Some 12 kilometres inland from the Algarve coast stands the medieval town of Silves. The preserved castle stands high above the town, looking down over the River Arade. It was the riverside which became the scene of great excitement this morning, as news broke of Portugal's first Sora Rail. The River Arade is still tidal in Silves and at low water, the muddy banks are exposed with scattered reedy areas. Apparently, a lady had seen the Sora for about three weeks(!) before it has come to the attention of the birding world. So this morning, the 1st for Portugal twitch assembled along the riverbank! The few guys I met there were great. Obviously it was a momentous occasion for the dedicated Portuguese birders and I thoroughly enjoyed spending a few hours in their company. The Sora Rail was frequenting an area of bank, directly under the riverside wall, which accounts for why my images give the impression I'm about to stand on it! When you consider, a bird like a Rail rarely spends time on the wing, it is amazing how this one has flown from America (probably) and has found a place to feed and shelter. It was pointed out to me that the name Sora is of feminine gender, in Portuguese and thus - she looked perfectly content, here in the Algarve! She had possibly arrived at the end of December, not unlike the Attenborough NR bird I saw on 28th December 2004. Here are the images. Brilliant views of the Sora and a rare addition to my Algarve list - how do you follow that??
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