Birding Weekend in Alentejo / Tour January 2024
It's early in the morning that I meet our participant who came from Switzerland for this 3-day birding tour in Alentejo, Portugal. I pick him up from his hotel in the center of Lisbon and we immediately set off towards the Tagus Estuary where we will spend most of this first day. Indeed, the Tagus Estuary is an essential place for bird watching in Portugal, perhaps even the best birding hotspot in the country. Winter is a fabulous season to discover the area because the diversity of species and the quantity of birds is quite phenomenal.
The interesting sightings begin as soon as we arrive, including good groups of ducks of several species: Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, and even a Northern Pintail. Many passerines fly everywhere, including White Wagtails and Ziting Cisticolas. We see an Osprey resting in the distance, and quite a few Western Marsh Harriers are flying low over the rice fields. Despite a cold wind, the atmosphere is very pleasant and our guest is delighted to already see so many species of birds.
A quick stop at the end of the estuary, which won't do much, then a stop at a spot favorable to the Short-eared Owl without success, then we head towards the EVOA center. There, we take time to have lunch and observe. 3 magnificent Western Swamphens are there, completely out in the open, accompanied by a good group of Black-winged Stilts and a few Common Snipes. We then go to one of the center's observatories, located on the edge of a pond, but there is very little activity. On the other hand, as we leave, we come across an area where more than 1000 Glossy Ibises are feeding. Extraordinary!
After having been able to observe around forty species of birds in the Tagus Estuary, we take the road towards Mertola, stopping to observe hundreds of White Storks and Cattle Egrets. We arrive at our small hotel late in the afternoon. The view is splendid. We end this beautiful day by going to dinner in the best restaurant in Mertola.
The second day of this birding tour in Alentejo is dedicated to the steppes of the Castro Verde area. My goal is to be able to show our guest mythical species, such as the Great Bustard, the Little Owl and the Black-bellied Sandgrouse, resident species, or the Common Crane, wintering.
This day will prove to be an absolutely memorable day, where the extraordinary sightings followed one another without stopping. A festival! :)
From the first place, we come across 3 does, and a multitude of rabbits. We hear the Dartford Warbler, observe Eurasian Spoonbill, Common Redshank, etc. Then, we pass in front of a pile of rocks where an Little Owl nests, and it is there, magnificent, enjoying the morning sun after a cool night. Later, we discovered a Great-spotted Cuckoo perched on a roadside tree!
At the end of the morning, we observed 4 Long-eared Owls quietly perched.
We then stop at Castro Verde for lunch, and shortly after, we find a group of Great Bustards, in the most beautiful landscape! Of course, we don't get out of the car so as not to disturb these sensitive birds. They feed quietly, sometimes lie down on the ground, clean their feathers. The observation is fabulous!
Still afterwards, a group of 18 Black-bellied Sandgrouse, then about 100 Common Cranes. All this, embellished with a few Hoopoes and Iberian Magpies, dozens of Red-legged Partridges and Corn Buntings, hundreds of Northern Lapwings and European Golden-Plovers throughout the day. A real treat!
The day ends with a male Lesser Kestrel in Mertola, and walking home from the restaurant in the evening we hear a Tawny Owl.
Last day, we can't hang around too much because our guest has to leave at the beginning of the afternoon. We take the road to Lisbon and there we make a second superb observation of Great Bustards. What a privilege to be able to see wild Great Bustards in the wild. This bird is fascinating.
We end the stay in a good bird spot near Lisbon, and there, the icing on the cake, are around 800 Greater Flamingos!
This birding trip to Alentejo will therefore have been a real success. The conditions were ideal and the sightings exceptional. The least we can say is that the birds of Alentejo were there for us :)
Jonathan
Guide Salva Fauna
