aythya_hybrid
real name Jonathan Dean
Dear all. Just returned from a nice largely non-birding few days with my partner's family in Sesimbra. This may be of no interest at all to anyone, but - among other things - I made my first visit to Lagoa Pequena/Lagoa de Estacada complex, which was very productive. It's within very easy reach from Lisbon.
Here's a full report (sorry for boring stuff about when I last saw particular species, it copied and pasted from my birding diary....)
Sesimbra, 12 August
First evening, 12th, I saw 8 Alpine Swift, 1 Pallid Swift, several Common Swifts and a few undetermined Swifts. Also several Red-rumped Swallows, which were seen throughout. Overall, though, far fewer Swifts than on my previous visit in 2009, which was at roughly the same time of year.
Other birds seen regularly included:
A nice mix of Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls down in the harbour
Sardinian Warbler: heard lots but typically difficult to get a good view of.
Also:
Blue Tit, LT Tit, Wren, House Sparrow, House Martin, Blackbird, Collared Dove
Sesimbra, 13 Aug: one Peregrine flew west
15 August:
Lagoa de Albufeira:
Lots of Sandwich Terns and a big mixed flock of Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Also 3 Little Egrets and a few Bar-tailed Godwits. Thought I heard a Zitting Cisticola but not conclusively nailed.
3 medium-large raptors to the south were probably Booted Eagles but they were too distant to conclusively identify.
Lagoa de Estacada area:
The gate was closed so access to the main area was denied. I did, however, see/hear:
One Iberian Chffchaff heard singing by the car park
Short-toed Treecreeper heard calling a few times
Nuthatch heard
Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Cetti's Warbler
2 Purple Heron seen well in flight, adult and juvenile
Cabo Espichel:
We drove out to this dramatic peak which I visited back in 2009. I saw:
1 Iberian Grey Shrike seen reasonably well on roadside wires by the approach road, first one I’d seen since 2009.
1 Woodchat Shrike (juv) also showed ok in a bush below the above shrike (and also my first since 2009)
2 Dartford Warbler mobbing the above
Kestrel, YL Gulls, not much else
4 Cory's type Shearwater offshore during a brief seawatch. Presumably Cory’s but I guess Scopoli’s can’t be ruled out.
5 Gannet
Sesimbra Castle:
2 Alpine Swift seen well
Lots of RR Swallows in Sesimbra
Lagoa de Estacada and Lagoa Pequena,
16 August
Mid morning
A great morning birding session at this lovely site inland from Lagoa de Albufeira where, fortunately, this time the gate was open. I went for a short walk around the hides and footpaths and saw:
Crested Tit - several around the car park
Short-toed Treecreeper - at least one calling around the car park
Several Reed Warbler, Gadwall, Coot, Teal, Mallard, Moorhen, Grey Heron
1 Stonechat, 3 Little Egret
Purple Heron - at least two seen in flight over the reeds
Pallid Swift - one seen well in the scope and a bunch of other swift sp were seen badly
Zitting Cisticola - one seen very well atop a reed and a few others heard.
Kingfisher - 2 seen and a few others heard
Yellow-legged Gull - lots
Serin – lots
Water Rail - one seen along the edge of some reeds
Bee-eater - a lovely group of about 30 flew in and buzzed over Lagoa de Estacada before heading off
Several unidentified phylloscopus warblers were seen, maybe Iberian Chiffchaff
Otter – 1 seen swimming about in the water from the hide on the west side of Lagoa de Estacada.
Purple Swamphen - one seen well from the Observatorio de Gamão (i.e. Purple Swamphen hide). It appeared on the edge of the reeds close to the hide and took flight, coming closer still but further from the water’s edge. My second record of the species, last one was at Logoa dos Salgados in 2009.
Little Bittern - a real fluke - one was spooked from the reeds by the above hide by someone, got really good, but brief, flight views. I’m pretty sure the bird was a juvenile, but I was essentially thinking “blimey, a Little Bittern” rather than concentrating hard on ageing the bird. Anyway, I was delighted: haven’t seen any since my trip to Romania back in 1998.
Booted Eagle - 3 (one dark phase) seen well soaring above the reserve
Whimbrel - 1 flew past the car park calling
Short-toed Eagle - 1 seen very well from the car near Cabo Espichel on return journey, not far from where I saw my first one of this species back in 2009.
Lisbon, 17th August, late afternoon:
Returning to Lisbon I saw 2 Crested Mynas flying across the road on the south side of the Ponte 25 de Abril (by the Christ statue). An established exotic which I had seen once previously in Oeiras in 2009.
Later on I saw about 30 Spotless Starlings and a further Crested Myna outside the Centro Cultural de Belém
Here's a full report (sorry for boring stuff about when I last saw particular species, it copied and pasted from my birding diary....)
Sesimbra, 12 August
First evening, 12th, I saw 8 Alpine Swift, 1 Pallid Swift, several Common Swifts and a few undetermined Swifts. Also several Red-rumped Swallows, which were seen throughout. Overall, though, far fewer Swifts than on my previous visit in 2009, which was at roughly the same time of year.
Other birds seen regularly included:
A nice mix of Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls down in the harbour
Sardinian Warbler: heard lots but typically difficult to get a good view of.
Also:
Blue Tit, LT Tit, Wren, House Sparrow, House Martin, Blackbird, Collared Dove
Sesimbra, 13 Aug: one Peregrine flew west
15 August:
Lagoa de Albufeira:
Lots of Sandwich Terns and a big mixed flock of Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Also 3 Little Egrets and a few Bar-tailed Godwits. Thought I heard a Zitting Cisticola but not conclusively nailed.
3 medium-large raptors to the south were probably Booted Eagles but they were too distant to conclusively identify.
Lagoa de Estacada area:
The gate was closed so access to the main area was denied. I did, however, see/hear:
One Iberian Chffchaff heard singing by the car park
Short-toed Treecreeper heard calling a few times
Nuthatch heard
Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Cetti's Warbler
2 Purple Heron seen well in flight, adult and juvenile
Cabo Espichel:
We drove out to this dramatic peak which I visited back in 2009. I saw:
1 Iberian Grey Shrike seen reasonably well on roadside wires by the approach road, first one I’d seen since 2009.
1 Woodchat Shrike (juv) also showed ok in a bush below the above shrike (and also my first since 2009)
2 Dartford Warbler mobbing the above
Kestrel, YL Gulls, not much else
4 Cory's type Shearwater offshore during a brief seawatch. Presumably Cory’s but I guess Scopoli’s can’t be ruled out.
5 Gannet
Sesimbra Castle:
2 Alpine Swift seen well
Lots of RR Swallows in Sesimbra
Lagoa de Estacada and Lagoa Pequena,
16 August
Mid morning
A great morning birding session at this lovely site inland from Lagoa de Albufeira where, fortunately, this time the gate was open. I went for a short walk around the hides and footpaths and saw:
Crested Tit - several around the car park
Short-toed Treecreeper - at least one calling around the car park
Several Reed Warbler, Gadwall, Coot, Teal, Mallard, Moorhen, Grey Heron
1 Stonechat, 3 Little Egret
Purple Heron - at least two seen in flight over the reeds
Pallid Swift - one seen well in the scope and a bunch of other swift sp were seen badly
Zitting Cisticola - one seen very well atop a reed and a few others heard.
Kingfisher - 2 seen and a few others heard
Yellow-legged Gull - lots
Serin – lots
Water Rail - one seen along the edge of some reeds
Bee-eater - a lovely group of about 30 flew in and buzzed over Lagoa de Estacada before heading off
Several unidentified phylloscopus warblers were seen, maybe Iberian Chiffchaff
Otter – 1 seen swimming about in the water from the hide on the west side of Lagoa de Estacada.
Purple Swamphen - one seen well from the Observatorio de Gamão (i.e. Purple Swamphen hide). It appeared on the edge of the reeds close to the hide and took flight, coming closer still but further from the water’s edge. My second record of the species, last one was at Logoa dos Salgados in 2009.
Little Bittern - a real fluke - one was spooked from the reeds by the above hide by someone, got really good, but brief, flight views. I’m pretty sure the bird was a juvenile, but I was essentially thinking “blimey, a Little Bittern” rather than concentrating hard on ageing the bird. Anyway, I was delighted: haven’t seen any since my trip to Romania back in 1998.
Booted Eagle - 3 (one dark phase) seen well soaring above the reserve
Whimbrel - 1 flew past the car park calling
Short-toed Eagle - 1 seen very well from the car near Cabo Espichel on return journey, not far from where I saw my first one of this species back in 2009.
Lisbon, 17th August, late afternoon:
Returning to Lisbon I saw 2 Crested Mynas flying across the road on the south side of the Ponte 25 de Abril (by the Christ statue). An established exotic which I had seen once previously in Oeiras in 2009.
Later on I saw about 30 Spotless Starlings and a further Crested Myna outside the Centro Cultural de Belém