Recent Sightings
LATE WINTER/ SPRING 2026
Extreme weather dominated this period, from the wettest period in
recorded history (at least 25” of rain in February/March) to persistent
easterlies in late spring and northerly gales in early June.
Notable seabirds off Salema included a Grey-headed Gull in early
February, during a large influx of Kittiwakes, and a White-chinned Petrel
in mid-March.
The previous autumn’s Nearctic bonanza was no doubt responsible for
spring sightings of Blue Grosbeak and two White-throated Sparrows.
From North Africa, there were further occurrences of Namaqua Dove,
Desert Larks, Common Bulbul and Sudan Golden Sparrows, plus a pair
of Brown-necked Ravens in early April (following one the previous April).
A singing Moussier’s Redstart in late May was a further indication of
possible colonisation.
In what was generally a poor period for raptors, exceptions were my first
spring Long-legged Buzzard, a very early Eleonora’s Falcon off Salema
on 19th March and a Saker Falcon on the 25th . A Barbary Falcon in early
April was followed later in the month by Greater Spotted Eagle and Red-
footed Falcon.
There were no ‘falls’ of passerines in the spring, but the 1st W female
Black-throated Thrush on 9th April may have overwintered in Morocco.
February
The Atlantic weather systems which dominated January continued until
mid-month, continuing to produce unprecedented rainfall on an almost
daily basis.
In a light south-westerly bringing heavy, low cloud on the 1 st , an adult
Iceland Gull came in from the south-east at Salema and there was a
calling Great Spotted Cuckoo in the valley. The January Olive-backed
Pipit was near the eucalypts copse again on the 2 nd , when a Citril Finch
gave both the characteristic metallic trill and a piping ‘puuh’ call.
A strong south-westerly on the 5 th produced my largest movement of
Kittiwakes. All but one of the 517 counted were adults. A 2 nd winter Grey-
headed Gull and 2 immature Lesser Crested Terns also passed, close
in. Another 345 Kittiwakes (17 immatures) flew west on the 7 th , plus 2
Sooty Shearwaters. These movements were coincident with a large
seabird ‘wreck’ in the North Atlantic.
A dry, bright morning on the 8 th encouraged a veranda scan, which
yielded a Dupont’s Lark undulating west at mid-altitude, a transient
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin flying east at a similar height and a Little
Bunting on the ridge wires. Both Wryneck and Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker were calling in the valley. Rain returned in the afternoon
and continued until the 11th. Another veranda session on the 12 th was
rewarded by an adult Levaillant’s (Atlas) Buzzard, which remained in the
area until 10 March, 4 Stock Doves flying east (probably ex-Morocco),
the wintering Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin and what was most likely the
same Little Bunting.
In calm conditions on the 16th, an adult African Royal Tern was feeding
off Salema in close proximity to a Caspian, further developing the pattern
of winter records for both this and Lesser Crested.
As the weather slowly improved, an Alpine Accentor left the valley to the
south-west on the 19 th and Swallows and House Martins began to
appear. The first Red-rumped Swallow arrived on the 21st, followed by a
Subalpine Warbler the next day. Yet another Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
filtered east into a moderate breeze that morning. A pair of Lesser
Kestrels were interacting over the ridge on the 23rd.
I visited the Alvor estuary on the 24th and found a female Namaqua
Dove (my third) on the track just to the north of the lagoons.
Another Lesser Kestrel flew west on the 26th, when the first Short-toed
Eagle arrived. A day of considerable movement then saw an early Short-
toed Lark drop in from the south-east, a male Redstart in the valley (by
far my earliest) and a (non-breeding plumage) Sudan Golden Sparrow
flying south-west. The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin was flycatching from
the ridge wires with Stonechats.
March
A Rock Sparrow and a Little Bunting were on the ridge opposite my
house on the 1st. A Merlin flew east over the sea off Salema on the 2nd
and a Manx Shearwater went west the following day.
Cold northerlies then set in, inhibiting arrivals of summer visitors, but on
the 7th an all-dark, robust, thick-billed passerine in a garden just north of
the valley had me puzzled. When it flew off to the west, two rufous brown
bars on rather short, blunt wings revealed it was a Blue Grosbeak!
Given the number of Nearctic passerines I saw in my valley last autumn
(surely just the tip of the iceberg) I was alert to the possibility of some
returning north from Africa on the ‘wrong’ side this spring, but this was
not one I expected. Much more likely was the White-throated Sparrow
that flew low through my garden to the north-west on the 11th, showing a
prominent white bar on the lesser coverts and a more diffuse pale bar on
the greaters.
The first Iberian Chiffchaff was singing on the 8th followed by an early
Melodious Warbler on the warmer 11th, when 6 Alpine Swifts also arrived.
After a hypersonic Hawfinch had zoomed over from the south-east early
on the 12th, 2 Bramblings and a female-type Scarlet Rosefinch left my
eucalypts copse to the north-east.
As I resumed my veranda scan that afternoon a large, pale, red-tailed
buzzard flew purposefully over the house to the south-west. I rushed to
the back and its ‘target’ proved to be an immature cirtensis Buzzard
which was at least 20% smaller. (Female cirtensis are no more than 7%
larger than males). My realisation that I had therefore seen my first
spring Long-legged Buzzard here was later confirmed when it
reappeared to the east and was investigated by an adult Bonelli’s Eagle,
which was about the same size – a comparison I had also witnessed in
October 2020. Some Long-leggeds are known to reach West Africa in
winter, possibly crossing from Sudan (BWP). Birds begin returning to
southern Eurasian breeding grounds in mid-March, so this was probably
a bird which had migrated north, like some Sakers (see below), via the
western Sahara.
After a spell of north-east winds, a strong south-easterly with the
prospect of rain on 17th provided some interesting seawatching. A juvenile Red-footed Booby went west, a 1st year Caspian Gull came in
from the south-west and 6 Garganey flew east, plus a total of 228
Common Scoters. A Short-toed Lark and 2 Greenfinches arrived ex-
Morocco. That afternoon, the Cape was devoid of migrants apart from 3
early Turtle Doves.
The wind had veered to the south-west on the 18th. In a total of four
hours’ observation, a White-chinned Petrel and single Sooty and Manx
Shearwaters flew west, as did a Great Northern Diver, 12 Great and one
Arctic Skua, 64 Mediterranean Gulls, 46 Kittiwakes, an adult Herring and
two 2nd year Baltic Gulls, 355 Sandwich Terns and a record day total of
1020 Common Scoters. Worryingly, though, not a single Razorbill or
Puffin at the peak passage time for these species.
After heavy overnight rain, there was less movement in a light south-
easterly on the 19th, but a 1st W Ring-billed Gull flew east close in and an
Eleonora’s Falcon went steadily west, well above the horizon, almost a
kilometre offshore. It spiralled down once to investigate a prey item
(possibly an auk which dived, as there was no subsequent pursuit). The
earliest date cited in BIP (prior to 2015) was 25 March.
The first Nightingale, Woodchat Shrike and Iberian Chiffchaffs arrived on
the 22nd, when the wintering Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin was again
singing in the valley. In calm conditions on the 25th, a Saker Falcon flew
low to the north-east, my fourth spring record. These were presumably
all birds which had wintered in northern West Africa
(Senegal/Mauretania). The only other bird of note that date was also an
eastern vagrant – a pale 1st W Siberian Stonechat on the valley track
just after dawn.
The continuing calm spell allowed some diurnal passerine movement,
which included a party of 3 Little Buntings on the 26th, Calandra Lark and
Red-throated Pipit on the 27th (when the first Bee-eater arrived, along
with Black Kite and Marsh Harrier) and Lesser Redpoll on the 29th. The
month ended with both Garden and Willow Warbler in the garden.
Early April
A long morning vigil from my veranda on the 2nd produced the first
Barbary Falcon of the year (a brown, rufous-tailed immature flying low
to the north, looking rather like an outsize kestrel), a male Rufous-tailed
Rock Thrush and 2 Stock Doves (probably ex-Morocco). An afternoon
scan on the 3rd was rewarded by a song-flighting Dupont’s Lark over the
east valley. It was higher up than the Theklas that regularly song-flight
here, maintained a static position (like a Skylark) and, at the end,
plunged almost vertically to the ground at high speed. This easily
overlooked species bred here in 2024 (after one had overwintered in the
valley) and appears to be doing so again.
In a light south-easterly on the 4th, a party of 3 Plain Swifts flew rapidly
into the breeze, low down. They were smaller than the Pallids feeding
over the area and had noticeably faster wing beats. Similar conditions on
the 5th were no doubt responsible for the Trumpeter Finch reorienting
south-east after crossing from North Africa. A Western Bonelli’s Warbler
went north through the valley that morning, briefly pausing in the
eucalypts below my house, and a Hawfinch (scarce locally) was in the
east valley.
The wind remained in the south for the next four days. A Red-billed
Tropicbird and a flock of 35 Whimbrels flew west on the 6th, followed by 7
Puffins, an Arctic Skua and 12 Common Terns on the 7th.
At 10.50 on the 8th a pair of Brown-necked Ravens drifted over the
house from the direction of the Cape, circling to the east of the ridge.
Any calls they made were inaudible and they were of slighter build than
Raven, with slimmer bills (held slightly drooped) and less wedged tails,
which had protruding, blunt central retrices. Last year’s single bird was
twelve days later. There has been a northward expansion of the species’
range in Algeria and northward movement in spring is normal in eastern
North Africa (BWP), suggesting these firsts for Europe may be followed
by others as part of the ‘Maghreb invasion’ of southern Iberia.
Budens was on the edge of a strange weather system on the 9th with
heavy cloud to the east and clear skies to the west in the morning
followed by complete cloud cover and drizzle p.m. It proved to be the
most interesting day of the spring, with a Little Bunting on the ridge wires
in the early morning, a 1st winter female Black-throated Thrush nearby later (possibly ex-Morocco, where it could have wintered in the Atlas
Mts.) and a Desert Lark. This flew ESE but was too silhouetted to
determine the race. An early Golden Oriole was in the eucalypts below
the house and, in the very gloomy afternoon, a Long-eared Owl called
from the depths of the valley. The last bird of note was a Sedge Warbler
in the garden.
Strong northerlies then inhibited further movement, with Yellow Wagtail
on the 15th the only new migrant.
Late April
The first calm, warm day for a while on the 16th produced a Black Kite
flying north and a male Whinchat (uncommon in spring) on the ridge. An
extraordinary addition to my impressive house list (now over 280
species) was a Marbled Duck flying low to the east on the 17th, just ten
days later than the pair I found at nearby Boca do Rio in 2021.
The only Spotted Flycatcher of the spring was in the garden on the 21st,
when the song-flighting Dupont’s Lark was again high over the east
valley. A Western Orphean Warbler was singing at dawn on the 24th.
After a poor month for raptors, Goshawk, Hobby and Lesser Kestrel all
appeared on the 26th, followed by Honey Buzzard, Levaillant’s (Atlas)
Buzzard and a Greater Spotted Eagle on the 27th. This drifted slowly
SW, high up at about 13.00 and returned NE at the same altitude about
an hour and a half later. Whinchat, Melodious Warbler and 2 Little
Buntings also occurred that day. A Common Bulbul in the north of the
valley was ‘seen off’ by a Spotless Starling on the 28th, when a Western
Olivaceous Warbler was singing from the eucalypts.
The month ended dramatically with a high-flying male Red-footed
Falcon and my second White-throated Sparrow of the spring, in rank
growth outside the small stone pine wood in the south of the valley. A
Wryneck repeatedly gave a variant, mournful, four-call which clearly did
not relate to either anxiety or copulation, as suggested in BWP.
May/Early June
A Sooty Shearwater and a Pomarine Skua passed Salema on the 2nd,
when a Western Olivaceous Warbler sang in the valley. An adult
Levaillant’s Buzzard attacked displaying Short-toed Eagles, indicative of
possible breeding in the area. The following day a large female calidus
Peregrine flew north-east.
Moderate north-easterlies then persisted until the 8th. An evening
seawatch in a southerly produced two Red-billed Tropicbirds flying west
together, a party of 4 Pomarine Skuas, 151 Balearic Shearwaters, a late
Guillemot and a second-year Baltic Gull. The long, slim, dark brown
upperwings showed no bordering white. The wind veered south-west
overnight, resulting in more westerly movement and a greater variety of
species on the 9th. These included a Brown Booby and a South Polar
Skua, with volume provided by over 200 Balearic Shearwaters and five
flocks of Arctic Terns, totalling 61 birds. Another South Polar Skua and 3
Red-footed Boobys (2 brown and one white morph) flew west together
on the 11th.
During another spell of northerlies in mid-month a Crossbill was the only
bird of note but, in a light south-easterly on the 20th, a Desert Lark flew
east on the usual line adopted by reorienting Maghreb species. The
mantle colour of the upperparts (mid greyish brown) suggests it was of
the race whitakeri from Algeria.
Easterlies, strong at times, then continued until the 29th, with 3 Wilson’s
Petrels on the 23rd the first of the summer. The non-breeding plumage
Sudan Golden Sparrow which flew east on the 29th had no doubt been
displaced by them as well as the singing Moussier’s Redstart on the 31st.
Near-gale northerlies in early June stimulated some northward
movement which included an Eleonora’s Falcon, a Dupont’s Lark and a
Trumpeter Finch on the 1st. Another whitakeri Desert Lark went east on
the 2nd and a Western Orphean Warbler flew north-west through my
garden on the 3rd. Single Black Kite and Montagu’s Harrier had battled
north, low down, so on the afternoon of the 4th I scanned from the ridge
opposite my house. This produced no raptors, but below me, in the
bottom of the east valley, an unmistakable Fulvous Babbler flew out from a patch of giant reeds into a small wooded area. Three of my four
previous sightings of this Maghreb species have been of single birds,
and two of those in spring following south-easterlies.
AUTUMN and EARLY WINTER 2025/26 in SW ALGARVE
The most interesting features of the autumn were the multiple arrivals of Nearctic passerines beginning in early August. I have already detailed these (an incredible seventeen different species!) in an earlier post, postulating the probable reasons for this new phenomenon, so will provide no further supporting details here.
After my earliest ‘autumn’ House Bunting had flown south on 30 July, a juvenile male Moussier’s Redstart joined a Woodchat Shrike on the ridge wires on 3 August. The African theme continued with a party of 4 juvenile Sudan Golden Sparrows flying east on the 4th, briefly settling on the same wires. A W. Olivaceous Warbler and an early Honey Buzzard appeared on the 5th
Storm ‘Floris’, which reached Scotland on 4 August, must have been responsible for the three Nearctics seen in my valley on the 6th : an American Mourning Dove, my second local Cliff Swallow (a juvenile, like the August 2023 bird) and an Eastern Phoebe. The Red-breasted Nuthatch on the 13th may have arrived in the weather system, possibly further north.
The 13th also produced a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, looking noticeably long-tailed and long-billed, flying east just north of Lagos. A worn adult Levaillant’s (Atlas) Buzzard arrived on 24 August.
September
I witnessed an extraordinary medley of arrivals from my veranda on 2 September after a moderate north-easterly on the 1 st . Two Alpine Accentors and a Ring Ousel were exceptionally early, a Greenish Warbler was attracted to the newly flowering eucalypts below the house and a juvenile Scarlet Rosefinch arrived from the north.
To the east, two flocks of Glossy Ibis totalling about 260 birds went north.
A 1 st winter phoenicuroides Isabelline Shrike (my fifth, locally), no doubt on its way to West Africa, was on the ridge on the 5th.
The next Nearctic influx began on 6 September, with an American Robin just north of Budens. Two days later a Yellow-rumped Warbler was in the eucalypts copse, leaving to the west. On the 14 th a Blackburnian Warbler filtered south-west across the valley and along my garden hedge. A Rusty Blackbird dropped in from the south-west the following day, when there was an elusive Baltimore Oriole in the eucalypts. This left to the south early on the 18 th . On the 16 th a Rose-breasted Grosbeak flew powerfully south-west at fairly low level.
The autumn ‘raptor-fest’ began during this period, with the first Egyptian Vulture on the 11 th , an immature Spanish Imperial Eagle, 2 rufinus Long-legged Buzzards and a Hen Harrier on the 12th , 12 Honey Buzzards, 3 Levaillant’s Buzzards, 6 Short-toed and 5 Booted Eagles on the 15th and a stunning melanistic Montagu’s Harrier on the 17th. The best ‘Old World’ passerine was a Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush on the 13th.
Seawatching was on hold until the 19 th when a light south-easterly with cloud and some light rain lured me to Salema, where I was rewarded with 12 Wilson’s and a Madeiran Petrel and 2 Caspian Terns.
There was an overnight arrival of migrants in the valley on the 23 rd which included Wryneck, Redstart, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Pied and Spotted Flycatchers. The day’s curiosity was African Silverbill, two of which flew low past the house to the south-west. This has apparently been introduced into Iberia (although not included in ‘The Birds of the Iberian Peninsula, 2015). Natural occurrence cannot be discounted as it fits the growing pattern of arrivals from south of the Sahara, which have recently included two Black Scrub-Robins and a Brown Babbler.
A Red-breasted Flycatcher on the ridge on the 25 th was eclipsed by a Bobolink flying south. It seems Nearctics now rarely occur singly and it was soon followed by a Tree Swallow accompanying a Red-rumped!
At this time Hurricane ‘Gabriel’ was trashing the Azores, whence it turned right and headed towards the Algarve coast. Although downgraded, it seemed a good opportunity to visit the west coast promontory at Carrapateira on the 27th. The reward, before the rain arrived, was a flock of 7 Sabine’s Gulls flying south and a Yelkouan’s Shearwater with passing Balearics.
The first Whinchats of the autumn arrived on the 30 th , when a party of 5 Ortolans flew south-east.
October
In benign weather with just a light easterly, an all-day veranda scan on the 1st yielded another amazing medley including a Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin, a 1st winter Yellow-breasted Bunting sporting two bold wing bars and 2 each of Ortolan and Little Bunting, as well the first Chiffchaff and Siskin of the autumn and nine species of raptor. Booted Eagle (12) and Honey Buzzard (7) were the most numerous. The following day a Dupont’s Lark arrived from the north-east.
Two hurricanes merged at this time producing a strong westerly airflow across the Atlantic, so I was on ‘Yank alert’ again. Sure enough, the first to appear in the valley was a Palm Warbler on the 3rd , followed by a 1st winter Tennessee Warbler and a striking Solitary (Blue-headed) Vireo on the 5th.
In a moderate south-easterly on the 6 th a Salema seawatch produced yet another mega for this locality: a mainly white-headed Streaked Shearwater. This flew rapidly downwind in high-banking flight mode (maintaining wing beats through the arcs), showing mainly white underwings with only narrow darker margins. Most apparently have more extensive dark on the underwings but Harrison (Seabirds, 1983) seemed to be aware of this paler variant. Is this a consistent phase, or could it just be related to age/wear? When the bird returned east, into the wind, flying more like the Cory’s passing, the upperparts plumage was classic Streaked – ‘grizzled’ grey/brown
extending up the nape onto the hind crown. It looked larger than Cory’s (direct comparison) with slightly longer and broader wings combining to accentuate the difference (see 14 November and 2 January below).
A relatively quiet spell for the next two-and-a-half weeks was relieved only by a Desert Lark of the sandy race algeriensis and a calling Citrine Wagtail on the 12th , a Merlin on the 18 th and 3 Ortolans on the 22nd . Storm ‘Benjamin’ struck France on the 23rd which may have been responsible for the male Purple Martin which flew leisurely south-west on the 25th. Two Olive-backed Pipits arrived together the following day .
In a light south-easterly on the 27th I witnessed a new phenomenon at Salema: multiple small passerines arriving from the open ocean to the south-west: mainly Chaffinches and Linnets, with 6 Skylarks, a Calandra Lark and a Snow Bunting.
Passing seabirds included a dip-feeding adult Long-tailed Skua, a Wilson’s and 10 Storm Petrels. A veranda scan that afternoon yielded another two Citrine Wagtails accompanied by a Red-throated Pipit (the third time this combination has occurred) and a late W. Bonelli’s Warbler.
The only passerine over the sea on the 28 th was a Hawfinch ‘bombing’ rapidly south-west well above the horizon, demonstrating why the species is an autumn vagrant to Madeira! There was a Yellow-browed Warbler in the garden and a late Tawny Pipit flew east. A major overnight arrival saw the valley full of Robins on the 30th. Other passerines included Short-toed Lark and yet another Citrine Wagtail (1st W) flying south-east, a Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Lesser Redpoll, all overshadowed by a meena Rufous Turtle Dove, looking more like a small Columba in flight. This was seen again on 2 November, disturbed from the east valley by hunters. The only
raptor of note was a male Red-footed Falcon.
November
Unsettled weather at the end of October continued until 1 November when there was a W. Olivaceous Warbler in the valley and 3 Little Buntings (1 + 2) flew south-west. A 1st W Ring-billed Gull was ‘surface picking’ on the sea off Salema.
It was bright and calm on the 2nd resulting in another spectacular veranda medley. Just after sunrise a Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin greeted it from the top of a bush, remaining motionless for several minutes, and a late Iberian Chiffchaff was spurred into a muted burst of song. A Richard’s Pipit flew east. In the afternoon, raptors took over, with three flocks of Griffons totalling around 200 birds, 5 Booted Eagles, 2 Red and 2 Black-shouldered Kites, 3 Lesser Kestrels, a Hobby and the first Barbary Falcon (2nd year) of the autumn. This bird, which had mainly adult features but still
had some rufous in the tail, remained in the area until the 23rd, typically circling high before stooping at avian prey on or close to the ground.
A larger passerine movement on the 3 rd involved about 130 Chaffinches, a party of 6 Alpine Accentors, a few Song Thrushes (much scarcer than they used to be in autumn), 3 Redwings and Lesser Redpoll, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting. Four Black Storks flew low to the south-west in the afternoon.
A seawatch in a moderate south-westerly on the 5 th produced a close Leach’s Petrel (a sign of things to come – see below) and a juvenile Long-tailed Skua.
The last of the autumn’s Nearctics on the 7th was a Wilson’s Warbler (1 st winter or female) which filtered south-west on exactly the same line as the October Blackburnian. A 1st winter Citrine Wagtail flew south-east and a Bullfinch left to the east; a flock of 8 Chestnut Munias (introduction from the Sub-Continent) went south-west.
At least 230 Griffons, split into several flocks, were back on the 9th. An immature Bonelli’s Eagle followed one party and the Barbary Falcon investigated another. Nine Bramblings and a Little Bunting flew south-west, along with 120 Woodpigeons and 110 Chaffinches. A white-headed juvenile Honey Buzzard drifted south-west on the 10th.
Storm ‘Claudia’, a huge Atlantic frontal system which extended from just south of Iberia to the British Isles, brought pulses of heavy rain to the Algarve. In the dry interludes on the 12th, early morning and afternoon seawatches off Salema produced a party of 3 Desertas Petrels and 8 Leach’s and a Madeiran Petrel. The next day the weather permitted only a mid-afternoon scan (105 minutes) but the rewards were much greater. Some of the 36 Leach’s Petrels were feeding just beyond the surf line.
A Swinhoe’s Petrel flew east (all dark, with less angled and blunter-tipped wings than Leach’s) and 3 Wilson’s Petrels were feeding together further out.
A dark-phase South Polar Skua flew west and an immature Merlin, close in, was possibly attracted by the feeding petrels. Another Desertas Petrel and 9 Leach’s Petrels on the 14th were eclipsed by a white-faced Streaked Shearwater, presumably the bird seen on 6 October returning west (but see below).
A late Red-breasted Flycatcher in the lower valley on 17 November was followed the next day by a more surprising eastern arrival – a first winter Olive-tree Warbler on the ridge. I was ‘scoping pipits on the fire-break when a large, long-tailed warbler flew out of the cistus scrub above, crossed the open ground and made a banking glide into a dense clump of bushes. My first thought was ‘Barred’, but it had greyish upperparts with prominent pale wing panels. The terminal glide is apparently unique to Olive-tree and Upcher’s Warbler (BWP). I could not see any obvious weather connection, but two of my four Masked Shrikes have occurred in November, suggesting some lateral (as opposed to reverse) movement from the same region at this season.
New arrivals on the 19 th were my latest Northern Wheatear, 3 Hawfinches flying south-west and a Yellowhammer. There was an exceptionally late Iberian Chiffchaff in the garden on the 22 nd and a Citril Finch flew north-west on the 23rd, when the long-staying Barbary Falcon was again circling high to the east.
A visit to Carrapateira on the west coast on the 26th produced a Baillon’s Crake, calling from an overgrown ditch opposite the valley lagoon. To the south-east, an Eagle Owl flew into a dead pine in an undeveloped valley. That afternoon a flock of 9 Short-toed Eagles circled to the east of the house, a larger number seen together than even during the autumn peaks.
December
After a cold, strong northerly on 29 November, the month began with a calm, warm day. An all-day veranda scan was rewarded by my latest Egyptian Vultures (3), Hen Harrier, Lanner, a 1 st W Citrine Wagtail flying west, an adult female Moussier’s Redstart on the ridge wires (which stayed until the 7 th ), a Desert Wheatear and 2 Little Buntings, as well as an influx of Siskins (45+) and a Brambling. The following day a new Barbary Falcon (a first year bird with bright rufous in the tail) flew low through the valley.
A smaller medley of species occurred on the 5 th , including 2 late Short-toed Larks, a party of 5 Richard’s Pipits, a Bluethroat and a Spotted Flycatcher (my first winter record). The slow, quiet subsong of W. Olivaceous Warbler was heard on the 7th. A Levaillant’s (Atlas) Buzzard and a Ring Ousel moved through on the morning of the 8th. That afternoon a Brown Booby passed Salema in a southerly wind.
Last year an autumn juvenile Fulvous Babbler remained in the area until mid-
December. On the 10th an un-aged bird flew south-west. This could have been a newly arrived winter nomad, or possibly the same individual stranded in Iberia.
A succession of Atlantic fronts bringing heavy rain inhibited movement in mid-month, but, nevertheless, there was an interesting arrival of Red-throated Pipits. Three flew south-east together on the 14th , a party of 4 went south-west on the 18th and there was one feeding on the ridge on the 20th. I had encountered only a few individuals in winter, when they are easily overlooked, but the species may be more regular than previously supposed as some are known to overwinter in western Morocco. A Whinchat on the ridge on the 20th was my first in winter since 2016/17.
The three wet, cold days that followed were virtually bird-less, but the 24th was calm and bright and a Common Bulbul flew low over the valley to the north-east. My three previous winter sightings were all in January, also suggesting mid-winter nomadism. The morning of the 25th was also bright and induced a Melodious Warbler to sing – my third record is successive winters. It was eclipsed by an Olive-backed Pipit that gave a sharp, high-pitched ‘dziip’ call as I inadvertently flushed it from the clump of eucalypts below my house. This was my second winter sighting in the valley of a species I found overwintering at two sites at a similar latitude in eastern
Crete in the mid-nineties, where it was equally elusive.
Stormy weather with some torrential rain then persisted until the 28th , but the 29th dawned calm and bright. The W. Olivaceous Warbler feeding in the eucalypts with Chiffchaffs was probably the bird heard on the 7th. It then visited my garden on the 31st. On the 30th a Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin was in full song (repeating some short phrases like a Song Thrush), 2 Wrynecks were calling and 2 Redwings came in from the north-east.
January 2026
The unsettled weather returned on the 1st, with a vigorous depression centred about 700 km to the west, creating a southerly airflow with intermittent rain – ideal seawatching conditions. A dry interlude in the afternoon gave me a memorable 90 mins. My first mid-winter Madeiran Petrel was quickly followed by a lifer – a Bermuda Petrel (Cahow). This flew low to the south-west, always banking to the left, giving me views of the mainly white undersides. I assume it was a worn first winter bird with a dark cap and tail contrasting with the mid-brown mantle and upperwings. There was no pale collar or white in the uppertail coverts, ruling out a sullied Black-capped. Although there was nothing nearby for direct comparison, it was between Balearic and Cory’s in size and, I judged, slightly smaller than Desertas. A passage of Kittiwakes (25) was a further indication of displacement from
the deep ocean to the west.
There was a thunderstorm before dawn on the 2 nd and light rain followed, but not enough to prevent a morning seawatch. The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross which glided effortlessly downwind may have been the individual I saw in April 2025.
Then a Streaked Shearwater appeared for the third time. It settled on the sea about 250m out and remained there for over an hour, spending some of that time preening. I noticed the feathers of the upperparts had lost most of their white margins, giving the mantle and upperwings a more uniform brown look (apparently consistent with normal wear in a first year bird). Apart from the rather ‘messy’, white-faced head pattern, the most obvious features were the dark nape, long neck and long, slender greyish bill. In fact, at some rear angles, with white on the undertail just showing, it looked very like a Black-throated Diver! When it eventually flew leisurely off to the south-east, the wings were distinctly bowed and I saw that the uppertail coverts were
slightly paler brown.
I returned in the afternoon, to find 2 identical Streaked Shearwaters on the sea even closer in, allowing superb, prolonged ’scope views! So, with the October bird a presumed adult, the December one un-aged and two worn first winters in January, there have been three, possibly four individuals in three months of a species never before recorded in the western Atlantic. Apart from a New Jersey sighting in June 2025, it has previously occurred as far west as South Africa and in the Red Sea, with the seas off the former being the most likely point of origin of these birds, given the multiple arrivals of other species from this area in recent years.
The South Polar Skua which went west, but returned east later, had to settle for the bronze medal on this extraordinary day, contested by the 3 Little Gulls (my first multiple in the Algarve) feeding offshore. In addition, 53 Mediterranean Gulls (all adults) and 16 Kittiwakes went west.
The third day of a seabird movement often involves ‘less of the same’ and this
proved to be the case on the 3rd , with a first winter Lesser Crested Tern the
highlight. A total of 128 Mediterranean Gulls (122 ads) flying west was a local record and an adult Common Gull was only my third sighting.
With the wind reverting to the prevailing north-easterly, the next four days were exceptionally cold. Not surprisingly, the wintering W. Olivaceous Warbler was seen leaving to the east on the 6 th . On the calm and mild 8 th I went out to the Cape hinterland. I was counting Lapwings and Golden Plovers in the fallow pastures when a Corncrake called twice, rather quieter than in spring. Although BWP cites a paper suggesting it does not call in its East African winter quarters, I heard birds in both Mozambique and South Africa at this season. There are records of overwinterers in both Spain and the Maghreb.
Another vocal bird was the Great Spotted Cuckoo heard from the house on the 9th.
With Magpies now becoming established in western Algarve, it is possible some will remain to breed in the future. A male Merlin chased a small passerine over the ridge on the 10th.
A calm, bright morning on 11 January lured me to the Pedralva road woodlands but they were disappointingly quiet. The open, sandy heathland to the west more than compensated, with a Richard’s Pipit by the main lagoon and a stunning African Desert Warbler in low, scrubby vegetation. I first saw it in the low branches of a lone, dead pine and it flew down into the scrub about 100m from me, showing the warm rufous upperparts and brighter rufous rump/tail contrasting with very pale underparts. I went across but failed to flush it. This habitat, with numerous shallow pools after the heavy recent rains, perfectly matches the species’ winter preferences as described in BWP. My only previous sighting of this supposedly sedentary species was of a bird reorienting south-east across the ridge opposite my house on 23rd February 2019.
Despite the south-westerly breeze, there was nothing moving off Salema on the morning of the 12 th but, with the wind strengthening and low clouds arriving, I returned in the afternoon. On 13 January 2024 I saw a female Magnificent Frigatebird. On 8 January 2025 another frigatebird was too distant to be certain of the id. Incredibly, again in the second week of January, a third bird arrived from the south-east. This time it was an obvious juvenile Magnificent Frigatebird, with the white of the head and underparts almost reaching the vent. The underwings were all-dark, showing no white extension onto the axillaries. It made very slow progress to the west, presumably looking for food on the surface, so was visible for several
minutes. I would have been more than satisfied with just the Red-throated Diver (scarce in the Algarve) which flew west a little later.
That night heavy frontal rain arrived, which continued until after 09.00. I began seawatching at 09.30. Gannets, mainly adults, were moving west at a rate of about 1000/hour and a total of 54 Kittiwakes passed in the next 90 mins. A Yelkouan Shearwater was the only semi-rarity.
The 14th was mild and dry, so I returned to the Pedralva road heath, now even more saturated, but no sign of the Desert Warbler. The adjacent woodland was again quiet except for one puzzling two-note call, repeated several times. The first note was Bullfinch-like; the second lower pitched. Checking the possibilities at home, I discovered that some ‘Continental’ bullfinches have this variant call. In my 83rd year, and still learning!
Another front arrived on the night of the 15 th , bringing frequent showers the following day. I returned to the Cape hinterland, now even more saturated than on the 8th, and was rewarded by a Great Spotted Cuckoo and 2 typically grey Lesser Short-toed Larks. I doubt these would have been from the saltings populations near the Spanish border as these are resident and already active in January (pers. obs.). In eastern Spain some breed in the hills of the Iberian Range, which are likely to be more nomadic in winter. The immature Lanner which flew north-east into a strong wind on the 18th was only my second winter sighting.
Ahead of yet more frontal rain on 22 January there was an interesting tern
movement off Salema: 10 Sandwich, a Caspian and 3 Common. Although a few Common Terns are known to overwinter in the Med and southern Iberia, these were the first I had seen locally.
It seemed the weather could not get worse, but it did. A series of Atlantic storms brought more torrential rain, with heavy showers on the ‘better’ days. Despite the strong westerly winds, offshore passage virtually ceased for a week, but a juvenile Iceland Gull was with bathing gulls on the Boca do Rio floodwater on the 28th. A modest westerly movement of seabirds on the 30th included a Sooty Shearwater and an immature Red-billed Tropicbird.
I rarely see Bluethroat inland but flooding of its coastal haunts may be responsible for two sightings on 30/31 st , one above the golf course and one in my valley. On the latter date the wintering Olive-backed Pipit returned to the eucalyptus copse, where I saw it on 25 December (see above).