From 1 to 4 October
will be held the 6th edition of the Birdwatching Festival and Nature Activities
in Sagres, at Vila do Bispo Municipality.
The Portugal largest Birdwatchingevent this year brought to the county the prize "Municipality of the Year"
and once again wants to surprise for the quality of the more 200 activities
planned.
Workshops on environmental education,
dolphin watching, many birdwatching activities, riding a horse,
hiking, short term courses, guided tours on the history of Sagres,
interpretive tours of flora, geology and
archeology, bird ringing sessions, walks guided
by local people and some lectures
about conservation projects are
just some of the activities available
during the four days of the festival. To
complement the nature activities and to provide
relaxation moments, are also provided
yoga sessions, stretching and massage.
The event promoted by the Municipality of Vila doBispo, with Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds and Almargem
Association as partners happens in October because it’s the high season of autumn migration,
when the migratory birds abandon our
country towards the hot African lands. It’s also celebrated in this same weekend
the EuroBirdwatch all over Europe.
Sagres is a very special region. Not only is the
landscape that surrounds it spectacular, but its biological heritage is unique
in Europe. Here we can find a large diversity of habitats: impressive sea
cliffs, coastal maquis, farmlands, woodland, sand dunes and the sea
itself, between them supporting hundreds of species of fauna and flora. Of
particular interest is the number of endemic flora species, the possibility to
watch cetaceans and, of course, different species of birds, not only raptors
but also passerines and seabirds. It is the birds that are the main attraction
of this festival and therefore the programme of activities focuses mostly
around them. The event aims to attract participants with differing tastes,
expectations and knowledge, making it ideal for families, students, nature
lovers and birdwatchers of all levels of experience.
From August to November, this area becomes the
country's major migratory corridor for storks, eagles, vultures, hawks and
falcons where it is possible to observe almost all of the species of these
birds that occur regularly in Portugal, as well as some rarities.
As well as soaring raptors and storks, Sagres is a
great place to watch other birds, including many seabirds, steppe species and
passerines. Amongst the seabirds, particularly notable is the passage of
thousands of Gannets and hundreds of petrels, Cory's Shearwaters) and Balearic
Shearwaters. Great Skuas are also commonly seen.
