With better weather today, we made the trip to Cape St. Vincent at the South-Western end of the Algarve. Additions to the trip list were made straightaway in the form of Blue Rock Thrush which, because of the numbers of visitors, was not in the mood for photographs and was very wary. There were six Choughs in the air at times and with a strong wind off the Atlantic they were highly mobile! On the ground were a few Larks and Stonechats, but equally common are the Black Redstarts which are found every where. The black males are stunning if you can get the light right, the females being a duller brown plumage, the one here even has a duller red tail than usual. My star bird today had to be the Alpine Accentor. Although I've seen them at another site in the Algarve in winter, each time I've been to Cape St. Vincent, I've been unlucky until today. On the more sheltered side, left of the lighthouse, a single Accentor was seen halfway down the cliff face. Really pleased with that find. Not only are you looking down a cliff face, but you can be distracted by Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Black Redstarts too. Peregrine and Buzzard were also seen to the North of the Cape area. Looking North along the West Coast.
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