From the apartment this morning a Jay was seen, having a standoff with a 'mantis' type of insect which was rearing up in front of the Jay. The insect didn't last long!! After seeing ten Alpine Swifts passing through yesterday, I was surprised to see another near us and managed to get a few images of it this time. The morning was spent around the dam at Alvor which was very quiet and after a lunch in town, we returned to Salgados where it was a nice warm afternoon. On the drive there, I noticed a Short-toed Eagle hovering in the wind, just outside Porches. Many of the wildfowl have moved out as have most of the flamingos which have been resident there for some time. It was quiet altogether, even a passing Peregrine failed to cause a disturbance anywhere. I decided to wait and watch while chatting to Francisco. Soon the Caspian Tern flew over and made several circuits of the water in front of us. I was unable to find the flock of Yellow Wagtails I'd seen yesterday and was about to set off on a walk when I noticed a small 'marsh' tern flying rapidly in from the coast. In no time, I was looking at two Whiskered Terns flying around the North end of the lagoon. These were an absolute delight and totally unexpected when I thought things had gone quiet! Francisco had seen a Yellow Wagtail near the marshy area to our right and I wandered off to have a look. This is a favourite area for Bluethroats and, having not seen any at Alvor, I felt they must be moving on. Here though, I found a female type among the sedge grasses. Behind the Bluethroat, I detected some movement in the water and saw some brown feathers moving. Perhaps a Common Snipe, with luck maybe a Water Rail. What emerged into the open was a superb Spotted Crake.
I have never seen such an obliging Spotted Crake which was unconcerned with my presence and continued to feed in the open. The plan today was to meet with Chris and Sue for an arranged outing at Salgados. The morning felt cold and the clouds were building in a Northerly wind. Even so, the sight of the first Alpine Swifts not far from the apartment was heartening and put me in a very optimistic mood. Arriving at Salgados, Chris had already found a group of Iberian Yellow Wagtails feeding around the viewing screen area. These must have been recent arrivals and both the males and females were in splendid plumage. Swallows and House Martins were everywhere, particularly feeding low over the water. Halfway along the boardwalk, we picked up two Pallid Swifts flying over and not remaining around for too long. While Chris and I followed the swifts, Sue had found a Caspian Tern preening on one of the small islands, close to two Avocets. Almost at the bridge, two Red-rumped Swallows flew with the House Martins. The Ring-billed Gull was showing well on the bridge and giving nice flight views also. A 1st winter Mediterranean Gull was among the regular Black-headed Gulls at the bridge. At this point, the rain started and we returned along the boardwalk considerably faster than we would have liked.
Angela and I said our goodbyes to Sue and Chris and, as our stay finishes on Friday, we wished them well until we meet up again. Yesterday I went to the Vala area to check on the Sparrow species which had been so visible recently, together with the wintering finches. At times it was quite hot in the afternoon and there was a distinct heat haze as I found this Common Buzzard, resting near a conifer woodland. I was a while finding the finches feeding and they were not appearing in large numbers as before. However, in the first ten Chaffinches, I discovered a fine Brambling sitting in a tree top. The sparrows were proving even harder to locate, despite the fact I was hearing both House and Tree Sparrows as I tried not to disturb them along the tree lined road. It was the Tree Sparrows I found first in my most reliable location at this site (Also a Serin in this image) Tree Sparrow. I found both the House Sparrows and a few Rock Sparrows in the same place. The birds were very flighty and it wasn't possible to get near them at all. Chaffinch, two Rock Sparrows and a male House Sparrow. Today at Arrozal near Estombar, after an extensive search, I was unable to find the Little Bunting which I had found months ago and wanted to refresh my identification of this Winter rarity. The Marsh Harrier pairs were busy in the air. One pair was seen to be practising food passes, flying inverted underneath the partner bird. An adult Peregrine soared around the fields. Three Osprey appeared simultaneously over the Arade estuary, one of them passed over the ricefields. The ricefields had a few Corn Buntings and Meadow Pipits on the ground, a Water Pipit was seen too. The hedgerows had Song Thrushes, Cetti's Warbler, Robin, Goldfinches and Linnets. A Little Bittern flew from the roadside channel in front of me and into the nearest reeds across the road. A 'yaffling' Iberian Woodpecker eventually revealed itself in flight. In the car park at Sitio do Fontes, I came across this strange looking male Sardinian Warbler. It appears to have some white pigment on parts of the head and neck, giving it a very different appearance.
Yesterday we found no less than seven Garganey on one of the larger islands, four males and three females. I later read that 'fifteen' Garganeys were on the ETAR at Vilamoura. In a short space of time, these small migratory ducks travel from Africa into Northern Europe. There are a huge number of Greater Flamingos here now, several hundred adult and juvenile birds. Yesterday I was lucky to see two Purple Herons drop into the North marsh but no sign of them moving about today. I spent a fair while watching the Audouin's Gulls, five of which were in the afternoon gull roost. The adults are very smart with their red bills and black legs. Here's a 3rd year Audouin's, trying out a new flying technique! The right way up - the 3rd year hasn't the red bill yet, some brown wing plumage is still retained and, a trace of the narrow black tail bar is just visible. Today didn't produce any more Spring arrivals and the Garganeys had left by midday. A calling wader coming at me out of the sun took me by surprise, turning out to be a Ruff. Although quieter than yesterday, there are always great birds to see at this extensive and important wetland.
The track alongside the ETAR resounded to several Cetti's Warblers calling loudly. There were a remarkable number of Black-headed Weavers, nearly all males, flying through the tall trees. Although an introduced species, they are well worth a look! Several White Storks and the local Marsh Harriers were circling the reedbeds, two pale Booted Eagles soon followed. There was a new arrival on the ETAR lagoon this morning, a cracking male Garganey was probably on its Spring passage. The long-staying female Ring-necked Duck was seen, together with a male Tufted Duck and four Red-crested Pochard. There are still many Shoveler and Common Pochard on the lagoon. The female Ring-necked Duck. This afternoon at Quinta do Lago, many of the wildfowl have left but the Red-crested Pochards are increasing again. After a considerable time spent looking for any Herons or Bitterns, a Little Bittern flew from a distant reedbed giving he briefest of views.
I'm getting used to new encounters as I experience more of the Algarve's wonderful wildlife. Sudden meetings with Egyptian Mongoose, Otter and now huge dinosaurs are all in a day's outing! This is, in fact an Ocellated Lizard - an amphibian found on the Iberian peninsula. In terms of size, this one was around 18in in length and around fully grown. The Ring-billed Gull continues its presence at the Eastern end of Salgados and is seen easily from the bridge. Large flocks of Flamingos are feeding here at the moment. Perhaps the largest prawns being taken by the Glossy Ibis! A Cormorant with an Eel.
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.
Today we were in the company of Chris, Sue, Brian and Pam in the area of Vala, North of Porches. This area has been visited a couple of times already this Winter and I wanted our friends to witness the huge number of small passerines, wintering in the fields. We soon became aware of the huge number of Chaffinches, moving between the roadside trees and the fields where they feed. It wasn't long before we found at least one Brambling which was a good start. An even closer look at the Chaffinch flock revealed sparrows mixing among them. House Sparrows numbered around twenty and the odd Tree Sparrow was seen briefly or heard flying back over the road.
I hoped to re-find a few of the Rock Sparrows I had seen previously but so far, none were being seen or heard. It wasn't until we returned to the cars that another substantial flock of small birds were found, out in the field. There were no apparent white wing bars as on Chaffinches and I thought they were possibly Corn Buntings. Looking closer at these birds, grubbing about on some bare ground, they had a long pale stripe over the eye and very substantial bills. These were certainly Rock Sparrows. The flock was quite mobile, lifting off and settling again further on. I wasn't aware of so many Rock Sparrows at this site, my estimate when they lifted off was around 60-80 birds. Having looked at many images, there are additional Chaffinches, a couple of Corn Buntings and even a Reed Bunting, nevertheless this flock numbers between 200 and 300 Rock Sparrows. Friday saw us meeting with Chris and Sue once again at Boco do Rio. By the roadside, at least three Ring Ouzels flew up from the ground, only a male remaining in a nearby bush for a while. Together with the Ring Ouzels, we were seeing plenty of Song Thrushes throughout the entire area. Not too many birds on the wetland apart from the Mallard flock and a Little Egret. At the wooded picnic spot a Great Spotted Woodpecker was hammering away in the top of a eucalyptus tree. Serins were singing high up in the trees here, a little difficult to see other than one male which showed lower down. After a good lunch, we visited the small ETAR at Budens. A couple of Black-winged Stilts were here with two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. Both White Wagtail and a brightly coloured Grey Wagtail were seen on the pools. A male Blackcap on the perimeter fence. Yesterday we took Cheryl and Roger to Lagos, having a superb tapas lunch in the town on what was our first rainy morning for a considerable time. On the way to Lagos, I suggested we call in at the old saltpans at Paul de Lagos, on the chance of seeing the long-staying Lesser Yellowlegs. The wader is still there, only viewable on a distant pool where a 'scope is needed to achieve any decent views. With a couple of Redshanks, a Stilt and a Greenshank feeding close to the Yellowlegs, I identified it using my camera lens and was then able to point it out. (Centre bird below). On our return from Lagos, the weather had brightened a little and I spent an hour or so by the small pool before the dam in Alvor. On the approach road to the lagoons were many Azure-winged Magpies and once again, I inadvertently put up an Iberian Woodpecker which flew to a distant pole. Within a few minutes the Black-winged Kite came in, which I haven't seen here for a month or so, spending a long time preening before flying out again without bothering to hunt. Along with two Ospreys and two Marsh Harriers, this Peregrine was an additional raptor sighting, passing over quickly. The small pool I intended to watch was quite productive at this time, with at least 5 Common Snipe on show, 3 Redshank, a Greenshank and a Ringed Plover not usually seen there. Both a Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper came in with a Little Egret also. Two Redshank were having an intense stand-off lasting a good five minutes. Common Sandpiper. Green Sandpiper. Common Snipe.
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