alanrharris53
Well-known member
ITINERARY:
This is my first trip report and it has to be said that although I keep practicing I am pretty bad at this birding lark (often failing completely to recognise some fairly common birds). I usually try to take a photo of anything I have seen so that I can confirm it’s identity later and, whilst this works for eagles and storks, it is not always possible for small bird, particularly those hiding in bushes!
It should also be noted that this was not just a birding holiday. My wife isn’t really that interested and will tolerate some time sitting in a hide but soon gets impatient. She also objects to getting up at the crack of dawn, so birding for much of this trip was restricted to an hour or two a day and mostly in the afternoon when it was quite hot. Anyway, enough excuses, here goes...
Flight
We travelled by Easyjet from East Midlands to Faro on Tuesday 13th October. This route is closing at the end of the year so next time it will probably be BMIBaby or a trip to a different airport (Birmingham or Luton). I say “we travelled” but actually the first week was mainly spent playing golf and although I did visit the Salgados lagoon/Pera marshes a couple of times the real holiday didn’t start until the following Tuesday (the 20th) when my golfing buddies flew home and my wife duly arrived with a fresh supply of socks.
Accommodation
I stayed in the apartment I own on a small complex called the Jardins Vale De Parra in Gale. See webpage here, although this has not been updated for a while.
http://www.jvp-albufeira.com/
The apartment is about 10 min west of Albufeira and fairly central so that no birding sites in the Algarve are more than an hour away by car. It is also very close to the afore mentioned Salgados Reserve (which often seems to get called the Pera Marches and I am not entirely sure what is the true description). The apartment has two bedrooms and when I am not using it is let out via the complex reception, there are also one bed and studio apartments for rent on the complex. The complex is quite small with only ~100 apartments, but has two good sized pools and a bar and is close to a number of good local restaurants. The reception staff are very friendly and helpful, although they don’t know much about birds. If you want to stay here feel free to contact me as I can arrange a discount on all apartments (not just mine) especially outside the main summer season.
Car Hire
We used Iberent for the car hire for the weeks golf as we needed a large estate to get all the clubs in and they were offering the best deal. We had a Toyota Avensis which was about £360 for the week. For the second week we used LuzCar, who I have used a few times and found to be good if you want a small car to run around in. We had a small Fiat this time for around £155 for the week. http://www.luzcar.com/
SITES VISITED:
Sagres and Cape St.Vincent
Salgados Lagoon
Quinta Do Lago
Ria Formosa (Ohlao)
Castro Marim
I consciously decided to give Castro Verde/Mertola a miss on this occasion. We were there the previous October and in May 2009 so didn’t venture that way this time.
SITE REPORTS:
Sagres and Cape St. Vincent
On the Tuesday it started to rain about just as my wife arrived at the airport and didn’t stop for the rest of the day. On Wednesday it was still very cloudy but seemed to be clearing up. The weather usually comes from the West so we set off in that direction hoping to greet the sun. The sun did indeed appear at first but soon some black clouds obscured it and the weather turned to very heavy showers. So we spent much of the day avoiding the showers and didn’t see too many birds.
Leaving the apartment we immediately saw the local Sparrows – our first bird to report!
Inside the fort at Sagres is a good place to see Black Redstarts. I have seen these on just about every visit. Looking over the edge of the cliff (if you dare as they are quite high!) it is nearly certain that you will see Rock Doves. And atop of the cliffs and often sitting on the lighthouse you will nearly always see Yellow Legged Gulls as often a few other types too. Crested Larks and Thekla Larks are also here but incredibly difficult to tell apart.
On this occasion all of the above were seen, and some photographed, but this time I managed to get a definitive photo of a Thekla Lark – previous attempts had only caused a lot of debate amongst birders much more expert than I when I asked them to comment as to which species the photographed bird was. Out at sea there were a group of Gannets including quite a few juveniles flying close to the cliffs and occasionally diving for food.
We drove up to Cape St Vincent but the weather closed in and there was not much to see this time apart from a small group of Goldfinches. The area is reportedly good for raptors and on one occasion when I was playing golf at the nearby Parque Do Floresta course I did see a huge group of at least 50 birds souring on the thermals in the distance. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any binoculars with me so could not make out what they were! The only other time I have seen raptors here was when a group of 5 Griffon Vultures flew over as we were approaching Sagres along the road. But on this day no luck at all.
Salgados Lagoon
As this is close to the apartment I went down a couple of times late in the day during the first week after playing golf. The lagoon was the fullest I have ever seen it. There was a large group of Flamingos on the far side and mixed group of Black Winged Stilts and Black Tailed Godwits close to the car park. There seemed to be >20 Little Grebes – never seen so many in one place before. Also there were plenty of coots. A few Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpipers were at the water’s edge. In amongst the shrubs were a lot of Willow Warblers and Crested Larks. A Common Tern took a turn over the lagoon before heading out to sea.
During the second week I went down again and was surprised to find the lagoon almost empty and turned into a mud flat. There had been a big storm overnight and maybe the sand bar had been breached naturally but allegedly the golf course are sometimes responsible for draining the lake by deliberately breaking the sand bar. Down on the beach it did look as though someone had been pumping water out of the lagoon into the sea so maybe they decided the water level was too high. Now as I mentioned I do play golf and have played the Salgados course in the past. Although I would not play there again given there apparent lack of concern for the lagoon. There are plenty of other golf complexes that seem to have better management of the environment and concern for wildlife.
Either way, whether the breach was deliberate or through natural causes, it changed the bird population somewhat. First off there were around 10 Grey Herons fishing in the small pools left by the drainage. The fish were obviously concentrated into a small area and so it made for easy hunting for them. I have seen Purple Herons here before but couldn’t make out any on this occasion. The Flamingos were still around and actually closer to the car park side than usual offering good views. That was until large helicopter flew across and they took flight landing again on the far side near the golf course. There were also good views of three Purple Gallinule (Purple Swamp Hens) on the mud at the edge of some reeds. The Little Grebes seen previously were now all concentrated in a small area close to the outlet of the lagoon.
On the grassy area between the lagoon and the access road were about 50 Cattle Egrets. Strange as there wasn’t a cow anywhere in sight! They seemed to be finding plenty to eat thought in the long grass.
Quinta Do Lago
We drove down through the Quita Do Lago resort complex and into the car park at the far end. Walking to the left by the side of the golf course we noticed a brand new hide that wasn’t there in May when we were last here. This new construction overlooks the disused salt pans which are now tidal mudflats with raised dykes. Before reaching the hide we spotted two Redshanks, a Curlew and several Little Egrets.
The new hide is a similar design to the existing one which overlooks the fresh water lagoon. It is a 2 story construction. The only problem at the moment is that there is no screening to the sides of the hide (maybe they will add some in time) so that birds can see people go past on the footpath and into the hide. This meant that the birds were mostly well away from the hide. However, we could see a lot of waders including more Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Sanderlings and Turnstones. There were also more Little Egrets and a Grey Heron. Wandering amongst them was what looked like a Bittern. However, even with my limited skills I quickly reallised it couldn’t be one as it wouldn’t be seen fishing on the open mudflat. I took a picture (a very bad one as it was backlit by the low sun) and later worked out it was a Squacco Heron.
We left the mud and walked along the hide by the side of the lake. On the way we saw several Shovellers, some Gadwall, a few Pochard and scattering of Teal. On the golf course a group of around 30 Coots were feeding on the fairway but were soon scattered when someone teed off over their heads and into the lake. Their golf was apparently about the same poor standard as mine! Then we saw out of the corner of our eye a Reed Warbler, funnily enough in amongst the reeds. Before we got to the hide we also had a good view of a Purple Gallinule (Purple Swamp Hen) which seemed to cutting and gathering reeds. Eventually he saw us and legged it deeper into he reedbed.
On reaching the hide we settled down and waited. A Little Grebe appeared and started fishing close to the hide. Also a few Mallards sauntered by. In the distance, at the far end of the pond, was a large group of gulls which seemed to be mainly of the Lesser Black Backed variety. A Kingfisher made a brief flypast but didn’t land. It is a shame they don’t erect a couple of perches close to the hide as this might encourage them to stop a while. Last time we were here in May two Little Bitterns made an appearance directly under the hide and presented me with a good photo opportunity. But today there was no sign of them. After a short while all the gulls on the far end of the pool took to the air as one. Very shortly afterwards the ducks nearer to the hide also took fright. The cause of the excitement was then seen flying over the golf course and right over the top of the lake. It was a Griffon Vulture, a huge beast flying lazily at low altitude. It came across the front of the hide and flew off down the coast as everything settled back down again after the excitement.
Leaving the hide we were approached by a couple who asked if we had seen the big bird that went over and did we think it was a golden eagle. I told them I was no expert but didn’t think so (my photos later confirmed my initial diagnosis). They told us though that the previous day they had seen a Bluethroat in the reeds near the hide and also a Glossy Ibis on the lake. We had a brief chat and then spent some more time scanning the reeds but had less luck than they seem to have had and nothing new turned up.
On the way back to the car a Wheatear was sitting close on the side of the fairway of the golf course and didn’t seem to be bothered when I stopped and took a few photos. There was also a Hoopoe – I had also seen quite a few of these whilst playing golf the previous week, they seem to like looking for insects on the fairways. More Turnstones and Redshanks were in the water close to the bridge that goes across the mud flats to the beach. We had a walk up to the beach but it was by now about 26oC and so not much was moving. A few small birds were flitting about in the shrubs a long way off but I couldn’t make out what they were for sure.
Ria Formosa (Ohlao)
The Ria Formosa covers a huge area but the park headquarters are close to Ohlao. I had never been here before and I have to say Ohlao doesn’t look to be a very pleasant town, having a lot of high rise flats and loads of graffiti covering all the walls along side the road. The entrance to the park is just on the eastern outskirts of the town and signposted off the main N125.
We arrived fairly late in the day, around 2.00pm, so not ideal as it turns out the park shuts at 4.00 and again it was the middle of the day and so very hot. We were given a leaflet about the park and a map. Walking through the pine woods and down towards the salt pans we saw lots of Blackbirds and a few Azure Winged Magpies. There were also a few Crested Larks and some other smaller birds which I couldn’t identify for sure. We walked past the bird hospital – apparently they try to treat them and send them back to the wild. There is no admission as they want to avoid human contact as much as possible as part of their rehabilitation, but there was a hole in the netting on the fence around the enclosures so I took a quick peek. The only birds in residence seemed to be a White Stork and a few Yellow Legged Gulls.
We visited a hide which overlooks a large fresh water pond. This has a couple of islands that were covered with Little Egrets and ducks (mainly Mallards with a few Shovellers). We waited a while but with time pressing moved on to the hide overlooking the salt pans. A solitary Greenshanks was close to the hide and wandered up and down hunting for food in the shallow for some time. The only other birds visible was a Grey Heron. With time again moving on we were just about to leave when I heard something singing out side in the shrubs. I stuck my head out of the side window of the hide and came face to face with a Sardinian Warbler. Not sure who was more surprised, me or him, but he didn’t hang around to ask how I was.
We then walked further around to the old tidal mill. This was build a long time ago (can’t remember when but before global warming and alternative power sources were a twinkle in anyone’s eye). The mill used to work by harnessing the power of the tide and there is a small collection of equipment to look at inside.
The pool on the landward side of the mill contained several waders. Redshanks and Greenshanks, Black Tailed Godwits, Sanderlings, Curlews and Turnstones. On the seawards side there were Grey Herons standing on sentry duty about every 50 yards up the beach and a few Little Terns were fishing up and down the coast. Just as we were about to leave a squadron of around 8 Spoonbills flew in low over the sea and landed on the inner pool. We walked along the raised dyke a little way to get a better look but they soon decided they had had enough and all took off and flew westwards down the coast.
We walked back to the car without seeing anything new and managed to get out before the gates were locked at 4.00.
Castro Marim
We had been to Castro Marim before in May and were a bit disappointed as there seemed to be a distinct lack of birds. But thought we would give it another go and so set off up the motorway towards Spain. On reaching the area we went straight to the visitors centre as, by then, the coffee I had drunk at breakfast was having an effect and I needed a loo. As in May the visitor centre seemed almost deserted apart from a small group of people who seemed to be having a committee meeting in a small huddle in a corner. We had a look out from the big glass front of the centre using the scope they have, but all I managed to pick out was JCB and a few workmen who seemed to be reshaping the landscape. No birds to be seen anywhere.
We left the centre and followed the short circular route which goes alongside the salt pans and up to the top of a small hillock before returning to the centre. We first saw a Stonechat, then a few Redshanks, and then a few Crested Larks. But not much else.
We got back in the car and drove along the track that goes up underneath the road bridge which leads across to Spain. It ends by a turning area overlooking the river. Yet more Grey Herons, two of them, this time though they took off and flew wearily across in front of us before landing further up river. And yet more Redshanks. Driving back towards the centre there were a lot of larks sitting on the fence along the track, but every time the car got close to them they flew off and settled further along (good game that which birds often seem to play). There are reportedly six species of lark in the area but I never got close enough to see if they had short toes or not. Driving back towards the main road there was a Kestrel hovering over the salt pans. A Chiffchaff sat up on a bush by the side of the road but flew off as we came near.
We also explored some of the other bits of the reserve by car but found it difficult to find the right places to park to gain access. Next time I think I need to get a guide to show me around this area as it isn’t so easy on your own despite having a Spanish Guide Leaflet with a map (there being none available in English) from the Visitors Centre.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photos from this tip and previous ones are on my Flickr page here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-photos/sets/72157605429740294/
Bird List
Black Redstart Black Tailed Godwit
Crested Lark Little Grebe
Thekla Lark Coot
Rock Dove Ringed Plover
Yellow Legged Gull Common Sandpiper
Gannet Willow Warbler
Goldfinch Greater Flamingo
Black Winged Stilt Grey Heron
Purple Gallinule Cattle Egret
Redshank Curlew
Sanderling Turnstone
Lesser Black Backed Gull Squacco Heron
White Stork Griffon Vulture
Mallard Shoveller
Gadwall Pochard
Teal Reed Warbler
Kingfisher Wheatear
Blackbird Azure Winged Magpie
Greenshank Sparrow
Stonechat Kestrel
Chiffchaff Sardinian Warbler
Common Tern Little Tern
Hoopoe
45 in total. Not great but there were probably a lot of gulls I missed (I don’t really do gulls too well yet!) and definitely a lot of Small Brown Birds I missed (I saw them but couldn’t name them!) I also probably missed some waders which were often seen at a distance and I didn’t have a scope (too much to carry when you are heaving a camera around too). A good birder would have done much better but I was especially pleased with the Squacco Heron and the Griffon Vulture, seen within 30 min of each other.
This is my first trip report and it has to be said that although I keep practicing I am pretty bad at this birding lark (often failing completely to recognise some fairly common birds). I usually try to take a photo of anything I have seen so that I can confirm it’s identity later and, whilst this works for eagles and storks, it is not always possible for small bird, particularly those hiding in bushes!
It should also be noted that this was not just a birding holiday. My wife isn’t really that interested and will tolerate some time sitting in a hide but soon gets impatient. She also objects to getting up at the crack of dawn, so birding for much of this trip was restricted to an hour or two a day and mostly in the afternoon when it was quite hot. Anyway, enough excuses, here goes...
Flight
We travelled by Easyjet from East Midlands to Faro on Tuesday 13th October. This route is closing at the end of the year so next time it will probably be BMIBaby or a trip to a different airport (Birmingham or Luton). I say “we travelled” but actually the first week was mainly spent playing golf and although I did visit the Salgados lagoon/Pera marshes a couple of times the real holiday didn’t start until the following Tuesday (the 20th) when my golfing buddies flew home and my wife duly arrived with a fresh supply of socks.
Accommodation
I stayed in the apartment I own on a small complex called the Jardins Vale De Parra in Gale. See webpage here, although this has not been updated for a while.
http://www.jvp-albufeira.com/
The apartment is about 10 min west of Albufeira and fairly central so that no birding sites in the Algarve are more than an hour away by car. It is also very close to the afore mentioned Salgados Reserve (which often seems to get called the Pera Marches and I am not entirely sure what is the true description). The apartment has two bedrooms and when I am not using it is let out via the complex reception, there are also one bed and studio apartments for rent on the complex. The complex is quite small with only ~100 apartments, but has two good sized pools and a bar and is close to a number of good local restaurants. The reception staff are very friendly and helpful, although they don’t know much about birds. If you want to stay here feel free to contact me as I can arrange a discount on all apartments (not just mine) especially outside the main summer season.
Car Hire
We used Iberent for the car hire for the weeks golf as we needed a large estate to get all the clubs in and they were offering the best deal. We had a Toyota Avensis which was about £360 for the week. For the second week we used LuzCar, who I have used a few times and found to be good if you want a small car to run around in. We had a small Fiat this time for around £155 for the week. http://www.luzcar.com/
SITES VISITED:
Sagres and Cape St.Vincent
Salgados Lagoon
Quinta Do Lago
Ria Formosa (Ohlao)
Castro Marim
I consciously decided to give Castro Verde/Mertola a miss on this occasion. We were there the previous October and in May 2009 so didn’t venture that way this time.
SITE REPORTS:
Sagres and Cape St. Vincent
On the Tuesday it started to rain about just as my wife arrived at the airport and didn’t stop for the rest of the day. On Wednesday it was still very cloudy but seemed to be clearing up. The weather usually comes from the West so we set off in that direction hoping to greet the sun. The sun did indeed appear at first but soon some black clouds obscured it and the weather turned to very heavy showers. So we spent much of the day avoiding the showers and didn’t see too many birds.
Leaving the apartment we immediately saw the local Sparrows – our first bird to report!
Inside the fort at Sagres is a good place to see Black Redstarts. I have seen these on just about every visit. Looking over the edge of the cliff (if you dare as they are quite high!) it is nearly certain that you will see Rock Doves. And atop of the cliffs and often sitting on the lighthouse you will nearly always see Yellow Legged Gulls as often a few other types too. Crested Larks and Thekla Larks are also here but incredibly difficult to tell apart.
On this occasion all of the above were seen, and some photographed, but this time I managed to get a definitive photo of a Thekla Lark – previous attempts had only caused a lot of debate amongst birders much more expert than I when I asked them to comment as to which species the photographed bird was. Out at sea there were a group of Gannets including quite a few juveniles flying close to the cliffs and occasionally diving for food.
We drove up to Cape St Vincent but the weather closed in and there was not much to see this time apart from a small group of Goldfinches. The area is reportedly good for raptors and on one occasion when I was playing golf at the nearby Parque Do Floresta course I did see a huge group of at least 50 birds souring on the thermals in the distance. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any binoculars with me so could not make out what they were! The only other time I have seen raptors here was when a group of 5 Griffon Vultures flew over as we were approaching Sagres along the road. But on this day no luck at all.
Salgados Lagoon
As this is close to the apartment I went down a couple of times late in the day during the first week after playing golf. The lagoon was the fullest I have ever seen it. There was a large group of Flamingos on the far side and mixed group of Black Winged Stilts and Black Tailed Godwits close to the car park. There seemed to be >20 Little Grebes – never seen so many in one place before. Also there were plenty of coots. A few Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpipers were at the water’s edge. In amongst the shrubs were a lot of Willow Warblers and Crested Larks. A Common Tern took a turn over the lagoon before heading out to sea.
During the second week I went down again and was surprised to find the lagoon almost empty and turned into a mud flat. There had been a big storm overnight and maybe the sand bar had been breached naturally but allegedly the golf course are sometimes responsible for draining the lake by deliberately breaking the sand bar. Down on the beach it did look as though someone had been pumping water out of the lagoon into the sea so maybe they decided the water level was too high. Now as I mentioned I do play golf and have played the Salgados course in the past. Although I would not play there again given there apparent lack of concern for the lagoon. There are plenty of other golf complexes that seem to have better management of the environment and concern for wildlife.
Either way, whether the breach was deliberate or through natural causes, it changed the bird population somewhat. First off there were around 10 Grey Herons fishing in the small pools left by the drainage. The fish were obviously concentrated into a small area and so it made for easy hunting for them. I have seen Purple Herons here before but couldn’t make out any on this occasion. The Flamingos were still around and actually closer to the car park side than usual offering good views. That was until large helicopter flew across and they took flight landing again on the far side near the golf course. There were also good views of three Purple Gallinule (Purple Swamp Hens) on the mud at the edge of some reeds. The Little Grebes seen previously were now all concentrated in a small area close to the outlet of the lagoon.
On the grassy area between the lagoon and the access road were about 50 Cattle Egrets. Strange as there wasn’t a cow anywhere in sight! They seemed to be finding plenty to eat thought in the long grass.
Quinta Do Lago
We drove down through the Quita Do Lago resort complex and into the car park at the far end. Walking to the left by the side of the golf course we noticed a brand new hide that wasn’t there in May when we were last here. This new construction overlooks the disused salt pans which are now tidal mudflats with raised dykes. Before reaching the hide we spotted two Redshanks, a Curlew and several Little Egrets.
The new hide is a similar design to the existing one which overlooks the fresh water lagoon. It is a 2 story construction. The only problem at the moment is that there is no screening to the sides of the hide (maybe they will add some in time) so that birds can see people go past on the footpath and into the hide. This meant that the birds were mostly well away from the hide. However, we could see a lot of waders including more Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Sanderlings and Turnstones. There were also more Little Egrets and a Grey Heron. Wandering amongst them was what looked like a Bittern. However, even with my limited skills I quickly reallised it couldn’t be one as it wouldn’t be seen fishing on the open mudflat. I took a picture (a very bad one as it was backlit by the low sun) and later worked out it was a Squacco Heron.
We left the mud and walked along the hide by the side of the lake. On the way we saw several Shovellers, some Gadwall, a few Pochard and scattering of Teal. On the golf course a group of around 30 Coots were feeding on the fairway but were soon scattered when someone teed off over their heads and into the lake. Their golf was apparently about the same poor standard as mine! Then we saw out of the corner of our eye a Reed Warbler, funnily enough in amongst the reeds. Before we got to the hide we also had a good view of a Purple Gallinule (Purple Swamp Hen) which seemed to cutting and gathering reeds. Eventually he saw us and legged it deeper into he reedbed.
On reaching the hide we settled down and waited. A Little Grebe appeared and started fishing close to the hide. Also a few Mallards sauntered by. In the distance, at the far end of the pond, was a large group of gulls which seemed to be mainly of the Lesser Black Backed variety. A Kingfisher made a brief flypast but didn’t land. It is a shame they don’t erect a couple of perches close to the hide as this might encourage them to stop a while. Last time we were here in May two Little Bitterns made an appearance directly under the hide and presented me with a good photo opportunity. But today there was no sign of them. After a short while all the gulls on the far end of the pool took to the air as one. Very shortly afterwards the ducks nearer to the hide also took fright. The cause of the excitement was then seen flying over the golf course and right over the top of the lake. It was a Griffon Vulture, a huge beast flying lazily at low altitude. It came across the front of the hide and flew off down the coast as everything settled back down again after the excitement.
Leaving the hide we were approached by a couple who asked if we had seen the big bird that went over and did we think it was a golden eagle. I told them I was no expert but didn’t think so (my photos later confirmed my initial diagnosis). They told us though that the previous day they had seen a Bluethroat in the reeds near the hide and also a Glossy Ibis on the lake. We had a brief chat and then spent some more time scanning the reeds but had less luck than they seem to have had and nothing new turned up.
On the way back to the car a Wheatear was sitting close on the side of the fairway of the golf course and didn’t seem to be bothered when I stopped and took a few photos. There was also a Hoopoe – I had also seen quite a few of these whilst playing golf the previous week, they seem to like looking for insects on the fairways. More Turnstones and Redshanks were in the water close to the bridge that goes across the mud flats to the beach. We had a walk up to the beach but it was by now about 26oC and so not much was moving. A few small birds were flitting about in the shrubs a long way off but I couldn’t make out what they were for sure.
Ria Formosa (Ohlao)
The Ria Formosa covers a huge area but the park headquarters are close to Ohlao. I had never been here before and I have to say Ohlao doesn’t look to be a very pleasant town, having a lot of high rise flats and loads of graffiti covering all the walls along side the road. The entrance to the park is just on the eastern outskirts of the town and signposted off the main N125.
We arrived fairly late in the day, around 2.00pm, so not ideal as it turns out the park shuts at 4.00 and again it was the middle of the day and so very hot. We were given a leaflet about the park and a map. Walking through the pine woods and down towards the salt pans we saw lots of Blackbirds and a few Azure Winged Magpies. There were also a few Crested Larks and some other smaller birds which I couldn’t identify for sure. We walked past the bird hospital – apparently they try to treat them and send them back to the wild. There is no admission as they want to avoid human contact as much as possible as part of their rehabilitation, but there was a hole in the netting on the fence around the enclosures so I took a quick peek. The only birds in residence seemed to be a White Stork and a few Yellow Legged Gulls.
We visited a hide which overlooks a large fresh water pond. This has a couple of islands that were covered with Little Egrets and ducks (mainly Mallards with a few Shovellers). We waited a while but with time pressing moved on to the hide overlooking the salt pans. A solitary Greenshanks was close to the hide and wandered up and down hunting for food in the shallow for some time. The only other birds visible was a Grey Heron. With time again moving on we were just about to leave when I heard something singing out side in the shrubs. I stuck my head out of the side window of the hide and came face to face with a Sardinian Warbler. Not sure who was more surprised, me or him, but he didn’t hang around to ask how I was.
We then walked further around to the old tidal mill. This was build a long time ago (can’t remember when but before global warming and alternative power sources were a twinkle in anyone’s eye). The mill used to work by harnessing the power of the tide and there is a small collection of equipment to look at inside.
The pool on the landward side of the mill contained several waders. Redshanks and Greenshanks, Black Tailed Godwits, Sanderlings, Curlews and Turnstones. On the seawards side there were Grey Herons standing on sentry duty about every 50 yards up the beach and a few Little Terns were fishing up and down the coast. Just as we were about to leave a squadron of around 8 Spoonbills flew in low over the sea and landed on the inner pool. We walked along the raised dyke a little way to get a better look but they soon decided they had had enough and all took off and flew westwards down the coast.
We walked back to the car without seeing anything new and managed to get out before the gates were locked at 4.00.
Castro Marim
We had been to Castro Marim before in May and were a bit disappointed as there seemed to be a distinct lack of birds. But thought we would give it another go and so set off up the motorway towards Spain. On reaching the area we went straight to the visitors centre as, by then, the coffee I had drunk at breakfast was having an effect and I needed a loo. As in May the visitor centre seemed almost deserted apart from a small group of people who seemed to be having a committee meeting in a small huddle in a corner. We had a look out from the big glass front of the centre using the scope they have, but all I managed to pick out was JCB and a few workmen who seemed to be reshaping the landscape. No birds to be seen anywhere.
We left the centre and followed the short circular route which goes alongside the salt pans and up to the top of a small hillock before returning to the centre. We first saw a Stonechat, then a few Redshanks, and then a few Crested Larks. But not much else.
We got back in the car and drove along the track that goes up underneath the road bridge which leads across to Spain. It ends by a turning area overlooking the river. Yet more Grey Herons, two of them, this time though they took off and flew wearily across in front of us before landing further up river. And yet more Redshanks. Driving back towards the centre there were a lot of larks sitting on the fence along the track, but every time the car got close to them they flew off and settled further along (good game that which birds often seem to play). There are reportedly six species of lark in the area but I never got close enough to see if they had short toes or not. Driving back towards the main road there was a Kestrel hovering over the salt pans. A Chiffchaff sat up on a bush by the side of the road but flew off as we came near.
We also explored some of the other bits of the reserve by car but found it difficult to find the right places to park to gain access. Next time I think I need to get a guide to show me around this area as it isn’t so easy on your own despite having a Spanish Guide Leaflet with a map (there being none available in English) from the Visitors Centre.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photos from this tip and previous ones are on my Flickr page here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-photos/sets/72157605429740294/
Bird List
Black Redstart Black Tailed Godwit
Crested Lark Little Grebe
Thekla Lark Coot
Rock Dove Ringed Plover
Yellow Legged Gull Common Sandpiper
Gannet Willow Warbler
Goldfinch Greater Flamingo
Black Winged Stilt Grey Heron
Purple Gallinule Cattle Egret
Redshank Curlew
Sanderling Turnstone
Lesser Black Backed Gull Squacco Heron
White Stork Griffon Vulture
Mallard Shoveller
Gadwall Pochard
Teal Reed Warbler
Kingfisher Wheatear
Blackbird Azure Winged Magpie
Greenshank Sparrow
Stonechat Kestrel
Chiffchaff Sardinian Warbler
Common Tern Little Tern
Hoopoe
45 in total. Not great but there were probably a lot of gulls I missed (I don’t really do gulls too well yet!) and definitely a lot of Small Brown Birds I missed (I saw them but couldn’t name them!) I also probably missed some waders which were often seen at a distance and I didn’t have a scope (too much to carry when you are heaving a camera around too). A good birder would have done much better but I was especially pleased with the Squacco Heron and the Griffon Vulture, seen within 30 min of each other.
