Phew! I've just returned from a "family" holiday to the Algarve, Portugal. We stayed at Olhos D'Agua, halfway between Vilamoura and Albufiera. The holiday was from 10th April to 17th April, and was my 5th visit to Portugal.
In between visiting the beach, water parks and walking around marinas, I managed to get in quite a bit of birding. All early morning stuff, or early evening, with just one full morning.
Loads of spectacular birds, where do I begin? At Vilamoura, fanastic views of up to 15 Purple Gallinules, lots of Azure-winged Magpies, at least 4 Black-shouldered Kites (3 togther in the same tree!), flocks of Cattle Egrets plus the usual Bee-eaters, Hoopoes and Woodchat Shrikes and the other birds you might expect in southern Europe.
Just down the road at Quinta do Lago,, more Gallinules, Booted Eagles, Black Kites, 100+ Black-winged Stilts, 50+ Avocets, Red-Crested Pochards and 3 Caspian Terns.
My morning out was to the plains of Alentejo, about 50 miles north of the coast. I took the road from Castro Verde to Mertola.
I saw 11 Great Bustards, including a spectacular male at reasonably close range displaying to 5 females, and at least 30 Little Bustards, which included displaying males. Another Black-shouldered Kite here as well. However, as with my previous two visits to Alentejo, it was not just one or two species which were the stars, it was the sheer number an variety of birds, with Stork nests on every telegraph pole, Montagu's Harriers or Black Kites around every corner, and Bee-eaters, Great Grey Shrikes and Red-rumped Swallows never far away.
Amongst all these (more-or-less) expected sights, I did have few surprises, and wondered if anybody here can shed any light on them, as follows:
1) Do Little Bustards have a courtship flight? I saw a party of 3 males and 1 female in what appeared to be a courtship flight. They flew past past me in a close knit, undulating flight, their wings whistling as they went, and then circled round and flew past again.
2) On the marsh at Vilamoura (at least a mile from any human habitation), I saw a Monarch butterfly. My book says that some have recently become established in Spain, and occasionally immigrants arrive from America in April. Anybody seen anything similar or got an opinion on this?
3) In the reed bed at Vilamoura, I saw a Moustached Warbler. No doubt about the identification, I've seen them before in Mallorca. Are they supposed to be in Portugal? They're meant to be resident I believe, so it's not a migrant.
4) Also near Vilamoura, again in a remote part of the marsh, 3 Slender-billed Weaver birds. Exotic species have become established in Portugal, such as the now common Waxbill, but anybody seen these weavers before?
These were my first Black-shouldered Kites, so they were just about the stars, with the Great Bustards a very close second. I'll post a full list of species I saw later. Can't wait for my next visit to this wonderful country,
Colin
Ok, here's the full list,
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Gannet
Purple Heron
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
White Stork
Spoonbill
Gadwall
Teal
Pintail
Shoveler
Red-crested Pochard
Pochard
Black Kite
Black-shouldered Kite
Marsh Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Buzzard
Booted Eagle
Kestrel
Quail
Red-legged Partridge
Moorhen
Purple Gallinule
Coot
Little Bustard
Great Bustard
Black-winged Stilt
Avocet
Stone-Curlew
Collared Pratincole
Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Grey Plover
Sanderling
Dunlin
Turnstone
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Spotted Redshank
Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Caspian Tern
Sandwich Tern
Little Tern
Turtle Dove
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Swift
Bee-eater
Hoopoe
Green Woodpecker
Crested Lark
Sand Martin
House Martin
Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Yellow Wagtail
Nightingale
Stonechat
Cetti's Warbler
Fan-tailed Warbler
Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Moustached Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Willow Warbler
Great Grey Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Azure-winged Magpie
Spotless Starling
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Slender-billed Weaver
Waxbill
Serin
Corn Bunting
Colin
Hi Colin, WOW! You've truly whetted my appetite, we are flying to Faro next week!!!! Have been to the Algarve once already (not specifically for birding) but we were so captivated by this beautiful country we are going back. Just for a week and I can't wait, especially after reading your report! We stayed in Alvor last year, doing self catering near Lagos this time. The walking is wonderful and delightfully wild, I have never seen so many rock roses covering the countryside! As for the birds and birdsong ...... quite wonderful, the Bee eaters were my favourite, never having seen them before. We heard an "orchestra" near some reed beds, I thought they were probably Great Reed Warblers but I am not an expert. Anyway, I can't wait to visit again. Thanks for posting, most interesting. Sorry I can't answer your questions, I'm not an expert but there are plenty experts on this forum so I'm sure you will get some answers!
Nerine