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Portugal - A Step back in Time
Lottery aid for Rye House Marsh
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Birding Beyond Hertfordshire: Portugal - A Step Back in Time
On 4th May 2000, myself, Stan Brunton and Terry Brudenell headed off for a week's birding in Portugal. After landing at Faro late evening we collected the hire car and drove overnight to our starting point at Ladoeiro, International Tagus, intending to grab a couple of hours sleep before daylight. That plan went out of the window as when the car engine was switched off, a Scops Owl was continuously calling nearby, prompting early start but unfortunately remained unseen.
Apart from the obvious things like White Storks nesting on the church, a huge colony of Spanish Sparrows in Eucalyptus trees, Serins 'tinkling' in everywhere, and those strange looking Starlings without any spots, it was the sheer numbers of more familiar birds that was most impressive. House Martin nests were stacked several deep on the sides of buildings, the song of Nightingales could be heard along every roadside and even in gardens in villages and towns, and Corn Buntings jingled from every stretch of roadside wires that were not occupied by Southern Grey or Woodchat Shrikes. Every meadow was ablaze with the colour of myriad blooms of wild flowers, and Quail could be heard calling from just about every available patch of vegetation. Is this what England was like fifty years ago?
Over the next week, our route took us down the Spanish border to Castro Marim and then west to Cabo de São Vicente. The relatively short journeys between sites were lengthened as every shout of 'large raptor' (roughly about every mile) caused the car brakes to lock, and once the offending bird of prey had been identified and enjoyed there were invariably a few Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, Red-rumped Swallows, Golden Orioles, Shrikes or Azure-winged Magpies to delay the journey even further. After a couple of days the pace quickened as some species were reduced to the same status as Greenfinches in the UK, and comments like 'oh its just another Short-toed Eagle' were heard. The number of raptors is astonishing; Black Kites, Montagu's Harriers, Short-toed and Booted Eagles are relatively common, while special treats included several pairs of Black-shouldered Kites, Egyptian, Griffon, and Black Vultures, Golden Eagles (displaying), Lesser Kestrels, and even a dark morph Eleonora's Falcon (quite a good rarity here).
Other exciting birds included 4 Little Bitterns, a Squacco Heron, a Black Stork, 200 Greater Flamingoes (definately wild ones), 12 Purple Gallinules, Collared Pratincoles, 1 Caspian, 4 Gull-billed, and 2 White-winged Black Terns, a more obliging Scops Owl, at least 7 Red-necked Nighjars (in broad daylight), Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Calandra, Crested, Thekla, Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks, Crag Martins, 6 Rollers, a Tawny Pipit, Black-eared Wheatears, Blue Rock Thrushes, Fan-tailed, Great Reed, Sardinian, Spectacled and Melodious Warblers, Short-toed Treecreepers, 2 Penduline Tits, Chough, Rock Sparrows, Cirl and Rock Buntings. Rather exotic looking introduced species were Common Waxbill, Red Avadavat, and Yellow-crowned Bishop. Undoubtedly the real stars for me personally were the Bustards. We amassed a total of 45 Great (including one flock of 30), and 37 Little Bustards as well as 6 Black-bellied Sandgrouse.
The weather was unexpectedly poor though we managed to stay dry for the most part (shorts were not donned until the last two days), and this may have accounted for the absence of some summer visitors (the weather, not the shorts). Maybe if we had gone a week later we might have added a few more species to the list, but I'm certainly not complaining. Newcomers to birding abroad might do well to consider Portugal; flights are relatively cheap, lodgings averaged 2-3000 escudos (£6-£9) per night, and the natives aren't cannibalistic. Away from the Algarve a few basic Portuguese phrases will be very useful and appreciated. Distances between sites are relatively short and there is plenty to see en-route. Stock up on snacks before leaving Faro or Lisbon, avoid larger towns if possible (the one way systems are a nightmare), and always keep your documentos handy. Useful books included 'A birdwatchers Guide to Portugal and Madeira' (Prion Ltd), and 'A Birdwatching Guide to the Algarve' by Kevin and Christine Carlson. A more detailed trip report will soon be available for anyone interested in birding in Portugal.
Lee Marshall.
Lottery aid for Rye House Marsh
The latest Birdwatch magazine (June 2000) reports a cash boost for Rye House Marsh RSPB Reserve near Hoddesdon. A £600,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will finance a new visitor centre and habitat management. The Rye Meads Conservation Partnership (comprising of the Environment Agency, Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, RSPB, Rye Meads Ringing Group and Thames Water) will doubtless receive this money extremely gratefully as it allows them to proceed with their plans for the site. The reserve is perhaps the RSPBs flagship educational reserve, providing opportinuties for (mostly) children to experience nature firsthand and it is therefore important that it continues to be enhanced and improved.