Waiting for the Autum

Summer is ending on the Azores. Not so much to do less the Bulfinch and some lost older vagrants and a recently discoverd Red Kite (Jorge Cardoso). Whit the last light on a Birding tour stil managed to get a record shot.

 

 

So why not try some Canaries in my wifes vegetable garden.

 

The adult Azorean Yellow Legged Gull start to show his tipical black striped head while Terns are doing the oposite and turn themselfes in a confusing soup whit A Common and Roseate mix.

Azorean Goldcrest family

Today doing some Bullfinch whit a wonderful guest and went to focus on a Goldcrest family wich I had met earlyer this week. Mommy came out all messes up searching despered for insects to recover. The 4 chicks looked great and lucky for me they stil are reather slow in their movements.

 

 

Summer birding

Not to much is happening lately on the Azores. Bullfinch is coming final out of the jungle and after the hard winter ,wich have certainly done some damage, it feels good to see them in good numbers coming out of the jungle.

 

Of course there are stil other birds around and a fast trip to Flores priced me whit a nice Western Goldcrest Regulus inermis.

 

Alentejo birding

A five days trip with Raquel and Tome to the mainland of Portugal was a good change to train the Eurasian birds as an Azorean birder like me being a big ignorant on this matter.

Adicionar legenda

 

 

Flores trip report

This time no time for birding. Heavy winter whit landslides did some damage on Flores walking trails. So other things to do. Lucky for me I found a Ring billed Gull wich confused me by his black rump. Oil our cowshit was the tip I got from the real birders.

 

No other birds show up on the working zone but my friend Frederique Fournier told me about a big white Egret near the airfield. Other local Miguel Noia had even seen it whit a "chick" so I gues he was talking about a Cattle. So another look on the field near the airstrip before jumping in the plane.There was the Cattle Egret feeding near some lazy cows.

 

 

While aproaching a little the bird flyed up and went to the other side of the village where I lost it landing on another field. Quickly checked in and than drived over to the other side. I found it again near some cows but I lost my intrest when I looked in a corner of the field. An Great American Egret was standing there swolowing a little rat.

 

 

I always believed that Flores Island should not let me leave whithout a nice bird.

Aand this Egret was a real beauty.

 

 

 

 

Latest April birds

 

Kentish Plovers on Cabo da Praia Terceira 

 

 

 Azores Yellow Legged Gul - Mosteiros

 

 

 

First Common Tern of the season - Mosteiros

 

 

We can see Gannets in some years on the Azores on big distance from the coast and only by telescope. Finding them near the shore and even picture them from land is a first time happening.

 

 

 

Peregrine Falcon is a rarity on the Azores. Finding one just under my house flying along the cliffs is even more rare.

Oystercatcher Longipes/Buturlini? First for the WP

Some month ago local birder Jorge Cardoso found this bird together with 2 Bar-tailed Godwits on the North coast of Sao Miguel Island. Oystercatchers are rare birds on the Azores and only 76 birds have been seen until now. Many locals have been watching and picturing the tame bird and after my last session whit some clients I published a picture of it on my FB page.Dutch photographer and editor of Dutch Birding Rene Pop was the first who noticed the large white collar. The snowball went rolling and big names like Arnoud van de Berg,Enno Ebels, Arnold Meijer and others started to have a look.

Apart of the large white collar the brownish coverts similar to a first year and the long nasal groove going until two third of the bill made us dreaming about a first for the WP.

 

Longipes still around in July