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Report of overseas field meeting - Western Portugal45glistening Iberian Water Frog was spotted at theedge of a pool bordered by a bright green swardof Vulpia bromoides (Squirreltail Fescue).As we ate our lunch under the tree canopy thefirst raindrops began to fall, which curtailed ourexploration ofthis fascinating area, so we madeour way back westwards, driving past rice-fieldsand spotting the White Storks' nests perchedhigh on chimneys and pylons. We wereconsoled by a visit to the Information Centre forthe Amibida Natural Park (run by the Institutoda Conservayao da Natureza) in Sembal, wherewe found excellent books, information andpost-cards.The cloud cover was now very dense so that abrief stop in thick fog on the ridge-top of theSerra da Amibida - an area severely burnt in2005, and this year teeming with vigorousclumps of Arabis sadina, endemic to this part ofPortugal - could only whet our appetite foranother, drier visit. We then repaired to theworkshop of a small tile producer near Sesimbrato have tea and to learn a little more about theazulejos. These tiles decorate the fayade ofmany of the older buildings in Portugal and areoften used in the interiors as wall panelling. Inthis workshop the traditional designs were stillbeing used and we were given a demonstrationby one ofthe family to show us their glazing andpainting techniques.24 March - Bottle-nosed Dolphins andPortinhoFriday morning saw the group back in Sembal,where we were given an illustrated talk aboutthe population of Bottle-nosed Dolphins(Tursiops truncatus) that inhabits the SadoEstuary. This population comprises about 25individuals who enjoy such a good diet from theplentiful fish stocks of the estuary that theygrow to an unusually large size: over 4m inlength. All of the individuals in the estuary areknown to the staff of Vertigem Azul from theunique configuration of their dorsal fins.At the completion of the talk, we were led byour captain Pedro and his little dog, not to asedate cruiser, but to a high-powered rigidinflatable boat (RIB), equipped with twoenormous outboard engines. After being issuedwith lifejackets, we were arranged precariouslyalong the sides of the RIB, where we hung ontenaciously as the engines roared into life, to bepowered through the waves back from themouth of the estuary to the sheltered waterstowards its rear. Despite our trepidation at thisform of transport, we were amused by the anticsofthe dog, which ran fearlessly from one end ofthe RIB to the other, often behind our backs,apparently defying gravity in its ability toremain on board!Once the engines had been throttled back andwe began to drift, it was not long before the firstdolphin was spotted as a distant fin archedacross the waves. Gradually they worked theirway closer to us. We could see they werehunting and corralling their prey into tighterconcentrations before feeding from the densemass of fish. Indeed as they came ever closer itwas possible to see in advance where a dolphinwould surface by the fish which leaped into theair in their attempts to avoid their pursuers. Inthis way we were lucky to get close views ofdolphins leaping, often in pairs, just by the boat.Our captain repositioned the boat several timesin order to avoid stressing individual groups ofdolphins, and each time we moved to a slightlydifferent location the dolphins came towards usand so, as far as we could tell, our activitieswere not inconveniencing them.After an exhilarating return journey, whichwas punctuated by some slower passages inwhich we explored the landward side of theTr6ia spit, we re-boarded the minibuses and setoff for the Serra da Arnibida, where we stoppedfor lunch at a lay-by with magnificent viewsback across the mouth of the Sado estuary. Thisarea, just above a massive, sprawling, quarrycomplex, was botanically rewarding andcontained enormous numbers of Tulipa sylvestrissubsp. australis, plus Aspleniumtrichomanes subsp. quadrivalens (MaidenhairSpleenwort), Astragalus boeticus, the Iberianendemic Genista tournefortii, Ferula communis(Giant Fennel), Gennaria diphylla (Two-leavedGennaria) and Cephalanthera longifolia(Sword-leaved Helleborine).On our way to the Portinho road, down whichwe were to walk, we made a brief stop at one ofthe high points of the Serra and here we foundour first Neotinea maculata (Dense-floweredOrchid) and Orchis mascula (Early PurpleOrchid) of the trip. Our walk down the lane tothe picturesque seaside fishing port ofPortinhobecame a masterclass in the identification of theevergreen trees and shrubs of the maquis whichwere so conveniently juxtaposed along thisshort stretch of road. Among the herbs seenhere were Lathyrus clymenum, L. sphaericus,Scorpiurus sulcatus, Vicia lutea (Yellowvetch),Echium creticum, Stachys ocymastrum,Orobanche amethystea, Phagnalon saxatile andGladiolus illyricus (Wild Gladiolus).25 March - Serra de LouroOur last day began as usual with low cloud andattempting to mizzle, but by midday it was