Spring

Portugal Wildlife

Spring Watch: Wildlife Seen at a natural Spring (Water Source)

		BIRDS
White Stork Ciconia ciconia ciconia Cegonha branca	Resident. Breed just outside the reserve. Leave the area ± August to October.	White Stork with a Coloured leg-ring foraging at our Spring on 6th January 2018. This bird is 21 years old ! It was ringed in Portugal a distance of 12km away, on 26th May 1997. 20 Years, 7 Months and 11 Days before it was spotted at our reserve.	The same Stork was sighted in the Algarve in February 2018.
Eurasian Buzzard Buteo buteo buteo Águia d'asa redonda	Resident.	Eurasian Buzzard at Spring
Redlegged Partridge Alectoris rufa hispanica Perdiz	Breeding Resident.	Family party of Redlegged Partridges at Spring.
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix coturnix Codorniz	Summer Visitor/Migrant. Possible Resident.

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus palumbus Pombo torcaz	Resident.
Common Barn Owl Tyto alba alba Coruja das torres	Breeding Resident.
Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops mallorcae Mocho d’orelhas	Summer Visitor/Passage.	At Spring.
Little Owl Athene noctua vidalii Mocho galego	Common Breeding Resident.	Little Owl watching Iberian Badger visit the Spring.		Little Owl and Iberian Hare at Spring.
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis pratensis Petinha dos prados	Winter visitor.
European Robin Erithacus rubecula Two sub-species can occur: E.r. melophilus and E.r. rubecula Pisco de peito ruivo	Common Winter Visitor. Some may be resident.
Eurasian Stonechat Saxicola torquatus rubicola Cartaxo	Common Breeding Resident.	Female.
Common Blackbird Turdus merula merula Melro	Common Breeding Resident. Shy.	Female.	Male.	Female at Spring.
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos clarkei Tordo pinto	Winter Visitor.
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus viscivorus Tordoveia	Resident.
Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis communis Papa amoras	Summer Visitor.
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus ogliastrae Chapim azul	Very Common Breeding Resident.
Great Tit Parus major corsus Chapim real	Common Breeding Resident.
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea hispaniensis Trepadeira azul	Common Breeding Resident.
Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator rutilans Picanço barreteiro	Summer Breeding Migrant.
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius fasciatus Gaio	Common Resident.
Iberian Azurewinged Magpie Cyanopica cooki Charneco	Very Common Breeding Resident.
Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor Estorninho preto	Very Common Breeding Resident.	Spotless Starlings and Iberian Azurewinged Magpies.


		MAMMALS
Iberian Hare Lepus granatensis Lebre iberica

Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus Ratinho do campo ; Rato do campo
Iberian Fox Vulpes vulpes silacea Raposa

Mediterranean Polecat Mustela putorius aureola Toirão

Iberian Badger Meles meles marianensis Texugo			This Badger has a white patch on its face instead of the usual black stripe through its left eye, making it easy to identify this individual.


		Badger at dusk.
Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra Lontra
		Two Otters drinking at spring.
Iberian Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon widdringtonii Sacarrabos ; Manguço

Wild Boar Sus scrofa Javali				Digging at Spring with snout.
				Having a mud bath at Spring.


		REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
Iberian Pond Turtle Mauremys leprosa leprosa Cágado		Iberian Pond Turtle in the natural Spring.
Iberian Water Frog Pelodytes perezi Rã verde		Baby Iberian Water Frog sitting in shallow water of the Spring that produces some of the water for the Windmill Pond.

		DRAGONFLIES
Broad Scarlet or Scarlet Dragonfly Crocothemis erythraea Libélula escarlate		Male. Note red legs which distinguish it from a Redveined Darter.	Note the marked red basal suffusion to the wings of this male Broad Scarlet.
		Male Broad Scarlet. Note the breadth of the abdomen which gives this dragonfly its name.	Male.	Note the marked red basal suffusion to the wings of this male Broad Scarlet.
		Female. Note white dorsal stripe on thorax.	The Broad Scarlet (36-45mm long) is a little larger than a Redveined Darter (33-40mm long).	Male. The bright green foliage behind the dragonfly is grass growing at the spring which helps fill Windmill Pond. So even in late August this area is wet and alive with dragonflies
Epaulet Skimmer Orthetrum chrysostigma Ortétrum de faixa branca		Note the characteristic slender and waisted abdomen near its base.	Male.	Male. Note the small yellowish patch at base of hindwing which distinguishes this dragonfly from similar species.
		This species is widespread in Northwest Africa and across the Mediterranean basin from Portugal to Turkey.
Long Skimmer Orthetrum trinacria Ortétrum comprido		Male. This species is quite large: 51-67mm in length.
Redveined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii Libélula de nervuras vermelhas		Male. Note Black legs with yellowish stripes which distinguish this species from a Broad Scarlet.

Natural Spring that helps to feed the Windmill Pond with water. When the pond dries up in the Autumn, the Spring is the only source of water for thirsty animals. Spring: A place where water naturally flows out of the ground.

Spring 2018 03 07: Following rains and inflows from the upstream river, the Spring is now under several feet of water (perhaps a bit under 2m).

Spring leading to Windmill Pond, which is bone dry in October 2017.

Close up of Spring's water source (centre of picture).

12th December 2017: Area around the Spring (on far right) after nearly 40 mm of rainfall during the week.

Spring:

Spring after 'remodelling' by Wild Boar:

Mud Bath after visit to Spring by a Wild Boar:

	Wildlife Seen at Spring

	BIRDS

1	White Stork	Ciconia ciconia ciconia	Cegonha branca
2	Eurasian Buzzard	Buteo buteo buteo	Águia d'asa redonda
3	Redlegged Partridge	Alectoris rufa hispanica	Perdiz
4	Common Quail	Coturnix coturnix coturnix	Codorniz
5	Common Woodpigeon	Columba palumbus palumbus	Pombo torcaz
6	Common Barn Owl	Tyto alba alba	Coruja das torres
7	Eurasian Scops Owl	Otus scops mallorcae	Mocho d’orelhas
8	Little Owl	Athene noctua vidalii	Mocho galego
9	Eurasian Hoopoe	Upupa epops epops	Poupa
10	Meadow Pipit	Anthus pratensis pratensis	Petinha dos prados
11	European Robin	Erithacus rubecula melophilus or E.r. rubecula	Pisco de peito ruivo
12	Eurasian Stonechat	Saxicola torquatus rubicola	Cartaxo
13	Common Blackbird	Turdus merula merula	Melro
14	Song Thrush	Turdus philomelos philomelos	Tordo pinto
15	Mistle Thrush	Turdus viscivorus viscivorus	Tordoveia
16	Common Whitethroat	Sylvia communis communis	Papa amoras
17	Blue Tit	Cyanistes caeruleus ogliastrae	Chapim azul
18	Great Tit	Parus major corsus	Chapim real
19	Eurasian Nuthatch	Sitta europaea hispaniensis	Trepadeira azul
20	Woodchat Shrike	Lanius senator rutilans	Picanço barreteiro
21	Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius fasciatus	Gaio
22	Iberian Azurewinged Magpie	Cyanopica cooki	Charneco
23	Carrion Crow	Corvus corone corone	Gralha preta
24	Spotless Starling	Sturnus unicolor	Estorninho preto

	MAMMALS

1	Iberian Hare	Lepus granatensis granatensis	Lebre iberica
2	Wood Mouse	Apodemus sylvaticus	Rato do campo
3	Iberian Fox	Vulpes vulpes silacea	Raposa
4	Mediterranean Polecat	Mustela putorius aureola	Toirão
5	Iberian Badger	Meles meles marianensis	Texugo
6	Eurasian Otter	Lutra lutra	Lontra
7	Iberian Mongoose	Herpestes ichneumon widdringtonii	Sacarrabos ; Manguço
8	Wild Boar	Sus scrofa	Javali

	REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS

1	Iberian Pond Turtle	Mauremys leprosa leprosa	Cágado
2	Iberian Water Frog	Pelodytes perezi	Rã verde

	DRAGONFLIES

1	Broad Scarlet or Scarlet Dragonfly	Crocothemis erythraea	Libélula escarlate
2	Epaulet Skimmer	Orthetrum chrysostigma	Ortétrum de faixa branca
3	Long Skimmer	Orthetrum trinacria	Ortétrum comprido
4	Redveined Darter	Sympetrum fonscolombii	Libélula de nervuras vermelhas


37	<--- Total Number of Species Recorded