Pedro does it again, 2nd Year!!

[pedro maia]

And another Osprey, witha ring:

 

 

[Galana]

Nice. I have taken the liberty of reporting the rings. I am guessing hatched in Kielder Forest on Scottish borders but will advise when known.

[pedro maia]

31 minutes ago, Galana said:

Nice. I have taken the liberty of reporting the rings. I am guessing hatched in Kielder Forest on Scottish borders but will advise when known.

 

It´s ok but I did report it here:

 

https://www.roydennis.org/report-a-colour-ringed-osprey/

[Galana]

2 hours ago, pedro maia said:

 

It´s ok but I did report it here:

Good to know and thanks.

[pedro maia]

After many discussions in the local birding community (I´m just a spectator), it was established that the Western olivaceous warbler is a Reed warbler, so I edited the topic and my count is back to  #237.

[pedro maia]

Last Saturday I went back to the Alentejo with some friends, I had one main goal, well two, the second one beeing just to spend a nice day in a beutiful part of Portugal looking for birds.

 

We did have an auspicious start, right after getting out of the motorway close to the town of castro Verde we saw 3 Great bustards by the side of the road, I already have them in my BY but it´s always a nice sighting..

 

 

We followed the road heading to a hotspot already in the municipality of Mértola, where a raven draw our attention, we stopped the car and a bit distant were two Montagu´s harriers, one was hunting and this one was grooming its feathers:

 

[pedro maia]

It was when we were watching the harriers that one species I was missing this year showed up, I could only get a few EBC´s but a tick is a tick...

 

#238, Little bustard, 19/9, Álvares, Mértola

 

It was the first time I saw Little bustards in their prefered habitat, they can be seen close to Lisbon in the Lezíria, where I saw them a few times last year, but so far I wasn´t able to see them so this picture will have to do it.

Edited September 21, 2020 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

In the same spot we also saw a parade of 12 Griffons and 1 Cinerous vulture, they were quite high in the sky and moving, probably searching for carcasses.

 

 

It was time to head closer to Mértola, a beautiful little town in the right bank of the Guadiana river (this photo was taken in August):

 

 

We searched for birds of prey without success and went to have a light meal in Mértola.

 

 

After lunch we kept looking for birds without much success and finally went to another hotspot by the Guadiana river (cell phone photo):

 

 

This is one of the best places in Portugal to see big eagles, eagle-owls and black storks but we didn´t seem to be lucky until we were returning to where the car was parked to start the way back home and I saw a big bird high in the sky, I wasn´t able to ID it at first but my friend saw that it was what I was looking for, not one but two although I only took pictures of one of them.

Edited September 21, 2020 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

In the meantime I was told that the Little bustards are in fact Black-bellied sandgrouses, I already edited the count (tough day for my count today ).

 

We were watching two Little bustards and assumed that those flying birds were them but we were wrong, I have to keep looking for the bustards...

Edited September 21, 2020 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

#238, Golden eagle, 19/9, Corte Pequena, Mértola

 

 

 

I couldn´t get better pictures but I don´t complain, the Golden eagle was my main goal and it isn´t an easy one.

[Galana]

15 minutes ago, pedro maia said:

In the meantime I was told that the Little bustards are in fact Black-bellied sandgrouses, I already edited the count (tough day for my count today .

I feel your pain! Some days are like that but Montys and Gt. Bustards make up for it..

Shame about the Warbler. I did wonder at the time you posted.

[pedro maia]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

I feel your pain! Some days are like that but Montys and Gt. Bustards make up for it..

Shame about the Warbler. I did wonder at the time you posted.

 

When that happens please say something.

[pedro maia]

I need to move away from #238 which proved to be jinxed .

 

#239, Whinchat, 20/9, Lezíria Vila Franca de Xira

[pedro maia]

Another rarity

 

#240 (N54), White-winged tern, 20/9, EVOA

 

It was on the far side of the lagoon with a few Black terns, here with one:

 

 

Black terns came closer to the hide where I was:

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

And a nice duplicate when I left the hide, a bird that is notoriously difficult to photograph:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better than taking a photo of one Cetti´s warbler is to take a photo of two Cetti´s warblers:

 

[pedro maia]

No mistakes this time.

 

#241, Little bustard, 23/9, Lezíria Vila Franca de Xira

 

 

[Kitsafari]

nice shots of the BIFs. you finally nailed those bustards. 

[Galana]

5 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

nice shots of the BIFs. you finally nailed those bustards. 

I had to read this three times. (But you are right.)

[Kitsafari]

7 hours ago, Galana said:

I had to read this three times. (But you are right.)

 

 

[pedro maia]

#242 (N55), European honey buzzard, 26/9, Cabranosa, Sagres

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

#243 (N56), Parasitic jaeger, 3/10, Cabo Raso

[pedro maia]

Last Saturday I went on a pelagic boat trip to the Berlengas Islands, 10km offshore the town of Peniche, which is about 100km north of Lisboa, 3 previus dates were cancelled because of weather/sea conditions, finally it went on in spite of the swell beeing in the limit, the swell and the light conditions were challenging for photos but it was a great day with a few new additions to my BY, it´s getting increasingly difficult but sea birds are probably my best chances, if I can get close enough.

 

The boat was a bit crowded for the present momment but everybody was wearing face masks durinthe trip so hopefully nothing will happen.

 

#244 (N57), Common scoter, 10/10, Offshore Peniche

 

[pedro maia]

#245 (N58), Manx shearwater, 10/10, Offshore Peniche

[pedro maia]

#246 (N59), Sooty shearwater, 10/10, Offshore Peniche

 

 

 

[pedro maia]

We stopped for a couple fo hours in the Berlenga Grande island to have lunch and walk a bit, at this time of the year there can be surprises there and it was the case, in a fig tree there was a mega rarity for Portugal, everybody was quite excited with this one:

 

#247 (N60), Lesser whitethroat, 10/10, Berlenga Grande