Birding Portugal & Spain
  • Birding blog
  • Natureza e Biodiversidade
  • Sobre mim
  • Projectos
  • Contactos
  • Birding blog
  • Natureza e Biodiversidade
  • Sobre mim
  • Projectos
  • Contactos

Ring-billed gull, south Portugal

29/12/2019

0 Comments

 
​On the morning of 29 December 2019, I went to salgados lagoon (Algarve, south Portugal) and found a second-winter ring-billed gull. I took the oportunity to study this plumage, and take some record shots, because it´s the one I´ve seen less.                   

The records of Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) have been decresing during recent years, in Europe in general and in mainland Portugal in particular. There was a recent article on Birdwatch magazine by Josh Jones ("Rise and fall", Birdwatch November 2019, Issue 329), that analysied the declining records in Europe of this iconic Nearctic gull. 

I remember, back on the early 2000´s, to go to my local patch in S. Martinho do Porto bay and see eight or nine on the beach. Now, I struggle to observe one a year. I went to ebird to check my last sighting in Portugal of this species and was in 29 January 2019, a first winter in Salgados lagoon, so most likely this is the same bird i saw eleven months ago exactly on the same place.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Chiffchaffs in south Portugal

27/12/2019

0 Comments

 
By late December the south coast of Portugal is swarming with Chiffchaffs (Phylloscopus collybita). Sunny days around a reedbed can be very productive if you are interested in get familiar with plumage variation of these busy birds.
Some birds, with good light and the help of a camera, can be aged by the level of wear on wing feathers, and the presence of different generations. First winter birds will show more abraded flight feathers and usually diferent generations in coverts, being the result of a partial post-juvenile moult.
In the case of the bird in the picture, it´s possible to see that some tertials and the central pair of tail feathers was replaced on the post-juvenile moult. Although, from late December onwards we need to keep in mind that adults and first years usualy do a partial pre-breeding moult, and it could simulate first winter plumage, but this new feathers would be fresh!
Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Birding Portugal & Spain - Blog


    2020 Count Totals:
    Picture

    Picture

    About me

    I was born in west Portugal and began birding at the age of 11. I have particular interest in bird ringing (banding),  moult, seabirds and rarities. Currently I work as a guide for Birds & Nature Tours.
    Picture
    Picture

    Search by month:

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019


    Search by keywords:

    All
    American Golden Plover
    Audouin´s Gull
    Azorean Yellow-legged Gull
    Birding Trips
    Book Review
    Caspian Gull
    ChiffChaff
    Franklin´s Gull
    Fulmar
    Fulmarus Glacialis
    Glaucous Gull
    Greenshank
    Gulls
    Herring Gull
    Kittiwake
    Lesser Scaup
    Madeira Island
    Moths
    Moult
    Nocturnal Flight Calls
    Peniche Seabird Count
    Richard´s Pipit
    Ring-billed Gull
    Ring-necked Duck
    Rock Pipit
    Sylvia Curruca
    Testing Gear
    Videos
    Yellow-browed Warbler


    RSS Feed



    © Helder Cardoso. All rights reserved.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.