TonyQ Big Year 2022 - We go again

[TonyQ]

166.P13 Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus                              

Quite distant, but there were hundreds of them. I have never seen so many in one place. Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22

On a golf course (we will see the Weavers later!) Quinta Do Lago          20.09.22

Edited December 3, 2022 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

167.P14 Great Reed Warbler  Acrocephalus arundinaceus                         

Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22

Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22

Both taken through a lot of vegetation. Beak is bigger than ordinary Reed Warbler - and it was bigger!

[TonyQ]

168.P15 Sardinian Warbler  Sylvia melanocephala                          

Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22  

       

Quinta de Marim, Olhao         19.09.22

[TonyQ]

169.P16 Whinchat  Saxicola rubetra                         

Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22

Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22

[TonyQ]

170.P17 Zitting Cisticola  Cisticola juncidis                           

Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22

Lagoa dos Salgados   16.09.22

The only type of Cisticola found here, so identification becomes a pleasure!

[xelas]

South of Portugal is such a great birding destination. Looks like also birds loves it . Great photography.

[TonyQ]

Thank you @xelas. I think the birds and these birders like it very much!

 

Cerro de Sao Miguel is a fairly small hill just north of Olhao

 

171.P18 Egyptian Vulture  Neophron percnopterus                         

Very high, but recognisable, Cerro de Sao Miguel   17.09.22

[TonyQ]

P19 Wheatear  Oenanthe oenanthe       

Already posted from Scotland, there were a lot of them in this area                 

Cerro de Sao Miguel   17.09.22

[TonyQ]

Vilamoura is about 35 minute drive from Olhao. It was much drier than on our previous visit a few years ago. One pond was dried up and overgrown with plants. THey have had a bad drought this year.

 

172.P20 Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus                                 

Vilamoura        17.09.22

A very distant small bird!, Vilamoura        17.09.22

[TonyQ]

173.P21 Iberian Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus ibericus                            

Vilamoura        17.09.22

 

I had to study a site exploring the identifying of this bird in great detail!

https://subalpinebirding.com/blog/iberian-chiffchaff-identification-the-state-of-the-art

 

[TonyQ]

P22 European Pied Flycatcher  Ficedula hypoleuca     

Already posted from UK                  

Vilamoura        17.09.22

[TonyQ]

174. P23 Purple Swamp Hen  Porphyrio porphyrio                          

Vilamoura        17.09.22

Vilamoura        17.09.22

Quinta Do Lago          20.09.22

One of our star birds of the trip! It was fascinating to see them strip the tough outer layer from reeds so that they could eat the tender inner core. It was also interesting to see such a big bird climb up the reeds.

[TonyQ]

And another duplicate from Vilamoura

P24. Marsh Harrier

 

[PeterHG]

Great to see so many good species from the south of Portugal!

[Galana]

A very thorough finding with the Chiff-chaff.

[TonyQ]

@PeterHGthank you

@Galanait is very detailed - they are very variable!

 

Another visit to the Olhao Saltpans on a lazy day

175.P25 Curlew Sandpiper  Calidris ferruginea                                

Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

Olhao Salt Pans          19.09.22

[TonyQ]

176.P26 Kentish Plover  Charadrius alexandrinus                           

Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

Small and pretty distant!

[TonyQ]

177.P27 Mediterranean Gull  Larus melanocephalus                                   

The only one we saw, Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

[TonyQ]

178.P28 Red Knot  Calidris canutus                         

 

(with Godwit in the background), Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

[TonyQ]

P29 Sanderling  Calidris alba 

Already seen in Scotland, but I do like them

Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

[TonyQ]

179.P30 Sandwich Tern  Thalasseus sandvicensis                          

Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

Olhao Salt Pans          18.09.22

[TonyQ]

180.P31 Yellow-legged Gull  Larus michahellis                                

From our balcony, Olhao  18.09.22

We had looked in many places for this species with no luck, and then this one came to visit us!

[pedro maia]

Great birding from some familair places Tony, and one or two I’m yet to visit, like Lagoa dos Salgados.

[TonyQ]

Thank you @pedro maia

A few more

 

P32 Avocet  Recurvirostra avosetta  

Already seen in UK but always nice to see them!

    

Marinha do Grelha, nr Olhao  15.09.22

[TonyQ]

ANother visit toQuinta de Marim

81.P33 Booted Eagle  Hieraaetus pennatus                                   

Pale morph, Quinta de Marim, Olhao         19.09.22

Dark morph, Quinta de Marim, Olhao         19.09.22