Green-winged teal and more @ São Jacinto (January 20 - 21)

Eurasian wigeons Anas penelope were abundant...



Eurasian teals or Common teals Anas crecca were even more abundant...



And among these there was an uncommon teal, which ended up in our captures: a 2nd cy male Green-winged teal Anas carolinensis, a North American species.



A single Common pochard Aythya ferina.



Perhaps the biggest surprise was the presence of a sleepy female Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis, another North American species and the second individual to show up at the pateira. We all remember this one, of course: http://btoringing.blogspot.pt/2014/11/portuguese-ringed-lesser-scaup-in-wales.html

Patos and more at the São Jacinto reserve (September 1 - 3, 2014)

The pateira got occupied by a few hundred Mallards Anas platyrhynchos and about 70 Common Teals Anas crecca. We also observed a single Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina and a single…




… Garganey Anas querquedula, which ended up in our captures and got marked.




Several of the female Mallards in our captures were still undergoing their moult. These birds are temporarily incapable of flying. Too bad for the ducks outside of the reserve that the hunting season will start in only a few days from now. Moulting female Mallards will not be able to find a place to shelter, away from one of Portugal’s most nasty habits.




Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis in front of the blind.




Eurasian wryneck Jynx torquilla




Nice to see that many of the acorns that we sowed at the reserve last winter managed to germinate and survive the summer. An update on ‘Projecto Sobreiro’ will appear on this blog in the near future.

The São Jacinto Reserve, March 5 - 7

São Jacinto gets flooded (February 21 – 22)

During these two days I assisted David Rodrigues with duck captures at São Jacinto, Portugal. The exceptional amount of rain that fell in Portugal during the past few weeks/months (as well as a dysfunctional drainage system due to the lack of proper maintenance) caused large parts of the Sao Jacinto reserve to flood. Reportedly, the water level has not been this high since 1995. Most of the lower trails around the pond were flooded, making our work very difficult. This is the main entrance to the reserve.

The trail to the field station, with a water level higher than my rubber boots.

Several of the oaks that I sowed near the pond last year were having a hard time too. Most will survive the flood, I suspect.

Following the rains is a massive outbreak of mosquitoes, making our work in the woods almost unbearable.

Due to the large amount of rainfall, surrounding areas currently are interesting for ducks as well, resulting in a relatively low number of ducks in the ponds of the reserve. At the same time the high water level caused the largest traps to largely disappear under water, meaning our trapping efforts were limited during this stay, as we could only operate a few of the smallest traps.
    

Common teals Anas crecca were most abundant; roughly 650 birds. We only managed to capture seven of these, which was a bit of a disappointment.

  

Regardless of the recent rains, the invasive acacia is currently flowering again as never before.

 

The ducks were still getting the attention of the Goshawks Accipiter gentilis. For them the breeding season has started, meaning the male now has to deliver prey to the female. I could enjoy several hunting hawks around the pond, flushing the ducks repeatedly. This made resighting teal saddles fairly easy, as many would otherwise remain hidden in the vegetation.

The puddles attracted large numbers of frogs; in particular Pelophylax (unidentified green frogs) were abundant, more abundant than there were ducks in the reserve.

During this stay I managed to record two new bird species for my São Jacinto reserve list: this Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo was actively hunting and subsequently drying its wings in the pond, and a calling Carrion Crow Corvus corone, which flew over our heads at the field station.