37:31.589N

007:30.782W

 

Pomarão to Vascão

 

'Night-owl Isabelle' came on deck around 11pm last night and heard the Nightingale with its beautiful song carrying clearly across the quiet calm river.  With no wind blowing, Bol was able to record the birdsong with no interruptions.

 

Today was hot and beautiful, we had an explore ashore both sides of the river in Pomarão, sticking our heads into the old tumble-down buildings that used to house the workers of the Rio Tinto mines, 16 km away. It was difficult to try and picture the scene from 1850's onwards for about a century when the area employed many thousands of people, it really is a ghost town now.

 

After many weeks of anticipation, 'Hawk-eye Harry' spotted Bee-eaters who spend the summer here, a flock of approx 20 absolutely beautiful birds with a very unusual birdsong arrived in the river today and are unlike any other birds we have seen (our Bird Book describes their voice as "liquid bubbling 'pruupp' "). The other ones we hope to spot are Golden Oriole due any day.

 

Up and away from Pomarão at high water, 2 miles south to the entrance of the River Vascão for a precious last few days. We grabbed swimmers and headed off in the dinghy, spotting many terrapins on the way sunning themselves on the river bank. We had two gorgeous hours swimming, paddling, snorkelling, experimenting with the GoPro underwater camera and generally luxuriating in the 30 degree heat with not another soul in sight.  If we got chilly, we climbed out the water for a few minutes and were soon warm again, bliss!

 

It is 9pm now and the river is so still that the stars are reflected in it. We are really going to have to drag ourselves away from here next week!