April 22-May 3, 2024 with Marcelo Padua & Miguel Realinho
2024 marked the end of a series of extremely dry years in Portugal and as a result we enjoyed a full spectacle of birds and wild flowers on our tour. We kicked things off in Porto with some great Port Wine, some fado music, excellent food and a quick birding stop at the mouth of the Douro that yielded some good looks at several shorebirds including a Red Knot that still retained much of its breeding plumage, some Sanderlings at the shore line, Kentish Plovers and a large number of Whimbrels, as well as our first passerines that are typical of the European continent, such as Dunnock, European Stonechat, European Greenfinch and the bubbly European Goldfinch.
Our time in Porto was short but memorable, and then we set out to explore the Douro Valley and the wilder side of this beautiful river. As we winded our way up the Douro and got closer to Spain, we made stops that produced good looks at Greater Whitethroat, and enjoyed a wine tasting while seeing European Serins and the scarce Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and some colorful male Eurasian Linnets. Our day ended at the lovely medieval village of Castelo Rodrigo and put us in position to explore the Douro along the border of Spain and had us enjoying some great looks at increasingly rare vultures in Europe, including the magnificent Eurasian Griffon and the elegant Egyptian Vulture. We also saw some iconic birds such as the Eurasian Hoopoe, Short-toed Snake-eagles and many others. The scenery was spectacular and a picnic lunch had us enjoying Alpine Swifts flying at eye level alongside the vultures.
Our hosts in the north were kind enough to share with us their passion for conservation, and we had the privilege of visiting the reserve they created to conserve habitat and to rewild a small patch of Portugal. Then we started making our way south and across the Tagus river into a completely different landscape that came with its own, with different wine culture, cuisine, architecture and a fresh set of birds. We birded for days in crop fields and grasslands and enjoyed wonderful looks at unique birds such as the Great and Little Bustards, Montagu’s Harriers, Iberian Green Woodpeckers, Eurasian Golden Orioles and more White Storks than anyone could care to count. We feasted on game meat and paired it with the hearty wines produced in the warm south and learned about the rich history of this area that was once an important part of the route to the Mediterranean sea. This history was laid out, layer upon layer, in the archeological excavations in the lovely town of Mertola.
Our tour finished close to Lisbon and yet seemingly at a very remote corner of Portugal as our lodge sat in a forested corner of the beautiful Serra de Arrabida. From there we explored the Estuary of the Tagus and connected with Eurasian Pratincoles, Bar-tailed Godwits and several other shorebirds that stop here on their way south, before exploring some forested areas in search of the discreet Iberian Chiffchaff and charismatic Eurasian Nuthatches.
This was an amazing year and if it hadn’t been for a few of our fellow travelers falling ill it would have been a perfect vintage of the Birds and Wines of Portugal. I hope all of you remember the good times we had and look back at Portugal with a different perspective after visiting this amazing country.
In adition to all the great birds and mammals we saw, we enjoyed a broad diversity of Portuguese wines along our tour route. Here is a list of the wines we enjoyed.
WINERY, WINE, VINTAGE, REGION, TYPE OF WINE
Graham’s, Six Grapes, No Vintage, Porto, Port
Graham’s, Late Bottled Vintage, 2018, Porto, Port
Graham’s, Tawny Port, 10 Years. Porto, Port
Symington Family Estates, Altano Naturalmente Douro, 2021, Douro, White Wine
Quinta do Vesuvio, Pombal do Vesuvio, 2020, Douro, Red Wine
Graham’s, Tawny Port, 20 Years. Porto, Port
Calem, Fine White, No Vintage. Porto, Port
Calem, Tawny, 10 Years, Porto. Port
Sogevinus, Curva Douro DOC, 2022, Douro, White Wine
Bursmester, Douro DOC, 2021, Douro, Red Wine
Burmester, Tawny Porto, 30 Years, Porto, Port
Pacheca, Grande Reserva, 2021, Douro, White Wine
Pacheca, Grande Reserva Touriga Nacional, 2016, Douro, Red Wine
Pacheca, Tawny Port, 30 Years. Porto, Port
Pacheca, Vintage Port, 2019, Porto. Port
Pacheca, Douro Superior, 2018, Douro White Wine
Casa Agricola Manuel Joaquim Caldeira, Fronteira Reserva, 2018, Douro Red Wine
Anselmo Mendes, Muros Antigos, 2023, Vinho Verde, White Wine
Quinta de Pedra, Alvarinho, 2018, Vinho Verde, White Wine
CARM, Vinha da Urze,2022, Douro, Rose Wine
A.C. Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Castelo Rodrigo, 2017, Terras da Beira, Sparkling wine
Quinta de Vale de Pios, Vale de Pios, 2017, Douro, Red Wine
Cabecas do Reguengo, Vira Cabecas, 2022, Alentejo (Portalegre). White Wine
Cabecas do Reguengo. Solsticio, 2020, Alentejo (Portalegre). Red Wine
Cabecas do Reguengo. Seiva, 2017, Alentejo (Portalegre). Red Wine
Cabecas do Reguengo, Respiro Lagar, 2021, Alentejo (Portalegre). White Wine
Howard’s Folly, Tres Anforas, 2022, Alentejo (Portalegre). White Wine
Tapada do Chaves, Tapada do Chaves Reserva,2017, Alentejo (Portalegre). Red Wine
Blandy’s, Bual Madeira Dry, 5 years, Madeira, Fortified Wine
Esporao, Monte Velho, 2022, Alentejo. White Wine
Esporao, Quinta dos Murcas, 10 Years Port, Porto. Port
Esporao, Monte Velho, 2022, Alentejo. Red Wine
Esporao, Colheita, 2022, Alentejo. Red Wine
Esporao, Reserva, 2021, Alentejo. Red Wine
Esporao, Reserva, 2022, Alentejo. White Wine
Esporao, Colheita, 2022, Alentejo. White Wine
Herdade da Bombeira, Mario Grande Escolha, 2022, Alentejo, Red Wine
Herdade da Bombeira, Flor do Guadiana, 2022, Alentejo, White Wine
Ferreira, Dona Antonia, Reserva Tawny, Port
Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Monte da Peceguina, 2023, Alentejo. White Wine
Herdade da Poupa, Poupinha, 2021, Alentejo. Red Wine
Francisco Fernandes Garcia, Convento da Tomina, 2022, Alentejo, Red Wine
Vidigueira, Ato IV A inspiracao, 2022, Alentejo, White Wine
Herdade dos Grous, Reserva, 2014, Alentejo. Red Wine
Herdade dos Grous, Reserva, 2021, Alentejo. Red Wine
Herdade dos Grous, Reserva, 2022, Alentejo. White Wine
Herdade dos Grous, Late Harvest, 2015, Alentejo, Fortified Wine
Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Monte da Peceguina, 2022, Alentejo. Red Wine
Jose Carlos R.R.C. Palma, Balanches, 2022, Alentejo. Red Wine
Adega Mayor, Reserva, 2021, Alentejo. White Wine
Adega Mayor, Reserva, 2021, Alentejo. Red Wine
Quinta do Valdoeiro, Chardonnay, Bairrada, 2022, White Whine
José Maria Da Fonseca, Duque de Palmela, 2022, Peninsula de Setubal, Red Wine
Valado, V Rose, 2021, Douro, Rose Wine
MTJ Portugal, Malpic, 2022, Peninsula de Setubal, Rose Wine
Terras do Grifo, Grande Reserva, 2014, Douro Superior, Red Wine
Companhia das Lezirias, Tyto Alba, 2020, Tejo, Red Wine
Aveleda, Vale D. Maria Vinha de Matim, 2021, Douro, White Wine
Aveleda, Vale D. Maria Vinhas Velhas, 2020, Douro, Red Wine
Aveleda, Arco D’aguieira, 2017, Bairrada, Red Wine
Aveleda, Vale D. Maria Vinhas do Sabor, 2021, Douro, White Wine
Quinta do Piloto, Moscatel de Setubal Surperior, 2013, Setubal, Fortified Wine
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/419518
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/por24TRIPLIST.pdf
Thanks for traveling with us!—Marcelo Padua