I've had a travel bug for most of my life, and I love exploring cities and learning about culture, but as I get older and also get more interested in birds and nature, I find myself also wanting to explore natural areas and to view beautiful landscapes as I wander the world. The Algarve in Portugal is the perfect place for scenery and birds. This region is populated with small towns and cities, and it also has wetland areas in addition to its coastal habitats for birds and other wildlife. In fact, The Algarve is known to be a prime birding spot in the fall and spring because it is a resting site for hundreds of species of migratory birds on their journey between Africa and the Western Palearctic region. So it was the perfect place for both scenery and birdwatching. I thought I might get to catch some early starters for spring migration, though that didn't end up happening, but at least it was fun to dream.
In any case, for readers of my travel blog, you'll have learned that I tried to do birdwatching at a couple of local nature reserves, only to learn that they are very difficult to get to and poorly recorded in any GPS system such that you can't really find the entrance to them unless you book a tour with a local company. I don't know if that's on purpose, but at least I can know that these nature reserves do provide lots of protection for their inhabitants because most people won't be able to really get into them unless they are highly motivated and wealthy enough to afford tours. I was a little disappointed since one of them boasted a flamingo nesting site, and the idea of seeing flamingos in the wild was quite thrilling. But I had to make do with seeing whatever birds I'd come across as we did other activities, and in the end, it wasn't too bad because I did end up seeing about 10 lifers, and that's always exciting. Yes, I would have still loved to add flamingos to my list, but I really can't complain about seeing all the birds I did see. One thing to note is that I was able to see several birds of prey but never at a time when I could photograph them, unfortunately, so they'll remain a mystery to me.
Iberian Magpie (Cyanopica cooki)
The first bird I really noticed was the Iberian Magpie. I didn't even know this magpie existed, and I could only tell it was some type of corvid when I first saw it, due to its shape and characteristics. The magpies we have here in the UK and back in Canada are beautiful because they do have this iridescence to them when they catch the light in a certain way, but these magpies appear to have this iridescence all the time. They are really gorgeous. Sadly, I could never get a great photo of one. They'd always fly off just before my camera was ready and the only other times I saw them were in poor light, so my poor photos will have to do.
Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
The second bird I noticed that appeared to be quite prolific was the Common Chiffchaff, which is a type of warbler. These birds actually live in the UK as well, but I've just never seen one. They're quite small, so they'd be hard for me to spot here, but these things were so numerous in The Algarve that I'd have really been a poor birdwatcher/photographer to have missed them. They were all over the grounds of our hotel as well as other places where there was wide open space. Despite their widespread appearance, I can't say they were a lot easier to photograph. They move around so much, very sprightly little creatures, that it was hard to get one to still long enough for a decent photo. I managed a couple of quite decent ones, I think. They're very cute, and I was so happy to see them as they cheer me up as much as a chickadee would back in Canada.
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
The hotel we were staying at had a really gorgeous beach area next to it. We were there in mid-February, when the weather was too cold for swimming, but we wanted to see the beach anyway. The Algarve's terrain is a mix of reds and oranges, and when we were on the beach, it was sunny, and the orange cliffs were oozing of warmth and comfort against the teal blue crashing of the ocean. I saw one lone bird on the beach who wasn't much afraid of people being nearby. She kept her distance enough, but she was far from camera shy. I learned that this was a female Black Redstart. Apparently this is another bird I could see in the UK, but again, I probably just don't go to the areas where they are, and they are also on the amber list of species of concern, so I don't think they are all that plentiful in the UK.
Later on, we visited the Fortaleza do Sagres, and on the grounds there, I was able to get some decent photos of the male redstart, so I was excited to see and get to photograph both sexes.
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapoonica)
On the morning we tried (but failed) to find one of the nature reserves, we did come by some flats that had various waterfowl and shorebirds. With the distance and light, I wasn't able to get better shots, but I believe I did capture a Bar-tailed Godwit. There was no way to get any closer, but I'm happy to get photos that can at least allow me a decent chance to ID a bird, and I'm hoping I'm correct here.
Thekla's Lark (Galerida theklae)
At the same fort mentioned above (fortaleza is Portuguese for "fort"), I saw Thekla's Larks as well. They might be Crested larks, as Merlin identified that as a possibility, but I don't know for sure. According to this one website, all the larks in The Algarve, including Sagres, are Thekla's. This blog site discusses the differences. I'll post both sets of photos here, and you can tell me if you think one vs. the other. I can't tell for sure. Based on what I read on that one website, I might well have only Thekla's larks, but with the ones I thought I was sure of as being Crested, I had taken a recording of the sound it was making, and Merlin was sure if was a Crested, but now I'm doubting...
In any case, Larks in Europe that I've seen are some of the best camouflaged birds I've come across. They are dirt-coloured and blend in really well with the ground they eat from. I was close enough to them that I could see the ground moving, but from a distance, you would definitely have a harder time spotting them. I've certainly struggled with this with skylarks here in the UK, seeing them land in a field but then being unable to find them with my camera in the small viewfinder because they are so well camouflaged.
European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
I saw this bird in a couple of places as well, at the fort and at the beach area where we had tried birding near our hotel. This was another one where I saw the female first and then the male, and Merlin identified it as a European stonechat. These also exist in the UK, but in the London area, one would only see them in winter, and I imagine you would normally see them in a natural area or in your yard, not in the concrete jungle area that I live, though we do have some variety of pretty birds here.
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Here is another bird with a repetitive Latin name. I don't know why I enjoy discovering these, but I do! I saw a flock of birds land in a field out when we went birding near our hotel at this place that the front desk recommended to us. There was a nicely build boardwalk to walk through the area, and at the one end was a freshwater area leading into the ocean where there were various birds. Again, being February, the variety of species was small, but I did see what I believe to be a Great Egret, a Grey Heron, and several smaller birds there (one of them posted next). These birds were really far from me, but I was able to get a shot good enough to ID them, even though it isn't super clear, and it was a flock of Northern lapwings resting in the field. These are such pretty birds, I think, and I wish I could have got to see them closer up to enjoy their beauty.
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
This was a another bird where I couldn't get a solid ID. I would have needed a much better camera to capture enough detail, given the birds' distance from me, but if these are not Dunlins, then they are likely Sanderlings. These were really cute to watch. They are in a close-knit community and move around together. They run really fast, as if they are being fast-forwarded like in an old VHS tape. I was able to get a mildly decent shot of the flock in flight, too. They were quite stunning flying like that in a group, and I was happy to get such a photo of them in flight, one that was relatively okay, since I don't know how to take good action shots with my camera. Supposedly it's possible, but I've not yet determined how to make the settings work for me or perhaps it's me not knowing how to work with the right settings (I do know what I'm supposed to do, just that it doesn't seem to work). Anyway, I wish I could have got a video of them running back and forth because it really was very cute.
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca melanochephala)
Given the disappointment with finding nature reserves, I must say that I was quite happy with the hotel we stayed at, which attracted a lot of birds on the grounds. I decided to go walking around to see what I could see and to hopefully spot some new birds, and I was able to do just that. I found this little man-made stream on the grounds, and I decided to just stay there a while. Sure enough, little birds started showing up for a drink or a bath in the shallow water, the first one being a Sardinian Warbler. I couldn't get a good photo of it before it had its bath, but this is how they look when wet! This is only the male; unfortunately there were no females around that I could see.
Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
Another bird that popped down on the grass for a minute was the Eurasian Blackcap, or just Blackcap, which is what it's called in the UK. I can't say much about it other than that I was lucky to get a decent photo of it because it was really fast--it landed, I snapped a photo--and it took off again. I didn't get much time to see it or photograph it! It's also the female only.
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And those were my lifers. I also saw a few different birds that I've seen in the past: the cattle egret, common sandpiper, various gulls, a kestrel, blackbirds, oystercatcher, and gannets. There were tons of gannets at the fort. They were all flying or rocking on the water, and I didn't get any stunning photos, but I got some nice ones that are worth sharing. Below is a slideshow of a variety of the non-lifer birds.
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