Pedro´s Rookie Year

[Galana]

Nice shooting. Confirm left hand bird Hen Harrier.

The clear "ring collar " on the right hand Ringtail is very good for a Pallid (and I did see one in Andalucia myself last month so......)

Did anybody suggest a Montagu's Harrier to you?

A pair of them would also make sense.

[pedro maia]

35 minutes ago, Galana said:

Nice shooting. Confirm left hand bird Hen Harrier.

The clear "ring collar " on the right hand Ringtail is very good for a Pallid (and I did see one in Andalucia myself last month so......)

Did anybody suggest a Montagu's Harrier to you?

A pair of them would also make sense.

 

No, everybody went for the palid harrier, a juvenile one.

[Galana]

OK!

[pedro maia]

#88, 13/4, Crested Lark, Monte de Pancas Area

 

#89, 15/4, Sandwich Tern, Praia da Cruz Quebrada

 

 

[pedro maia]

#90, 19/4, Common Cuckoo, Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira

 

 

 

#91, 19/4, Purple Heron, Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

Good to see the cuckoos coming north. A lot crossed the Mediterranean  in the last few days.

I see you caught yours just as it decided to leave. Nice photos.

[Peter Connan]

Nice shots of the Cuckoo Pedro!

[pedro maia]

#92, 20/4, Common House Martin, Salvaterra de Magos

 

They are really fast so I struggled to get them on flight, and I couldn´t help thinking of songs like "Build", and "Caravan of Love" .

 

 

 

The afternoon was a total blank for my counting. we went back to Paul do Boquílobo, after the last weeks rains it was really beautiful, lush green, there were scores of storks, ibis, some herons, egrets, ducks and coots, while strolling we constantly heard lots of birds in the trees but just couldn´t see them and the few I saw didn´t get to picture, so I got back empty handed with only a couple of pictures of this fellow:

 

 

[Galana]

Well a nice view of a snake is fair compensation for a birdless day out.

[TonyQ]

Lovely photos of the cuckoo!

[michael-ibk]

Agree, I hardly ever see one in Austria, let alone get a photo like that. But at least I heard my first on of tge year today. 

[pedro maia]

The cuckoo was feeding on a pole on the right side of the road, I interrupted his meal and I also think a small bird stole it, in that moment I took a couple of very lousy pictures, then it came to the poles on my side of the road and I kept approaching, taking pictures and he kept jumping for another pole, and that went on for 3 or 4 times, so I had plenty of time to improve the pictures, it was quite a nice sighting.

[pedro maia]

#93, 21/4, Mistle Thrush, Oitavos - Cascais

 

 

[Dave Williams]

What sort of snake was it?

[pedro maia]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

What sort of snake was it?

 

Dave, I´m struggling to ID birds and now you ask what sort of snake it was...

 

I checked and there seem to be 5 different kinds of snakes in that place, with the help of google I would say it´s a ladder snake but I wouldn´t trust me on this one...

[Galana]

32 minutes ago, pedro maia said:

it´s a ladder snake but I wouldn´t trust me on this one..

Always trust your instincts and eyes!

I agree with your ID.

[Dave Williams]

2 hours ago, pedro maia said:

 

Dave, I´m struggling to ID birds and now you ask what sort of snake it was...

 

I checked and there seem to be 5 different kinds of snakes in that place, with the help of google I would say it´s a ladder snake but I wouldn´t trust me on this one...

 

5 snakes to learn....how many birds? The odds say concentrate on the snake ID's  first especially if they are venomous!!!! Must admit I'm fascinated by snakes and love seeing them...at distance!

 

[pedro maia]

@Dave Williams I like snakes but we don´t see many here and I think most of them aren´t venomous.

[pedro maia]

Today (holiday here) I dropped my wife and daughter at the airport at 6:00 am and went to the Lezíria and there visited the EVOA (https://evoa.pt/en/home) for the first time, definitely worth it as it was to be in the Lezíria nearly at sun rise (incredible to see 7 black-winged kite together), pity the weather wasn´t great, might make a TR at my Portuguese Hotspot thread if I have time for that.

 

Now some BY stuff:

 

#94, 25/4, Common Shelduck, Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira/EVOA

 

 

#95, 25/4, Greylag Goose, Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira/EVOA

 

#96, 25/4, Red-crested Pochard, Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira/EVOA

 

[pedro maia]

#97, 25/4, Eurasian Skylark, Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira/EVOA

Edited April 26, 2019 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

One of my favourite sightings so far so I´m going to post just a few more pictures.

 

It´s quite elusive an it isn´t easy to spot:

 

 

And it isn´t confortable in the open.

 

 

 

 

But still it posed nicely

 

#98, 25/4, Western Swamphen, Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira/EVOA

[Galana]

Nice one.

[TonyQ]

It looks like you are very close to having to change the title of you thread (according to post number one) 

[pedro maia]

14 minutes ago, TonyQ said:

It looks like you are very close to having to change the title of you thread (according to post number one) 

 

I know, but now I like it as it is .

[Galana]

I agree. 100 is very close.