Crested Tit - 1st bird of the year

I was doing my morning washing up at my holiday apartment as I looked out the glass doors a small silhouette landed on a plant outside. I knew what it was as I been looking for 1 for 2 weeks and havnt seen 1 in 25 years

Straight away I had to find my camera and rushed outside to find the Crested Tit up a palm tree then it went up high into pines for binocular views.

1st bird of the year!!  Happy New Year.

Quinto do Lago , Algarve

On arriving at 8am at the carpark on Ayrton Senna avenue , we were straight into a fishing Osprey and a Kingfisher at the main lake.
Along the track round the Quinto do Lago lakes we saw Spoonbills, Cormorants, Egrets, Redshank, Bluethroat and Black Redstarts
 Caspain Terns were in the air over the open waters
At the Soa Lourenco bird hide we saw Little Bittern, Purple Swamphen, Glossy Ibis, Pintail , Gadwall, and a few Tufted Duck
Azure winged Magpies House Sparrows and Hoopoes were abundant.

Little Bittern

We went to visit Quinto do Lago as I heard that a Green Heron had been seen there over the past week or so and I was keen to catch up with it. My father got a few seconds view of it and I managed a leg as it faded into the reeds and we never saw it again, but as we searched the reeds this over wintering Little Bittern was a fine substitute

Salgados Lagoon , Algarve, Portugal

A glorious wetlands teaming with birdlife with easy access and a boardwalk along the southern end of the reedbeds.

The 1st hide is a disgrace but the 2nd gives great views from the west end.

Birding highlights seen here during 2 visits

Audouins Gull, Lesser black backed Gulls, Med Gulls, 6 Caspain Tern,  4 Penduline Tits, 2 Bluethroats, Cragg Martins, Marsh Harrier, Purple Swamphen, Flamingo, Avocet, Ruff, Blackwits, Glossy Ibis, White Storks, Black headed Weaver, Fan tailed Warblers, Shoveler,  Pochard, Coot , Cattle Egret, Grey Herons, Cormorants, Common Sandpipers, Chiffchaffs and Hoopoe plus a rare Greenshank.

Glossy Ibis

Black winged Stilt

Caspain Tern

Audouins Gull

Spoonbill

Penduline Tit

Marsh Harrier

Cettis Warbler

Cattle Egret

Black headed Weaver

Fan tailed Warbler

Bluethroat

Purple Swamphen

Great views of Purple Swaphen at the 2nd hide ofVilamoura reedbeds.

Seen pulling up reeds and gnawing on the fresh roots.

We need a few of these back home at shannon airport lagoon to keep the reeds at bay from the encroachment.

Colours contrasts of this bird are awsome,