Zvezda & Alex BY2022: Back on track

[xelas]

And for the finale of the best birding area of southern Portugal, a few more birds from the morning drive, before we left for the long ride to Lisabon.

 

 

BY 167 / PT 048

Little Owl - Athene noctua

 

 

 

 

BY 168 / PT 049

Red-legged Partridge - Alectoris rufa

 

 

 

BY 169 / PT 050

Western Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica

 

 

 

BY 170 / PT 051

Calandra Lark - Melanocorypha calandra

 

 

 

Castro Verde, 25-May-2022

 

 

[xelas]

Just a teaser to introduce our last two, very busy birding days. Both were a bit tired from past non-stop driving and birding and thus we took a day for relax. Prai do Sal Resort was recommended by Michael and it was a perfect place to end our birding in Portugal.

 

The hotel property is well maintained, with outdoor and indoor pools, along the long sandy beach.

 

Our room has a balcony with decent view.

 

The room itself was comfortable, with a large screen and excellent air condition.

 

Just next door was a nice beach/sushi bar.

 

One look says all 

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by xelas

[xelas]

The resort is situated next door to Salinas do Samouco; while the entry to salinas is gated and was closed during our visit, there is a path that goes around an outside salt pans where some waders and many flamingos can be observed. One bird did get onto the BY list.

 

BY 171 / PT 052

Little Tern - Sternula albifrons

 

Alcochete, 26-May-2022

Edited June 22, 2022 by xelas

[Kitsafari]

fabulous series of that beautiful hobby chase. I've never seen that hobby but it sure is more beautiful than the oriental hobby. 

 

brilliant shots from both you and Zvezda. your photos really make me want to go to portugal one day.... portugal or spain? toss a coin? 

 

[xelas]

21 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

portugal or spain? toss a coin? 

Or just do both 😉

[TonyQ]

Superb additions from Portugal, some really beautiful birds and photos 

[xelas]

We have ended our birding trip with a bang! Two consecutive full days of birding both in a company of excellent birders. On 27th we hired Carlos Alberto, a young birder who is working with his father offering boat tours & birding at Estuario do Sado, and he is also running three photo hides on a vast property.

 

Hides are not my way of birding, I am just too restless to sit in a tiny shack waiting for a bird to appear ... or not. However hides do offer options to get the best photo quality. Carlos has equipped his hides with supports and fixed ball heads. Unfortunately our replacement lens did not have the foot. So Zvezda was forced to shoot handheld.

 

BY 172 / PT 053

Sardinian Warbler - Curruca melanocephala

 

 

 

 

BY 173 / PT 054

Common Waxbill - Estrilda astrild

 

 

 

 

BY 174 / PT 055

Iberian Grey Shrike - Lanius meridionalis

 

 

 

 

BY 175 / PT 056

Iberian Magpie - Cyanopica cooki

 

 

 

BY 176 / PT 057

Spotless Starling - Sturnus unicolor

 

 

Estuario do Sado, 27-May-2022

Edited June 27, 2022 by xelas

[xelas]

After the hides we have walked the property searching for two birds; while we have only got an EBC of a Great Spotted Cuckoo (that has ended in the "31/12" folder), the second target bird was more accommodating.

 

BY 177 / PT 058

Western Bonelli's Warbler - Phylloscopus bonelli

 

 

Estuario do Sado, 27-May-2022

[xelas]

After the lunch in the nearby local restaurant we have moved onto the boat to explore what waders and other water birds are there. The temperature has already reached 30 Celsius, and heat did affected the photography. At the end of the tour it was almost 35 C !! We have seen many more birds but alas, quality wise they were not as good as those photographed at other locations. Therefore only 3 birds that have been photographed only here. Plus one that has ended in above mentioned "31/12" folder.

 

 

BY 178 / PT 059

Osprey - Pandion haliaetus

 

 

 

 

BY 179 / PT 060

Mediterranean Gull - Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

 

 

 

BY 180 / PT 061

Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica

 

 

Estuario do Sado, 27-May-2022

Edited June 27, 2022 by xelas

[Kitsafari]

no matter, Zvezda has perfected handheld shots. 

[xelas]

And so the last day of birding has arrived. With Pedro and Michael we were in an excellent company to add more ticks to our BY count. The area we were taken is named EVOA and is within Tagus estuary. It has several hides and is well maintained. The only downside is it opens quite late for a serious birder (I think it was 9:00).

 

These were taken outside of the main gate.

 

BY 181 / PT 062

Yellow-crowned Bishop - Euplectes afer

 

 

 

 

BY 182 / PT 063

Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla

 

 

 

And these from a hide already inside the main area.

 

BY 183 / PT 064

Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca

 

 

BY 184 / PT 065

Western Swamphen - Porphyrio porphyrio

 

 

Estuario do Tejo, 28-May-2022

[xelas]

After the midday break Pedro took us to a road where we have seen some fearsome looking bulls. But of course we were more interested in much smaller and gentler creatures.

 

 

BY 185 / PT 066

Common Nightingale - Luscinia megarhynchos

 

 

 

BY 186 / PT 067

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata

 

 

 

BY 187 / PT 068

Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus

 

 

Estuario do Tejo, 28-May-2022

[xelas]

That is all from Portugal. A couple of heavy EBC might be posted on the last day of this year, but with 68 new additions Zvezda has surpassed my target of 50 birds by far. Might be that she will get us to #200 before that long overdue trip to India. Thank you all for following, and good luck birding!

[PeterHG]

That was a very rewarding and undoubtedly a very enjoyable trip to Portugal!

[xelas]

32 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

That was a very rewarding and undoubtedly a very enjoyable trip to Portugal!

It ws, in all aspects!

[michael-ibk]

Great photos, what a fantastic trip you had. And what a fun Saturday that was! 

[xelas]

3 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

And what a fun Saturday that was! 

And the fun did not end when the birding has ended!

[pedro maia]

On 6/28/2022 at 9:49 AM, xelas said:

After the midday break Pedro took us to a road where we have seen some fearsome looking bulls. But of course we were more interested in much smaller and gentler creatures.

 

 

BY 185 / PT 066

Common Nightingale - Luscinia megarhynchos

 

 

 

 

 

@#$%&! Nightingale .

Edited June 30, 2022 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

On 6/28/2022 at 9:43 AM, xelas said:

And so the last day of birding has arrived. With Pedro and Michael we were in an excellent company to add more ticks to our BY count. The area we were taken is named EVOA and is within Tagus estuary. It has several hides and is well maintained. The only downside is it opens quite late for a serious birder (I think it was 9:00).

 

 

To clarify this, the general area is the Lezíria, and if you have the card to enter you can do at any time, even during the night, the EVOA is the interpretation center inside the Lezíria with the lagoons and the hides and you have to pay to enter, that´s the area that opens at 9:00 and one of the gates of the Lezíria also opens at that time so that people can access the EVOA.

 

Anyway, I think that if you have an anual pass for the EVOA (I have it) you can enter earlier because they give you the codes for the padlocks of the internal EVOA gates, but I lost those codes .

[pedro maia]

On 6/28/2022 at 9:54 AM, xelas said:

That is all from Portugal. A couple of heavy EBC might be posted on the last day of this year, but with 68 new additions Zvezda has surpassed my target of 50 birds by far. Might be that she will get us to #200 before that long overdue trip to India. Thank you all for following, and good luck birding!

 

That´s more or less according to what I thought you might get, with the 31/12 reserves you passed 70 new species on your trip here.

[xelas]

14 hours ago, pedro maia said:

That´s more or less according to what I thought you might get, with the 31/12 reserves you passed 70 new species on your trip here.

Exactly, and I am still trying to find the European Honey-buzzard  !!!

[Kitsafari]

POrtugal (and @pedro maia) delivered!!

[xelas]

59 minutes ago, Kitsafari said:

POrtugal (and @pedro maia) delivered!!

Big time, both !!

[Galana]

And they quality of some photos was extraordinary. Thanks for sharing and showing. 200 can not be far away. "Back on track" indeed!

[xelas]

5 hours ago, Galana said:

200 can not be far away.

We will try our best to reach it before India. maybe with another birding at Seewinkel with @michael-ibk?!