Tavira Keeps Delivering Birds

Just like the UK the Algarve is subject to inaccurate weather forecasts. It was supposed to rain all day but after an early morning downpour it stopped so off I went to what I call the far side. This being over the river and the opposite end of town.

6 White Stork 2 on their nests in town and 4 flying over the wetlands 😛.

40 Great Flamingo 

2 singing Blackcap ditto Serin & Iberian Chiffchaff 👍.

Zitbags were all over the joint and 3 of them need doctors appointments; they actually stopped for a couple of seconds and showed themselves.

4 Sandwich Tern. Pr Shelduck. 6 Black-tailed Godwit

A Reed Bunting provided a break from the many House Sparrows lining the road.

Got my first Common Swift on the way back to the hotel.

Tavira This Morning

A slow start owing to a naughty wind from the SE but I managed a few more morsels for the year 😃.

A Flamingo flew over low passing close to the hotel and a Spoonbill flew low > E.

Got me a very flighty Slender-billed Gull. A few House and a couple Sand Martin joined the Swallows. 3 Zitting Cisticola and a Cettis Warbler the latter sang briefly

.

Another for the wader list; Little Stint numbers in the low teens.

Also another Curlew Sandpiper 2 Little Egrets and Sanderlings.

Overwhelmed In Tavira Portugal

I arrived at the Hotel early afternoon did minimal

unpacking then shot down to the massive coastal wetlands just a couple hundred yards down the frog n toad.

I almost went into shock at the wader species I saw some in large groups some down to doubles.

Curlew Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Ringed & Kentish Plover, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Dunlin, Sanderling, Redshank and a lone Oystercatcher. 4 Spoonbill seen at distance & a couple of Little Egret.

A big surprise was Caspian Tern; a pair of the belters on a lagoon beach surrounded by numerous LBBG and a few YLG. 

Another stunner was a passerine I’ve not seen since dinosaurs roamed; a Bluethroat 😅. Several Swallows flying around. 2 Grey Wagtail ditto White, one of which chased House Sparrows from its patch.

Windy Ogden To Mixenden Brings Surprises

I nearly got my Toupee blown away this morning and didn’t expect any birds but they did show up!

A Tawny Owl 🦉 hooted and a Nuthatch was singing, both in the E bank trees.

Further on near Ogden Clough I really was surprised to discover a handful of calling and singing Siskin.

A pair of Tufted Duck were struggling with the choppy waves near the feeding corner. Very few gulls around but 5 Common were noted.

A few Goldfinches were noisy in the trees at Stod Fold.

Mixenden Res was unremarkable as usual but a welcome surprise on the south bank grass top came in the shape of a Redshank 👍. Sadly some 5 minutes later some 8 dogs being walked by 2 cretins drove it away 😡.

Horton Bank CP

Not exciting. 2 Adult LBBG, c21 Herring of all age ranges including 2 Adult. Smaller gull sp. also.

Pr Mute Swan. Coots & Moorhens in low numbers ditto Woodpigeon. To make up numbers I’ll even mention many Dullards 🙄.

Rubbish Ogden To Mixenden Res

Ogden - refer Headline 😞. After wiping the tears from my eyes I bumped into JL and I hope he did better than I did.  Oh let’s not forget the Buzzard that called once at distance.

A pr Grey Partridge flew across the rough ground beyond the promenade.

Just 2 Canadas seen on Mixenden Res before a calling Oystercatcher circled twice then headed towards Cold Edge.

The damned Green Woodpecker was at it again Laffin its head off as I searched the woodland in vain.

Belated entry: I got a pair of Pied Wagtail this morning before heading to Ogden. They were in Chapel Lane Queensbury of all places.

Mixenden Res To Cold Edge

Bumped into DJS at the Iron gate and got a first 2026 annual passerine. Dave spotted a nearby Siskin perched atop a tree and I managed to get 3 seconds on it.

Not much on the reservoir c17 Canada, quite a few Common and a smidgin of Herring gulls.

I elected to climb up Hunter Hill almost guaranteed for the last time 😵. When I recovered I didn’t see many rewards in the shape of avians.

However I was compensated as I started walking on the track towards Haighcote top gate. A loudly calling Redshank flew past at fairly close range 👍.

Cold Edge held the hundred plus Canadas plus the 4 Greylags. A pr of domestic Nene goose were peering at them from a farm field intently.

1 Green Woodpecker ditto Kestrel and Stock Dove. Just a single m Stonechat. A pr Lapwing and a pr Oystercatcher.

2 drake Tufted Duck on Haighcote dam. A handful of calling Curlews.