This was our first trip to Portugal and was booked as a package with Thomas Cook but with a hire car collected from Faro airport. It was meant to be a holiday and not dawn to dusk birding, although I always had my bins to hand. We had an apartment in Old Village, Vilamoura which turned out to be a good base. The flight from Gatwick was supposed to be at 2.30pm but various problems delayed this for 2 hours and meant it was dusk when we landed at Faro. Luckily I had a window seat and was able to see Greater Flamingos as we landed, our only birds on the first day.

The chap at Hertz car hire was very helpful with directions to our apartment and we were soon checking in. I had read about Portuguese drivers not being the best but I have to say we never had any problems during the week and I found it a pleasure to drive on quiet roads.

For directions to sites I had printed trip reports by Gruff Dodd 1999, David and Nancy Massie 2001 and Richard Wesley 2001. We also had a copy of Gosney. The map supplied by Hertz was excellent and we found our way around easily.

Sunday 18th March

As we had arrived in the dark I had no idea what our local area was like so my pre-breakfast outing was a walk to get a feel of the place. Almost the first bird seen was Hoopoe, and Serins were singing all around. Within five minutes I had my first lifer in Azure-winged Magpie, which turned out to be common in the area. Already I was starting to like this place!

There is a park between Old Village apartments and the town of Vilamoura which is part wildflower meadow and part pine wood, with a small pond. Here I soon found Crested Lark, Fan-tailed warbler, Swallows and House Martins. We had arrived too late for the local supermarket the previous evening, so now it was time to buy tea bags.

After breakfast we decided to stay local, so set off on foot to explore Vilamoura. A White Stork was nesting on a disused building and several Yellow-legged Gulls were in the marina. We found an excellent area of rough ground and then a lake and reed bed to the west of the marina. Amongst other birds seen here were Marsh Harriers, Cetti’s Warblers and a Reed Warbler. A Grey Heron flew into the reeds and was followed a little later by a Purple Heron.

We had lunch at the marina then set off along the beach to the east. This wasn’t as productive and the only new birds were Blackcap and Woodchat Shrike, so we decided to make our way back to the apartment.

Monday 19th March

My pre-breakfast walk to the park failed to produce any new birds so it was time to set off for Castro Verde and the plains in search of bustards. Today was overcast, windy and much cooler than yesterday and for the morning at least I was regretting choosing to wear shorts. We followed the roads around Rolao, Viseus, Penilhos etc stopping regularly to scan the hills. Corn Buntings were singing from every fence and telegraph wire, replaced occasionally by Southern Grey Shrike, but the fields were only giving up Cattle Egrets and Red-legged Partridges. Eventually we managed a flight view of two Great Bustards and at one stop flushed a single Little Bustard which we hadn’t seen on the roadside verge. Both species were lifers for me but the brief views left me wanting more. Sadly we didn’t see any more bustards for the rest of the day.

We had a late lunch in Mertola, where we managed to add a single Lesser Kestrel and several Crag Martins. Another birder told us he had failed to see any bustards during the morning. We drove slowly back to Castro Verde, adding Black Kite and a male Montagu’s Harrier to our list.

Tuesday 20th March

The pre-breakfast walk to the park produced the first Sardinian Warbler and Short-toed Treecreeper of the trip, then it was time to head off to Mt Foia. We didn’t arrive until 10.15 but were still only the second car there. We parked by the restaurant and walked behind it, taking the surfaced track that leads down to the tree line. New birds seen from this track were Dartford Warbler, Rock Bunting, Common Buzzard, Ring Ouzel, Woodlark, Jay, Linnet and Wren.

We had lunch at the restaurant then headed to the cork oak wood at Casais, parking at the bus stop described in other trip reports. This proved a little disappointing, other than producing Crested Tit.  I guess we were there at the worst possible time of day, or perhaps we took the wrong track, but I suspect the value of the area has decreased due to the invasion of eucalyptus. We didn’t spend too long here and set off for Pera Marsh.

This was the only site we had a little trouble finding. We approached from the town but there is what appears to be a new bypass to the south of Pera. Get on this and you will find a roundabout with a sign for Carlos’s Beach Bar. Take this minor road until it does a sharp right turn. At this point take the track straight ahead.

The hide at Pera is rather interesting as it shields you from neither the birds nor the weather. In fact the wind seemed stronger in the “shelter” than outside. However, Pera is a terrific place for ducks and waders. Amongst the highlights were many Greater Flamingos, Black-winged Stilts, Avocets, Purple Gallinule, Kentish Plover, and at least eight Garganey. A Yellow Wagtail (blue-headed) was also present.

Wednesday 21st March

A change of plan this morning, instead of the usual walk I decided to drive down to the wetland west of Vilamoura marina and was immediately rewarded with a Caspian Tern fishing in the lake. A Quail was calling from a grassy area and I had my second sighting of purple heron before returning for breakfast.

Most of the day was then spent rather lazily around Quinta do Lago. There was a lot of exposed mud when we arrived and this held many waders - Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers, Curlew, Whimbrel, Green Sandpiper and Turnstone. The lake held a variety of ducks including Red-crested Pochard, Gadwall and Pochard. Purple gallinule are very easy to see here, and even in the early afternoon one or two were walking around the golf course. As the tide filled the Ria Formosa a Sandwich Tern appeared and then another Caspian Tern.

Thursday 22nd March

No pre-breakfast birding this morning so we could set off for Cape St Vincent a little earlier. We arrived before the coaches and quickly found a pair of Black Redstarts. While I was watching many Gannets Debbie drew my attention to a bird running around our feet. This turned out to be an Alpine Accentor which was another lifer for me. It stayed there until the crowds started arriving, unfortunately no other birders were around to appreciate it. 

Alpine Accentor, Cape St Vincent

We popped into the nearby Waza Restaurant for cake and coffee where a very friendly lady recommended a local spot away from the tourists. From the Waza head back towards the lighthouse and take a minor road on the right after a quarter of a mile (there is a 20 tonne weight limit sign at the junction). Follow this road for a mile or so, until you reach a farm. Turn left onto an easily drivable track behind the farm and keep straight ahead until you reach a parking area. From here we walked along a well vegetated valley to the right which climbed slowly onto moorland. This valley looks like it should be a migrant trap in season. Although the only new bird we added here was Song Thrush we also saw ring ouzel, woodchat shrikes, Sardinian warblers, black redstarts, stonechats etc etc. I would imagine the wildflowers in this area would keep any botanists happy for some time.

I forgot to mention , when we were at the Waza Debbie pointed out two Chough flying over and as we were leaving drew my attention to a swallow that “looked different”. This was our only Red-rumped Swallow of the trip. In the space of a couple of hours my long suffering, non-birding wife had found alpine accentor, red-rumped swallow and chough.

We stopped briefly at the imposing Forte de Beliche where two Blue Rock Thrushes were on the ramparts. From here we drove towards Silves, taking a detour up the Odelouca valley where we added Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher (at least Debbie added Kingfisher - I didn’t see one on the whole trip).

Our last stop of the day was a return to Pera Marsh. A Little Owl was perched near the entrance track and new birds on the lake were three Spoonbills and two Little Ringed Plovers.

Friday 23rd March

Pre-breakfast birding was again at the Vilamoura wetland where the Caspian Tern was performing again. I was getting annoyingly brief glimpses of a yellow bird I couldn’t identify, but when two of them flew off I could see they were weavers. I hadn’t read about them anywhere but I have since been told that Village Weavers are fairly common in wetlands on the Algarve.

Since Monday I had been wanting better views of bustards so our last full day was to be spent around the Castro Verde Plains. The weather was much better than Monday and looked good for raptors. We followed much the same route, again stopping at every opportunity. The first new bird added was Calandra Lark near Rolao and then Spanish Sparrow at the road junction at Viseus. At the next stop five Black-bellied Sandgrouse flew over, calling constantly. Kites were much more visible today - mostly black but we did see two of the red variety. A Short-toed Eagle drifted slowly overhead, really standing out against the clear blue sky. Just north of Joao Serra we were treated to the sight of a Black Vulture being mobbed by black kites, which gave a perspective of just how immense black vultures are.

Lunch was again taken in Mertola and the afternoon was spent on a drive to Pulo do Lobo. This is a fairly impressive gorge and the area is worth a look if you have time to spare (it is the only place where we saw Blue Tit). However it is a long and very dusty track and we were short of time. Our poor car looked as if we had driven the Paris to Dakar rally by the time we got back onto proper roads. And still I hadn’t seen bustards.

We drove back towards Castro Verde on the N123, admiring all the white storks’ nests on the telegraph poles and made one last stop just before the Rolao turning. At last - a good view of 13 Great Bustards on the hillside, and just to complete the picture there was a single Little Bustard in the same field. The drive back to Vilamoura was going to be a happy one after all.

Saturday 24th March

We had to check out of the apartment at 8am to catch our flight so I did the decent thing and went to the Vilamoura wetland for a final visit while Debbie did the packing. It turned out to be a good decision. I had just found a Penduline Tit when I heard a commotion in the water below me. I turned to see two otters fighting over a fish. This was a terrific end to a brilliant week.

We will certainly be going back to Portugal and I would probably use Vilamoura as a base again. I’m not complaining about the birds we saw during the week but next time I would go a little later in the Spring, when more migrants have arrived.

Bird List

I must confess to not counting all the common birds but I suspect you are not reading this to find the best site for dunlin (it’s Quinta do Lago). I have tried to indicate where we saw the more interesting birds.

Little Grebe. Common on wetlands e.g. Vilamoura and Pera.
Great Crested Grebe. Vilamoura, Pera etc.
Gannet. Many at Cape St Vincent.
Cormorant. Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago etc.
Cattle Egret. Common, many at Pera and Castro Verde plains.
Little Egret. Seen at wetland sites.
Grey Heron. Vilamoura.
Purple Heron. Twice seen in flight at Vilamoura.
White Stork. Common, especially between Castro Verde and Mertola.
Spoonbill. Three at Pera on 22nd.
Greater Flamingo. Seen from plane. Lots at Pera.
Gadwall. Several at Quinta do Lago and Pera.
Teal. Several at Pera.
Mallard. A few at Vilamoura, Pera and Quinta do Lago.
Garganey. At least eight at Pera.
Shoveler. Quinta do Lago and Pera.
Red-crested Pochard. Several at Quinta do Lago.
Pochard. Many at Quinta do Lago.
Black Kite. Common over Castro Verde plains.
Red Kite. Two over Castro Verde plains.
Black Vulture. One north of Joao Serra.
Marsh Harrier. Three or four at Vilamoura wetland.
Montagu’s Harrier. One male near N123 east of Rolao junction.
Common Buzzard. One at Mt Foia, one near Odelouca.
Lesser Kestrel. One in Mertola 19th and nine near Joao Serra 23rd.
Kestrel. Seen daily in most areas.
Red-legged Partridge. Common, especially on Castro Verde plains.
Quail. Heard only - one at Vilamoura and another east of Castro Verde.
Water Rail. At least one heard in the reed bed at Vilamoura.
Moorhen. Seen at Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago and Pera.
Coot. Seen at Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago and Pera.
Purple Gallinule. Easy at Quinta do Lago and Pera. Also at Vilamoura wetland.
Little Bustard. Castro Verde plains. Only one seen 19th and two 23rd.
Great Bustard. Castro Verde plains. Two on 19th and thirteen on 23rd.
Black-winged Stilt. Many at Pera.
Avocet. Many at Pera.
Little Ringed Plover. Two at Pera on 22nd.
Ringed Plover. A few at Quinta do Lago.
Kentish Plover. Several at Quinta do Lago.
Grey Plover. A few at Quinta do Lago.
Sanderling. A few at Quinta do Lago.
Dunlin. Several at Quinta do Lago.
Ruff. Two at Pera.
Common Snipe. Many at Pera.
Black-tailed Godwit. Several at Pera.
Whimbrel. Several at Quinta do Lago.
Curlew. Only one at Quinta do Lago.
Redshank. Common at Pera and Quinta do Lago.
Green Sandpiper. Two at Quinta do Lago.
Common Sandpiper. One at Pera.
Turnstone. A few at Quinta do Lago.
Lesser Black-backed Gull. A few in coastal areas.
Yellow-legged Gull. Common.
Caspian Tern. One at Vilamoura each morning and one at Quinta do Lago.
Sandwich Tern. One at Quinta do Lago.
Rock Dove. Common at Cape St Vincent.
Collared Dove. Common, particularly around Vilamoura.
Little Owl. One near track to Pera.
Common Swift. One or two seen at various sites.
Kingfisher. One in Odelouca valley.
Hoopoe. Common. Singles seen almost everywhere.
Calandra Lark. Only one seen on Castro Verde plains.
Crested Lark. Common. Seen almost everywhere.
Thekla Lark. One identified at Quinta do Lago.
Woodlark. One on Mt Foia
Crag Martin. A few under bridge at northern end of Mertola.
Swallow. Quite a few at various locations.
Red-rumped Swallow. One over Waza Restaurant, Cape St Vincent.
House Martin. Several around Vilamoura.
Meadow Pipit. A few on Mt Foia.
Yellow Wagtail. One at Pera on 20th.
Grey Wagtail. Two in Odelouca valley.
White Wagtail. A few seen in various locations.
Wren. Several on Mt Foia.
Alpine Accentor. One at Cape St Vincent - very close to lighthouse.
Robin. A few around but not common.
Black Redstart. A few around Cape St Vincent.
Stonechat. Several in valley near Cape St Vincent, also Castro Verde.
Blue Rock Thrush. Two on Forte de Beliche.
Ring Ouzel. One Mt Foia, two in valley near Cape St Vincent.
Blackbird. Common at Vilamoura and elsewhere.
Song Thrush. Only one seen in valley near Cape St Vincent.
Mistle Thrush. One or two at Old Village, Vilamoura.
Cetti’s Warbler. Common in wetland areas.
Fan-tailed Warbler. Common in wetland areas.
Reed Warbler. One at Vilamoura reed bed.
Dartford Warbler. A few on Mt. Foia.
Sardinian Warbler. Seemed to increase in number later in the week.
Blackcap. Only two or three seen, e.g. Vilamoura.
Chiffchaff. A few seen during the week.
Willow Warbler. One at Quinta do Lago.
Crested Tit. Two in cork oak wood at Casais.
Blue Tit. Only seen on track to Pulo do Lobo.
Great Tit. More common than blue tit.
Short-toed Treecreeper. One seen in Vilamoura park.
Penduline Tit. One in Vilamoura reed bed.
Southern Grey Shrike. Several seen on Castro Verde plains.
Woodchat Shrike. Common, e.g. Vilamoura park, Pera and Cape St Vincent.
Jay. One on Mt Foia.
Magpie. A few around Mertola area.
Azure-winged Magpie. Fairly common, especially around Vilamoura.
Chough. Two over Waza Restaurant, Cape St Vincent.
Jackdaw. Several at Mertola.
Carrion Crow. A couple from bridge south of Mertola.
Raven. Two on Castro Verde plains.
Spotless Starlings. Small flocks on Castro Verde plain and Cape St Vincent.
House Sparrow. Common around towns.
Spanish Sparrow. A colony in trees at Viseus road junction.
Chaffinch. Several around Vilamoura.
Serin. Common around Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago etc.
Greenfinch. Common.
Goldfinch. Fairly common.
Linnet. A few on Mt Foia.
Rock Bunting. Two on Mt Foia.
Corn Bunting. Very common on Castro Verde plains.
Village Weaver. Two at Vilamoura reed bed.

Assorted Others

Otter. Two at Vilamoura wetland.
Brown Hare. One in valley at Cape St Vincent.
Rabbit. A few seen during the week
Pond Terrapin. At least six at Quinta do Lago.
Hedgehog. One seen on both visits to Pera on the path to the hide.