Monday, 24th March 2025, 7:52 a.m.
PN Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina--Boca do Rio, Vila do Bispo, Faro, Portugal
Bradley Waggoner
Fun couple hours of birding this flooded fields and wetland habitat. Partly cloudy and at first light winds. Winds did pick up a bit and temperatures were in the 50’s. Trying to get visuals on the Savi’s Warbler and Water Rail along with working through the flying swifts had me staying a bit longer than intended. It was worth it though.
| 6 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos |
| 2 | Common WoodpigeonColumba palumbus |
| 8 | Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba Very large and distinctly patterned below with white throat and white belly. All dark above. |
| 6 | Common SwiftApus apus I am convinced that under lighting conditions both Pallid and Common were in the low feeding swifts and swallows over the flooded fields. Appeared darker overall, more deeply forked tail, and perhaps leaner,maybe bigger overall with narrower less blunt wings. |
| 6 | Pallid SwiftApus pallidus Some noted closely to show fringed underparts. But overall seemingly lighter brownish in color and more pudgy with slightly blunter wings. |
| 10 | Common/Pallid SwiftApus apus/pallidus |
| 2 | Water RailRallus aquaticus Responded to playback. Grunt-like sequence from two locales. Also very brief viewing of one moving rather quickly in an open patch. Lifer. |
| 1 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus |
| 2 | Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos |
| 1 | Green SandpiperTringa ochropus In flight - calling. Noting much “blacker” wings, both above and below as being different from Solitary or Wood. |
| 6 | White StorkCiconia ciconia |
| 1 | Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus |
| 2 | Eurasian WryneckJynx torquilla Initially heard calling on adjacent hillside as I was on the bridge. Happily my suspicions of the source of the call was answered when a Wryneck flew down the hill in response to playback. Interesting looking bird! I was able to get a few photos. At one time I noted one off a bit distant as one was calling near - thus 2. Lifer |
| 5 | Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis |
| 1 | Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides Lifer! Fortunately I ran into a local birder who pointed out its rather lengthy insect-like trill. I now recollect hearing this vocalization a few days back. With patience, I was able to briefly see it on a few occasions move about low in the willowy-like shrubby vegetation among the reeds. I was always viewed low. Larger and longer tailed than smaller Chiffchaff that stayed higher in the same Willow shrub. It also maintained a horizontal posture without cocking its tail up as it moved about. It seemed uniformly light brown above with lighter underparts (but not white). Almost wren-like in its bill and face to me. Lifer. |
| 5 | Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris |
| 12 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica |
| 50 | Western House MartinDelichon urbicum |
| 1 | European Red-rumped SwallowCecropis rufula |
| 6 | Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita |
| 2 | Common/Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita/ibericus |
| 2 | Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti |
| 5 | Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala |
| 4 | Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes |
| 1 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos |
| 4 | Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula |
| 4 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola |
| 1 | Pied Wagtail/White WagtailMotacilla alba |
| 2 | Common ChaffinchFringilla coelebs |
| 3 | European GreenfinchChloris chloris |
| 12 | European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis |
| 8 | European SerinSerinus serinus |