The following morning we were greeted with clear blue skies and warm sunshine. While waiting for Helen to get ready I wandered around the fields alongside the track and Quinta. In the distance I could hear Nightingale singing, there were in fact two birds present all week but I never managed to see them once. Movement in the dead trees dotted around the field produced the first photograph of the trip, a Woodchat Shrike.
It never allowed me to get close but remained perched and watchful from the top of the dead branches, scanning the ground below for any potential prey.
As well as the ground it was also watchful of the sky, here keeping a keen eye on a Crow that flew over.
As I tried to get closer it was joined by what looks like a female bird. Later in the week what seemed to be this bird was seen at the bottom of the track seemingly chased from the other's territory.
I walked down the track to where there was a bridge over what looked like an irrigation canal. A pair of Swallows were flying around, and were joined by a pair of Red-rumped Swallows.
Instantly recognisable from the more familiar Barn Swallow, the Red-rumped appear more portly, and not so agile in flight, the tail feathers not so long, and the dark tail looks like it has been stuck on to the body.
As I walked back up the track for breakfast the jangling song of the Corn Bunting rang out across the field. The owner sitting at the top of one of the dead trees.
After a leisurely breakfast we set off for Monchique. Rising up between the Algarve and neighbouring Alentejo region is the Serra de Monchique, a range of rolling mountains clad in heavy forest. The town of Monchique lies between the peaks of Fóia and Picota. It is a charming hillside town of steep, cobbled streets and whitewashed houses
The town has been famous for its spa waters, with 32°C, slightly sulphurous waters, which are said to be good
for respiratory and digestive ailments and rheumatism, and has been a place of retreat over the years for the Portugese Royal families. Today though the area is more threatened by fires that ravage the woodland, there was plenty of evidence of this on our walk.
We set off from a car park just out of the town, Swifts could be seen above the area, but there was no sign of any Alpine Swifts with them. We followed the road downhill, and were surprised by a male Redstart as it sang from the branch of a tree almost in front of us.
Stunning birds we stopped to take advantage.
Finally we left the road and headed own a grassy track, the Iberian sub species of Speckled Wood butterfly were everywhere, they appear a lot more orange that the browns we see in the UK, in flight you think they might be a fritillary, until they land.
We were now walking around the valley. What we first thought was a Hoopoe turned out to just be a Jay below us. This always seems to be the case!
White butterflies followed us, passing quickly and paying very little attention to the flowers that lined the path. Finally one did stop to reveal itself to be a Bath White.
looking down through the Cork Oak woodland. The bark of the oak had been cut off, and the remaining trunk was pitch black from the fires that went through the area last summer, it created a strange scene, the rich lush green grasses and groups of red poppies contrasting with the black of the fire scorched tree trunks.
Looking up the black branches crept around each other creating a monochromatic canopy above us
A little further along the path wound through a small hamlet and then alongside a field of vivid yellow lupins, more contrast against the jet black tree trunks.
The yellow lupins stretched away across the side of the hill for as far as could be seen.
All around there was a profusion of new growth, probably as a result of the fires last year. As well as the oaks there were blackened Eucalyptus trees with branches with leaves sprouting from the base of what looked like a dead tree.
As well as the blacked bark the shadows thrown by the trees was also contrasting with the yellow lupins.
While up close the flowers looked quite impressive
Blackcaps sang from the bushes as we continued winding our way around the side of the valley. A different song greeted us in one spot and it was good to catch up with a Cirl Bunting, not the best of photographs though.
Another white butterfly that finally settled turned out to be a Small White.
Another feature of the grassy fields beneath the Cork Oaks were a form of parsley that was just emerging. IT was a yellowy green in colour and present a ball of flowers that again would contrast against the dark backgrounds.
It was warming up, and as a result Clouded Yellows were appearing, but not stopping. Helen found this moth on the pat, I think it is a Spanish Carpet
The path wound its way down to a stream, and after crossing it we climbed up the bank and valley on the other side, passing through grassland where at last I managed to get close to a Clouded Yellow.
Movement on the bark of one of the Cork Oaks caught my eye, and as I stood waiting a Treecreeper appeared exploring the rivulets of the bark with its beak.
Looking at the photographs after I am sure that this is in fact a Short-toed Treecreeper. I have only ever seen one before, and that was at Dungeness in the nineties. Identification is difficult, and is best confirmed by song, or call which I never heard, however the shape of the wing bar is more like that of the Short-toed with triangular shapes to the tips, these are square in the Treecreeper. In the upper photograph the lower mandible appears pink all the way to the tip of the bill, again a feature of Short-toed.
It was collecting insects so probably had a nest close by.
Our walk then took us along a bank looking down to a stream, patches of Bamboo were growing by the side of the water, and from these Nightingale were singing. We counted at least six birds singing along with Cetti's Warbler. We never got a glimpse of either bird. Maybe Bamboo would be a way to support Nightingale in the UK as the birds seemed to use this habitat a lot, however in hindsight as it is an evasive species this might be the best of solutions.
Another Small White finally settled for me.
We passed under an old 19th century viaduct, a lovely bridge that unfortunately had been desecrated with graffiti. Why any one would think to have to done this I can't believe, here though I have managed a view hiding the offending art work.
As we ended the walk we were taken though grassland once again, the track partially hidden, the parsley were dotted around amongst many other flowers.
The path wound its way uphill and eventually back on the track we had set off on at the start. As we came back out on to the road we stopped for a drink at a restaurant with a veranda and lovely view. Below I could hear Blackcap singing in amongst the orange trees, while at the back of the grove a Firecrest was singing so I lured it closer and had some lovely views.
As I mentioned earlier Monchique lies between the peaks of Fóia and Picota. Fóia being the highest peak in the Algarve that has views from the top looking out over the coastal towns of the Algarve, and on a clear day as far as Cabo de Sao Vincente.
We drove out of Monchique and followed a winding road to the top where there were some facilities and a cafe. The view was amazing.
It was much cooler up on the summit, and the air felt clearer. This is a good spot to find Rock Bunting, but unfortunately they were not showing well, and I only managed to see a couple fly past, and one calling distantly on a rock.
From Fóia we headed back down to the coast, our destination the Alvor Estuary, and area that lies between Lagos in the west and Portimao to the east. Driving along the dirt track towards the sea Bee-eaters were everywhere, every time we turned a corner we seemed to flush pairs from either the fence or the wires running alongside the track.
We parked at the end of the track, and set off along a path that headed out into the marsh. Views were distant, and what I thought were swans out in an open part of the water were in fact Greater Flamingos
More white than the expected pink plumage normally associated with the Flamingo, due to the diet, but definitely not swans.
Along the track Crested Larks flirted with the fence and path, but seemed to manage to evade the camera. However one bird did behave was this Iberian Yellow Wagtail, one of the many sub-species of Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava iberia
The species of Yellow Wagtail is very confusing with literally dozens of sub-species having been described at any one time.
The Iberian Yellow Wagtail is similar to the Blue-headed, but with a white throat and with a dark grey to almost black colouring behind the eyes. They are found through south-eastern France and the Iberian peninsula across to Tunisia and Algeria.
Ashy-headed Wagtail is a similar sub-species but lacks the white supercilium.
I could hear the calls of Black-winged Stilts out on the marsh, every so often a pair would fly over and disappear into the vegetation. A little further along we could see a pair on a patch of clear water.
They always look like they are so delicate they could easily break those long spindly legs
Further beyond the stilts I could just make out a pair of Avocet feeding, and a little further along we found a lone Greater Flamingo by the side of the marsh sporting a nice leg ring.
There is bird observatory nearby, but I doubt whether they were responsible for ringing this bird.
Looking across the marsh there were patches of colour that we provided by the brightly coloured flowers of succulents that grew in amongst the marsh.
The path reached the main river channel, close by a Little Egret was hunting in a small pool.
Out on the exposed mud there were several people searching for shell fish, probably clams. The exposed mud was covered with crabs of varying sizes, for some reason of no interest to the egrets and gulls
The path was supposed to loop around the marsh, but the sea wall has been breached over the winter, and there was no way of getting across so we had to turn around and retrace our steps.
Walking back one of the black-winged Stilts was out in the open water.
As we drove back I indicated to Helen that I wanted to try and get some pictures of the Bee-eaters, however as we pulled away it was another of the exotic Mediterranean birds that presented itself in front of us, the Hoopoe, this time definitely not a Jay.
I moved the car to allow us to get a better view and for me to also be able to take some photographs.
It flew a little bit ahead of us showing the lovely black and white butterfly shaped wings, then settled just by the side of the track.
We hoped it would raise the crown feathers but it did not oblige, but never the less it was a lovely surprise and some great views.
It flew off over the wall and we finally moved on in search of the Bee-eaters. Seeing these beautiful birds was not a problem, stopping and then expecting them to do the same was. Finally I came across a pair that were a little less spooked. I stopped the car and managed to get some shots.
I was able to get out of the car and use it as cover, this allowed me to get closer.
It is a shame that they were sitting on the wire, but as I was so close I was able to get some lovely close up portrait shots. Here you can see the bi-focal vision
And here the stunning colours
Now as I had driven down the track with the window open, I had left them down when I left the car. As I watched the Bee-eaters I could hear slaps coming from the car and then Helen calling me. The car was filling up with Mosquitoes and they were biting! I left the Bee-eaters and got back in the car and headed off with the windows down hoping our visitors would leave.
That was it for the day, and after a stop off at the supermarket for more reserves we headed back to the Quinta. Not a bad day, we were hoping the weather would continue for the rest of the week.
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