Tuesday, 18th February 2025, 6:49 a.m.
PN Ria Formosa--Praia dos Cavacos, Olhão, Faro, Portugal
Peter Milinets-Raby
A dawn visit beneath threatening bkack skies ahead of a storm, which thankfully held off until after I had finished my visit. High tide and the bad weather made the preferred lagoon chocker with birds. Again, I kept to the track that follows the rail track reaching the wooden walkway/bridge across the tidal river that was full as it was high tide.
| 19 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna 2, 3, 4, 8, 2, scattered in various salt pans around the site |
| 24 | Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata 22 on the main lagoon and a pair on another salt pan |
| 2 | GadwallMareca strepera Pair on the main lagoon preferred by the majority of birds west of the farm house |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos 3 Males, a pair, male, female, male seen around the site |
| 9 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto On the rooftops in the adjacent complex |
| 4 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus Heard calling from a small ditch. Then two seen in the marsh north of the train track and one in the small pond favoured by the noisy frogs by the rail crossing. |
| 10 | Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus 1, 1, 1, 4, 1, 2, on various salt pans |
| 43 | Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta Together on the main lagoon west of the farm house |
| 18 | Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola 2 resting on one bank and 16 roostin out high tide along the bank of the preferred lagoon |
| 12 | Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula Roosting groups of 6, 6 on salt pan banks |
| 6 | Kentish PloverAnarhynchus alexandrinus Roosting groups of 4, 2 on salt pan banks. |
| 2 | Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa 2 resting on the bank of the preferred lagoon |
| 2 | Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos 1, 1 individuals. One showing well in the tidal creek. |
| 14 | Common RedshankTringa totanus 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 1 scattered around the site at various salt pans |
| 2 | Common GreenshankTringa nebularia H, H Two birds heard calling. One at the rear of the preferred lagoon and one from the muddy marsh west of the tidal creek. |
| 9 | Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres 4, 5 roosting on salt pan bank |
| 2 | SanderlingCalidris alba Running around a salt pan bank. |
| 11 | DunlinCalidris alpina 7, 4 roosting on the banks of the preferred lagoon |
| 75 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus 15, 2, 22, 36, feeding on various salt pans |
| 45 | Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis Grouos of 4, 2, 1, 8, 3, drifting over heading south and 27 on the muddy marsh west of the tidal creek. |
| 11 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus Groups of 2, 1, 1, 7, flying over |
| 2 | Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia 2 over heading east |
| 76 | Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus On the preferred lagoon by the farm house |
| 1 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis Heard calling just before sunrise from ponds adjacent to the rail crossing |
| 4 | White StorkCiconia ciconia 1, 1, individuals flying over. And the pair on the nest by the wooden walkway by the tidal creek. |
| 24 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo 5 over at dawn heading east, and 19 perched around the site |
| 55 | Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia Groups of 6, 3, and 2 flying over. And 27 on the preferred lagoon and 17 resting on the muddy marsh west of the tidal creek. |
| 25 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta Groups of 7, 1, and 4 leaving the site at dawn heading east. And 4 on the main lagoon and 8 on the muddy marsh west of the tidal creek and one in the marsh north of the train track. |
| 9 | Western Cattle-EgretArdea ibis Groups of 4, 3, 2 leaving at dawn heading north east. |
| 8 | Great White EgretArdea alba 1 over east at dawn, 5 on the main lagoon and two in the marsh north of the rail track. |
| 12 | Grey HeronArdea cinerea H, 1, and 10 on the main lagoon |
| 3 | OspreyPandion haliaetus 3 together interacting and seemingly chasing one another. Two departed westward, and one headed off north. Probably the same bird then returned from the north 20 minutes later. |
| 1 | Iberian MagpieCyanopica cooki Flying west |
| 8 | Common MagpiePica pica H, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 around the site |
| 1 | Great TitParus major Heard singing from the scrub by the road to the salt pans |
| 6 | Crested LarkGalerida cristata H, H, 2, 1, 1 seen around the site singing |
| 7 | Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis H, H, 1, H, 1, 1, 1, 1 singing individuals around the site |
| 27 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica 6, 2, 1 4, 2, 3, 8, 1, moving through ahead of dark threatening clouds. |
| 49 | Western House MartinDelichon urbicum 5, 30+ hawking over the lagoons ahead of stormy weather. 14 over buildings adjacent to the salt pans |
| 3 | European Red-rumped SwallowCecropis rufula 2, 1 milling about over the salt pans |
| 5 | Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita 1, H, 1, 1, 1, Very few around this morning |
| 2 | Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti H, H individuals heard singing |
| 2 | Eurasian BlackcapSylvia atricapilla H, H calling from gardens in the complex north of the salt pans |
| 5 | Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala H, H, 1, 1, H individuals singing |
| 5 | Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor On rooftops of the properties adjacent to the salt pans |
| 12 | Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula H, H, 2H, H, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 scattered around the site |
| 1 | European RobinErithacus rubecula Heard singing at dawn from the scrub by the rail crossing |
| 4 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola H, male, female, male (this bird showing very well indeed) |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus Around the properties |
| 2 | Spanish SparrowPasser hispaniolensis Pair on the muddy riverlet by the wooden walkway/bridge. |
| 6 | White Wagtail (alba)Motacilla alba alba/dukhunensis H, H, 1, 1, H, 1 scattered birds around the site |
| 7 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, scattered around the site |
| 11 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina H, 4, 2, H, H, 2, flying over calling. |
| 3 | European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis Along the track |
| 5 | European SerinSerinus serinus H, 1, 1, H, 1 individuals singing |
| 1 | Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra Singing bird on the overhead electric cable along the rail track west of the wooden walkway |