LATEST IMAGES - PORTUGAL2
One of the birds I was particularly keen to photograph during my visit to Portugal was the Purple Swamp-hen as a pond surrounded by a golf course on the Algarve appeared to be the easiest place in Europe to photograph them. The pond duly delivered and I was also blessed with near perfect light during one of my three visits to it. The Swamp-hen is appreciably bigger than a Moorhen and appeared to eat much of the roots it pulled from the water from its foot, using it like a plate. The pond also had a good selection of wintering duck but I was disappointed not to see any Red Crested Pochard
PURPLE SWAMP-HEN
THREE PURPLE SWAMP-HENS
PURPLE SWAMP-HEN EATING FROM ITS FOOT
MALE GADWALL
GADWALL FLAPPING
MALE SHOVELER