Sunday, September 23, 2012

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)





This juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) has been present from last Sunday (16.09.) to at least Thursday (22.09.) at Lagoa dos Salgados (Silves), where I photographed it when it was feeding close to the watchpoint together with Dunlins, Sanderlings, Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints. The bird was found by my friend and colleague João Ministro when he visited the lagoon with a group of Portuguese birdwatchers.

Sabine's Gulls where among the highlights of the 3 Pelagic trips I organized this past week, 6 birds on Tuesday, 18th and at least 4 birds on Saturday, 22nd (off Fuseta). Also 5 species of Shearwaters, two species of Storm-Petrels and 3 species of Skuas have been seen during the trips, among others. I add a video of a Great Shearwater I made on Tuesday here: Great Shearwater off Fuseta, September 18th

Today it rained and so the summer draught will soon disappear hopefully. Migration is strong underway, on the cape of Sagres as well as everywhere along the coast. Black-winged Kite, Osprey and Booted Eagle were around in Ludo (Faro) yesterday.