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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pam_m" data-source="post: 1667968" data-attributes="member: 18672">The 27th Nov, today Falesia Lagoon and Parque Ambiental were the chosen sites to visit. First stop Falesia Lagoon (that is on the outskirts of Vilamoura) looking lovely in the bright morning sunshine. We parked by the bridge, reed beds on one side and the lagoon on the other. As I walked towards the bridge a Kingfisher flew out of the reeds and away over the reeds. A good start. Cormorants, Coots, Grey Heron, Great Crested Grebe (2, these were the only ones seen during the holiday), Little Grebe,  BH & L B B Gulls, A W Magpie, the inevitable Chaffinch and Pied Wagtail, Blackbird and our first sighting of the holiday of a Cetti's Warbler! Two Marsh Harriers were hawking the reed beds on a number of occasions. My aim was for a Purple Heron, sadly not today so another target in the future. We set off for Park Ambiental stopping off at Olhos d'Agua a small fishing village. We parked and walked the short pathway to the beach. A long line of Gulls rested on the sea, forming a line almost as long as the stretch of beach we were viewing from. No doubt waiting for the fisherman to return with their catch. After not seeing anything else of interest we headed for Vilamoura for a coffee and a loo visit before visiting the Parque! Here endeth today's trip at Vilamoura!!!!!!!!!We returned to our car after a 30 minute break and found it had been broken in to. Two pairs of binoculars, camera, converter, SD cards, batteries...gone!!!! Fortunately we had left the scope still attached to the tripod making it bulky to get through the small window that had been smashed to gain entry to the boot. The *%^&$%£^ either did not have the know how to detach them or they were disturbed! So we still had the scope!The afternoon was spent at the Police station and exchanging the hire car. I don't think I need to tell you how we felt! I believe we were either followed or just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I am going with the former. Once bitten twice shy, we did not leave a thing in the boot of any worth for the remainder of the holiday. This has not put us off Portugal as it could have happened anywhere but it does make you stop and think when you are out birding to be mindful when packing equipment away at the end of a session.My photo's taken throughout the week were gone but the memories of such a wonderful week were not stolen from us. We were not harmed personally so that is a lot to be thankful for, possessions can be replaced.</blockquote>

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