The fifth time we have visited Casa Rosa and the excellent birding in a wonderful location.

The usual run, in the Chrysler ‘mini-pod’, to pick up liquid refreshments [and some food] included a quick look at the Olhao saltpans. They had been tidied up a little since our last visit with the rubbish no longer attacking you but lurking discreetly. The waders were distant but varied, with Sanderling, Ringed and Kentish Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Turnstone, Dunlin, Avocet, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Little and Cattle Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Sandwich Tern, Black-headed and Yellow-legged Gulls plus Northern Wheatear, Stonechat, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Zitting Cisticola, and the dreaded feral Pigeons! Also seen were Red Darters, Emperor Dragonfly, Clouded Yellows and Geranium Bronze – a butterfly now extremely common here.

At Casa Rosa I took a walk down the donkey track finding, to my surprise, a Common Whitethroat and then a first winter Subalpine Warbler. After a long wait beside a dense bush at the far end a first winter Orphean Warbler finally revealed itself. Also present were a female Blackcap, Willow Warblers, Garden Warbler, Sardinian Warblers, Great Tit, Serin, Hoopoe, Azure-winged Magpie, Blackbird – mainly males and as scared as ever! Collared Doves always and clouds of House Sparrows – if only at home! As usual Little Owls call constantly to each other across the valley.

A dozen exquisitely cooked sardines for dinner under the stars and a star guest at the table – a Preying Mantis!

To keep the report shorter I’ll only mention the new birds. To the Alentejo we must go! There was evidence of more fires as we made our way up via Castro Marim but it is fascinating to see how quickly regeneration takes place. We picked up 2 Black Storks, high, heading to the coast. At the bridge on the border were Blue-rock Thrush, White and Grey Wagtails, House Martin and Chiffchaff. At Mertola, in the gorge, were Spotless Starling, pretend Rock Doves, Jackdaws and the first Blue Tits we have seen in the five visits! Coming out of Mertola we had a lifer; sat on the wires was a Black-winged Kite and as we were watching it, [from a distance because as is usual there was nowhere to park and standing in a road in Portugal is the surest way to a short holiday!]; a Short-toed Eagle soared into view. A good start but the main part of the day was spent seeing very little, Grey Heron, Mallard, Moorhen, Raven, more Carrion Crows than before, plenty of Southern Grey Shrikes, identifiable Thekla Larks, and Red-rumped Swallows. At the pool at Post 18 were Stone Curlew and a distant Gull-billed Tern. Northern Wheatears were everywhere as were Red-legged Partridge. All pleasing birds but you want more! Late afternoon was better! Firstly my wife spotted a huge raptor – the flying box! A Black Vulture circled over us and was then joined from nowhere by 7 Griffon Vultures. They drifted away north leaving us with Corn Buntings, Wheatears and 2 Melodious Warblers using the fence wires to hunt insects from. Then a Lesser Kestrel had a go at the House Martins and obligingly landed in scope range. A Little Ringed Plover on a tiny pool finished a good day.

An early morning walk at Casa Rosa produced first winter Pied Flycatchers, Chiffchaff, Common Redstart and 2 very smart Meadow Pipits. Hot and sunny again.

Grey; low cloud and much cooler! We visited the Castro Marim reserve on the Spanish border. Marsh Harriers were soon spotted and a distant Osprey along with several White Storks. At the salt works it was much better. Slender-billed Gulls in large numbers [60+] showing off their beautiful pink edges really well. Also the largest number of Spoonbills we have seen, over 100. In the pool on the inner track were a lot of well-hidden waders – Common Snipe, Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Lapwing and Little Stint. In the field with the cattle were Yellow Wagtails [adult and juvenile] in, on, and under but never stood on, and Short-toed Lark. A couple of German cyclists were interested in our activities but the conversation became a little surreal with the ‘storks bring babies’ line! Even weirder when some blokes mistook our car [ which was much smaller] for theirs and tried to squeeze in! Soon ejected by my wife!!

Variable weather, showers and still cool [relatively]. We stayed local today visiting Fuzeta, the Ria Formosa reserve in Olhao, and Pinheiro. A large pack of 15+ dogs, all different, did raise my heart rate but fortunately there was water between us! Mind you some of them were only bite sized! Common Sandpipers are common! Pinheiro had a flock of Knot, some with the remains of breeding plumage. We picked up Whinchat, Greenfinch – much more elusive than usual, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the reserve with all the expected waders at the other places but including a number of Spotted Redshanks.

It poured with rain all night and for the early part of the morning, not a sound we’ve heard much of in the Algarve! We drove to the Pera Marshes where, as expected, the water levels were very high. [a few days later it was emptied!] Black-necked Grebes were immediately obvious as were the dozens of Little Grebes. Common [mainly juvenile] and Black Terns cruised up and down. The highlight was a Purple Heron, which, wary as ever, broke cover in front of us and gave good flight views. We saw it again later. A single Teal was new as were a pair of Stock Doves. The heavy rain returned at 3 p.m. As usual it has been a frustrating experience trying to get close enough to the birds for decent photos.

Torrential rain and thunderstorms all night which continued until 11 a.m. The sky was full of both sheet and forked lightning at the same time – quite spectacular. In a moment of madness we decided to go to Cape St Vincent. It didn’t rain all the way there [one and a half hours] but the heavens opened as we pulled up! It then chucked it down for another hour; even the stall holders gave up, before giving way to an interval of clear blue skies. The fishermen carried on regardless, teetering on the brink, throwing brightly coloured unwanted fish either over their shoulders on to the rocks or hundreds of feet down into the Atlantic. Flying fish?! There were masses of Cory’s Shearwaters on the water and flying, plenty of mainly juvenile Gannets and then, a really good find, a lone Mediterranean Shearwater flew east, close in, giving good ‘scope views. My wife picked up groups of Common Scoters and eventually about 50 got together. A lone Chough was spotted and there were plenty of real Rock Doves; at the fort there were Black Redstarts, Blue Rock Thrush and Linnets. Huge flocks of House Sparrows on a side road – hundreds – a fantastic sight – just like I remember in Cornwall in the stubble fields in the 60’s! It rained all the way back!

Biggest rack of spare-ribs for dinner I’ve ever seen – off a dinosaur – but delicious!

Fine again with heavy cloud banked over the hills and heavy condensation, Hoopoes calling as usual. The Taveira saltpans provided good numbers of Avocets and all the usual waders plus a Skylark. We drove out to the beach with its hotel, but no people around, and had a really pleasant quiet time in the sun. A variety of terns and gulls kept me awake and a completely grey Little Egret made me think! Eurasian Magpies on the drift line made a change from the Azure-winged.

Later at the saltpans, just past the railway at Pedras del Rei we found over 50 Audoins Gulls lazing on the banks – smart looking birds. I’ve only ever seen them in ones and twos before. On the way back I walked out to the marsh by the railway line and found 2 Bluethroats – distant as usual. I don’t think we ever have a day without seeing at least one Hoopoe. Delicate Sea Bass for dinner.

As everyone raves about the Coto Donana we thought we’d give it a go. About 2 hours driving, nothing on the road until past Huelva, but it seemed longer in the ‘pod’. Trouble is you don’t really know where to go except the main reserves so the moral is: stay in the area for a few days or book a guide! El Rocio is great, a real wild-west town with only dirt roads – but lots of building going on. The ‘pod’ just about coped but as there are no road markings at all and masses of crossroads the nerves can suffer! The lagoon at the village was the highlight with scores of Flamingos and Glossy Ibis, Black and Little Terns, Squacco Herons, Grey Herons, Spoonbills, White Storks [dozens up on the thermals], Egrets and hundreds of Coot, Gadwall and Shoveller. Little Grebes absolutely everywhere. Marsh Harriers were constantly over and a Black Kite. There were also plenty of Red-rumped Swallows. Horses grazed in the marsh and the air was full of the sounds of the birds – a lovely place. A Song Thrush in the town was the only one of the fortnight. We visited the two main reserves, Senderos Charco de la Boca and Senderos del Acebuche but there were few birds: Acebuche was completely dried out. At Boca we had Marsh Harriers, Cettis, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Tree Sparrow and a pair of Dartford Warblers. A long hot walk produced ------ a lizard! At the second – Acebuche - nothing. You could see how fantastic it could be if the water was there. A long drive back straight into the setting sun. Obviously a place to visit in the future, at the right time! Hanny delayed dinner for us – it’s great when someone else is doing the cooking and all we have to think about is which bottle! Hot garlic prawns!

Quinta do Lago again ; the weather had now become very hot. Little Bitterns were obvious this time, constantly flying over the reed tops and – disappearing! Common Waxbills gave fleeting glimpses and everything else was as usual except for 2 Booted Eagles over. Two small warblers from the hide were just going to be dismissed as ‘Zits’ when I noticed their eye stripes, bold and white, Moustached Warblers that gave pleasing but all too brief views. Relaxation followed but I had time to find a Spotted Flycatcher at the end of the donkey track and a Garden Warbler in the --- garden! Sea Bream – brilliant!

We decided to have a leisurely drive up into the hills north and east of Sao Bras de Alportel – the easiest town in the Algarve not to find your way out of in our case! [on several visits!] Great views to be had from the hairpin lay-bys but little bird life. There are many dead cork oaks from past year’s fires. Stopping for lunch by a small stand of mixed evergreen and deciduous trees we had a really good few minutes. A treetop dot turned into a Firecrest; immediately a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew out and then 4 Crested Tits bounced into view followed by Great, Blue and an Iberian type Long-tailed Tit. A Pied Fly, Robin, Jay, Nuthatch and male Chaffinch completed the assortment [the only one seen in the fortnight]. On the way back it seemed some local House Martins must have got caught up briefly with a migrating flock because suddenly there were hundreds, including 3 Swifts. Just as quickly there were just 20 or 30 again. A circuit of the orchard behind Casa Rosa revealed a movement in the centre of an old olive tree – at last a Portuguese Short-toed Treecreeper – I’m the only one who never sees one! Sitting by the pool later, beer in hand as usual, my wife called "Kite" and a Black Kite rose up over us enabling a few quick shots – camera to hand for once!

Local market in the morning – even I enjoy the ‘shopping’ experience here though I couldn’t face a spit-roasted chicken and bottle of red at 9.30 am! Perhaps the red --?!

Later the Ria Formosa reserve was at its best – hundreds of Bar and Black-tailed Godwits, a good few Knot; thirteen species of wader in all. An Osprey passed up the estuary and Med Gulls came to bathe. A large flock of mixed Sparrows, mainly House but quite a few Spanish, bustled around. Two Caspian Terns were in with the waders as were several Sandwich. A Common Redstart was briefly near the entrance.

Another trip to the Alentejo. Little on the way up except Crag Martin. On the Bustard Reserve there were Calandra Larks and a pristine Tawny Pipit. Plenty of Buzzards, Kestrels and a Black Kite. In the afternoon we finally found Great Bustards near Sao Jerra, just off the main road. 4 flew over and landed reasonably near, then more were spotted marching along the horizon and then still more in a dip – at least 40 altogether. Good ‘scope views but never near. A Little Owl glared at me from its rock and Corn Buntings were plentiful. On the way back a Hobby crossed in front of the car and we had good views of a Fallow deer stag – before it thought the camera was too dangerous! Then, at a necessary stop, a tailless Coal Tit! Finally, late on, at a small pool I either disturbed, or they saw me first, a flock of Sand Grouse, probably black-bellied. Unmistakeable calls, fantastic to hear, and a really clear silhouette view – if only ---! We waited but they didn’t come back. [there was shooting everywhere the previous week, apparently, when there was a national holiday]. A pretty good day.

Relaxation and chill-out after a lot of birding! Except, that is, for the flock of Waxbills that were flitting round the garden hedges.

Not chill out on the flight back when it took them 20 minutes to get the rear door of the plane shut! ‘ It seems okay now’!!!

160 species on the trip if you count the 4 in Spain – miles better than anything I’ve had before – sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time – but often not, so it all balances out. We had a really good [birding] holiday! A very patient wife methinks, though she is an excellent birder!

Graham and Judith Watson

October 2007