Southern Portugal - August 14th-21st 2003
by Mike King
This holiday was a family summer break, but as usual I managed to do a fair bit of birding, mainly before Bridgette and Michael were awake, as this was the coolest part of the day. This was our first visit to Portugal and in the main we were very impressed. The people were very friendly and polite and most spoke some English, and many of them we met were fluent. It shows how lazy we are that we could just about say "Obrigado" in thanks.
Driving was an eye-opener, no local driver would stay behind you if there was a hint of daylight between you and the oncoming traffic and tail-gating seemed to be a national sport. That said we only saw one accident! Road signing away from the main routes left quite a bit to be desired. Two new motorways appeared to have sprung up that were not on any of the maps we had, but were of an excellent standard. The A22 runs along the bottom of the country parallel to the coast and the N2 appears to have usurped the old E1 up to Castro Verde and beyond. I know this is vague but when they are not on the map it's difficult to know where they began/ended. The route to the north was a toll road but only cost c.€5 from Albufeira to Castro Verde. As ever I was grateful to Bridgette for doing most of the driving, allowing me to watch the skies and the telegraph wires.
The weather was always very hot in the upper 30's but usually there was a pleasant breeze at the coast.
DAY 1 - Th 14th August 2003
Quedgeley to Praia Galé,
Algarve
Weather: Very hot and sunny
We left home around 9:30am for our 1:35pm flight from Bristol to Faro in Portugal. The journey down to the airport was uneventful, with only three Buzzards of note on the way. Bristol Airport has a new terminal and a far more relaxed atmosphere than some of the bigger airports, and with the added advantage of being less than an hour from home. Our flight with Air 2000 (always very good) took off on time and put us down in Faro at about 4:15pm. After collecting our luggage and passing through Customs we joined our transfer to the resort at Praia Galé. My first bird in Portugal was Feral Pigeon, as it so often is in new countries. In fact on the hour-long transfer I only saw six species, and with the exception of Yellow-legged Gull, I could have seen them all from my kitchen window. Three Common Swifts were notable as every other swift I looked at properly through the week were Pallid. I also soon learnt that 90% of birds on wires were pigeons or doves and 9 of the other 10% were sparrows. Whilst on the coach the Rep proceeded to list all of the places that we wanted to go and said they were on fire and out of bounds, and for good measure there was a fire burning within 10k of our resort.
On arrival the atmosphere was horrid, thick with the smell of wood smoke and we could see the fire on a distant hill. Arriving at our apartment we were met by the owner, the charming Luis, who informed us that the fires were coming under control in the south of the country and the recent fires were the result of mindless arsonists.
We took a walk to the nearby Supermarket for staple supplies and I was pleased to see an adult Woodchat Shrike on top of a bush nearby, just five days after seeing one in Cornwall. On returning to the apartment I walked out onto the balcony leading to the garden. We overlooked a melon field with a large Carob tree in the middle and bordered by some scrub, bamboo and a few low pines. I could hear two Azure-winged Magpies calling from the pines at the back of the field but frustratingly couldn't see them. Two Cattle Egrets flew over at dusk. We then set off for the on-site restaurant where I got acquainted with Piri-Piri Chicken (Very hot!).
DAY 2 - F 15th August 2003
Praia Galé, Algarve
Weather: Very hot and sunny with a light breeze
When I awoke something wonderful had happened, at last a
breeze had got up, the smoke had gone and the fire was out. A faint smell of
burning still lingered but was nowhere near as acrid as the previous night. I
set off at first light to try and find a local patch for the week. I headed
inland, a mistake as it turned out, and walked around the many fields and
gardens. I carefully chose a route, which avoided the fiercest looking dogs,
which seemed to be at every house, though most were behind locked gates.
I saw the first of 28 Cattle Egrets flying down to the coast (I later found they went to Salgados Golf Club), this was to be a morning and evening ritual with them flying back to an undiscovered roost at dusk. A few Yellow-legged Gulls were up early too and as I passed the swimming pool near the apartment a Hoopoe was probing the lawn for food. The first open area I came to opposite the Supermarket had four Fan-tailed Warblers bouncing around giving their unmistakable call, I had seen a dozen by the time I got back for breakfast. I'm sorry but Zitting Cisticola just isn't as easy on the tongue. I was surprised when two Crag Martins flew past me at very close range, I had not expected them in such a rural setting, and were the only two I saw all week. Next up was a juvenile Woodchat Shrike, a couple of Crested Larks and two Pallid Swifts. I had completed a circuit of the area when I reached a small private wood, and for the second time in 24 hours Azure-winged Magpies called unseen, although I could detect shapes moving around. A Golden Oriole also sang from the depths of this wood, the only one of the week. Shortly after I stumbled on Salgados Golf Club, which was packed with birds. Golfers don't generally appreciate birders so I stayed on the approach road, which gave a good overview. There were five Hoopoes feeding together on the driving range. In a channel that bordered the fairway was eight Little Grebes, seven Gadwalls, a female Pochard and a few Mallards and Moorhens. Along the banks were ten Black-winged Stilts, 20 Coots, a Grey Heron and a Common Sandpiper. Beyond the golf course I could see a large lake, but there was no access from this side. I vowed to find the way in later and knew that I had found a local "patch". I returned home for breakfast then. We spent much of the day just chilling out and in the pool, which was always freezing. A Peregrine flew over as I had my breakfast.
During the afternoon I got my first lifer of the trip, an Olivaceous Warbler. It was in the large Carob tree in the melon field, I was sat on the patio when I noticed a large long-billed drab brown warbler. I mentally eliminated all those I had seen and then started on those I hadn't. It had a square ended tail, which it pumped downwards frequently. I only had my bins to hand and hadn't even put my scope and tripod together. I watched for five minutes before fetching my scope and the Bird Guide. I never saw it or another again.
I also had a Crocothemis erythraea dragonfly (no English name) in the garden; these brilliant red dragonflies were everywhere we went.
When it had cooled down to a mere 32º we went for a walk towards Praia Grandé, which was at the back of the Golf Club and where I had seen the lake that morning. On the walk down we passed a Portuguese boy who had caught a Chameleon and had it balancing on a book taking it to show his parents. I was pleased to see one but the boy who seemed a little scared of it managed to drop it on the road twice and wondered why it hissed at him. On arrival at Praia Grandé I installed Bridgette and Michael in a beach bar where we bought drinks and I went to investigate the nearest edge of the lake (Lagoa dos Salgados). There were lots of birds here, which was on the edge of a fairly busy beach. They included a Little Egret, a Hoopoe, three Black-winged Stilts, a Common Sandpiper, three Little Terns fishing and eight Crested Larks. Best of all was a juvenile Collared Pratincole, only my second ever. My first had been at Bredons Hardwick, distant and in poor light; this one was about six feet away and totally unconcerned by my presence. Naturally I didn't have the camera with me. Finally before I left I could see a large whitish flock of egrets or gulls at the far side of the lake, blurred beyond all recognition by the heat haze. I didn't realise till the next day what it actually was.
My local patch for the week.
Drained
by the heat we returned to the apartment and probably my biggest dip of the
holiday. I sat on the back steps with a beer watching a Little
Owl, which had come out on the newly built apartments, as yet uninhabited
opposite ours. As dusk came when I least expected it a long-tailed nightjar
species flew straight past me and by the time I put down my beer and raised my
bins it had vanished around the corner. It was very possibly Red-necked
Nightjar, but I'll never know and I didn't see another all week.
DAY 3 - S 16th August 2003
Praia Galé and Praia Grandé, Algarve
Weather: Very hot and sunny with a light breeze
I awoke early again and set off towards the lake at Praia Grandé. On the way I heard one Little Owl and saw another. The morning fly-past of Cattle Egrets numbered 26 in total. At least 100 Pallid Swifts appeared at first light and gave brilliant close views in perfect conditions. I also recorded nine Fan-tailed Warblers and six Crested Larks. As I passed Salgados Golf Club I saw my first White Stork of the holiday stalking the fairway, although I am fairly sure there were several on the lakes seen from the plane as it landed. Also here was a Black-winged Stilt, an adult Woodchat Shrike, four Black-tailed Godwits, two Little Egrets, five Grey Herons and a few Black-headed Gulls.
As I walked around the edge of the lake, which protruded onto the beach I passed a few birds including six Black-winged Stilts, two Dunlins, a Ringed Plover and a flock of 36Yellow-legged Gulls. At this hour of the day the beach was deserted. I saw two large birds flying towards me and realised that they were Greater Flamingos. It then clicked what the blurred large whitish flock at the far side of the lake had been yesterday, they were all flamingos, there were 100+.
I managed to take this image by holding a snapshot camera against my Leica,
I was amazed at the result as they were 100 yards away.
It also became quickly apparent that the lake was alive with birds, I didn't know what to look at first although the three Purple Gallinules around my feet warranted some attention. There were in no particular order 50 Little Grebes, 30 Little Terns, two Black Terns, 60+ Little Egrets, seven Spoonbills, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 15 Avocets, two Kingfishers and the only Spanish Yellow Wagtail (iberiae) of the week.
At the other side of the lake was an area of typical maquis-type scrub with Fig and Olive Trees, Fennel and various late flowering plants. Birds here included two Chiffchaffs, a Hoopoe, a Southern Grey Shrike, a Little Owl and a pair of Sardinian Warblers. There were also ten Crocothemis erythraea dragonflies and a Brown Hare.
We spent the rest of the day doing very little really it was just to hot to move. I added Hoopoe, Fan-tailed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Crested Lark to my garden list.
In the early evening we went for another local walk down to the beach. I heard a call that was different but somehow familiar. We looked up on the wires and we could see six Common Waxbills, which were zipping in and out of a stand of bamboo. Another lifer, the call was familiar because I had kept this bird in my younger days when I had an aviary, they were known then as Red-eared Waxbill. A better name I think but nicer to see them in the wild. After a shower and a change we had a lovely meal at Restaurante São Domingo's at Galé which I would recommend to anyone.
DAY
4 - Su 17th August 2003
Praia
Galé
and Praia Grandé, Algarve
Weather:
Very hot and sunny with a light breeze
I
awoke early again and set off towards the lake at Praia Grandé.
Walking down I encountered all the usual species. Arriving at the lake a Sanderling
was feeding on the tide line and the first of two Red-rumped
Swallows passed overhead. I
noticed a pale lark fly across the car park and land behind the beach bar. I quickly relocated it
and found it to be a Short-toed
Lark, a lifer for me, but one I
should have probably seen in Britain by now. I enjoyed watching it at close
range for several minutes before it flew off into the dunes. New species at the
lake this morning were five Whimbrel,
two Skylarks,
a male Cuckoo,
two Sand Martins,
a Canada Goose,
two Green Sandpipers,
a summer-plumaged Grey
Plover and a Redshank.
In addition there were 100+ Little
Grebes (I had never seen so many
in one place!), 80 Greater
Flamingos, 50 Little
Egrets, four Spoonbills,
15 Avocets,
100 Black-winged
Stilts, 20 Common
Sandpipers, eight Black-tailed
Godwits, 30 Dunlins,
six Ringed Plovers,
three Purple
Gallinules, a Black
Tern and many more common
species.
After
I had watched the lake for a while I walked on beyond it to the scrubby area.
New species for the week here was a Melodious
Warbler and a Kestrel.
There was also five Common
Waxbills (in a bamboo stand
again), two Turtle
Doves, a juvenile and an adult Southern
Grey Shrike, a male Sardinian
Warbler and a Hoopoe.
On
the walk back I saw the White
Stork on the fairway of the golf
course again, another adult Southern
Grey Shrike and a Great
Spotted Woodpecker was new for
the holiday.
Today
we acquired a car for the rest of the holiday, so we went off for the day to
Zoomarine, a sort of Portuguese Sea World. We enjoyed seeing the wildlife there
especially the Dolphins and Sea Lions. A Peach-faced Lovebird gave me the
run-around for a while in the top of a tree, until I realised that they used
about 50 in the Parrot Show. The first big raptor of the holiday appeared
just as I was seated on the Log Flume with Michael. I waved frantically at
Bridgette and pointed skywards. When I got off I asked what she made of it -
"It was big", she said!! It never reappeared.
In
the evening I went for a wander and saw a roost of 100+ House
Sparrows at the Vila Galé Hotel
with two Little Owls
in watchful attendance and 24 Cattle
Egrets flying over to roost.
DAY
5 - M 18th August 2003
Praia
Grandé and Castro Verde area, Algarve
Weather:
Very hot and sunny with a light breeze
I
set out early by car this time for the lake. The White
Stork was flushed off the golf
course as I arrived by a green keeper. Numbers of birds seemed to be down
generally today on the lake and I concentrated more around the scrubby area
beyond. New birds for the week on the lake were Lesser
Black-backed Gulls, a Sandwich
Tern and one, possibly two Purple
Herons. I lost one in flight
then another re-appeared very close to me so I think there probably were two
birds. There were now only 50 Greater
Flamingos. Also 100 Little
Grebes, 50 Little
Egrets, five Spoonbills,
one Purple Gallinule, 50 Black-winged
Stilts, five Avocets, two Common
Sandpipers, 50 Pallid Swifts and a Crested
Lark.
Around
the scrubby area I found 20 Fan-tailed Warblers,
three Southern Grey Shrikes including a juvenile, a
Sardinian Warbler and new for the holiday two Dartford
Warblers.
A
Fan-tailed Warbler was a garden tick as I ate
breakfast.
Today
we were heading north to the Castro Verde region. My expectations were not too
high as it was high summer, not spring, blazing hot and the region had been
devastated by fire.
We
had a very quick run up to Castro Verde on the new motorway, stopping just
before we joined it at Carrasquiero where I had spotted a Bee-eater
on a wire. We were all pleased to admire this first of the holiday.
We
passed through Castro Verde, saw a Woodchat Shrike on
wires near Geraldos and stopped where a bridge forded a river gorge. Here 33 Cattle
Egrets were roosting on the rocks and in trees beside the shallow river.
A Hoopoe flew past, we saw first two of many Stonechats
and the first of three Southern Grey Shrikes. Also
here was a male Sardinian Warbler (not as common as
I had expected) and two more of the ubiquitous Fan-tailed
Warblers. After crossing the bridge we stopped again immediately and I
finally got to see some Azure-winged Magpies. There
were about ten flying in and out of a mass of bushes into a small orchard. A
welcome life tick and very beautiful too. Twelve Spotless
Starlings materialised from the same bush, a Red-rumped
Swallow flew over and a Griffon Vulture
soared overhead.
We
drove on towards Mertola checking wires for raptors, particularly Black-shouldered
Kite and several spots supposedly good for bustards, but turned up neither. A
large raptor on a pole was a Common Buzzard and a
pair of Kestrels were scrutinised but were not
Lessers. We saw several other Kestrels
and one female seemed a good candidate, but I was not quite sure, given that a
heat haze was distorting the view. I had seen Lessers in Spain anyway so did not
invest too much time in it. We saw another 36 Bee-eaters along
the route, some very well. This was followed by a close encounter with two
groups of four Griffon Vultures.
It
had got so hot that despite the air-conditioned car I decided we would give up
and return to Castro Verde. As we reached Geraldos I spotted an eagle on a
telegraph pole, we stopped and had good views. It was a Short-toed
Eagle.
After
some huge sandwiches and cold drinks in a Café Bar in Castro Verde, we drove
the road to Ourique, still seeking kites, but to no avail. As we turned towards
Barragem (Reservoir) de Monte da Rocha we saw 25 Cattle
Egrets in a field with cattle and several more Stonechats.
At
the reservoir we saw a juvenile Pied Flycatcher, a Crested
Lark, three Bee-eaters and many House
Martins nesting on the tower. On the return south we saw another Southern
Grey Shrike and the only three Carrion Crows of
the holiday near the Barragem.
When we got home we were glad to chill out in the pool and were treated to a fly-over from a Hoopoe.
DAY
6 - T 19th August 2003
Cabo
São Vincente and Lagos, Algarve
Weather:
Very hot and sunny with a light breeze
No early morning walk today as we were driving out to Cabo São Vincente, the End of the World, on the south-western most tip of Portugal. Whilst I ate breakfast on the patio I saw a Cattle Egret, a Little Owl, a Red-rumped Swallow and a Fan-tailed Warbler, not bad without leaving the table.
The journey certainly felt like going to the end of the world, it seemed to take forever (it was only on the way back we spotted the new motorway). Highlights of the journey included a Hoopoe at Guia, a White Stork and a Little Egret on the Arade estuary near Portimão, four Jackdaws (first of the trip) and a Little Egret at Lagos , a Hoopoe and ten Cattle Egrets at Espiche and five Spotless Starlings at Vila do Bispo.
The cape itself was not very good for birds - right place, wrong time again. New species were an Oystercatcher and a juvenile Gannet. I also saw two Rock Doves on the cliffs, ten Fan-tailed Warblers, a Dartford Warbler, two Crested Larks and a Pallid Swift. We had a pleasant, lazy lunch at the Restaurante E Centro de Artesanato near the small fort. A stop just before we left the peninsula to drive back towards Sagres brought four Thekla Larks and a Southern Grey Shrike. Another stop for petrol a little further on brought great views of a dark phase Booted Eagle beating up a flock of Feral Pigeons.
Our next stop was Lagos where we took a boat tip thought he grottos (€10 each). A pair of Cormorants on the cliffs were new and we also saw lots of Pallid Swifts, a Red-rumped Swallow, three cliff-dwelling Little Egrets, Sardinian Warblers, a pair and a female and a Peregrine. We climbed down a very steep cliff path to a quiet cove where we spent a couple of hours before going home.
DAY
7 - W 20th August 2003
Praia
Grandé, Pera and Mount Foia, Algarve
Weather:
Very hot and sunny with a stronger breeze
Our last day dawned and I drove down to the lake for the last time. All the usual suspects were seen. Today there was a flock of 100+ Yellow-legged Gulls, 70 Greater Flamingos, 60 Little Egrets, 14 Spoonbills, two Purple Gallinule, 30 Black-winged Stilts, 15 Avocets, ten Common Sandpipers, ten Pallid Swifts, a Red-rumped Swallow and six Crested Larks. The only new birds were two Wood Sandpipers.
After breakfast we set off for the Sand Sculptures at Pera seeing a Hoopoe on the way. The sculptures were very impressive and well worth seeing. There were lots of dragonflies here including many of the red Crocothemis erythraea and several pale blue Southern Skimmers. Also a Short-toed Eagle flew over.
Leaving Pera we took the road up to Monchique, seeing four Cattle Egrets on the way. Eventually we arrived at the summit of Mount Foia and the view was fabulous. There were a few birds around notably two Red-rumped Swallows, 14 Bee-eaters, six Stonechats, a few House Martins and a Meadow Pipit, the only new bird. There were masses of butterflies and moths including Tree Graylings, Common Blues, Painted Lady, Large Whites and Hummingbird Hawk Moths.
On the way back down from the summit we stopped for lunch at a restaurant where I heard a Blue Tit and saw another three Azure-winged Magpies. Also here were two of the more spectacular butterflies - Two-tailed Pasha and Scarce Swallowtail.
A brief stop in roadside woodland gave me singles of five new species for the week - Crested Tit, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Firecrest and Spotted Flycatcher taking the weeks total to a respectable (for August) 92 species.
In the evening Bridgette and I visited Albufeira Old Town for some last minute shopping where there was another huge 100+ roost of House Sparrows in the main square.
DAY
8 - Th 21stAugust 2003
Praia Galé,
Algarve to Quedgeley, England
Weather:
Very hot and sunny with a light breeze
We left early for our 9:45am flight home and saw nine Cattle Egrets and three Yellow-legged Gulls on our way to the Airport at Faro. The final bird of a lovely week was a Swallow.