Gran Canaria (1 Viewer)

Peregrine is now moored off Gran Canaria and it will be our last Canary Island. We plan to leave on December 8th for St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles and getting ready for a major ocean crossing is taking my time and effort. When we got here I thought I would rent a car and try to find a Rock Sparrow and take the ferry to Tenerife to see the endemic Bolle’s and Laurel Pigeons. At this point even the rental car will most likely not happen. I’m a bit worn out and I’m sure my bird list for this island will remain short. I have seen the Canary Blue Tits several times and they are very striking birds. I am very happy to have seen them. Fortunately, I also have seen Canaries—I really would be kicking myself later if I had not seen a Canary in the Canary Islands! To be honest, it wasn’t one of the birds I really targeted and I didn’t pay much attention to the description until I got to Gran Canaria. Even then, I just took a quick peek at the illustration in the Collins guide. As a result, I was a bit confused when I saw serins. I questioned myself at first thinking I must be seeing Canaries, but after consulting the guide book found I was right. Dummy me, I didn’t realize until seeing both species on the same day that Canaries were serins. Unbelievably, when I looked in the guide book, I didn’t pay any attention to the illustration of the serin just above the canary—talk about tunnel vision! I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that the Canaries weren’t the bright yellow creatures sold in pet shops. Obviously a bit of genetic engineering has been applied; Serinus frankensteinus? Poor little things. The vast majority of the Canaries I’ve heard/seen here come from apartments in the high rises and they are always in cages that are way too small.:-C
Whimbrel
Black-headed Gulls
Yellow-legged Gulls
Sandwich Terns
PIGEONS!!
Collared Doves
Hoopoes
Rose-ringed Parakeets
Unknown Parrot Species (at least 3 individuals)
Monk Parakeets
Black Redstart
Blackbirds
Blackcaps
Chiffchaffs
Blue tits
Starlings
Spanish Sparrows
Serins
Canaries

SueO said:

Peregrine is now moored off Gran Canaria and it will be our last Canary Island. We plan to leave on December 8th for St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles and getting ready for a major ocean crossing is taking my time and effort. When we got here I thought I would rent a car and try to find a Rock Sparrow and take the ferry to Tenerife to see the endemic Bolle’s and Laurel Pigeons. At this point even the rental car will most likely not happen. I’m a bit worn out and I’m sure my bird list for this island will remain short. I have seen the Canary Blue Tits several times and they are very striking birds. I am very happy to have seen them. Fortunately, I also have seen Canaries—I really would be kicking myself later if I had not seen a Canary in the Canary Islands! To be honest, it wasn’t one of the birds I really targeted and I didn’t pay much attention to the description until I got to Gran Canaria. Even then, I just took a quick peek at the illustration in the Collins guide. As a result, I was a bit confused when I saw serins. I questioned myself at first thinking I must be seeing Canaries, but after consulting the guide book found I was right. Dummy me, I didn’t realize until seeing both species on the same day that Canaries were serins. Unbelievably, when I looked in the guide book, I didn’t pay any attention to the illustration of the serin just above the canary—talk about tunnel vision! I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that the Canaries weren’t the bright yellow creatures sold in pet shops. Obviously a bit of genetic engineering has been applied; Serinus frankensteinus? Poor little things. The vast majority of the Canaries I’ve heard/seen here come from apartments in the high rises and they are always in cages that are way too small.:-C

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I was in Gran Canaria a long time ago (1994) and saw canaries near Puerto Mogan, north of Puerto Rico in the south-west. Up the valley just inland of Puerto Mogan I saw some trumpeter finches, a celebrated species for at least some. As a bonus, the harbour at Puerto Mogan was very picturesque, at least to me as a tourist!

SueO said:

I was a bit confused when I saw serins. I questioned myself at first thinking I must be seeing Canaries, but after consulting the guide book found I was right. Dummy me, I didn’t realize until seeing both species on the same day that Canaries were serins. Unbelievably, when I looked in the guide book, I didn’t pay any attention to the illustration of the serin just above the canary—talk about tunnel vision! I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that the Canaries weren’t the bright yellow creatures sold in pet shops. Obviously a bit of genetic engineering has been applied; Serinus frankensteinus? Poor little things.

Serins
Canaries

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LOL....I looked it up Sue. I didn't know they were that close either.

Best of luck for the BIG voyage....will be thinking of you.

Joanne

Allen S. Moore said:

I was in Gran Canaria a long time ago (1994) and saw canaries near Puerto Mogan, north of Puerto Rico in the south-west. Up the valley just inland of Puerto Mogan I saw some trumpeter finches, a celebrated species for at least some. As a bonus, the harbour at Puerto Mogan was very picturesque, at least to me as a tourist!

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I was in that area last year, and Puerto Mogan is still a picturesque place. Didn't get any trumpeter finches though, but we did have loads of Bethelot's pipits and Spanish sparrows.

Best of luck with the voyage Sue.:t:

Last few European days, Sue.
Hope you'll pop in to BF before you go.

H

Allen S. Moore said:

I was in Gran Canaria a long time ago (1994) and saw canaries near Puerto Mogan, north of Puerto Rico in the south-west. Up the valley just inland of Puerto Mogan I saw some trumpeter finches, a celebrated species for at least some. As a bonus, the harbour at Puerto Mogan was very picturesque, at least to me as a tourist!

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Hi Allen,
Took a look on the map and found Puerto Mogan. The sunny side! There is a park here in Las Palmas not far from the marina. I have seen both canaries and serins there. Also the Blue Tits. I haven't seen a Trumpeter here but I saw them on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. I had them on my wish list and was thrilled to get very good views on several occasions. I have been very happy as a tourismo in the Canaries. A lovely spot.
Sue

joannec said:

LOL....I looked it up Sue. I didn't know they were that close either.

Best of luck for the BIG voyage....will be thinking of you.

Joanne

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Muchas Gracias, Joanne.

Keith Dickinson said:

I was in that area last year, and Puerto Mogan is still a picturesque place. Didn't get any trumpeter finches though, but we did have loads of Bethelot's pipits and Spanish sparrows.

Best of luck with the voyage Sue.:t:

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Thanks Keith. I love Las Palmas right now because it has all we need for provisioning and parts, but I think for birding another site would be better. Personally, I like Isla Graciosa and Lanzarote the best of what little I've seen of the Canaries.

Sue

halftwo said:

Last few European days, Sue.
Hope you'll pop in to BF before you go.

H

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Hi H,
I hope to be able to check in daily until Monday. The butterflies are active in my stomach so diversion is good. I wish we had a wi-fi signal that reached the boat. Insomnia would be more pleasant. Last night (morning) I wrote out a list of birds I should look for on St. Lucia. There are a lot more than I thought there would be. When I first went through my West Indies book, I was griping to Gene that all the birds were in Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba and Jamaica and hardly anything was on the islands we are going to pass through. Now I’m excited about my prospects and that kind of takes the sting out of leaving Europe without seeing some birds I really wanted to see. The Rock Sparrow really kills me because it’s here! I just don’t have time. We still have provisioning, laundry and cleaning to do.
I’m posting my St. Lucia wish list in the Listing section.
The very best to you and Mrs. H. I hope you and your family have a joyous Christmas.
Sue

Cooo, an Atlantic crossing, now that I would fancy ...not sure in mid-winter though

Rock Sparrow, a declining species

SueO said:

Hi H,
I hope to be able to check in daily until Monday. The butterflies are active in my stomach so diversion is good. I wish we had a wi-fi signal that reached the boat. Insomnia would be more pleasant. Last night (morning) I wrote out a list of birds I should look for on St. Lucia. There are a lot more than I thought there would be. When I first went through my West Indies book, I was griping to Gene that all the birds were in Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba and Jamaica and hardly anything was on the islands we are going to pass through. Now I’m excited about my prospects and that kind of takes the sting out of leaving Europe without seeing some birds I really wanted to see. The Rock Sparrow really kills me because it’s here! I just don’t have time. We still have provisioning, laundry and cleaning to do.
I’m posting my St. Lucia wish list in the Listing section.
The very best to you and Mrs. H. I hope you and your family have a joyous Christmas.
Sue

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I dipped on rock sparrow on my family holiday in Gran Canaria back in 1994, and did not see them until 2000, despite visits to other places where they occur, namely Madeira, Porto Santo and Segovia. I went on a guided birdwatching trip in Tenerife with Tony Clarke one day in April 2000, having told him that my "bogey" bird was the rock sparrow. Tony took me to various places where rock sparrows used to occur, but we did not see them until we reached Punta de Teno in the far NW corner. No anchorages there, I'm afraid. Rock sparrows seem to be a difficult species to find, although it would be good to be told otherwise.

In Tony's book "Birds of the Atlantic Islands," published in 2006, he states that rock sparrows in the Canaries are "Generally scarce and local on the western and central islands, having declined since colonisation by Spanish Sparrow."

Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Allen

When do you expect landfall in the Windies, Sue?

Jos Stratford said:

Cooo, an Atlantic crossing, now that I would fancy ...not sure in mid-winter though

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Jos,
I guess a guy who has had adventures with lions, tigers, bears and machetes would find an Atlantic crossing in a small boat appealing. Actually, this is a good time of year. Hurricanes are supposedly over, and the winds will be behind us. It’s supposed to be an easy sail as far as voyages go. We are much warmer down here than Northern Europe and we will only get warmer as we go south. The saying amongst the sailors is, “Go south until the butter melts, then turn left.”
Sue

halftwo said:

When do you expect landfall in the Windies, Sue?

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Hi H,
The crossing should take about three weeks. It could take a bit less if we get favorable winds, or a bit more if we hit windless days. It could take even longer if stuff happens. Of course, stuff never happens, so we won’t worry about that. I told the family not to worry until after six weeks. Then they might start thinking we went to visit Davey.:eek!: Hopefully, we will make landfall by New Years so I can start my first year list at the appropriate time.
Sue

I have identified the unknown parrots as Senegals. When I saw them I of course figured them as escapees. But now I wonder. Senegal isn't thatfar. Is there any possibility that some flew here?

SueO said:

I have identified the unknown parrots as Senegals. When I saw them I of course figured them as escapees. But now I wonder. Senegal isn't thatfar. Is there any possibility that some flew here?

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No!

Hey - that reminded me of a superb birding dream I had last night: I was on an island (unspecified, remotish, tropical/sub-trop., hilly) and I saw a pair of new-to-the-world Albatrosses. (I hadn't discovered them - they just don't exist in reality!)
They were Swallow-tailed albatrosses: bulky-bodied, relatively short-winged, the upper wing had a grey bar across the leading edge of the arm and (of course) they had a forked tail. Fantastic birds!

H

halftwo said:

No!
Hey - that reminded me of a superb birding dream I had last night: I was on an island (unspecified, remotish, tropical/sub-trop., hilly) and I saw a pair of new-to-the-world Albatrosses. (I hadn't discovered them - they just don't exist in reality!)
They were Swallow-tailed albatrosses: bulky-bodied, relatively short-winged, the upper wing had a grey bar across the leading edge of the arm and (of course) they had a forked tail. Fantastic birds!

H

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Dang, H. You’d think with your command of the English language, you could have disappointed me a little less emphatically. :-O:-O

Did the Swallow-tailed albatrosses make a sound? I think your body was trying to warm you with the subconscience setting. It sounds like you and Mrs. H need a vacation in a warm place.

Gene laughed when I told him about the exclamationed NO! "Why not?", says he. "They could have blown in with the African dust that is all over Peregrine's canvas. All the birds here flew in from somewhere."

SueO said:

Dang, H. You’d think with your command of the English language, you could have disappointed me a little less emphatically. :-O:-O

Did the Swallow-tailed albatrosses make a sound? I think your body was trying to warm you with the subconscience setting. It sounds like you and Mrs. H need a vacation in a warm place.

Gene laughed when I told him about the exclamationed NO! "Why not?", says he. "They could have blown in with the African dust that is all over Peregrine's canvas. All the birds here flew in from somewhere."

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Sorry, Sue. But I read your mind. No wishful thinking - you'll just have to get over to The Gambia one day.

No. No noise from the Alberts. Why?

Reading your blog - how about a dust bath in lieu of a shower?

Well, yes, Sue. We are supposed to be in Oz right now. Thanks for the reminder! (It's already dark here just to add to the general miserableness of the season.):C

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halftwo said:

Sorry, Sue. But I read your mind. No wishful thinking - you'll just have to get over to The Gambia one day.

No. No noise from the Alberts. Why?

Reading your blog - how about a dust bath in lieu of a shower?

Well, yes, Sue. We are supposed to be in Oz right now. Thanks for the reminder! (It's already dark here just to add to the general miserableness of the season.):C

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|:$|I didn't think, I'm sorry. Winter must seem very bleak for you guys. Well the good news is that northern springs and falls are incomparable to bland climates and worth the winter.
Peregrine is barely floating because of all the face and baby wipes I have stocked. Of course, when we get to warmer climes, the pump-up bug sprayer shower in the cockpit is ok. I can shower in the dark without freezing my a** off.
I just wondered if you heard the STA call as your description was so good.
Gene and I have both had weird dreams lately. I've had many bird dreams, but now I can't remember what they were. I told him we should start writing them down. A book about the dreams of people who must be unstable and who are cut off from normal life. Maybe only count the dreams during passages. 'Passing Visions'; 'Passing Wind' is probably more appriate for us.3
Sue

SueO said:

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|:$|I didn't think, I'm sorry.

Seeing as it's you...


I just wondered if you heard the STA call as your description was so good.
Gene and I have both had weird dreams lately. I've had many bird dreams, but now I can't remember what they were. I told him we should start writing them down. A book about the dreams of people who must be unstable and who are cut off from normal life. Maybe only count the dreams during passages. 'Passing Visions'; 'Passing Wind' is probably more appriate for us.3
Sue

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Maybe the "scent" from you & Gene will attract some petrels & shearwaters on your crossing!

I had another dream the other night - again an island, possibly Caribbean. This time a flycatcher-type (about the size of Phoebe) - it had a rufous-ish tail with a pale bar across it. Low in tree branches at mid-altitude level!
This makes a change - I usually dream of not seeing birds!