Recent Sightings 2021

Portugal Wildlife

Recent Sightings 2021 - A blog of interesting sightings in the year.

A gallery of photographs of recent sightings.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk; Eurasian Otter;

Mediterranean Polecat at Hide Pond; Mediterranean Polecat drinking at Hide Pond; Male Black Redstart; Juvenile Northern Goshawk

Large White feeding on Rosemary; Potter-Mason Wasp species; Common Waxbill at Bulrush Pond; Blue Tit;

European Mantis with Bristle Fly prey; Our second record of a Northern Lapwing; A Drone Fly is a very common species of Hover Fly that is found all over the world; Great Banded Furrow Bee;

Violet Carpenter Bee feeding on Strawberry Tree flowers.; Bristle Fly feeding on Yellow Fleabane; European Honey Bee visiting Yellow Fleabane flowers; Female Meadow Brown;

Sage Skipper; Bath White; European Mantis; European Mantis hunting a Longtailed Blue.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk; Lang's Shorttailed Blue; Male Lesser Emperor; First sighting of a Black Percher at Windmill Pond;

Male Common Redstart; Male Common Redstart; Egyptian Grasshopper; Longtailed Blue;

Great Spotted Woodpecker about to eat Almonds off Almond tree. Almond eaten by Great Spotted Woodpecker. Sardinian Warbler picking a Black Nightshade berry. Iberian Grey Shrike.

Sounder of Wild Boar with five stripy boarlets. One of four successfully fledged Common Barn Owls peering out of nestbox in Cork Grove (formerly known as Olive Plot Owls). Iberian Badger visiting Hide Pond. Common Genet at Hide Pond.

Sharp-Ribbed Newt rescued from swimming pool and re-homed into Bulrush Pond. (Photo: Alan). Our European Bee-Eaters are home again ! Common Blue Damselfy on Windmill Pond. Female Gadwall being chased by nesting Little Grebe.

Viperine Snakes mating. Viperine Snakes mating. Adult Moorhen being chased by (out of picture) nesting Little Grebe. Female Gadwall.

Viperine Snake hunting Eastern Mosquitofish. Viperine Snake strikes at Eastern Mosquitofish. Little Grebe chasing rival bird. At this time there were four Little Grebes on Windmill Pond. But the dominant breeding pair will not allpow a second pair to nest. Male Western Sand Racer in breeding colours.

Newly emerged Female Western Clubtail - A very early emergence date of 12th March. Newly emerged Female Western Clubtail. First Damselfly of the year: Goblet-marked Damselfly. Viperine Snake.

Our nesting Common Barn Owls caught a Great Tit - a very unusual item of prey for a Barn Owl. Eurasian Woodcock foraging at the Winterbourne. Water Pipit walking on iced-up Hide Pond.

Links to Portugal Nature Reserve webpages:

Most Recent Sightings

Reptiles and Amphibians