Vipers
Brunswick Birder
I have just returned from the Algarve after a week’s family holiday with a bit of casual birding thrown in. We rented Villa Dois Irmaos just outside of Tavira at a place called Santo Estevao and hired a Corsa from Zitautos at Faro Airport for the week. We arrived late afternoon on Saturday 30th Oct to strong wind and rain. The Villa was surrounded by olive groves and rough scrub which looked promising for birds.
Sunday 31st Oct. A good sign of things to come was when I opened the curtains the next morning to see a Blackcap and a Sardinian Warbler in the bush outside the bedroom window. Then whilst having breakfast an Azure-Winged Magpie landed in a tree in the garden briefly. This was the first of four lifers seen during the week. The rest of the day was spent getting provisions in for the week, with a little bit of birding around the villa. The area surrounding the villa was alive with birds, mainly Robin, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler and Chiffchaff, with the odd Black Redstart, Common Waxbill, White Wagtail, Little Owl and Hoopoe thrown in.
Monday 1st Nov. We went to Quinta do Lago, mainly to try and get some photos of Purple Gallinule. A bird I have previously struggled to photograph in Spain. When we arrived, it was high tide so not many waders about, so we just headed for the lake on the Golf course. The first birds we saw at the lake were two Purple Gallinules sitting out in the open preening, one of them with two well grown young. It was quite breezy so trying to keep the scope steady and get photos without reeds in front wasn’t easy. Near to one of the Gallinules, a Glossy Ibis flew out of the reeds and started feeding around one of the islands. Photographing the Gallinules, the Ibis and watching thirty or so White Storks picking up a thermal just North of the lake, I forgot to have a good look through the waterfowl. However I did notice Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall and Teal, as well as Cattle Egret, Little Egret and Grey Wagtail. After a short while on the beach to keep our four year old daughter happy, we went for a drink in the beach café. Sitting outside of the café, more White Storks picked up thermals overhead and while watching them I spotted two Booted Eagles high over the lagoon.
The tide was now out, so the walk back over the bridge to the car produced a few more birds, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Whimbrel, Redshank, Sandling, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Turnstone, Azure-Winged Magpie, Crested Lark and Zitting Cisticola all seen.
On the way back to the villa we had a quick look at the 4 Aquas road in Tavira. The only birds of note were a Juv Greater Flamingo, Avocet and Black-Winged Stilt.
Tuesday 2nd Nov. We set off for Castro Verde on the off-chance of picking up a Spanish Imperial Eagle. The drive up only produced Crag Martins on the approach to Mertola. Following the Gosney Guide we headed for Guerreiro, by luck more than skill we found the right track and parked by the gates at the Southern end of the Reserve. We immediately picked up a flock of Black-Bellied Sandgrouse landing in a ploughed field across the valley, giving good views of them on the ground, a good start! A good scan of the area only turned up Southern Grey Shrike, Black Redstart and Lapwing. So we decided to have our picnic before going for a walk up the track. Sitting in the car eating our sandwiches, a ring tailed Hen Harrier flew across in front of us and put a large flock of Calandra Larks up from a ploughed field in front of the car. Then Gwen, my wife said “what’s that massive raptor”, but all I could see were Red Kites, until I got out of the car and saw a massive raptor heading across the fields towards us being mobbed by a Red Kite. A quick look through the bins confirmed it was a Juv Spanish Imperial Eagle. It gave crippling views through the scope as it got closer and closer. Eventually shaking off the Red Kite and coming right over our heads before picking up a thermal and disappearing up into the blue. A walk further along the track only produced more of the same, Hen Harrier, Red Kite, the noise from the feeding Calandra Larks in the ploughed field was amazing and it was strange to see Common Kestrel catching and eating insects on the wing. The only thing missing from the Bustard reserve was Bustards. I wasn’t really that bothered though, as I‘ve already had superb views of both Bustards in Spain. It was well worth going just for the Spanish Imperial Eagle, which was a lifer for me.
Wednesday 3rd Nov. We spent the morning at the beach at Praia do Barril, only adding Serin in the car park at Pedras d’el Rei. In the afternoon we went for a walk along the road through the Salinas to the East of Tavira. The only surprise here was Black-Billed Magpie and Little Owl at the old fort, waders included Black-Winged Stilt, Avocet, Redshank Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Little Egret and White Stork.
Thursday 4th Nov. We spent at Castro Marim, which as a reserve was a bit disappointing. I couldn’t understand why they had gone to the expense of building what looked like a new hide with a screened walkway to it, then padlocking a high gate so you can’t use it. The main vantage point is the hill with the bungalow on the top. With most of the birds being out on the Salinas and with the heat haze, the scope was virtually useless. However I did pick out seven Caspian Terns, a single Auduoins Gull amongst all the regular Gulls, there was also Flamingos and White Stork. A walk down one of the tracks produced Common Sandpiper, Spoonbill, Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit, Zitting Cisticola, Kestrel Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard and two Dartford Warblers. On the pools near the visitors centre were Black-Winged Stilt, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper and Greenshank. When we got back to the car the temperature read out was saying 27 degrees, nice for November. However I think we over cooked the little one today as she ran out of steam about one O’clock and just wanted to sit in the shade.
Sitting in the villa with a very welcome beer, I noticed a small flock of what I first thought were House Martins out the window, I noticed that their tails seemed too forked for House Martin so I grabbed my bins and was a bit surprised to see that they were Red-Rumped Swallows. Birding with a beer. Nice!!
Friday 5th Nov. We again spent the morning at the beach at Praia do Barril. This time as we crossed the bridge over the lagoon a Caspian Tern was flying up and down giving superb views, as it dived into the water and came out with fish. We also saw seven Black-Billed Magpies flying over the salt marsh. After lunch we had a walk around the Salinas between Santa Luzia and Tavira. During the week I had checked every flock of Sparrows hoping for a Spanish Sparrow but with no luck, as we drove down the track towards the ‘no entry’ sign, a massive flock of Sparrows flew up from the ditch into the bushes next to the track. “There must be a Spanish Sparrow with these” I said as I picked up my bins. “Bloody hell they are all Spanish Sparrow”, there must have been at least 100 of them all feeding on seeding plants along the ditch with 15 or so Common Waxbills. As we reached the gates at the end of the track, what appeared to be a Western Reef x Little Egret was sitting on the fence. Unfortunately the light was on the wrong side and when I tried to skirt around it, it flew off across the one of the pools. I’m sort of glad the Egret flew across the pool, because as I watched it I noticed a Slender-Billed Gull on the same pool. These Salinas held more bird life than any of the others we had visited, with Little Stint, Dunlin, Sandling, Redshank, both Godwits, Avocet, Black-Winged Stilt, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plover, Ruff, White Stork, Shelduck, Shoveler the usual Gulls and about thirty Flamingos. I wish I’d come to these Salinas at the beginning of the week instead of the end, but a nice way to end a superb week in the Algarve.
Sorry it turned into a bit of an epic, but it was the first time we’d been to the Algarve and I was so impressed with the birding at this time of year. We notched up ninety species including four lifers, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Azure-Winged Magpie, Spanish Sparrow and Common Waxbill (a bit plastic I know). I missed quite a few species that I could have got with a little bit more effort and without a four year old in tow. A list of more than 100 species should be easily achievable in November and with the temperature being over 22 degrees for most of the week, how can you go wrong? The only problem was coming back to freezing cold Britain.
Sunday 31st Oct. A good sign of things to come was when I opened the curtains the next morning to see a Blackcap and a Sardinian Warbler in the bush outside the bedroom window. Then whilst having breakfast an Azure-Winged Magpie landed in a tree in the garden briefly. This was the first of four lifers seen during the week. The rest of the day was spent getting provisions in for the week, with a little bit of birding around the villa. The area surrounding the villa was alive with birds, mainly Robin, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler and Chiffchaff, with the odd Black Redstart, Common Waxbill, White Wagtail, Little Owl and Hoopoe thrown in.
Monday 1st Nov. We went to Quinta do Lago, mainly to try and get some photos of Purple Gallinule. A bird I have previously struggled to photograph in Spain. When we arrived, it was high tide so not many waders about, so we just headed for the lake on the Golf course. The first birds we saw at the lake were two Purple Gallinules sitting out in the open preening, one of them with two well grown young. It was quite breezy so trying to keep the scope steady and get photos without reeds in front wasn’t easy. Near to one of the Gallinules, a Glossy Ibis flew out of the reeds and started feeding around one of the islands. Photographing the Gallinules, the Ibis and watching thirty or so White Storks picking up a thermal just North of the lake, I forgot to have a good look through the waterfowl. However I did notice Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall and Teal, as well as Cattle Egret, Little Egret and Grey Wagtail. After a short while on the beach to keep our four year old daughter happy, we went for a drink in the beach café. Sitting outside of the café, more White Storks picked up thermals overhead and while watching them I spotted two Booted Eagles high over the lagoon.
The tide was now out, so the walk back over the bridge to the car produced a few more birds, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Whimbrel, Redshank, Sandling, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Turnstone, Azure-Winged Magpie, Crested Lark and Zitting Cisticola all seen.
On the way back to the villa we had a quick look at the 4 Aquas road in Tavira. The only birds of note were a Juv Greater Flamingo, Avocet and Black-Winged Stilt.
Tuesday 2nd Nov. We set off for Castro Verde on the off-chance of picking up a Spanish Imperial Eagle. The drive up only produced Crag Martins on the approach to Mertola. Following the Gosney Guide we headed for Guerreiro, by luck more than skill we found the right track and parked by the gates at the Southern end of the Reserve. We immediately picked up a flock of Black-Bellied Sandgrouse landing in a ploughed field across the valley, giving good views of them on the ground, a good start! A good scan of the area only turned up Southern Grey Shrike, Black Redstart and Lapwing. So we decided to have our picnic before going for a walk up the track. Sitting in the car eating our sandwiches, a ring tailed Hen Harrier flew across in front of us and put a large flock of Calandra Larks up from a ploughed field in front of the car. Then Gwen, my wife said “what’s that massive raptor”, but all I could see were Red Kites, until I got out of the car and saw a massive raptor heading across the fields towards us being mobbed by a Red Kite. A quick look through the bins confirmed it was a Juv Spanish Imperial Eagle. It gave crippling views through the scope as it got closer and closer. Eventually shaking off the Red Kite and coming right over our heads before picking up a thermal and disappearing up into the blue. A walk further along the track only produced more of the same, Hen Harrier, Red Kite, the noise from the feeding Calandra Larks in the ploughed field was amazing and it was strange to see Common Kestrel catching and eating insects on the wing. The only thing missing from the Bustard reserve was Bustards. I wasn’t really that bothered though, as I‘ve already had superb views of both Bustards in Spain. It was well worth going just for the Spanish Imperial Eagle, which was a lifer for me.
Wednesday 3rd Nov. We spent the morning at the beach at Praia do Barril, only adding Serin in the car park at Pedras d’el Rei. In the afternoon we went for a walk along the road through the Salinas to the East of Tavira. The only surprise here was Black-Billed Magpie and Little Owl at the old fort, waders included Black-Winged Stilt, Avocet, Redshank Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Little Egret and White Stork.
Thursday 4th Nov. We spent at Castro Marim, which as a reserve was a bit disappointing. I couldn’t understand why they had gone to the expense of building what looked like a new hide with a screened walkway to it, then padlocking a high gate so you can’t use it. The main vantage point is the hill with the bungalow on the top. With most of the birds being out on the Salinas and with the heat haze, the scope was virtually useless. However I did pick out seven Caspian Terns, a single Auduoins Gull amongst all the regular Gulls, there was also Flamingos and White Stork. A walk down one of the tracks produced Common Sandpiper, Spoonbill, Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit, Zitting Cisticola, Kestrel Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard and two Dartford Warblers. On the pools near the visitors centre were Black-Winged Stilt, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper and Greenshank. When we got back to the car the temperature read out was saying 27 degrees, nice for November. However I think we over cooked the little one today as she ran out of steam about one O’clock and just wanted to sit in the shade.
Sitting in the villa with a very welcome beer, I noticed a small flock of what I first thought were House Martins out the window, I noticed that their tails seemed too forked for House Martin so I grabbed my bins and was a bit surprised to see that they were Red-Rumped Swallows. Birding with a beer. Nice!!
Friday 5th Nov. We again spent the morning at the beach at Praia do Barril. This time as we crossed the bridge over the lagoon a Caspian Tern was flying up and down giving superb views, as it dived into the water and came out with fish. We also saw seven Black-Billed Magpies flying over the salt marsh. After lunch we had a walk around the Salinas between Santa Luzia and Tavira. During the week I had checked every flock of Sparrows hoping for a Spanish Sparrow but with no luck, as we drove down the track towards the ‘no entry’ sign, a massive flock of Sparrows flew up from the ditch into the bushes next to the track. “There must be a Spanish Sparrow with these” I said as I picked up my bins. “Bloody hell they are all Spanish Sparrow”, there must have been at least 100 of them all feeding on seeding plants along the ditch with 15 or so Common Waxbills. As we reached the gates at the end of the track, what appeared to be a Western Reef x Little Egret was sitting on the fence. Unfortunately the light was on the wrong side and when I tried to skirt around it, it flew off across the one of the pools. I’m sort of glad the Egret flew across the pool, because as I watched it I noticed a Slender-Billed Gull on the same pool. These Salinas held more bird life than any of the others we had visited, with Little Stint, Dunlin, Sandling, Redshank, both Godwits, Avocet, Black-Winged Stilt, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plover, Ruff, White Stork, Shelduck, Shoveler the usual Gulls and about thirty Flamingos. I wish I’d come to these Salinas at the beginning of the week instead of the end, but a nice way to end a superb week in the Algarve.
Sorry it turned into a bit of an epic, but it was the first time we’d been to the Algarve and I was so impressed with the birding at this time of year. We notched up ninety species including four lifers, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Azure-Winged Magpie, Spanish Sparrow and Common Waxbill (a bit plastic I know). I missed quite a few species that I could have got with a little bit more effort and without a four year old in tow. A list of more than 100 species should be easily achievable in November and with the temperature being over 22 degrees for most of the week, how can you go wrong? The only problem was coming back to freezing cold Britain.
