Zvezda & Alex BY2022: Back on track

[xelas]

I did not have the camera in my hands for too long. Zvezda has the "need for speed" aka she decided to work on her BIF skills.

 

 

BY 123 / PT 004

Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea

 

Lagoa do Santo Andre, 15-May-2022

 

 

BY 124 / PT 005

Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea

 

Lagoa do Santo Andre, 16-May-2022

[xelas]

The lagoon has several walking/hiking trails that are all well signposted. Another good spot for observing birds is on the beach. Two wooden walkways heads each way from the parking lot.

 

The lonely bird browsed the shoreline for food ...

 

BY 125 / PT 006

Sanderling - Calidris alba

 

 

 

... when an unexpected action scene from Top Gun took place!

 

BY 126 / PT 007

Eurasian Hobby - Falco subbuteo

 

 

 

 

 

Lagoa do Santo Andre, 15-May-2022

[michael-ibk]

Great action sequence, and love the Hoopoe of course. 

[Dave Williams]

126 is a brilliant result Alex.

Hobby shots are fabulous, what happened next? 

 

[PeterHG]

Superb action sequence of the Hobby by Zvezda!

[xelas]

5 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Great action sequence, and love the Hoopoe of course. 

Thanks Michael! There are other Hoopoes that were photographed in Portugal, but I like this because it remind me of the fabulous walk I have had. Despite all the efforts, we have sadly missed all Hoopoes in flight .

[xelas]

4 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

126 is a brilliant result Alex.

Hobby shots are fabulous, what happened next? 

 

 

The lucky Sanderling took a couple of sharp turns and escaped!

[xelas]

2 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Superb action sequence of the Hobby by Zvezda!

 

Thanks Peter. She really acted very quickly as the attack was completely unexpected. Some birders later told us that Hobby is a rarity in that area.

[xelas]

I recon it might be useful to post also a Google Maps screenshot of the general birding area. This is for Lagoas do Santo Andre. It is in terrain mode to show the hilly side where Monte Aroeira b&b is located (right side of the map). Worth mentioning is also the local restaurant A Cascalheira (in the middle of the map). It was very busy, most of the patrons were locals. The Hobby vs Sanderling sequence was shot on the lagoon side of the sandy bank, just under the sign Praia da Costa do Santo Andre.

 

 

[Galana]

18 hours ago, Soukous said:

18 hours ago, xelas said:

I have an outdated system of identifying birds: take photo first and ask the book (or a friend) later.

 

I have the same system. I did not know it was outdated. 

Me neither.

Of course it needs refining for @xelasor he would need six volumes for Bulbuls alone

I refined my version by printing out multiple 'postage stamp' size photos of the suspects thatget pined on the office wall. Add blindfold and throwiing a dart at it. We do go through lots of wallpaper so may have to change more often.

 

Excellent photos. Love the Hobby and Sanderling by Zvezda. The Annie Oakley of the bird world.

[pedro maia]

Excellent action photos of the Hobby, I´m yet to see one.

[xelas]

Ooops, it looks that I have given my own (wrong) names to first two locations! Luckily Zvezda was the navigator otherwise we would still cruise Portugal searching for Vila do Obispo .

 

 

So, Sagres and Cape St. Vincent was our second birding location. We were warned that prime time for birding here is in autumn, for migration of seabirds and raptors. However, it was a logical stopover on our circuit route.

The main spots here are Fortaleza de Sagres with lighthouse, Fortaleza de Beliche and Cape St. Vincent, all on the coastal side up the tall cliffs. On the inland side there are Cabranosa and Vale Santo. While coastal locations are easy to find, inland are a bit tricky. Cabranosa is a small hill at the end of the cul de sac dirt road that starts just after the sign for Praia o Beliche. There is an explanatory table at the start of the track. To reach Vale Santo turn right about 1 km further towards Cape St. Vincent. The route ends in Vila do Bispo and is a mix of mostly gravel and some tar narrow roads, luckily with almost no traffic on them. For more adventures birders there are also boat trips from Sagres port.

 

Another thing worth mentioning is that our 200-500 zoom decided to work as a prime lens. All good if not a 200 mm prime lens!! It stuck at shortest focal length and did not move. Back home the repair was quick and not too expensive at 400 Eur. So all photos from this day on were done with our old 300 mm lens + TC 1.7. The FL remains the same at 500 mm but the IQ suffers, specially when cropping is needed. Which was almost every time.

 

 

[xelas]

Before reaching the Vila do Bispo we have stopped at one location suggested by our hosts at Monte Aroeira. Farol do Cabo Sardao is known for its colony of White Stork that builds nests on the cliffs below the lighthouse. Quite a scene, with ocean below and steep cliffs. A few photos to give a better idea of this location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

Beside storks there were gulls and swifts. It was quite windy and swifts are fast yet Zvezda managed to get us one good for the BY.

 

BY 127 / PT 008

Alpine Swift - Apus melba

 

Farol do Cabo Sardao, 16-May-2022

[michael-ibk]

Awesome Swift! I´ve been at that Stork place but they were all gone in autumn. Looks much cooler with all the nests occupied.

[xelas]

As in Cabo Sardao also in Sagres it was very windy throughout the day, and in the afternoon also hot and heat impacted the IQ. Anyway, this is the from first day in Sagres area.

 

 

Another predator gets its prey. Fly by quickly and high. Extreme crop, +2 exposure compensation, 100% shadows recovery ... this is best I am able to process. Still, good enough for expert like Michael to ID the bird (the predator, not the prey ).

 

BY 128 / PT 009

Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus

 

 

Sagres, 17-May-2022

 

 

Lurking from the deep shade

 

BY 129 / PT 010

Crested Tit - Lophophanes cristatus

 

Sagres, 17-May-2022

 

 

Easier to recognise if photographed from the eye level

 

BY 130 / PT 011

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus

 

 

Sagres, 17-May-2022

 

 

Nesting on the rocky cliff so it must be a

 

BY 131 / PT 012

Rock Dove - Columba livia

 

Sagres, 17-May-2022

 

 

They are everywhere in southern Portugal

 

BY 132 / PT 013

European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola

 

female

 

male

Sagres, 17-May-2022

[xelas]

Next day it was even windier and hotter than the days before so we have started late and visiting our regular ice cream shop first before hitting the Fortaleza de Sagres. Maybe because of the weather condition, the entry on this day was free! More ice cream later .

 

 

The bird guide book we have used says this: "Separating Thekla's from Crested Larks here and elsewhere on the plateau can be achieved with confidence - they are all Thekla's!" So here we go

 

BY 133 / PT 014

Thekla's Lark - Galerida theklae

 

Sagres, 18-May-2022

 

 

Plenty of swifts in the air but they are so hard to nail

 

BY 134 / PT 015

Common Swift - Apus apus

 

Sagres, 18-May-2022

 

 

One bird that we were looking after, and finally got it!!

 

BY 135 / PT 016

Blue Rock Thrush - Monticola solitarius

 

 

Sagres, 18-May-2022

 

 

Down below, and not a cormorant.

 

BY 136 / PT 017

European Shag - Gulosus aristotelis

 

 

Sagres, 18-May-2022

 

 

At Cabranosa somebody constructed a bird feeding station; on our first visit we have seen a photographer in a portable hide so we did not approch it. On our second visit we were alone (but without the cover of the hide).

 

BY 137 / PT 018

Common Linnet - Linaria cannabina

 

female

 

male

Sagres, 18-May-2022

[Galana]

Great photos. Loved the Cliff Storks.

[pedro maia]

That pond in Cabranosa was built by an English (I think) guy, Carl Hawker, I once talked a bit with him, quite a character, it was probably him the photographer in the portanle hide.

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/CarlChaitanya

Edited June 20, 2022 by pedro maia

[Soukous]

Enjoying your photos, and of course Zvezda's. IQ looks fine to me. 

[PeterHG]

Love your Portugal photos and descriptions!

[xelas]

Time to move on, eastbound towards the Spanish border. The main birding attraction here is Ria Formosa, a natural areserve situated below the town of Olhao. Left of this area is Quinta do Lago and right of it is Fuseta. Based on the excellent advice by @michael-ibkwe have booked our accommodation above the ex-fishing village of Fuseta, at Vila Fuzeta b&b. Highly recommended!!

 

[xelas]

On the way to Fuseta we have made a quick stop before Portimao, at a place with an interesting name: A Rocha Delicada. Interestingly we have seen all birds pictured on the information table. 

 

 

However, for Big Year only one is selected.

 

BY 138 / PT 019

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis

 

 

Portimao, 19-May-2022

[xelas]

There is not much driving between Sagres and Fuseta so we have arrived around noon. Our friendly host let us in, we have dropped of the luggage and took a refreshment drink. Then we decided to explore another birding hotspot in that area, Castro Marim. It is situated literally on the border with Spain. A huge educational and observation (??) centre but it was closed. And no folks around to ask for where to go or what to observe. Only a handful of birds around. If we would know better, this is a good place to find the LesserShort-toed Lark. The only real birding disappointment of our two weeks in Portugal. Instead of bird photos just the information table.

 

[xelas]

Already the next day the mood changed. A short drive down to the coast where the long hiking/biking trail named Ecovia is. With small paths leading through saltpans there were smaller and larger waders ...

 

BY 139 / PT 020

Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula

 

 

 

BY 140 / PT 021

Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola

 

 

Fuseta, 20-May-2022

Edited June 21, 2022 by xelas