It felt good to be back on the rugged coastline around Sagres this morning. A short walk on the Atalaia headland gave us our first Richard's Pipits of the year, though no doubt they were the same birds as seen before Christmas. One of our targets for today was to be the Alpine Accentor, the small alpine country breeder which finds its way to the cliffs of Sagres, to spend the winter months. At the Cape, there are but a few slopes covered in alpine-like vegetation before the cliffs plunge vertically down to the sea. A fair amount of time was spent scanning these isolated areas without success, the presence of the cliff edge fisherman made me think the bird(s) had maybe moved further away. Eventually and as if by pure chance, an Alpine Accentor appeared on the cliff top and only metres away from our cars. There were a good number of tourists present with their cars and campervans, together with the fisherman, I would not have expected to see this little beauty hopping around quite unconcerned. Having said that, it's presence was rather short lived before disappearing over the cliff edge and vanishing once more. The day continued on the Cape and surrounding farmland. Black Redstarts and Meadow Pipits were found while looking for the accentor and interestingly, we noted that Gannets were now making a northerly passage at the Cape, returning eventually to their breeding grounds. The Vale Santo farmland was fairly quiet. Two Common Buzzards and two Peregrines were all on the ground and four Common Kestrels in a group passed over us. The afternoon culminated in an incredible find of some twenty or more Stone Curlews. Initially they were put to flight by some nearby machinery, but soon resettled in some thick scrub making their re-finding something of a challenge. What else has happened in the last week? The water in the lagoon at Salgados has been let out to the sea, after being at a high level for a long time. Given the presence of extensive muddy areas, the birds are busy again - 4 Purple Swamphens were seen in one place and even a Water Rail was caught off guard. A Cormorant and Little Egret were among many birds feeding in the channel. These birds were joined by Grey Herons, Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and White Storks. Hopefully, more waders will come in this week. Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets and this flock of Golden Plovers have been present for some time. At Quinta da Vala, the Tree Sparrow flock remains around the greenhouses. The long-staying Rustic Buntings spend long periods in the field but three birds are still being seen. Female Kestrel at Quinta da Vala
A complete change of scene today and the possibility we may come across a bird I haven't seen in the Algarve for some years. Residing in the Western Algarve all winter, my chances of finding a Slender-billed Gull are very remote, unless I travel to the east side of Faro and beyond. The Slender-billed Gull has an amazing distribution, breeding from West Africa and being present throughout the Mediterranean region, through the Balkans and into Asia and India. The nearest breeding populations of any size are probably in Spain and France. Locally, as I've already mentioned, this gull is seen in various places along the Ria Formosa on the Eastern Algarve and around Castro Marim on the border. In terms of numbers here, I don't have any figures but I managed to locate three birds quite easily at the Tavira saltpans today. They invariably associate with the similar sized Black-headed Gulls, so that is always a good starting point and there's no point looking through 'large gull' flocks. Here's an adult winter Slender-billed, the bill is no slimmer than a Black-headed but it is the elongated head which gives the apparent slender effect. The bill is a dark red, turning darker almost blackish in summer and the legs are also red. There is a surprising pink tinge to the white of an adult bird and can be seen easily when close to a Black-headed gull. A nice show of flight feathers. This bird has a much darker bill. Enjoyed watching these small gulls which have some very interesting characteristics. Having not been to Tavira for some years, I was surprised to find some of the old saltpans are much more accessible now with 'permissive' tracks around them. All the anticipated waders were seen, two Little Stints were noted and these three Red Knots were a chance find. A traditional and simple wooden sluice, used to regulate seawater in and out of the 'pans'. A pristine adult Black-winged Stilt in a pool by the road. Our walk around the saltpans eventually led us to the Ria Formosa channel. It wasn't long before an Osprey came along the channel and passed overhead. A few hours on a glorious winter morning had provided some excellent birding and a return visit, now that access has improved, is quite likely soon. A very charming house in Tavira town.
A return visit to Quinta da Vala was made today to continue viewing the rare Rustic Buntings and perhaps have a sight of the Little Bunting which is accompanying them. On arriving, I found two birders who had travelled some distance, counting at least three Rustics in one scope view. I hurriedly tried to capture the same view. There were indeed three Rustic Buntings in the pomegranate bush. Today, I came prepared with my 1.4x extender attached, which enabled me to pull the birds a bit closer and admire the varied colouring, particularly on one fine male specimen. The birds are continuing to feed in the rice stubble and some patience is required, as they can be there for some time, before returning to the bushes.
Before leaving the site, I once again heard the distinctive metallic 'zik' from the Little Bunting, in the large olive tree in the roadway. This time I was fortunate to see it fly out and into the bushes close to the greenhouse and near the road. It does appear to spend time in this small area. Here we are at the beginning of 2024 and I wish all my friends, birding and otherwise a very happy and prosperous new year. A short visit to the U.K. over Christmas means that I have been catching up with some incredible bird sightings here in the Algarve, as rarities have appeared one after another during my absence! The old year ended with no less than 4 Rustic Buntings and 1 Little Bunting being found at one of my usual haunts, Quinta da Vala ricefields. In the previous weeks, I had found a pleasing number of raptors there, including a fine male Hen Harrier on one occasion. On each visit the two juvenile Black Storks had been present in the White Stork flock. On my last visit (22nd Dec), I was watching the Tree Sparrow flock at the greenhouses and was alerted to a harsh 'zik' call from a dense olive tree along the track. Despite my efforts, I could not locate the bird and possibly missed a nice Bunting species. It was New Years Eve when I did make contact with a Rustic Bunting, making a great end to the birding year, as this species was a welcome addition to my PT List. New Year's Day has begun well with a visit to the ETAR at Vilamoura, for a lingering 1st winter Lesser Scaup and another species for the PT List! These small reservoirs or 'tanques' as they are called here seem to have an affinity for attracting American species. I have seen both Lesser Yellowlegs and Ring-necked Duck over several years and now a Lesser Scaup (maybe of American origin, as they do occur in other locations) has found its way onto one of the two 'tanques' and appears quite settled. The Lesser Scaup is barely as large as a Tufted Duck. This individual shows the bill pattern nicely and the typical vermiculated pattern (Scaup-like) on the back. A small number of Ferruginous Ducks showed quite well against the far bank and one of the local Booted Eagles had come down to the water side. A short walk into the park revealed another male Hen Harrier hunting over the field. In the afternoon, a walk around the harbour at Quarteira revealed no less than 7 Razorbills weaving among the moored fishing boats. These small auks are wintering along this coast and all looked in good condition as they preened and fed in the harbour. So a great start to 2024 and can I leave a New Year's Day quiz question - 3rd winter Herring Gull or Yellow-legged??
|
|