Birds

A First For Me – A Garden Warbler Passing Through

17th October 202017th October 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

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.

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Juvenile Golden Orioles At Breakfast

9th July 20209th July 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

I was enjoying a peaceful breakfast outside now that the fires have gone and a nearby Eucalyptus Tree had a pair of juvenile Golden Orioles calling for their parents. These will be from this year’s brood.

They were a bit far away, but managed to grab the camera and get these two shots.

I Couldn’t Resist Castro Verde….

18th June 202018th June 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

I was disappointed that my Field Trip to Castro Verde was cancelled, but as one person said in response, “The birds will be there next year”, of course. However, as the day was planned, I couldn’t resist taking 2 friends on a quick drive around the area.

I don’t normally do “walkabout shooting” (what I use to describe photography without a plan) except for when I walk the dogs, and as I was driving and it was a day off for me, I didn’t pick the camera up too much.

It was a fairly quiet day but we did get to see the following species worth noting

Great Bustards
Griffon Vultures
Booted Eagles
Black Kites (lots of them everywhere we went!)
Montagu’s Harriers
European Rollers
Little Owl
European Bee-eaters
Great Spotted Cuckoo

Here are just a few snaps I shot.

Great Bustards in flight

Little Owl

European Bee-eater

European Roller in flight

A flock of Cattle Egrets purposely underexposed

It’s That Time Of Year Again – Common Kingfishers

10th June 202010th June 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

If you have been following me for a while you will know how lucky I am to have Kingfishers living on a stretch of the River Odelouca that runs through my land. Over the last few years, I have been lucky to bring you some beautiful photos of Common Kingfishers and I hope that the adults have successfully bred again this year.

To get everyone in the mood, here is a fresh, previously unpublished photo of a juvenile female from last year. I will soon be looking for some locations to shoot from.

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Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Hiding In The Shadows

8th June 20208th June 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

This is an old photo from April 2019 that I discovered today whilst looking for other photos of these tiny Woodpeckers. I hadn’t processed for some reason so it just goes to show that sometimes looking through old photos can bring up a surprise. It is a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, identified by the red crown as the female doesn’t have it.

It was half in the sun and half hidden by a large branch of this Cork Oak it was making a nest in. Unfortunately, this old tree has since fallen down, it was already dead and it didn’t survive a strong storm.

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European Roller In Flight

7th June 20207th June 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

This shot is one from the same session as last week. Trying to photograph birds in flight with a 500mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter is difficult at anytime, even more so when crouched on the floor amongst thick foliage covered with a camouflage net. It’s fair to say that the memory card had a lot of missed shots, but when you get a keeper like this, it makes it all the more worthwhile.

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