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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jos Stratford" data-source="post: 3369158" data-attributes="member: 12449">17 February. Tagus Estuary.6.30 a.m. flight from Ponta Delgado, arriving in Lisbon at 8.30 a.m. Paid a very nice 8.75 euro to rent a car for the day, departed the airport and a mere 15 minutes later was heading over the Vasco de Gama Bridge to access the Tagus Estuary, one of Iberia's premier winter birding localities. The weather forecast was far from promising, heavy rain and wind set to hit sometime during the day. For now however, it was still calm and sunny, perfect weather to wander out into the extensive Samouco salt pans. A couple of Hoopoes flopped over, a Black Redstart bobbed on an old outhouse, Greater Flamingos and Spoonbills waded on several pools, Avocets and Black-winged Stilts mingling with roosting waders on others, Dunlins and Little Stints most abundant, mixed gatherings of Ringed Plovers and Kentish Plovers also commonplace. Picked up quite a few other common waders, but didn't stay too long, as I quite fancied bumping into some of the exotics breeding in nearby agricultural areas, namely Yellow-crowned Bishop and Village Weaver. Started the search in roadside meadows south-east of Alcochete. Quickly found a meadow packed with birds - loads of Lapwings and Common Snipes, loads of dabbling ducks and there, post just beyond, both Marsh and Hen Harrier winging over the meadow. Spotted a couple of Green Sandpipers, then put by binoculars up on another wade on a pool just in front of me. "Eh, thought I, surely not?" But it was, paddling around on this pool, with the Green Sandpipers as immediate neighbours, was a dainty wader with bright yellow legs! It hardly needed to confirm its identification, but with a quick flit across the pool it revealed its rump and that was that, a Lesser Yellowlegs! I had expected a few American birds on the Azores, but certainly had not expected to find any of the mainland. It had now clouded over, but snapped off a few photographs and then continued with a smile. A little bit further along, in a rice paddy being churned by a couple of tractors, the good birding continued - a rather amazing sight, an estimated 1200 Glossy Ibises paddling in the shallows, I think the largest single flock I have ever seen of these. Adding to the spectacle, also hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits present, plus loads of White Storks and numerous gulls. Marsh Harriers swung across the rear.I didn't however find either of the exotics that I was searching for, Common Waxbills being the only birds I saw in this category. Watching the skies as the clouds began to thicken, my next port of call on this mini day out was a long track that skirted open cork oak woodland on the one side and rough pasture on the other. Very nice selection of birds here too, Peregrine and Merlin both seen, lots of Marsh Harriers, three more Black-winged Kites and, stars of the woodland, a flock of about 12 Azure-winged Magpies. It was now about 2.30 p.m. and the first spits of rain were in the air. All three of the common hirundines hawked low over pools, while Serins flitted up from everywhere and Spotless Starlings congregated in flocks, lesser numbers of Common Starlings also present. As the weather took a decided turn for the worst, I entered a vast area of rice paddies, bare and empty for the winter, shallow water flooding most. Lots of dabbling ducks, Lapwings, Golden Plovers and Black-tailed Godwits too, but at a little after 4.00 p.m. the heavens opened, fairly torrential rain quickly developing. About I turned, back to the airport, 81 species under the belt for the day, an altogether enjoyable stop-over. At 8.30 p.m., still raining, my flight departed, trip over, back to the UK.</blockquote>

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