Arrived half an hour late due to the skies being too full of aircraft [worrying isn’t it] thus resulting in a queue on the runway at                   Birmingham Airport. Still recovering from the shock of a chicken/mayo sandwich on the flight which cost £4.75!                                                          I wouldn’t have minded so much if you could have found the chicken!

Once you know the way to Casa Rosa you wonder how you ever went wrong in the first place [but we did!] – so thirty minutes and there we     were with the Hoopoes in their usual place on the terrace, Spotless Starlings on one of the pylons and a group                                                         of AZW’s [easier than Azure Winged Magpies!]

Azure-winger Magpie

Hanny and Roger were their usual fantastic, laid back selves. We weren’t happy with the car [I think that was what it was pretending to be!]        but by late afternoon they had got that changed for us. It’s great to know that someone makes sure your holiday is as worry free as possible!

Roger has installed a birdbath and this was being used by Collared Doves [cages of these are on sale at the markets!], House Sparrows,          a male Blackcap and, best of all, a very smart Olivaceous Warbler. First summer Pied Flycatchers and Willow Warblers in abundance along with the obligatory Crested Larks, Green and Goldfinches, Sardinian Warbler, Blackbirds [all scared stiff and off at fifty metres],                      three fly-over Buzzards and a Cattle Egret. Little Owls were calling as always.

Black-tailed Godwit

Thursday 5^th October

After a non-fattening continental breakfast of chocolate croissants I walked the Donkey Track noting forty fly-past House Martins heading SW, scared Blackbirds and a Jay. Next we visited the market at Fuzeta and then moved on to the ‘tourist’ beach – empty at this time of year            but still around 80 degrees. The selection of waders here was fantastic. Ringed, Grey and Kentish Plover, Red and Greenshank, Turnstone,    Sanderling, Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Curlew, Black and Bar Tailed Godwit, Little Egret, Sandwich Tern, 20 plus White Storks up on the thermals, Yellow legged, Black headed, Lesser black backed with one Great black backed Gull. House Sparrows nesting, a Northern    Wheatear and, of course, Crested Larks. The nearby saltpans had work going on but there were Mallard, Greater Flamingos, Black Winged Stilts, Avocets, lots of juvenile Little Grebe, plenty of the small waders, Common Sandpiper and Cormorants over. Also around were    Stonechats [everywhere], Melodious and Sardinian Warblers, Southern grey shrike and a Tawny Pipit which did not linger but in true              pipit style flew to the other side of the pans when disturbed! On the way back at the Fuzeta crossroads we spotted a female Blue Rock       Thrush on the wires. A male was across the road on some waste ground with half a dozen Northern Wheatears, Pied Flycatchers,        Stonechats and lots of House Sparrows. [There are plenty of sparrows everywhere – unlike home]. Back at Casa Rosa Red-rumped      Swallows flew over and a pair of Great Tits seen.

Corn Bunting

Friday 6^th October

Castro Marim was the destination. A lot of work was going on and there were even new notice boards. [none before!] Corn Buntings were numerous and with them was a single Rock Sparrow. Having survived the dust storms, created by the lorries, we parked and walked up the small hill. There were distant views of an Osprey eating a large fish in a dead tree with a Kestrel sat nearby. Marsh Harriers were far away         in the haze. The nearest pans held good numbers of Little Stints, juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, Avocets and the usual Dunlin, plovers etc. Sandwich Terns were fishing and 2 Caspian Tern flew by. Walking round produced Ruff and several Spotted Redshanks. On the far side           of the castle we added Spoonbill and Kingfisher, but again there was a lot of work going on. It’s never very exciting here – interesting and a banker for some birds – but not as good as some old reports suggest. Subjective opinion of course! A flock of 10+ Serins back at Casa Rosa.

Glossy Ibis

Saturday 7^th

Only a visit to the reserve at Olhao today. Waxbills, Little Egrets, Gadwall, Shoveller, Mallards, Moorhens, Purple Gallinule [very reliable here], Coot, Black Winged Stilt, juvenile Spoonbill and a Med Gull. A Robin on the way in! The first one we have seen in Portugal.                                The reserve was an hour late opening – times are not written in stone!

Little Egret

Monday 9^th

Pera Marshes. This takes an hour or so and is worth the visit although the water levels were very high and so there were very few muddy margins. The level would soon be dropped according to a local birder who also pointed out that yet more of the marsh was to be filled in.       Over 500 Greater Flamingos [lots of juveniles], large numbers of Little and Cattle Egrets, the latter with the cattle mainly, 100+ Little Grebes!      A few Black necked Grebes. The usual Gulls, Spoonbill, Red and Greenshank. Many Grey Herons and Black winged Stilts. A female Garganey, masses of Shoveller,Teal, Pochard and Gadwall. A single Little Tern fished and a Marsh Harrier circled and landed on the opposite side – which is where all the birds were! We walked out to the dunes seeing Yellow Wagtail, Willow and Fan tailed Warblers, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Stonechat and House sparrows. At sea were Gannets, a flock of 5 Common Scoter and some unidentified Shearwaters.                    A single Purple Gallinule appeared as we were leaving. We should have seen more but the water levels precluded this.                                         A good spot for a days birding.

Pied Flycatcher

Tuesday 10^th

Quinta da Lago – Britain abroad, the land of eternal greenness and unlimited water! Oh, and very expensive! I had a close encounter with a wayward golf ball while looking at Turnstone feeding less than a metre away! Bar tailed Godwit and Whimbrel in the estuary. Huge gull roost but difficult to pick anything different out – mainly Lesser-black backs. The pool had juvenile Glossy Ibis, Common Snipe, 2 different Little Bittern in flight, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck two pairs of Red crested Pochard and several Purple Gallinule. There were dozens of AZW’s flying over. A bright yellow bird caught our attention looking for all the world like a Black headed Bunting [which would have been way off range]. I think this was the Masked Weaver, an escape [or released] which has been breeding in this area for some time. It was a stunning little thing.     Walking on towards Ludo farm produced nothing new except Spotless Starlings and far off Wigeon with Cettis warbler singing. The heat haze by now was up to summer standards. Lots of ‘ordinary’ birds as well.

Quinta da Lago

Wednesday 11th

Travelled via Castro Marim to the Alentejo region. At the bridge into the region Crag and House Martins as usual. At Mertola Jackdaws, Spotless Starlings, ‘Rock’ Doves, Grey Wagtail and at least three Rock Buntings. Masses of Stonechats, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Corn Buntings, a few Carrion Crows [quite uncommon], two positively identified Thekla Larks, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Red-legged Partridge,       Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Kestrel, Goldfinch, Northern Wheatear, Pied Fly, Moorhen and the highlight – an adult Golden Eagle giving good views.

Red Crested Pochard

Thursday 12^th

We returned to Quinta da Lago to try and catch Bluethroats as three had been seen the day before. Needless to say we did not see any!            A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew by and later a Goldcrest. The usual good array of birds on show.

Friday 13^th

Taveira saltpans. Quite hard to find down a track past the rubbish heaps! You can walk a long way on the raised banks but ---- the birds           can see you coming and they do not hang about. Of note were Spanish Sparrow, Black Redstart and Caspian Terns. Strolling round Olhao         in the afternoon we noticed a decidedly tame Greylag Goose in the harbour. It knew where its fresh drinking water was! [provided in a container on a raft between boats]. A fly-over Barn Owl while having dinner on the terrace at Casa Rosa  tonight.

Sunday 15^th

Monchique and Mount Foia. Unfortunately as we arrived the mist descended and Portugal vanished! It lifted briefly showing a few Rock     buntings and we heard a Green Woodpecker. Back to Casa Rosa to find solace in wine!

StoneChat

Monday 16^th

The Alentejo again – leaving in the rain. It stopped halfway but the weather was cool, windy and generally miserable. On a small pool we found Green Sandpiper and lots of Rock Buntings. At the lake opposite Pole 18 there were over 40 Stone Curlews, a juvenile Ruff which never stopped feeding [migrant?] and 4 Green Sandpipers. The Stone Curlews were, unfortunately, dispersed by cattle driven through them. On the LPN reserve track by the trees there were 8 Great Bustards with a couple of Ravens over. Quite a few Calandra Larks but by now it was    blowing a gale. We had another glimpse of a Golden Eagle and good views of an adult female Hen Harrier hunting.

Black-winged Stilt

Tuesday 17^th

Last full day featured a visit to the Olhao part of the Ria Formosa reserve again. Over 500 Black-tailed Godwits were at rest with a few Spoonbills and Caspian Terns plus the commoner waders. A ringed Red Kite was on the pathway and was incredibly tame. It allowed an approach within a few metres as it was feeding on grasshoppers etc.

Another great trip, weather variable in the second week. Over 120 species seen. Good company, lovely hosts and some fantastic meals!        Roll on April!