Our enthusiasm for this part of Portugal got the better of us again, as another short break was planned this week for Chris, Sue and ourselves to once again enjoy the birds of the Alentejo. We rendezvoused as we have before at Horta da Nora on the outskirts of Castro Verde. Here we found the Great White Egret and a few common duck species. The lake wasn't as productive as we have known previously and we fairly soon drove into Castro Verde, where we left Chris's car for the day - on 'Owl Street' as we now call it! Three Long-eared Owls looked down on us briefly, before choosing to go back to sleep and ignoring the inquisitive people below. As we had all the afternoon on our first day, we planned to explore the grasslands between some of the small villages on the South side of the N123 which often bring about the typical bird species of this area. Before doing so though, we turned off the road at Sao Marcos da Atabueira and had lunch overlooking the lake at Monte da Aparica. I had no sooner parked the car when two very large raptors were seen above, identified as adult Spanish Imperial Eagles. They appeared to patrol a wide area, unfortunately remaining rather high but giving quite good views particularly of the white leading edge on adult wings. The lake here had a gathering of White Storks, Spoonbills and surprisingly, two Mute Swans which is a species not encountered in many locations at all. On the nearest hillside we came across our first flock of Black-bellied Sandgrouse, 16 in all. Never an easy bird to get close to and they really are sandgrouse in the images! By now we had around 40 species on our lists, all the time we were hearing Corn Buntings, Skylarks, Crested Larks and the larger Calandra Larks. The air was full of song, often with 'honking' Ravens and 'chittering' Spanish Sparrows going over. We moved on , to a spot by the N123 where I thought we would find Great Bustards but instead we were greeted with a flock of around 45 Common Cranes. Again, a good way off with reasonable views which meant that the Cranes remained undisturbed and continued strutting about near a small pool. The minor roads wind their way across the grassy hills and Iberian Shrikes perched on roadside poles as we drove on. Two Great Bustards in flight before the village of Rolao travelled a long distance, finally disappearing over far hills. Taking it very steadily and watching the fields on both sides of the car, a cry of "kestrel, magpie, cuckoo, no it isn't," came from the front seats. Sitting on the roadside fence was what turned out to be the most talked about bird of the trip, without a doubt - an adult Great Spotted Cuckoo. An iconic Alentejo bird, particularly in the late Winter when they are just arriving back from Africa and you really hope to come across one. This Cuckoo was almost friendly. I was able to move the car along quietly as it dropped to the ground, snatched a 'hairy' caterpillar and flew to a nearby post to demonstrate its ability in devouring these little beasts. There couldn't have been a better end to the afternoon with this delightful Great Spotted Cuckoo, or so we thought until arriving at the accommodation, booked for our visit. It's not often I give much detail as to where we stay but as we drove up to the hotel, I had a feeling this was something special. 'Hotel' is far too general a word for what we found here and a 'life experience' would be far more appropriate to describe the time we had here. Secreted away on a hillside and forming part of the Herdade do Zambujal, The Lodge consists of a small cluster of apartments together with restaurant, bar and garden surroundings. One of the twin apartments, occupied by ourselves and note the superb roof terrace as if you needed anything better for birdwatching! The Alentejo shortly after sunrise, taken from the room's balcony. With fully waterproof binoculars, enjoyment could be taken a step further! 'The Lodge' has been cleverly and sympathetically designed to incorporate the natural resources such that it nestles within the rock and tree covered hillside, the colours used in construction are of a 'natural' tone, so it blends in well given that it is built to a modern, hi-spec standard. The rooms were immaculate regarding comfort and cleanliness, the restaurant experience was extraordinarily good with such a cheerful staff looking after us. Our second day was spent in the area around Salto where we achieved two Golden Eagles and two more Spanish Imperial Eagles, this time juveniles. All the birds were seen at great distance and I didn't obtain any useful pictures however, watching these magnificent raptors and adding a female Hen Harrier to the ever growing list of species was time well spent. More Great Bustards fairly concealed in cork oak woodland:- I think eyestrain was beginning to bite now as I struggled with another long range subject - black head, white neck and longish tail like a pheasant? One of our illustrious team actually saw it in flight, which was a little strange, as it eventually revealed itself to be a domestic cat!!! Our last morning began at the LPN centre (League for the Protection of Nature) where we first saw flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plover which winter in large numbers here. In fields close to the Centre itself, we were treated to the sight of a small flock of Little Bustards taking flight and circling overhead before settling again in nearby fields. Two Great Bustards flew into the locality, settling high on a hill. The ground here had singing Calandra Larks taking to the air. A large billed lark with conspicuous dark underwing when seen in flight. It was during a short rest back at the Centre when a large juvenile Spanish Imperial Eagle suddenly appeared over the building roof, giving me almost no time with the camera before it vanished again! To conclude this excellent few days visit, Chris took us to a place that I haven't visited before which very soon will be home to breeding Rollers. To our surprise, there was already a pair of Lesser Kestrels which we were really pleased to see. In the course of our stay there during the afternoon, the number of Lesser Kestrels seen rose to eight, as if they were actually arriving back on their breeding grounds. Male Lesser Kestrel. Female Lesser Kestrel. A pair of Lesser Kestrels. .....and I'll finish this trip with a pair of White Storks returning to the nest and displaying.
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