This blog is all about Bird Watching in the Alentejo region of Portugal.

Do you know where a special bird nests? Or have you seen birds in the Alentejo? Or do you have nice photos?

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Thanks,

Admin

P.s. If you want to see the birds for real you can book your stay at Monte Horizonte

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

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

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

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

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

Geotourism – tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place,its environment, its culture and the well-being of its residents – is becoming an increasingly popular holiday choice for many European tourists. With the 8th Annual European Geoparks Conference being held in Portugal from 14 to 16 September, the country is fast establishing a reputation for itself as a world class geotourism destination.

In particular, the 4617 square km Naturtejo geopark supported by UNESCO , boasts a rich geological heritage. The geopark, located approximately 200 km from the Portuguese capital Lisbon, is characterized by a range of ancient landscapes including river gorges, waterfalls, granite landforms and a historical Roman gold mine – the Conhal do Arneiro. Activities on offer here include a 439 km trekking network made up of short and long walking trails, boat trips, and kayaking opportunities in the River Tagus and River Zezere. For the less adventurous, a minibus tour taking in some of the geological highlights of the park can be arranged, as well as stopovers in historical villages that surround the area. The Azores and Porto Santo Islands also offer similar geotourism opportunities.

Miguel Perestrello, the Portuguese Director for Tourism in the UK, said, “Geotourism is an effective way of stimulating economic activity whilst promoting sustainable tourism. We want to want to offer a whole range of tourism products, starting from the typical sun and sea holiday to the Geotourism or Ecotourism nature breaks which encourage the preservation of our geological heritage and natural surroundings.”

Portugal’s varied landscape also makes it possible to participate in bird watching programmes across a whole range of natural habitats including mountain ranges, estuaries, cliff tops, cork oak plantations and coastal lagoons. Just minutes away from Lisbon, the River Tagus Estuary is home to over 100 species of birds and a bird watching experience can be easily built into your travel itinerary.

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.

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

Thanks

Redstart, Gekraagde Roodstaart, Gartenrotschwanz, Colirrojo real

European Serin, Europese Kanarie, Girlitz, Serin

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