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Vacational Trip Reports
A Boot In The Algarve – Trip Report 03 Oct To 09 Oct 2009
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<blockquote data-quote="SUN BIRD" data-source="post: 1621793" data-attributes="member: 70750"><p><strong>SITE REPORTS (Cont.)</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>SITE REPORTS (cont):</strong></p><p><strong>Quinta do Lago: Monday 5th October, Fri 9th October </strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>On Monday afternoon, a dull afternoon occasionally threatening rain was punctuated by milky sunshine. The estuary tide was out exposing the expanse of mud flats but few wading birds.</p><p>In contrast arriving late morning on Friday, it remained bright and sunny all day as the tide gradually slipped away. A large roost of gulls including <strong>lesser black backed, yellow legged, blacked headed</strong> and a few <strong>med gulls </strong>were on the cord grass banks west of the bridge. A few <strong>whimbrel </strong>and <strong>godwits</strong> (of both species) picked their way along the shore line. <strong>Turnstone, grey, kentish, ringed</strong> and<strong> little ringed plovers</strong> tramped in the mud flats,with <strong>stints, dunlin, sanderling</strong> and <strong>curlew sandpipers</strong>. <strong>Greenshank, red </strong>and <strong>spotted redshanks</strong> waded the shallows. </p><p></p><p>On the Friday we followed the footpath west, to a deserted Quinta do Lago Lake, as <strong>fan tailed warblers</strong> took the morning sun and <strong>sardinian warblers</strong> skulked in the cover. A party of <strong>waxbills </strong>chattered from the pampas grass on the fringes of the hotel gardens while <strong>northern wheatear</strong> and <strong>crested larks </strong>stalked insects on the neatly cut lawns. <strong>Grey heron </strong>were fishing from salt marsh channels, along with a few <strong>white storks </strong>and <strong>little egret. </strong></p><p></p><p>I alerted Michael to the gulls on the reserve as they took to the sky enmas. We soon identified the cause of the disturbance as I picked out a pale phase <strong>booted eagle</strong>, drifting on the warm air current out to sea. </p><p>As we made our way back, I lost Mike for a few minutes as I read a natural history visitors board, during which time he said that he had been calling me to see a <strong>bluethroat</strong>, however (of course!) by the time that I arrived on the scene it had disappeared into a shrub.</p><p></p><p>After a short tea break we then headed east towards the bird hide, for good views of <strong>purple gallinule, glossy ibis, kingfisher,</strong> several species of duck, a singing <strong>cetti’s</strong> and both <strong>crested</strong> and <strong>little grebe</strong>. On the Friday a couple mentioned that little bittern had been seen from the hide. After scanning the far reeds for a while Michael thought that he’d found one. Soon a nice man with a scope was pleased to confirm the view of a well concealed <strong>little bittern</strong>.</p><p></p><p>Running parallel to the fringes of the San Lorenzo golf course, the nature trail from the bird hide, leads south east towards the salt pans (and Rio Formosa if you are up to walking that far). The surrounding woodland holds some good birds during autumn migration including;</p><p><strong>azure winged magpies, warblers, finches, robin, chats and flycatchers.</strong> </p><p></p><p>Near the bird hide on the 5th (day…. not hole!!!) a single <strong>yellow wagtail </strong>was on the lagoon bank whilst later a <strong>greater spotted woodpecker</strong> flew between the eucalyptus trees. The star bird however was the <strong>black headed weaver</strong> that I pointed out to Mike, among a number of house sparrows, as it caught flies over the swampy area between the acacias.</p><p></p><p>On Friday two preening <strong>hoopoe </strong>were startled from their perch by a golf buggy.</p><p>Walking further towards the salt pans a few serin were in the pines as a <strong>cetti’s </strong>called from a ditch.</p><p>At the salt pans the numbers of wintering birds had begun to build up.</p><p>Thousands of ducks, <strong>avocet, herons, cormorant, godwit, flamingo, grebe, moorhen, coot</strong> and <strong>stork</strong> were competing </p><p>for space on the water. In the distance we could make out a single red <strong>crested pochard </strong>and <strong>spoonbill.</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>S.Bras de Alportel: Mon 5th October</strong></p><p>On the Monday we made a diversion about 20 minutes inland by road, to Alportel.</p><p>For some time now it has been our hope to settle in the Algarve and had arranged to view a couple of houses through Worthy Properties which were built in the beautiful wooded hills surrounding S.Bras which are covered with cork and eucalyptus trees. Whilst driving through the area I noticed a road sign with binoculars painted on it and pulled onto a track leading to a view point for a walk in the fresh mountain air. </p><p>Half a mile or so up the track we were soon rewarded with views of calling <strong>European nuthatch</strong>, along with <strong>jay, short toed treecreeper,</strong> <strong>robin, woodpigeon,</strong> <strong>blue, great</strong> and l<strong>ong tailed tit </strong>and a large dark unidentified raptor.</p><p></p><p>Thanks to anyone who has read this and the guys for their kind comments.</p><p>Tina</p><p>:cat:</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SUN BIRD, post: 1621793, member: 70750"] [B]SITE REPORTS (Cont.) [/B] [B]SITE REPORTS (cont): Quinta do Lago: Monday 5th October, Fri 9th October [/B] On Monday afternoon, a dull afternoon occasionally threatening rain was punctuated by milky sunshine. The estuary tide was out exposing the expanse of mud flats but few wading birds. In contrast arriving late morning on Friday, it remained bright and sunny all day as the tide gradually slipped away. A large roost of gulls including [B]lesser black backed, yellow legged, blacked headed[/B] and a few [B]med gulls [/B]were on the cord grass banks west of the bridge. A few [B]whimbrel [/B]and [B]godwits[/B] (of both species) picked their way along the shore line. [B]Turnstone, grey, kentish, ringed[/B] and[B] little ringed plovers[/B] tramped in the mud flats,with [B]stints, dunlin, sanderling[/B] and [B]curlew sandpipers[/B]. [B]Greenshank, red [/B]and [B]spotted redshanks[/B] waded the shallows. On the Friday we followed the footpath west, to a deserted Quinta do Lago Lake, as [B]fan tailed warblers[/B] took the morning sun and [B]sardinian warblers[/B] skulked in the cover. A party of [B]waxbills [/B]chattered from the pampas grass on the fringes of the hotel gardens while [B]northern wheatear[/B] and [B]crested larks [/B]stalked insects on the neatly cut lawns. [B]Grey heron [/B]were fishing from salt marsh channels, along with a few [B]white storks [/B]and [B]little egret. [/B] I alerted Michael to the gulls on the reserve as they took to the sky enmas. We soon identified the cause of the disturbance as I picked out a pale phase [B]booted eagle[/B], drifting on the warm air current out to sea. As we made our way back, I lost Mike for a few minutes as I read a natural history visitors board, during which time he said that he had been calling me to see a [B]bluethroat[/B], however (of course!) by the time that I arrived on the scene it had disappeared into a shrub. After a short tea break we then headed east towards the bird hide, for good views of [B]purple gallinule, glossy ibis, kingfisher,[/B] several species of duck, a singing [B]cetti’s[/B] and both [B]crested[/B] and [B]little grebe[/B]. On the Friday a couple mentioned that little bittern had been seen from the hide. After scanning the far reeds for a while Michael thought that he’d found one. Soon a nice man with a scope was pleased to confirm the view of a well concealed [B]little bittern[/B]. Running parallel to the fringes of the San Lorenzo golf course, the nature trail from the bird hide, leads south east towards the salt pans (and Rio Formosa if you are up to walking that far). The surrounding woodland holds some good birds during autumn migration including; [B]azure winged magpies, warblers, finches, robin, chats and flycatchers.[/B] Near the bird hide on the 5th (day…. not hole!!!) a single [B]yellow wagtail [/B]was on the lagoon bank whilst later a [B]greater spotted woodpecker[/B] flew between the eucalyptus trees. The star bird however was the [B]black headed weaver[/B] that I pointed out to Mike, among a number of house sparrows, as it caught flies over the swampy area between the acacias. On Friday two preening [B]hoopoe [/B]were startled from their perch by a golf buggy. Walking further towards the salt pans a few serin were in the pines as a [B]cetti’s [/B]called from a ditch. At the salt pans the numbers of wintering birds had begun to build up. Thousands of ducks, [B]avocet, herons, cormorant, godwit, flamingo, grebe, moorhen, coot[/B] and [B]stork[/B] were competing for space on the water. In the distance we could make out a single red [B]crested pochard [/B]and [B]spoonbill.[/B] [B]S.Bras de Alportel: Mon 5th October[/B] On the Monday we made a diversion about 20 minutes inland by road, to Alportel. For some time now it has been our hope to settle in the Algarve and had arranged to view a couple of houses through Worthy Properties which were built in the beautiful wooded hills surrounding S.Bras which are covered with cork and eucalyptus trees. Whilst driving through the area I noticed a road sign with binoculars painted on it and pulled onto a track leading to a view point for a walk in the fresh mountain air. Half a mile or so up the track we were soon rewarded with views of calling [B]European nuthatch[/B], along with [B]jay, short toed treecreeper,[/B] [B]robin, woodpigeon,[/B] [B]blue, great[/B] and l[B]ong tailed tit [/B]and a large dark unidentified raptor. Thanks to anyone who has read this and the guys for their kind comments. Tina :cat: [/QUOTE]
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A Boot In The Algarve – Trip Report 03 Oct To 09 Oct 2009
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