kb57s 2025 year list (1 Viewer)

[kb57]

Feb 24: Ilha de Tavira
Hosting a couple of old friends for the week, so no opportunities to go birding - today I took them from Santa Luzia to Barril beach, and brought my binoculars anyway for some casual observation- greenshank, whimbrel, ringed plover, grey plover, Sandwich and Caspian terns...then on the beach my non-birding friend's wife pointed to a crested lark and asked me what it was - she took quite a decent photo on her Android phone too. I don't think I'll make any new birding converts though, but it was nice that she noticed it.
This year is turning into a 'how many species can I see without going birding?' list, but it is good to catch up with old friends.

92. Crested Lark

 

[kb57]

Feb 27: Lagoa de Aldeia Nova, VRSA
Took my friends for a walk along the beach and through the pinewoods, which they enjoyed while I managed a look at the lake. Despite the brevity of my birding, managed to add a couple of species.

93. Red-crested Pochard
94. European Serin

 

[kb57]

Mar 01: Quinta do Ludo saltpans / Quinta do Lago - São Lourenço golf course, Loulé
Said goodbye to my friends at the airport, then headed for the Faro 'island' car park at the end of the runway, for a walk through the Ludo saltpans to the golf course lake. Route from salt heap to golf course is still closed off, so had to backtrack on the central route through the pans. The morning sunshine turned to rain, and the camera stayed mostly in my bag. Despite getting wet, had a great day's birding on this excellent combination of sites. Although I added a few to the year list, the best experiences were really great close views of western swamphen (which I photographed), Cetti's warbler, Sardinian warbler and zitting cisticola...none of which I photographed...before finally catching up with a wintering bluethroat, another excellent view and possibly the first I've seen since a predominantly botanical trip to Finland in 1985!

95. Common Shelduck
96. Northern Shoveler
97. Great Crested Grebe
98. Slender-billed Gull
99. Northern Pintail
100. Common Kingfisher
101. Kentish Plover
102. Black-headed Weaver
103. Bluethroat *

I can't remember whether I saw kingfisher before or after pintail as I was just using eBird in the rain rather than a notebook, but I'm fairly certain the order above is correct, which makes it the second year running that kingfisher was in 100th place!

 

[kb57]

Catching up with a few, mostly incidental records...

Mar 10: Santa Luzia, Tavira
A couple of cattle egrets in the orange groves by the road to Pedras d'el Rei

104. Western Cattle Egret

Mar 12: Ponte da Piedade, Lagos
Staying in the western Algarve with my partner for a couple of days - her first corn bunting, and wild rock doves on the cliffs. Was hoping for razorbills and common scoter on the sea, which was calm and relatively empty today.

105. Corn Bunting
Rock Dove (wild type) *

Mar 13: Burgau, Vila do Bispo
A seawatch from a beach café in fairly windy and changeable weather - saw quite a lot of offshore gannet activity, a probable shag, and a flock of common scoter flying low over the waves. New for my Portugal list, and managed to avoid seeing any scoters last year.

106. Northern Gannet
107. Common Scoter *

Budens Marsh, Vila do Bispo
Checked out a wet grassland area in this hotspot in a dry interval before a heavy shower. We only had one pair of binoculars, and I had to wait while my partner described an unknown bird to me - clearly a male cirl bunting, I was pleased it sat up on top of the bush long enough for me to get a decent look too - a lifer for both of us!

108. Cirl Bunting

Mar 14: Near Espiche, Lagos
Crossing the golf course access road.

109. Red-legged Partridge

Mar 15: Lagoa de Aldeia Nova, VRSA
Back home, and a drive further east for a walk along the beach, pinewoods and lake. My partner saw a little bittern fly into the same area of reeds we heard one barking from last year - first she's actually seen, so her third 'lifer' of the week if she was bothered about such things. Unfortunately I missed it, just having my camera. Not much on the lake apart from 3 ferruginous ducks, but I actually got my mammal list started in the dunes! Actually we did see deer in Germany, but too far away for positive ID. ST treecreepers calling in the pines, but couldn't pick any up - neither could Merlin!

Short-toed Treecreeper (heard-only)
01. European Rabbit

 

[kb57]

Mar 22: Salinas do Forte do Rato
After rain-affected attempts at birding near Santa Luzia and Quatro Aguas, we headed down to Forte do Rato saltpans. The old southern saltpans near the fort produced a common snipe, a favoured spot for this relatively uncommon wader. Sharp-eyed partner spotted a distant black-winged kite hovering - a species we've seen quite a lot of this year so far.

110. Common Snipe

 

[kb57]

Mar 23: Castro Verde area
Another failed attempt at connecting with steppe birds, with multiple stops and scans at various points with recent bustard / sandgrouse records. The strong wind probably didn't help, and wasn't favourable for soaring raptors either - a flyover booted eagle, low quartering Montagu's and marsh harriers and black kite the only species seen, along with common kestrel. I need to do this with another pair of eyes as you can't scan and drive safely, but my partner isn't keen on so much driving. A small flock of bee-eaters was surprising, I didn't realise they arrived here in March.
Sadly back to UK today for a couple of weeks, just as the weather seems like it might be improving here.

111. Calandra Lark
112. Booted Eagle
113. European Bee-eater
114. Montagu's Harrier
115. Common Swift
116. Black Kite

Forgot to add a mammal record, a nice view of an Iberian hare crossing a minor road. Further edit - my pics of a kite clearly show a black kite, oops! Red are frequent in winter here, black kites in summer and migrating through.

02. Iberian Hare

 

[kb57]

Mar 31: Amble, Northumberland
A 2-day primarily non-birding trip to Northumberland to celebrate partner's birthday, starting off with tapas at the Fish Shack in Amble and the inevitable eiders in the harbour.

117. Common Eider

Near Rennington, Northumberland
Seen whilst driving.

118. Common Pheasant
119. Northern Lapwing

Craster
Evening walk along the coast towards Dunstanburgh castle - fulmar offshore, plus a few oystercatcher and small flock of golden plover roosting on the rocks.

120. Northern Fulmar
121. Eurasian Oystercatcher
122. European Golden Plover

 

[kb57]

Apr 01: Beadnell to Low Newton, Northumberland
A coastal walk from Beadnell to Low Newton and back, starting with an extremely low spring low tide in Beadnell Bay. More of a walk than a birding trip - we had binoculars but no 'scope or cameras. Lots of skylarks in the dune grassland, but best part of the walk was the return where we took a landward route past the Long Nanny saltmarsh - 100s of golden plover, plus redshank, ringed plover, a few greylags, wigeon, and what we were fairly certain was a female garganey in a side creek - small duck with a largish bill, unfortunately against the light and no 'scope - didn't really see the eye stripe well, decided not to count it.
Met a group of volunteers an staff from the Space for Shorebirds group - great to see them trying to counter the problems of coastal recreation - they explained how it was easier convincing people to avoid breeding ringed plovers, than it was to dissuade people from letting their dogs chase birds in winter - fluffy chicks an easier sell than energy conservation in foraging waders...
A flyover merganser and GBB gulls in Beadnell Bay completed the year list ticks for the main part of the walk - saw a shag from the harbour wall, then scanned the rocks in Beadnell to the north of the harbour. Again really wishing I had my scope at this point - distant views of a small group of knot and about a dozen purple sandpipers, some of which looked like they were in summer plumage. All in all a remarkable productive 'casual birding' day.

123. Eurasian Skylark
124. Greylag Goose
125. Great Black-backed Gull
126. Red-breasted Merganser *
127. European Shag
128. Red Knot
129. Purple Sandpiper *

And a couple of mammals, the deer near Embleton on our return south:
03. Brown Hare
04. Roe Deer

 

[kb57]

Apr 05: Gosforth, Newcastle on Tyne
Jay flying into a small patch of highway woodland just north of Gosforth. According to eBird I'm just over 20 species behind last year's total for early April, which isn't too bad considering how little dedicated birding I've done this year. A target of 200 for Europe / UK looks achievable, but rather than chasing quantity, I'd prefer to focus on some species I missed last year - so far only seen 9 species (including 1 lifer) which I failed to see in 2024.

130. Eurasian Jay

 

[kb57]

Apr 06: Whitley Bay, North Tyneside
Investigating slumped cliffs near the pitch and putt area.

131. Sand Martin

Apr 07: North Newcastle on Tyne
Finally saw a wren, angrily ticking from the top of a hedgerow hawthorn.

132. Eurasian Wren

 

[kb57]

Apr 09: Salinas do Forte do Rato, Tavira
Late afternoon - evening visit to my local saltpans, with the intention of making yet another attempt to see the stone curlews, as well as picking up a few summer visitors (especially yellow wagtail) and perhaps a new year-tick wader.
As it happened I got both Iberian yellow wagtail and 2 stone curlews in the first five minutes, the latter inadvertently flushed from the sandy path I was walking on, not 10m in front of me, but hidden by a tamarisk bush. Fortunately they doubled back around me giving great flight views - just as well really, as I dipped once again on seeing them where they're 'supposed' to be...
Light was fading as I got my bonus migrant wader, a nice black male ruff quite a long way on towards breeding plumage. Plenty more to see here too, an enjoyable couple of hours.

133. Western Yellow Wagtail (ssp. iberiae)
134. Eurasian Stone-curlew *
135. Ruff

 

[kb57]

Apr 10: Porto Carvalhoso, Tavira
Headed for the local hills this morning in a repeat of a couple of trips I did last year, and hoping for some of the same species which are difficult on the coast. It's a little early for some species - golden oriole for example - but not too early to be taunted by multiple nightingales which remained resolutely hidden all day. Heard-only species were a theme here - calling Iberian green, calling and drumming GSW and LSW, a woodlark and a surprisingly still unticked blackcap. I also dipped Dartford warbler, seen here last year, but woodchat shrike turned up again, albeit a bit more distantly. I got a bonus rock bunting, not seen at all in 2024, and my first red-rumped swallows of the year.

Common Nightingale (heard-only)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (heard-only) *
Woodlark (heard-only)
136. Rock Bunting *
137. Woodchat Shrike
138. European Red-rumped Swallow

Ribeira de Alportel, São Bras de Alportel
A really nice site that gave me three lifers last year - melodious warbler, woodlark and Iberian chiffchaff. Maybe a little early for melodious warbler this year, they're arriving in the Iberian peninsula now, but the 3 territories which gave me one decent view last year weren't occupied yet. No woodlarks either this time, and I could not pick out the single singing Iberian chiffchaff from the group of narrow-leaved ash trees it occupied. Failed to get onto yet more nightingales, so was feeling a little short changed when I returned to the car and sat on the tailgate to eat my cheese and tomato roll. This overlooked a nice little lightly wooded area with ash and olives (where one of the melodious warblers had been last year) - I finally pinned down blackcap in an ash tree, then saw a slightly smaller Sylviid in a nearby olive - female western subalpine!
Despite saying I'm not going to try and replicate last years list, I'll return here later on in spring if I can, as it's my best chance of both melodious warbler and Iberian chiffchaff.

Iberian Chiffchaff (heard-only)
139. Eurasian Blackcap
140. Western Subalpine Warbler

 

[kb57]

Apr 11: Parque Ambiental, Vilamoura, Loulé
After a damp and gloomy start to the day, I was thinking of taking the day off from birding - however the afternoon brightened up and Parque Ambiental beckoned, about a 45 minute drive to the west away.
I was hoping (like last year) to get some decent views of nightingales - unfortunately they remained stubbornly hidden. Plenty of other birds were a lot more obliging though (including Cetti's warblers!). The black-headed weaver colony in the ditch was actively nest-building, while the east hide provided great views of ferruginous ducks and a couple of flyover bee-eaters. Got a great photo of a corn bunting on the way to the next hide, and listened to 3 quails - seeing one would really have been a bonus...
The smaller pond at the west hide was larger than I've ever seen it, and held two purple herons. Met a couple of local bird guides with English clients on the way back - they do trips to Castro Verde, which if I don't see a bustard or sandgrouse on my next attempt, I might be tempted to sign up for...
Finally managed to see one of only a couple of reed warblers territories on the site, a species which I've found hard to set eyes on for the past couple of years - before a Cetti's warbler posed for photos.

Common Quail (heard-only)
141. Purple Heron
142. Common Reed Warbler *

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Apr 11: Parque Ambiental, Vilamoura, Loulé

Awesome photos!!

 

[kb57]

Awesome photos!!

Thanks! Parque Ambiental is a great photo location with two hides overlooking ponds, while smaller birds like corn bunting and even Cetti's warbler seem quite habituated to people using the paths. The corn bunting (my favourite photo) was only about 4-5m away.

 

[kb57]

Apr 13: Sapal de Venta Moinhos, Castro Marim
I started the day at Lagoa de Aldeia Nova, with an unsuccessful attempt to see short-toed treecreeper in the pinewoods, despite counting 4 different birds - they're really difficult when they're singing as they secrete themselves in the outer branches in a very un-treecreeper like manner.
Fortunately my luck with short-toed things changed for the better at the Castro Marim saltmarsh, with at least 3 Mediterranean short-toed larks song-flighting, and one flypast calling bird (which Merlin persists in IDing as skylark...). No decent photo though, they either dive down into low saline scrub or land on bare ground and run away really fast! Distant, heavily cropped shot of one which stood still in the open long enough...

143: Mediterranean Short-toed Lark

Junqueira, Castro Marim
An eBird and '100 best Algarve' hotspot I visited for the first time, with a short but pleasant walk through agricultural land and low hills to an abandoned farmstead with storks nests. Lots of Iberian magpies, a bee-eater excavating a nest hole in a ditch side, Cetti's warblers, a calling quail...and two year list additions - I think Spanish sparrow is also new for my Algarve (Faro district) list.

144. Spanish Sparrow
145. Thekla's Lark

 

[kb57]

Apr 14: Corredor Verde del Guadiamar, Aznalcázar, Spain
Decided to try and catch up with a few species which don't make it over the Portuguese border, starting with what appeared to be a good site for Western olivaceous warbler. It was certainly a good site for nightingales - I counted 28 territories in 2.5 hours birding, and actually managed to get a photo of an unusually exhibitionist individual. No sign or sound of any olivaceous warblers though, although 4 had been recorded 2 days previously.
I did see a Phylloscopus warbler high in a poplar which looked very much like a Bonelli's, but was reluctant to count a lifer based on a silent bird in poor morning light. Two more a little further on weren't seen so well, but were calling and could be positively IDed with the help of Merlin. They're certainly moving through this part of Spain at the moment according to eBird - a nice bonus which more than made up for the lack of olivaceous warblers. A night heron on the river and a couple of waxbills completed the year list additions - didn't see black-crowned last year either.

146. Western Bonelli's Warbler
147. Common Nightingale
148. Black-crowned Night Heron *
149. Common Waxbill

Dehesa de Abajo
Headed down to the fringes of the Coto Doñana, the first time I've been in this area. This is a large lake with visitor centre, paths and a couple of hides. I visited those first, then walked to the shallower areas at the head of the lake. Didn't take too long to see the first star species - white-headed duck - what an amazing bird! Two females and a male, the latter coming quite close for a photo. I was really lucky to see the second star - a pair of marbled ducks swimming into view between two islands. Loads of storks, black kites, bee eaters, glossy ibises, cattle egrets - a great site.

150. White-headed Duck
151. Marbled Duck

La Rocina Visitor Centre, Doñana
I made my way across the northern fringes of Doñana, then through super intensive fruit farms to El Rocio, a really strange little town with sandy streets on the edge of a huge shallow waterbody with lots of spoonbills. Scoped the wetland hoping for gull-billed or whiskered terns (the former had just been seen) but was out of luck, then headed down to the visitor centre, which has a series of hides overlooking a shallow lake / wetland, along with umbrella pines and open heath. I was probably getting tired, and the weather was turning, but after Dehesa de Abajo it was a bit of a let-down. Obviously Doñana deserves more time...I did add another year list tick - melodious warblers have made it here, whilst another woodchat shrike is always welcome.

152. Melodious Warbler