Simon Wates
Well-known member
Can you ask if they'll hang around until I get there on Tuesday?
Presumably the same juv. Lesser Spotted Eagle was seen again yesterday at Cabranosa - after being absent for a day.
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Sagres festival of birds 2017 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Simon Elliott
- Start date
Presumably the same juv. Lesser Spotted Eagle was seen again yesterday at Cabranosa - after being absent for a day.
Simon Elliott
Well-known member
Fantastic, if it will only hang on until tomorrow....
Simon Wates
Well-known member
Rüppell's Vulture seen heading towards Sagres today (again).
Simon Wates
Well-known member
Today, the first day of the festival is typically a bit disappointing so the lack of raptors wasn't surprising. Calm, very hot weather only produced; 2 ad. Bonelli's Eagles, Short-toed Eagle, a few Common Buzzards and Sparowhawks, 5 Hen Harriers (circling high together), Peregrines, Kestrels and little else.
Passerines were in lowish density but a nice variety - still lots to find for the festival though. They were; a late Western Orphean Warbler and 2 Ortolan Buntings were very nice - others seen inc. Tawny and Tree Pipit,Willow Warbler (inc 1 "acredula type"), Whitethroats, plenty of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Yellow Wagtails, Northern Wheatears, Whinchats and of course the resident birds like Red-billed Chough, Thekla's Lark etc. Also Hoopoe and Little Owl were fun and the first wintering Robins, Blackcaps and Common Chiffchaffs appearing - should be loads of Robins soon, usually all of a sudden.
Seabirds on the pelagics running today included; Wilson's and European Storm Petrel, Great, Sooty, Cory's and Balearic Shearwaters and Bonxies.
Hoping the increased wind speed the next day or two will get the raptors moving....
Passerines were in lowish density but a nice variety - still lots to find for the festival though. They were; a late Western Orphean Warbler and 2 Ortolan Buntings were very nice - others seen inc. Tawny and Tree Pipit,Willow Warbler (inc 1 "acredula type"), Whitethroats, plenty of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Yellow Wagtails, Northern Wheatears, Whinchats and of course the resident birds like Red-billed Chough, Thekla's Lark etc. Also Hoopoe and Little Owl were fun and the first wintering Robins, Blackcaps and Common Chiffchaffs appearing - should be loads of Robins soon, usually all of a sudden.
Seabirds on the pelagics running today included; Wilson's and European Storm Petrel, Great, Sooty, Cory's and Balearic Shearwaters and Bonxies.
Hoping the increased wind speed the next day or two will get the raptors moving....
Simon Wates
Well-known member
Well, today was certainly better for raptors - what was lacking in numbers was made up with diversity. Here's the day list for them - if I've been informed of everything seen during today's events and lots of independent visitors.
Eur. Griffon Vulture - 20 birds at Cabranosa and a further 70 birds roosting about 25kms inland with a Eur. Black Vulture).
Rüppell's Vulture - 2 imms with the above 20.
Egyptian Vulture
Spanish Imperial Eagle - 1 imm.
Bonelli's Eagle - 1 imm + 1 ad.
Booted Eagle - a few
Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Short-toed Eagle
Common Buzzard
Honey Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Goshawk
Peregrine
Common Kestrel
Lesser Kestrel (unusual record near Vale Santo)
Hobby
Peregrine
(omitted from yesterday, 1 Eleonora's Falcon)
Passerines were a little more numerous than yesterday - with a few extras added to festival list; Reed Warbler, Nightingale springs to mind. Also 2 Turtle Doves.
Pelagics were similar to yesterday.
And...(I missed out with a group looking for land birds for my sins) at 8.30am an adult Brown Booby made a few passes back and forward in front of Cabo de São Vicente at about 70 metres and was photographed very well indeed in superb light.
Eur. Griffon Vulture - 20 birds at Cabranosa and a further 70 birds roosting about 25kms inland with a Eur. Black Vulture).
Rüppell's Vulture - 2 imms with the above 20.
Egyptian Vulture
Spanish Imperial Eagle - 1 imm.
Bonelli's Eagle - 1 imm + 1 ad.
Booted Eagle - a few
Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Short-toed Eagle
Common Buzzard
Honey Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Goshawk
Peregrine
Common Kestrel
Lesser Kestrel (unusual record near Vale Santo)
Hobby
Peregrine
(omitted from yesterday, 1 Eleonora's Falcon)
Passerines were a little more numerous than yesterday - with a few extras added to festival list; Reed Warbler, Nightingale springs to mind. Also 2 Turtle Doves.
Pelagics were similar to yesterday.
And...(I missed out with a group looking for land birds for my sins) at 8.30am an adult Brown Booby made a few passes back and forward in front of Cabo de São Vicente at about 70 metres and was photographed very well indeed in superb light.
Simon Wates
Well-known member
An Osprey was also seen today, so 20 species of diurnal raptors in one day.
Simon Wates
Well-known member
Additional species for the festival today included a Lesser Spotted Eagle and a 2nd cal yr male Pallid Harrier. The first Ring Ouzel of the year was near the festival's reception centre as well as the first Yellow-browed Warbler in a hotel garden in Sagres itself.
Simon Elliott
Well-known member
Just back
Just back from an amazing few days in Sagres. Well worth the visit, not least for the friendly company of the recorders, guides and the fraternity of other birders who by all accounts go every year. Some new birds for me including Ruppell's Vulture, Great Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater and European Storm Petrel. Others included Honey Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Black Kite, Bonellis Eagle, Short-Toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Chough, Hen Harrier, Black Stork, Osprey, and finished off in Vilamoura with Black-Winged Kite, Purple Gallinule, Marsh Harrier and Kingfisher. Will definitely be back!
Just back from an amazing few days in Sagres. Well worth the visit, not least for the friendly company of the recorders, guides and the fraternity of other birders who by all accounts go every year. Some new birds for me including Ruppell's Vulture, Great Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater and European Storm Petrel. Others included Honey Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Black Kite, Bonellis Eagle, Short-Toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Chough, Hen Harrier, Black Stork, Osprey, and finished off in Vilamoura with Black-Winged Kite, Purple Gallinule, Marsh Harrier and Kingfisher. Will definitely be back!
Simon Wates
Well-known member
Today's highlight was a juv. erlangeri Lanner seen (and photographed) fabulously at Cabranosa by more than 60 people. Also the 2nd cal male Pallid Harrier is still around and was seen at various places, last apparently going to roost near Vale Santo. 4 Sabines Gulls were seen on one of the pelagics as well as Arctic Skua, Bonxie, the 4 shearwaters already seen, 3 Wilson's and some European Storm Petrels. 17 Spoonbill were a bit bizarre going south (to Banco d'Arguin?) having been seen earlier past the Cape. A Yellow-browed Warbler was heard close to Cabranosa and 2 more Ring Ouzels were seen very nicely. A splattering of passerine migrants - small numbers all over - hopefully more soon! Unexpected was a Brent Goose photographed over Martinhal, next to Sagres. Tomorrow is the final day of the festival.
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Simon Wates
Well-known member
I don't think we co-incided, most of the time I was in others areas of the peninsula with groups or sneaking off alone or with one or two of the local birders mainly looking for passerines etc. I haven't spent much time at Cabranosa during the festival though a late visit today produced another good showing of the Pallid Harrier.
Thanks for posting the photos - I must try and get others to do so! Great one of the Rüppell's - showing well its true colours
And the juv. Black Kite too - very nice and alarmingly pale for the unprepared!Cabranosa is a marvelous spot to be - so glad you were successful and with bonuses.
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kb57
Well-known member
We were in Sagres on 4th - 5th Oct., although I'm ashamed to say we didn't make it either to Beliche to call into the festival office or Cabranosa this year. Made the 'mistake' of treating my partner to a night in the Pousada and it proved difficult to get her away from the pool - the heat didn't help my motivation either!
I did the afternoon Mar Ilimitado pelagic on 4th and dipped on great shearwater this year, which had been a highlight the previous year. Only 1 or 2 Wilson's amongst the European storm-petrels too, but many more Cory's shearwaters with a raft of about 40 west of Cabo St. Vincente, a great view of a sooty shearwater circling the boat when we chummed, several Bonxies, and my first Balearic shearwaters. Another highlight was coming across a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins, well offshore to the west.
While I was out, my partner was watching black redstarts, Northern wheatears and Thekla larks around the pousada...I saw the others but missed out on the Thekla larks when I returned, which would've been another lifer for me.
The next day we'd both booked on a dolphin watching trip, again with Mar Ilimitado. Although the focus was on cetaceans and marine life, we still saw Balearic and Cory's shearwaters, Bonxies and actually more European storm-petrels than the previous day - including some which circled us when we finally connected with a common dolphin pod, even though we weren't chumming. But the undoubted highlight wasn't a bird or marine mammal - it was seeing flying fish close to the RIB...a first for both of us!
Although I missed out on the raptor watching at Sagres, we had a red kite earlier in the week over Santa Luzia, and two trips to the salt pans by Faro airport brought firstly a 'kettle' of 5 booted eagles of various ages / plumages, then yesterday just before I left we saw another booted eagle and 3 ospreys. Slender-billed gulls were present there both times, while the channel to the east of Santa Luzia seems reliable for Audouin's gulls.
I did the afternoon Mar Ilimitado pelagic on 4th and dipped on great shearwater this year, which had been a highlight the previous year. Only 1 or 2 Wilson's amongst the European storm-petrels too, but many more Cory's shearwaters with a raft of about 40 west of Cabo St. Vincente, a great view of a sooty shearwater circling the boat when we chummed, several Bonxies, and my first Balearic shearwaters. Another highlight was coming across a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins, well offshore to the west.
While I was out, my partner was watching black redstarts, Northern wheatears and Thekla larks around the pousada...I saw the others but missed out on the Thekla larks when I returned, which would've been another lifer for me.
The next day we'd both booked on a dolphin watching trip, again with Mar Ilimitado. Although the focus was on cetaceans and marine life, we still saw Balearic and Cory's shearwaters, Bonxies and actually more European storm-petrels than the previous day - including some which circled us when we finally connected with a common dolphin pod, even though we weren't chumming. But the undoubted highlight wasn't a bird or marine mammal - it was seeing flying fish close to the RIB...a first for both of us!
Although I missed out on the raptor watching at Sagres, we had a red kite earlier in the week over Santa Luzia, and two trips to the salt pans by Faro airport brought firstly a 'kettle' of 5 booted eagles of various ages / plumages, then yesterday just before I left we saw another booted eagle and 3 ospreys. Slender-billed gulls were present there both times, while the channel to the east of Santa Luzia seems reliable for Audouin's gulls.
Simon Elliott
Well-known member
I don't think we co-incided]
Thanks Simon. I thought had a glimpse of your truck but wasn't sure
Simon Wates
Well-known member
The list
Yesterday, the final day, produced just a few new species for the festival including a Ring-billed Gull on one of the pelagics and a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the afternoon in the famous pine hedge. Raptors were less numerous but still lots of nice views of a great variety for everyone. The male 2nd cal yr Pallid Harrier quartered the area between Vale Santo and Cabranosa much of the day too, and many managed to catch up with it for the first time.
This year’s festival attracted over 2,700 visitors from 39 countries, tour groups, many foreign and Portuguese and foreign resident birdwatchers. Of course Cabranosa was very popular, as were the numerous pelagics and many got to see around the wider peninsula, more off the beaten track. Plenty of folk who just wanted to visit more casually did so mainly to the festival’s reception/info/exhibition centre at the stunning historical location of Forte de Beliche, just down the road from Cabo de São Vicente.
The many free to attend guided group outings to diverse locations were a great success – lots of exciting birding and birds and happy birders.
A mention must be made of the untiring and dedicated team whose hard work make the festival happen. Made up of staff from SPEA (Portugal’s Birdlife partner), other nature conservation ONGs, like the Algarve’s Almargem who have worked side by side with SPEA since the first festival and people from the local county council who have been necessary staunch supporters and facilitators.
The birds also did their best to contribute, so worries about the calm and hot weather with very light winds and a disppointing show were dispelled. I think most of the birders got to see at least one or two of the 8 Portuguese rarities. The provisional count of species seen between 4th and 8th October was 157, which included 26 (or 27) different raptors. Here are the birds seen during the festival’s 5 days throughout the peninsula.
Brent Goose
Common Scoter
Red-legged Partridge
Cory's Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Balearic Shearwater
Wilson´s Storm-petrel
European Storm-petrel
Northern Gannet
Brown Booby
Great Cormorant
European Shag
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Black Stork
White Stork
Eurasian Spoonbill
Black-winged Kite
Black Kite
Red Kite
European Honey Buzzard
Egyptian Vulture
Eurasian Griffon Vulture
Rüppell´s Vulture
Short-toed Eagle
Western Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Northern Goshawk
Common Buzzard
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Spanish Imperial Eagle
Booted Eagle
Bonelli's Eagle
Osprey
(Lesser Kestrel)...anyone verify this? It was on the board
Common Kestrel
Merlin
Eurasian Hobby
Eleonora's Falcon
Lanner
Peregrine
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Little Bustard
Oystercatcher
Common Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Eurasian Dotterel
Sanderling
Dunlin
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Common Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Turnstone
Pomarine Skua
Parasitic Skua
Great Skua
Mediterranean Gull
Common Black-headed Gull
Audouin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Sabine’s Gull
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Razorbill
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
European Turtle Dove
Barn Owl
Little Owl
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
European Nightjar
Red-necked Nightjar
Eurasian Hoopoe
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Wryneck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Thekla’s Lark
Woodlark
Common Skylark
Eurasian Crag-martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Common House Martin
Tawny Pipit
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
Winter Wren
European Robin
Common Nightingale
Bluethroat
Black Redstart
Common Redstart
Whinchat
Common Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
Blue Rock Thrush
Ring Ouzel
Common Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Cetti´s Warbler
Zitting Cisticola
Common Grasshopper Warbler
European Reed Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Western Orphean Warbler
Common Whitethroat
Dartford Warbler
Subalpine Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Western Bonelli's Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Iberian Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Firecrest
Spotted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Great Tit
European Blue Tit
Crested Tit
Iberian Grey Shrike
Azure-winged Magpie
Common Magpie
Western Jackdaw
Common Raven
Red-billed Chough
Common Starling
Spotless Starling
House Sparrow
Common Rock Sparrow
Common Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Ortolan Bunting
Corn Bunting
Common Waxbill
(No swifts or Woodchat Shrike surprised me)
Yesterday, the final day, produced just a few new species for the festival including a Ring-billed Gull on one of the pelagics and a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the afternoon in the famous pine hedge. Raptors were less numerous but still lots of nice views of a great variety for everyone. The male 2nd cal yr Pallid Harrier quartered the area between Vale Santo and Cabranosa much of the day too, and many managed to catch up with it for the first time.
This year’s festival attracted over 2,700 visitors from 39 countries, tour groups, many foreign and Portuguese and foreign resident birdwatchers. Of course Cabranosa was very popular, as were the numerous pelagics and many got to see around the wider peninsula, more off the beaten track. Plenty of folk who just wanted to visit more casually did so mainly to the festival’s reception/info/exhibition centre at the stunning historical location of Forte de Beliche, just down the road from Cabo de São Vicente.
The many free to attend guided group outings to diverse locations were a great success – lots of exciting birding and birds and happy birders.
A mention must be made of the untiring and dedicated team whose hard work make the festival happen. Made up of staff from SPEA (Portugal’s Birdlife partner), other nature conservation ONGs, like the Algarve’s Almargem who have worked side by side with SPEA since the first festival and people from the local county council who have been necessary staunch supporters and facilitators.
The birds also did their best to contribute, so worries about the calm and hot weather with very light winds and a disppointing show were dispelled. I think most of the birders got to see at least one or two of the 8 Portuguese rarities. The provisional count of species seen between 4th and 8th October was 157, which included 26 (or 27) different raptors. Here are the birds seen during the festival’s 5 days throughout the peninsula.
Brent Goose
Common Scoter
Red-legged Partridge
Cory's Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Balearic Shearwater
Wilson´s Storm-petrel
European Storm-petrel
Northern Gannet
Brown Booby
Great Cormorant
European Shag
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Black Stork
White Stork
Eurasian Spoonbill
Black-winged Kite
Black Kite
Red Kite
European Honey Buzzard
Egyptian Vulture
Eurasian Griffon Vulture
Rüppell´s Vulture
Short-toed Eagle
Western Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Northern Goshawk
Common Buzzard
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Spanish Imperial Eagle
Booted Eagle
Bonelli's Eagle
Osprey
(Lesser Kestrel)...anyone verify this? It was on the board
Common Kestrel
Merlin
Eurasian Hobby
Eleonora's Falcon
Lanner
Peregrine
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Little Bustard
Oystercatcher
Common Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Eurasian Dotterel
Sanderling
Dunlin
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Common Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Turnstone
Pomarine Skua
Parasitic Skua
Great Skua
Mediterranean Gull
Common Black-headed Gull
Audouin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Sabine’s Gull
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Razorbill
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
European Turtle Dove
Barn Owl
Little Owl
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
European Nightjar
Red-necked Nightjar
Eurasian Hoopoe
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Wryneck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Thekla’s Lark
Woodlark
Common Skylark
Eurasian Crag-martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Common House Martin
Tawny Pipit
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
Winter Wren
European Robin
Common Nightingale
Bluethroat
Black Redstart
Common Redstart
Whinchat
Common Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
Blue Rock Thrush
Ring Ouzel
Common Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Cetti´s Warbler
Zitting Cisticola
Common Grasshopper Warbler
European Reed Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Western Orphean Warbler
Common Whitethroat
Dartford Warbler
Subalpine Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Western Bonelli's Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Iberian Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Firecrest
Spotted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Great Tit
European Blue Tit
Crested Tit
Iberian Grey Shrike
Azure-winged Magpie
Common Magpie
Western Jackdaw
Common Raven
Red-billed Chough
Common Starling
Spotless Starling
House Sparrow
Common Rock Sparrow
Common Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Ortolan Bunting
Corn Bunting
Common Waxbill
(No swifts or Woodchat Shrike surprised me)
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Simon Wates
Well-known member
One more species to add to the list of species seen during the Sagres Bird Festival - a single male Penduline Tit was seen by a friend at Martinhal on the 7th Oct. The only other record I know close to Sagres were 7 inds. I had, that landed briefly on some bushes on the headland of Ponta de Sagres some years ago.
Anyway - that takes the total to 158 species in 5 days in about 50 sq kms - not bad considering very little wet habitat.....
Anyway - that takes the total to 158 species in 5 days in about 50 sq kms - not bad considering very little wet habitat.....
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Mick Sway
Well-known member
Autumn Raptor Migration
"Yesterday, the final day, produced just a few new species for the festival including a Ring-billed Gull on one of the pelagics and a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the afternoon in the famous pine hedge. Raptors were less numerous but still lots of nice views of a great variety for everyone. The male 2nd cal yr Pallid Harrier quartered the area between Vale Santo and Cabranosa much of the day too, and many managed to catch up with it for the first time."
Unfortunately Tina cocked up her holidays this year, so we missed the fun on Cabranosa 2017, which, it appears has been one of the best ever. Needless to say we also missed the company of all the regulars, who has become a big part of our lives in recent years.
Hopefully birders on the Sagres peninsula will continue to enjoy the passage for a couple of weeks yet.
Thanks for sharing your report Simon.
Best
Mick & Tina
"Yesterday, the final day, produced just a few new species for the festival including a Ring-billed Gull on one of the pelagics and a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the afternoon in the famous pine hedge. Raptors were less numerous but still lots of nice views of a great variety for everyone. The male 2nd cal yr Pallid Harrier quartered the area between Vale Santo and Cabranosa much of the day too, and many managed to catch up with it for the first time."
Unfortunately Tina cocked up her holidays this year, so we missed the fun on Cabranosa 2017, which, it appears has been one of the best ever. Needless to say we also missed the company of all the regulars, who has become a big part of our lives in recent years.
Hopefully birders on the Sagres peninsula will continue to enjoy the passage for a couple of weeks yet.
Thanks for sharing your report Simon.
Best
Mick & Tina
