Pallid swift (1 Viewer)

[alan_cardiff]

Can anybody give me a good site for nesting Pallid Swift's in the Algarve, near Portimao. I went to Silves on Thursday but couldn't find any around the castle.

 

[Simon Wates]

Hi Alan, there are pairs (and plenty of Common) in the city of Portimão, around the old part of town - bear in mind that they can often be far away (or incubating now) feeding so early morning and late evening visits are often more reliable. On the coast, east of Portimão towards Carvoeiro, there are more pairs on the limestone cliffs here and there - at Carvoeiro lighthouse (3kms east of the little town) there is a colony of Alpine Swifts too. At Ponta da Piedade cliffs there are plenty but maybe easier around Sagres, mainly along the south coastal cliffs of the peninsula and the cape where there a larger numbers it seems. I think as the weather improves your chances will increase - they can be seen anywhere foraging. If the weather is calm and fine early morning, swifts of the 3 species often forage in large numbers at low level over the grasslands near Cabo de São Vicente along the road to Vale Santo. Another good place for large numbers of all the swifts is Lagoa dos Salgados. I think you just need a bit more luck

 

[alan_cardiff]

Thanks Simon for a very helpful answer. I'll be at Salgados in the next few days with a dawn start so I'll keep on looking. I was at Abicada marshes this morning and there must have been more than 100 but I couldn't see any with obvious lighter colouration. A great day out there with nightingales singing, at least 3 woodchat shrike, an Iberian green woodpecker and a cracking male marsh harrier. Another bird I meant to mention is the great reed warbler. Do you know if any have been reported yet. I was at Paul de Lagos earlier this week but no sight or sound of one.( Again loads of Swifts). Thanks Alan.

 

[Simon Wates]

Seems likely that you have seen Pallids, without knowing for sure - it happens an awful lot even to us residents. This happens when birds are against a bright sky and just look dark. Next opportunity, try and look down on them from coastal cliffs (don't stand too close, I'd never live it down if..) or see them at low level and try to see them with excellent lighting. They will "pop", especially the much larger white throat than Common. The call is distinctive once one gets one's ear in - a short downslurred call, considerably lower pitched than Common's usual long screaming.

 

[alan_cardiff]

Thanks Simon. I'll keep on trying.