Towards the harbour, a Shag was fishing in the swell around the rocks. This one looked to be in breeding plumage with its fine crest raised. The harbour held a good number of Yellow-legged Gulls, a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls and four Grey Herons. Most of the gulls were resting on a fish-house roof and by chance, I noticed an adult Audouin's Gull at the far end. I was pleased to see this gull as they don't seem to show in the Alvor area at all. The Audouin's was really smart, with a deep red bill, tipped black and black legs. Going on a fishing trip? The cliff top had more Black Redstarts than I have seen before. Six were perched on one fence and I counted around thirty in all. The surrounding scrub held numerous Sardinian Warblers, Blackcap, Meadow Pipits and Song Thrushes. The rain was falling heavily after lunch and I was on the point of calling it a day when, a group of gulls lifted up above the cliffs and among them was a brilliant white Glaucous Gull. I thought it was an egret and was ages getting the camera on it, resulting in one of those awful flying away shots. I watched it fly out, beyond the fort and didn't see it again. There have been many of these gulls this winter in the UK and I guessed some would find their way down here by February. This was a great find as far as I was concerned and a little while later, I was equally surprised to see what is probably my first Spring migrant - a Northern Wheatear on the cliff top scrub. The Wheatear was looking a bit scruffy, probably wet through too and judging by the brown/grey back and brown on the wings, I think it's an adult female.
Comments are closed.
|
|