Algarve and Stonechats

A family gathering! All these shots were taken from the car window, after a shower.
 

The bird on the post was very vocal. I wonder what all the noise was all about! The other birds tweeted back.
 

Perhaps he was the youngest wanting to be fed! He flew from post to post, tweeting very loudly, but the other birds stayed put.
 

The sky looked like there were more showers to come, only good weather for ducks, not for taking photos.
 

Young female Stonechat.
 

The same vocal youngster. After taking this shot, it did start raining, so reluctantly we went home.

 

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Monarch Butterfly, Goats and White Pigeon.

It's been some time since I have posted a fence or gate, for Gosia's meme Fences Around The World, and I'm not even sure this ever was part of one, but when I saw this unloved discarded frame, that's what I'll call it, I decided to give it some space on my blog. There were other metal scraps dumped in a hole nearby, which I would never have seen, if I hadn't been chasing a Monarch Butterfly, which led me a merry dance through knee high flowers. Some goats, and a pigeon with all white plumage were my next finds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Two Hoopoes

This is the follow up post to the Hoopoe post. As we were about to call it a day, another Hoopoe flew to the side of the one I had been photographing.

NOW THAT THERE WERE TWO HOOPOES, WE HAD TO FALL BACK A BIT.
 

IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO FOCUS ON TWO HOOPOES ON THE MOVE.
 

HERE, YOU CAN JUST MAKE OUT, THAT ONE HOOPOE HAS SOMETHING IN IT'S BEAK.
 

WHICH IS OFFERED TO THE OTHER.
 

THEIR CONSTANT HEAD BOBBING AND CHANGE OF DIRECTION, WAS CHALLENGING.
 

MORE OF THE SAME,.....JUST SCROLL DOWN QUICKLY!!
 

SORRY GUYS, BUT YOU ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING, VERY INTERESTING.:)
 

AH! HERE YOU ARE SYNCHRONIZED!
 

I'M SHOWING ALL THE PHOTOS I TOOK, BUT THEY ARE NEARLY FINISHED NOW, SO BEAR WITH ME!
 

ANOTHER FIND, PROBABLY A CATERPILLAR.
 

I'M NOT SURE IF I WAS PHOTOGRAPHING A PAIR OF HOOPOES, M and F, OR A FEMALE WITH HER OFFSPRING.
 

OFF THEY WENT UP THE ROAD.
 

AND WE FINALLY CALLED IT A DAY, A VERY GOOD DAY.:)
 

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Squirrels and Jays

As I haven't yet edited the pair of Hoopoes we saw, here are a few squirrel captures I made a couple of weeks ago. It is not a Portuguese custom to feed birds, unless it's bread for the ducks in our ponds. Therefore there is a limited supply of attractive bird feeders. The only ones available are the little wooden boxes, some of you may have seen in my posts. I just use anything, for the birds and for the squirrels. Here I've used a heavy glass plate,...so it wouldn't break, or be knocked off the table. At first the birds were wary,...but not the squirrels!  They hogged the table, establishing their dominance in the pecking order, and the Jays were next. Of course I refilled the plate after they had left, for the smaller birds, and then settled back in my hide again to watch them.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OLD BENCHES STACKED NEAR THE TABLE, WAITING TO BE DISMANTLED,
 

AND MADE INTO FIRE WOOD, AND THE SQUIRRELS JUMP FROM HERE TO THE TABLE.
 

THIS YOUNG SQUIRREL AND THE ONE ABOVE ARE ONE AND THE SAME.
 

THIS SQUIRREL JUMPED FROM THE TREE BEHIND,...
 

AND SO DID THIS ONE.
 

ANOTHER SQUIRREL, CHOSE A PEANUT, WENT TO EAT IT ELSEWHERE, AND RETURNED THREE TIMES.
 

THIS LITTLE SQUIRREL STAYED A LONG TIME, EATING THE SUNFLOWER SEEDS.
 

I TOOK THIS SHOT FROM OUR PATIO DOORS,...
 

AND THIS ONE.
 

THIS SQUIRREL AND THE NEXT ARE ONE AND THE SAME.
 

IT HAD SUCH A SWEET FACE.
 

A JAY ABOUT TO DRINK WATER FROM AN OLD DISH.
 

THE JAYS ARE USED TO SEEING MY BESPOKE HIDE.
 

AS I LEAVE IT OUTSIDE ALL SUMMER, BUT THEY HAVE NO IDEA I'M INSIDE.
 

IT'S SUCH FUN TO OBSERVE OUR GARDEN VISITERS THIS WAY.
 

MY MADE TO MEASURE HIDE. AMERICO HAD THE FRAME MADE...
 

AND I MADE THE COVER FROM AN OLD SHEET. I ZIP IT UP AT NIGHT TO KEEP THE INSECTS OUT.
 

MANY THANKS TO OUR GRACIOUS HOSTS. JUST CLICK ON THEIR LINKS TO SEE BIRDS, AND OTHER CREATURES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

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Algarve and the Hoopoe

Looking for Hoopoe's in the Algarve is one of our favourite pass times. We can sit for hours in the car just talking, and waiting to see if one appears in their favourite hunting grounds. They are very shy, and one false move on our part can startle them into flight, so we partially cover the car with green camouflaged netting, and play the waiting game, with our sandwiches and drinks and usually plenty of optimism. We had seen several on the wing, but not close enough to get any decent shots. Towards the end of out stay, I was feeling a little despondent, but then one evening as we were making our way home, Americo spotted one by the side of the road in the  far distance, so he slowed down, whilst we pondered what course of action to take. We decided to chance getting as near to them as we dared, .....whilst I positioned myself, camera at the ready with my head and shoulders through the window, believe me it was awkward, but as it turned out, worth all the waiting and discomfort.

THE HOOPOE   UPUPA EPOPS
 

Unexceptional shots I know, but considering the distance we had to keep, and the quickly fading light,  they're  not bad.
 

This is probably the best pose.
 

You might wonder what he was doing on this dusty stone filled road,...
 

Well, he was probing for earth worms and mollusks under the stones , but on the move all the time up the road.
 

We saw the Hoopoe roll some over with his long pointed beak, and although we were too far away to get a good eye view
 

of what he found, there are many snails in this area, which make a hearty meal for a Hoopoe.
 

I was glad he was out on the road, and not hidden by the dense undergrowth on the verge.
 

At one point I thought he was going to disappear into the tall grass, but the stones were more of an attraction.
 

Every so often I shouted STOP, as my over zealous husband got too near, and from past experience I know this would spook it into flight.
 

Keeping our distance, was the only reason he did not move on to his other hunting places,..
 

and we followed him for at least ten minutes,...
 

and then to our delight, he was joined by another Hoopoe!
 

As this post is already rather long, I'll share more shots of them both, on another post.
 

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