Bird watching Algarve Portugal CASA ROSA  Villa Apartment Holidays

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Casa Rosa

Birding report for 17th-24th August 2006

By Tony Duckett.

Short-toed Eagle

This was going to be our third visit to Casa Rosa, it would also be our first visit in at the high of summer. It was to be a very relaxing holiday; serious birding was not on the agenda. I intended to spend the first hour and half after sunrise which being around 7.00am is over an hour later than the United Kingdom. I would then return for breakfast, and then if we felt energetic we would drive to the Rio Formosa and take a short walk before returning to the villa for lunch. The rest of the day we would lounge by the pool. The two previous visits were in spring when the temperature is more comfortable. When enquiring on how hot it gets in the Algarve, Roger said that it gets very hot, though there is always a breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean. We flew out at 6.30am with TAP (Air Portugal). The only problem we had was after being told to arrive three hours before take off checking didn’t open until two ours before. Clearly air companies can not afford to pay their staff overtime. That little gripe out of the way, opting for an early flight meant that there were know long queues at passport control. We would then have an entire first day in Portugal our home ward flight being at 6.25pm also allowed most of the last day to be in enjoyed by the pool.

We picked our hire car up that Roger had organized and then headed to the supermarket on the edge of Olhao to get some groceries and plenty of water. The temperature felt a lot hotter than the spring visits but not unpleasantly so. We then drove on to Casa Rosa, where we were warmly greeted by Hanny and Roger. I asked Roger if the Bee-eaters that had nested in the heap of soil next door, unfortunately the soil had been removed and the birds had moved a couple of miles away. The good news was that they still fed in the area. There had been a birder from Spain who leads bird tours of the Coto Donana staying the previous week who had managed to see 93 species of bird. Although I was here to bird, I do like a challenge; this target was something to aim for.

Red-rumped Swallows

As we relaxed by the pool for the afternoon I added a new species to my list of birds seen in the area around Casa Rosa in the shape of a Black Kite that soared overhead. I stayed by the pool until the temperature began to ease. This was then my queue to do a circuit along the donkey track that runs past the gate. Birds seen on this walk were resident species; Sardinian Warblers, Long-tailed Tit (a different race to the one in the UK), Kestrel, Woodchat Shrike, 4 Tree Sparrows, Red-rumped Swallow, 2 Crested Larks and Little Owls were being very vocal. As I walked along the sound of Bee-eaters, distant at first, soon I had a flock of around 60 birds above my head. We had our only home cooked meal (ham salad), the rest of the holiday we ate at the Bistro. As we ate there was the daily movement of Little Egrets flew up the valley to their night time roost. One of these turned out to be a Cattle Egret. Just before dark I went up behind the house in the hope of seeing Red-necked Nightjar, It was still I thought a little to light, then suddenly I could see a bird flying towards me. It made two quick circuits before moving on.

18th August: I waited for dawn, as the sun began to rise I made my way down to the Fuesta. salt pans. I turn off the 125 towards Fuesta, after crossing the railway I take the left turn, crossing a little stream I park just off the road on a dirt track. From here you can explore the pans on either side of the stream, the southern side being slightly more productive.

Stone Curlews at Fuseta Salt Pans

There are plenty of waders to see at close quarters as well as terns and passerines. In an hour I notched up: 30+ Stone Curlews, Black-winged Stilts, Avocets, Dunlins, Common Sandpipers, Little, Kentish and Ringed Plovers, Little Terns, Gulls Water Rail, Southern Great Grey Shrike, 2 Tawny Pipits, Spanish Yellow Wagtails, Nightingale, Sardinians, Zitting Zisticola, Waxbills. I then returned home for breakfast by the pool. Sally and I then headed off to Quinta de Marim a nice little reserve over looking the Rio Formosa. It is a shame that opening time is not until 9.30am but then we are on holiday. I seem to always see a new species for my reserve list; today it was 2 Melodious Warblers. There was also great views of a bat hawking insects along the path to the Portuguese Water Dogs, we sat on a bench and marvelled at its agility. If the tide is in then a good assortment of waders can be found on a saltpan. A hide overlooks this pool, offering good photographic opportunities and also relief from the sun. There is also a little café tucked away in the Stone Pines serving drinks at very reasonable prices. As we returned to the car a Cameleon walked across the track in front of us, another first. Then it was back to the villa for lunch and relaxtion. While we sat outside the bistro in the evening I observed at least 50 Azure-winged Magpies going to roost across the valley.

Azure-winged Magpie

The next mornings walk 19th , I walked south along the road near the villa, approaching the top of the first rise a Wryneck began to call, this was almost the exact spot I had seen a bird the previous spring. A family group of 5 Hoopoes a species I was hoping to photograph were very flighty, giving me no chance. A Woodchat Shrike was much more obliging sitting patiently while I tried to get into the best position for a couple of snaps. Later after a quick trip to the shops we took a drive up to the top of St Miguel, the mountain just north of the IP1. To reach it you have to drive back through Moncarapacho, as you leave the town look for a green palm tree sign on the left leading towards a flower nursery. The road is a little bumpy in one place but then opens out as you go over the IP1. On the way up there were signs of Bee-eater colony, as you proceed towards the top take the left fork on to a single track road that leads to the top. Here there are several radio mast and huts. There are some paths that allow you to walk around, the views are absolutely fantastic in all directions. Bird life was fairly quiet, but a large group of Bee-eaters numbering at least 80 birds circled overhead.

Blue Rock Thrush

Then a bird began to sing from the roof of a hut, out of site at first, before flying up on to a cable. A superb Blue Rock Thrush sat out in the open; it then flew off and joined a nearby female that I hadn’t seen. Looking to the north I spotted a distant Short-toed Eagle. This site could be a good place to observe raptors during the autumn passage. That evening back on the terrace of the Bistro, 76 Azure-winged Magpies, 2 Collared Pratincoles, 1 Cattle Egret and 17 Little Egrets were observed going to roost.

The next day 20th we went to a large Sunday market to the east of Tavira, It is held in a different town every week. This is not the way I would usually spend my time, though the variety of items, colours and smells of the food were well worth a change of routine. We left the market and headed to Vila Nova de Cacela, a small town with a church perched on the edge of a Cliff. Looking eastwards from here you can see the end of the Rio Formosa at Manta Rota. Walking the down slope to the waters edge, you come to the mouth of a small river. Here you will find a wide range of birds, waders, gulls and passerines. In the summer with the water low you are able to use stepping-stones to cross the river. Here the birds use the area as a drinking pool. I have seen a large flock of Serins, in the spring and now the summer. I also saw my only Olivaecous Warbler of the trip in bushes here. That afternoon back at the Casa Rosa the local birds were alarmed when a Eurasian Sparrowhawk dashed through.

The next morning I was up at the radio station before dawn in the hope of obtaining some photos as the sun rose. I was a little disappointed as there was a slight haze, which the sun soon burnt off. The temperature at that altitude and time of the day was very cool, so the warmth of the sun was needed. The Blue Rock Thrushes showed very well behind fencing protecting the masts. A large flock of Bee-eaters then began to gather overhead before drifting off. After breakfast we headed off to Quinta Largo, being alert for miss hit golf ball. The standard of some of the golfers is not very high. As we walked along the edge of the estuary there were plenty of common waders. We then veered inland towards the elevated hide and freshwater pool. Here two pairs of Purple Gallinule were having a dispute also present were 90 Little Grebes, Cettis Warblers, Spanish Yellow Wagtails as well as common duck species. Walking through the Stone Pines 2 Short-toed Treecreepers showed well along with 2 Hoopoes. We then followed this path out on to the saltpans where there was a flock of 150 Flamingos, Spoonbills, Avocets and B W Stilts. We only spent 3 hours here as the temperature was on the rise and a cool drink was needed.

Greater Flamingos Purple Gallinule

The following day was spent around the Casa Rosa. My early morning walk had produced 6 Golden Orioles and a Short-toed Treecreeper. After that it was a very lazy day by the pool with a nice lunch. A Short-toed Eagle then settled on top of a nearby pylon, a habit it adopted at this time of day for the remainder of our stay.

New additions to the holiday were harder to come by the Black Kite showed over the pool on our penultimate day.

Then on my last morning I went down to the Levramento fish farm just a couple of miles east of Fuzeta. There seemed to have been an arrival of Curlew Sandpipers (new addition) in their brick red summer plumage, also in the area Southern Grey Shrikes, Little Owls, Waxbills, Corn Buntings. Then on the way back for breakfast at the Fuzeta saltpans there was a Wood Sandpiper, Little Stints, Greenshanks and a large flock of Stone Curlews. The Water Rail was again in the small river channel, though very elusive.

During the remainder of our last day Casa Rosa 2 different Short-toed Eagles put in appearances.

On the drive back to the airport the last addition to the holiday was a Turtle Dove that flew across the road.