Cape Verde – Santiago 25-29 January 2016
Barragem do Figuera Gorda
Introduction: I spent 5 days in Santiago; I stayed in Pedra Badejo in a guesthouse managed by a lovely Austrian couple, Herbert and Eva. See http://geo-vision.blogspot.co.at/ for location and pictures of the place which is located just in the middle of 2 lagoons where some rarities have been seen past years. Our guide was most of the times Fredy Cardoso, a local passionate nature guide, experienced and with abig knowledge of the island of Santiago (email [email protected] telephone nr +2389138349). We visited almost every day Barragem do Poilao to search, without success, for the Black Heron. We tried also few more artificial lakes (they are now 5 with a 6th one in costruction). Beside the notorious Barragem de Piolao, Barragem do Figuera Gorda (close to Santa Cruz) was the most interesting one; although very new with only less than a year, it had a variety of Ardeids (included 2 Intermediate Egrets and 1 Great Egret). The lake is very big and not very accessible if not only on 1 side. A local guide is recommended. In this new lake we found also a new Bourne’s Heron new colony with 4 incubating birds. Every day I visited the local lagoons where an American Golden Plover found by Herbert was present the whole time I was there with some common waders.
Species seen:
Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) 4 males seen in Barragem do Poilao on 27th
Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) common, seen or heard daily
Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) about 20 birds seen on display flight in couples or small
groups in the cliffs west of airport in Praia
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) common in lagoons and lakes although in small numbers
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea ssp bournei) present in Poilao and Figuera Gorda, beside the historical
nesting sites on tall trees in the countryside.
Great Egret - (Ardea alba) one bird in Figuera Gorda on 28th
Yellow-billed Egret - (Egretta intermedia) one bird on 27th and 2 on 28th in Figuera Gorda
Little Egret - (Egretta garzetta) max 15 in Poilao and small numbers in the other lakes
Western Reef Heron - (Egretta gularis ssp gularis) 2 birds (white and dark phase) on 25th in the lagoon
of Pedra Badejo and 2 dark phase on 27th in Figuera Gorda
Cattle Egret - (Bubulcus ibis) common and widespread
Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) 3 adult birds on Poilao seen everyday and 1 in Figuera Gorda on 28th
Black-crowned Night Heron - (Nycticorax nycticorax) 1 imm in Poilao on 27th
Glossy Ibis - (Plegadis falcinellus) 2 imm present in Poilao
Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
Cape Verde Buzzard (Buteo bannermani) 2 birds in Serra Malagueta on 28th
Common Kestrel - (Falco tinnunculus ssp alexandri) common and widespread
Common Moorhen - (Gallinula chloropus) small numbers in Poilao and Figuera Gorda
Black-winged Stilt - (Himantopus himantopus) about 20 in Poilao. Seen everyday
American Golden Plover - (Pluvialis dominica) 1 adult seen every day in Pedra Badejo southern lagoon
Kentish Plover - (Charadrius alexandrinus) small numbers in Pedra Badejo lagoons
Common Ringed Plover - (Charadrius hiaticula) 4 in Pedra Badejo lagoons. Seen daily
Little Ringed Plover - (Charadrius dubius) max 8 in Poilao on 29th
Common Sandpiper - (Actitis hypoleucos) seen daily in Poilao and along the coast
Green Sandpiper - (Tringa ochropus) seen only once in Poilao on 25th
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) common
Wood Sandpiper - (Tringa glareola) 3 birds seen in Poilao
Whimbrel - (Numenius phaeopus) 3 seen along the rocky cost and lagoon in Pedra Badejo
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) small numbers along the rocky cost and lagoon in Pedra Badejo
Sanderling (Calidris alba) 10 birds at Pedra Badejo beach, seen daily
Common Snipe - (Gallinago gallinago) 3 birds flushed on 25th in Poilao
Eurasian Collared Dove - (Streptopelia decaocto) common and widespread
Barn Owl - (Tyto alba ssp detorta) 3 birds seen along the road to Praia the night of 29th
Cape Verde Swift - (Apus alexandri) common in Poilao, seen daily
Grey-headed Kingfisher - (Halcyon leucocephala) common and widespread
Brown-necked Raven - (Corvus ruficollis) common
Black-crowned Sparrow-lark - (Eremopterix nigriceps) 1 female seen on 25th in the lagoon in Pedra
Badejo
Bar-tailed Lark – (Ammomanes cinctura) 1 female on 29th along the cost in Pedra Badejo
Cape Verde Warbler - (Acrocephalus brevipennis) common in well vegetated areas close to wetlands
Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) common
Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata) common in dry scrub
Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe ssp. leucorhoa) 1 bird seen along the coast at Praia
White Wagtail - (Motacilla alba) 2 birds in Poilao on 26th
Spanish Sparrow - (Passer hispaniolensis) common and widespread
Iago Sparrow - (Passer iagoensis) common and widespread
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild) common and widespread
Max Dettori - [email protected]
For pictures: https://www.facebook.com/Maxs-Wildlife-Photos-175723355834720/
album: Cape Verde, Santiago Jan 2016.