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 alecsoncardoso@gmail.com 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 - dettori_m@hotmail.com

For pictures: https://www.facebook.com/Maxs-Wildlife-Photos-175723355834720/

album: Cape Verde, Santiago Jan 2016.