Alentejo Region, Portugal, 18/3/2012

Weather, blue sky, little to no wind, perfect !

Started the day about 10.00 hours, leaving Castro Verde on the road to Mertola, taking in all the lanes and minor roads left and right of the N123.

Glossy Ibis, 6
Cattle Egret, 30 +
Crested Lark, several
Corn Bunting, 100's
Stonechat, everywhere
Southern Grey Shrike, 40 +

Common Buzard
Raven, 2
Kestrel, many

White Stork, many, nesting and in fields everywhere
Red-legged Partrigde, 10 +

                         Stonechat

  Crested Lark, (again !)

 Corn Bunting

 Little Owl

Southern Grey Shrike


14.30 hours, a break for tea at Mertola, then a return journey of the morning to end up back at Castro Verde.

On return to the D123, I parked in the first layby, on the same tree as my previous visit last September, a distant Eagle, to far for me to identify !

First left, hoping for a better view, saw two eagles, distant, again unidentifiable for me !

a bit futher on the same road, 17.20 hours, now perfect light, I take a photo of the two White Storks

200 yards futher along the lane, 4 Great Bustard,  1 minute to view and they flew,

 Great Bustard 17.29 hours

Great Bustard 17.29 hours

Then a movement closer, whilst still in the same view, much closer than the Great Bustards, the special one appeared,

 Little Bustard

                         Little Bustard, 17.32 hours

 Little Bustard, 17.32 hours

That was an superb 5 minutes, the two ''prize birds'' I had hoped to see ! ! !  and photos !

The day is not over, I move up the road not half a mile, still perfect light

 White Stork

                         Crested Lark, (another one)

Then, 4 Great Bustards, probably the same 4 birds seen not 12 minutes ago

Then noticing a 5th Great Bustard, much closer

Day finished at 17.44 hours, I head off in failing light towards Castro Verde.

The last half hour, '''STUNNING'''