Reserva Natural das Dunas de São Jacinto

During September 4 – 6 I’ve spent my time in the ‘Reserva Natural das Dunas de São Jacinto’, helping out David Rodrigues and his student Luis with the duck captures. For me only one day was dedicated to the captures, the remaining time I spent resighting duck saddles and inspecting the results of a project I initiated there last year, possibly further described in a following post. The ducks at the ponds are finishing their moult and fall migration has not started up quite yet, meaning the majority of the ducks present and all that we captured were local Mallards.

Many hands make light work...

During the resightings, which are conducted from one of several blinds present around the ponds, I always find some time for some ‘general birding’... Loads of birds, here a few 'common ones':

One of several Common Kingfishers Alcedo atthis that were foraging at the ponds.

 

The Little Grebes Tachybaptus ruficollis appeared to have had a successful breeding season. At least two pairs and two generations of their young were loudly present.

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, catching tiny fish.

Common Wood Pigeons Columba palumbus. Relatively common compared to my other visits to the park. It’s too early for their fall migration, but I believe the pigeon and dove hunting is well on its way in this country at the moment. A good reason for them to find shelter in the refuge for a while, where hunting is not allowed. 

  

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo.  Don’t worry, enough saddles were read, if not all of the 150+ of the marked Mallards that were present during those days?

European tree frog Hyla arborea, of unknown subspecies (this photo was taken elsewhere, on the opposite site of the Ria de Aveiro). It was the first time I found this frog to occur in São Jacinto. David informed me he found one on his rearview mirror while driving through the park a few days earlier (which may have been the same individual as the one I found), though he also had not observed it before. I’m curious whether there are older records for this species in São Jacinto. As far as I know tree frogs don’t disperse very far, so it’s quite remarkable it managed to find its way down south through the >15 km dry peninsula, so I suspect it has been accidentally (by car?) or purposely introduced.