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Message: <blockquote data-quote="john-henry" data-source="post: 1675018" data-attributes="member: 15559">Algarve, Portugal, 7th – 23rd November 2009. J H Johns. Part 413th Nov…Checked out of Bayside Apartments at 08.00 and headed for Quinta do Lago, partly because I had all my belongings in the boot of the car and the car park here has a security guard watching the cars.Tried the right hand track first, all the usual warblers, finches, gulls seen plus Waxbills, Azure-winged Magpies, Kingfisher, 3 Bluethroats, Black Redstart, White Storks, Grey Heron, Spoonbill, both Egrets, Cormorants, pale ph Booted Eagle, Shelduck, 11 species of wader including, Curlew, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits.The small pools at the rear of the lake here, usually good for a few waders etc were bone dry.    Returning to the car park for a bite to eat I then set off on the left hand track. A new hide has been erected overlooking the large tidal pool where the track splits for Ludo and the golf course lake (Lagoa de Sao Lorenco), another top class wooden structure.     The golf course lake and surroundings is (in my opinion) one of the best spots on the Algarve for seeing birds at close range and usually has a very good variety including some of the less common species not seen elsewhere, notably on this trip Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis and Red-crested Pochard plus Purple Gallinule, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Pochard, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Waxbill, 4 usual warblers plus Cetti’s, Azure-winged Magpies, Serin, Bluethroat, Water Pipit, Kingfisher, Caspian and Sandwich Tern, 4 usual gull spp. Etc.The afternoon spent here, taking a few photos and meeting a few other birders, knowing my gear was safe in the car, passed too quickly and it was time to head for Piedras D’el Rei, near Tavira where I’d booked a studio for the next 4 nights. 14th Nov…Had not stayed here before but chose it for easier coverage of the eastern side of the Algarve e.g.  Faro to Castro Marim on the Spanish border, it worked out very well, 20mins or so to the border, Tavira a few minutes away, Faro 15mins or so, it certainly cut down on the driving. The SC studio itself and complex were a bit more up-market than Salgados, very smart, good furnishings etc and a few decent birds in the grounds, the balcony also overlooked the Rio Formosa estuary.2 Hoopoes feeding on the lawn along with several Waxbills, Black Redstart, Spotless Starlings, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Sardinian Warbler, Collared Dove, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Cattle Egret, were all seen while having breakfast on the balcony. A Bluethroat was calling from the saltmarsh opposite so I thought I’d better make a move and take a look at the estuary. Many of the usual waders were present as were Little Egrets, Spoonbills etc 10 Flamingos flew east towards Tavira as did 100+ Mediterranean Gulls in various sized groups. Tavira saltpans along the 4 Aguas Road was the main interest todayPlenty of birds around, the tide and saltpan levels were good. 14 species of wader including Little Stint, Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Black-winged Stilt and Avocet. About 60 Audouin’s Gulls rested on the banks of the saltpans with the usual 4 gull spp. and a few Sandwich Terns.Spoonbills, both egrets, Flamingos were noted as was a Marsh Harrier further into the pans.My favourite spot for Bluethroat in Tavira turned up trumps with 3 present including a magnificent male that sat up for a few pics. Black-billed Magpie (not at all common along the Algarve), the usual warblers plus Cetti’s and a 1st yr. Great Black-backed Gull (not common here either) were also seen.After some shopping in Tavira and a trip to the excellent supermarket there I headed back to Piedras feeling well pleased but a bit knackered, I think the pace of the ‘holiday’ was catching up with me.A Little Owl was calling in the grounds at dusk.15th Nov… Up at 06.45, 5 Black-billed Magpies from balcony plus groups of Cormorants totalling about 300 birds flying east, presumably from a roost in Tavira. Also the Med gulls going west again.Left about 08.00 for Castro Marim. 1 Pied Wagtail with White Wagtails, on road up to the N125.Visited the Reserve Centre side first, almost the first bird I saw was Dartford warbler and I managed a few pics of it, all the chasing around at Foia for nothing and one pops up when you least expect it – how many times has this happened to all of us! The 4 usual warblers, Cetti’s, 3 Bluethroat, Corn and Reed Buntings, Stonechat, Crested Lark, about 30 Azure-winged Magpie, Caspian Tern, usual 4 gull spp. White Storks, Spoonbill, both egrets, Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Buzzard, 2 p.ph Booted Eagles, waders included 6 Spotted Redshank, Little Stints and Black-winged Stilts.Next was the lower reserve track, opposite the roundabout outside Castro Marim, 2 Stone Curlews were the star birds, showing well but distant in the field with a ruined barn in it. Quite a few waders in the pools, 6 Little Stint, 8 Curlew Sandpiper, Kentish Plovers etc. Water pipit, the usual warblers plus Dartford Warblers – I even managed to photograph one of these too.    Around to the salt works side next, Bluethroat, Southern Grey Shrike, lots more small waders than the other areas, gulls, Flamingos, Spoonbills etc. Only problem was being a Sunday the gates were shut and a load of boulders plugged the gap to the side of the gates so I decided to come back tomorrow. On the way back to Tavira a Black-shouldered Kite was hovering just off the A22 near the R.de Amarlgem sign</blockquote>

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