A ''Family Holiday'' Fuerteventura..Aug 8th-15th '15 (1 Viewer)

As the title suggests, I was somewhat ''straight-jacketed'' by my responsibilities (three ''all action'' non-stop 11 year olds), destination the Barceló Thalasso Spa hotel at Caleta de Fuste, via Luton Airport and Thompsons Holidays.
I had just the one days ''biking'' respite, from the snorkelling/ping pong/pedallo-ing (always remember to sun screen your metatarsals..A-a-a-g-g-h!!) crazy golf/and chaperoning hotel pool and resort area. On my ''day off'' I took to the desert South to Las Salinas, encountering a party of Stone Curlew, Great Grey Shrike, a single Berthelot's Pipit , Cattle Egret and ''an influx'' of Crimson Speckled...have to presume that the latter are par for the course at this time of year?
As the heat was ''a little'' excessive c28 degrees with no breeze, my bike ride was somewhat short, resulting in me joining ''the boys'' for a prolonged snorkelling session in the local resort lagoons, where they found the ''Blob''..still unsure as to it's ID? A thoroughly good day out as far as I was concerned, little did I imagine, that my ''rest of week incarceration at the hotel/resort complex would eclipse...that which had gone before. To be continued....

A PS to part 1. FWIW, biking back North to the resort, I encountered two Herons...perhaps 10-15 metres apart, both in ''sentinel lightning strike'' mode, for any unsuspecting Ground Squirrel/Lizard that might perchance scurry past, when I was struck by the right hand bird!..appearing to sport a faint tint of pale blue to it's upperparts. I quickly drew my camera and took a short film clip before the subject bird took to the sky. Later that evening I looked at the few resulting frames that were in focus, unfortunately the ''standing'' frames do not show the pale blue tint as was evident with the naked eye through the bins. However, there does appear to be a narrow rich brown tint to the underside leading edge of the wing, also a tint above the thigh in the flight shot, and a tint to an outer edge lower wing (1st image) feather...dunno?

Late afternoon found me at the Northern point of the bay (Caleta de Fuste) facing into a stiff N.Easterly, with over an hours sea watching...guess-timating c2500-3000 Cory's Shearwaters heading North, following the same invisible line approx.500-600m offshore (considering the distance proximity, I was relatively pleased with the images). The only other species that I observed were..a few Yellow-legged Gulls and a Sandwich Tern , when my heart momentarily skipped-a-beat, as it dropped into view...one can but dream!

To be continued......

The rest of the week was spent in the resort/bay area, where I managed to glimpse between various activities, Plain Swift, Raven, Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Sanderling, Ringed/Little Ringed, Kentish Plover, Turnstone and a pair of Laughing Doves on the ''artificial'' Mini Golf course. It was whilst I was being ''challenged'' by the boys in the games room (Ping-Pong), that I excused myself...into the adjoining Bathroom, whilst walking through, an upward glance revealed a superb Lifer!....Striped Hawkmoth, a quick call to my grandsons, and it was ''High Fives'' all round. Now that was completely unexpected, and considering my restrictions, that was a ''great result'' for the week...time to wind down, I thought? To be continued....

The concluding part.

From a birding point of view, the last three days 13/14/15th were of significance from a scarce migrant perspective. Returning to the hotel grounds c.5pm-ish on the 13th (after a splash around with the gang), having been prospecting the rocks around the lagoons for more ''sea creatures'', we'd just trooped through the hotel gates, when I noticed the fast lateral ''mig.''movement of a small passerine into an adjacent Acacia type tree. Initial observation revealed an unmistakable Melodious Warbler (this constituted only the second one that I'd ever seen!). Barely concealing my joy at this juncture, was followed by a 2nd, then a 3rd in the same tree, occasionally commuting into another Acacia. Islands will concentrate as we all know, but this was a ''high'' incidence of a ''scarce'' migrant, and I was able to procure some reasonable shots, needless to say I was an extremely happy bunny! Whilst reviewing the shots, I noted a fast movement from the said tree to the grass beneath for barely a second, before disappearing upwards into the dense leafage. I was left with a ''shrike'' feel, albeit at this stage unsure of which one? Eventually I was able to image and ID an immature Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator. After a fast breakfast on the 14th...I tripped my way through ''fields of rose-tinted lard'' bestriding the terrace of sun-beds, to my shaded Palm tree, I mused as to how fortunate I was, that the ''migrant spot'' was not on the other side of the sun worshippers....as a pair of bins round my neck accompanied by a ''fully-extended'' bridge camera might have caused a furore :eek!: back to some serious birding! That morning I could only raise a single Melodious, clearly the invertebrate yield was still formidable, however I decided to leave and return later, as the previous day. I duly returned at c5pm, and quickly found a second different Woodchat Shrike! soon followed by a Chiff Chaff, another/same Melodious Warbler and what took it to a different level of incidence...only my 3rd ever Bonelli's Warbler. I'm not normally lost for words, but I was then...and ALL from the same tree in probably one of the most incongruous situations, just metres away from heavy footfall traffic outside the hotel perimeter shrubs/trees one side, and an ocean of sun-seekers the other!...doesn't ''bare'' thinking about :-O

The following day Saturday 15th (departure day) had us packed, cases in reception, and ''the gang'' (wife and grandsons), taking a last cup of coffee with juice for the boys, at a café just a short stroll from the hotel grounds overlooking the bay, when (as I understand it..a regular Autumn migrant Pied Flycatcher), was briefly seen perched up in an adjacent maintenance area, long enough for a quick shot.

Fuerteventura has been a ''happy hunting ground'' for me, and I hope to return. Who would have thought that a toilet block and sun bathing area could produce such good returns.

Cheers

Glad you had a good trip with the kids ..........and the nice birds!

joannec said:

Glad you had a good trip with the kids ..........and the nice birds!

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Thanks Joanne :t:

Another place I must one day get too, been to Lanzarote but not Fuerteventura.

You did well to catch the shrike like that Ken, love that image in flight.

wolfbirder said:

Another place I must one day get too, been to Lanzarote but not Fuerteventura.

You did well to catch the shrike like that Ken, love that image in flight.

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Thanks Nick....it was too quick for me to ''single shot,''....had to resort to taking a ''grab'' from the movie clip. :t:

Brings back happy memories of a holiday in Fuertaventura a few years ago.
The highlight was seeing Cream Coloured Coursers east of the road from Caleta De Fusta to the Salinas.
Not too sure what the area is like these days but the road turning inland beyond the Salinas used to be good for birds.Saw Fuertaventura Chats there.
Must go back there some day.

pratincol said:

Brings back happy memories of a holiday in Fuertaventura a few years ago.
The highlight was seeing Cream Coloured Coursers east of the road from Caleta De Fusta to the Salinas.

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I have always looked for them there...but without success!
Opposite the airport to the West, was where I've found them on two occasions.

It's an Island full of surprises...and so relatively under-watched, I've had scarce mig. birds on each of my visits.

Cheers

Well done Ken,some good birds there.Like yourself,I am only too aware on how hard It can be,doing a bit of birding,while keeping youngsters happy at the same time on holiday.

Yet some females say us males can't mult-task..!

If you want some good birdwatching whilst the kids are entertained at the hotel you could do no worse than the Baia Di Conte Sardinia.Went during May migration and residents and migrants included Stone Curlew,Wryneck,tens of Beeaters,many Whinchat and Spotted Flycatcher,Nightingale,Turtle Dove,Golden Oriole,Spectacled Warbler,Pied Flycatcher,Woodchat Shrike,Corn Bunting,Cettit's Warbler,Griffon Vulture,Eleanora Falcon and so on.
As an older couple we found the hotel dire-full of babies,toddlers and youngsters but for families you couldn't do better.
All the birdwatching is within walking distance of the hotel so you can escape for a couple of hours whilst the animation team entertain the kids.It is built within a very well controlled natural park area-they even leave dead carcases out for Griffon Vulture because of the lack of carrion around.They also monitor who enters the vast forest reserve opposite the hotel.
Thomsons do all inclusive holidays there.We want to go back next year the area was so impressive-but to an adult only hotel next time!

Ben Nevis said:

Well done Ken,some good birds there.Like yourself,I am only too aware on how hard It can be,doing a bit of birding,while keeping youngsters happy at the same time on holiday.

Yet some females say us males can't mult-task..!

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I think my wife would agree with your last statement Ben Nevis...and I'm the last person to deny their multi-tasking abilities being somewhat superior. However......someone has to ''singularly focus'' on the serious job of hunting down the quarry.

Ben Nevis said:

Well done Ken,some good birds there.Like yourself,I am only too aware on how hard It can be,doing a bit of birding,while keeping youngsters happy at the same time on holiday.

Yet some females say us males can't mult-task..!

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Agree with Mr Nevis here. It's a balancing act.

Some cracking birds and shots btw Ken:t:

Rich

ClarkWGriswold said:

Agree with Mr Nevis here. It's a balancing act.

Some cracking birds and shots btw Ken:t:

Rich

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Cheers Rich :t: