Tenerife Birds
Dear Jorn,
I was on Tenerife May/June 2001. I am afraid that I can't find teh details on a short term. But still, I have the highlights in my memory.
I used "a birdwatchers guide to the canary Islands"by Tony Clarke & Dave Collins. But more yseful to me was the Gostours-guide on the canary Islands. I haven't found my copy back yet. But if I do i'll let you know and will post it to you (will need your adress then of course).
Tenerife was beautifull, and if you keep clear from the busy tourist-centra is a very quit place to spend your holiday. We had a nice house in the inland (south west, in the vicinity of Villaflor). All teh bird-watchinh was done in the west and middle of Tenerife)
Some of the bird-species seen; Hoopoo (daily in the garden), stone-curlew (heard not seen), long-eared owl roost (very nice) tenerife bluetit, goldcrest, madeira-swift, plain swift, swift, yellow-legged gull, spanish sparrow, rock sparrow, Berthelot's pipit, canary (abundant), Bolle's pigeon, Blue chaffinch, tenerife great woodpecker, Sardinian warbler, spectacled warbler and just one very late "baardgrasmus", Tenerife chifchaf and chaffinch and nesting (and hunting) osprey (which were not mentioned in either of the two books, take a long dolphin-tour (very nice! dolphin, pilot whales, seaturtle) which will take you near bay de San Juan, and you have a good chance seeing them along with loads of Kuhl's-shearwaters (we heard them every night, they nested in the baraanca next to our house!). Coolared, turtle dove, rock-pigeon, linnet, corn-bunting, greenfinch, goldfinch (nesting in the frontgarden), blue heron, waterhengrey wagtail, redbreast, buzzard, common raven.
Places to go;
Monte del Agua (Erjos); Laurel forest, look for Bolle's and white-tailed pigeon along with goldcrest, chaffinch etc.
Las Lajs; amazing views of blue chaffinch, great spotted woodpecker, canary. Stay put at a drinking spot near a warden-post (small wooden "box") and you'll be amazed that amidst noisy tenerife-youngsters, drinking and eating (BBQ) people these birds are very tame! A definite must if you're a birdwatcher on Tenerife.
Teide-area, beautiful pine -forest (blue chaffinch) and a stage higher a bizare moon-landscape (Berthelot's pipit).
Punta de Teno; dolphin, raven, songbirds (I didn't see any seabirds here)
Araguayo, santiago del teide, Erjos ponds; songbirds like spectacled warbler, rock-sparrow, lots of canary and linnet, some waders, blue heron, buzzard.
Los Gigantes; had very bad sighthing of Barbary falcon (more of a faint glimpse)
There's nothing more I can recollect at this time, but hope it is of some use and that you'll have as good a time as I had.
Ps: In Los Christianos is a very good restaurant (can't produce the name anymore) In my view the only reason to go to such a place!
Cheers