Portugal - Algarve 21st to 28th April 2016

 

INTRODUCTION

My wife, daughter and I spent a week in Portugal, based in Albufeira for a week from 21st April. Although I am a keen birder the rest of the family likes to do other things so we weren’t focusing on birds only.

Our hotel was at Praia de Oura about a mile from the centre of Albufeira. We didn’t like it and if we go again we would try and stay in a more rural location. But it was close to the sea and there were a couple of small wooded valleys within easy walking distance. I had early morning walks while the family slept in and saw a few interesting birds such as Spotless Starling, Serin, Sardinian Warbler, Yellow-legged Gull, Gannet, European Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Alpine Swift and quite a few Iberian Magpies. The last were a surprise to me as I had expected to have to search quite hard to find them. I don’t think that I failed to see at least one on any day that I was in the Algarve.

We used A Birdwatchers' Guide to Portugal, the Azores and Madeira Archipelagos by Colm Moore, Gonçalo Elias and Helder Costa (Prion 2014) as our site guide. The directions were reasonably clear and up-to-date although it would have helped to have some more detailed maps in the book. We used a smart-phone for navigation and the combination of that and the book was just about OK.

For those who have not been to Portugal before, the driving is fairly relaxed. People were patient with me as I hesitated at crossroads. The speed limits were completely mystifying and as far as we could tell largely ignored! Parking was never an issue.


SITES VISITED & BIRDS SEEN

The first outing we did was to Quinta do Lago, just to the west of Faro, on 23rd April. We found the ‘rough track’ referred to in Moore & co but rather than following it we parked in the grounds of the nearby golf club. No one objected and it was handy to be able to buy drinks and use the facilities. Near the car we had excellent views of a feeding Hoopoe. Assuming that we were in the right place, we didn’t see any sign saying ‘discovery trail’ but following the rough track for about a km brought us to a large lake with a massive hide overlooking it. (We saw quite a few Iberian Magpie and a couple of European Bee-eater along the trail.) We didn’t bother with the hide as Western Swamp-hens were wandering across the golf course. We could see Coot, Black-headed Weaver, Common Pochard and various other waterbirds but, somewhat to our surprise, we discovered that we were on the end of a large, well-marked reserve consisting of a tidal estuary and salt-marshes (not mentioned in the guide book). There was another, smaller hide, looking across this area and a well-made path heading approximately towards Faro. We saw a good variety of waders, including Turnstone, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover and Sanderling as well as White Stork and Little Tern. There were a few Yellow Wagtail and a Lark which I assume was Crested. There were Red-rumped Swallow in the area, too. We didn’t walk very far but clearly the area had great potential.

On 24th we drove up to Serra de Monchique, a serra being a range of hills. We didn’t see much in the town (White Wagtail) but decided to drive higher up the hill towards Fóia, at 950m the highest point in the Algarve. We stopped before the summit at a little lay-by and explored on foot. The vegetation was very scrubby. It was one of those places where you could hear more birds than you could see. The only definite sightings were Rock Bunting, Nightingale and Stonechat though I’m pretty sure that a raptor that flashed past was a Sparrowhawk. I could see two distant raptors which looked like buzzards.

Rock Bunting habitat at Fóia. This is the view to the West and the sea could be seen in the distance. This point is probably about 850m above sea-level.

The next day we visited the historic capital of the Algarve, Silves. There were lots of swifts but I’m afraid I never managed to figure out which! The same applied to a Kestrel although it must surely have been Common. The main highlight here was lovely views of nesting White Stork from the castle battlements.

Our last major outing was to Lagoa dos Salgados on 26th. This is my idea of birding heaven – masses of birds, a great boardwalk, some ‘blinds’, a very nice café (near the beach), other birders to compare notes with, sunny weather but not too hot, and also plenty of wildflowers, butterflies a terrapin etc. I am 99% certain I saw a Lesser Emperor Dragonfly with a vivid sky blue base to its abdomen.

The birds just kept on coming. First, I finally connected with the hoped for Greater Flamingo, about 12 of them, and not too distant.

I also saw an adult Audouin’s Gull – in among the masses of Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed gulls. Other highlights were Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Western Swamphen, Ruddy Shelduck (although it may have been a hybrid), Whiskered and Little Tern, Purple and Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Little Bittern, Kentish Plover, Crested Lark, Fan-tailed Warbler, European Bee-eaters (close), Hoopoe, Iberian Magpie and even a Common Sandpiper. I think I saw a Spoonbill flying past but I was too busy looking at something else to verify it.

Some of the hundreds of gulls at the Lagoa. Most were yellow-legged but there were other species among them.

 

That was pretty much it, bird-wise. But I’ll finish with a couple of shots taken at the hotel – and a list of birds seen.



 

	Species		Location		Date
1	Gadwall - Anas strepera		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
2	Eurasian Wigeon - Anas penelope		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
3	Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
4	Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
5	Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
6	Common Pochard - Aythya ferina		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
7	Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
8	Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
9	White Stork - Ciconia ciconia		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
10	Northern Gannet - Morus bassanus		Praia da Oura		25-Apr-16
11	Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
12	Little Bittern - Ixobrychus minutus		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
13	Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
14	Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
15	Little Egret - Egretta garzetta		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
16	Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
17	Western Swamphen - Porphyrio porphyrio		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
18	Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
19	Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
20	Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
21	Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
22	Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
23	Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
24	Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
25	Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
26	Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
27	Common Redshank - Tringa totanus		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
28	Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
29	Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
30	Sanderling - Calidris alba		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
31	Dunlin - Calidris alpina		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
32	Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
33	Audouin's Gull - Ichthyaetus audouinii		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
34	Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
35	Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus		Praia da Oura		26-Apr-16
36	Little Tern - Sternula albifrons		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
37	Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
38	Rock Dove - Columba livia		Praia da Oura		24-Apr-16
39	Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto		Faro Airport Salinas		21-Apr-16
40	Alpine Swift - Apus melba		Praia da Oura		24-Apr-16
41	Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops		Praia da Oura		23-Apr-16
42	European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
43	Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
44	Iberian Magpie - Cyanopica cooki		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
45	Common Magpie - Pica pica		Praia da Oura		24-Apr-16
46	Crested Lark - Galerida cristata		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
47	Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica		Praia da Oura - cliff paths & coombs near hotel		22-Apr-16
48	Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica		Praia da Oura - cliff paths & coombs near hotel		22-Apr-16
49	Common House-Martin - Delichon urbicum		Faro Airport Salinas		21-Apr-16
50	Great Tit - Parus major		Praia da Oura		23-Apr-16
51	Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
52	Reed-Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
53	Fan-tailed Warbler - Cisticola juncidis		Lagoa dos Salgados		26-Apr-16
54	Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala		Praia da Oura - cliff paths & coombs near hotel		22-Apr-16
55	Nightingale - Luscinia megarhynchos		Serra de Monchique - Fóia summit road		24-Apr-16
56	Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola		Serra de Monchique - Fóia summit road		24-Apr-16
57	Blackbird - Turdus merula		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
58	Spotless Starling - Sturnus unicolor		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
59	Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16
60	White Wagtail - Motacilla alba		Monchique		24-Apr-16
61	Rock Bunting - Emberiza cia		Serra de Monchique - Fóia summit road		24-Apr-16
62	Greenfinch - Chloris chloris		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
63	Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis		Faro Airport Salinas		21-Apr-16
64	Linnet - Carduelis cannabina		Praia da Oura		23-Apr-16
65	Serin - Serinus serinus		Praia da Oura		24-Apr-16
66	House Sparrow - Passer domesticus		Praia da Oura		22-Apr-16
67	Black-headed Weaver - Ploceus melanocephalus		Ria Formosa - Quinta do Lago		23-Apr-16

Trip Report PDF version

Ken Noble