kb57
Well-known member

Sep 08: Vale Santo, Vila do Bispo
This is an area of low-intensity grazing land to the west of the famous Cabranosa raptor viewpoint. I opted to come here instead, because it was a well known site for foraging choughs, has breeding tawny pipits which I thought may still be around, and there's a chance of little bustard (a couple were photographed and put on eBird quite recently). It was also a nice spot to sit in the car and eat my sandwiches - whilst watching a still-singing Thekla's lark, foraging pallid swifts, and a couple of red-billed choughs in the fields. I nearly choked on the last mouthful of egg mayonnaise roll however, when two immature Egyptian vultures drifted over south, about one field over to the west. One of the birders from the boat trip came looking for them - they'd been spotted from Cabranosa too - but they'd headed off south by then. Unfortunately I'd left my camera in the back of the car, and by the time I retrieved it they'd flown into the direction of the sun. First I've seen for decades!
Tried another couple of roadside stops further north, but no luck with any other targets - an Ortolan bunting had just been seen at Cabranosa, and I was tempted to go and look for it, but I feared with the amount of cover there it would be a thankless task - I was starting to feel really tired and had a long trip back down the A22, so called it a day and headed home.
209. Red-billed Chough *
210. Egyptian Vulture *
This is an area of low-intensity grazing land to the west of the famous Cabranosa raptor viewpoint. I opted to come here instead, because it was a well known site for foraging choughs, has breeding tawny pipits which I thought may still be around, and there's a chance of little bustard (a couple were photographed and put on eBird quite recently). It was also a nice spot to sit in the car and eat my sandwiches - whilst watching a still-singing Thekla's lark, foraging pallid swifts, and a couple of red-billed choughs in the fields. I nearly choked on the last mouthful of egg mayonnaise roll however, when two immature Egyptian vultures drifted over south, about one field over to the west. One of the birders from the boat trip came looking for them - they'd been spotted from Cabranosa too - but they'd headed off south by then. Unfortunately I'd left my camera in the back of the car, and by the time I retrieved it they'd flown into the direction of the sun. First I've seen for decades!
Tried another couple of roadside stops further north, but no luck with any other targets - an Ortolan bunting had just been seen at Cabranosa, and I was tempted to go and look for it, but I feared with the amount of cover there it would be a thankless task - I was starting to feel really tired and had a long trip back down the A22, so called it a day and headed home.
209. Red-billed Chough *
210. Egyptian Vulture *