The wind has increased over the last two days, making the sea a little choppy. Not a great direction (NW) but enough of a change to have some adult Gannets on the move and at least four Great Skuas moved around the bay. Two Shelduck flying in a Westerly direction, well out to sea was unusual. Along the beach, the Sandwich Terns which are present all Winter, continued to feed in the shallow waters. On the estuary this morning, hirundines were in increased numbers and I put a report on eBird detailing the number of new Martins and Swallows. Among the Crag Martins were more House Martins, a single Red-rumped Swallow was separated out from the Barn Swallows. The arrival of three Pallid Swifts which stayed with the Crag Martins was a real surprise. The relatively low morning sun lit them up nicely. The scaly appearance of the breast feathers together with the darker back colour were good diagnostic features, separating them from Common Swift. This smart male Spanish Sparrow completed my early morning look around Alvor.
Comments are closed.
|
|