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Casa Rosa Birdwatching Holiday

BIRD REPORT

22ND TO 29TH APRIL 2009

BY

PAUL AND LESLEY LANGSTON

Introduction
From our base at Casa Rosa we visited four main sites, two in the Ria Formosa (Quinta do Marim and Ludo Farm) and two further afield (Castro Marim and Alentejo).

Quinta do Marim
This site is less than 10km from Casa Rosa and is also known as the Environmental Education Centre of Marim. It lies just to the east of Ohlao. From Casa Rosa take the road towards Ohlao and either drive onto the new road (the faster route) or continue through Quelfes (the more scenic). Where the new road  reaches the roundabout onto the N125 (main coast road) turn right and the road to the reserve is signposted about 400m along on the left. The old road from Quelfes emerges opposite this turning. The reserve is over the railway on the left. Park in front of the barrier and obtain your ticket from the reception, which will raise the barrier once you have paid. The adult entrance fee is €2.50.
The receptionist will give you a site map in English and the route marked on it by letters is well worth following. If possible visit when the tide is high otherwise the saltmarsh area can be of little interest. Our star birds were two Spice Finches in the pinewood, presumably introduced or escapees, a flock of about twenty Red Knot in full summer plumage and a Night Heron on the freshwater pond.

Castro Marim
From Casa Rosa go to junction 15 on the motorway and head east towards Spain. After about half an hour take the turnoff to Castro Marim. The reserve is well signposted from this point in contrast to other reserves.
The reserve is free and like Quinta do Marim has a rather soulless visitor centre.  There is virtually no shade on the reserve so best on a day that is not too hot. There is a small hill near the visitor centre from which the saltpans and saltmarsh can be viewed and it is also worth walking to the bridge that takes the motorway over the River Gaudiana into Spain.

Ludo Farm
Drive as though going to Faro Airport and at the roundabout just before the terminal turn right following the brown signs for Praia de Faro. When the road emerges alongside the saltmarsh, park the car on the roadside and walk though the gate on the right, ignoring the out-of-date no entry sign on it.
The straight path has saltmarsh on the left and a mix of marsh, saltpans and woodland on the right. Continue as far as the golf course (about 2.5kms) then take the path back to the golf course pond. It is here that we found most of our star birds of the site - Little Bittern, Purple Gallinule, Hoopoe and Black-headed Weaver (an introduced species). Our other stars were a Curlew Sandpiper in the full brick red of its summer plumage and a Common Waxbill nesting in a small pine tree along the path back to the car.

Alentejo
The area in Alentejo between Mortella and Castro Verde is very large and best explored with a bird guide who knows the birds and where to find them. One such is Georg Schreier, who speaks excellent English and can be contacted by email at info@birdwatching-algarve.com. We went with him and had one of the best days of our birdwatching career. Our star birds are too numerous to list here but a flavour will be obtained from the full list of birds given at the conclusion of this report.

Casa Rosa
It is also worth exploring on foot around Casa Rosa itself, especially along the donkey track towards Moncarapacho. We saw several migrating birds there, which we found nowhere else. In the grounds are Azure-winged Magpie, Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike and the occasional Bee-eater. At night we were treated to the bizarre voice of the Red-necked Nightjar and a Barn Owl and Little Owl live nearby.
We greatly enjoyed our breakfasts and evening meals on the terrace and found our hosts Jan and Kjersti most friendly and helpful.

Full list of birds by main site

Bird

CR

QM

CM

LF

A

Avocet (also seen at Fuseta saltpans)

 

 

Y

Y

 

Bee-eater

Y

Y

Y

 

Y

Bittern Little

 

 

 

Y

 

Blackbird

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Bunting Corn

Y

 

Y

 

Y

Bustard Great

 

 

 

 

Y

Bustard Little

 

 

Y

 

Y

Buzzard Common

Y

 

 

 

Y

Chiffchaff

Y

 

 

 

 

Coot

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Cormorant

 

 

 

Y

 

Crow Carrion

 

 

 

 

Y

Cuckoo Common

Y

Y

 

 

 

Curlew

 

 

 

Y

 

Curlew Stone

 

 

 

 

Y

Dove Collared

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Dove Rock (seen at the Fuseta saltpans)

 

 

 

 

 

Dunlin

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Eagle Booted

 

 

 

 

Y

Eagle Spanish Imperial

 

 

 

 

Y

Egret Cattle

 

 

Y

 

Y

Egret Little

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Finch Spice (also known as Scaly-breasted Munia  and
Nutmeg Mannikin)

 

Y

 

 

 

Flycatcher Pied

Y

 

 

 

 

Gadwall

 

Y

 

Y

 

Gallinule Purple

 

 

 

Y

 

Godwit Bar-tailed

 

 

 

Y

 

Goldfinch

 

Y

 

Y

Y

Grebe Great-crested

 

 

 

Y

 

Grebe Little

 

Y

 

Y

 

Greenfinch

 

Y

 

 

 

Greenshank

 

 

Y

Y

 

Gull Lesser Black-backed

 

 

Y

 

 

Gull Yellow-legged

 

Y

 

Y

 

Harrier Marsh

 

 

Y

 

Y

Harrier Montague's

 

 

 

 

Y

Heron Grey

 

 

Y

Y

Y

Heron Night

 

Y

 

 

 

Hoopoe

Y

Y

 

Y

Y

Jackdaw

 

 

 

 

Y

Jay

Y

 

 

 

 

Kestrel Common

 

 

 

 

Y

Kestrel Lesser

 

 

 

 

Y

Kite Black

 

 

 

 

Y

Kite Black-shouldered

 

 

 

 

Y

Knot Red

 

Y

 

 

 

Lark Calandra

 

 

 

 

Y

Lark Crested

 

Y

Y

Y

Y

Lark Lesser Short-toed

 

 

Y

 

 

Lark Short-toed

 

 

 

 

Y

Lark Thekla

 

 

Y

 

Y

Lark Wood (heard only)

 

 

 

 

Y

Linnet

 

 

Y

 

 

Magpie Azure-winged

Y

Y

 

Y

Y

Bird

CR

QM

CM

LF

A

Magpie Common

 

Y

 

 

Y

Mallard

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Martin Crag

 

 

 

 

Y

Martin House

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Moorhen

 

Y

 

Y

 

Nightingale (heard only)

 

 

 

 

Y

Nightjar Red-necked (heard only)

Y

 

 

 

 

Oriole Golden

Y

Y

 

 

Y

Owl Barn

Y

 

 

 

 

Owl Little

Y

 

Y

 

Y

Partridge Red-legged

 

 

Y

 

Y

Pigeon Feral

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Pipit Tawny

 

 

 

 

Y

Plover Grey

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Plover Kentish

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Plover Little Ringed

 

 

Y

 

 

Plover Ringed

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Pochard

 

 

 

Y

 

Pochard Red-crested

 

 

 

Y

 

Pratincole Collared

 

 

 

 

Y

Raven

 

 

 

 

Y

Redshank

 

Y

 

Y

 

Roller European

 

 

 

 

Y

Sanderling

 

Y

 

 

 

Sandpiper Common

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Sandpiper Curlew

 

Y

 

Y

 

Sandpiper Green

 

Y

 

 

 

Serin (seen at Pedras del Rey)

 

 

 

 

 

Shoveler

 

Y

 

Y

 

Shrike Southern Great Grey

 

 

 

 

Y

Shrike Woodchat

Y

Y

 

Y

Y

Sparrow House

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Sparrow Spanish

 

 

 

 

Y

Spoonbill

 

 

 

Y

 

Starling Spotless

 

 

Y

 

Y

Stilt Black-winged (also seen at Fuseta saltpans)

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Stint Little

 

Y

 

Y

 

Stonechat

 

 

 

Y

Y

Stork White

 

Y

Y

Y

Y

Swallow Barn

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Swallow Red-rumped

 

 

 

Y

Y

Swift Alpine

 

 

 

 

Y

Swift Common

 

Y

Y

 

Y

Swift Pallid

 

 

 

 

Y

Tern Little

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Tern Sandwich (seen at Fuseta)

 

 

 

 

 

Thrush Blue Rock

 

 

 

 

Y

Thrush Mistle

 

 

 

Y

 

Tit Great

Y

 

 

 

 

Turnstone

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Vulture Black

 

 

 

 

Y

Vulture Griffon

 

 

 

 

Y

Wagtail Grey-headed Yellow

 

Y

Y

Y

 

Warbler Cetti's

 

Y

 

Y

 

Warbler Fan-tailed (also known as Zitting Cisticola)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Warbler Melodious

 

Y

 

 

 

Warbler Reed

 

 

Y

 

 

Bird

CR

QM

CM

LF

A

Warbler Sardinian

Y

Y

Y

Y

 

Warbler Spectacled

Y

 

 

 

 

Warbler Willow

Y

 

 

 

 

Waxbill Common (first seen at Pedras del Rey)

 

 

 

Y

 

Weaver Black-headed

 

 

 

Y

 

Wheatear Black-eared

 

 

 

 

Y

Wheatear Northern

 

 

Y

 

 

Whimbrel

 

Y

 

Y

 

Wren (heard only)

 

 

 

 

Y

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Bird species seen at each site

25

48

41

53

58

Total Bird species: 120