Just back from a week in Portugal and managed to visit Salgados Lagoon on 4 occasions where the following were seen:
Dabchick, c6 pairs,
Cormorant, 2,
Cattle Egret, c50 in flocks to c25 birds especially on the grasslands around the lagoon,
Little Egret, c30,
Grey Heron, c6,
Purple Heron, 3 seen with one very confiding bird on the Alcantarilha Estuary,
White Stork, c4 pair at Salgados but perhaps 25 pairs on nests in Portimao where they were very abundant, even nesting in the floodlights of the football stadium!
Glossy Ibis, c20 in flocks to 13 birds,
Spoonbill, just 1 seen on the estuary,
Greater Flamingo, c80 on the lagoon,
Canada Goose, just 1 seen,
Gadwall, c12,
Shoveler, c8,
Pochard, c12,
Kestrel, c6 and were the only BOP seen!
Coot, c40,
Moorhen, c8,
Purple Gallinule, c6
Avocet, c12, often on the estuary,
Black-winged Stilt, 18,
Collared Pratincole, c8, whizzing over the marsh and surrounding grassland; great sight!
Ringed Plover, c6 on the estuary,
Kentish Plover, c6 on the estuary,
Knot, 2 on the estuary,
Dunlin, c8 on the estuary,
Curlew Sandpiper, 2 on the estuary,
Redshank, 1 on the estuary,
Greenshank, 2 on the estuary,
Whimbrel, 2 & a single over the lagoon,
B.H.Gull, c6,
Yellow Legged Gull, c200,
Audouin's Gull, c12,
L.B.B.Gull, c200,
Little Gull, c6,
Little Tern, 4,
Common Tern, 2 at sea,
Collared Dove, c20,
Alpine Swift, c40 in flocks to 13 birds,
Swift, c50,
Bee-Eater, 20 in flocks to 6 which were feeding on insects along with Alpine Swift, Swift and House Martins over the grasslands,
Hoopoe, c6, mainly feeding in surrounding grasslands but one near hotel singing from a garden tree,
Crested Lark, c12 in nearby dunes,
Short-toed Lark, c20 in dunes,
Swallow, c30,
Red-rumped swallow, c30,
Sand Martin, c6,
House Martin, c400, the commonest bird seen,
Sardinian Warbler, c40; commonest warbler,
Fan-tailed Warbler, c30, 'zitting' from the rough grasslands,
Cetti's Warbler, 1 in brief song,
Reed Warbler, 3 singing from reed bed, probably many more to arrive yet,
