an appearance over the trees inland.
What a great day, loads of birds and some pictures to go with them.
28th April – Up at 05.30 and left for Castro Verde area about 07.00, taking the IP1 toll road (just under 5 euros but well worth it), being at the first bridge on the Mertola road by 08.00
Another hot, sunny day starts, this was the pattern for most of the week, the only problem of course was heat haze and from late morning strong winds caused by the heat, but after leaving the grey days of Cornwall behind I certainly wasn’t going to complain.
The first and second bridges along the road had more or less the same birds present at both so I’ll mention them together - I shall never get to finish this report otherwise!
Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Red-rumped Swallows, Corn Bunting and Spanish Sparrows were sitting on overhead wires, (the swallows staying put for a few photos of them at close range), Red-legged Partridges, Stonechat, Sardinian, Cetti’s, and Willow Warblers, Nightingales, White Storks, Lesser Kestrels, Red and Black Kites, Little Owl, Little Grebe and Purple Heron – I’m not sure if this was the first or second bridge but it was the one with most water,
From here I drove past the turning for Rolao and on to Sao Marcos de Ataboeira. No sooner had I taken the track on the right, (opposite the village sign at the far end of the village), I saw a Little Bustard away to the left on a rough grassy slope, so quickly turned around and drove a short way up the main road parking near where the Storks are nesting, this was a lot closer. Over the next 30 minutes or so two male Little Bustards put in an appearance on the slope - one must have had terrible wind from the noises it was making. It came to within a couple of hundred yards so I tried for a few pics but with the wind and heat haze knew I was wasting my time really, still I got a couple of record shots. It was quite pleasant sitting in the shade watching the bustard, the storks and sparrows coming and going from their nests, the Iberian Magpies doing the same and a Great Spotted Cuckoo obviously looking to parasite them. But time was marching on and I wanted to cover the track before it got too hot.
Good numbers of Short-toed and Calandra Larks were singing and displaying regularly along the track with one certain Thekla Lark singing from a rock. Montagu’s Harriers quartered the area, always seeming to be at least one in the air. A few kms. along the track there is a green, grassy area away to the left with several trees around it, about 20 Great Bustard’s heads and necks were seen poking above a small bank, gradually they did move around a bit and some showed well out in the open, excellent birds.
Returning back along the track I thought I’d stop for a little while near a pile of stones, I stopped there on the way in and a Short-toed Lark landed on them to ‘inspect’ me. I was hoping it would happen again but this time I had the tripod, scope and camera set up in the car for a pic or two, nothing ventured nothing gained as the saying goes. Shortly after stopping one was walking in the short grass near the pile so I quickly got the scope on it, focused and – hells bells it’s a Calandra Lark, I managed a few shots before it saw me and took off -what a stroke of luck. While I was still counting my lucky stars the Short-toed Lark landed on top of the pile and stayed there singing and posing for a couple of minutes, giving me plenty of time to take several close shots of it, I couldn’t believe my luck, these were two of my target birds to get some pics of.
After I’d come back to earth I drove back down the road and took the turning for Rolao. Black-eared and Northern Wheatears, Bee-eaters, Spotless Starlings, Cetti’s Warbler, Red-legged Patridges, 1 Red and 2 Black Kites, Buzzard and Montagu’s Harriers were seen along the stretch of road from Rolao to the crossroads at Viseus. Turning left here a quick look at the pool, now pretty dry and looking stagnant, held another Black-eared Wheatear and nothing else, so on to try the track on the left just before the Alcarias turning only to find this has been fenced off and a private road, no entry sign erected. Unfortunately several other sites have now been fenced off preventing access to them.
Time to try the area above Castro Verde. Driving back via the Santa Barbara de Padroes road, some excellent habitat again but didn’t stop until I reached the bridge over the river just before reaching Castro Verde, here there were about 100 Cattle Egrets, Bee-eaters and a male Golden Oriole.
Taking the E802 north from Castro Verde I crossed over onto the old road after 3-4kms. and headed for the Media Ambiente Environmental Centre. Along the track the first bird seen was a Tawny Pipit sat on a fence wire, soon to be followed by Short-toed and Calandra Larks, then the bird of the holiday, a first year Spanish Imperial Eagle sat on the ground only 200yards away, after a good look at it I tried to turn the car around, the camera was rigged up on the passenger side, but it wasn’t having it and took off, however, it gave excellent views as it slowly circled around overhead. I saw it again later in the day nearer the M.A. centre and also here on the 1st May. What a day this is turning out to be.
Around the Centre itself a pair of Rollers were courtship feeding and inspecting a nest-box erected in a tree for them. A pair of Southern Grey Shrikes spent the afternoon chasing a Little Owl every time it left its own tree, Red-legged Partridges, Crested and Short-toed Larks, Corn Buntings, a pair of Common Magpies, Kestrels and Montagu’s Harriers were also seen. I spent the rest of the afternoon sweating in a red-hot car trying to get a few pics of the Rollers, I managed a few but the heat-haze certainly takes the edge off them.
What an excellent day and what an excellent area the Alentejo is. It was a 300km round trip but well worth it.
29th April – Pera Marsh today, another of my favourite areas but usually visited in January.
It was good to see the water level has risen since my last visit in January this year – it was very low then and fears of it being drained for development were being expressed.
Hundreds of waders were present including Dunlin, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, Sanderling, Turnstones, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, also Flamingos, Spoonbills, Grey Heron, White Storks, Cattle and Little Egrets, Coot, Purple Gallinules, Mallard, Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Little and Sandwich Terns, Crested and Short-toed Larks, Woodchat, Wheatear, Sardinian Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, etc.
I only spent a couple of hours here as it was blowing a gale, no good for photography!
I decided to go back to Vilamoura and try to find the Parque Ambiental Nature Reserve – like trying to find a needle in a haystack!! There should be an entrance from Falesia Beach end but I couldn’t find any signs for it, I eventually found a sign that took me several kms. west over a lot of roundabouts and found a building belonging to the Parque, this informed me there was no admittance and no parking from here, this was to be found in a certain street I forget the name of but on looking around at the street names nearby I discovered I was already in the street and so was the Parque building – the mind boggles!!! There was a track that ran in front of said building so I decided to drive down it and see what transpired, very little really. I’m almost sure I shouldn’t have been on it but followed the track around several overgrown fields seeing a few Hoopoes, Serins, Yellow Wagtails, Nightingale, Turtle Doves, Spotless Starlings, Sardinian, Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, Crested Larks, etc. I passed someone’s house, half-expecting to hear a shout and found a hide out in the middle of nowhere, by now I was a bit wary of leaving the car so headed back the way I came and called it a day.
While on the approach road to Falesia Beach car park I stopped at the bridge over the river and found a stunningly bright male Golden Bishop Weaver building a nest in the reeds.
30th April – Castro Marim Reserve was on the agenda for today, right on the border with Spain.
What’s this, no sunshine, clouds and wind with no sun, ah! well one day out of five isn’t too bad.
First area looked at was around the Reserve Centre, a good start with Great Spotted Cuckoo sitting on the TV aerial of the admin. house, Southern Grey Shrike, Red-legged Partridge, House Martin, Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Swift, Yellow Wagtails, Spotless Starlings, Marsh Harrier, Little Owl, 2 Stone Curlews, 4 Spoonbills. On the pools were small numbers of Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpipers, Ruff, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Common Sandpiper, Turnstones, Redshank, Greenshank, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Black-tailed Godwits and Little Egrets. On leaving two more Great Spotted Cuckoos and a Hoopoe were found just before reaching the main road.
Next I tried the salt-pan area from the track leading to the works on the west side of Castro Marim. Unfortunately, being a weekend I suppose, the gates to the salt-pans was closed with no entry signs posted, even barriers put up at the ends of the gates where you could squeeze through before, so I presume they mean keep out. From the track Flamingos and Spoonbills could be seen on the pans plus a few waders, Crested and Short-toed Larks were no surprise but 8 Lesser Short-toed were as they flew over calling, as was the Little Bustard on the slope to the right of the track, Whimbrel, Cattle Egrets, Bee-eaters, Yellow Wagtails and Corn Buntings were also seen.
1st May – Another trip to the Castro Verde area and back to being hot, and windy of course.
Ist and 2nd bridge birds almost the same, no Purple Heron but Little Bustard and Short-toed Eagle extra, Shrikes, Warblers etc. still present. Sao Marcos track area, still 1 Little Bustard on slope and several Great Bustards in taller grass at top of slope, plus as I was driving further up the road 3 Greats took off from the field on my left, these landed in a large open field about a mile away. Driving back down the road a short distance and taking the turning for Salto brought me alongside the field they were in but although at least 400 yards away as soon as the car stopped they started walking away, soon to disappear over a brow where they couldn’t be seen from the road.
I decided to drive along the Salto road for a few kms. having not been along it before. There’s plenty of good habitat along both sides of the road with a good mix of steppe, arable land, woodland etc. and some good birds too – Short-toed Eagle, Red and Black Kites, Montagu’s Harrier, Buzzard, Raven, Little Owl, Quail, Red-legged Partridges, Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Black-eared Wheatears, Wryneck, Crested, Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Spotless Starlings, Stonechats, Corn Buntings, Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows and Swifts being noted in a few kms. drive stopping at suitable points.
From here I went back to the area between Castro Verde and Entradas and the M.A. Centre for another go at some Roller pics. The Tawny Pipit was still there as was Crested, Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Magpies, Little Owls(2), Red-legged Partridges, Southern Grey Shrikes, Montie’s, Kestrels, Corn Buntings and of course the Rollers plus Short-toed Eagle, Black Kites, Ravens and a male Little Bustard. The Spanish Imperial Eagle was also present but more of that later.
Anyway I spent a good part of the late afternoon and early evening sitting in the car, sweating but happily watching the Rollers, confidently waiting for them to land on a post I’d seen them perch on several times before, did they hell, they landed on just about every post that had something in front of it, and just to bring home the fact they had got my number I happened to look out of the rear side window and there was a Roller about 30 feet away perched on a post I couldn’t see, or train the camera on, looking at me and I’m sure it was smiling. It was 7pm now and I knew I was on the losing end of this one, the light was beginning to go so I pulled out of the way and took my gear apart ready for the trip back to Vilamoura. Driving around the corner of the building what was sitting on a fence post about 100 yards away, yes, the Imperial Eagle, and I’d just put my gear in the boot!!! As slowly as I could I sneaked out of the car, luckily it was on the blind side, lifted the boot just enough to take out my tripod, opened the rear door just enough to take out the scope and camera, put them together, lined up the bird through the scope, wound down the rear passenger window and watched it take off and fly away, (the next bit is not fit for this report) but you can imagine what I was saying on the hour long trip back to Vilamoura.
2nd May – Last full day in Portugal and one place left to visit, the Quinta de Marim at Olhao, Part of the Ria Formosa Natural Park.
Today the tide was in so there were plenty of waders in the pools, 200+ Knot many in summer plumage, Dunlin, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, Turnstone, Sanderling, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Godwits, etc. several Little Terns obviously breed here and one Caspian Tern was also present – seeing them side by side really brought home the vast difference in size. Gulls were few, just small numbers of Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed, on the small, reedy lake were a few Mallard and Gadwall, several breeding Little Egrets, Coot and a Purple Gallinule. A walk through the woodland and along the various paths gave close views of nesting White Storks, most, if not all with young in the nest, Crested Larks, Hoopoe, Bee-eater, Collared and Turtle Doves, Sardinian, Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, Serins, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, etc. One thing that did surprise me was that I didn’t see Iberian Magpies here.
By now it was red hot again, I’d seen just about all I was going to see, so thought it time to call it a day and head back to Vilamoura to start packing and write up a few notes on the trip. No new birds this trip but I never expected any. Off to Donana area in Spain for a week tomorrow.
One last thing, birds seen at or around Oasis village – Iberian Magpies coming onto the balcony for food - they’re even better looking birds up close, House Sparrows, Serin, Greenfinch, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sardinian, Cetti’s and Fan-tailed Warblers, Nightingale, Turtle Dove, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Little Owl, Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Yellow-legged and Black-headed Gulls, Swift, Swallow and House Martin, also a Nightjar churring the first night I was here.
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