The weather is very odd today as clouds of dust from the Sahara are making for a fairly dark and brown coloured sky. Everything outside is receiving a brown coating of dust and even a health warning has been issued for some of the population. I had a feeling this wind direction could only be good for incoming migrants and, sure enough, this morning we made contact with our first group of Bee-eaters. Six birds were found altogether, Angela and I watched them for around half an hour, enjoying the spectacular show of colour these birds provide. Not quite as colourful as we would have liked, given the brown overcast sky but they were also seen perching in trees and on the ground for excellent views. Also seen this morning were two Alpine Swifts, two Woodchat Shrikes, two Green Woodpeckers and a flock of fifteen Yellow Wagtails came through. A male and female 'iberiae' race shown below. The Wagtails are walking among a carpet of tiny flowers in various colours.
My early visit began quietly, apart from three Nightingales singing unseen in thick bushes. I was there a good hour and a half before birds started to appear. A sleepy Little Owl sat unperturbed in a tree next to the access track. A pair of Swallows brought two recently fledged young into the open. Still quite downy feathers and a very juvenile bill. Around the car park, four Woodchats were now sitting out on bushes which hadn't been visible earlier. Perhaps a few new birds have dropped in after all, I thought. Close to the marsh, two Yellow Wagtails had arrived and were feeding in the grass. Looking almost like a grey wagtail, this bird did have a brown coloured back, but doesn't show well in this light. I was checking Corn Buntings sitting in the fig trees when I noticed a slimmer bird with a fine bill, preening busily. This was an extremely pale pipit and as I continued to watch, it let out an almost inaudible high pitched 'psee' of only a seconds duration. Noticing an orangey hue on the face, I was convinced I had found a Red-throated Pipit.
This was my first 'sighting' record of this species, having only heard one other bird calling in flight. I was delighted with this find, the face and throat is described as a 'terracotta' colour which appeared quite accurate. The back view showed the heavy black streaks interspersed with white. I only had a minute or so viewing the Pipit when a Corn Bunting began chasing it. The Pipit flew high and into the sun where I lost it. Even closer to home than the Lesser Woodpeckers, I discovered three Stone Curlews had dropped in the field across the road from our apartment. They were a fair distance away and, on the point of starting our evening meal, I took a few record photos from the balcony and left them to settle down where they roosted. On the coast here, I came across a lovely male Blue Rock Thrush feeding on the ground. I had heard it moments before, singing for long periods on a building. It then flew up onto a solar panel which just happened to be the same colour as the rock thrush, perhaps an unintentional disguise. The male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was busy working on the new nest hole when he was interrupted by a female Great Spotted Woodpecker, landing in the same tree. The presence of the Greater was not received well at all with the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, flying at the Greater from all directions and with much noise. The Great Spotted was driven away and it was the turn of the female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker to check on the progress at the nest hole. On the dunes at Salgados, the (white) Crested Lark is very much present and sings in company with the other larks. I'm becoming rather obsessed with the little woodpeckers and am leaving a few more images in the gallery below. The nest hole is being dug out, mainly by the male, who ejects wood chippings frequently and is now almost inside the hole. I should point out that this nest site is on private property yet, only a couple of metres away from a footpath. This allows me to park kerbside and photograph from inside the car, leaving the birds undisturbed.
It has taken from last September until this morning, to add the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker to my trip list. I have found them easily both in Alvor and around Pincho in previous years, as well as chance sightings in other locations. What makes this encounter rather ironical is that the sighting was in the next road to where we are staying and, I first saw a male, then a female and then their nest site! Only a brief glimpse of the male before flying off. The female arrived later and began some serious pecking in the nest hole. Between visits by each woodpecker, sightings were had of a Jay and a great Wryneck. Earlier at Salgados lagoons, I was treated to another sighting of one of the Otters, just on sunrise. The sun lit up the reed bed around the singing Reed Warbler. The Woodchat Shrikes continue to show well, two were seen in the car park trees. The Nightingale I heard yesterday actually showed quite well, flitting between trees showing a conspicuous red/brown tail. Again it managed a few notes of its musical song.
There are now two Purple Herons on the site and a Little Bittern flew between reed beds. The last two mornings I've arrived at Salgados lagoons just as the sun has been coming up, to spend a couple of hours in the most peaceful of settings. My quest for migrants began straightaway in the car park, noticing a Little Ringed Plover a few metres in front of the car. A lovely little character, told from Ringed Plover by the darker bill and conspicuous eye ring, being the easiest features. I was then treated to the sight of a distant heron flying in from a Westerly direction. I watched it intently as the arched wing shape, crooked neck and fine bill made me think straightaway - Purple Heron. It was a Purple Heron and it flew directly to an area of reeds where I have recently been told, is the only remaining breeding area for these herons, on the lagoons. Wonderful to think this is possibly a returning bird, for another season. Woodchat Shrikes made their first appearance here yesterday and I found four in all, present around the car park bushes and boardwalk. Two males in the images above, and below a female type showing a more whitish forehead and paler crown. In one of the tamarisk bushes, a Willow Warbler sang briefly before disappearing into thicker bushes and was not seen again. A nice-looking pipit was sitting close by which I thought initially was a Meadow Pipit as there were two or three around. The eye ring looked a little too bright and when it jumped off the post letting out 'buzzing' sound, I realised it was a Tree Pipit. Further along in the reed beds, a Reed Warbler was singing but keeping out of sight unfortunately. All the above birds were my first of the Spring and the migration is clearly starting in earnest. * * * * * This morning began in a similar way to yesterday in that Woodchat Shrikes were again around the car park. Inside half an hour, I counted nine Woodchats in this area alone, the most I have seen anywhere. As the sun shone on the dunes, small white shapes emerged from the vegetation. Northern Wheatears began to appear in several locations. Another small 'fall' of migrants had surely occurred last night, along the coast. I made my way up the boardwalk to see just how many Wheatears were in the dunes. I hadn't walked far before I was staggered to see another Wheatear in front of me. This time it was a Black-eared Wheatear. For all the time I spend in Portugal, it is years since my last sighting of a Black-eared Wheatear. In fact, I have seen more Desert Wheatears in Britain than I have this species! I was still taking in the beautiful Black-eared Wheatear I had found, when I came across an Iberian Chiffchaff which was both calling and singing alternately. No doubting that identification and an exceptionally close view, off the boardwalk. Yesterday's Reed Warbler performed better for me this morning, in the same location.
At first light this morning, I met with Carl Mason who was keen to show me a small colony of Alpine Swifts he has been observing and not far from his home. The Alpine Swifts returned around a week ago at this location. Numbers will certainly increase in the coming weeks but there were enough to give me the daunting task of photographing some of them, as they hurtled around the cliff face which is their breeding ground. We were lucky enough to find one of the swifts less than a metre above our heads, clinging to the rock face in the cave where they breed. (I didn't use a flash as the low morning sun was glaring into cave) Outside the cave, I watched these large swifts (wingspan c. 55 cm) powering around the sky, at times coming past me at shoulder height. They really are a magnificent bird with a clean white belly and white chin gleaming in the bright sky. An excellent opportunity to see Alpine Swifts far closer than I have managed before. During a visit to my dentist in Alvor this afternoon, a quick look on the beach was rewarded with four Northern Wheatears in the dunes. All four birds (males) were in close proximity to each other and with a breeze coming off the sea, I had the impression these birds had not been here long at all. At Salgados, we're still suffering high water levels in the lagoon and my attention turned to the small birds, seeking out any new songs from possible migrants. At times it was difficult to hear anything when two Cetti's Warblers were 'exploding' in the nearby reeds! A new but familiar call emerged as I was leaving, when a Reed Warbler climbed up a reed some way off. Mediterranean Gulls are now achieving their summer plumaged black hoods. After the Winter, the days are definitely showing more migrants to be arriving with reports of Cuckoos, Swifts, Woodchats and more interesting birds to keep us busy in the weeks to come.
We have had a strange few days split between enjoyable bird outings and a search for more accommodation. Salgados has made a wonderful base with our apartment so close to the wetlands. Marsh Harrier over the reed beds. Sadly, and for the first time, we have found ourselves in a North facing building which resembles an iceberg, given the unprecedented cold Winter we have seen in the Algarve. Julie and Carl have helped us immensely with the loan of a gas heater but given the ongoing lockdowns, where much time is spent indoors - we think we'll be on our sixth move in as many months! The weather is lovely now with clear blue skies and my first Short-toed Eagle of the year came over Salgados yesterday afternoon. More often seen here are two Booted Eagles, a light form and this dark one also seen yesterday. Whilst on an accommodation search, we called in at Vilamoura where we found the Black-headed Weavers were busy with their accommodation too. I have seen old nests in the Autumn but never been here to see the Weavers at work on very fresh looking nests. The males appeared to be doing most of the fetching, flying in from the reed beds with thin lengths of reed. Although I didn't see any weaving going on, the result is intriguing. Two of the 'workmen' taking a rest. A Little Bittern did its best to be invisible on the canal edge, but he didn't escape my searching. The first hide lagoon was busy with Little Grebes, Swamphens, Pochard and a smart Great-crested Grebe was a nice sighting. This hide faces into the sun for most of the morning and I had ignored a diving duck for some time, until it came closer. It turned out to be a male Ferruginous Duck although the plumage was highly difficult to make out. Marsh Harriers and Grey Herons were flying locally and Quails could be heard in the nearby fields.
We have now moved over to Salgados, to an apartment behind the golf course so nice and handy for some local birding walks. I set out today, just before sunrise and my early start was rewarded with a sighting of two Otters wrestling over a large fish. This is the first time I have seen otters here and clearly the early start is needed to catch them out. The rising sun across the water made the photo opportunity difficult but the event was worth recording. As the sun continued to rise, the Glossy Ibis were positively glowing as they wandered about the fields bordering the lagoons. Ibis were spread out across the site, perhaps between thirty and forty seen in total. I didn't have to move far at all before birds were showing all around. One of several Crested Larks was hopping around just yards away, picking out insects from the grass. A nearby puddle on the approach track had two Ruff strutting around which were nice waders to come across early on. The highlight today was after lunch when 32 Alpine Swifts appeared high over the lagoons, remaining for a short while before moving away to the East. Only last week I was enjoying the first Red-rumped Swallows coming back and seeing these large swifts cutting through the sky at speed was a lovely sight today. As well as the two Ruff seen, the Black-tailed Godwit flock numbers around 30 birds, Avocets around 20 and single Green Sandpiper and Whimbrel were here. One of several Black-winged Stilts showing really well.
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