-
Random Images
-
|
|
-
-
-
|
Thu January 24, 2008 2:51pm
|
|
-
john robinson
Moderator
|
Registered: November 2007
Location: In the middle of Wyre forest, Worcestershire.
Posts: 327
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
Thu January 24, 2008 3:59pm
|
|
-
Firstlight
Senior Member
|
Registered: January 2008
Posts: 276
|
Colin,
Apart from upsetting everybody/green with envy, can I assume this is a lake full of wonderful birds etc, do tell
regards
Firstlight.
|
|
|
|
-
|
Sat January 26, 2008 12:00pm
|
|
-
Colin Key
user
|
Registered: December 2007
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Posts: 3,384
|
Thanks for comments, honestly didn't intend to make you green with envy (heh, heh, heh!).
The stretch of water in the distance and to the left is the Ria de Alvor, a tidal lagoon created by two massive breakwaters. At low tide the exposed sand spits are home to thousands of gulls and terns. The closer area of water (much more extensive than this photo conveys) is "the flood", an area of saltmarsh and shallow pools which can be filled via a controlled culvert. This is the most important habitat and where a LOT of birds, especially waders, herons and egrets roost at high tide. It also held approximately 500 Greater Flamingos last autumn (will post some photos in due course). It has had more than its fair share of rarities. Between the flood and my house is an area of rough ground with mixed vegetation and semi-fresh pools of water in winter, currently the home of large numbers of duck (mainly Shoveller and Widgeon) plus a few roosting Hen and Marsh Harriers as well as Short-eared Owls; in summer Stone Curlew and Short-toed Lark (to name just a couple) nest there.
It is a magical place, and it was because of the birding potential that we bought Quinta dos Passarinhos (literally "Farm of the Little Songbirds").
Sadly, the Ria de Alvor is under threat of development (golf course, marina, fish farm, hotels, etc.). I had begun to write a detailed field guide to this and adjacent areas (because of the "A Rocha" Field Studies Centre at Cruzinha, who are my neighbours, this area is very much on the birding map but everything written, which is not much, is way out of date) but I have lost momentum - by the time it was complete the place might not exist as a birding locaility.
------------------------------
Fòrum Aves: http://aves.team-forum.net/forum
|
|
|
|
-
|
Sat November 1, 2008 1:27pm
|
|
-
Snapdecisions
Member
|
Registered: November 2008
Location: colchester , essex
Posts: 34
|
Some View , Great Image , Trev
|
|
|
|
-
|
Sat November 1, 2008 3:42pm
|
|
-
Colin Key
user
|
Registered: December 2007
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Posts: 3,384
|
|
|
|
|
|
