Red necked Phalarope

 I've waited a few years for an opportunity to get up country and look for Red necked Phalarope.

I was perched up with my Son very early at the viewing spot looking over a marsh alive with drumming Snipe and squeeling Lapwing. Afer a while I was starting to wonder if  I would get to find what I was looking for and then a splendid Male Red necked Phalarope showed at distance in the scope, gone.

I waited again, then as I was watching the Cygnuts, the male Phalarope past by them, gone.

One more show and it was time to settle on the views we had  and move on with a hatrick of all 3 Phalarope species now in the bag.

Ballyea forost Plantation

 A local walk up the road into Ballyea forest plantation would be a regular spring birdwatch for me to take , one of those places that no others sort of visit. 

Lesser Redpoll and Siskin are regular feature, as are  Whitethroat,  Grasshopper warbler, Sedgys and Willow warbler. 

 Handfuls of Cuckoo can be seen and heard.

Purple Herons

 Over my couple of days birding in the Ludo I got to see 2 Purple Herons that were a target bird for me to see

My 1st dropped in to a grassy area and seemed to have an eye on airplanes ✈️  approaching the airport and just stayed.

Number 2 was at the early morning roosting near the Stork Heron rookery with Glossy Ibis and Egrets

Woodchat Shrike

A Woodchat Shrike . 

I was in the scrub behind the Sao Lorenco bird hide, Faro looking for Chameleon that inhabit the area, I'd love to find one but I found this Woodchat Shrike which was probably also looking for Chameleons, a wary bird that could stand out but I never got on the right side of the light and it gave me the slip.

Lesser spotted Woodpecker

 My first ever chance you get to take views of l Lesser spotted Woodpeckers 

I had knowledge of LsW could be seen within this area of the Algarve but not common. An hour previously to finding this drumming bird I was tracking down Iberian Green Woodpecker which were calling in a Pine wood 🌲 I got to see two but they were always aware of me.

This little fella came out onto a dead tree to drum and call and was still hard to see and find.

As it hammered away another LsW came to an adjacent tree to check out the noise but didn't stay and flew off. This was all happening as Cettis Warbler  bombed me with calls only a few feet away

Iberian Yellow Wagtail .

 After catching up with the Yellow Wagtail (Flava) on my home patch this week at Clahane and what a stunning bird it was I Felt compelled to put out this post of a Yellow Wagtail (iberiae) that I found on a Golf coarse in Faro, Portugal  the week previous.  Two sub species of Yellow Wagtail within the week

Yellow Wagtail at Clahane

A roll of Sea mist came in offf the ocean during the morning which may have brought this migrating Yellow Wagtail to shore. It was feeding well with 3 White Wagtails in the corner at the river entrance.Next day it was gone 

Certainly brightened up the colours of Clahane

A special morning within the Ludo NP

   I had the morning to myself and I felt yesterday that I overlooked the boundaries of where a Pine Forest meets a Marsh that flows into the salt ponds along a dusty road that passes the Stork and Heronry . I walked the road Rua Henrique Fernandes Serrão, Faro into the Ludo

7am. The  Azure winged Magpies take you into the Pines, 2 Iberian Woodpecker in the Pine Forest as  graffiti ruined building gave up a nest building pair of Red rumped Swallows, a few Barn Swallows and House Martins.

The Pines 

I got to the area I wanted to be and it turned out to be one of the best days birding I could have asked for, the Morning song of Corn Buntings, Sardinian Warblers, Waxbills, Goldfinch , Zitting Cistacolla and Cettis. A Marsh Harrier was perched at distance.

A drumming and calling along the track was a Lesser spotted Woodpecker that gave unreal views once found, attracting another but it flew of pretty quick 2 unreal,  a noisy Cettis Warbler gave itself up for photos

Take a breath.

I moved along the path 20 Little Egrets were still at roost with Glossy Ibis and a bit away a Purple Heron. The Storks were busy nesting. A few fly over Glossy Ibis and a Booted Eagle stamped a fantastic morning of birding, with more to come.

With mid day approaching and the heat kicking in I walked back getting a few Red Rumped Swallow shots now the light was up.  I caught site of a Meloudious Warbler as it moved through the leaves of near by tree

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Sao Lourenco Bird Hide , Quito de Lago, Portugal

 Me made our destination  to Sao Lourenco birdhide after a 26C  2 hour walk across the top of the Ludo.

Famous for its Little Bitterns which I've seen here before but not today. 

Today Black headed Weavers were stealing the show with nesting colonies through the reed beds of the pond and just out from the Hide. Great to watch such specialist builders at work.

A Swamphen , Little Grebes, Red Crested Pochard, Pochard and Gadwall were on the lake.

Hoopoe, Azure winged Magpie and House Sparrows were mulling about