To be watching many thousands of waders and seabirds and dozens of species
within half an hour of leaving Lisbon Airport, including such striking species
such as the Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill , Avocet (Recurvirostra
avosetta) and Black-winged Stilt, and to maintain the offering through three
days and an extraordinary diversity of wetland habits is outstanding. The Tagus
and Sado estuaries are wetland gems - and we were never more than 50 kms from
Lisbon.
Joao Jara of Birds and Nature Tours Portugal (and his excellent colleagues)
looked after his largest ever group - 23 volunteers from the Wildfowl and
Wetland Trust's London Wetland Centre (LWC), with outstanding competence and
charm. Not mad twitching, you couldn't do that with a group of 23, even if you
wanted to - but quality and relaxed birding. Each day brought masses of birds
and some rarities. We had massive flocks of Flamingos, Glossy Ibis, White
Storks and waders (totalling 26 species). Other choice sightings included
Bonelli's and Booted Eagles, Temmincks and Little Stints, Black-winged Kites,
Grey Phalarope, Collared Pratincole, Squacco Heron and Purple Swamp-hen, plus
some African colonists - such as Waxbills, Yellow-crowned Bishop and
Black-headed Weaver. We birded saltwater estuaries, freshwater lagoons,
irrigated rice fields, the lagoons of Salt Works, Reed Beds, Freshwater lakes,
Cork Oak Farms, plains and a bull farm.
The food throughout and the accommodation at our base at the Hotel do Sado at
Setubal, overlooking the mouth of the Sado Estuary, was excellent. Joao does
small groups, day trips, local estuary trips or a mix including the mountain
areas of Portugal. Lisbon is less than two hours to hills, mountains and
uplands that have Eurasian Cranes, Bustards, and a number of species of Eagles
and Vultures.
Thanks to an e-mail I read on Birding Aus in 2009 from Andrew Taylor, lauding a
day and a half trip from Lisbon during a conference, Joao's name was inserted
into a recess in my memory. Subsequently, I suggested Lisbon (and Joao as a
possible guide) as a birding destination to a group of fellow LWC volunteers
who make short birding trips to the Continent twice a year. I met up with him
at this year's Birdfair at Rutland Water in the UK (the World's biggest) where
his company was exhibiting. He is a former chairman of the Portuguese Rarities
Committee and his two colleagues on our Lisbon trip , both of whom also spoke
fluent in English, included a birder who lectures on Tourism in Lisbon and the
banker/ author of the major handbook on Portuguese birds. What great hands to
be in.
Whilst mentioning the 2013 Birdfair, I should point out that Queensland, the
Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania flew the birding flag for
Australia amongst the 350 plus exhibitors. Mark Jarvis, Mick Jerram and Chris
Watson giving presentations of the birds of the Top End, of the NT Savannah and
the Centre, on behalf of Northern Teritory Tourism who were a sponsor ot the
Birdfair. They were part of the continuous lecture programme that runs in four
marquees, at half hour intervals from 9.30am to 5pm, for three days. I had the
pleasure of of putting faces to the names of some regular Birding-Aus
contributors - and got to 16 lectures.
Angus Innes.
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