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Visit your favourite destinations |
| A Report from birdtours.co.uk |
Portugal, Algarve and Alentejo, April 2000 (Last two weeks),
This was a family holiday (two young grandchildren) so birdwatching was a secondary consideration. We spent only one full and three half days visiting actual birding sights but saw plenty of interesting birds around our resort. We stayed at Jardin Do Vau Nr Praia do Rocha, which is next to the beach (Vau) and gave excellent cliff walks. Opposite the hotel were areas of rough ground of old olive trees and some cork oaks. The undergrowth was full of wild flowers and with the recent rains everywhere was green and colourful. A shepherd regularly crazed his sheep & goats and there were lots of cattle egrets & jackdaws on the ground (and on the animal's backs!)
The air was filled with Swallows (incl. red-rumped), Martins (house and sand), Swifts (pallid & alpine). There were numerous Hoopoes ,Serins and Sardinian warblers plus Little Owls and Bee-eaters. The whole effect was magical with the sounds and flower scents adding to the atmosphere .The weather was very disappointing with only the occasional clear day and temperatures often were only 15oC in the day! However I wore my shorts every day and only occasionally needed a sweater, and it did not keep us in except for the cool evenings.
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Species |
Comments |
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Cattle Egret |
Numerous at Vau with colony nesting on big rock near Headland |
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Little Egret |
Few at Alvor Estuary |
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Grey Heron |
Small numbers at Alvor& Pera Marshes |
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Purple Heron |
Three gave good views at Pera Marshes |
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White Stork |
Common overall with an amazing `Stork City` on Castro Verde /Mertola road NR large Landfill site. For a stretch of about 5 miles there seemed to be a nest on every telegraph pole! |
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Spoonbill |
Eight (juv) feeding at Pera Marsh. Many flying over at Quinta do Largo |
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Mallard |
Common on suitable waters |
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Shoveller |
Some at Pera |
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Pochard |
Some at Pera |
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Black Kite |
One NR Mertola |
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Montagu`s Harrier |
Many males hunting on Santa Barbara de Padroes via Rola roads |
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Marsh Harrier |
One female hunting over Pera Marshes |
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Buzzard |
One overhead nr Mertola |
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Booted Eagle |
One (dark phase) hunting over Alvor Estuary |
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Hobby |
One hawking insects over Vau headland |
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Red-legged Partridge |
Three feeding in field nr Mertola |
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Quail |
Many calling at Alvor and in Alentejo.One brief glimpse of a bird scurrying across the road |
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Water rail |
Calling at Pera.and three seen flying over the reeds |
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Coot |
Many at Alvor & Pera |
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Purple Gallinule |
Six at Pera, many birds dancing on top of the reeds in a kind of `lek` display |
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Little Bustard |
Four in Alentejo .close view of male flying then on the ground |
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Great Bustard |
9 Altogether on Santa Barbara road nr Rola. Distant scope views of birds on the ground, then excellent views of flying birds (two males flew low overhead) which was very spectacular |
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Black-winged Stilt |
Many at Alvor & Pera |
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Collared Pratincole |
One flying over in Alentejo (nr Bustards) |
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Kentish Plover |
Many at Alvor & Pera |
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Grey Plover |
One in full breeding plumage at Alvor |
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Whimbrel |
Flocks of 30/40 birds were seen daily mainly on the coast. Hundreds of birds must have been passing through |
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Swallow |
numerous |
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Red-rump Swallow |
Many both on the coast and under bridges on the Alentejo |
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House martin |
Numerous |
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Crag Martin |
Some under bridges on the Alentejo |
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Alpine Swifts |
Many on the coast |
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Pallid Swift |
Numerous on the coast |
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Swift |
Some amongst the flocks |
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Nightingale |
Heard in the Alentejo but not seen |
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Blue rock Thrush |
One seen flying over Vau clifftop |
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Blackbird |
Numerous |
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Fan-Tailed Warbler |
Numerous |
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Blackcap |
Heard but not seen |
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Sardinian Warbler |
Were everywhere and they seemed to be nesting in every bush! |
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Blue Tit |
Some in Storks nests |
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Great Tit |
Some overall |
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Great grey Shrike |
9 in the Alentejo |
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Woodchat Shrike |
Many in coastal areas, some in Alentejo |
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Spotless Starling |
Some in Alentejo |
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Azure-winged Magpie |
Good but brief views of many flying birds in the pines NR Vau headland |
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Jackdaw |
Common in coastal region |
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Crow |
Some on the coast |
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Housesparrow |
Common & numerous |
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Spanish Sparrow |
Some amongst the Storks nests |
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Common Waxbill |
Two confiding birds at Vau. Close views of others from the hide at A.Rocha (Alvor) |
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Chaffinch |
Some in the Pines NR Hotel being harassed by a Little Owl |
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Serin |
Common and males very visible on the wires |
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Greenfinch |
Numerous |
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Goldfinch |
Numerous |
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Corn Bunting |
Numerous on the Alentejo |
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Sandwich Tern |
Many on the Alvor estuary |
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Little Tern |
Some at Pera Marsh |
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Whiskered Tern |
ditto |
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Collared Dove |
Numerous |
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Rock Dove |
Many on the headland at Vau |
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Cuckoo |
One heard in the Alentejo |
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Little Owl |
Many perched on Buildings/Posts |
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Kingfisher |
One fishing at Pera |
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Bee-eater |
Common from day 1 but increased in numbers by the second week |
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Hoopoe |
Common overall and very numerous around Vau giving us the best and closest views ever of these birds on the ground |
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Crested Lark |
Many overall |
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Thekla Lark |
Some in the Alentejo |
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Little Bittern |
At least 4 present at Pera (but not seen by me!) |
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Yellow-legged Gull |
Common on the coast |
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Black-headed Gull |
Few at Alvor |
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Little Grebe |
Several at Pera |
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Turnstone |
One at Alvor |
We received a very warm welcome at this field study centre, which is open to visitors, Thursday mornings 09.30-12.30
Outside the small hide were Waxbills and many coloured frogs. On the day we visited two snakes were in silent courtship just outside the hide!
The staff were very courteous and a good source of local bird info.
There is a board showing recent sightings at the entrance.
Trip reports by both Gruff Dodd and Colin Davies were very helpful and the formers excellent directions helped us to find the Bustards in the Alentejo
Special thanks to John Girdley for providing the website for us to share our experiences
A birdwatchers guide to the Algarve by Kevin & Christine Carlson
Birds of Europe by Lars Jonsson
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