Spring birds in the Algarve - what to expect at the start of April (1 Viewer)

[Steve_Halstead]

Good afternoon everyone, I am just making a short list of birds I should be looking for in coastal regions of the Algarve. (I understand that there are many resources out there, but I find a discussion can often help)


Some of my expected species that I would hope to see are as follows;

How likely are they to find?

European Bee Eater
Black eared wheatear
Subalpine Warbler
Orphean warbler (it could happen)
Great spotted cuckoo
Woodchat Shrike
Tawny pipit
Short toed lark

I would expect hoopoe, azure winged magpie, purple swamphen etc

Are there any other species that are not common in England that I should expect?

Cheers

List I compiled for the near and around vilamoura is;

1. Black capped night heron
2. squacco heron
3. Greater flamingo
4. Black shouldered kite
5. Purple swamphen
6. Kentish Plover
7. Yellow legged gull
8. Hoopoe
9. Bee-eater
10. Iberian green woodpecker
11. Common Crested Lark
12. Tree pipit
13. zitting cisticola
14. Sardinian warbler
15. woodchat shrike
16. spotless starling
17. Iberian Magpie
18. Serin
19. Common Waxbill
20. Black headed weaver

 

[Gonçalo Elias]

Hi Steve,

here are some comments to your Vilamoura wish list:

1. Black capped night heron - not a common bird in the Algarve, turns up occasionally on passage but always scarce and somewhat unpredictable
2. squacco heron - same as previous species
3. Greater flamingo - usually easy at lagoa dos Salgados or any saltpans around Faro
4. Black shouldered kite - occurs at Vilamoura but is usually scarce, try at dusk when they hunt
5. Purple swamphen - should be easy at Vilamoura
6. Kentish Plover - any complex of saltpans is good for this species
7. Yellow legged gull - abundant along the entire coastline
8. Hoopoe - common throughout
9. Bee-eater - common and should have arrived by early April (a few were seen today not far from Vilamoura)
10. Iberian green woodpecker - fairly common around Vilamoura
11. Common Crested Lark - very common in the lowlands
12. Tree pipit - a scarce passage migrant in spring, numbers vary according to weather, more likely if wind blows from east
13. zitting cisticola - abundant
14. Sardinian warbler - extremely abundant, present everywhere
15. woodchat shrike - fairly common, should not be problematic to see one as they perch on wires, top of trees, etc.
16. spotless starling - numerous
17. Iberian Magpie - abundant
18. Serin - very common
19. Common Waxbill - common, usually in small flocks in dense vegetation near water
20. Black headed weaver - not abundant but regular at reed beds in Vilamoura and other spots in the region

As to the remaining species:

Black eared wheatear - not very common along the coast, easier to find in the northeast (between Castro Marim and Alcoutim)
Subalpine Warbler - can occur on passage near the coast but easier to find in the hills further inland, e-g- Serra do Caldeirão
Orphean warbler (it could happen) - very scarce in the Algarve as a breeding bird
Great spotted cuckoo - a scarce summer visitor to coastal areas, usually where there are common magpies
Tawny pipit - very scarce on passage in central Algarve, but breeds near the coast in northwestern Algarve around Aljezur
Short toed lark - just like the pipits, it can occur on spring passage, depending on weather; also breeds locally in coastal lowlands

Hope this helps.

Gonçalo

 

[wolfbirder]

Do take a day trip out to the Lower Alentejo at Castro Verde and the plains east of there. Perhaps pay for a day out with Simon Waites, but you can do it alone in a hire car - Great and Little Bustards, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, possible Eastern Imperial Eagles, Griffon Vultures and possible black Vultures, Lesser Kestrels, Bee-eaters, Rollers, Red-rumped Swallows etc.

Take the N123 out of Castro Verde and then the narrow roads linking the villages of Rolao, Viseus, Alcaria do Coelho, Figeuirinha, and Guerreiro taking the track north as far as the LPN gates. But these roads are narrow so don't block them or try to bird whilst driving-. But there are great birds to be seen.

All this area is prime for the above species. Also check the two flat road bridges over the N123.
Finally NE of Castro Verde check out the LPN land to the east of the road.

These areas are all within 5-10 miles of Castro Verde.

I believe the E1 that leads from the Algarve northward is a toll road, but it saves time and you can be there in around an hour. Its still more or less my favourite area of Europe.

 

[Simon Wates]

The Castro Verde area is a great recommendation! Thanks for the plug Nick but since last year I'm not covering out there - maybe in the future again as its a real favourite of mine, and superb landscapes and birding. My colleague is taking folk up there from the Algarve nowadays - go with him!