Pera Marsh - Lagoa dos Salgados
Hi Derek
Nice pics from Portugal, reminds me of my visit a few years ago. Where did you have the flamingoes?
Sean
Thanks Sean
Flamingos were at Lagoa dos Salgados or Pera Marsh as it's widely known. I visited this site each morning and the numbers of Greater Flamingos ranged between 40 - 100. While there, it was reported in the local media that there were reports of one of the flamingo breeding at the site -
the first ever in Portugal!! I did get a few record shots.
Despite the importance of this site, it lies beside a golf course and lets just say environmental concerns do not appear to be high on anyones agenda over there! It really is a disgrace and would land people in jail if it were to happen here. There is a beach of sand which holds the water in the lagoon but bulldozers are occasionally used to completely drain the site (some say to balance water levels on the golf course), leaving 1000's of birds stranded. While I was there water levels were not bad (maybe another foot of water would be spot on) and I seen recently hatched
coots, little grebes, moorhens, purple swam-hens, avocets and
BW Stilts.
Few photos attached:
1. Looking North West from the new board walk that was installed in 2009 on the southern end of the lagoon
2. New signs have been placed on the western end of the lagoon and part of the foreshore ploughed up to prevent access to 4WD's etc
3. Distant shot showing roosting grey herons, flamingos, spoonbill and assorted ducks (pochard, gadwall and mallard).
4. Distant shot of purple swamp-hen and chick to the left
5. Flamingos arriving in, with boardwalk and 2 storey bird hide (top left) in backround.