 portugal
Early spring migration in a beautiful Atlantic setting
Dates & prices
Saturday 18 March - Saturday 25 March
Price: £1045 pp
Single Supplement: £90 pp
Deposit: £300 pp
Price includes: return scheduled flight from London – Lisbon, airport
taxes, ground transportation, accommodation and all meals, incidental
tips, and the services of Leader John Poyner, who will be joined by another
from our main guiding team with more than 7 clients. Max. 14 clients.
Enjoy an early taste of spring migration around the vast estuaries, cork
oaks and lagoons of a stunning and underwatched area of Portugal’s
Atlantic coast. Resident Blackwinged Kite and Azure-Winged Magpie are
joined by migrating Booted and Short-Toed Eagle as flocks of Avocet and
Greater Flamingo mingle with swirling flocks of smaller waders heading
north on the nearby Tagus and Sado estuaries. With Common Waxbill, ‘Iberian’
Chiffchaff, Southern Grey Shrike, Pallid Swift, Great Spotted Cuckoo,
and a decent chance of wintering Little Bustard and Bluethroat, this part
of Portugal offers fascinating birding in a mixture of stunning habitats.
The ultimate western European spring holiday, with wall to wall birding!
We stay in quaint Palmela in a comfortable en-suite hotel where mealtimes
are a particular pleasure, with exceptional local produce and a strong
flavour of traditional Portugese dishes and hospitality. Other birds should
include returning Osprey, Hoopoe, Alpine Swift, Black Kite, Purple Gallinule,
Marsh Harrier, Water Pipit, Spotless Starling, Little Owl, Woodlark, iberiae
Yellow Wagtail, Woodchat Shrike, Crested Lark, Blue Rock Thrush, Cirl
Bunting, hosts of waders including Little Stint, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey
Plover, Golden Plover, Whimbrel, and Common Sandpiper. Sardinian, Cetti’s,
and Fan-tailed Warbler are everywhere! Bonelli’s Eagle, Montagu’s
Harrier and Glossy Ibis are possible, we search the scrub for Dartford
Warbler and see White Stork at close quarters.
With a likely list of over 110 species, this is a marvellous addition
to the European birding list of special places, and a great start to your
spring birding.
The birding on this trip is hugely
enjoyable, the sounds of spring brought forward for your pleasure, but
I want to mention the food in this bit - you really do come home in anticipation
as local produce is spread before you. In 2005 they even baked us a cake
with 'Heatherlea' and a bird on top in icing sugar -good fun as well as
rewarding birding.
Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual
holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and
elements beyond our control (eg weather).
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