The Mondego River is the fifth largest Portuguese river and the first that has its course entirely in the country. Born in Serra da Estrela, it runs through the country's central region and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. It passes next to Montemor-o-Velho, where I took this image on a beautiful late afternoon last December.

I was enchanted to see those huge poplars on the riverbank, bare of foliage, in an apparent decreasing line of heights due to the perspective, full of white storks' nests, many of which housed their owners. In the recent past, all white storks migrated in winter to the south (Africa), but today, many remain home all year round. The white stork population in Portugal has been increasing, probably because more food is available, such as the red swamp crayfish, an exotic crustacean abundant in rice fields.