Happy Birding

Portugal Spring 2006

2006-05-28T14:41:00.000+01:00

We flew out from Norwich Airport arriving at Faro in the evening of Friday 14th April. We spent 2 nights in the Algarve, 5 nights in Lisbon, 5 nights in the Alentejo (Évora, Elvas and Mértola) and finally 5 nights back in the Algarve before flying back to Norwich on Monday 1st May.

I have four pages covering the four sections of the trip:

Algarve I
Lisbon
Alentejo
Algarve II

None of these pages cover the birds in any great detail, although they included details of the sites where I went birding. Full details and photos of the birds are given in systematic list format here.

Click here for the first trip section (Algarve I) or here to go straight to the details and photos of birds.

Non-avian wildlife

2006-05-28T14:28:00.000+01:00

Portugal trip, 14th April to 1st May 2006

Systematic List
Part VII: Non-avian wildlife

Note: All dates refer to April 2006 except where specified.
Species in pink are likely to be of most interest to British birders

MAMMALS
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Egyptian Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon

Single individuals were seen briefly crossing the road at Ponta da Erva on 19th and Mourão on 21st.
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Iberian Hare Lepus granatensis

A few seen at several locations.

Iberian Hare, west of Mértola, 24th April
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AMPHIBIANS
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Turtle sp.

One at the ETAR waterworks at Montenegro on 15th, 9 at Elvas on 23rd and about 12 at Ludo Farm on 29th with 2 more there on 1st May. The individual at the ETAR waterworks has been identified as probably a Mediterranean Turtle Mauremys leprosa, a common species in Portugal.

Mediterranean Turtle, ETAR Waterworks (Montenegro), 15th April

Turtles sp., Elvas, 23rd April

Turtles sp., Ludo Farm, 29th April

Turtle sp., Ludo Farm, 1st May
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BUTTERFLIES
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Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius

One at Elvas on 24th.
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Dappled White sp. Euchloe sp.

Appeared to be very common at least in the Alentejo, but unfortunately none were seen well enough to confirm the species identification. The options are Freyer’s Dappled White E. simplonia or Portuguese Dappled White E. tagis. The latter was suspected.
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Green-striped White Euchloe belemia

A probable was seen at Castro Marim on 27th or 28th, but the identification was not clinched.
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Moroccan Orange-tip Anthocaris belia euphenoides

An orange-tip seen briefly at Tomar on 18th was not identified (and didn’t look particularly yellow-winged). However Moroccan Orange-tip is the only species of Orange-tip showing as present in Portugal.
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Clouded Yellow Colias crocea

Very common, especially in the Alentejo.
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Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas

Seen in the Alentejo and at Azinhal.
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Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Singles at Montenegro on 15th and Tomar on 18th.
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Spanish Marbled White Melanargia ines

Very large numbers of Marbled Whites were present in the Alentejo with smaller numbers elsewhere. Only 1 was fully identified (west of Mértola on 25th).

Spanish Marbled White, west of Mértola, 25th April
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Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina

Plentiful around Azinhal on 28th.
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Gatekeeper sp. Pyronia sp.

One at Azinhal on 28th was seen only briefly and not identified. From the date it was presumably either a Spanish Gatekeeper P. bathseba or a Southern Gatekeeper P. cecilia.
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Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus

Several seen including at Azinhal on 28th.
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Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria aegeria

Small numbers seen at a few localities.
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DRAGONFLIES
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Emperor Anax imperator

One at Castro Marim on 28th.

Emperor, Castro Marim, 28th April
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Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii

One at Elvas on 23rd.

Red-veined Darter, Elvas, 23rd April
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Western Clubtail Gomphus pulchellus

One at Tareja on 29th.

Western Clubtail, Tareja, 29th April
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FLOWERS
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Iris sp., near Montenegro, 15th April

Water Crowfoot sp., east of Mourao, 22nd April

?, Tareja, 29th April
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__________

Part I: Wildfowl and Gamebirds
Part II: Grebes to Flamingo
Part III: Raptors to Bustards
Part IV: Shorebirds
Part V: Other non-passerines
Part VI: Passerines

Or to return to the overview of the regions visited, including very brief details of the main birding sites:

Algarve I - 14th to 16th April
Lisbon - 16th to 21st April
Alentejo - 21st to 26th April
Algarve II - 26th April to 1st May

Passerines

2006-05-28T14:06:00.000+01:00

Portugal trip, 14th April to 1st May 2006

Systematic List
Part VI: Passerines

Note: All dates refer to April 2006 except where specified.
Species in pink are likely to be of most interest to British birders

__________

CALANDRA LARK Melanocorypha calandra (Calhandra-comum)

A total of 10 seen in two locations: east of Mourão (in Spain) 2 on 21st and 3 on 22nd and between Mértola and Castro Verde 3 on 24th and 2 on 25th.

Calandra Lark, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 25th April
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SHORT-TOED LARK Calandrella brachydactyla (Calhandrinha-comum)

At least 10 at Ponta da Erva on 19th and 20th. Elsewhere 1 east of Mourão (Spain) on 22nd and 1 east of Mértola on 25th.

Short-toed Larks, Ponta da Erva, 20th April
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LESSER SHORT-TOED LARK Calandrella rufescens (calhandrinha das marismas)

Up to 10 at Castro Marim on 27th, 30th and 1st May.

Lesser Short-toed Larks, Castro Marim, 30th April

Lesser Short-toed Larks, Castro Marim, 1st May
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CRESTED LARK Galerida cristata (Cotovia-de-poupa)

The commonest and most widespread lark with best counts of 25 between Mértola and Castro Verde on 24th and 25th.

Crested Lark, east of Mourão, 21st April

Crested Lark, Elvas, 24th April

Crested Lark, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 24th April

Crested Lark, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 25th April (lower bird showed some features of Thekla, but was probably Crested?)

Crested Lark, Castro Marim, 1st May
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THEKLA LARK Galerida theklae (Cotovia-montesina)

First identified in the hills north of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo on 15th. A difficult bird to identify though habitat seemed to provide a good clue with this species more likely to be encountered in shrubby hilly areas. At least 15 were identified east of Mértola on 25th and birds to the west of Mértola included both species on 25th and 26th. Others were suspected but not positively identified at Azinhal.

Thekla Lark, east of Mértola, 25th April

juvenile Thekla Lark, west of Mértola, 26th April
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WOODLARK Lullula arborea (Cotovia-pequena)

A total of 7 seen at 5 inland locations.

Woodlark, north of Bispo, 16th April

Woodlark, Cortelha, 16th April

Woodlark, west of Mértola, 26th April
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SKYLARK Alauda arvensis (Laverca)

Up to 20 seen at Ponta da Erva on 19th and 20th.

Skylark, Ponta da Erva, 19th April

Skylark, Ponta da Erva, 20th April
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SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia (Andorinha-das-barreiras)

Up to 6 seen at the following sites: Tomar, Marinhas do Samouco, Barroca d’Alva and Elvas.
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CRAG MARTIN Ptyonoprogne rupestris (Androinha-das-rochas)

Pairs seen at each of the monasteries at Tomar, Batalha and Alcobaça on 18th, with 6 birds at the latter site. Elsewhere in the vicinity of Mértola 6 on 25th and 3 on 26th. Finally 1 at Carrapateira on 28th.

Crag Martin, Tomar, 18th April

Crag Martin, west of Mértola, 26th April
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SWALLOW Hirundo rustica (Andorinha-das-chaminés)

Very common everywhere.
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RED-RUMPED SWALLOW Cecropis daurica (Andorinha-dáurica)

Commoner than expected with a total of 22 seen at a variety of locations. More in the Alentejo than anywhere else, including 5 west of Mértola on 26th.

Red-rumped Swallows, west of Mértola, 26th April
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HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbica (Andorinho-dos-beirais)

Common everywhere.

House Martin, Elvas, 23rd April
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BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL Motacilla flava flava (Alvéola-amarela)

One male at Castro Marim on 27th was presumably a migrant.

Blue-headed Wagtail, Castro Marim, 27th April
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SPANISH WAGTAIL Motacilla flava iberiae (Alvéola-amarela)

Fairly common in the Algarve and around the Tejo Estuary, particularly at Ponta da Erva where about 40 on 19th.

Spanish Wagtail, Quinto do Lago, 15th April

Spanish Wagtail, Barroca d'Alva, 19th April

Spanish Wagtail, Ponta da Erva, 19th April

Spanish Wagtail, Ponta da Erva, 20th April

Spanish Wagtail, Castro Marim, 27th April

Spanish Wagtail, Castro Marim, 1st May
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GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea (Alvéola-cinzenta)

One at Tanoeiro on 28th.
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WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba alba (Alvéola-branca)

On 18th, 1 at Tomar, 2 feeding young at Batalha and 4 at Lagne de Óbidos.
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WREN Troglodytes troglodytes (Carriça)

Singles seen or heard at 4 locations: Santa Catarina, Lisbon, Tomar and Tareja.
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ROBIN Erithacus rubecula (Pisco-de-peito-ruivo)

Seen or heard at 3 locations between Tomar and Óbidos on 18th and then 1 heard at Sintra on 20th.
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NIGHTINGALE Luscinia megarhynchos (Rouxinol-comum)

Common and widespread with birds heard singing at several locations. One was singing right out on the open at Elvas on 23rd with 2 more singing in full view nearby on 24th.

Nightingale, Elvas, 23rd April
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BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros (Rabirruivo-preto)

Eight seen at 5 locations, all on 18th: 1 at Lisbon, 3 males at Tomar, 1 between Tomar and Batalha, 2 at Batalha and 1 at Óbidos.
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REDSTART Phoenicurus phoenicurus (Rabirruivo-de-testa-branca)

A male along the N2 at Cortelha on 16th was the only sighting.
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WHINCHAT Saxicola rubetra (Cartaxo-nortenho)

Only one observation, in Spain: 1 east of Mourão on 21st.
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STONECHAT Saxicola torquata (Cartaxo-comum)

Common and widespread with perhaps as many as 60 at Ponta da Erva on 19th.

Stonechats, Pancas, 19th April

Stonechat, Castro Marim, 27th April
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NORTHERN WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe (Chasco-cinzento)

One at Azinhal on 28th was the only sighting.
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BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR Oenanthe hispanica (Chasco-ruivo)

A black-throated male and 2 females east of Mourão (Spain) on 22nd with 1 there next day. Between Mértola and Castro Verde 2 males on 24th and 2 males and a female on 25th including both black-throated and pale-throated forms. Finally 1 at Nora on 28th.

Black-eared Wheatear, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 25th April
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BLUE ROCK THRUSH Monticola solitarius (Melro-azul)

A wrong turn in Alcoutim on 26th found us in a building site where a splendid male Blue Rock Thrush was singing from the top of a crane.

Blue Rock Thrush, Alcoutim, 26th April
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BLACKBIRD Turdus merula (Melro-preto)

Common everywhere. Iberian birds were distinctly greyer than British-breeding birds and seemed slightly different structurally too.

Blackbird, Quinta do Lago, 15th April
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MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus (Tordeia)

One on a lawn at Ludo Farm on 29th and 30th.
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CETTI'S WARBLER Cettia cetti (Rouxinol-bravo)

Common in most areas, so long as there was water nearby. Birds perched out in the open not infrequently, though rarely for long.

Cetti's Warblers, Barroca d'Alva, 19th April
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FAN-TAILED WARBLER Cisticola juncidis (Fuinha-dos-juncos)

Very common with getting on for 150 recorded (many of them heard but not seen). Most numerous at Ponta da Erva where at least 30 on 19th.

Fan-tailed Warbler, Lagne de Óbidos, 18th April

Fan-tailed Warbler, Castro Marim, 27th April
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REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus (Rouxinol-pequeno-dos-caniços)

Small numbers (up to 3) recorded at Barroca d’Alva, Ponta da Erva, Elvas and Ludo Farm.
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GREAT REED WARBLER Acrocephalus arundinaceus (Rouxinol-grande-dos-caniços)

Common. In the Algarve 1 at Quinta do Lago on 15th and up to 2 at Ludo Farm on 29th and 1st May. Around Lisbon, 3 at Barroca d’Alva on 19th and 21st and up to 12 at Ponta da Erva on 19th and 20th. In the east, up to 4 east of Mourão (Spain) on 21st and 23rd and up to 3 at Elvas on 23rd and 24th.

Great Reed Warbler, Ponta da Erva, 20th April
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MELODIOUS WARBLER Hippolais polyglotta (Felosa-poliglota)

Two along the N2 at Cortelha on 16th, 4 at Elvas on 23rd with 1 there the next day and 1 west of Mértola on 26th.

Melodious Warbler, Elvas, 23rd April
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DARTFORD WARBLER Sylvia undata (Felosa-do-mato)

One west of Mértola on 25th with 2 there on 26th. One at Azinhal on 28th and 29th. All were singing males.

Dartford Warbler, west of Mértola, 26th April
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SUBALPINE WARBLER Sylvia cantillans (Toutinegra-carrasqueira)

Surprisingly only 1 was seen, a calling female outside the hotel at Mértola on 25th.
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SARDINIAN WARBLER Sylvia melanocephala (Toutinegra-de-cabeça-preta)

Very common with 88 recorded (probably including a little duplication). Scarcer in the Alentejo than other regions.

Sardinian Warbler, ETAR Waterworks (Montenegro), 15th April

Sardinian Warbler, Castro Marim, 27th April
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WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis (Papa-amoras-comum)

One in the hills north of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo on 16th.
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GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia borin (Felosa-das-figueiras)

One or two at Elvas on 24th.
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BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla (Toutinegra-de-barrette-preto)

Up to 2 seen at 4 locations: Cortelha, Tomar, Elvas and Tareja.

Blackcap, Elvas, 24th April
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IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus ibericus (Felosa-ibérica)

After much searching, 1 was finally found singing at Tareja (north of São Brás de Alportel). Eventually it was seen, though only briefly. An unidentified Phylloscopus warbler was seen briefly north of Santa Catarina on 16th.
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FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla (Estrelinha-de-cabeça-listada)

One sang briefly from a bungalow’s television aerial at Tomar on 18th and 1 was heard singing along the road between Batalha and Alcobaça the same day.
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SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Muscicapa striata (Papa-moscas-cinzento)

One at Elvas on 24th.

Spotted Flycatcher, Elvas, 24th April
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IBERIAN LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalos caudatus irbii (Chapim-rabilongo)

Seen or heard at 4 locations: west of Santa Catarina on 16th, south of Alcoutim on 26th, Azinhal on 28th and Tareja on 29th.
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BLUE TIT Cyanistes caeruleus (Chapim-azul)

Not uncommon, small numbers seen at a variety of inland locations.
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GREAT TIT Parus major (Chapim-real)

Small numbers seen at a variety of locations, often the same places as the previous species.
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CRESTED TIT Lophophanes cristatus (Chapim-de-poupa)

Only seen in the central Algarve around Faro: 3 between Ludo and Quinta do Lago and 2 near Montenegro University on 15th, 4 at Ludo Farm on 29th and 2 there on 1st May, the last birds seen before returning to England.
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COAL TIT Periparus ater (Chapim-preto)

One heard between Batalha and Alcobaça on 18th.
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NUTHATCH Sitta europaea (Trepadeira-azul)

Two north of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo on 16th and singles seen or heard along the N2 at Cortelha on 16th, Pancas on 19th and Tareja on 29th.
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SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER Certhia brachydactyla (Trepadeira-comum)

Two north of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo on 16th.
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GOLDEN ORIOLE Oriolus oriolus (Papa-figos)

In the south, 9 of which 6 were seen: a male north of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo on 16th, males at Azinhal and Tanoeiro and a pair at Castro Marim all on 28th and 3 at Azinhal and singles at São Brás de Alportel and Tareja, all on 29th. In the east, at least 3 around Mértola 25th-26th, but none of these were seen.

Golden Oriole, north of Bispo, 16th April

Golden Oriole, Azinhal, 29th April
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SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE Lanius meridionalis (Picanço-real)

Common and conspicuous, particularly in the Alentejo, with a total of 67 seen. Best counts were 14 around Elvas on 23rd and 13 between Mértola and Castro Verde on 25th.

Southern Grey Shrike, west of Mértola, 24th April
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WOODCHAT SHRIKE Lanius senator (Picanço-barreteiro)

Common and widespread with a total of 73 seen. A total of 20 seen on 23rd, between Mourão, Badajoz (Spain) and Elvas.

Woodchat Shrike, Quinta do Lago, 15th April

Woodchat Shrikes, north of Bispo, 15th April

Woodchat Shrike, Ria Formosa, 27th April
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JAY Garrulus glandarius (Gaio-comum)

Fairly common with 14 seen at a variety of locations, mainly in the east and south.
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IBERIAN AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE Cyanopica (cyana) cooki (Pega-azul)

Very common, noisy and conspicuous in the south and east though none seen in the Lisbon area. The total of 177 birds seen included 24 between Mértola and Castro Verde on 25th and 20 going to roost (in 2 flocks) at Ludo Farm on 29th.

Azure-winged Magpie, near Quinta do Lago, 15th April

Azure-winged Magpies, east of Mourão, 22nd April
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MAGPIE Pica pica (Pega-rabuda)

Only seen in the Alentejo and at Castro Marim. Not particularly common.
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JACKDAW Corvus monedula (Gralha-de-nuca-cinzenta)

A few at Évora on 22nd.
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CARRION CROW Corvus corone (Gralha-preta)

Three at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th and 3 at Pancas on 19th were the only ones noted down, though I think I saw others which I didn’t make a note of.
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RAVEN Corvus corax (Corvo)

Singles seen at 4 locations, all in the east, and 3 east of Mourão (Spain) on 23rd.
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SPOTLESS STARLING Sturnus unicolor (Estorninho-preto)

Fairly common in most places, particularly in the Alentejo, the only region where counts exceeded 12 (up to 30). Over 200 seen in all.

Spotless Starlings, Ludo Farm, 29th April
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CRESTED MYNA Acridotheres cristatellus (??)

Several at Carcavelos, along the coast west of Lisbon, on 20th. Birds were very mobile and rarely settled in view so obtaining a count was difficult. Between 5 and 10 birds were seen before I nearly got arrested photographing them – apparently the site was a NATO fort on red alert. Other than these, one seen in flight near the waterfront in central Lisbon on 21st.

Crested Myna, Carcavelos, 20th April
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YELLOW-CROWNED BISHOP Euplectes afer (Bispo-de-coroa-amarela)

Four at Barroca d’Alva on 19th. A female Bishop at Ponta da Erva the same day may have been this species or was possibly an Orange Bishop Euplectes franciscanus.

Yellow-crowned Bishops, Barroca d'Alva, 19th April

female Bishop sp., Ponta da Erva, 19th April
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RED-HEADED QUELEA Quelea erythrops (Quelea-de-cabeca-vermelha)

Two at Barroca d’Alva on 19th.

Red-headed Quelea, Barroca d'Alva, 19th April
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HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus (Pardal)

Very common in most areas – encouraging in view of their recent decline in the UK.

House Sparrow, Ponta da Erva, 19th April
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SPANISH SPARROW Passer hispaniolensis (Pardal-espanhol)

One at Ponta da Erva on 20th. Up to 60 east of Mourão (Spain) on 22nd and 23rd and in the Alentejo, 2 at Mourão on 22nd, at least 30 between Mértola and Castro Verde on 25th and at least 30 south of Mértola on 26th. Some of these were nesting in Storks’ nests (as were House Sparrows).

Spanish Sparrows, east of Mourão, 23rd April

Spanish Sparrows, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 25th April
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TREE SPARROW Passer montanus (Pardal-montez)

Five (4 and a 1) at Elvas on 23rd and 2 at Tareja on 29th.
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ROCK SPARROW Petronia petronia (Pardal-francês)

Two east of Mourão (Spain) on 22nd and 23rd.

Rock Sparrow, east of Mourão, 25th April
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BLACK-HEADED WEAVER Ploceus melanocephalus (??)

This naturalised species was seen at 2 locations in the Algarve and 1 near Lisbon: three near Ludo and a pair at Quinta do Lago on 15th and 6 at Barroca d’Alva on 19th and 21st.

Black-headed Weaver, near Quinta do Lago, 15th April

Black-headed Weaver, Barroca d'Alva, 19th April
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RED AVADAVAT Amandava amandava (Bengali-vermelho)

A flock of 6 near the River Guadiana at Elvas on 24th. None were red adult males.

Red Avadavat, Elvas, 24th April
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COMMON WAXBILL Estrilda astrild (Bico-de-lacre)

Two at Barroca d’Alva on 16th with 3 there on 19th, 2 at Ponta da Erva on 20th and 3 near the River Guadiana at Elvas on 23rd.

Common Waxbill, Barroca d'Alva, 19th April
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CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs (Tentilhão-comum)

One or two seen at 6 sites all in the south of the country.
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SERIN Serinus serinus (Chamariz-comum)

Very common, the commonest finch. A total of 188 recorded although that probably included some duplication. Particularly common north of Lisbon where 55 seen between Tomar and Alcobaça on 18th.

Serin, ETAR Waterworks (Montenegro), 15th April

Serin, Elvas, 24th April
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GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris (Verdilhão-comum)

Common in some areas.
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GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis (Pintassilgo)

Very common in all areas, though usually less numerous than Serin.

Goldfinch, Ria Formosa, 27th April
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LINNET Carduelis cannabina (Pintarroxo-comum)

About 10 at Ponta da Erva on 19th and fairly common in the Alentejo (and east of Mourão in Spain) with 10 at Elvas on 24th.
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ROCK BUNTING Emberiza cia (Cia)

Two singing males: 1 north of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo on 15th and 1 along the N2 at Cortelha on 16th.

Rock Bunting, north of Bispo, 15th April
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REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus (Escrevedeira-dos-caniços)

One at Quinta do Lago on 15th.
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CORN BUNTING Emberiza calandra (Trigueirão)

In the southern Algarve only seen in the far east around Castro Marim. Extremely common around Lisbon’s Tejo Estuary with about 60 at Ponta da Erva on 19th. In the Alentejo (and east of Mourão in Spain) this was one of the most, if not the most, abundant species of bird. Good to see such numbers in view of the sharp decline of this species in the UK.

Corn Buntings, Ponta da Erva, 20th April

Corn Bunting, east of Mourão, 21st April
__________

Total of about 170-180 species of bird depending on what you count (e.g. naturalised species)
__________

Click here to go on to the final part of the systematic list: Non-avian wildlife

Part I: Wildfowl and Gamebirds
Part II: Grebes to Flamingo
Part III: Raptors to Bustards
Part IV: Shorebirds
Part V: Other non-passerines
Part VII: Other non-avian wildlife

Or to return to the overview of the regions visited, including very brief details of the main birding sites:

Algarve I - 14th to 16th April
Lisbon - 16th to 21st April
Alentejo - 21st to 26th April
Algarve II - 26th April to 1st May

Other non-passerines

2006-05-28T13:58:00.000+01:00

Portugal trip, 14th April to 1st May 2006

Systematic List
Part V: Other non-passerines

Note: All dates refer to April 2006 except where specified.
Species in pink are likely to be of most interest to British birders

__________

BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus (Guincho-comum)

Not uncommon in the Algarve, Tejo Estuary and Lagne de Óbidos. The farthest inland record was 1 on the River Guadiana south of Alcoutim.
__________

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus (Gaivota-d'asa-escura)

The commonest gull, although most were immature birds and there was no evidence of breeding locally. Largest count was 115 at Ponta da Areia on 26th.
__________

YELLOW-LEGGED GULL Larus michahellis (Gaivota-??)

Not nearly as common as I had anticipated, though not difficult to find. At least 6 at Ria Formosa on 27th and 10 at Castro Marim on 28th were probably breeding in the vicinity. Apart from the Algarve birds were also identified at Lagne de Óbidos and sites around the Tejo Estuary.
__________

GULL-BILLED TERN Gelochelidon/Sterna nilotica (Gaivina-de-bico-preto)

Up to 8 hawking over fields east of Mourão (in Spain) on 21st, 22nd and 23rd. Two between Mértola and Castro Verde on 25th.
__________

CASPIAN TERN Sterna caspia (Gaivina-de-bico-vermelho)

One at Castro Marim on 26th and another or the same at a different part of Castro Marim on 28th.

Caspian Tern, Castro Marim, 28th April
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SANDWICH TERN Sterna sandvicensis (Garajau-comum)

Two at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th and 2 at Forte de Rato (Tavira) on 28th.
__________

LITTLE TERN Sternula albifrons (Andorinha-do-mar-anã)

By far the commonest tern encountered with up to 15 at several sites in the Algarve. Also one at Ponta da Erva on 19th.

Little Tern, Castro Marim, 26th April
__________

BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger (Gaivina-preta)

One at Castro Marim on 28th.

Black Tern, Castro Marim, 28th April
__________

BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE Pterocles orientalis (Cortiçol-de-barriga-preta)

Five seen in flight east of Mourão (in Spain) on 23rd and 4 seen in flight at Apariça (between Mértola and Castro Verde) on 25th.
__________

WOODPIGEON Columba palumbus (Pombo-torcaz)

A total of only 6 seen at 4 locations, all in the east.
__________

COLLARED DOVE Streptopelia decaocto (Rola-turca)

Fairly common including 20 at Óbidos on 18th and at least 100 at Ponta da Areia on 26th (where 2 taken by a domestic cat on 28th).

Collared Doves, Ponta da Areia, 26th April

Collared Doves providing easy pickings for a local cat, Ponta da Areia, 28th April
__________

TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia turtur (Rola-comum)

A total of 20 seen at a variety of locations, the most being 7 between Mértola and Castro Verde on 25th.

Turtle Dove, Pancas, 19th April

Turtle Dove, Ponta da Areia, 26th April
__________

RING-NECKED PARAKEET Psittacula krameri (Periquito-de-colar)

One or two were seen in Lisbon (near the Botanic Gardens) on 17th.
__________

BUDGERIGAR Melopsittacus undulates (??)

One feeding with a flock of Collared Doves at Ponta da Areia on 26th and 28th was presumably an escaped bird, unless this species has now joined the list of naturalised species in Portugal.

Budgerigar, Ponta da Areia, 26th April
__________

GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO Clamator glandarius (Cuco-rabilongo)

A very bedraggled bird in heavy rain east of Mourão (in Spain) on 22nd and a much finer individual between Mértola and Castro Verde (near Viseus) on 24th.
__________

CUCKOO Cuculus canorus (Cuco-canoro)

A total of 9 birds seen or heard at a variety of locations.
__________

SCOPS OWL Otus scops (Mocho-d'orelhas)

One was heard calling outside our hotel at Mértola on the evening of 24th.
__________

LITTLE OWL Athene noctua (Mocho-galego)

About 18 seen including six between Mértola and Castro Verde on 24th.

Little Owl, Pancas, 19th April

Little Owl, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 24th April

Little Owl, Azinhal, 28th April
__________

TAWNY OWL Strix aluco (Coruja-do-mato)

None seen but 2 heard in the Algarve: 1 at Quinta da Lua (near Tavira) on 26th and 1 at Cabeça on 28th.
__________

NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus europaeus (Noitibó da Europa)

Five heard churring: 2 just north of Quinta do Bispo (Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo) on 15th, 1 west of Mértola on 24th and 2 at Quinta da Lua (near Tavira) on 26th.
__________

RED-NECKED NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus ruficollis (Noitibó-de-nuca-vermelha)

In the Algarve, 1 heard distantly near Cabeça on 28th, at least 3 but probably 5-6 heard at Ludo on 29th and 1 heard at Quinta da Lua (near Tavira) on 29th. One of the birds at Ludo was watched hawking over the tree-tops, albeit briefly.
__________

SWIFT Apus apus (Andorinhão-preto)

Although the majority of Swifts seen were not fully identified, Common Swifts were indeed common at a number of localities.
__________

PALLID SWIFT Apus pallidus (Andorinhão-pálido)

This species was identified in Lisbon (30 on 17th), Tomar, Barroca d’Alva, Elvas, Ria Formosa and Castro Marim and suspected elsewhere.

Swift (left) and Pallid Swift (right), Ria Formosa, 27th April
__________

ALPINE SWIFT Apus/Tachymarptis melba (Andorinhão-real)

One at Dogurno (along the N2 between Cavalos and Castro Verde) was the only sighting of this species.
__________

KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (Guarda-rios-comum)

One at Pancas on 19th.
__________

BEE-EATER Merops apiaster (Abelharuco-comum)

Common everywhere with over 250 seen. Best counts included 38 near Ludo on 15th and a flock of 60 east of Mourão (in Spain) on 23rd.

Bee-eater, Pancas, 19th April

Bee-eater, east of Mourão, 21st April

Bee-eater, Castro Marim, 27th April

Bee-eaters, Ludo Farm, 1st May
__________

ROLLER Coracias garrulus (Rolieiro-comum)

Only seen at 1 site, east of Mourão (in Spain): 1 on 21st, 1 on 22nd and 2 on 23rd.

Roller, east of Mourão, 21st April

Roller, east of Mourão, 22nd April
__________

HOOPOE Upupa epops (Poupa)

Common with small numbers seen or heard at many locations – a total of 55.

Hoopoe, Ludo Farm, 29th April
__________

WRYNECK Jynx torquilla (Torcicolo)

One at Ludo Farm on 29th was probably a migrant.
__________

IBERIAN GREEN WOODPECKER Picus viridis sharpei (Pica-pau-verde)

One flew over the N2 between Cavalos and Castro Verde (at Fornalha) on 16th and 1-2 were seen in flight at Tareja on 29th. The Iberian form of Green Woodpecker is very distinctive and perhaps a candidate for elevation to full species status.
__________

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopus major (Pica-pau-malhado-grande)

A total of 10 seen at six locations. Three birds included 1 drumming at Ludo Farm on 29th.
__________

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopus minor (Pica-pau-malhado-pequeno)

Two birds were drumming near the River Guadiana at Elvas on 24th.
__________

Click here to go on to Part VI of the systematic list: Passerines

Part I: Wildfowl and Gamebirds
Part II: Grebes to Flamingo
Part III: Raptors to Bustards
Part IV: Shorebirds
Part VI: Passerines
Part VII: Other non-avian wildlife

Or to return to the overview of the regions visited, including very brief details of the main birding sites:

Algarve I - 14th to 16th April
Lisbon - 16th to 21st April
Alentejo - 21st to 26th April
Algarve II - 26th April to 1st May

Shorebirds

2006-05-28T13:50:00.000+01:00

Portugal trip, 14th April to 1st May 2006

Systematic List
Part IV: Shorebirds

Note: All dates refer to April 2006 except where specified.
Species in pink are likely to be of most interest to British birders

__________

OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus (Ostraceiro)

At least 15 at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th.
__________

BLACK-WINGED STILT Himantopus himantopus (Pernilongo)

Very common in the Algarve and around the Tejo Estuary near Lisbon with estimates of c50 at Hortas on 19th and 40 at Castro Marim on 27th and 28th. Elsewhere up to 5 at Elvas on 23rd and 24th. Chicks were observed at Forte de Rato (Tavira) on 29th.

Black-winged Stilts, Quinta do Lago, 15th April

Black-winged Stilt, Elvas, 23rd April

Black-winged Stilt, Castro Marim, 26th April

Black-winged Stilts, Castro Marim, 27th April

Black-winged Stilt, Castro Marim, 28th April

Black-winged Stilt with chicks, Forte do Rato, 29th April
__________

AVOCET Recurvirostra avosetta (Alfaiate)

Common in the Algarve. Generally less so than Black-winged Stilt but 55 at Forte de Rato on 28th. Elsewhere the only sighting was a flock of 250 at Ponta da Erva on the Tejo Estuary on 19th.

Avocet, Castro Marim, 27th April

Avocets, Castro Marim, 28th April
__________

STONE-CURLEW Burhinus oedicnemus (Alcaravão)

Seven east of Mourão (in Spain) on 23rd. In the Alentejo, 2 heard east of Mértola and 2 seen west of Mértola on 25th. Finally in the eastern Algarve pairs seen at Azinhal on 29th and at Castro Marim on 27th and 1st May.

Stone-Curlew, Azinhal, 29th April
__________

COLLARED PRATINCOLE Glareola pratincola (Perdiz-do-mar)

A fabulous colony at Ponta da Erva on 19th and 20th consisted of perhaps 30 birds. Another colony at Elvas on 23rd and 24th consisted of 20 birds, although only 1 seen on the second date. Other than these, the only sighting was 1 at Castro Marim on 28th.

Collared Pratincoles, Ponta da Erva, 19th April

Collared Pratincoles, Ponta da Erva, 20th April

Collared Pratincoles, Elvas, 23rd April
__________

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius (Borrelho-pequeno-de-coleira)

Only seen in the Alentejo where a pair at Elvas on 23rd and 24th and a pair west of Mértola on 25th.

Little Ringed Plover, Elvas, 23rd April

Little Ringed Plover, west of Mértola, 25th April
__________

RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula (Borrelho-grande-de-coleira)

One at Quinta do Lago on 15th and up to 20 at Castro Marim on 26th and 28th.
__________

KENTISH PLOVER Charadrius alexandrinus (Borrelho-de-coleira-interrompida)

Common in the Algarve where 20 at Ludo Farm on 29th. Elsewhere near Lisbon’s Tejo Estuary 2 at Ponta da Erva on 19th and up to 10 at Marinhas do Samouco on 19th and 21st.

Kentish Plovers, ETAR Waterworks (Montenegro), 15th April

Kentish Plover, Ludo Farm, 29th April

Kentish Plovers, Castro Marim, 30th April
__________

GREY PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola (Tarambola-cinzenta)

Common in the Algarve including 70 at Castro Marim on 28th. Elsewhere 5 at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th, 10 at Hortas on 19th and 1 over Barroca d’Alva on 21st.

Grey Plover, Castro Marim, 26th April

Grey Plovers, Castro Marim, 28th April

Grey Plover, Castro Marim, 29th April
__________

KNOT Calidris canutus (Seixoeira)

Only seen at 1 location in the Algarve: up to 100 at Forte de Rato (near Tavira) on 28th and 29th.
__________

SANDERLING Calidris alba (Pilrito-sanderlingo)

Small numbers seen at Quinta da Lago, Castro Marim and Forte de Rato (where 6 on 29th), all in the Algarve.

Sanderling, Castro Marim, 26th April
__________

LITTLE STINT Calidris minuta (Pilrito-pequeno)

At least 2 at Marinhas do Samouco (near Lisbon) on 19th with 25 there on 21st. Elsewhere seen at Castro Marim and Ludo Farm in the Algarve with peak counts of 10 at Castro Marim on 26th and 8 at Ludo Farm on 1st May.

Little Stint, Marinhas do Samouco, 19th April
__________

CURLEW SANDPIPER Calidris ferruginea (Pilrito-de-bico-comprido)

At least 10 at Marinhas do Samouco (near Lisbon) on 19th with 1 there on 21st. Good numbers at Castro Marim 26th-1st May including over 100 on 28th.

Curlew Sandpipers, Castro Marim, 26th April

Curlew Sandpiper, Castro Marim, 27th April

Curlew Sandpipers, Castro Marim, 1st May
__________

DUNLIN Calidris alpina (Pilrito-comum)

Common in the Algarve and around the Tejo Estuary at Lisbon. Hundreds were at Hortas on 19th and at least 300 at Castro Marim on 28th.

Dunlins, Castro Marim, 27th April

Dunlins, Castro Marim, 1st May
__________

RUFF Philomachus pugnax (Combatente)

One at Castro Marim on 28th was the only sighting.

Ruff (& 3 Curlew Sandpipers), Castro Marim, 28th April
__________

SNIPE Gallinago gallinago (Narceja-comum)

Five near Ludo on 15th was the only record.
__________

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT Limosa limosa (Maçarico-de-bico-direito)

The only sighting was at Castro Marim where there were 35 on 28th.
__________

BAR-TAILED GODWIT Limosa lapponica (Fuselo)

At Lagne de Óbidos there were 32 on 18th, then in the Algarve there were 12 at Forte de Rato and 25 at Castro Marim on 28th.

Bar-tailed Godwits, Castro Marim, 28th April
__________

WHIMBREL Numenius phaeopus (Maçarico-galego)

Common in small numbers in the Algarve. Elsewhere 4 at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th and 24 at Ponta da Erva on 19th.
__________

CURLEW Numenius arquata (Maçarico-real)

Small numbers seen at Quinta do Lago on 15th, Lagne de Óbidos on 18th and Barroca d’Alva on 19th.
__________

SPOTTED REDSHANK Tringa erythropus (Perna-vermelha-escuro)

Six at Castro Marim on 28th with 1 at a different part of Castro Marim on 1st May.

Redshank (left) and Spotted Redshank (right), Castro Marim, 28th April
__________

REDSHANK Tringa totanus (Perna-vermelha-comum)

Small numbers in the Algarve with 15 at Castro Marim on 28th.
__________

GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia (Perna-verde-comum)

Up to 7 at several locations in the Algarve and 17 at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th.

Greenshank, Quinta do Lago, 15th April

Greenshank, Castro Marim, 28th April
__________

COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleuca (Maçarico-das-rochas)

Common in most areas, although no more than 3 at any one location.

Common Sandpiper, Lagne de Óbidos, 18th April

Common Sandpiper, Castro Marim, 27th April

Common Sandpiper, Castro Marim, 30th April

Common Sandpiper, Castro Marim, 1st May
__________

TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres (Rola-do-mar)

Common in the Algarve and around the Tejo Estuary where 40 at Alcochette on 19th.

Turnstone, Castro Marim, 26th April

Turnstone, Quinta do Lago, 15th April
__________

Click here to go on to Part V of the systematic list: Other non-passerines

Part I: Wildfowl and Gamebirds
Part II: Grebes to Flamingo
Part III: Raptors to Bustards
Part V: Other non-passerines
Part VI: Passerines
Part VII: Other non-avian wildlife

Or to return to the overview of the regions visited, including very brief details of the main birding sites:

Algarve I - 14th to 16th April
Lisbon - 16th to 21st April
Alentejo - 21st to 26th April
Algarve II - 26th April to 1st May

Raptors to Bustards

2006-05-28T13:39:00.000+01:00

Portugal trip, 14th April to 1st May 2006

Systematic List
Part III: Raptors to Bustards

Note: All dates refer to April 2006 except where specified.
Species in pink are likely to be of most interest to British birders

__________

BLACK KITE Milvus migrans (Milhafre-preto)

Surprisingly, none positively identified in the Algarve, though a probable seen from a moving car. Near Lisbon, up to 4 at Pancas on 19th and 20th and 1 at Ponta da Erva on 20th. Slightly easier in the Alentejo where counts included 8 at Elvas on 23rd.

Black Kite, Elvas, 24th April
__________

RED KITE Milvus milvus (Milhafre-real)

One seen with a Black Kite east of Mourão (in Spain) on 21st.

Black Kite (left) and Red Kite (right), east of Mourão, 21st April
__________

BLACK-WINGED KITE (Black-shouldered Kite) Elanus caeruleus (Peneireiro-cinzento)

One at Ponta da Erva on 19th (thanks to Julio Caldas and Sparky Faísca) with 2 there next day.

Black-winged Kite, Ponta da Erva, 20th April
__________

GRIFFON VULTURE Gyps fulvus (Grifo-comum)

Eight seen together just west of Mértola on 25th.

Griffon Vulture, west of Mértola, 25th April
__________

SHORT-TOED EAGLE Circaetus gallicus (Águia-cobreira)

One distantly in the hills north Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo on 15th.
__________

MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus (Tartaranhão-ruivo-dos-pauis)

The commonest harrier around Lisbon with birds seen at Barroca d’Alva, Pancas and Ponta da Erva including 6 at the latter site on 19th. Elsewhere in the Algarve 2 at Ludo Farm on 29th and 1 at Castro Marim on 30th.
__________

MONTAGU'S HARRIER Circus pygargus (Tartaranhão-caçador)

A total of 27 seen, mostly in the Alentejo. One at Barroca d’Alva on 16th was the only one in the Lisbon area. Best count in the Alentejo was 6 between Mértola and Castro Verde on 25th. In the Algarve singles at Azinhal and Ludo Farm on 29th and up to 2 daily at Castro Marim 27th, 28th, 30th and 1st May. All but 6 of the 27 were males.

Montagus's Harriers, Elvas, 24th April

Montagus's Harrier, Castro Marim, 27th April
__________

BUZZARD Buteo buteo (Águia-d'asa-redonda)

A total of 13 seen involving 1-2 birds at ten locations.
__________

BOOTED EAGLE Aquila pennatus (Águia-calçada)

A total of 8-9 birds seen: 1 at Tomar on 18th, 2 at Pancas on 19th with 1-2 there the following day, 2 between Montemor-o-Novo and Arraiolos and 1 at Arraiolos on 21st, 1 at Évora on 24th and finally 1 over Castro Marim on 30th.

Booted Eagle, Pancas, 20th April

Booted Eagle, Montemor-o-Novo, 21st April

Booted Eagle, Castro Marim, 30th April
__________

LESSER KESTREL Falco naumanni (Peneireiro-das-torres)

Two records: a flock of 5 east of Mourão (in Spain) on 21st and 23rd and a flock of 12 between Mértola and Castro Verde (near Tacões) on 24th.

Lesser Kestrels, Tacões, 24th April
__________

KESTREL Falco tinnunculus (Peneireiro-vulgar)

Small numbers (1-2) seen at a variety of locations.

Kestrel, Pancas, 19th April

Kestrel (and House Sparrow), Elvas, 23rd April

Kestrel sp. (probably Common), Elvas, 24th April
__________

MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus (Galinha-d'água)

Common.

Moorhen, Elvas, 23rd April
__________

PURPLE GALLINULE (Swamphen) Porphyrio porphyrio (Caimão)

On 15th, 3 at a site between Ludo and Quinta do Lago and 4 at Quinta do Lago.

Purple Gallinule, Quinta do Lago, 15th April
__________

COOT Fulica atra (Galeirão-comum)

Common breeding bird especially in the Algarve where young seen at several sites.

Baby Coot, Quinta do Lago, 15th April
__________

LITTLE BUSTARD Tetrax tetrax (Sisão)

A total of 19 seen but many more heard calling. East of Mourão (in Spain) males seen and heard included 15 on 23rd (including a flock of 6 in flight). In the Alentejo, seen at Elvas and around Mértola with a total of 16 calling males located between Mértola and Castro Verde on 24th.

Little Bustards, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 24th April
__________

GREAT BUSTARD Otis tarda (Abetarda-comum)

At least 22 seen. In Spain, east of Mourão, 2 seen on 21st and 22nd with 6 there on 23rd. In the Alentejo, between Mértola and Castro Verde, an impressive disparate group of 16 was located near São Marcos da Atoboeira.

Great Bustard, east of Mourão, 22nd April

Great Bustard, east of Mourão, 23rd April
__________

Click here to go on to Part IV of the systematic list: Shorebirds

Part I: Wildfowl and Gamebirds
Part II: Grebes to Flamingo
Part IV: Shorebirds
Part V: Other non-passerines
Part VI: Passerines
Part VII: Other non-avian wildlife

Or to return to the overview of the regions visited, including very brief details of the main birding sites:

Algarve I - 14th to 16th April
Lisbon - 16th to 21st April
Alentejo - 21st to 26th April
Algarve II - 26th April to 1st May

Grebes to Flamingo

2006-05-28T13:23:00.000+01:00

Portugal trip, 14th April to 1st May 2006

Systematic List
Part II: Grebes to Flamingo

Note: All dates refer to April 2006 except where specified.
Species in pink are likely to be of most interest to British birders

__________

LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis (Mergulhão-pequeno)

Common in the Algarve with small numbers at several sites. Elsewhere, in the Alentejo singles at Elvas on 23rd and between Mértola and Castro Verde on 24th.

Little Grebe, Ludo Farm, 29th pril
__________

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus (Mergulhão-de-crista)

In the Algarve seen at Quinta do Lago, Castro Marim and Ludo Farm with 6 at the latter site on 29th. Also 3 in Spain east of Mourão on 21st.

Great Crested Grebe, Ludo Farm, 29th pril
__________

GANNET Morus bassanus (Ganso-patola)

One seen from Ponta da Areia on 26th and at least 20 past there on 28th.
__________

CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo (Corvo-marinho-de-faces-brancas)

Small numbers seen at several locations in the Algarve and at Ponta da Erva and Lagne de Óbidos.

Cormorant, Quinto do Lago, 15th April
__________

LITTLE BITTERN Ixobrychus minutus (Garça-pequena)

A single male was watched from the hide at Quinta do Lago on 15th.

Little Bittern, Quinto do Lago, 15th April
__________

NIGHT HERON Nycticorax nycticorax (Socó-taquari)

Three adults roosting at Hortas (near Alcochette) on 19th (thanks to Sparky Faísca).
__________

CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis (Garca-vaqueira)

Small numbers at several sites in the central Algarve and around the Tejo estuary. More numerous in the Alentejo and eastern Algarve with 45 between Mértola and Castro Verde on 24th and 31 at Castro Marim on 30th.

Cattle Egret, Elvas, 24th April

Cattle Egrets, Castro Marim, 27th April
__________

LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta (Garça-branca-pequena)

Small numbers in the Algarve, around the Tejo Estuary and at Lagne de Óbidos. Best counts 10 at Barroca d’Alva on 21st and Castro Marim on 28th. Inland, up to 5 east of Mourão (in Spain) on 21st and 22nd with 1 between there and Badajoz on 23rd.
__________

GREAT WHITE EGRET Egretta/Ardea alba (Garça-branca-grande)

One in flight at Barroca d’Alva on 21st.
__________

GREY HERON Ardea cinerea (Garça-real)

Common with small numbers at several locations.

Grey Heron, Castro Marim, 28th April
__________

PURPLE HERON Ardea purpurea (Garça-roxa)

Only seen in the Lisbon area where singles at Barroca d’Alva on 19th and 21st, 10 at Ponta da Erva on 19th with 8 there next day.

Purple Heron, Ponta da Erva, 19th April

Purple Heron, Ponta da Erva, 20th April
__________

BLACK STORK Ciconia nigra (Cegonha-preta)

Two in flight east of Mourão (in Spain) on 23rd.
__________

WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia (Cegonha-branca)

Very common and conspicuous everywhere. Large concentrations of nests in some areas, especially between Mértola and Castro Verde every telegraph pole held a nest for considerable distances.

White Stork, near Ludo, 15th April

White Storks, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 25th (left) and 24th (right) April

White Stork, Castro Marim, 1st May
__________

GLOSSY IBIS Plegadis falcinellus (Íbis-preta)

Two flew south along the River Guadiana at Elvas on 24th.
__________

SPOONBILL Platalea leucorodia (Colhereiro)

Small numbers seen at several sites in the Algarve, east of Lisbon and at Lagne de Óbidos. Best counts were 9 at the ETAR waterworks in Montenegro on 15th and 10 at Castro Marim on 28th. The latter included three ringed birds with codes 1XF, 7FA and 60C.

Spoonbill, Lagne de Óbidos, 18th April

Spoonbill, Castro Marim, 26th April

Spoonbills, Castro Marim, 28th April

Spoonbill, Castro Marim, 30th April
__________

GREATER FLAMINGO Phoenicopterus roseus (Flamingo-comum)

Eight at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th, large numbers around the Tejo Estuary including c100 at Hortas on 19th and finally c200 at Castro Marim on 28th.
__________

Click here to go on to Part III of the systematic list: Raptors to Bustards

Part I: Wildfowl and Gamebirds
Part III: Raptors to Bustards
Part IV: Shorebirds
Part V: Other non-passerines
Part VI: Passerines
Part VII: Other non-avian wildlife

Or to return to the overview of the regions visited, including very brief details of the main birding sites:

Algarve I - 14th to 16th April
Lisbon - 16th to 21st April
Alentejo - 21st to 26th April
Algarve II - 26th April to 1st May

Wildfowl and Gamebirds

2006-05-28T12:31:00.000+01:00

Portugal trip, 14th April to 1st May 2006

Systematic List
Part I: Wildfowl & Gamebirds

Note: All dates refer to April 2006 except where specified.
Species in pink are likely to be of most interest to British birders

__________

GREYLAG GOOSE Anser anser (Ganso-comum)

Only domestic birds seen, several locations.
__________

DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE Branta (bernicla) bernicla (Ganso-de-faces-negras)

Two at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th in the company of a single Pale-bellied Brent Goose. Brent Goose is apparently a national rarity in Portugal.
__________

PALE-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE Branta (bernicla) hrota (Ganso-de-faces-negras)

One at Lagne de Óbidos on 18th in the company of a 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Brent Goose is apparently a national rarity in Portugal.

Dark-bellied (left) and Pale-bellied (right) Brent Geese, Lagne de Óbidos, 18th April
__________

SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna (Pato-branco)

A pair at Castro Marim on each of 26th, 27th, 28th and 30th.
__________

MUSCOVY DUCK Cairina moschata (Pato-do-mato)

Up to 8 domestic birds at 4 locations (Tomar, Óbidos, Mértola and west of Mértola).
__________

GADWALL Anas strepera (Frisada)

Small numbers seen at several locations, mainly in the Algarve but also 2 east of Mourão (in Spain).
__________

MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos (Pato-real)

Common just about everywhere.
__________

RED-CRESTED POCHARD Netta rufina (Pato-de-bico-vermelho)

All in the Algarve with 1 near Ludo, 12 at Quinta do Lago and 2 at Montenegro ETAR waterworks on 15th, 2 females plus 8 ducklings at Castro Marim on 26th, 3 including 2 drakes at Castro Marim on 27th and 1 there on 30th.

Red-crested Pochards, Quinta do Lago, 15th April
__________

POCHARD Aythya ferina (Zarro-comum)

All in the Algarve with 2 near Ludo and 10 at Quinta do Lago on 15th and 2 at Castro Marim on 26th.

Pochard, Quinta do Lago, 15th April
__________

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE Alectoris rufa (Perdiz-comum)

Common in most places.

Red-legged Partridges, north of Santa Catarina, 16th April

Red-legged Partridge, Pancas, 19th April

Red-legged Partridges, between Mértola and Castro Verde, 25th April
__________

QUAIL Coturnix coturnix (Codorniz)

Near Lisbon, up to 5 heard calling at Ponta da Erva on 19th and 20th. Common in the Alentejo with small numbers heard at several sites. Across the border in Spain, east of Mourão, up to 7 heard on 21st, 22nd and 23rd with 1 seen on the latter date. Finally 2 heard at Santa Maria and at Castro Marim on 28th.
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Click here to go on to Part II of the systematic list: Grebes to Flamingo

Part II: Grebes to Flamingo
Part III: Raptors to Bustards
Part IV: Shorebirds
Part V: Other non-passerines
Part VI: Passerines
Part VII: Other non-avian wildlife

Or to return to the overview of the regions visited, including very brief details of the main birding sites:

Algarve I - 14th to 16th April
Lisbon - 16th to 21st April
Alentejo - 21st to 26th April
Algarve II - 26th April to 1st May

Algarve II

2006-05-28T12:20:00.000+01:00

Algarve – Wednesday 26th April to Monday 1st May

The last leg of the holiday was spent in the eastern Algarve. The area had a lot to offer in respect to birding, but not so much for Vitty, so we decided to splash out and stay at somewhere a bit more classy where Vitty would be happy staying during the day while I went off birding. Close to Tavira, Quinta da Lua was a fantastic place to stay and well worth the extra cash. Our hosts, Miguel and Vimal, had done a superb job and the breakfasts were out of this world.

Vitty and me at Quinta da Lua

On the way down to the Algarve we took the scenic route alongside the River Guadiana. At Alcoutim we took a wrong turn and ended up in a construction site where a superb Blue Rock Thrush was singing from the top of a crane. Much of the time in the Algarve was spent at Castro Marim, a superb area for birding. But with 3 days to go there were 3 main target birds still not found: Red-necked Nightjar, Iberian Chiffchaff and Orphean Warbler.

The first of these was supposed to be common in the area but I only had one specific site. I waited here at dusk and could hear one calling miles away but after hours of trying I just couldn’t seem to get anywhere near it. Rather than waste another evening and half the night here I decided to check out the area close to Montenegro University as I thought the habitat looked suitable and it would give me another opportunity to find the nearby Ludo Farm, supposedly a good birding site. I did find the right area this time and indeed struck lucky with the Nightjar. However I needn’t have spent so much energy searching, for we subsequently heard one calling from our terrace at Quinta da Lua!

Iberian Chiffchaff was a bird I particularly wanted to see and hear but it turns out they’re harder to find than I realised in southern Portugal. I spent quite a bit of time desperately driving around looking for and checking any remotely suitable habitat I could find. Eventually I struck gold at a nice little valley at Tareja, just north of São Brás de Alportel. Orphean Warbler was a similar tale, except without the happy ending – one left for the next trip if one doesn’t turn up here before then.

As well as birding we did do a little 'normal' sight-seeing - e.g. the Roman ruins at Estói where there were some cool fish mosaics but not much else.

Mosaics at the Ruinas de Milreu at Estói

Birding sites:

Castro Marim. Fantastic area for birding and despite spending considerable time here I never did cover the whole place. My main target here was Lesser Short-toed Larks which were very easily found just past the reserve centre. I returned here three times as it took me a few goes to get any decent photos and I hoped also to see Spectacled Warbler which was supposed to be in the area (but I didn’t find any). The pool behind the centre held breeding Red-crested Pochards but the saltpans elsewhere on the reserve, especially those accessed from the other end, were excellent for waders. There were more, larger pools the other side of Castro Marim village and these were fantastic, crammed full of thousands of waders and other birds. I didn’t see any rare species of wader, but the variety was excellent. Other interesting species included Caspian Tern.

Kentish Plover, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper - four of the many waders present at Castro Marim

Lesser Short-toed Lark - Castro Marim is one of the best places in Europe to see this species

Ponta da Areia. The most south-easterly tip of Portugal, I thought the area might be good for migrants and sea-watching. Perhaps it is sometimes, but not when I visited.

Azinhal. North of Castro Marim, I had read that there was a site for Orphean Warblers here so I spent quite a bit of time looking for them. Unfortunately I hadn’t got any specific details so I don’t know if I was looking in the right area and didn’t find them. The minor road running east from the village to the banks of Guadiana did however hold a good variety of birds and was well worth birding even without the Orphean Warblers.

Ria Formosa. I only spent a single afternoon at the reserve here and didn’t see a great deal. Possibly it would have been better on a different tide and early in the morning. Unfortunately it doesn’t open early enough in the morning to get there before breakfast, and it didn’t seem worth missing breakfast at Quinta da Lua.

Forte de Rato. A few saltpans on the edge of Tavira held good numbers of waders, though nothing remarkable.

Ludo Farm. A good site which would have probably been worth spending more time at. There was a good variety of woodland species, a freshwater pool with reed beds as well as salt-pans which held a good variety of waders. Best birds were the Red-necked Nightjars.

Spotless Starlings - another Iberian speciality

Tareja. The place I eventually found Iberian Chiffchaff, at the very bottom of the valley. Nice little spot with a good variety of mainly woodland birds.

Click here for full details and photos of the birds seen.

The Alentejo

2006-05-28T11:04:00.000+01:00

Alentejo – Friday 21st April to Wednesday 26th April

We thought Évora would be a good base for a couple of nights as I would be able to head out to Mourão for birding while Vitty could stay and enjoy the town. We stopped off at Arraiolos on the way, a place famed for its wonderful hand-woven carpets. The Pensão we stayed at in Évora was disappointing. We chose it because it had parking, only we couldn’t park there because they locked the gates overnight so I wouldn’t be able to get out early in the morning. In fact I couldn’t get out anyway, as despite telling me they wouldn’t, they locked the internal doors as well as the external gates. I shan’t be in a hurry to return here, but having woken up the staff two mornings in a row at 6.00 am to let me out, I don’t suppose they’ll be too keen for us to return anyway! It didn’t help that the one full day we spent here was a complete wash-out with heavy rain all morning and most of the afternoon.

The cathedral in Évora

Roman temple in Évora

We popped into Monsaraz one afternoon - nice little town on a hill with a wonderful view:

Monsaraz and its view

The following night we spent at the Sâo Joâo de Deus Hotel in Elvas. In stark contrast to the Pensão at Évora this exceeded our expectations by miles and we wished we’d spent longer here. Although only a little more expensive, this place was really luxurious and we couldn’t believe it was as cheap as it was.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assunção at Elvas

A pelourinho at Elvas - they used to hang criminals from this!

From Elvas we went south to Mértola where we stayed two nights at a nice enough hotel, the Residencial Beira Rio, overlooking the river. At 45€ a night it was the cheapest hotel we stayed at but more than adequate. In fact I thought it was quite a nice place to stay, although from my point of view it helped that it had a Scops Owl calling behind it one evening, the only Subalpine Warbler of the trip outside the front door and Golden Oriole and Bee-eaters from the bedroom window.

The countryside in the Alentejo was fabulous with miles and miles of wildflower meadows a very prominent feature:

Wildflowers around Mértola

The birding was brilliant too and these are the main sites I visited:

Mourão. Although the village is in Portugal the area I spent most of the time at was a couple of miles east of here across the border into Spain. Fabulous site with loads of interesting birds including lots of Little Bustards and my first Great Bustards. My main target here was Black-bellied Sandgrouse and with heavy rain stopping play on the main day I had allocated we had to change plans slightly and revisit the following day. This was successful and five of the Sandgrouse were seen in flight. Other good birds here included Lesser Kestrel, Roller, Black-eared Wheatear, Calandra Lark, Rock and Spanish Sparrows, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Gull-billed Tern and Black Stork.

Crested Lark - a very common bird in Portugal

Roller in the rain. Another colourful Mediterranean species - most spectacular in flight (and in sunshine)

Great Bustard - one of my main targets on this trip

Elvas. I concentrated on the area between Elvas and the River Guadiana and this produced many good birds. Southern Grey Shrikes were everywhere and down by the river I eventually found 6 Red Avadavats, another non-native but naturalised species. A pair of Glossy Ibis flew over and there was another colony of Collared Pratincoles here. We bumped into a couple of Danish birders who had just seen 3 Black-winged Kites, but I didn’t see these.

Kestrel munching on a House Sparrow - one of my favourite photos from the trip, even though it's a species common at home

East of Mértola. Good area for scrubland species and the first place I really began to get to grips with the identification of the troublesome Thekla Larks. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the Orphean Warblers which are supposed to occur in the area.

Thekla Lark - an identification challenge

Mértola to Castro Verde. A extensive area of rolling hills and wildflower meadows, filled with birds. A loose flock of 16 Great Bustards was impressive while Little Bustards could be heard calling all over the place. More surprisingly I discovered 4 more Black-bellied Sandgrouse here (they’re supposed to have become very hard to find in this area). A party of 8 Griffon Vultures circled overhead and other species included Thekla and Calandra Larks, loads of Southern Grey Shrikes, Spanish Sparrow, Black-eared Wheatear and Great Spotted Cuckoo. A flock of 12 Lesser Kestrels was good value and they provided better views than they perhaps would have done if I had gone to the famous site for this species at the Convento de São Francisco at Mértola.

Lesser Kestrel - a scarce and declining species restricted to southern Europe

Little Bustard - something of an Alentejo speciality, although you do get them elsewhere

White Stork - in some areas nearly every telegraph post had a storks' nest on it

Click here for the last leg of the holiday - the eastern Algarve, or if you want to jump straight to the full details and photos of the birds seen, click here.

Lisbon and the surrounds

2006-05-28T10:02:00.000+01:00

Lisbon and the surrounds – Sunday 16th April to Friday 21st April

Leaving São Brás de Alportel at lunchtime we had plenty of time to get to Lisbon so decided to take the slower N2 through some amazing countryside. We crossed to the A1 motorway from Castro Verde and there we joined 10 million Lisbonites returning from the Algarve where they’d spent the Easter week-end. In England this amount of traffic would result in gridlocked standstill traffic. But this is Portugal and the whole lot of bumper-to-bumper traffic was travelling at speeds of no less than 130 kmh (c80 mph). How we got to Lisbon alive, I’ll never know – but how we got through Lisbon alive was even more of a miracle.

Vitty and I both share an enjoyment of good food but apart from that, holidays can be difficult to agree as Vitty prefers architecture and cities while I prefer countryside and wildlife, especially the birds. To be fair, Vitty enjoys walks in the country too, but my inability to walk without bringing tonnes of birding/photographic paraphernalia with me and stopping every few seconds to look at birds tends to frustrate her a wee bit. Our last major holiday (California) was fairly bird-heavy so we tried to balance this one a bit more and these few days in Lisbon were planned with this in mind. We were very fortunate to be able to stay with our friend Zé who used to work with Vitty.

Vitty spent much more time than me in the city of Lisbon, although I did join her for a few things including a walking tour of the city which was quite interesting (despite the distraction of Pallid Swifts whizzing around).

Praça dom Pedro IV

pigeon's-eye view of Praça do Commércio

Rua Augusta and the Arco de Rua Augusta

One day we spent touring a few interesting historical sites an hour or two north of Lisbon: Tomar, Batalha and Alcobaça. Tomar and Batalha were fabulous places, but by the time we reached Alcobaça we were a bit monastried-out!

Convento de Cristo at Tomar

The abbey at Batalha

Pastelaria Oliveira at Batalha - surely the best hamburgers in the world!

The monastery at Alcobaça

Óbidos castle

Another afternoon we headed out to Sintra, a place which came with endless recommendations. We arrived there a bit stressed following two encounters with the police and couldn’t cope with the zillions of Japanese tourists swarming all over the place so left without really seeing it. On the way we had stopped at Belém to get some cakes for lunch (the best custard tarts in the world), only I didn’t realise the parking spaces were reserve for the police and got moved on rather aggressively. Then we stopped at a car park at Carcavelos to eat them, a pleasant spot overlooking a beach and a nice old fort. Here I discovered some unfamiliar birds which turned out to be another introduced species, Crested Myna. These kept disappearing into the fort area and my attempts to view and photograph them soon caught the attention of the local police who insisted on a rigorous body and car search, and a careful check of the images on my camera. How was I meant to know it was NATO headquarters on red alert?!

Although this Lisbon-based part of the holiday was included primarily for Vitty’s benefit, I was able to enjoy some first class birding in the area too. Thanks to Flickr I have a number of contacts in the Lisbon area and one of these, Sparky Faísca, very kindly took me round all the local birding sites. I had a really wonderful day out with him and Julio Caldas, another friend from Flickr.

Sparky Faísca (back left), Julio Caldas (front left) and Jose Viana (right)

Details of the main places I went birding in the Lisbon area:

Barroca d’Alva. An excellent site for seeing some of the non-native, introduced species. These included Common Waxbill, Black-headed Weaver, Yellow-crowned Bishop and Red-headed Quelea. It wasn’t bad for native species either!

Red-headed Quelea - one of the more attractive introduced species

Pancas. Great site on the east side of the Tejo Estuary. A variety of interesting species seen including excellent views of Booted Eagle.

Ponta da Erva. This site provided some of the best birding of the holiday, as well as brilliant photographic opportunities. Collared Pratincoles are extraordinarily beautiful birds and a large colony here provided staggeringly good views. Black-winged Kite was a lifer for me here.

Beware the cattle at Ponta da Erva! A very concerned farmer made certain I pulled right in to the side of the road and stayed very calm while 100s of these stormed by

Collared Pratincoles - very smart birds and easy to observe at Ponta da Erva

The distinctive Iberian race of Yellow Wagtail

Alcochette. On the south-east side of the Tejo estuary, the town itself didn’t hold much but there were large numbers of Greater Flamingos either side. Just to the east there were a few good birds at Hortas and there were loads of waders at Marinhas do Samouco to the west.

Lagne de Óbidos. Another Flickr friend, Nuno Barreto, had suggested this site, on the coast to the north of Lisbon. We popped in here on our way back from Tomar, Batalha and Alcobaça and it was indeed a good site. I’m used to seeing Brent Geese by the bucket load at home but in Portugal they are apparently a national rarity. Had I realised that at the time, I would have been more excited by the presence of 3 Brent Geese here (1 Pale-bellied hrota and 2 Dark-bellied bernicla).

Tomar, Batalha and Alcobaça. OK, not really birding sites, but they each held pairs of Crag Martins.

Crag Martin inside the Convento de Cristo at Tomar

Click here for the next leg of the holiday - the Alentejo, or if you want to jump straight to the full details and photos of the birds seen, click here.

Algarve I

2006-05-28T09:47:00.000+01:00

Algarve – Friday 14th April to Easter Sunday 16th April

We left cold wet England in warm sunshine and arrived in hot sunny Portugal in torrential rain. We had booked a rental car with Avis for what seemed to be a very good deal, although the excess was indeed excessive. Seemed like a good idea at the time but when they underlined the fact that we would have to pay a £1000 excess in the event of an accident, regardless of fault, it suddenly didn’t seem so good so we upgraded to a deal which cost a small fortune. At least it gave us peace of mind which was a good idea in view of the fact that most Portuguese drivers are COMPLETELY MAD!

Our first couple of nights were to be spent at Quinta Fonte do Bispo, about half an hour’s drive north-east of Faro. The accommodation was of a high standard and excellent evening meals were available. Here we were introduced to the Portuguese speciality, green wine – worth visiting Portugal just for that.

On Easter Sunday morning we headed off to São Brás de Alportel to see the Easter festival of flowers. The streets were laid out with intricate patterns of flower petals and leaves and there was a colourful and noisy procession – all very impressive.

The festival of flowers at São Brás de Alportel on Easter Sunday

Birding in the Algarve was fantastic. The following sites were visited:

Montenegro University. Woodland to the west of Montenegro where I went accidentally while trying to find Ludo Farm. Nice site with lots of birds, including my first of many Azure-winged Magpies.

Somewhere between Ludo and Quinta do Lago. Turned off too early for Quinta do Lago and ended up on a little sandy track which passed by a small lake. Excellent area, probably as good as Quinta do Lago itself, and held both the speciality birds of Quinta do Lago, Purple Gallinule and Red-crested Pochard, as well as lots of other typical Mediterranean species and the introduced Black-headed Weaver.

Quinta do Lago. Huge holiday complex but at the end there’s an estuary full of birds and a golf-course lake which held more Purple Gallinules, Red-crested Pochards and Black-headed Weavers. Also a nice male Little Bittern and much more besides. We paid 5€ to park in the main car park but if we’d turned left just before it and then right down a track we could have parked for free and had less far to walk.

Vitty at Quinta do Lago

There were hundreds of these crabs on the beach at Quinta do Lago

Purple Gallinule at Quinta do Lago - a southern Iberian speciality

ETAR Waterworks, Montenegro. Apparently a good site sometimes, but nothing remarkable when I went.

Hills north of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo. Just north of where we were staying we found completely different habitat from the previous sites and a very different selection of birds. These included Short-toed Eagle, Thekla Lark and Rock Bunting. Excellent area for birding.

Woodchat Shrike, just north of where we were staying - a common Mediterranean species

Click here for the next leg of the holiday - the Lisbon area, or if you want to jump straight to the full details and photos of the birds seen, click here.

California holiday - spring 2005

2005-06-10T20:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my blog which I've set up to display photos taken on my recent holiday in California.

I've designed it with a page per day and in order for you to view it in chronological order I've added a link at the bottom of each page which will take you to the next day's page.

Whilst it wasn't technically a birding holiday as I was travelling with my wife who has no interest in birds, I was fortunate to be able to spend a considerable proportion of the time enjoying the birds and other wildlife.

Although most of the photos are of birds, there are quite a few general scenery shots as well as other wildlife. The diary text is concentrated on the birding though, so ignore this if you're not into birds!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FIRST DAY

PS: If you can help me identify any of the flowers, lizards or insects, please let me know!

7th May - Flying away

2005-05-07T20:00:00.000+01:00

Our last morning of what has been the best holiday ever. Before breakfast I had a couple of hours free which I spent along the valley north of Kernville in the hope of finding Black-chinned Sparrow and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, both species I had missed elsewhere. No new birds here though, but I did see my second Olive-sided Flycatcher, Canyon Wren, Golden-crowned Sparrow and a variety of other species.

We then headed to LA where I had hoped to have time to pop in to Bolsa Chica Wetlands. Unfortunately heavy congestion on the freeways prevented this, but this was the only time we encountered really heavy traffic all holiday.

We had just under an hour to spare by the time we reached the vacinity of the airport. We decided against paying a second visit to Marina del Rey and instead headed down to Palos Verdes peninsula in the hope of finding Spotted Dove, but with little time to look this mission failed.

So from a birding point of view an unsuccessful end to the holiday, but no complaints at all having seen a grand total of nearly 250 species of birds including no less than 175 lifers!

6th May - The last full day

2005-05-07T07:59:00.000+01:00

Vitty was to stay in Kernville today to have a go at white water rafting while I spent the day birding – or at least that was the plan; we didn’t know then that the rafting had been cancelled. I started off at Kern River Preserve, having braved my way through the flooded entrance drive. Some of the trail was under flood water too, but I managed to get round and see a few birds.

One of my targets was Willow Flycatcher but I hadn’t realised it was a bit early for these. One had been reported the day before though, and I’m pretty sure I saw one, but not well enough to clinch it. I was quite pleased with myself for picking up a Brown-crested Flycatcher on call though, the second place I had seen this rather scarce species.

This place seemed to hold an impressive population of House Wren – not that they were particularly uncommon elsewhere but I saw far more here than anywhere else. There was also a good selection of warblers and a flock of 10 Western Tanagers.

Three species of woodpecker were seen: Ladder-backed, Hairy and Northern Flicker. I had found Hairy quite common in upland coniferous areas but hadn’t seen many in this sort of habitat. There seemed to be a bit of a passage of White-throated Swifts, with at least 40 passing through in the space of a few minutes.

By the centre there were feeders crammed full of Hummingbirds, busily coming and going – I reckon I saw 30 at once but there were probably far more than this in all. Most of these were Anna’s but there were also quite a few Black-chinned. The seed feeders held Pine Siskins and Lesser Goldfinches.

At the entrance there was a flock of 75+ Tricolored Blackbirds. Other interesting species included White-breasted Nuthatch and a Swainson’s Thrush.

Next I returned to Kelso Creek Road where I found Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Say’s Phoebe, Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting and a family of Canyon Wrens amongst other things. What may have been yesterday’s Golden Eagle showed again, giving even better views than before and landing on the deck in full view.

I then checked another spot along the Kern River, between the Preserve and Lake Isabella. Here I spent a long time trying to get views of what I thought was going to be my first Hermit Thrush. In the end it turned out to be just another Swainson’s, but the wait was worthwhile because it resulted in me finding my last lifer of the holiday. A couple of call notes sounded the alarm bells – I was pretty certain it was a species which I had spent quite a bit of time looking for at a few places during the previous couple of weeks but had now given up hope of seeing. Even though I could hear it there was little chance that I would see it though, but it was kind to me and on first look there it was, a magnificent Virginia Rail. Not rare, but a very welcome sight on what was looking like it would be the first day in nearly 3 weeks that I hadn’t seen a new bird.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT AND LAST DAY OF THIS HOLIDAY

5th May - A rainy day

2005-05-05T20:00:00.000+01:00

Green Heron, Bartlett Park

Western Wood-pewee, Bartlett Park

Western Wood-pewee, Bartlett Park

We headed off south in the rain early this morning arriving at Bartlett Park and Lake Success en route to Kernville. On the lake there were 42 Western Grebes but little else. The fields round the perimeter were a bit more interesting with 14 Tricolored Blackbirds, 3 Loggerhead Shrikes and the main target, 2 Rufous-crowned Sparrows. Bartlett Park was good, crawling with American Robins. Wildfowl included 5 Wood Ducks and another Goosander while the trees contained Nuttall’s Woodpecker and Northern Flicker. A Western Wood-pewee was a lifer, although I was to see 6 more the following day.

We planned to drive on up to Quaking Aspen Campground and then south over the pass to Kernville. A sign at the bottom of the mountain mentioned something about the road being closed in 26 miles but we took no notice and carried on. We arrived at Quaking Aspen after 25 of the slowest windiest miles ever and found the campground covered in snow (that didn’t matter – we weren’t planning on staying) and the road closed (a bit more of a problem).

It was bitterly cold and the rain turned into snow which started settling so we thought we’d best get down while we could. This was a shame as the campground was quite lively with the likes of Thick-billed Fox Sparrow and my first Hammond’s Flycatcher. On the way down we passed a flock of 12 Black-headed Grosbeaks.

Ending up back at Lake Success we paused at the car park overlooking the lake while we considered our next move. While I looked at the map Vitty picked up a small cloud of birds moving quickly over the lake. Through the rain I could see they were a tight flock of some 300 waders with 8-9 Bonaparte’s Gulls. Somewhat distant and in heavy rain, identification might not have been easy were it not for the fact that they all settled on the water momentarily – they were Red-necked Phalaropes! For the next 10-15 minutes they flew constantly and rapidly all around the lake never settling at all – an incredible sight.

We continued on to Kernville, going the long way round. A flock of 21 Mourning Doves was the only large flock of this species seen all trip, although small numbers were found virtually everywhere. At Lake Isabella, still in the rain, I picked up another flock of about 300 Red-necked Phalaropes behaving in exactly the same manner as the Lake Success birds, also initially picked up with 7-8 Bonaparte’s Gulls. I’m tempted to think they were the same birds, but if so I bet they took a more direct route!

A recky up Kelso Creek Road towards Butterbredt Canyon produced 11 Western Tanagers, 4 Cactus Wrens, Swainson’s Thrush, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Spotted Sandpiper, 30 California Quails and when the rain finally stopped, a superb Golden Eagle.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT DAY

4th May - Yosemite National Park

2005-05-04T20:00:00.000+01:00

Chevron Meadow

Mountain Quail, Yosemite

Yosemite

Yosemite

Yosemite

Yosemite

Nashville Warbler, Yosemite

American Robin, Yosemite

Fox Sparrow, Yosemite

Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Yosemite

Yosemite

Vitty, Yosemite

Osprey, Bass Lake

Goosander (Common Merganser), Bass Lake

Bullock's Oriole, Bass Lake

A very early start at the snow-covered Chevron Meadow with a view to finding Great Grey Owls but I never really held out much hope as I couldn’t find them the night before. A Golden-crowned Kinglet was slightly more obliging but only for a split second – just long enough to tick it! Also around this meadow were Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch (5 heard today, not all seen), 5 Audubon’s (Yellow-rumped) Warblers, 5 Chipping Sparrows and some of the 12 American Robins seen today.

A few silhouetted birds seen briefly in flight looked interesting. A bit later one of a pair showed very slightly better and the wing pattern can only have belonged to a female Evening Grosbeak, which is what I had initially suspected. However, views were rubbish, and my conscience won’t allow me to count these. Heading back to the valley I found a couple of Townsend’s Solitaires but unfortunately seeing them involved craning my neck at an impossible angle while parked on a dangerous bend.

So far, all 3 new birds seen today had shown appallingly badly, but the next one was more co-operative. I could here 3 birds calling from different points across the hillside and I knew we were dealing with the same species I had heard near Idyllwild but hadn’t been able to put a name to. One of them was quite close and with a bit of stalking I managed to locate it. By now I had suspected what it was anyway, but when I reached it, it continued to call at close range and in full view, a splendid Mountain Quail.

The scenery in Yosemite must always be amazing but at this time of year the waterfalls are full and there’s loads of snow still laying – really spectacular! A walk up to one of them produced the first of 5 Nashville Warblers but I didn’t have the stamina to get very far so we headed back along the valley floor where we found 4 Tricolored Blackbirds and a dozen Black-headed Grosbeaks.

Neither the Tioga Pass road to the north nor the south rim road were open yet, being blocked by snow. However a random stop along the road heading south from the valley produced a wealth of birds including Nashville and Yellow Warblers, Thick-billed Fox Sparrow, 2 White-headed Woodpeckers and 3 Red-breasted Sapsuckers.

The road closures meant we had time to get to Bass Lake. Here we soon found an Osprey in its nest and where we parked to look at this the bushes were alive with Western Tanagers. A Red-breasted Nuthatch was calling and the lake held Clark’s Grebe and Goosander (Common Merganser). A second Osprey was found and eventually the target bird, a Bald Eagle, flew over the lake.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT DAY

3rd May - Crested Caracara!

2005-05-03T20:00:00.000+01:00

Red-winged (Bicolored) Blackbird, Point Reyes

Crested Caracara, Point Reyes

Red-tailed Hawk, Point Reyes

Hairy Woodpecker, Yosemite

Yosemite

We were heading off to Yosemite today so the original plan was to set off very early. However getting out of bed was too great a struggle for Vitty so I nipped off down to Point Reyes for a last attempt at finding Grasshopper Sparrow. No luck there but there were now 4 Buffleheads and a group of waders along the way included a Lesser Yellowlegs.

On the way down to the point I stopped beside a large group of Ravens on roadside posts. I counted them, 1, 2,… 6, 7, hang on, that one’s a Crested Caracara! Sure enough this magnificent raptor was sat there right beside the road. Needless to say it flew a bit further off before I could get the camera ready, but at least it meant I got a good flight view. It continued to show despite the attention it was getting from the Ravens.

Now I’d been through all the likely species that I might see in California and this wasn’t one of them. A quick look in the guide (Sibley) confirmed that yes, it was a Crested Caracara and no, you don’t get them in California. An escape? A wild vagrant? They occur in southern Arizona and Mexico and from the map in Sibley it looked like they had turned up out of range to the north but not anywhere near here. There was no reason to think it wasn’t wild and it didn’t show any sign of captivity – I’d had a good look at its legs, no rings, no jesses etc.

Back at the cottage I tried to contact some local birders but to no avail. Problems with my mobile not working properly in America (despite buying one that would specially), payphones not accepting English credit cards and difficulty finding phone cards meant that I couldn’t get the news out until the following afternoon, and that was only leaving a message. Fortunately it hung around and I understand that a number of birders did manage to twitch it a few days later. Many thanks to one of them, Les Lieurance, for updating me with information about its status – apparently the species has only very recently been accepted on to the California list but there have been a few records in the state over the last couple of years.

This had delayed me somewhat so I returned in a hurry to Inverness to pick up Vitty and grab some breakfast. About 100 Double-crested Cormorants were in the channel opposite the cottage. We headed off to Sonoma and Napa Valleys, stopping off at Annadel State Park for a spot of birding.

Here I wasted time looking for an invisible vireo which I thought might just be Cassin’s, a species I never did find. It eventually appeared but was just a Warbling Vireo. I then wasted more time trying to get a look at an Empidonax flycatcher which eventually turned out just to be another Pacific-slope. After wasting even more time unsuccessfully trying to find the source of a singing warbler I finally saw something interesting. A very distinctive call had to be a Red-breasted Nuthatch and sure enough it soon appeared – a superb little bird. I had missed the only British record which wintered in my home county a few months before I moved there, so this was a bird I very much wanted to see.

We abandoned plans to visit some vineyards in Sonoma and Napa Valleys as we hadn’t room in our luggage to buy any wine and as I was driving I couldn’t drink any either. Better to push on to Yosemite before it got dark we thought. On the way an American Bittern flew up from a ditch beside the road at Bauldin Island.

At Yosemite we found another Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Brown Creeper but what were probably Pileated Woodpeckers calling unfortunately never showed.

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2nd May - Point Reyes

2005-05-02T20:00:00.000+01:00

Peregrine, Point Reyes

Rock Wren, Point Reyes

Mule Deer, Point Reyes

Raven, Point Reyes

White-crowned Sparrow, Point Reyes

White-crowned Sparrow, Point Reyes

Savannah Sparrow, Point Reyes

Savannah Sparrow, Point Reyes

Great Northern Diver, Point Reyes

Surf Scoters, Point Reyes

Turkey Vulture, Point Reyes

Point Reyes

Point Reyes

flower (Iris?), Point Reyes

flower, Point Reyes

Marsh Wren, Kehoe Beach

flower, Kehoe Beach

thistle, Kehoe Beach

Olive-sided Flycatcher, Muddy Hollow

Allen's Hummingbird, Muddy Hollow

Gadwall, Muddy Hollow

Tree Swallow, Muddy Hollow

White-crowned Sparrow, Limantour Beach

Ruddy Duck, Limantour Beach

American Goldfinch, Limantour Beach

American Goldfinch, Limantour Beach

Common Yellowthroat, Limantour Beach

Gray Fox, Limantour Beach

Limantour Beach

Limantour Beach

I started off at Point Reyes Lighthouse in the hope of getting better views of Rhinoceros Auklet. This was not to be, but there were vast numbers of birds here including 1000 Guillemots (Common Murres), 120 Pacific and 4 Great Northern Divers (Pacific and Common Loons), 5 White-winged Scoters among 300 Surf Scoters, 25 Pigeon Guillemots, Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants and much more. A pair of Peregrines were present: I thought one was showing well until I turned round and noticed the other one sitting up right behind me and staring me in the face! A Rock Wren singing there provided nice views.

A stroll along to Fish Docks and Chimney Rock produced more of the same plus a colony of Elephant Seals. I then wasted a lot of time trying to see a whale off Chimney Rock but with no success. I caught it blowing a couple of times but never got a look at the beast itself. The blow was taller than the Gray Whales seen previously so I suspect it was a Humpback, but will never know for certain.

A Slavonian Grebe (or Horned Grebe if you’re local) at Fish Docks was the only one seen all trip and of 5 Glaucous-winged Gulls seen today an adult was the only mature bird seen all holiday. 100 Western Grebes were offshore from here and an Osprey flew over.

There were vast numbers of sparrows around the peninsula including 50 Savannah and 40 White-crowned (both mostly near the point) and 30 Song Sparrows (more spread about). There were also lots of American Goldfinches, at least 30 seen at several sites. About 40 Red-winged Blackbirds belonged to the local Californian race known as Bicolored Blackbird. The birds seen in the south of the state had been the ordinary form, although I had suspected some of the birds seen from the car on the way up were Bicolored too.

A small pond near the point held 3 Buffleheads and 4 Northern Harriers were in the area. Across the whole peninsula there were little groups of up to 12 Turkey Vultures all over the place – I reckon about 45 in all. There were also groups of California Quail everywhere, 32 birds in all.

Back at the cottage there were now 22 Dunlins feeding at the end of the pier and 20 Greater Scaup in the channel.

White House Pool failed to turn much up – but that could have been because we couldn’t find a pool there! So we went to Kehoe Beach instead where we enjoyed a pleasant walk to the beach. Along the way we were serenaded by Marsh Wrens and a male Allen’s Hummingbird was the first one to allow a more-or-less positive identification. On the beach a Long-billed Curlew was among 30 Hudsonian Whimbrels.

The footpath south to Muddy Hollow, round the other side of the peninsula, was blocked by floods, but the walk was productive. A Hutton’s Vireo and my first Olive-sided Flycatcher were both very vocal and another Allen’s Hummingbird provided excellent views. The hollow itself was reachable from the south at Limantour Beach and held 22 Gadwall and a couple of Ospreys overhead.

Limantour Beach turned up more Marsh Wrens and at dusk a fine Gray Fox came out to have a look – a very smart animal indeed.

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1st May - Chasing murrelets

2005-05-01T20:00:00.000+01:00

Western Gull, Point Pinos

Heermann's Gull, Roberts Lake, Seaside

Snow Goose, Roberts Lake, Seaside

White-winged Scoter, Seaside

Red-tailed Hawk, Elkhorn Slough

Red-tailed Hawk, Elkhorn Slough

Western Grebe, Elkhorn Slough

American Coot, Neary Lagoon

Greater White-fronted Goose (or hybrid?),
Neary Lagoon

Pied-billed Grebe, Neary Lagoon

Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco

Today started with a 40 minute sea watch from Point Pinos which turned up 68 Sooty Shearwaters and 150 Guillemots (or Common Murres). More exciting though were 3 Ancient Murrelets which flew past close inshore. I hadn’t expected to see this species as they are normally fairly scarce, especially as late as this, but it’s been a good spring for them and apparently others had been seen this weekend. They almost made up for dipping the one on Lundy 14 years ago!

The birders I had met yesterday told me about Robert’s Lake in Seaside and this site duly turned up the first year Snow Goose, apparently a late wild bird despite accompanying feral Canada Geese. There was also a colony of Heermann’s Gulls here – although I had seen a few youngsters down the coast these were my first adults. I also found my most northerly Great-tailed Grackles and my third and final Violet-green Swallow.

Offshore at Seaside there was a huge raft of 600 Pacific Divers (Pacific Loons to Americans). I was told that this was the only site for Red-necked Grebes in central California and sure enough 5 were easily found. Also offshore were 3 White-winged Scoters (now even the BOU has split these from our Velvet Scoter!) and 60 Surf Scoters and 10 Pigeon Guillemots. On the beach 45 Sanderlings provided a familiar touch.

Next stop was Elkhorn Slough. Here Moon Glow Dairy provided the only Cattle Egret away from the south-east and looking across the slough I could see the only 3 Black Brants of the trip. The reserve itself provided 12 American White Pelicans, Spotted Sandpiper, Barn Owl and a variety of other birds. The highlight here was a White-winged Kite which gave spectacular views as it hunted over the reserve.

There had been no sign of the recently present Marbled Murrelets at Seaside so I had been advised to check for them anywhere between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. First stop at Santa Cruz provided 500 Western Grebes but no Murrelets.

We then lost quite a lot of time getting lost round Santa Cruz before finding ourselves by accident at Neary Lagoon. Here a flock of 15-20 peculiar passerines flying over initially evaded identification, but fortunately some of them flew back, this time calling, and it dawned on me that they were Cedar Waxwings. A couple of Pine Siskins showed better. A Greater White-fronted Goose had paired up with a horrible hybrid domestic thingy so I don’t know where it had come from, wild or not. In fact I’m not convinced it wasn’t a hybrid itself.

Heading on northwards we stopped at Pigeon Point for another try with the Murrelets. Looking straight into the sun it was hard to pick out anything but two small blobs looked very interesting. They were swimming rapidly towards me until it became clear that they were indeed Marbled Murrelets and at that point the rear bird jumped up and mounted the front bird. It was all over in a second, but he looked pretty pleased with himself.

Driving through San Francisco on the way to Point Reyes was remarkably easy so we paused for a few minutes at the Golden Gate Bridge to do the tourist thing. Fortunately Vitty had been here before so there was no pressure to visit the city itself. The road up to Point Reyes was incredibly slow and windy but we stopped and had a quick look at Bolinas Lagoon. Here there were loads of ducks including 136 Greater Scaup, 1 Lesser Scaup, 3 Buffleheads and 9 American Wigeons.

We didn’t have time to have a proper look round Five Brooks but a quick shifty produced Swainson’s Thrush, 5 Wood Ducks and 3 Purple Finches amongst other things. Arriving at our cottage in Inverness we discovered that Caspian Terns and Greater Scaup were feeding just off the end of our own private ‘pier’ while Black-crowned Night Herons flew over.

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30th April - Albatross!

2005-04-30T20:00:00.000+01:00

Great Northern Diver, Monterey Harbour

Risso's & Pacific White-sided Dolphins,
Monterey Bay

Harbour Seal, Monterey Harbour

Harlequin, Monterey Harbour

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Monterey Aquarium

Canada Goose, Point Pinos

Pelagic Cormorant, Monterey Peninsula

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Monterey Peninsula

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Monterey Peninsula

Brewer's Blackbird, Monterey Peninsula

We’d booked an early whale-watching boat trip into Monterey Bay this morning and were quite excited by the prospect of seeing whales, dolphins and seabirds at close range from the boat. Well, it was a good trip but we didn’t see any whales apart from a couple of Gray Whales which hardly surfaced at all. There were dolphins though – a large pod of Risso’s Dolphins with a few Pacific White-sided Dolphins.

The birds were good, though not as good as I’d hoped. A pair of Harlequins in the harbour on the way out were best but there were loads of Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, Sooty Shearwaters. Unfortunately 2-3 Rhinoceros Auklets dived as soon as the boat got anywhere near them preventing even half-decent views. On return, the Harlequins remained in the harbour along with several Great Northern Divers (Common Loons in American).

Vitty had wanted to visit the aquarium in Monterey so we went there next. It was quite good, but I think we both found it a little disappointing. Apart from the fish, the Sea Otters were cool as were the jellyfish, but the penguins looked very unhappy about their very unnatural habitat, a big condensation-covered fish tank.

We then drove round Monterey Peninsula stopping here and there but not generally seeing much. When we reached Bird Rock, a rock covered in about 400 Brandt’s Cormorants and 60 Brown Pelicans, I noticed a couple of other birders watching the sea. Walking up to them I asked if they’d seen much and they advised me they were watching an Albatross!

It turned out that there were 2 Black-footed Albatrosses flying past, with a Sooty Shearwater in between for size comparison – fantastic timing! This was a species I had hoped (not expected) to see from the boat so I was well pleased with this. But as if this wasn’t enough, a few minutes later one of them called a puffin. Sure enough there was a Tufted Puffin flying by – a real goodie this far south and something I certainly didn’t expect to see this holiday.

Other birds seen from here included about 100 Sooty Shearwaters, Greater Yellowlegs and Wandering Tattler.

We finished up at Carmel River Mouth, a nice spot with plenty of birds visible from beside the car park. There were 200 California and 150 Western Gulls, 60 Brown Pelicans, the only Goldeneye of the trip and a selection of waders including Spotted Sandpiper. A Violet-green Swallow was with the Tree, Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallows flying around.

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29th April - Big Sur

2005-04-29T20:00:00.000+01:00

Wild Turkey, Big Sur

flower, Andrew Molera State Park

lizard, Andrew Molera State Park

Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Andrew Molera
State Park

Purple Finch, Andrew Molera State Park

Western Scrub Jay, Andrew Molera State Park

white butterfly, Andrew Molera State Park

Double-crested Cormorant, Andrew Molera
State Park

Brandt's Cormorant, Point Lobos

White-crowned Sparrow, Point Lobos

California Thrasher, Point Lobos

Wandering Tattler, Asilomar Beach

Today we had a late start following breakfast at Deetjen’s. I had popped out before breakfast but hadn’t seen much apart from a Wild Turkey. Andrew Molera State Park was good with Swainson’s Thrush, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, American Goosanders (or Common Mergansers as they call them here) and much more besides.

Looking back to the hills there were Vaux’s Swifts and a variety of raptors. Most of these were Turkey Vultures, a species which had become very common by this part of our tour. Much bigger though, and quite distinctive despite being very distant, was a California Condor – a nice surprise indeed!

From the river mouth a quick look out to see produced my first Pigeon Guillemot, 30 Pacific Divers and 40 Surf Scoters. Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants were breeding and 2 Glaucous-winged Gulls were among the California and Western Gulls.

Further north at Point Lobos there were even more Brandt’s Cormorants (at least 500) and Black Oystercatchers. Most of the Hummingbirds were Anna’s but one was probably Allen’s – not being a male it was impossible to eliminate Rufous though.

Mammals included loads of Sea Otters and a few Harbour Seals. California Sea Lions were very noisy here.

A California Thrasher sat out on a small tree top in full view, the first one I had seen properly. With 5 species of Thrasher possible up to now and time spent looking for all of them, I was relieved to see one well at last.

A bizarre sighting was in the Carmel area while driving along a busy suburban road: a White-tailed Kite flew slowly across the road and landed in a tree beside the road in someone’s garden. Not exactly the habitat I expected to find this in and although there was nothing else it could have been, I couldn’t quite believe it really was one – unfortunately there was no way I could stop here.

Sunset on Asiloma Beach was pleasant with the backdrop of singing White-crowned Sparrows, the likes of Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone and Black Oystercatcher parading in front of us and Pacific and Great Northern Divers floating by. It was supposed to be romantic but how can I help looking at this lot?

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28th April - Yellow-billed Magpies

2005-04-28T20:00:00.000+01:00

Mount Pinos, 28th April

Chipping Sparrow, Cerro Norroeste Road

Chipping Sparrow, Cerro Norroeste Road

view from Cerro Norroeste Road

Horned Lark, Cerro Norroeste Road

Cottonwood Canyon Road

San Antonio Mission

San Antonio Mission

Yellow-billed Magpie, San Antonio Mission

Big Sur

Big Sur

Big Sur

Big Sur

Big Sur

Big Sur

Song Sparrow, Big Sur

With an ambitious schedule we decided to leave the Mount Pinos area earlier than originally planned, which was probably a wise decision. Travelling along the Cerro Norroeste Road there was a big change in scenery, but it was no less impressive. Birds here included lots of Horned Larks beside the road, as well as Lark Sparrows, Lazuli Buntings and my first definite Tricolored Blackbirds.

We stopped off at Cottonwood Canyon Road, primarily to see Yellow-billed Magpie, not found anywhere outside California and northern Mexico. As it turned out we saw several more along the journey so we needn’t have stopped, but it was a nice spot anyway. The road up Bates Canyon looked a bit difficult, if not impossible for our car so any thoughts of looking for Condors from the top were dismissed – we didn’t have time anyway (but it didn’t matter as we saw one next day).

Vitty had wanted to visit one of the historic missions, a chain of which are spread up the west coast. We went to San Antonio Mission as it was on the way to the Big Sur where we were heading. It was an interesting place (and held more Yellow-billed Magpies) set in the middle of Fort Hunter Liggett, a large military site but rich with wildlife.

We arrived at the Big Sur where the scenery was amazing. Vitty had been here before but only in the fog so was keen to see it again. Apart from the scenery the most exciting sighting was a Gray Whale, close inshore and giving great views. Other sea-mammals included California Sea Lion and Sea Otters. The birds were good too including 150 Brandt’s Cormorants and Black Oystercatchers.

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27th April - Snow stops play

2005-04-27T20:00:00.000+01:00

Western Bluebird, Hurkey Creek
Campground

Red-shouldered Hawk, Hurkey Creek
Campground

Mount Pinos

Thick-billed Fox Sparrow, Mount Pinos

Green-tailed Towhee, Mount Pinos

I started off this morning at Hurkey Creek Campground where 4 Pygmy Nuthatches were new. I also found a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks and a good variety of other species. Nearby at Lake Hemet there were 7 more Pygmy Nuthatches and a White-headed Woodpecker.

A dozen Band-tailed Pigeons were in Idyllwild where we had breakfast before heading back north. Along the way we found my first American Robin of the trip, a species which was to prove quite common in mountainous forest further north, and a superb Black-throated Gray Warbler.

After a long drive we ended up at Mount Pinos where we had planned to spend our third and final night of camping. The ominous “chains required” signs were our first clue that not everything might go according to plan. We reached the campsite without chains, but camping there was out of the question as the whole place was still covered in thick snow!

When snow began to fall, we decided we’d better get back down the steep mountain road before we couldn't! However this was not before getting a chance to see a few birds: a variety of woodpeckers included my first Northern Flicker, and a Thick-billed Fox Sparrow was also found. Best bird was a Green-tailed Towhee – possibly my favourite bird of the whole trip.

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26th April - Desert and snow

2005-04-26T20:00:00.000+01:00

Vermillion Flycatcher, Covington Park

Vermillion Flycatcher, Covington Park

Western Tanager (female), Covington Park

Cassin's Kingbird, Covington Park

Gambel's Quail, Covington Park

Nuttall's Woodpecker, Covington Park

Phainopepla, Covington Park

Brown-crested Flycatcher, Big Morongo
Canyon Preserve

Desert Cottontail, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

lizard, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Summer Tanager, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Western Grey Squirrel, N of Idyllwild

Townsend's Warbler, N of Idyllwild

Townsend's Warbler, N of Idyllwild

Lake Fulmor

Steller's Jay, Lake Fulmor

Western Bluebird, Lake Fulmor

view from Devil's Slide Trail

Oregon Junco, Devil's Slide Trail

Starting off at Covington Park proved a good move as it was teeming with birds. A stunning male Vermillion Flycatcher greeted me on arrival and a pair continued to show well all the time I was there. A Summer Tanager, though completely red, was much less attractive.

I flushed a Barn Owl from a palm tree before it was chased off by what was probably a Cooper’s Hawk. A Nuttall’s Woodpecker provided my first decent views of this species and other birds here included Yellow Warbler, Cassin’s Kingbird, Lawrence’s and Lesser Goldfinches, Hooded Oriole, Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeak, Gambel’s Quail and more.

The neighbouring Big Morongo Canyon Preserve produced more Summer Tanagers, a Blue Grosbeak and both Nuttall’s and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers. There was a good selection of warblers including 7 Wilson’s Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat and Orange-crowned Warblers. I eventually managed to pick out a couple of Brown-crested Flycatchers, although the very similar Ash-throated Flycatchers were also present. Fortunately both species are fairly vocal and I had brought a recording of their songs to compare them to.

We covered a wide range of habitats during this holiday but it was a bit bizarre being here in this hot, arid semi-desert habitat and looking up at the nearby San Bernardino Mountains with their tops completely covered in snow. And it was to the mountains we headed next, not these ones but San Jacinto to the south.

The long windy road up the mountain took us through and into new habitats and new elevations, and with them were a host of new birds some of which were actually very common in these habitats. Among them were 14 Acorn Woodpeckers, 4 Western Bluebirds, 10 Mountain Chickadees, 4 Oak Titmice, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, 13 Steller’s Jays, 2 Oregon Juncos and Hairy Woodpecker. A Townsend’s Warbler was also seen – beautiful as ever.

At Idyllwild we took a hike up the Devil’s Slide Trail. This provided more birds in the shape of Band-tailed Pigeons, White-headed Woodpecker, Brown Creeper and a pair of Cassin’s Finches as well as many of the same species seen on the way up.

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25th April - Joshua Tree NP

2005-04-25T20:00:00.000+01:00

Lawrence's Goldfinch, Cottonwood

cactus, Cottonwood

Costa's Hummingbird, Cottonwood

Cottonwood Spring

Cottonwood Spring

flowers, Cottonwood

Hooded Oriole, Cottonwood

Phainopepla, Cottonwood

Starling, Cottonwood

flower, Joshua Tree NP

flower, Joshua Tree NP

flowers, Joshua Tree NP

Joshua Tree NP

Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree NP

Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree NP

Lizard, Joshua Tree NP

Occatillo, Joshua Tree NP

Vitty, Joshua Tree NP

Joshua Tree NP

White-tailed Antelope Squirrel, Joshua Tree NP

flowers, Barker Dam

grasshopper, Barker Dam

lizard, Barker Dam

Barker Dam

dragonfly, Barker Dam

Coyote, Barker Dam

Mourning Dove, Desert Christ Park

moth, Yucca Valley

A quick stroll down to Cottonwood Spring was a nice way to start the day. Along the way there were lots of Lawrence’s Goldfinches and Gambel’s Quails as well as a couple of Bell’s Vireos. At the spring there were Hooded Orioles but no sign of the Scott’s Oriole I was hoping for. Returning back to the campsite an unfamiliar song on the hillside eventually proved to be the elusive Scott’s Oriole, although it remained a fair way off.

Travelling across the national park we found 2 Say’s Phoebes and a couple more Loggerhead Shrikes. The wildflowers were spectacular. We had been told there was an exceptional spring showing for desert flowers following an unusually wet winter, but had been a little disappointed in Anza-Borrego. Here though it was pretty cool, although probably past its best.

Barker Dam provided a pleasant walk and some more interesting wildlife. Highlights were Canyon and Rock Wrens, a stunning Townsend’s Warbler and a Violet-green Swallow. The latter was seen well in excellent light where it really showed off its bright colours – an amazing bird (the others I saw later didn’t seem nearly so remarkable). Back at the car park a Coyote wandered by – a wolf-like animal famous for its howling which we had heard several times.

Finally Vitty wanted to pay a visit to Desert Christ Park near Yucca Valley. This was a slightly bizarre collection of bigger than life-size statues of Christ and his apostles. The heads of the apostles provided excellent perches for birds like Gambel’s Quail, Mourning Dove and Black-throated Sparrow!

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24th April - Goodbye Salton Sea

2005-04-24T20:00:00.000+01:00

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Wister Unit

Western Tanager, Wister Unit

Peregrine, Davis Road (SE Salton Sea)

Snowy Plover, Davis Road (SE Salton Sea)

Barn Swallow, Davis Road (SE Salton Sea)

Barn Swallow (lacking red on face), Davis Road

White-faced Ibis, Davis Road (SE Salton Sea)

Wilson's Phalarope, Davis Road (SE Salton Sea)

Joshua Tree NP

cactus, Joshua Tree NP

our hire car, Joshua Tree NP

Our last morning in the Salton Sea area, much to Vitty's relief. A fairly early start for me at the Wister Unit while Vitty had a lie in. Here a good selection of passerines included 7 Audubon's Warblers (the western form of Yellow-rumped Warbler) and a male American Redstart. The latter is rare in California but this bird had over-wintered here.

I continued south along Davis Road seeing Peregrine, Wilson's Phalarope, 4 White-faced Ibises on the deck (I had seen 650 in previous days but all in flight) and 10 Snowy Plovers.

In the MacDonald Road area the place was teaming with birds: 800 Western Sandpipers, 126 Red-necked Phalaropes, 250 American Coots and 490 Northern Shovelers. There was also a Chilean Flamingo there which was part of a countable feral population.

It was now time to leave this hotspot behind, so we headed north towards Joshua Tree National Park. We cut across Box Canyon which provided nice scenery and a few birds, including a copulating pair of Ladder-backed Woodpeckers.

We arrived in Joshua Tree NP a bit earlier than planned which was fortunate as we had to drive all the way across to Twentynine Palms to get food. Along the way we stopped at the Cactus Gardens, a place Vitty had wanted to visit. The scenery throughout Joshua Tree NP was spectacular and the wildlife included Sidewinder snakes, Cactus Wren, Black-throated Sparrows, Phainopeplas and Loggerhead Shrikes.

We were camping at the Cottonwood Campsite but decided it would be more comfortable sleeping in the car than risking our marriage trying to put up the tent again! Last bird was my first Lawrence's Goldfinch beside the camping lot.

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23rd April - Salton Sea

2005-04-23T20:00:00.000+01:00

Brown-headed Cowbird, Brawley

Brown-headed Cowbird, Brawley

Cattle Egret, Brawley

Common Ground Dove, Brawley

Verdin, Brawley

Red-winged Blackbird, Calipatria

Great-tailed Grackle, Calipatria

Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brandt's Dairy (SE
Salton Sea)

SE Salton Sea

SE Salton Sea

Black-necked Stilt, SE Salton Sea

Western Sandpiper, SE Salton Sea

Least Sandpiper, SE Salton Sea

Great Blue Heron, SE Salton Sea

Greater Roadrunner, SE Salton Sea

Sand Martin, Barn Swallows and Tree
Swallow, SE Salton Sea

First bird this morning was a Great Horned Owl, seen in silhouette at first light near Ramer Lake. At Finney Lake a couple of American White Pelicans flew through and 300 White-faced Ibises flew over. While chatting to a couple of birders in the car park (the first birders I’d met so far) a Bobcat sauntered past us. An exciting new mammal for me, looking a bit like a Wild Cat.

The town of Brawley was disappointing with the 3 main targets (Bronzed Cowbird, Gila Woodpecker and Calliope Hummingbird) all being missed. Residential areas held large numbers of Great-tailed Grackles and Northern Mockingbirds while Cattle Call Park produced Nashville Warbler and a couple of Cactus Wrens. A Killdeer was sitting on a scrape beside a path in the cemetery – an example of the sort of unexpected place this species sometimes chooses to nest.

On the way back to Calipatria there were 100 Cattle Egrets feeding in roadside fields. The Salton Sea area is a place to avoid if you’re not into birding. Hot, ugly, smelly and generally unpleasant, but an amazing place for birds! The worst thing about it was the smell, mainly from dairy effluent (the dairies are huge – 10s of 1000s of cows all crammed in extensive pens). Apparently the smell gets even worse in summer when the sea’s shores are lined with dead and decaying fish. There isn’t much choice of where to stay (not many people visit apart from birders) but we found a motel in Calipatria. They said they had aerated our room, but it smelt like they had taken the “air” straight from the dairies!

A tour of the SE section of the Salton Sea revealed the reason for us visiting this awful place – it was heaving with birds! Waders included 600 Western Sandpipers, 420 Long-billed Dowitchers, 70 Black-necked Stilts, 55 American Avocets, 3 Wilson’s and 32 Red-necked Phalaropes and 5 Snowy Plovers. 100 Black-necked (Eared) Grebes were among the wildfowl which included 800 Ruddy Ducks, 75 Green-winged Teals and 4 Redheads. Four species of tern included 3 American Black Terns (blacker than ours) and 2 Gull-billed Terns.

Black Phoebes and Western Kingbirds were very common round here and a Cassin’s Kingbird was picked out too. Among 250 Barn Swallows were the only Sand Martins (Bank Swallows) of the trip. A Lesser Nighthawk was seen hawking over Davis Road during the afternoon and Burrowing Owls were unmissable with at least 13 seen. A variety of Blackbirds, Cowbirds and Meadowlarks included 4 Yellow-headed Blackbirds at Brandt’s Dairy.

Returning to Calipatria I stopped off at a small pig farm where I hoped to see a variety of doves. Among Common Ground Doves were at least 2 Ruddy Ground Doves. These are normally rarities in California but have been present, and breeding, at this site for a couple of years. There were also Inca Doves here and introduced Eurasian Collared Doves, the latter providing more excitement for the locals than for me!

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22nd April - Rattlesnake!

2005-04-22T20:00:00.000+01:00

Cactus Wren, N of Borrego Springs

Lark Sparrow, N of Borrego Springs

Black-throated Sparrow, Coyote Canyon

Brewer's Sparrow, Coyote Canyon

House Finch (yellow variant), Coyote Canyon

Loggerhead Shrike (adult), Coyote Canyon

Loggerhead Shrike (juvenile), Coyote Canyon

California Quail, Yaqui Well

Verdin, Yaqui Well

Whitetailed Antelope Squirrel, Yaqui Well

Burrowing Owl, Vendel Road

Killdeer, Vendel Road

Least Sandpiper, Vendel Road

Red-winged Blackbird, Vendel Road

Clark's Grebe, Finney Lake

Spotted Sandpiper, Finney Lake

Cinnamon Teal, Ramer Lake

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake,
Ramer Lake

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake,
Ramer Lake

An early start in the hope of finding Le Conte’s Thrasher north of Borrego Springs, but to no avail. A pair of Cactus Wrens put on a good show though along with more Black-throated Sparrows. At least 15 White-winged and 30 Mourning Doves were spread along the road among the citrus groves where we also saw 2 Greater Roadrunners and a Lark Sparrow.

Further north into Coyote Canyon there was a large flock of about 30 Brewer’s Sparrows moving noisily through the sparse vegetation but mostly remaining remarkably well hidden. Rock Wrens were found in the same area and a pair of House Finches involved a yellow-variant male. A family of Loggerhead Shrikes were remarkably tame and provided a good opportunity for photography. A Chipping Sparrow nearly provided a nutritious meal for them but made it away just in time.

On the way out of Borrego Springs a quick stop at Borrego Sink produced a Costa's Hummingbird, a species which proved reasonably common in the desert areas.

Another brief visit to Yaqui Well produced a couple more Brewer's Sparrows and the first of many White-crowned Sparrows.

We now left the desert to go to the Salton Sea, but if we thought we were leaving the heat behind we were wrong. This afternoon was the most uncomfortably hot time all trip.

At Vendel Road a large pool held 44 Black-necked Stints and 450 Dowitchers, probably Long-billed but the heat haze made it impossible to be certain. A small pool at the end held a Wilson's Snipe, the only one seen all trip.

Along this road and others in the area there were loads of Red-winged Blackbirds as well as the odd Western Meadowlark. Burrowing Owls were easy to see perched up beside the road.

What was intended to be a quick scout to Finney Lake so I knew where to go in the morning turned out to be a slightly longer visit. It was rewarding though with Gambel's Quail, Common Ground Dove and Abert's Towhee all lifers along with 3 Clark's Grebes and 2 Spotted Sandpipers.

Nearby Ramer Lake was just as exciting. While trying to get better looks at some Yellow-headed Blackbirds I nearly stepped on a Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake! I made a hasty retreat but perhaps needn't have done so as it seemed quite unconcerned. Still, I decided to photograph it from a distance to be safe!

An impressive heronry contained at least 125 Great White Egrets (or Great Egrets as the Americans call them) along with smaller numbers of Black-crowned Night Herons, Cattle Egrets, Double-crested Cormorants and Great Blue Herons. A couple of Green Herons were also seen in the area.

Common Moorhen is a scarce introduced species in California but somehow they seemed to look wilder here than they do in the UK. 3 of the 6 seen were here today. Other birds seen here included Osprey, Lesser Scaup and White-faced Ibis (250 seen in flight). The Song Sparrows here were of a different, redder form than the birds seen elsewhere.

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21st April - Off to the desert

2005-04-21T20:00:00.000+01:00

Downy Woodpecker, Kumeyaay Lake

Black-headed Grosbeak, Kumeyaay Lake

Bewick's Wren, Father Junipero Serra
Trail

Anna's Hummingbird, Father Junipero
Serra Trail

Lazuli Bunting, Father Junipero Serra
Trail

Lazuli Bunting, Father Junipero Serra
Trail

Yellow Warbler, Father Junipero Serra
Trail

Yellow-breasted Chat, Father Junipero
Serra Trail

Behr's Metalmark, Mission Dam

Black Phoebe, Mission Dam

flower, Mission Dam

Lorquin's Admiral, Mission Dam

Occatillo, Tamarisk Grove

Lesser Goldfinch,Yaqui Well

White-winged Dove, Tamarisk Grove

above Tamarisk Grove

Borrego Springs Campground

First stop this morning was the Mission Dam area. As the Father Junipero Serra Trail didn’t open until 8.00am I decided to pay an early visit to Kumeyaay Lake at the top end. This was a lovely little spot and good for birds too. Highlight was a Least Bittern seen briefly in flight.

The lakeside trees were full of birds including my first Ash-throated Flycatcher, Black-headed Grosbeak and House Wren, all of which were subsequently found quite commonly. A couple of Downy Woodpeckers showed well but an Empidonax flycatcher (a notoriously hard genus) was not so co-operative. The lack of a distinct eye-ring ruled out the most likely candidates but unfortunately it didn’t give itself up.

The Father Junipero Serra Trail was a great place with loads of birds. My first Western Kingbirds, Lesser Goldfinches and Wrentits were found, although plenty more of each of these were found later. Other species included Phainopepla, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting and a Hutton’s Vireo.

Mission Dam itself held 3 new species of warbler. Wilson’s Warbler proved common elsewhere but I only ended up seeing a handful of Nashville Warblers and one more Black-throated Gray Warbler. All 3 species were spectacular in their own way, but the last rates as one of my favourite birds of the trip.

A quick stop at Santee Lakes before heading off to the Anza-Borrego desert provided a few interesting birds including the first of several American Kestrels. A few Wood Ducks were present and there was a large colony of Cliff Swallows on the road bridge. Then a Wild Turkey was seen at Banner on the way to the desert, followed by a Greater Roadrunner, the first of 6 seen over a 5-day period.

Arriving in the desert, first stop was Tamarisk Grove. Here typical desert species included Verdin, White-winged Dove and Black-throated Sparrow. Single Wilson’s, Nashville and MacGillivray’s Warblers (the latter the only one seen all holiday) were probably migrants. A walk to Yaqui Well was abandoned on account of the fact that I hadn’t bothered to put on walking boots and we hadn’t got enough water for a 2 mile desert hike. Instead we drove there and found more Wilson’s Warblers and my first California Quails.

Arriving at Borrego Springs we found a couple of Black-tailed Gnatcatchers by the visitor centre and once we’d obtained the necessary provisions made our way to the campsite for the night. We’d not been camping together before (I’d hardly been camping at all) and putting the tent up nearly resulted in us signing up for a marriage counselling course! However the deed was done with some difficulty and a lot of brow-wiping, despite avian distractions such as a Say’s Phoebe.

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20th April - Tijuana River

2005-04-20T20:00:00.000+01:00

Today I planned to spend a full day birding while Vitty (not a birder) did the tourist thing visiting museums etc. in San Diego. First stop was Dairy Mart Ponds which by all accounts promised to offer some spectacular birding. I arrived before it was light and not entirely sure where to go ended up going round the back first. Consequently I didn't get a clear view of the ponds themselves until later than planned but the scrubby area round the back was very productive indeed.

I had been warned that Yellow-breasted Chat was a skulking and difficult-to-see species, so I was pleasantly surprised to find several perched out in the open, song-flighting and generally putting on a good performance. Common Yellowthroats were the commonest warbler here (about 35 seen), favouring damp habitats but there were also a few Yellow and Orange-crowned Warblers. Song Sparrows were singing all over the place.

Other passerines included Warbling Vireo and a pair of Bell' Vireos. A Western Tanager was seen briefly as were my first Red-winged Blackbirds. Northern Cardinal is common across much of North America but they are not native here - a male seen here was part of a small feral population which has recently become established locally.

A Solitary Sandpiper was flushed from a flooded track and flew off over my head calling. An exciting bird which I hadn't expected to see as they're relatively scarce in California.

Back at the road overlooking the ponds themselves I found a family of Pied-billed Grebes, Great-tailed Grackles, Cooper's Hawk, Cliff Swallows and Downy Woodpecker, but no sign of an American Bittern which I had heard.

A male Hooded Oriole was one of the most striking birds seen so far. A few American Goldfinches were present, the only site I saw them in southern California.

Leaving here I headed west to Monument Road which leads to the Mexican border (or would do if it wasn't blocked before you get that far). This area was good for raptors including 8 Northern Harriers, 4 Cooper's Hawks, 2 Turkey Vultures and both Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks.

I stopped at a flowering bush which looked good for hummingbirds and sure enough there were several here. As well as the usual Anna's there was a single Black-chinned Hummingbird and a couple of others which were probably either Allen's or Rufous.

My first Bewick's Wren was at the end of the road (where it was blocked), along with a couple of gaudy Blue Grosbeaks.

Heading from here up Hollister Road I found my first Black Phoebe and Pacific-slope Flycatcher and a couple more Hooded Orioles. A small lake near the Tijuana River held American Avocets, Black-necked Stints and 14 Cinnamon Teals amongst other things.

Next stop was South Bay in southern San Diego. I hoped to find American White Pelicans and a flock of 10 duly obliged right next to where I parked. A flock of 135 Black Skimmers were present and there were a similar number of Black-necked Grebes (or Eared Grebes as they call them here). A flock of 25 Bonaparte's Gulls was the largest concentration I saw in California.

Leaving here I took a wrong turn which proved fortuitous as I ended up finding Belding's Savannah Sparrow round the corner which I had failed to find at the last stop. This is apparently an endangered form of Savannah Sparrow with a limited range.

Reading about Tijuana Slough I had formed the impression that this was a large reserve requiring a longish walk from the car park. Clapper Rail was the main target here and was supposed to be easiest to see at high tide when they can get pushed out from the saltmarsh. High tide was late evening and I arrived mid afternoon expecting to spend the rest of the day here. It turned out that the reserve was either much smaller than I expected or else was closed as the only accessible part was right by the car park.

A platform here overlooked the slough which didn't look too promising. The tide was still low and my hopes for a Clapper Rail weren't much higher. On first scan, the first thing I saw running along the mud below the saltmarsh was a downy black chick. I immediately suspected it was a baby Clapper Rail and sure enough the parent soon appeared providing excellent views for several minutes. Result!

A variety of other waders were here and 2-3 more Belding's Savannah Sparrows were found. There seemed little point in staying here now as planned, so I decided to head off to Otay Lakes, a site a few miles inland which I had wanted to visit but didn't think there would be enough time.

On the lake there were 3 species of grebe including my first Western Grebes and the scarcer but similar Clark's Grebe side by side for comparison. Another Blue Grosbeak was here and also a dull male (presumably immature) Lazuli Bunting. A Bullock's Oriole was my first of this species which proved harder to find than I had anticipated.

Three days in, and I had seen 108 species of which 73 were lifers!

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19th April - Off to San Diego

2005-04-19T20:00:00.004+01:00

California Gull, De Anza Cove (San Diego)

California Gull, De Anza Cove (San Diego)

Little Blue Heron, Mission Bay (San Diego)

Short-billed Dowitcher, Bacon Street (San Diego)

Long-billed Curlew, Bacon Street (San Diego)

Cassin's Kingbird, Bacon Street (San Diego)

Spotted Towhee (and Orange-crowned
Warbler), Cabrillo Monument

Orange-crowned Warbler, Cabrillo Monument
(San Diego)

House Finch, Cabrillo Monument (San Diego)

Golden-crowned Sparrow, Cabrillo Monument
(San Diego)

Golden-crowned Sparrow, Cabrillo Monument
(San Diego)

Great Blue Heron, Famosa Slough

Forster's Tern, Famosa Slough

Forster's Tern, Famosa Slough

Blue-winged Teal, Famosa Slough

Black-crowned Night Heron, Famosa Slough

Black-crowned Night Heron, Famosa Slough

Black-crowned Night Heron, Famosa Slough

Belted Kingfisher, Famosa Slough

After a leisurely breakfast we left Cat's and headed down to San Diego, but not before finding 1-2 Anna's Hummingbirds, the first time I'd seen any member of this family. This species proved to be the commonest and most widespread species of Hummingbird seen during our holiday. The first 6 of many Red-tailed Hawks were seen from the car on the way down.

First stop was De Anza Cove where wintering Harlequin and Long-tailed Duck had been the week before at least. The latter was probably of more interest to the locals than a British visitor but although I'd seen Harlequins in the UK, an adult drake would have been much appreciated by me. Typically only the Long-tailed Duck could be found but it was a nice spot with plenty to look at including my first Green and Little Blue Herons. The latter are not generally found in western USA but occur in small numbers around San Diego. In fact they were easier than I expected with singles seen in 4 places today.

I quick stop along Bacon Street provided a nice Cassin's Kingbird, a Horned Lark under some swings and my first of many Brewer's Blackbirds. From the bank looking across the river there was a good selection of waders including Short-billed Dowitcher, 4 Long-billed Curlews, 10 Semipalmated Plovers, 12 Least Sandpipers and a Dunlin with 100 Western Sandpipers.

Elegant and Forster's Terns were present, the former being the last ones seen all holiday. Black Skimmer is an extraordinary species and one I had hoped to see this holiday. I was not disappointed as a flock of 145 were present here.

Next stop was Cabrillo Monument where I hoped to find a few more passerines. California and Spotted Towhees were both common here. Around the visitor centre there were Bushtits, Western Scrub Jays and Vaux's and White-throated Swifts were overhead. A Townsend's Warbler showed only briefly but was a jaw-droppingly beautiful bird.

A dripping tap within a little grove here is apparently a famous spot for migrants. It took some finding but was home to my first Orange-crowned Warbler (which proved to be one of the commonest warblers) and Golden-crowned Sparrow among other things. The area was full of Hummingbirds, but only Anna's were identified.

The last spot visited today wasn't in my guide to where to bird in Southern California (A Birder's Guide to Southern California by Brad Schram - an excellent investment); I only found it by chance on the internet a few days before. A small wetland area in a very urban setting, Famosa Slough proved an amazing place well worth the visit.

The first bird I saw before I was out of the car was a fantastic Belted Kingfisher. Having failed to see the first British record for 25 years earlier this month this was one my most-wanted species this holiday - and this was the only one I saw. Blue-winged Teals were also the only ones seen all trip.

Waders included Black-necked Stilt and 50 Long-billed Dowitchers but the highlight was perhaps the herons, all of which were remarkably tame providing excellent photographic opportunities: Black-crowned Night Herons in a variety of plumages, Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egret. Finally 4 Amazon Parrots flew over - a variety of species of Parrots and Parakeets are more-or-less naturalised in southern California now but these were the only ones I encountered.

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18th April - Touchdown

2005-04-18T20:00:00.000+01:00

House Finch, Marina del Rey

Valley Pocket Gopher, Marina del Rey

Snowy Egret, Marina del Rey

Ring-billed Gull, Marina del Rey

Heermann's Gull, Marina del Rey

Heermann's Gull, Marina del Rey

Western Gull, Marina del Rey

Dowitcher sp. (Short-billed?), Marina del Rey

Dowitcher sp. (Long-billed?), Marina del Rey

Dowitcher sp., Marina del Rey

Willet, Marina del Rey

Marbled Godwit, Marina del Rey

Caspian Tern, Marina del Rey

Elegant Terns, Marina del Rey

Today I arrived with my wife Vitty in LA for my first visit to America. It promised to be a fantastic holiday for me, with a vast array of birds and other wildlife which would be completely new. I've been birding in the UK for many years and have notched up most of the regular American vagrants, but here on the west coast most of what I see would be new.

That wasn't the case for the first three birds though, Starling, House Sparrow and Feral Pigeon. An inauspicious start, but it wasn't long before I'd found Mourning Dove, American Crow and House Finch on the way out of the airport. All three proved abundant, but lifers nonetheless.

I hadn't planned to do much on the first afternoon before meeting up with our friend Cat with whom we were spending the first night. I figured I needed gently breaking in to driving an American automatic car on American roads, and not to mention the American birds. So a trip to Marina del Rey, not far from the airport seemed like a good idea.

Here a muddy lagoon proved to be excellent for shorebirds including my first Willets, Marbled Godwits and Hudsonian Whimbrel. A flock of Western Sandpipers contained a couple of Least Sandpipers while Grey (Black-bellied) Plovers provided a touch of familiarity. There was a flock of what I thought at the time were all Long-billed Dowitchers, but checking the photos I think included at least one Short-billed.

Four of the six species of gull were lifers: Western, California, Glaucous-winged, Heermann's and Ring-billed Gulls were present and an adult Bonaparte's Gull flew through. The Ring-billed, although numerous here, proved to be the only ones seen all holiday.

Also present were Snowy Egrets and a single Great Blue Heron.

After all this there was only just time to look at the jetty which held Black Oystercatcher, 3 Surfbirds, Black and Ruddy Turnstones. Brown Pelicans were all around and a few Red-breasted Mergansers were feeding with a flock of Double-crested Cormorants in the channel.

The first hirundine was only a Barn Swallow but 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows soon turned up. On the beach 4 Caspian Terns accompanied a flock of 250 Elegant Terns but it was now time to make our way. Arriving at Cat's we were greeted by a Northern Mockingbird (as well as Cat and Steve of course), my 19th lifer of the afternoon.

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