The Peregrine Falcons of Cabo da Roca, Sintra.

The Peregrine Falcons of Cabo da Roca, Sintra.
We now have dog called Chance and on our walks across the headland we often see a beautiful sight in the skies above, the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus brookei).
I never get tired of watching these amazing birds of prey, they can reach speeds of over 320km/h in a stoop, making it the fastest animal on the planet. The Peregrine Falcon is a raptor, or bird of prey. Adults have blue-gray wings, dark brown backs, a buff colored underside with brown spots, and white faces with a black tear stripe on their cheeks. It has long, broad, pointed wingspan and a relatively short tail and they have hooked beaks and strong talons. Their name comes from the Latin word peregrinus, which means "to wander." They are commonly referred to as the Duck Hawk. We see at least one nearly every day and I love to watch them hover in the sky and suddenly they will stoop reaching amazing speeds to catch their prey.
Sometimes we see one close up perched on a telegraph pole at the side of the road.
They were on the endangered species in many areas in the 70's and now thankfully the populations have recovered.
One of the many species of wildlife you can see on the walks in Sintra.

Walking in Portugal (Marvão, Alentejo)

A great walk in Marvão, Alto Alentejo, Portugal with fantastic panoramic views, wonderful countryside and interesting historical sites.
This walk is 7.38 km and is easy to moderate. The map/guide we bought earlier from the tourist office in Marvão, and the start is from Portagem near the public swimming pool.
The four of us, two adults and two children aged 12 and 14, set off from the 16 century bridge and tower in Portagem. The guide informs you to follow the trail by posts with green markers and we realised after a few kilometres there are none. Instead follow the normal markers of a red and yellow rectangles.
This walk took us about two and a half hours with regular stops to see the sights such as:
The 16 century bridge and tower next to the river Sever.
The mediaeval cobbled road, possibly of Roman origin.
Views of the imposing town and castle of Marvão, the mountain range of Serra de São Mamede and the granite plains of the Alentejo countryside.
The Convent and Church of the Lady of the Star (Igreja do Convento de Nossa Senhora da Estrela).
Typical small Alentejo hamlets.
The 16 century derelict chapel and mediaeval tombs cut into the rock at Fonte Souto.
Oak, Walnut, Olive,Chestnut and Horse-Chestnut trees.
Plenty of farm animals and the wonderful fauna and flora of this region.
At the end of the walk why not have lunch at O Sever restaurant at Portagem for a hearty typical Alentejo lunch washed down with a bottle of Conventual Red wine.
This is a perfect day out in this great region of Portugal.
For more information on this region see:
http://marvaoholidayhome.blogspot.com/
For a place to stay see:
http://www.casabrasao.com/