A second visit to Portugal, once again staying at Casa Rosa in Moncarapacho, the perfect location to easily access all of the Algarve sites and further afield to the Alentejo region.  This trip saw many birds, butterflies and plants recorded using “Wild Orchids of the Algarve by S.Parker and “Wild Flowers of the Algarve” by C.Thorogood & S.Hiscock for the other flowers.  Highlights for each site below

Casa Rosa and Moncarapacho Area including the Donkey Track and Mte Sao Miguel
Short-toed Eagle, Bee-eater, European Jay, Iberian Magpie, Sardinian Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Red-rumped Swallow, Zitting Cisticola, Hoopoe
Small-flowered Tongue Orchid, Violet Limadore Orchid, Tongue Orchid
Tassel Hyacinth, Italian Arum, Large Quaking Grass
Long-tailed Blue, Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Clouded Yellow

Fonte Benemola – parked in the roadside carpark the majority of the orchids seen were on the walk along the track to the other carpark
Green Woodpecker, Greater & Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers, Bee-eater, European Jay, Iberian Magpie
Man, Naked Man, Mirror, Bee, Yellow Bee & Woodcock Orchids, Ophrys speculum lusitanica, Epipactis tremolsi
Spanish Festoon, Speckled Wood

Quinta do Lago
Hoopoe, Western Swamphen, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Little Bittern, Red Crested Pochard, Little Crake, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Kentish Plover, White Stork, Wryneck and Turtle Dove, Little Stint, Little Tern
Pyramidal Orchid, Tuberaria major, Cistanche

Vilamoura
Nightingale, Quail, Purple Heron, Black-headed Weaver, Little Grebe
Spanish Brown Argus butterfly
Green-eyed Hawker Dragonfly

Foia & Monchique
Rock Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush, Dartford Warbler, Stonechat, Red-rumped Swallow
Dense flowered Orchid, Champagne Orchid
Wall, Scarce Swallowtail, Lorquin’s Blue Butterflies

Carrapateira & Cabo de Sao Vicente
Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Black Redstart, Chough, Bee-eater
Snapdragon, Common Broomrape, Orobanche, Bellardia trixago
Small Copper, Painted Lady Butterfly

Lagoa do Salgados
Marsh Harrier, Green Sandpiper, Cattle Egret, Ring-necked Duck, Stone Curlew, Wood Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis,  Spoonbill, Zitting Cisticola, Audoin’s Gull, Sandwich Tern, Marsh Harrier

Barranco Velho
Green Lavender, Spanish Lavender, Heart-flowered Tongue Orchid. 

Alentejo region on a guided trip with ‘Algarve Birders’ Peter Dedicoat & June Taylor
Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Little Owl, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Calandra Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Roller, Thekkla Lark, Crested Lark, Collared Pratincole, Cinerous Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Kestrel, Iberian Grey Shrikes, Black Kite, Black-eared Wheatear, Gull-billed Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Golden Oriole, Crag Martin, Tawny Pipit

A fantastic week once again with 141 species of birds, 18 butterflies and 17 different Orchid.  The third visit will not take 7 years to come around !