My eldest son, Dylan, and his family frequently visit Portugal from their home in London. There this winter they took a short birding boat trip near the south coast. Here’s Dylan’s report.
We went a short 2hr. guided birding trip by boat in the protected marshlands outside Faro. Very knowledgeable guide. Some of the birds seen:

Osprey
Peregrine
Flamingos [Greater]
Avocets [European]
Black[-winged] stilts
White spoonbills
Curlew [European]
Whimbrel
Redshanks
Various other sandpipers
Sandwich Terns
Shelducks [Common]
Sardinian Warbler
Sad news the population of sea horses is down 90% here due to illegal fishing to service the Far East market. 😦 This had been a strong hold or this species with up to 2 million living here in the past.
The good news is they can breed sea horses for release and there is a government education program underway to combat the illegal poaching of sea horses in the Algarve.
Two useful links if you do go to Faro:
– great local nature tour opertor: http://www.formosamar.com/en/
– map for a self guided walk around the Ria Formosa natural park: http://www.polislitoralriaformosa.pt/downloads/ingles.pdf
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