+1 on the battery backup. I've got one that's pretty small and will charge both phones fully and still have little juice left. I used a cellphone for navigation.

Creepy alright, but at least they don’t sting or bite. The most annoying thing was taking care to avoid ingesting them along with our lunch.

Could be, although the scale pattern on his back makes me wonder. Maybe an Iberian Sargantana? Pretty little guy.

Newborn, probably Psammodromus. New to me.


https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/35516-Psammodromus-hispanicus

Yes, he’s starting to compile an impressive list and is getting a bit swell-headed over it. USA, Canada, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Spain, and now Portugal. He’s in the double figures! We’re going to have to take him out to dinner one of these nights and toast his accomplishments.

I don't know what freaks me out more .. the name or the actual bug. But whenever I see one, I want to cover my ears and run away.

I know .. not likely that they will crawl into my ears .. but they could if they wanted to!

Did you practice your yodeling here?

O GBO está feliz.

Muito bom!

Freedom!

You can see the joy in his stripes. He loves Portugal already.

Oh, the places the GBO will go!

Great photo! The stonechat is a handsome little bird.

I believe it. I thought that might be the case from general appearance and behavior.

Thanks so much, Noreen! I’ve never heard of a stonechat, and wasn’t really sure what family to research for this bird.

... and that might be the female version of the stonechat (see Wikipedia article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_stonechat#/media/File:Saxicola_rubicola_-Belgium_-female-8_(1).jpg)

Such a beauty! Might be a male European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola).
https://pbase.com/valterj/image/74160100

OK now I'm going to have nightmares. That is not someone I want to see lurking in the shadows.