ALGARVE, PORTUGAL
10th-17th
November 2007
by Gordon and Margaret Avery
Margaret
and I spent a week staying in the Euro hotel at Altura on the Algarve, Altura is
a small town situated on the coast about 50km east of Faro, a few kms from
Spain.
We
hired a car for the week and made the best of the summer like weather conditions
(22°C all week). Without getting too technical the following is a list of birds
that we saw at various sites with a few totals thrown in to give anyone some
idea of what is likely to be found when visiting these areas during the winter.
For
easiness the lists are in the order found in the Collins Bird Guide by Killian
Mullarney et al.
Altura
area 10th-17th
Dabchick
at least 2 on a small roadside reservoir near the hotel.
Gannet
many seen everyday out at sea.
Cormorant
common
Cattle
Egret
common
Little
Egret
common
Grey
Heron
at reservoir
Mallard
at reservoir
Shoveler
at reservoir
Pochard
at reservoir
Common
Scoter
a female flew east over the sea on
16th.
Common
Buzzard
only BOP seen here
Red-legged
Partridge
in scrub behind the hotel
Moorhen
at reservoir
Coot
at reservoir
Sanderling
beach
Turnstone
birds seen in evening flight over the beach, up to 40.
Common
Snipe
1 or 2 at reservoir
Mediterranean
Gull
1 2w
at reservoir on 10th.
Western
Yellow-legged Gull
common
Lesser
Black-backed Gull
common
Great
Black-backed Gull
presumed rare winter visitor, only one seen on 10th.
Sandwich
Tern
1 or 2 feeding just out from the beach most days.
Woodpigeon
1 seen on the 15th!
Collared
Dove
common
Hoopoe
several, one feeding in hotel grounds most days.
Crested
Lark
common
Crag
Martin
a huge gathering of up to 150 birds were found loafing on the shaded
hotel walls for at least the first three days we were there, then numbers began
to dwindle.
Swallow
one was seen with the Crag Martins on two occasions.
Meadow
Pipit
a few in the reservoir area.
White
Wagtail
common
Grey
Wagtail
1 seen around the hotel most days.
Robin
common
Black
Redstart
2 seen in the town.
Stonechat
common
Blackbird
seen daily around the hotel.
Sardinian
Warbler
common
Zitting
Cisticola
common
Chiffchaff
common (nominate race)
Long-tailed
Tit
in scrub behind the hotel.
Azure–winged
Magpie
seen daily
Magpie
seen daily
Jay
one seen near the town.
Raven
4 seen on the 10th was
the only birds seen all week.
Spotless
Starling
at least 1 pair in the town.
House
Sparrow
common
Goldfinch
common
Greenfinch
2 or 3 seen in the hotel grounds but nowhere else!
Serin
common
Corn
Bunting
1 or 2 seen by the reservoir.
Monte
Gordo (pinewoods) 13th
Collared
Dove
Robin
Black
Redstart
Sardinian
Warbler
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Long-tailed
Tit
Crested
Tit
Short-toed
Treecreeper
the only one seen for the holiday list!
House
Sparrow
Serin
Castro
Marim area 11th and 12th
Dabchick
Great
Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Cattle
Egret
Little
Egret
Grey
Heron
White
Stork
up to 10 seen.
Glossy
Ibis
flock of 7, apparently a rare winter visitor.
Spoonbill
Greater
Flamingo
common, no counts made.
Mallard
Pintail
a few present.
Shoveler
Marsh
Harrier
at least 3 present.
Moorhen
Coot
Little
Bustard
flock of 45 birds landed on the reserve 12th.
Avocet
200 were counted in the saltpans 12th.
Black-winged
Stilt
Ringed
Plover
Kentish
Plover
Grey
Plover
Lapwing
Sanderling
Turnstone
Dunlin
Curlew Sandpiper at least 4 seen
Little Stint up to 6 seen
Common Sandpiper 2 in the creeks
Redshank
Spotted Redshank 1 on the 12th
Greenshank
Black-tailed
Godwit
Curlew
Ruff
Black-headed
Gull
Mediterranean Gull c20 on the 12th
Western
Yellow-legged Gull
Audouin’s Gull 3 adults on the saltpans on the 12th
Lesser
Black-b Gull
Little Tern a minimum of 3 present
Sandwich
Tern
Common Tern 1 adult seen
Collared
Dove
Little Owl 1 calling on the 12th
Hoopoe
Crested
Lark
Meadow
Pipit
White
Wagtail
Black
Redstart
Whinchat a total surprise, 1 bird on the 11th.
Stonechat
Blackbird
Sardinian
Warbler
Zitting
Cisticola
Chiffchaff
Southern
Grey Shrike
Azure-winged
Magpie
Magpie
Starling
c800 feeding in the olive groves nearby.
Spotless
Starling
House
Sparrow
Goldfinch
Corn
Bunting
South
of Martim Longo by the River Fuopana 13th
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Red-legged
Partridge
Green
Woodpecker
Thekla
Lark
Crag
Martin
White
Wagtail
Grey
Wagtail
Robin
Black
Redstart
Stonechat
Song
Thrush
wild, wild birds!!
Blackbird
Chiffchaff
Azure-winged
Magpie
Jay
Chaffinch the only one seen!
Linnet
Goldfinch
Between
Soudes and Monte Nova 13th
Buzzard
Short-toed
Lark
flock of 9 and 5
Calandra
Lark
flock of 11
Quinta
do Largo 14th
Sao
Laurenco Trail and Rio Formosa
Dabchick
Great
Crested Grebe
Gannet
Cormorant
Little
Egret
Grey
Heron
Spoonbill
Greater
Flamingo
Mallard
Gadwall
Pintail
Shoveler
Wigeon
Teal
Pochard
Red
Crested Pochard
Tufted
Duck
Kestrel
Water
Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Purple
Gallinule (Swamp Hen) 3, 2 adults and a first winter. Our only life tick but a good one!
Ringed
Plover
Kentish
Plover
Grey
Plover
Sanderling
Turnstone
Dunlin
Little
Stint
Redshank
Greenshank
Black-tailed
Godwit
Bar-tailed
Godwit
Curlew
Black-headed
Gull
Mediterranean
Gull
Western
Yellow-leggedegged Gull
Lesser
Black-b Gull
Sandwich
Tern
Caspian
Tern
1 adult
Collared
Dove
Kingfisher
Crested
Lark
Meadow
Pipit
White
Wagtail
Robin
Northern
Wheatear
(O.o.leucorhoa)
Stonechat
Blackbird
Blackcap
Sardinian
Warbler
Zitting
Cisticola
Cetti’s
Warbler
at least 2
Chiffchaff
Great
Tit
only one!
Azure-winged
Magpie
House
Sparrow
Siskin
male and female
Serin
Bullfinch
another total surprise!
Waxbill
c.12 seen here
Rio
Formosa nr Olhao 15th
Greater
Flamingo
4 in saltpans
Oystercatcher
only one seen.
Waxbill
Alzinhal
area 16th
Cormorant
Cattle
Egret
Bonelli’s
Eagle
a 3cy bird, bird of the holiday for me!
Buzzard
Lapwing
Black-headed
Gull
Western
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian
Tern
an adult
Hoopoe
Crested
Lark
Swallow
Meadow
Pipit
Robin
Stonechat
Song
Thrush
Blackcap
Sardinian
Warbler
Zitting
Cisticola
Long-tailed
Tit
Southern
Grey Shrike
Azure-winged
Magpie
Jay
House
Sparrow
Corn
Bunting
Our
thanks to Andy Jayne, Mike King and John Sanders regarding information and maps
for the area.
Gordon
and Margaret Avery