john-henry
Well-known member
Donana and Algarve Nov.07 Part 6.
Fri. 23rd Nov. – Light rain during the night but cleared before 8am, I headed for Quinta do Lago and spent all day on the right hand track.
I find this side better for passerines than the lake/hide side, Waxbills were prominent with a group of 9 plus several smaller parties, 2 Cetti’s Warblers, Sardinian and Fan-tailed Warblers at regular intervals. Small flocks of mixed Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serin and House Sparrows with a few Chaffinches fed on the seeds alongside the path, a few Siskins could be heard in the taller trees.
5 Hoopoes, 16 Azure-winged Magpies, 2 or 3 Kingfishers, Crested Larks and Skylarks, another Richard’s Pipit, Water and Meadow Pipits, White Wagtails, Black Redstart, Robins, Stonechats, Blackbirds, Song Thrush and what I wanted mostly 6 Bluethroats.
An adult Caspian Tern spent some time hunting over the lake while several Sandwich Terns patrolled the estuary. Large flocks of mixed Lesser Black-backed with a few Greater Black-backed, Yellow-legged and Black-headed Gulls roosted on the small islands in the estuary.
Grey Herons, Little Egrets, 11 Spoonbills and a good selection of waders were seen in the salt-marshes, - Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Little Stint, Sanderling, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Curlew and Whimbrel.
5 White Storks flew in from the sea and landed in the salt-marsh during the afternoon.
The lake held a few Coot, one Great Crested Grebe and the usual Cormorants drying their wings.
The woodland and small pools behind the lake had a few Black-winged Stilts, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Snipe, usual warblers, finches etc.
Sat. 24th Nov. – Windy today with overcast skies from late morning, first day I’ve needed a jumper on! Back to Quinta do Lago by 8am, on the right hand side again for another try at photographing Bluethroats, a bit more success than yesterday but still couldn’t get a good male singing from the top of a bush.
Birds pretty much as yesterday but no Richard’s Pipit.
Came back to the car park and took the left hand track to try my luck for Bluethroat here, I did find three around the old saltpans but although two were very active on the ground, giving good views, they weren’t sitting anywhere.
The dark ph. Booted Eagle put in another appearance as I left the saltpans for the lake.
One Glossy Ibis here today and easier to photograph as were the numerous duck present and of course the Purple Gallinules.
After a spell here I moved on to Ludo Farm as a birder I met earlier mentioned there were 3 pale ph. Booted Eagles wintering here.
A stop at the large lake before entering Ludo revealed thousands of duck, mostly Wigeon but Shoveler, Pintail, Mallard and Teal could be seen in smaller numbers, Great Crested Grebes, Grey Herons, 100+ Flamingos, good numbers of Spoonbill and a few White Storks plus hundreds of Cormorants. Stopping a few yards inside Ludo and scanning the area to the left of the path for the next 30mins. gave the 3 Booted Eagles, 2 Marsh Harriers and 3 Buzzards while a few Black-winged Stilts, Spotted Redshank etc were seen in the pans.
Fri. 23rd Nov. – Light rain during the night but cleared before 8am, I headed for Quinta do Lago and spent all day on the right hand track.
I find this side better for passerines than the lake/hide side, Waxbills were prominent with a group of 9 plus several smaller parties, 2 Cetti’s Warblers, Sardinian and Fan-tailed Warblers at regular intervals. Small flocks of mixed Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serin and House Sparrows with a few Chaffinches fed on the seeds alongside the path, a few Siskins could be heard in the taller trees.
5 Hoopoes, 16 Azure-winged Magpies, 2 or 3 Kingfishers, Crested Larks and Skylarks, another Richard’s Pipit, Water and Meadow Pipits, White Wagtails, Black Redstart, Robins, Stonechats, Blackbirds, Song Thrush and what I wanted mostly 6 Bluethroats.
An adult Caspian Tern spent some time hunting over the lake while several Sandwich Terns patrolled the estuary. Large flocks of mixed Lesser Black-backed with a few Greater Black-backed, Yellow-legged and Black-headed Gulls roosted on the small islands in the estuary.
Grey Herons, Little Egrets, 11 Spoonbills and a good selection of waders were seen in the salt-marshes, - Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Little Stint, Sanderling, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers, Curlew and Whimbrel.
5 White Storks flew in from the sea and landed in the salt-marsh during the afternoon.
The lake held a few Coot, one Great Crested Grebe and the usual Cormorants drying their wings.
The woodland and small pools behind the lake had a few Black-winged Stilts, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Snipe, usual warblers, finches etc.
Sat. 24th Nov. – Windy today with overcast skies from late morning, first day I’ve needed a jumper on! Back to Quinta do Lago by 8am, on the right hand side again for another try at photographing Bluethroats, a bit more success than yesterday but still couldn’t get a good male singing from the top of a bush.
Birds pretty much as yesterday but no Richard’s Pipit.
Came back to the car park and took the left hand track to try my luck for Bluethroat here, I did find three around the old saltpans but although two were very active on the ground, giving good views, they weren’t sitting anywhere.
The dark ph. Booted Eagle put in another appearance as I left the saltpans for the lake.
One Glossy Ibis here today and easier to photograph as were the numerous duck present and of course the Purple Gallinules.
After a spell here I moved on to Ludo Farm as a birder I met earlier mentioned there were 3 pale ph. Booted Eagles wintering here.
A stop at the large lake before entering Ludo revealed thousands of duck, mostly Wigeon but Shoveler, Pintail, Mallard and Teal could be seen in smaller numbers, Great Crested Grebes, Grey Herons, 100+ Flamingos, good numbers of Spoonbill and a few White Storks plus hundreds of Cormorants. Stopping a few yards inside Ludo and scanning the area to the left of the path for the next 30mins. gave the 3 Booted Eagles, 2 Marsh Harriers and 3 Buzzards while a few Black-winged Stilts, Spotted Redshank etc were seen in the pans.
