We decided on a warmer location this year for our spring trip and opted for Portugal. In autumn 2011 we booked our flights from Edinburgh to Lisbon with Easyjet. Prior to our visit we booked some accommodation and also car hire with Amoita Car Hire.
1st April. We left Edinburgh on 0700 flight and arrived in Lisbon at 1005. Retrieved our bags and collected the car and were on our way by 1100. From the airport we drove north up the A1 then took the A12 across the impressive Vasco da Gama bridge. At the first junction we followed the signs to Alcochete. Just before the town we came to a roundabout and took the road signed for Pegoes. At the next roundabout we went left, signed Barroca d’Alva and then stopped just after we crossed the bridge over a reedy channel. The fields round the channel were flooded and held a large flock of 70+ Glossy Ibis, with a few Little Egret, Grey Heron and Spoonbill. We then checked out the channel. There were lots of singing Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler and Zitting Cisticolas. We walked west along the north edge seeing a few Common Chiffchaff and flushed a Song Thrush. Also had a male Marsh Harrier, flying along carrying a stick, which dropped down into the reeds.
Came back to the bridge and followed the path east of the bridge. Flushed a few Mallard, Moorhen and a nice Little Bittern from the channel. Found c20 Black-headed Weavers, with some males in quite smart plumage. Each male appeared to associate with a few females. In the adjacent fields were Common Stonechats, singing Corn Buntings, Crested Larks, a few Meadow Pipit and Carrion Crow. On distant pylons were Great Cormorants and lots of nesting White Storks.
At 1400 we left, re-crossed the bridge (toll - 2 euros) to the A1 and headed north up the toll motorway (6 Euros) till we reached the A23 and headed east (electronic tolls 8.3 Euros). At junction 19 we cut down to Vila Velha de Rodao where we followed the R18 along the north side of the Tagus. After going up a steep bendy bit of road we turned left (signed Ermitas) and drove to the car park at the chapel, where we arrived at 1600 and parked before walking up to the viewing point near the castle. There were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbirds and Wrens in the surrounding woodland, but our main interest was the raptors. Viewing the cliff on the south side of the river we could see 20+ vultures but they were all Griffon Vultures. We stayed here for about two and a half hours. Saw a pair of Egyptian Vulture, a Booted Eagle, and a Short-toed Eagle. Hirundines were mostly Crag Martins, House Martins with a few Barn Swallows and one Red-rumped Swallow.
With no sign of the Ruppell’s we cut our losses and continued north up the A23 to junction 23 where we went east along the N233, then N240 till just past Ladoeira we arrived at Hotel Idanha Natura – a very imposing building in very rural surroundings. Had a nice meal then a few drams before bed.
2nd April. We decided we would spend the day in the area around the hotel. The grounds were full of birds mainly Spotless Starlings, Collared Doves, House Martins but we also had Azure-winged Magpies, a Great Spotted Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Spanish Sparrows and in the adjacent fields several displaying Calandra Larks, at least three Northern Wheatear, Red-legged Partridges and a pair of Montagu’s Harrier. We decided to check out the open agricultural area to the north of the hotel. We drove back to Ladoeira and then turned north up the N354. We stopped to scan the fields and occasionally walked out along un-gated tracks. There were lots more of the species we had seen close to the hotel, with masses of Azure-winged Magpies and smaller numbers of Black-billed Magpies. Corn Buntings were everywhere. We also had a couple of Common Cuckoo and at least another six Great Spotted Cuckoo. There were more big flocks of Spanish Sparrows, with lots of Goldfinch and a few Linnet. A road side Little Owl was a nice find. Small flocks of Bee-eaters hunted overhead. We also began to see quite a few Southern Grey Shrikes and the occasional Woodchat Shrike. Raptors included Common Buzzards, a Short-toed Eagle and many Common Kestrels. No sign though of bustards, which used to frequent this area.
A stop at a roadside pool revealed a Green Sandpiper and White Wagtail, whilst the adjacent bushes held singing Nightingales, Sardinian Warblers, Serins, a pair of Iberian Chiffchaff and a Sedge Warbler. We continued up to where the N354 met the N353 and turned right and then left at the next junction. Here there was an even larger pool. This held a pair of Shoveler, a pair of Common Teal, two female Garganey, whilst waders around the shore included a few Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpipers, Lapwing, Common Snipe a Black-tailed Godwit, as well as an immature Black-headed Gull. In the distance we spotted a Red Kite.
We returned south down the N353, not seeing much new. Then went east along the N240 till we reached a bridge over the River Aravil. There were Crag Martins flying around and landing on the bridge, whilst a Kingfisher flew below it. In the river side scrub more Nightingales and a Blackcap. Continued along the N240 before turning right down the N353. Drove south for a bit and stopped where a track on the left went out through a cultivated area with well spaced commercial trees. New birds seen here included our first Chaffinches, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Mistle Thrush, two pairs of Woodlark and a flock of Jackdaw. We drove on further south to Rosmaninhal, where we negotiated our way through the narrow streets and came out the other end and continued south on some gravel tracks. Eventually we came to a large lake, with a few Little Grebes on it, but surprisingly nothing else. Here we forked left and followed the track till it came to a fence. Left the car here and continued south on foot through an open wooded area. This held a good variety of birds including lots of Thekla Larks and Woodchat Shrikes, several Jays, Hoopoes, Red-legged Partridge and migrant Willow Warbler and a Common Redstart. Overhead had a pair of Common Raven and a pair of Booted Eagle.
We returned to Rosmaninhal and then went west to Soalheiras following the signs for the Tagus International Nature Park, but failed to find any sort of park entrance or information centre. We returned back via Cagonhus Novas, seeing little extra bar a flock of Meadow Pipits. Got back to the hotel just before some big thunderstorms hit.
3rd April. Got up to find we had a puncture. Changed the tyre and found a garage in Ladoeira, which fixed it before we continued west along the N240. In the area around Escalos de Baixo there were interesting looking open areas with rocky outcrops and scattered trees and bushes. We eventually found a track we could walk out through this habitat. There were a large number of Cattle Egrets feeding round a big flock of sheep. Amongst the trees we had lots of Thekla Larks, a few Stonechat, a Black Redstart and a Southern Grey Shrike. Nightingales sang from bushes but we could not find much else.
We returned to Vila Velha de Rodao to continue our vulture quest. Around 1430 lots of birds came in but they were all Griffons. We did have a Black Stork soar up out of the gorge and two Black Kites pass though. We found some Blue Rock Thrushes. Down on the river there was a Great White Egret with four Little Egrets. Unfortunately there was no sign of the target bird.
Late afternoon we headed back to Lisbon. At the west end of the A23 Andrew spotted a hovering Black-shouldered Kite. Returned to the reedy channel at Barroca d’Alva., where lots of Sand Martins and Barn Swallows were feeding over the channel, with Common Swifts overhead. Walked east up the path on the north side of the channel and flushed out a Purple Heron. In the ditch we disturbed a few iberiae Yellow Wagtails. We continued beyond the area where the reeds end to an area with more open water. A large flock of House Sparrows flew out of the adjacent field and into the bushes lining the channel. With them were 30+ Yellow-crowned Bishops, all the males unfortunately still in drab winter plumage. Headed to Alcochete where we checked in to Hotel Foz.
4th April. After a good buffet breakfast we headed off towards the Vasco da Gama bridge. The saltpools below the motorway held Greater Flamingoes, Spoonbills and waders, including Avocets. We crossed through Lisbon on the A1 heading for Carcavelos. Despite it being rush hour the traffic moved smoothly. We arrived in the carpark by the shore just beyond the fort and immediately found some Crested Mynas. We got good close views of about 4 pairs of them feeding on the grass and in the fort grounds. On the adjacent shore could only find a couple of Turnstone, whilst offshore there were passing Gannets, Sandwich Terns and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
We decided to return to Vila Velha de Rodao for a final look for the vulture. We arrived at 1230 and stayed till 1900. Nice views of a pair of Booted Eagle, a pair of Short-toed Eagle and a passing Bonelli’s Eagle. Were also entertained by a pair of Crested Tit, displaying Serin, Greenfinch and Wood Pigeon. Vulture numbers, however, were fairly low for most of the afternoon. From 1630 birds started to come in, but all were Griffons. Disappointed by missing the ruppell’s we headed back to Lisbon.
5th April. Got our 0930 Easyjet flight back to Edinburgh. We had enjoyed our trip seeing 122 species including all the main target ones, bar one.