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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SUN BIRD" data-source="post: 1613580" data-attributes="member: 70750">Algarve Trip Report 2009SITE REPORTS (cont):Alvor Estuary,:Sunday 4th:Alvor estuary is about thirty minutes drive east from Guia, on the N125.Unfortunately a twerp named Michael made the mistake of asking me to drive to Alvor on a Portuguese Bank Holiday weekend, when the locals were out in force on a beautiful Sunday morning, cockling and fishing on the Estuary. In a addition the wardens from Rocha were taking a party of some 30 visitors around the site , which made it rather a busy affair. We did however take a lovely walk around the reserve.Crested larks, cattle egret, azure winged magpie, northern wheatears, spotted flycatchers and stonechats were easily viewed on the track accessing the main estuary site. With so many people about it was a surprise when Michael pointed to the sky, as a magnificent osprey rose over the sea wall flying inland with a small fish, whilst being mobbed by gulls and swallows as it climbed higher and disappeared from view. A little tern hovered and fished out near a dredger in the river mouth.The sanctuary in the middle of the sea walls held a variety of small waders :plovers, red and spotted redshank, bar tailed godwit, stilts, greater flamingo, white stork, grey heron, common gulls, and curlew sandpiper.Sardinian and willow warblers flitted amongst the scrub.Wednesday 7th Following the early morning storms I drove to Silves where the rain continued unabated until around noon.Eventually it stopped sufficiently for us to venture out for a lunch of chicken piri piri and sardines and a walk around the old fortress town. On the river a kingfisher flew between both banks. White Storks were congregating everywhere, including a very high construction crane.A much quieter scene greeted us late afternoon, when we arrived at Alvor estuary.Several species of beautifully coloured dragon flies were skitting about the water surfaces.A greenshank was wading in one of the channels and I spotted a king fisher as it flew over the sea wall.Several hundred plover, sanderling, shanks and sandpipers roosted in the middle of the sanctuary.During our walk a man walking his dog remarked on our Brit status, since we were wearing shorts in October. This interestingly turned out to be Colin Key, who chatted to us about conservation in the Algarve, giving us particular insights into Perra Marsh and the status of Alvor, whilst in the process pointing out a Black Winged Kite and the Osprey which had summered in the area. Unfortunately we weren’t quick enough for the bluethroat which he spotted as he walked on ahead ( if Andrew and john-henry read this Colin sends his regards, for more info also go to <a href="http://www.algarvebirder.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.algarvebirder.blogspot.com/</a> ). Interestingly from a logistics point of view, Colin informed us that municipal improvements to the Castro Verde - Mertola road, may have made accessibility along the road for viewing bustards more difficult, because of the instillation of deep drainage ditches along the side of the road, making it more difficult to pull in.A number of med gulls roosted on the drained salt tank walls. As we neared the car park area a southern grey shrike called from a cattle feeder, waxbills, greenfinch and serin fed amongst the cord grass.To be continued...Tina:cat:</blockquote>

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