Just back from 2 days excellent birding in sunny Portugal. By using all available hours of daylight we managed a superb haul of 92 species including one Western Palearctic rarity and some WP introductions. Highlights, in notebook order, included:
Red & Black Kites (many) White Storks (many, breeding and display) Azure-winged Magpie (2) Montague's, Hen and Marsh Harriers Hoopoe (1) Sardinian Warbler (c10 mostly heard) Subalpine Warbler (1) Griffon Vulture (c25) Black Vulture (1) * Rupell's Vulture * (1 - present for it's 6th year) Black Stork (1) Rock Bunting (1) Black-shouldered Kite (2) Spotless Starlings (many) Crested Myna (16, introduced) Greater Flamingo (53) Zitting Cisticolas (many) Cetti's Warbler (many) Common Waxbill (c30, introduced) Black-headed Weaver (c20, introduced) Crested Larks (many) Booted Eagle (1 pale phase) Short-toed Larks Lesser Kestrel (few) Black-headed Munia (3, introduced) Yellow-crowned Bishop (c12, introduced) Southern-grey Shrikes (few) Calandra Lark (2, display flight) Great Bustard (minimum of 87, yes 87!! including a single winter flock of 76) Black-bellied Sandgrouse (9)
Plus lots of migrants headed our way - Little-ringed Plover, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Chiffchaff etc.
I'll try to write a short trip report soon but one point to highlight is that the flights from East Midlands to Faro were a ludicrously cheap £10 return including all taxes. I can't get to Wigan and back for that!!!!
