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A First For Me – A Garden Warbler Passing Through

The Garden Warbler is does not breed in the southern half of Portugal but can be seen in trees and bushes as a passing migrant. This morning I was trying to photograph some very eluding Robins that have arrived in the garden for the winter (for this month’s Algarve Resident article) and I spotted a bird foraging through the branches of an Oak Tree. Eventually, it popped out on to an exposed branch and I grabbed a quick shot before it disappeared.

The Garden Warbler is well known for being a bit plain-looking with no features and I wasn’t sure but thanks to friend and bird guru Frank McKlintock (Birding In Portugal) for the confirmation.

It’s always a good feeling when I get a first spot along with a photo. I’ve also spotted a pair of Black Caps in the garden too. I’ve seen many of these, but again, never in the garden. This year, I have thinned a lot of bushes and shrubs which have seemed to have attracted more birds.

(Click to view in Lightbox)


Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Firstly, a HUUUUUUUUUUGE SORRY for the lack of content lately. I have been very busy with my commercial side of photography that I’ve had little to no time at all for any wildlife and nature photography. Very sad, but of course, I’ve had to follow the work that puts food on the table and with the current state of the planet it makes it even more important.

However, with my monthly article for the Algarve Resident now due, I decided to take some snaps of the many Hummingbird Hawk-moths that visit the garden.

These super fast moths are incredibly difficult to capture pin sharp due to the high speed they move. It’s easy to just put the shutter speed on maximum and hope for the best, but to make it even more challenging, I like to have the body sharp but allow for movement in the wings as I feel this tells the story about their incredible speed they flap them at.

Of course, then there is the angle and I’ve learnt over the years to try and predict movement of wildlife and moths are no exception, just much harder. As you can see from the shot below, I certainly nailed both the shutter speed and the prediction of where it was to feed. I have many shots that I’ll share at a different time, but for now here is just one I captured this afternoon.

(Click to view in Lightbox)


📷 Nikon D850, Nikon 80-400mm @ 400mm, f/5.6, ISO400, 1/2000sec

Triangulate Cobweb Spider

I was taking a quick wander around the garden tonight and I spotted a small rounded spider crawling across a tightrope of silk.

At first I thought it was a European Black Widow but on closer inspection it was an equally cool Triangulate Cobweb Spider.

The scientific name is Steatoda triangulosa. Any spider belonging to the species of Steatoda is known as a False Widow due to the similar size and shape of a Black Widow. This species is not known to have any issues with biting humans but of course as with any spider a rare allergic reaction could occur.

I snapped this quick shot on my smartphone (more information continues below).


These eat other insects and spiders and can even be known to eat the only real problem spider here in Portugal, the Brown Recluse. It also eats ticks! It’s unusual to see one out in the open like this, but suspect I may have disturbed it as I cut back the large Rosemary that grows in the garden earlier today.

The name comes from the triangular patterns on its back. The female can grow to just 6mm in length.

Violet Carpenter Bees Are Out Of Hibernation

This is a real sign that the thermometers are rising, it has been well over 20 degree Celsius for the last few days during the daytime and this has awoken the Violet Carpenter Bees.

These gentle giants are flying around feeding and also mating. You may think that these are dangerous due to their size, but are really docile and yes like all bees the female has a stinger, but rarely uses it. Many people think these are black, but if you look closely, you will notice the violet reflecting in the sunlight. In some countries Carpenter Bees are a pest as they damage wooden structures, however, Violet Carpenter Bees only seek out dead wood. If you have a garden or some land, leave out a rotting tree trunk or large branch which will become a nest and hibernation home for them. They are solitary bees, but this time of year you may see them mating.

Here are a few shots I snapped in the garden this morning


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Common Linnets Feeding In The Garden (including Competition Winner!)

A few days ago I was photographing the Serins that have flocked around the Quinta and a surprising couple turned up. I say surprising as I’ve never seen them this close to the house before. There are certainly not a rare bird and often see them along the river banks.

The female arrived first and it wasn’t until the male followed soon after that it was obviously a pair of Common Linnets. The male has a pinkish-red breast that really makes him stand out. This will further become saturated as the breeding season starts. They are ground feeders which is why they are currently mixed in with the Serins, this is common behaviour to see mixed Finches in flocks during the winter.

With the scientific name of Linaria cannabina, the Linnet has 6 sub-species, the one found locally in the Iberia, Mediterranean and North West Africa is the Linaria cannabina mediterranea. Like most finches, they are a small bird at around 14cm in length and their diet consists of mainly seeds and buds.

Here is the impressive male….


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The Serins Are Singing, A Sign Of The Algarve Spring

Yes, it may only be mid-January, however, this is the time everything starts coming to life in the Algarve, particularly here in the hills.

The first sign of spring is the European Serins singing and a large flock (at least 50) have arrived here at the Quinta.

I took a wander around the garden this afternoon to grab some reference shots of both the female and male. They are very similar except the male has much more yellow on his breast and head.

As you may have noticed, there has been a lack of wildlife shots and posts recently as I have been busy with other projects, however, I will be making some time to get out an about in the next week. Firstly, I will be working out a way to get up close and personal with these tiny birds, but for now, here’s two shots showing the difference between the sexes.

Here is the female….

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