Portugal Trip 16 - 19th April

Leaving Stansted at 6.45 and landing at Faro before 9.00 a.m. meant I was birding from Faro train station before 10. From this vantage point I clocked whimbrel, grey plover, little egret and white stork. The train journey of 70 minutes to Lagos gave views of, amongst others, black winged stilt, hobby, beeater and a superb caspian tern at Portimao harbour.
Once a room was organised I set off for a wander to the cliffs and local wooods, seeing thekla lark, azure winged magpie, serin, alpine swift, red rumped swallow and sardinian warbler along with many more common residents. The next day a train to Mexilhoeira Grande and a wander through cork woods and open fields offered more views of the previously recroded birds, plus a common sandpiper, bonellis eagle, short toed lark, cirl bunting and a distant short toed eagle. By the end of day 2 species total was well over 50. Day 3 and after an early morning wander around the Rio Alvor a coach to Sagres and walk to Cabo da Vicente, the most south westerly point of Europe. Great birds including black redstart, stonechat, pied flycatcher, chough, cory's shearwater, gannet, rock dove, peregrine, yelkoan shearwater, spotless starling and blue rock thrush, a new bird for me. Finally, day 4 and a train journey back to Faro, some birding around the airport saltpans and beach before a flight home, in all 89 species of birds seen and over 250 photographs, a few of which are attached. I have a series of talks for the RSPB to give, including ones at Gravesend, London, Norwich and Luton on the Algarve. Should be good fun.
Photos from top:
Chough
Peregrine
Black redstart
Black redstart
Stonechat
The busy station at Mexilhoeira Grande
Blue rock thrush
Azure winged magpie
Beeater