Bird sightings Lisbon to Rio 11/28 - 12/14

[shorefolks]

Some birds of interest:

 

Lisbon, Portugal: Black-headed gull, Yellow-legged gull,  Harris's hawk (Saw this bird of the American Southwest perched on the terminal building opposite the ship. What at first looked like a snake in its talons resolved itself into leather jesses. I later learned that there are over 70 falconers in Lisbon. Obviously, this bird was a bad investment by one of them.)

 

Cadiz & Donaña NP, Spain: Black-headed gull, Yellow-legged gull, Grey heron, Eur. spoonbill, White stork, Greater flamingo, Greylag goose, Pochard, White-headed duck, Short-toed eagle, Common buzzard, Eur. kestrel, Crane, Purple swamphen, Eur. coot, Black-winged stilt, Eur. avocet, Common sandpiper, Green sandpiper, Slender-billed gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Eur. kingfisher, Lesser short-toed lark, Crested lark, Crag martin, Meadow pipit, White wagtail, Zitting cisticola, Cetti's warbler, Sardinian warbler, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Black redstart, Great tit, Chaffinch, Eur. goldfinch, Magpie

 

At Sea: Great shearwater

 

Lanzarote, Canary Islands: Common raven, Berthelot's pipit, Sandwich tern, Cory's shearwater

 

Tenerife, Canary Islands: Chiffchaff, Common blackbird, Plain swift, Blue chaffinch, Atlantic canary

 

Cape Verde: Berthelot's pipit, Purple heron, Cream-colored courser, Common ringed plover, Whimbrel, Common greenshank, Cape Verde Swift, Grey-headed kingfisher, Black-crowned sparrow-lark, Greater hoopoe-lark, Blackcap, Brown-necked raven, Spanish sparrow, Iago sparrow, Common waxbill

 

At Sea: Red-footed booby (including white and brown forms, as well as the brown form with white tail that is common in waters nearing Brazil), Masked booby, Magnificent Frigatebird

 

Recife: Cocoi heron, Blue-chinned sapphire, Common tody-flycatcher, Great kiskadee, Social flycatcher, Southern house-wren, Rufous-bellied thrush

 

Salvador: Masked water-tyrant, Tropical kingbird, White-winged swallow, White-rumped swallow, Chalk-browed mockingbird, Brown booby

 

Cabo Frio:  Neotropical cormorant, Brown booby, Kelp gull, Magnificent frigatebird

[Whiskeyjack]

Very cool birds.  I've always wanted to bird the Canary Islands and Cape Verde.  Birding islands is interesting to me because of their endemic species.

[shorefolks]

On 12/19/2018 at 5:55 PM, Whiskeyjack said:

Very cool birds.  I've always wanted to bird the Canary Islands and Cape Verde.  Birding islands is interesting to me because of their endemic species.

Thanks. I've been birding for a lot of years and on islands for about 35, since our Caribbean honeymoon. Two bits of advice: (1) Hire a professional guide for a session. In one day they will teach you volumes; (2) Never, ever be in a new area without sufficient guidebooks. The frustration will kill you. Obviously, there will be times when cruising when we have to make tough decisions on how much weight to carry, but I have regretted it whenever I cut back. Good birding.