Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

13th February 2025 – Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, The Algarve, Portugal

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There is a roundabout just outside our hotel with a statue of a seahorse. There is the largest population of seahorses in the world in the Ria Formosa Natural Park.

The seahorse roundabout

On our last full day here in Portugal we decided to revisit the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve at Quinto de Marim. At the entrance to the park there is a poster reminding us of the fragility of the seahorses in nature with the population diminished by 90% in the last 15 years.

On our boat trip earlier in the week we had seen buoys protecting the area where the seahorses exist.

We had much better light on our visit today but the tide was very low and the mudflats were almost empty of waders. However, we did have a very good view of this plover below which, according to one ID app, is a semi-palmated plover. However, it is more likely a non-breeding adult common ringed plover. In fact, having studied several sources, the slight webbing between only one of the toes convinces me that this is definitely a common ringed plover

Semi-palmated plover or more likely a non-breeding adult common ringed plover

Stonechat

The flora was even more beautiful after the rain and with quite warm sunshine

Oxalis pes-caprae has all sorts of common names, including slender yellow wood sorrel

The mudflats were empty of birdlife but it was great walk

The tidal mill with very little bird life today

Mainly cattle egret with a few little egrets at the freshwater pond

Chiffchaffs and/or willow warblers were putting on quite a display at the freshwater pond – difficult to say which when they weren’t singing

Little grebe

Teal

Teal and shoveler

Terrapins

Lupins have appeared in flower after the rain

… and these beautiful crocus-leaved romulea

Iberian magpie

Iberian magpie

And saving the best to last, just as we were leaving the park a Eurasian hoopoe

Eurasian hoopoe

And then back to Olhão for a celebratory last lunch – although, we didn’t really need an excuse.

Comments

3 responses to “13th February 2025 – Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, The Algarve, Portugal”

  1. rogerrees2 Avatar
    rogerrees2

    Beautiful little plover. So delicate.

    If its a semi-palmated then you have been very lucky. My ‘Birdwatching Guide To The Algarve’ (bought at Faro Airport last time before return flight) doesn’t list it at all. The BTO website says its a very rare visitor to UK and Ireland and is a North American species. My ‘Birds of Iberia’ (admittedly 1996 Etd) refers to it as “accidental visitor to the Spanish peninsula.” Wickipedia says its a USA, Caribbean and S. American bird.

    This is the kind of thing you have time for when you’re a housebound invalid.

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    1. martintayler Avatar
      martintayler

      I wonder if it’s not a non-breeding adult common ringed plover. It’s probably an American ID app throwing up a confusion. Hope the recovery is going well.

      Martin Tayler
      Martin’s bird and nature blog: https://martinsbirdblog.com/

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  2. Billionaires First Choice Avatar
    Billionaires First Choice

    Great and nice connecting with you, loves your contents

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