Holiday to Portugal.

 23rd April

 5 star Salgados Palace hotel.

We booked this destination three years ago as there was a large lake behind the sand dunes for birding but was cancelled due to covid. The hotel was almost empty when during our week, the bars shut so a lot of complaints to hotel and Jet2.

However, a nice beach bar and restaurant on the beach so lots of walks along the lakeside. Weather was sunny but a fresh wind off the sea, sometimes needing a jumper. We came too late as most birds moved off three to four weeks ago but managed to see most that it attracted but in small numbers (64 species).

A number of flamingos were still present plus, spoonbills, purple gallinules, waxbills, black headed bunting, all hirundines inc. alpine swifts, bee eaters, little bittern, woodchat, Audouin's gull, osprey, white stork, purple herons etc..

 

                                                 Remember this picture if you get to the end

THEN HORROR ON THE LAST DAY................THEY EMPTIED THE LAKE!!

                                                     Sandbar opened and lake emptied

        I was told they do this every year so that insects don't become a problem for the hotels behind.

Snow Buntings

 17th Jan

I walked up to Castle Coote this morning seeing nothing out of the ordinary and on the way back saw the two snow buntings thanks oddly to some dogs flushing them as I had walked past them.

White-fronted Goose in the Mist at Seasalter

 15th Jan.

A very foggy morning today at SS but I went down and took a couple of photos when the sun tried to come through but went home later. 

              

                                             

PM

I returned hoping the fog would lift and down near the Sportsman it was quite clear, I was able to see Faversham, just.   Shortly after arriving I saw from the 'rise' a goose circling overhead and and landed in the sheep field about where the concrete seawall started. To get a photo I walked around to the reedbed near the wall and took a few pictures. During this time the SEO took flight but soon dropped down again as the crows were mobbing it. Later along the roadside path to the LA I met a fellow watcher where we saw the owl again and lastly a marsh harrier, no sign of the barnie.

                                                                                   

                                                                                  

                                          All images well cropped especially the middle one.

Purple Sandpipers at Broadstairs and Seasalter Beach Erosion

 14th Jan.

Yesterday, an uneventful walk at SS, photographed the beach erosion and owners sea defences. Tried the macro on the tiny spiders along the seawall and also found a very tiny harlequin ladybird.

                                  The tide has scoured off about four feet of beach from this wall

                                                                       Sea defences

Today we had a trip to Broadstairs finding 11 purple sandpipers along the wall and one rock pipit.