Cape Verde: Island of Sal: 31st Jan 14th Feb: Having read quite a lot about Cape Verde recently we thought it would be a no-brainer to give it a whirl as the weather has been so grotty recently … and it met some important criteria i.e. some nice beach weather for the Memsahib and some potentially good birds for yours truly. I knew the island was not going to give a high number of birds … but in retrospect Sal was full of some nice surprises as long as you put the leg work in …. but unfortunately there is not much passing ‘traffic’ I literally spent hours and hours sea-watching but for all my efforts – all I managed was a passing Sanderling, a couple of Sandwich terns and two Little Egrets!! However if you go inland you can find some nice birds and depending on what time of year you go … especially Autumn there is a chance of something really special.For example on New Years Eve 2023 one of the local birders turned up an Abyssinian Roller !! We decided to base ourselves at the Hilton on the main strip just west of Santa Maria …. there are some massive hotels run by TUI with over 2000 rooms!! Far too big for our liking the Hilton is much smaller, very friendly and has brilliant food.
Day 1: Weds. 31st Travelling Day
Flight 5hrs: 45min Nice hotel by the beach. 4:30pm – 6:30pm Beach Walk towards Santa Maria
- Collared Dove.
- Cape Verde Sparrow 🦅
- Whimbrel
- Little Egret
- Sandwich Tern
- Osprey
A Lifer: Iago Sparrow – probably the quickest lifer ever, with no searching or stressing…… loads of these beautiful little birds feeding on the hotel lawns!! And an Osprey nesting only 500 yards from the hotel: it had built its nest on the top of a telecommunications tower !! Great start to the trip!! There were also some very nice butterflies in the gardens African Tigers .. really bright orange and black … very similar to the Tigers you find in Singapore.
Day 2: Thurs. 1st Feb…. Early Morning walk along beach: 7:00 – 8:45am and then a cut through to the main road where there were quite a few small salt pans and only a 15 minute walk from the hotel!! The salt pans held a few stilts and some Kentish plover in absolutely brilliant breeding plumages!!
- Blk Winged Stilt
- Kentish Plover
- Turnstone
- Cattle Egret
Afternoon walk into Santa Maria along the main rd. On the waste ground near the main roundabout into Santa Maria A very nice tick : about 6-8 male and female Black crowned Sparrow Lark; the males showed really well.!! I didn’t manage to get any pictures of the male birds, but there were a few female birds foraging on the edge of the salt pans. We then walked back to the hotel via the beach .. 2 Kentish plover by the tide line and Little Egrets were on one of the pontoons.
- Black Crowned Sparrow Lark.
Day 3: Fri. 2nd Feb .. I went out for a walk after breakfast again down to the salt pans and had some stunning views of one of the Ospreys in a very strange place…. on a building site!! The bird had actually landed on one of the re-enforced steel rods in a block of apartments that were being built. Decided on a walk after Breakfast down to the salt pans for Black necked Stilt and I also had stunning views of Osprey. Also 2 kestrel perched on the crane gantry being very vocal!! After looking at my photos more closely I think these were the endemic kestrel found on the Cape Verde island group .. Alexander’s Kestrel
- Alexander’s Kestrel 🦅
Later on, about 2pm a flock of 8 Raven flew over these weren’t ordinary Raven these were Brown necked another new bird!!
- Brown necked Raven 🦅
Had a beach walk this afternoon 4:00pm – 5:45 pm nearly 2 hours watching the sea nothing!!And then on the way back … a Sanderling flew passed us twice, but it never landed another bird for the list!!! But my run of good fortune did not stop there whilst having a cold beer at the bar … another bird for the list!!A solitary Barn Swallow flew over the hotel!!
14. Sanderling
- Barn Swallow.
Day 4 Sat.3rd Feb
Went out after breakfast to the salt beds 9:30 am -11:00 am … there was a distant Whimbrel and I had great views of Kentish plover in full breeding plumage .. and on the way back, way the local kestrels were flying low and chattering like mad!! During the early afternoon Ospreys flew over the hotel a few times. Late afternoon I had a circular walk 4:00pm -6:00pm circular along beach the and returned via the Salt pans … there were good numbers of Kentish Plover again, 4 Blk Winged Stilt and a stunning close up Whimbrel!! And also a new bird for the list: Ringed Plover!!
- Ringed Plover
Day 5 Sun. 4th Feb
Today was a Sea Watch day it was a total washout !! 10:00 am – 3:00pm saw virtually nothing passing by the sea During afternoon went for a walk No New Birds Recorded today.
Day 6 Mon. 5th Feb
No early walk … but after breakfast a walk to get supplies … Walked down to the saltpans… nothing new … but a few Black Winged Stilts showed well… This afternoon went down to pool … however whilst I was on the balcony I heard a familiar call … one that I instantly recognised from my trips to the Algarve in Portugal….. Waxbill !! Another late afternoon walk to the saltpans and this time I managed to get some reasonable photos of the local Kentish plovers !!Another day, another bird!!
- Waxbill
Day 7 Tues. 6th Feb
This morning, trip to Botanical Gardens 10-1200pm … mmm jury’s out… not very ‘birdy’ at all. Just Spanish Sparrow to add to list!! Down by beach for rest of afternoon – another sea watch … nothing to report … then an afternoon walk 4-6 pm …. Whimbrel showing really well at the saltpans
- Spanish Sparrow
Day 8: Weds. 7th Feb
After breakfast decided on a big walk..So I got a taxi to the ‘Zip Line’ turnoff and explored the flooded fields .. lots of sanderlings and Kentish plover too!! And a nice surprise 3 Little stint and up to 12 Curlew Sandpiper. I decided to cut back through the ‘desert’ and just near the horse riding stables…Superb views of Hoopoe Lark and Cream Coloured Courser !! 1 Whimbrel at sewage works…. Got back to hotel about 2pm brilliant little walk!! Late afternoon… pinned down a male Black cap singing in hotel gardens and then we had an early evening walk into Santa Maria … Sting Rays by the fishing pier huge beasts at least 4 feet across!!! So a nice evening beer in Santa Maria to celebrate…. then walked home and we were treated to a very low stunning Osprey pass near the hotel foyer …a great day!! Tomorrow Birding Trip out … should be good!!
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Little Stint
- Hoopoe Lark
- Cream coloured Courser
- Blackcap
Day 9: Thurs. 8th Feb
Breakfast then a spell by the pool .. off to meet the trip at 1:50 and what a trip it was!! Right into the boondocks to see Red Billed Tropic Bird Apparently Sal has one of the biggest breeding colonies in the Palearctic Region!!!!! Wow what a climb… what with my vertigo and my hip thought I was going to die … the Tropic birds were amazing!! En route to Red Tailed Tropic Birds we had Grey heron and a nice lifer 4 Bar tailed Desert Larks very non descript LBJs of the desert!! And a nice Hoopoe Lark too!! On our return we had at least 3 Ospreys !!! Our final stop was the Water Treatment Plants … lots of birds on the pools …. including Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper and Greenshank.
- Bar-tailed Desert Lark 🦅
- Grey Heron
- Red-billed Tropic bird
- Glossy Ibis
- Grey Plover
- Wood sandpiper
- Spectacled warbler
- Greenshank
Day 10: Fri. 9th Feb
Did a lot of walking today; after breakfast walked into Santa Maria .. via beach path.. Osprey seen on the telecom’ tower very nice walk around the town.. on the jetty they were gutting a Nurse shark .. nothing wasted though!! Came back via Saltpans … a couple of Kentish plover and Blk winged stilt… then walk along beach West.. up to Tui Palace only bird seen: 1 Whimbrel !!!! No new birds recorded today.
Day 11: Sat. 10th Feb
Boat day!! Marvellous start … At least 4 Humpback Whales breaching outside the harbour area brilliant to see … first sighting for me!! Great day on a catamaran but unbelievably no birds!!! And no more Whale sightings either … however towards the end of the trip there were a couple of sprays .. but we couldn’t find the whales!! A 4 and a half hour sail nothing on the sea at all apart from Flying Fish!! Unbelievable bad luck .. if anyone could pass their thoughts on about the lack of seabirds around Sal I would be very interested to know … Cheers Jon.
Day 12: Sun. 11th Feb
Beach Day today: After breakfast a real row: as two Alexander Kestrels were mobbing a significantly larger Kestrel .. probably Common Kestrel. Got to the beach about 1100am started observing and finished about 3:30pm and saw no birds at all apart from a couple of Little Egrets.
- Common Kestrel
Day 13: Mon. 12th Feb
Walk into Santa Maria… bought a few things .. can’t believe holiday is finishing so soon!! St. Maria pier crazy but good fun to watch … Turtles too!!! Walked back via main road .. salt pans very quiet .. 2 Kentish plover and4 Black winged Stilt. On the beach this afternoon… Good session with the local Ospreys staked out the tower before 5 … then about 5:15pm action started … got some great flight shots, really pleased with them!!However despite a lot of searching..No new birds recorded today
Day 14: Tues. 13th Feb
Our last full day … in anticipation of a good sea watch may be?? This morning amazing sight … a super yacht.. named Here Comes the Sun… anchored off the beach… some 82m long and 185 million quids worth.. virtually all day on beach … and 1 Sandwich tern! The Osprey had a good scrap against 10-15 Raven it won!! Big swallowtail again this afternoon … not a clue to its identity …. then finally, mystery swallowtail in the bag. Identified as a Citrus Swallowtail!!! A final walk along the beach… there was a really big swell today with some massive waves.. amazing to watch. Unfortunately no new birds recorded.
Flight home today everything went really smoothly … a very nice break lots of interesting sightings.. I topped out at 32 species of bird seen, within that that total: 4 lifers, a new species of butterfly; Citrus Swallowtail and at least 5 Humpback Whales – a new cetacean species for me. It was a great tally considering it was not a full birding trip and knowing that the island did not have a massive bird list to go at: I was very pleased … however, the Sea Watching was a real disappointment apart from the Whales … Maybe wrong time of year ….. Good excuse to go back!!!
