I have posted on Tavira before so I will not go in to too much detail but will say that it is a super area for birding and it also has some great restaurants!
The Salt Pans/ Salinas in Tavira are always a delight to explore. Highlight species were Bee-eater, Serin, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Greater Flamingo, Little Owl, Slender-billed Gull and an amazing looking spider on a web!!
We were informed of Red-necked Nightjars that feed on the moths and insects that are attracted to the floodlights that illuminate the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo, which is in the centre of Tavira. It was a joy to see and hear the Nightjars as they hawked the insects, a treat indeed and well worth the walk up the hill!
Bee-eater.
Superb views were enjoyed of this charismatic bird!
Black-tailed Godwits.
Black-winged Stilts.
Black-winged Stilt chick.
A solitary Serin!
Turnstone and Black-winged Stilt
Greater Flamingos
Argiope brunennichi (wasp spider).
A species of orb-web spider. I have read that it is quite harmless and highly unlikely to harm you but maybe best to keep a distance just in case.;-) A stunning spider to see if you are a spider fanatic!
Crested Lark
Geckoes
This character had a new tail growing after shedding it's original tail probably due to stress. It is a way of distracting a predator so the Gecko can escape.
Two Geckoes in one piece.
What big eyes you have!!
Success after a couple of trips to see this Little Owl.
Slender-billed Gull
Highlight sightings at the Lake at Sao Lourenco, Quinta do Lago.
Black-headed Weaver
Gadwall
Great Crested Grebes.
Little Grebe
Red-crested Pochard
Little Bittern chicks!
Lovely to have had good views of these two youngsters as they waited for a parent to return with food!
Cacela Velha
Cacela Velha is a picturesque white-washed village.
There are no tourist facilities apart from a few café-restaurants. However the views from the clifftop of the Ria Formosa are stunning and along with the pretty village well worth a visit.
Red-rumped Swallows
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A day's birding in the Baixo Alentejo and Tavira was again a brilliant day with our guides for the day June Taylor & Peter Dedicoat of
Highlights were plentiful, the wildlife, the scenery, the sunshine and last but not least great company!
My highlight birds were Great Bustard, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Pallid Swift, Eurasion Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Europen Roller, Golden Oriole, Crag martin, Tawny Pipit, Rufous Bush Robin, Blue Rock Thrush, Zitting Cisticola, Woodchat Shrike, Iberian(Southern) Grey Shrike, Spotless Starling, Eurasion Griffon, Short-toed eagle, Black Kite, Montagu's Harrier, Common Kestrel and Lesser Kestrel.
64 species in total with a Quail ♫ and Turtle Dove ♫, heard only.
Photography was not a priority today as most of the species in the areas visited do not hang around for any length of time or are at a distance. So, most of my images are 'record' photo's...well that is my excuse and I am sticking to it! ;-)
Blue Rock Thrush
Crag Martin
European Roller
Black -winged Stilt.
White Stork chicks.
Woodchat Shrike......honestly!
Montagu's Harrier
A stunner!
Great Spotted Cuckoo.
Black-tailed skimmer
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The end of another splendid holiday in the Algarve!
Bye bye Tavira, for now!
Lovely trip. The photo labelled Audouin's Gull in fact shows a Slender-billed Gull.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment, it was a lovely trip!
DeleteI have to confess that ' I do not do Gulls' very often. I had a Slender-billed Gull in 2013 and in the same salina but maybe not the same Gull! Thank you for the correct ID, I will up my game with Gulls in future!
Thank you for visiting my blog.:-)
I enjoyed catching up with your Algarvian holiday Pam, what a beautiful place it seems to be! Though I'm not keen on giant wasps and spiders!!! lol
ReplyDeleteLove all your pics as usual, it's nice to see something different, the BH Weaver bird is a particularly nice shot.....as is the Portuguese flag on the boat!
Thank you for your delightful comments Ruth!
DeleteI have to admit that I am also not too keen on giant wasps and spiders, though they are fascinating to watch...at a distance!!lol