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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mick Sway" data-source="post: 1312576" data-attributes="member: 15566">Portugal 2008 - Part Three - Quinta De LagoThanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated!Quinta do Lago - Mon  6th October  &  Fri 10th OctoberThe nature reserve at Quinta do Lago is part of the Rio Formosa nature conservation area and lies around 20k west of Faro airport. On either A22 motorway or the N125, follow the signs for Almancil, by pass the town itself following the signs for Vale de Lobo, eventually baring left at the main junction rather than going into de Lobo itself. Go straight over a series of round abouts taking you past a Designer retail park and several high class “golf” based hotels. Eventually the road winds round to a car park only metres from the estuary itself. The car park is shaded and regularly patrolled by high visibility security, though nothing of course is guaranteed. Beware though that there are no public toilet conveniences or means of buying refreshment, other than the sand dune restaurant on the dunes across the pay which we have found very pricey. The park nestles in among the developments of expensive villas, hotels and attractively maintained golf courses. On each of our visits we were asked to rescue a golf ball from the estuary mud by players on the green above, so someone dropped a shot there.Along with the walks along side the green and through the woods, one can walk a circuit around the salt pans for views of the many wintering birds that shelter there, since whilst birding it can take several hours, make sure that you take a hat and some refreshment with you. Ducks including gadwall, teal, mallard, pochard and crested pochard can easily be viewed from the banks of saltings. Avocet (although surprisingly we dipped on these this time around), great crested and little grebe, coot, moorhen, greater flamingo, egrets, grey heron, stilts and both bar tailed and black tailed godwit forage the tanks. Although we were unable to pick any out, it is said that red knobbed coot are occasional visitors.On the turn of the tide the estuary is good for all the waders previously mentioned at Alvor and a large gull roost.Following the path east around the side of the golf course for about 500m, you will eventually come to a fresh water lagoon, which is overlooked by a two story hide, which accommodates four people upstairs.Unfortunately it is often occupied by golfers in between rounds, take time out to do the woodland walk.This is the best place in the Algarve to view breeding purple gallinule, this brilliantly coloured bird is easily seen from the hides(there were two adults and a juvenile), along with the water fowl already mentioned above. Apparently in spring and summer it is also good for a number crakes and heron species; however on the two days that we visited we only noted two glossy ibis.Also present were kingfisher (we saw 4 altogether), cettis, reed, willow warbler and chiff chaff.A few yellow wagtails were present on 06/10, along with waxbill, robin, and blackbird, great and blue tit.All the passerines seen at Alvor were also at the Quinta in good numbers, on both dates.Whilst we were at the hide with a nice couple from Bolton, we spotted a black headed yellow bird flitting between the reeds, which we all initially put down as a black headed bunting. However I was concerned about the lack of brown on the mantle and tertials, and the fact that it would have been way off course. Although we were unable to obtain diagnostic views, further research has since led me to believe that it might be a black headed weaver bird. Any opinions on the likelihood of our seeing this African species would be appreciated? Certainly on one occasion in the past we were fortunate enough to see a red billed quilea foraging with house sparrows on the green.On the 6th Oct as we walked back from the salt pans, a marsh harrier was mobbed off by lesser black backed gulls. A few moments later walking back through the woods Tina spotted a wryneck on the path, which quickly disappeared before I could get off a record shot, incidentally although we didn’t see it, someone reported a green woodpecker on the morning of 10th October.At the Quinta you also tend to get better views of azure winged magpie, although even then, they appear twitchy and fly off “laughing” at you in parties of several birds.The salt marsh scrub in the estuary also holds bluethoat in winter, so its worth checking it out from the bridge across to the dunes, although we were unlucky on this occasion, possibly it was still a bit early for their migration.You can certainly spend a good days birding at Quinta de Lago, so it might be worth taking a packed lunch, although civilisation is never too far way in the Algarve.</blockquote>

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