10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2012

Wander through my front door and glance upwards and you’ll find at least two watching you, a Tawny Owl and a Barn Owl , both sadly gathered as roadkills. Above our fireplace is a large painting of a Barn Owl. The numbers we have wintering in Britain are certainly bearing that out.

Barn Owls 184

Barn Owls Finland Owls Portugal 184

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

The dagger beak allows the Nuthatch to dominate at the bird feeder Of the world’s 32 species of nuthatch, the Eurasian is by far the most widespread, occurring from Portugal in the west to Japan in the east With their distinctive shape and sharply pointed, dagger-like beak, there’s nothing to confuse a Nuthatch with.

Barn Owls 220

Barn Owls Rats Japan Owls 220

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

I only scored 43 in March, but that was because I was away birding in Portugal and Estonia. Pallid Swift , already back on the breeding grounds in early March Many waders winter on the salt marshes of the Algrave in southern Portugal. My overseas trips did boost the overall year list considerably. These are Dunlins.

Estonia 232

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 232

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2020

The 2013 ‘Tyto alba’ from Companhia das Lezírias is a red wine from Portugal’s Tejo region, and – as you may have guessed from its name – there is in fact a Barn Owl ( Tyto alba ) on the label. With its ghostly visage and bloodcurdling, otherworldly screeches, the Barn Owl seemed like the perfect bird for a Hallowe’en wine.

2013 216

2013 Barn Owls Owls Livestock 216