Lisbon

A brief winter break to Lisbon revealed some interesting bird observations. In fact what intrigued me the most was the lack of birds in the city. Given the mild weather and the green spaces that exist, I would have expected to see more. The most interesting birds, seen in the castle grounds and down by the river were the over-wintering chiffchaffs.  They spent much of their time feeding on the grassy banks of the castle foundations, so were not acting in a manner typical of the birds we see in our summer woodlands. They were very confiding, some approaching within just a few yards without apparent concern.
Besides the feral pigeons and gulls, there was a single wagtail (probably white), and a single cormorant. Otherwise, heard but not seen were some feral parakeets.