Portugal 30.10.12

White Stork in Faro and spot the Sacred Ibis!

A sunny start soon turned to rain almost as soon as we had walked out the foyer and into a cab heading towards Faro. We got dropped off and booked a boat trip around the nature reserve offshore. A few Yellow-Legged Gulls were in the harbour and 4 White Storks were on buildings in the town. On the boat trip which lasted an hour with a skipper who didn't speak English and in the rain with no roof a Whimbrel was the first bird of note with a pair of Gadwall closely behind. The first Spoonbills were next but by the end of the trip a total of 45 had been seen. A Common Sandpiper saw us coming and flew off but a Sacred Ibis was a surprise. 3 more White Storks were distant but the hoped for Flamingoes weren't forthcoming. Possibly the biggest surprise was of another/same Caspian Tern seen heading east. I'm not entirely sure how rare/common this species is in Portugal but to find 1 or possibly 2 of them in just 4 days certainly is unexpected! Back at the hotel and whilst standing on the balcony a Little Owl called twice.

Portugal - 29.10.12

The Kentish Plover 

After Tom had had another cold dip in the pool we headed west again for lunch. As soon as we entered the woods a smart male Black Redstart flew up onto the roof of a small building but soon disappeard. 2 female Serin landed atop a pine but soon flew off. After lunch we strolled along the beach until 6 waders flew a short way ahead of us. 5 were Sanderling but the other one turned out to be a juv Kentish Plover! This was only my 2nd ever with my first also a juv but in Devon. Shortly after getting some photos a Dunlin joined them but a dog put them up and off they went. The only Swallow of the holiday was flying over the marshes and 6 Teal were on the water. A quick wander after the others had gone back to the hotel produced 3 more Bluethroats but none with a blue throat and another/same Crested Tit in the woods.

Portugal - 28.10.12

The day dawned hot and sunny and all Tom wanted to do was get in the pool! We nabbed some loungers and in he went but screaming that it was very cold! I left him to it and got some sun whilst watching the birds go by. More AW Magpies were in the trees along with a calling Chiffchaff then to my amazement 6 Hawfinches loomed into view and headed off north just as quickly as they had arrived. Just a few minutes later I looked skywards and overhead in a thermal were 43 White Storks!! They disappeared behind the hotel but within the hour another 29 were seen going in the same direction. Not bad considering i've only seen 3 in the UK! After lunch we wandered down to the beach and headed east towards a small group of restaurants but not before i'd seen half a dozen Sardinian Warblers in the woods. After lunch we headed west past the hotel towards some marshes. I had a quick look out to sea and noted just a few Gannets but then I noticed heading from the west a massive tern! It slowly flew past letting me note the short tail, white rump, dark out edges to the wingtips and the giant carrot stuck on its face!! It was a Caspian Tern! It continued east and out of view but half an hour later it flew back west. On the marshes it was a case of normal home fare with Redshanks and Grey Herons everywhere but then mum and Carey suddenly said whats that? A small bird had flown from the path and onto a stretch of shrubs in the marsh. After a few minutes it popped out and there infront of us was a cracking Bluethroat with a full blue throat! Annoyingly it turned round and walked into the shrubs and wasn't seen again. The only other bird of note was a distant Spoonbill doing what they do best, sleeping! We turned round ourselves and headed back to the hotel and in the pines a small bird was flitting about. Eventually it showed and it turned out to be a Crested Tit! My first since i'd seen them in Scotland back in 1991! The last good bird of the day flew past the balcony when I was stood watching the AW Magpies with a Glossy Ibis in with 3 Cormorants.

Portugal - 27.10.12

The best I could manage of the stunning Azure-Winged Magpies

As my son had been dropping lots of un-subtle hints about having never been on a plane before my good old mum booked us all 5 days in the Algarve for half-term. So early Saturday morning myself, Carey, my son and my mum were at Luton airport freezing to death waiting for the shuttle bus to take us from the car park to the airport. While waiting 32 Fieldfare flew over. Shortly after 3pm and we had arrived at Faro airport in 22 degrees and were sweating with all our winter clothes on! During the journey to our hotel (about 30 mins drive) a White Wagtail was seen on a small pool next to the airport and near the hotel a Green Woodpecker (see below!) flew away from us but it was a bird on the roadside that got me excited as there briefly was my first ever AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE! What I hadn't realised that the hotel we were staying at (Formosa Park hotel + apartments near Almancil) was on the western edge of the Parque Natural Da Ria Formosa! During the stay I saw around 50 Azure-Winged Magpies between the hotel and the San Lorenzo golf course a couple of miles to the east. They showed very well in large groups even from the balcony when going to roost but they were very fidgety and getting a good photo proved impossible with my little camera through my bins. Aside from the glorious magpies a quick walk through the small wood to the beach produced mainly stuff that I could see back home. That was until a female Serin briefly showed in a pine. Another Green Woodpecker then perched up long enough to note that it looked different facially than the birds back home in having a lack of black around the eyes with only a thin black line bordering the red moustache. Admittedly i'd not bothered looking up any local gen so when I looked at my Collin's guide I realised I had seen an Iberian Green Woodpecker ssp sharpei!!

Autumn saved by a Slav Grebe!! - 26.10.12

The showy Slavonian Grebe

Unless you live on the Northern Isles, Western Isles, Western Ireland or the Scilly Isles this autumn has been in terms of rare birds and lifers very dull! So one day before my break to Portugal news broke about a grebe that had been present at Wilstone Reservoir for 3 days. It had initially been identified as a Red-Necked followed by a Black-Necked. I didn't need either of these for my Herts list so didn't venture over. Then the news I was hoping for was that it was indeed a Slavonian Grebe was released and I definately needed that for Herts!! So I rushed over there to find the bird showing down to a few feet on the waters edge! A quick scan of the reservoir produced a late Swallow and a Rock Pipit near the new overflow. 2 Lesser Redpoll flew over as did 38 Redwing. Near the hide were 11 Pintail (3 male) and in the far corner of the field from the old overflow were 2 Red-Legged Partridge and in with a flock of Chaffinch I picked out 2 Brambling which were my first anywhere for 3 years. From the freezing cold to the warm Algarve!!

Wilstone Reservoir - 9.10.12

After being told by my doctor yesterday that he was signing me off for another fortnight (which just happens to lead into my 2 weeks annual leave from work!!) to recover from my slipped disc, the thought of being cooped up staring out of the window again filled me with misery. So as myself and Carey were cat sitting at her mums in Chesham I decided to get up with her and while she went to work I headed over to Wilstone for a bit of very leisurely birding. I must have been a funny sight trying to get my walking boots on which took over 5 minutes but in that time my first Lesser Redpoll and Redwings (10) of the Autumn flew over. Eventually I was ready and started my stroll to the hide. 2 Siskins flew over the new outflow as did 3 Meadow Pipits. A Grey Wagtail flew in infront of me but just as I was going to get a photo it flew off. 6 Swallows then headed South. I reached the hide and sat down with a sigh of relief though that relief was short lived sitting on a plank of wood! From the hide a group of 29 Golden Plovers were in with the Lapwings. The number slowly grew with additional arriving birds and by the time I left there were 55 present. Another Lesser Redpoll flew over, 3 Little Egrets were on view and a Snipe flew around before landing out of view to the right of the hide. Just before I left 2 large thrushes flew high in from the East and my first Fieldfares of the Autumn were onto my list. 3 Bullfinch were seen in flight while walking through the woods and then back to my car and home and straight onto the sofa!

Whilst i'm on i'll put out an appeal that should some rare birds turn up and you have a spare seat going that can fit a 6ft cripple in then please let me know as 20 minutes driving is enough for me at the moment!! Thanks.

Chipperfield - 7.10.12

Very kindly my mum had invited myself and Carey for Sunday dinner and whilst walking to the car 2 Siskin flew over. My first of the Autumn and first for my fledgling Chipperfield/garden list.

Raven-ing It Up! - 4.10.12

Due to my dodgy back i'm still off work and spending too much time in the flat but just before lunch I heard a Raven call through the open window and on closer inspection I picked it up heading SW towards the common. I got my bins out and had a better look only to be amazed that another 5 joined it and now all 6 birds were in my field of view! After a minute or so they disappeared behind houses. On checking my records its my second biggest count of Raven in a day after seeing 7 in Wales while dipping a Blue Rock Thrush a couple of years ago (but in one's and two's) so 6 together is my largest group.

Chipperfield - 3.10.12

A small and quick passage of Swallows flew South over the garden totalling 31 birds.

Chipperfield - 1.10.12

Whilst going round the flat closing the curtains I spotted a Sparrowhawk perched up on the fence of next doors garden. Looking through bins it was a lovely female. I tried a digi-binned shot but it was just too dark for my camera.