Today I left the coast and the Algarve for a day and headed 70 miles inland to Castro Verde in Alentejo. From here I zigg-zagged back and forth on minor roads birding for several hours, until I eventually reached the wonderful town of Mertola, high above the Guadiana river on the border with Spain. Birding highlight undoubtedly 11 great bustards, but also a Griffon vulture which was a species I'd not seen before in Portugal.
Griffon vulture in the haze.
The southern Alentejo is a vast area of rolling hills, grassy fields and cork oaks.
This is the preferred habit of great bustard, mile after mile of open views.
Plenty of crag martins and a blue rock thrush at Mertola.
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