Black-headed Weaver a.o.

On two recent Tours into the Baixo Alentejo plains, yesterday (Monday, the 14-06-2010) and the past Friday (11-06-2010) we saw among others:

Black Vulture (Aegypus monachus) - on both Tours.
Griffon Vulture (Gyps vulvus) - both Tours.
Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) - both Tours.
Booted Eagle (Aquila pennata)- Friday. Pale and dark morph.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) - Friday. Adult with a fledged juvenile.
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis) - both Tours.
Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) - Monday, close views.
European Roller (Coracias garrulus) - both Tours.
Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) - Friday. A male.
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) - Friday. Close views.
Rufous Bush Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes) - Monday, close views.
Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus) - Monday. Several males near the nest (Algarve).



Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus) a male in breeding plumage. The species has established small colonies in several wetlands along the Algarve-coast. They nest in reed beds. Many thanks to David Rayner for this wonderful photo.

At Lagoa dos Salgados (Pêra Marsh) we witnessed spring migration "meeting autumn migration". A Knot (Calidris canutus) on its own, not yet completely moulted into breeding plumage has been still on its way from (South-)West Africa to the breeding sites of the species, somewhere around the arctic. With a little delay perhaps, but nesting only takes place there from June onwards anyway.
A flock of close to 100 adult Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa) roosting in a another part of the lagoon, must have just arrived from Central or Northern Europe, where the species starts nesting in March already and therefore their breeding season is over by this time of the year. The juveniles, however, will arrive here later.