June, 2026

LATE WINTER/SPRING SIGHTINGS

The wettest January – March since records began (at least 25” of rain,
with hardly a dry day) was followed by long spells of strong northerlies
and easterlies in April/May, rendering the whole period atypical in
Algarve terms.

Before the deluge, an African Desert Warbler was found on heathland to
the north of Budens on 11 January, with the third mid-January
Magnificent Frigatebird in successive years off Salema the following day.
A Blue Grosbeak on 7 March, a pair of Brown-necked Ravens on 8 April,
a Black-throated Thrush on the 9th and yet another Fulvous Babbler on 4
June were the principal spring highlights.

January 2026 ‘Nearctic passerines’
A dramatic new phenomenon in western Iberia, possibly the result of an
expansion of the ‘Azores High’ in autumn north and west to the coast of
Newfoundland and sometimes beyond, as well as increased hurricane
activity.

February 2026 ‘ Recent sightings: autumn and early winter
2025/26 in SW Algarve’
A summary of AV’s sightings during this period, with rare seabirds
(including Bermuda Petrel and Streaked Shearwater, new to mainland
Europe), three influxes of Nearctic passerines, Maghreb colonists, and
eastern vagrants.