Birding

We hit the water this morning and were forced south in strong winds and a building swell. After 2 and a half hours of searching in poor visibility, we decided to call off our survey as conditions were not suitable. The rest of the day was spent organising our trip south to Lacacao tomorrow. We met with the RIU hotel diving manager who gave us permission to use a mooring near the hotel. This will allow us to moor the boat down south and travel by road each day back north to Sal Rei where we are living. But first we have to find the mooring and tie a buoy to it which will involve a bit of searching and some free-diving.

We also met with our new skipper - José who sailed from Sao Nicolau via Sal on his yacht. José and Pedrin have been working on establishing a whale research station on an uninhabited island off the coast of Sal Rei - a great location for humpbacks. All going to plan, we are hoping that this station and interpretive centre will be up and running by next year in time for the 2013 humpback breeding season.

Iago sparrow (Endemic) 

Sanderling(?) and a single turnstone

Whimbrel

Not an animal... help with spp ID please! 

Kentish Plover 

Greenshank

Neglected kestrel

Osprey

New wind-turbines

During the late afternoon myself and Darren did a bit of birding at the local beach - Praia Cabral.