Influx of Red-footed Falcon

Ad. female Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) a few kms west of Entradas (Beja) on 15-May-2015. Foto: GS

The same female with an adult male. Date and location as above.

Since Wednesday, May 14th, at least 50 Red-footed Falcon, sometimes in groups of 5 or more birds (one of 21 Ind.), have been seen and reported in south-west Portugal. In the west- (NE of Vila do Bispo, near Burgau, near Ria de Alvor and SE of Silves) and also the central Algarve (east Faro and east Quarteira), but mainly the Baixo Alentejo around Castro Verde and Beja, roosting and hunting in steppe-like areas, irrigated fields, near rice fields and in other kinds of open country side, where they often perch on telepraph wires or even on the ground. Before they arrived here, an influx to eastern Marrocco had been reported. Strong easterly and south-easterly winds carried them far north-west and probably even out on the Atlantic, from where they must have been coming back into SW-Portugal, most of them staying at one location only for hours and moving one the same day, others staying over night in the same area. In the meantime, small groups of RFF have been already reported from south Germany (Bavaria) on their way to their nesting areas in eastern Europe and the Asian steppes.

The next days it might be still worth to keep the eyes open for them here.

The season for Pelagic boat-trips is starting - here are the new scheduled trips for the next months: http://www.birdwatching-algarve.com/pelagic-boat-trips.html