Archive for the ‘Alentejo Birdwatching News’ Category

Birding Holiday Packages and Bird Tours.

Your stay in Portugal is hosted at Monte Horizonte, a small 6 houses self catering family-run eco-resort on the hills 5 kilometers south of Santiago do Cacém.  The lodge is in the middle of nowhere, very peaceful, surrounded by its own gardens and, with a complete absence of any traffic noise at all, is a real break from the hustle and bustle with a friendly, helpful atmosphere.  For the active, swimming, bicycling and walking are always on offer and the beach is only 15 minutes away. We offer several Bird Tours in the region and below are two examples.  Of course we can also plan tours according to your wishes and duration.

Bird Tours:

Bird tour 1: We offer half day and full day tours to the Lagoa de Santo André.

We will make a round tour and stay at several spots near the Lagoa de Santo André for 3 hours. The full day tour does include lunch and has a duration of 8 hours of which we will spent 6 hours at the Lagoa de Santo André.

Best season: All year

List of Special Birds:

 Purple Heron ( Ardea purpurea ), Flamingo ( Phoenicopterus roseus ), Gadwall ( Anas strepera ), Garganey ( Anas querquedula ), Red-Chrested Pochard ( Netta rufina ), Pochard ( Aythya ferina ), Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ), Hobby ( Falco subbuteo ), Little Tern ( Sterna albifrons ), Great Reed Warbler ( Acrocephalus scirpaceus ), Savi´s Warbler ( Locustella luscinioides ), Purple Swamhen ( Porphyrio porphyrio ), Squacco Heron ( Ardeola ralloides ). 

List of Other Birds:

Little Greb ( Tachybaptus ruficollis ), Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo ), Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus ), Teal ( Anas crecca ), Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), Marsh Herrier ( Circus aeruginosus ), Coot ( Fulica atra ), Moorhen ( Gallinula chloropus ), Black-winged Stilt ( Himantopus himantopus ), Kentish Plover ( Charadrius alexandrinus ), Snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ), Black-tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ), Yello-legged Gull ( Larus michahellis ), Green Woodpecker ( Picus viridis ), Great Spotted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos major ), Great Reed Warbler ( Acrocephalus arundinaceus ), Nuthatch ( Sitta europaea ), Short-toed Treecreeper ( Certhia brachydactyla ), Azure-winged Magpie ( Cyanopica cyanus )

List of Rare Birds:

Black-throated Loon ( Gavia arctica ), White Pelican ( Pelecanus onocrotalus ), Barnacle Goose ( Branta leucopsis ), Brent Goose ( Branta bernicla ), Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ), Marbled Duck ( Marmaronetta angustirostris ),
Green-winged Teal ( Anas carolinensis ), Ruddy Duck ( Oxyura jamaicensis ), Ferruginious Duck ( Aythya nyroca ), 
Ring-necked Duck ( Aythya collaris ), Red-knobbed Coot ( Fulica cristata ), Cream-coloured Courser ( Cursorius cursor ), Pectora Sandpiper ( Calidris melanotos ), Red-necked Phalarope ( Phalaropus lobatus ), Slender-billed Gull ( Larus genei ), Ring-billed Gull ( Larus delawarensis ), White-winged Tern ( Chlidonias leucopterus ), Richard´s Pipit ( Anthus richardi ), Red-throated Pipit ( Anthus cervinus ), Citrine Wagtail ( Motacilla citreola ), Paddyfield Warbler ( Acrocephalus agricola ), Aquatic Warbler ( Acrocephalus paludicola ), Moustached Warbler ( Acrocephalus melanopogon ), Little Bunting ( Emberiza pusilla ), Pallas´s Reed Bunting ( Emberiza pallasi )

Prices:
Half Day Private Tour
1 person – 70 €
2 persons – 110 €
3 persons – 150 €
4 persons – 190 €

Full Day Private Tour  (including lunch)
1 person – 120 €
2 persons – 160 €
3 persons – 210 €
4 persons – 240 €

Bird tour 2: We offer full day tours ( 8 hours) to the Alentejo Plains (inland) including lunch.

During our tour we will visit the Special Protection Area Castro Verde area famous of it´s Great Bustards.

This SPA also holds important populations of Black-bellied sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis), Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra), Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) and Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) and, furthermore, it is a breeding area for the Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata) as well as the main breeding area of the European Roller (Coracias garrulus) in Portugal.

During the winter we can find important densities of Cranes (Grus grus), Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus), Golden plovers (Pluvialis apricaria) and Skylarks (Alauda arvensis). There is a regular presence of winter birds of prey such as the Red Kite (Milvus milvus) and the Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus). The fallow lands and pastures are important feed zones for the Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus), the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), the Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti) and the Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus). 

Full Day Private Tour  (including lunch)
1 person – 160 €
2 persons – 200 €
3 persons – 240 €
4 persons – 280 €

Bookings: The months July, August and September at least five nights.

Pricelist 2012, VAT included

Price per Night	Extra bed 25 euros/night	Extra bed 25 euros/night	Extra bed 25 euros/night	Extra bed 25 euros/night	Extra bed 25 euros/night	Extra bed 25 euros/night	Extra bed 25 euros/night
January	60	60	60	80	80	90	160
Februari	60	60	60	80	80	90	160
March	65	65	65	85	85	95	170
April	70	70	70	90	90	100	180
May	75	75	75	95	95	105	190
June	80	80	80	100	100	110	200
July	90	90	90	125	125	135	250
August	110	110	110	150	150	170	300
September	90	90	90	125	125	135	250
Oktober	70	70	70	90	90	100	180
November	60	60	60	80	80	90	160
December	60	60	60	80	80	90	160

The Christmas holidays, Carnival and Easter are considered peak season with the same price as the month of July.

Eco resort Monte Horizonte is a licensed rural tourism by Turismo de Portugal and located in the wonderful Alentejo region of Portugal at only 15 kms from the beach and just five kms to the historic city Santiago do Cacém. It is run completely on solar and wind energy.

Birdwatching tours and trips in the Alentejo region of Portugal.

For birders our property is fantastic. Below you will find a list of birds spotted on our property. We are still working on it so this list will grow.

By clicking on the small photo the photo will be enlarged. Please be patient.

As soon we have photos we will upload them on this page as well.

There are many more but we have not sorted them out yet. Some help would be appreciated.

For more information about these birds please visit our BLOG

List of birds spotted on our property:

Azure-winged Magpie	Barn Swallow	Black Kite
Black Redstart	????	Black-winged Kite
Blue Tit	Booted Eagle	Cattle Egret
Chaffinch	Cirl Bunting	Common Buzzard
Common Raven	Corn Bunting	Crested Tit
European Bee-eater	European Goldfinch	European Serin
Fan-tailed Warbler	Fieldfare
Golden Oriole	Goldfinch	Gray Herin
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Great Tit	Greenfinch
Hobby	Hoopoe	Iberian Chiffchaff
Kestrel	Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Jay
Little Bustard	Long-legged Buzzard	Marsh Tit
Quail
Nightingale	Nuthatch	Pied Flycatcher
Red Kite	Red-legged Partridge	Redstart
Robin	Sardinian Warbler	Short-toed Eagle
Short-toed Lark	Short-toed Treecreeper	Southern Grey Shrike
Spotless Sparkling	Spotted Flycatcher	Stonechat
Tawny Owl	Whinchat	White Stork
White Wagtail	Willow Warbler	Woodchat Shrike
Woodlark	Wren	Wryneck
		Imperial Eagle ?????

Alentejo, Portugal

We have been birdwatching at the Santo André and Sancha lagoons which are close-by and we were just waiting for better weather. Well the weather improved so we went there 3 times. This is the second report of the 26th of March and what we spotted there. We saw a lot more but could not get a positive ID.

Below are some photos we took and here is the list:

Black-necked Grebe
Purple Heron
Shoveler (about 30)
Common Waxbill
Great Crested Grebe
Little Egret
Great White Egret Cattle Egret
Common Coot
Great Cormorant
White Stork
Grey Heron
House Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Sand Martin
Common Stonechat
Little Grebe
Southern Grey Shrike
Azure-winged Magpie
Chaffinch
European Serin
European Goldfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Carrion Crow
Mallard
Turtle Dove
Greenfinch
Blackbird
Wood Pigeon

Purple Heron

 Purple Heron

Alentejo, Portugal

We have been birdwatching at the Santo André and Sancha lagoons which are close-by and we were just waiting for better weather. Well the weather improved so we went there 3 times. This is the first report of the 25th of March and what we spotted there. We saw a lot more but could not get a positive ID.

Below are some photos we took and here is the list:

Great Crested Grebe
Little Egret
Great White Egret
Red-crested Pochard
Cattle Egret
Common Coot
Great Cormorant
White Stork
Marsh Harrier
Wryneck
House Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Sand Martin
Common Stonechat
Golden Oriole
Southern Grey Shrike
Azure-winged Magpie
Chaffinch
European Serin
European Goldfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Carrion Crow
Red-legged Partridge
Mallard
Turtle Dove
Common Teal
Greenfinch
Blackbird
Wood Pigeon
Spotless Starling
Grey Wagtail

Red-crested Pochard

 Great Cormorant

Little Egret

Great White Egret

Alentejo, Portugal

Spotted on our property Monte Horizonte today.

Today I saw the first pair of Short-toed (Snake) Eagle above our property. This means that the migrants birds are returning.

Also spotted several other species like Woodlark, Stonechat, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Common Raven, Jay, Chaffinch,  Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Hobby, Common Buzzard, and I could be mistaken but I think I heard the Wryneck.

Spring, well, for most of you summer, is coming. I can´t wait for the Hoppoe and European Bee-eater.

Below are some photos of birds that you can see here at this moment, the beginning of March.

Short-toed (Snake) Eagle

Snake Eagle

Cirl Bunting

Cirl Bunting

Cirl Buntings

Iberian Chiffchaff, Iberische Tjiftjaf, Iberienzilpzalp, Felosa-ibérica, Mosquitero Ibérico

European Goldfinch, Putter, Stieglitz, Pintassilgo, Jilguero Europeo

European Serin, Europese Kanarie, Girlitz, Serin

Black Redstart, Zwarte Roodstaart, Hausrotschwanz, Rabirruivo-preto, Colirrojo Tizón

Sardinian Warbler, Kleine Zwartkop, Samtkopfgrasmucke, Toutinegra de cabeça preta, Curruca cabecinegra

Red-legged Partridge, Rode Patrijs, Rothuhn, Perdiz roja

Winter is almost over (fortunately) and the birds are getting busier. The whole winter we have been swarmed with European Serins and European Goldfinches. They are in huge flogs and it is a delightful sight.

Here is just one photo I wanted to share with you:

Not in the Alentejo but interesting anyway:

The Red-Billed Chough species falls under the crow family. It is easily recognized by its features that include a longish curved beak and red coloring, red legs and pitch-black plumages that glisten in the sun. They are known to mate for life and also remain at their breeding site. Nests can be found on cliff faces and caves. But concern has grown over an area in Portugal where there once was an abundance of Red-Billed Choughs, and nests were an ordinary site. The surrounding area of Chaos has not recorded a sighting of a Red-Billed Chough in a long time, and steps are being taken to correct the loss of these birds to the area.

The herding of goats in the Chaos countryside was once a very active form of agriculture, but as the agricultural lands began to be abandoned, the vegetation and brush started growing at such a rate that the Red-Billed Choughs could no longer forage underneath the bushes as they used to, and the insects that used to breed in the goat excrement and provide these birds with extra nutrition are also no longer found here since the goats were removed. Efforts are therefore being made to revive the industry of goat herding to enable the Red-Billed Choughs to once again populate the area.

The project has enlisted the assistance of two candidates who herd the newly acquired goats, as well as monitoring the birds, natural herbs and orchids which are found in the area. To raise funds, the project has brought in a tourist angle, allowing visitors to Portugal to be goat herders for a day explore the beautiful landscape and receive a guided tour of the natural wonders and sites in the Chaos countryside. In addition, organic cheese production is a product that potential goat herders can invest in, especially as the project is incorporating tourism into their attempt to save the Red-Billed Chough population. It is hoped that the project will jumpstart the industry of goat herding and in doing so, provide the Red-Billed Chough with a habitat again. These endangered birds can be saved, with dedication from the project, assistance of the community and support from visitors and tourists. Tourists will be able to explore a new world while playing a vital role in saving the Red-Billed Chough in Portugal.

Spotted on our property Monte Horizonte today.

I´ve seen loads of woodpeckers in my life but never saw or had the opportunity to make a shot of two of them together. Just wanted to share this with you. Spotted and shot today on our property in the Alentejo region of Portugal:

Bert

I need your help. Can you ID the next two raptors?

Thanks

Anybody knows the name of these birds?

Spotted today:

Redstart, Gekraagde Roodstaart, Gartenrotschwanz, Colirrojo real

European Serin, Europese Kanarie, Girlitz, Serin

Here are the latest birds I spotted in the Alentejo. They were spotted between the 27th of june and the 30th of june 2009.

Black Kite, Zwarte Wouw, Schwarzmilan, Milano negro

Common Buzzard, Buizerd, Mausebussard, Ratonero comun

Corn Bunting, Grauwe Gors, Grauammer, Triguero

European Bee-eater, Bijeneter, Bienenfresser, Abejaruco comun

Red-legged Partridge, Rode Patrijs, Rothuhn, Perdiz roja

Short-toed Treecreeper, Boomkruiper, Gartenbaumlaufer, Agateador comun

Stonechat, Roodborsttapuit, Schwarzkehlchen, Tarabilla comun

White Stork, Ooievaar, Weissstork, Ciguena comun

Woodchat Shrike, Roodkopklauwier, Rotkopfwurger, Alcaudon comun