Day 8 And home

A pre-dawn start with minibuses loaded and off back to Faro with just a brief comfort stop en route. Sadly, the poshly bagged picnic breakfast from the hotel was mostly binned.

I must have been bone tired because I've no recollection of the baggage drop, passport control and security!! After some confusion about which gate the flight was from we eventually boarded the Easyjet flight back to Gatwick which, like the in bound flight, was smooth, fault-free and slightly early.

It was nice to look out and see the coastline of home, Southampton Water, Hayling, Thorney and West Wittering below and, just a little later, a well-flooded Pulborough Brooks.

Apart from the usual hike back to baggage reclaim the journey through Gatwick was very swift. A shuttle bus was waiting so it was a reasonably quick trip back to the car.

Headed home via M23, Pulborough village and then the A29/A27 just like a normal day at PB.

Day 7 - Last full day

Today saw us heading north to Monchique with stops along the way in decent weather conditions; overcast at times but bright and dry.

A roadside stop at a known Stone Curlew site was more successful with about thirty birds most of which were temporarily flushed up into a beautiful blue sky before returning. A few Red-billed Choughs were seen and heard before we moved further north to the Monchique area.

The highest point was equipped with various radio masts, carpark and souvenir shop but was very birdless. Luckily, two very confiding Rock Buntings (below) saved the day.

Packed lunch taken here.

Then some final wetland birding here.

And the finale of the last full day was Rob's birthday cake.

Day 6 - And more inclement weather

It looked as if today was going to be a repeat of yesterday but over the morning the weather improved and the wearing of waterproof trousers was only necessary for a short while. Some heathland near Vila da Bispo produced a small flock of Cirl Buntings which showed nicely and later nearby a couple of Crested Tits, Nuthatch and Mistle Thrushes.

After this we drove up to Aljezur for a comfort stop but soon pulled up as we passed a roadside Goshawk, a male, mantling a feral pigeon. Sadly, having disturbed it, it left its prey and soared away.

The coffee/comfort stop was next to a river full of dodgy ducks and Muscovys. Afterwards, a track down to the beach at Praia de Armoreira found another Osprey plus Peregrine and Iberian Shrike plus a couple of Common Sandpipers.

A Kentish Plover on the beach and the now ubiquitous Gannets offshore was about it for this site. 

An outdoor picnic lunch was taken at the site below.

Next stop was Ponta da Atalaia, a scenic headland sticking out into the Atlantic and which gave us a very close encounter with a Thekla Lark near the carpark. I walked off and found two more, one of which showed well and one which disappeared over a fold in the land. Back on the bus either these or two more flew behind as we were preparing to leave.

Some old White Stork nests on the cliffs below were an unusual setting. It was suggested these were the only cliff nesting Storks in Europe.

Just a few Shags, Gannets and Yellow-legged Gulls offshore.

One minibus went further inland to try for Eagle Owls at dusk but I opted for an earlier return and a brief look around the harbour near the hotel where two Kingfishers chased each other and a single Shag was on a sea wall with numerous gulls and Cormorants. More Crag Martins and, best of all, cracking views of a Blue Rock Thrush, something I'd missed at Monchique. No Purple Sandpipers found here but the 'owl group' had been successful despite the handicap of end-of-day lighting.

Day 5 - A tad wet and windy

The weather forecast was (unfortunately) accurate - very wet and windy - so it was up for breakfast and straight back to bed, with keener members of the group departing for a soggy mornings birding.

We reconvened over a typical Naturetrek lunch which the hotel let us consume on site before heading out for an afternoons birding in improving conditions.

We headed back to Cape St Vincent where half the group had gone this morning. This time in clear conditions we watched cliff fisherman trying to fish in the surf whilst we checked the sea which only produced Gannets and a single Great Skua plus Audouin’s Gulls and a few  Shags.

Sacred Valley was the next site where twenty or more Choughs were the best birds along with another Hen Harrier and a couple of Little Owls.

Last stop today was Martinhall which produced little

A few people went on a night drive after dinner but for me it was off to bed with the prospect of another wet day tomorrow.

Day 4 - Boxing Day

This was the day to transfer to our second hotel at Sagres. After the usual start on another fine day we headed back to Quinta do Lago and slowly drove around the posh houses and grounds - think Sandbanks on steroids!!

Nice views of views of Hoopoes and Black-headed Weavers plus some more waxbills feeding on the lawns. At Quinta do Lago, we quickly lucked in on a group of five Penduline Tits poking around the reed heads before disappearing further around the lagoon.

Little Bitterns were vocal but only one showed although it was a rather good and prolonged view. Again Western Swamphens were visible plus all the previous species seen here earlier in the trip.

Another comfort/coffee stop at the services, before heading to Salgados Lagoon, an area of water  with  coastal dunes although high water ensured the bird life was a bit thin.

Then a quick look around Boca del Rio prior to returning to the hotel was pretty quiet. Some flowers I noticed were, according to Rob, Paperwhite Narcissi.

Another 7 p.m. meal, list and off to bed.

(View from bedroom window over harbour) 

Day 3 - Christmas Day

 A nod to Xmas!

And another fine blue day with a similar selfie to exactly twelve months ago.

Christmas Day saw us taking a slower start to the day with a slightly later (07:45) breakfast and a stroll around the hotel grounds. Nothing particularly noteworthy but Serins, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, the latter mostly hidden in amongst the orange groves, a Hoopoe, the first Jays of the trip plus a few Song Thrushes.

At about 10.00am we left for Tavira Saltpans, which is apparently the Xmas day venue of choice on previous editions of this tour.

The weather was again fine and the pans full of a good variety of waders, the best being Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Spotted Redshank and Kentish Plover. Flamingos were also present.

A Water Pipit flew around calling and, when the group all caught up, it transpired I'd missed a Bluethroat so I strolled back and elicited some response with my phone. The bird showed well but was nowhere near as obliging and colourful as last Xmas's bird on Boxing day at Saucedilla (Extramadura).

Having left the group, who decided on walking down to the seashore, I had, for me, the bird of the trip - another Black-winged Kite but this time extended and close views (red eye close!). It hovered three times just above before gliding away over the pans.

We later briefly stopped and looked at the old Moorish bridge over the Gilao River in Tavira (Ponte Romana - 12th century) which also provided the only Slender-billed Gull of the trip.

A late lunch, this one provided by the hotel, was taken at Castro Marim near the Spanish border where the visitor centre benches gave us somewhere to enjoy the baguettes, cake and fruit. As usual my flask of coffee was very welcome.

Little Owl was the best bird after seeing more of the same waders etc.

Arrived  back at the hotel at about 4.30pm after a very pleasant Xmas day's birding.

Usual mealtime, the log and off to bed.

The bridge below is the international bridge between Portugal and Spain over the Guadiana river and which runs into the Gulf of Cadiz with the border running down the middle of the river.

Day 2 - Christmas Eve

 

An early start with a 7.00am breakfast, prior to journey to Castro Verde and beyond.

A midway comfort stop saw me wandering off and watching the trip's first Iberian Shrike, which actually turned out to be the best views of one during the week. It flew up high onto a mast and joined a second bird. Back at the vans a couple of Woodlark were distant and a number of Red Kites and Ravens were seen later.

An urban street lined with Peruvian Peppertrees (??) was a known roost site for Long-eared Owls and it didn't take much looking to find three birds, the one pictured above being the most obliging.

Out in the open fields to the north saw the first quality birds in the shape of male Hen Harriers plus plenty of common birds in this habitat.

We stopped at the LPN headquarters, a conservation organisation, and scanned the surrounding area. A Little Owl was perched on some farm machinery, but played hide-and-seek for a while.

I managed to find the first group Little Bustards for the trip but they were very distant and presumably flushed by a raptor before dropping down out of sight. Not sure if anyone other than NM got on them.

Some more road/track side birding to the east of the town saw us catching up with the first Black-winged Kite of the trip - a species on my want  list after last year's dip in Extramadura. 

Next up was a Spanish Imperial Eagle although not everyone manage to connect with it but soon after another was seen by all. Finally, a few Black-bellied Sandgrouse flew over  followed by a nice flock of Golden Plovers overhead. 

Lunchtime had arrived and so we headed back to Helena's in Castro Verde for lunch.

The best lunch, possibly meal, of the whole trip with ridiculous amounts of food and wine - enough for three groups of hungry birders!!

We then headed off eastwards from Castro Verde to see what we could find elsewhere. Highlights were four flocks of Little Bustards, two or three Spanish Imperial Eagles  including a juvenile I picked up flying in low behind us and which perched in a tree, two Merlins, two or three adult male Hen Harriers, two more Black-winged Kites, small flocks of Black-bellied Sandgrouse and more flocks of Calandra Larks.

Finally, we drove to a little chapel (Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Aracelis)  on a hill with a huge vista spreading out in all directions. NM found three incredibly distant Common Cranes but luckily a group of 41 flew past below us calling as they went. And lastly, NM located a mixed group of Great and Little Bustards, the former the only ones of the trip. On the downside they were the most distant bustards I've ever seen, tiny images even through a scope!!

Day 1 Gatwick to Faro, meet-up and first birds.

(All bird photos in this post and and up to Day 7 courtesy and copyright Neil McMahon).

Up early and onto the shuttle to north Terminal then through baggage drop with helpful Easyjet staff. Zipped through security and was sat down in Weatherspoons soon after 4am!! Used the app to order scrambled eggs on toast plus free-refill tea/coffee. By the time I'd finished it was filling up with the first drinkers of the day - beer at 4:30am!!

Then it was just the tedious delay in waiting for a departure gate at 06:25.

The boarding was efficient using front and rear steps and we were soon on our way.

Had a brief chat with one of last Xmases Naturetrekers who was heading to Portugal on a walking tour.

Journey to Faro flew past as I chatted to MG   - luckily we had an empty seat between his window and my aisle.

Landed slightly early but passport control was tedious (not just UK but all passengers).

Eventually got through and met up with other members of the group plus NM. We got to introduce ourselves whilst he and RM went to get the vans. 

Once loaded we visited our first birding site not far from the airport. First birds were Caspian Terns, Osprey, Spoonbills, some zip-through Waxbills and the first Zitting Cisticola. 

Lunch was a very pleasant affair at Mar y Sol restaurant; just a light prawn omelette for me plus some wine. 

Then on to Quinta do Lago where the birding was easy with Littie Bittern and Western Swamphen the best but lots of ducks, Chiffchaffs, White Wagtails and Crag Martin's plus the first of many Iberian Magpies and Sardinian Warblers.

Finally, off to Quinta do Marco hotel for check in, quick wash and an evening meal before retiring after a long day. 

My 'bird of the day' was Little Bittern.