The Gulls of Ria Formosa NP sandbanks Faro Portugal

 Just south of Faro are miles of deserted beach and back beach that holds a great concentration of Gulls, Cormorants, Flamingos, Terns and waders.

Even though this in walking distance from the Hotel ,Its an area that is off the beaten track and an area that I saw from the plane a few years back and wanted to check out.

Mostly this area is inaccessible, mainly covered by boat and birdwatching tours out of Faro, but for a hardy coastal lad like myself the draw of so many Gulls are worth the walk with Scope and backpack. When the road ends at Praia de Faro village a boardwalk carries on for over a mile then its sand trekking at Barrihina beach Ilha de Faro and sandbanks that go out of sight.

Yellow legged Gulls and Audouin`s Gull

Nice flock of Audouins Gull with over 50 birds on an outer bank

Lesser Black backed Gulls and Audouin`s Gulls

Audouin`s Gull in flight

Audouin`s Gull and Yellow legged Gulls

Great black backed Gull sub adult locally scarce

Yellow legged Gull adult

Yellow legged Gull 1st winter

Slender billed Gull flight

Slender billed Gulls

Lets not forget the Caspain Terns

Slender billed Gulls -Faro

 A walk up toward the end of the beach Island of Praia de Faro you come to the start of deserted sandbanks of Barrinha beach that offer shelter and safety to thousands of Gulls. Flamingos, Cormorants and Waders. I was hoping for a new Gull. 

A fisherman walks past, and keeps walking, I keep an eye on him in the scope as hes heading toward a far away sandbank containing loads of birds. I waited

There was plenty of Audouin`s Gulls with the Thousands of  Yellow legged and Lesser Blacked Gulls to go through . Caspain Tern and Sandwitch Tern were also available.

Up they go in the distance [thanks fisherman}with a good few gulls coming my way. 1 adult Slender-billed Gull past me and I wasnt `100% sure then and I picked up 8 Slender-billed Gulls in the scope as they approached  they flew onto the sandbanks that I was viewing , they stayed a bit distant but decent scope views and an opportunity for some phoneskoping.

          

With 8 possible Slender billed Gull heading my way.. its not until now that Im home checking my photos to find an Osprey on the sandbank...A life at the shoreline.