Senegal Wattled Plover, Portugal

[Colin Key]

This Vanellus senegallus was found in Tagus Park, Oeiras (near Lisbon) by Ricardo Tomé et al on 19th May. This might be an escaped "captivo", but if it is wild it will be a first record for Portugal.

Colin


http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/Passarinhos/image002.jpg

*Regret, do not know who took this photograph.

[Brian S]

Colin

From the photo of the White-headed Duck at Lagos dos Salgados on Euro stop press, it seems that there is now water there. Has it filled up?

Brian S

[Colin Key]

Brian,

Yes, the lagoon at Pêra is now full again but this whole business has had disastrous effects. To someone going there for the first time it looks quite healthy with lots of birds, but breeding has been virtually "zilch". The only young I have see to date have been a couple of broods of Mallard. No Avocet, Little Tern, Little Grebe, Purple Swamp Hen or even Coot chicks.

I had a meeting there last week with Aidan Lonergan, RSPB Director for Northern Ireland. He has been here for a month on a "sabbatical" and has now taken the Salgados situation on board; he thinks it is a fabulous place and well worth preserving. I have also just had an email from José Tavares (RSPB Country Programmes Officer for Portugal) who is going to issue an official update in he near future. He indicates that there have been significant developments recently, including the possibility of the golf club being taken to court over the illegal draining of the lagoon, and he also intimates that there has been progress in the legal protection status of this precious site.

I do keep an update running in the "Fórum Aves" website so will post again there soon and also copy it here.

Colin

[SzimiStyle]

The question is who will decide if this was an escaped bird :laugh:

http://kepfeltoltes.pirateclub.hu/pics/20080812202554shorebirdlover.gif Szimi

[Colin Key]

The question is who will decide if this was an escaped bird :laugh:

http://kepfeltoltes.pirateclub.hu/pics/20080812202554shorebirdlover.gif Szimi

This "jury" of six men: http://www.spea.pt/index.php?op=raridades_en

Colin :ohdear:

[PeterD]

Brian,

Yes, the lagoon at Pêra is now full again but this whole business has had disastrous effects. To someone going there for the first time it looks quite healthy with lots of birds, but breeding has been virtually "zilch". The only young I have see to date have been a couple of broods of Mallard. No Avocet, Little Tern, Little Grebe, Purple Swamp Hen or even Coot chicks.

I had a meeting there last week with Aidan Lonergan, RSPB Director for Northern Ireland. He has been here for a month on a "sabbatical" and has now taken the Salgados situation on board; he thinks it is a fabulous place and well worth preserving. I have also just had an email from José Tavares (RSPB Country Programmes Officer for Portugal) who is going to issue an official update in he near future. He indicates that there have been significant developments recently, including the possibility of the golf club being taken to court over the illegal draining of the lagoon, and he also intimates that there has been progress in the legal protection status of this precious site.

I do keep an update running in the "Fórum Aves" website so will post again there soon and also copy it here.

Colin

Yes please Colin. Do keep us updated. If water has been restored, what is the reason for the lack of breeding? Is it just that the natural environment was devastated and its only a question of time for things to return to normal? Or is there a more sinister reason?

Peter