Birdspot - Além-Rio

Além-Rio, on the opposite side of the river Guadiana, offers superb views of Mértola (especially during the morning, with the sun on one’s back). You can also watch the Lesser Kestrel colony across the river (ideally with binoculars). Além-Rio is reached by crossing the bridge on the N265 and immediately turning right. A good strategy is to park at the start of the road and walk downhill with the river on your right. The bridge hosts an enormous colony of House Martins and the ubiquitous Iberian Magpie is hard to miss here, as they move in noisy groups and often allowing a close approach. This road is also particularly good for Little Owl, Eurasian Jay and Long-tailed Tit. A good vantage point to scan the Lesser Kestrel colony is about 600 m down the road.