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Canary Islands virgins! (2 Viewers)

I had an Opel Nova on each island and this was fine in general. Some of the gravel tracks had to be taken slowly in terms of ground clearance but I was often crawling along scanning anyway. The sandy tracks are used enough to make them generally passable with 2-WD but windblown sand can be a localised issue that required either some careful passing, a quick on foot recce first or, in a couple of cases, admitting defeat and turning round to take another of the plentiful route options. Windblown sand was even a bit of an issue on a couple of limited areas on the tarmac roads!
 
foresttwitcher said:
I had an Opel Nova on each island and this was fine in general. Some of the gravel tracks had to be taken slowly in terms of ground clearance but I was often crawling along scanning anyway. The sandy tracks are used enough to make them generally passable with 2-WD but windblown sand can be a localised issue that required either some careful passing, a quick on foot recce first or, in a couple of cases, admitting defeat and turning round to take another of the plentiful route options. Windblown sand was even a bit of an issue on a couple of limited areas on the tarmac roads!
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Perfect Pete, just what I was hoping!

Chris
 
John Cantelo said:
You should find the two Crossbill guides on the Canary islands useful in planning your trip and whilst there (see https://crossbillguides.nl/bookstore/canary-islands-I also available from NHBS & Wildsounds). They are particularly useful if your interests extend beyond birds. (Note - I'm one of the editorial team for the series so I'm biased!)
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I've just received the guides John, courtesy of NHBS. I've only had a very cursory glance so far but they seem ideal!

Chris
 
Scridifer said:
Thanks Nick, much appreciated!

Chris
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Pure sand is the devil Chris, just don’t go on it.
And deeply rutted tracks you have to gauge for potential underbody damage, but I have always found the tracks around Fuerteventura ok, with a common sense approach as above.

Hopefully the tropicbirds will be back Mid-Feb Chris.

Let me know if your trip comes to fruition mate, I’ll try to help.
 
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wolfbirder said:
Pure sand is the devil Chris, just don’t go on it.
And deeply rutted tracks you have to gauge for potential underbody damage, but I have always found the tracks around Fuerteventura ok, with a common sense approach as above.

Hopefully the tropicbirds will be back Mid-Feb Chris.

Let me know if your trip comes to fruition mate, I’ll try to help.
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I've always adhered to 'discretion is the better part of valour', especially when driving off-road here in Bulgaria, so duly noted!

The Tropicbirds would be amazing, but we might be a tad early for them (I want to be there around my birthday which is 30th Jan)!

I will give you a shout when I've booked flights, hopefully soonish!

Thanks again,

Chris
 
While on Fuertaventura is it woth taking the ferry to Los Lobos from Corralejo? I'm thinking of Little Shearwater, Bulwer's Petrel and Madeiran Storm-petrel which apparently breed there (along with Cory's which I understand doesn;t require too much effort)!

Thanks again,

Chris
 
Just booked our flights - we arrive on Tenerife the 26th of January and leave Fuertaventura the 5th of February!

Chris
 
Binter Canarias

Is anyone privy to the workings of Binter Canarias?

Is it better to book our transfers from Tenerife to Fuerteventura now ( c. 200 Euro) or do it closer to the time in the hope of cheaper fares?

Thanks again,

Chris
 
Hi Chris - I’m just back from a 5 night trip to the Canaries: 2 on Fuerteventura and 3 on Tenerife. An afternoon Binter flight from FV to the north TN airport was very easy. Staying in N Fuerteventura seemed ideal as it’s a very long drive to the south and getting all your targets in a couple of days in the northern half of the island really shouldn’t be too difficult if luck is on your side. Houbara were picking grit off the Tindaya road at 07:30, as i seemed to be the first car there. Chats were easy at the Dwarf Bittern site, though unobtrusive; I dipped the Bittern. No sign of Tropicbirds in an hour of looking, so they may not yet be back by early March. I ended up driving south to Costa Calma for Audouin’s Gull, but later had four on the rocks by the Salinas so even that species is gettable in the north. From what I have read, the southern sites are often more disturbed.

Staying in north Tenerife also seems best. I thoroughly recommend Chanajiga (Lladeras de Tigaiga) for forest birds including Kinglet around the picnic area, Bolle’s Pigeon, Robin etc. Las Lajes seemed very trampled and disturbed, and finding Blue Chaffinch at Villaflor was much more pleasurable than seeing them in the picnic sites! Laurel Pigeon is easy at Mirador La Grimona, as people have said. The only subspecies I missed were TF Linnet (I should have gone to the fields near the north airport) and TF Stone Curlew (people have suggested sites for this in the south).

I will put a trip report on to CloudBirders soonish.

Good luck and enjoy the planning and build-up as well as the holiday!
 
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Hi Sam,
Great info there, really appreciated! May I ask how far in advance you booked your Binter flight?

I've booked accomadation now, on the north of both islands as you suggest (Las Aguas near San Juan de la Rambla on TF and between La Oliva and Villaverde on FV)!

I look forward to reading your report when you get time to do it, perhaps you would post a link here if it's not too much to ask?

Perhaps I'm slightly sad but I find I enjoy the planning and preparation almost as much as the trips! I'm currently dividing my efforts between this one and a visit to Ireland the end of May!

Again many thanks,

Chris
 
I booked my Binter flight in late December, two months in advance, for £85. I’m glad to hear you are staying in the north of both islands. The south of both may well be better for week-long trips with scope for finding vagrants/migrants, but the north works well for the endemics.

Planning trips is definitely great fun: I have several hypotheticals planned, which may be realised eventually when time and family allow. Various trip reports suggested on this thread already helped me a lot with choosing my sites.
 
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