Yellow Ophrys
Ophrys lutea © Teresa Farino

Wildlife of Western Portugal

A superb springtime destination for the all-round naturalist

The vast estuary of the mighty Rio Tejo - a veritable maze of saltmarsh, salinas, brackish polders and intertidal mudflats - is of international significance for its aquatic birds, both wintering and breeding, despite lying slap-bang on top of Portugal's capital city. To the south lies the equally immense Sado estuary, home to a resident population of bottle-nosed dolphins and incorporating the impressive sandspit of Tróia, with its superb dune flora. The two are separated by the Setúbal peninsula, dominated by the whaleback limestone ridge of the Serra da Arrábida, clothed in some of the country's best-preserved Mediterranean habitats, which extends westwards as a high plateau - rich in spring-flowering bulbs -- before terminating in the spectacular cliffs of Cabo Espichel.

Cliffs of Azóia © Teresa Farino

From a comfortable base on the Altiplano de Azóia, close to Cabo Espichel, we will explore the surrounding limestone plateau, both the Tejo and Sado estuaries, the luxuriant evergreen scrub of the Serra da Arrábida, Tróia's pristine sand-dune vegetation and the vast reedbed of the Lagoa de Albufeira. The whole area is a superb destination for the naturalist, with something of interest around every corner.

Immediately around the hotel, the Altiplano de Azóia is a botanical treasure-trove at this time of year, hosting palmate anemone, hoop-petticoat daffodils (subspecies obesus), Romulea bulbocodium, Barbary nut, Scilla monophyllos, wild tulip and many orchids, including naked man, pink butterfly and conical, as well as bumble-bee, sawfly, yellow and woodcock ophrys. Birdwise, we should look out for crested lark, Dartford and Small Copper
Lycaena phlaeas © Teresa Farino Sardinian warblers and southern grey shrike here, with the adjacent sea-cliffs housing a breeding pair of peregrines.

The nearby Serra de Arrábida, rising to just 501m, is clothed with dense evergreen scrub, among which we should encounter friar's-cowl, two-leaved gennaria and Spanish bluebell, while to the north, the windmill-topped ridge of the Serra do Louro is also renowned for its orchids, particularly early spider and mirror ophrys. The sea-cliffs of Arrábida are home to breeding Bonelli's eagle, peregrine and blue rock thrush, while the forested habitats provide refuge for Egyptian mongoose, common genet, western polecat, beech marten and wildcat, although sightings of these are understandably rare. Butterflies on the wing in early spring include Spanish festoon, swallowtail and scarce swallowtail, Cleopatra, green-striped and western dappled whites, small copper, Spanish brown argus and Lang's short-tailed blue, as well as the South African geranium bronze.

Iberian Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cooki © Teresa Farino

The coastal dune ecosystem of the Tróia peninsula displays a classic profile, with primary colonising species including the fleshy-leaved Iberian endemic Thymus carnosus, coastal crucianella and cottonweed. Scrophularia frutescens and Corema album, both of which are found only along the western seaboard of Iberia and North Africa, are characteristic of the stabilised sands of the interior, growing together with the Portuguese endemic Santolina impressa. Colour is provided by the fluorescent-pink Silene littorea, the glorious blue Anchusa calcarea, the golden 'sun-roses' of Halimium calycinum and H. halimifolium, shrubby pimpernel and the snapdragon Antirrhinum majus ssp. linkianum. Thekla lark and Large Psammodromus are among the vertebrate highlights here.

The pine and cork oak forests to the east of both estuaries are home to white stork, crested tit, short-toed treecreeper, Iberian azure-winged magpie and cirl bunting, as well as attractive plants such as palmate anemone, three-leaved snowflake and violet limodore. Eye-catching birds such as greater flamingo, little egret, spoonbill and osprey grace the estuarine habitats, amid a host of more commonplace wintering species such as red-breasted merganser, avocet, godwits and Sandwich tern. A boat-trip in search of the Sado's bottle-nosed dolphins is one of the highlights of the week.

Romulea bulbocodium © Teresa Farino

Prices: £750, including half-board, en suite accommodation at the Estalagem dos Zimbros, picnic lunches, hired minibus transport throughout, all entry fees and the services of Teresa Farino as leader. A single-room supplement of £100 is applicable.

This is a land-based tour. Flights and travel insurance (obligatory) are the responsibility of the client.

Pick-up details: Having consulted schedules for the cheapest and most convenient flights, Teresa will be meeting British Airways flight 0502 on 9 March, which departs London Heathrow at 15.25, arriving in Lisbon at 18.00. For the return trip on 16 March, we will be travelling to the airport to connect with British Airways flight 0503, which leaves Lisbon at 18.50, arriving at London Heathrow at 21.35 (all times local).

Alternatively, those travelling to Portugal independently can arrange to meet the group at the hotel on the first evening.

Group size: maximum 8 persons.

Booking information: please contact Teresa Farino for further details and a booking form, or if you have any queries about this tour.

E-mail:	teresa@iberianwildlife.com
Office phone:	(+34) 942 735154
Mobile phone:	(+34) 656 337129
Address:	Apartado de Correos 59 39570 Potes Cantabria Spain