Tenerife & Fuerteventura 26th Jan to 5th Feb 2020 (1 Viewer)

Wednesday 29th January

The plan for today was to head to the extreme north-east of Tenerife into the Anaga Mountains. Hoping for more views of both pigeons and Tenerifan subspecies of Goldcrest and Chaffinch.
Up around 07.00 and.... well I think you know our morning routine by now! Our first stop was at the Cruz del Carmen, a beautiful spot in the laurel forest with hiking trails and lovely views over the foothills we had just ascended. Hopping around one of the noticeboards were a pair of Chaffinches ssp. canariensis! I don't know what the genetics say but to me the male's plumage is strikingly different from the nominate when seen in the flesh!
Pico del Ingles offered magnificent views in all directions but no birds. I can see that if you spent enough time there you would have a great chance but we decided to press on.
A brief stop at El Bailadero gave great views of the coast (it was a bright sunny day so the usual fog wasn't in evidence) and several confiding CI Chiffchaffs plus a Common Buzzard.
A little further on we stopped for a walk in the forest at Bosque Encantado. Right at the start of the trail, preening itself most nonchalantly was a mammalian Lifer for me - Black Rat! Further along a familiar high-pitched call alerted me to the prescence of two Goldcrests ssp. teneriffae. A singing Robin was the only other bird we saw on the trail as we returned to the car.
We followed the road right out to the very picturesque (and isolated!) village of Chamorga in hope of finding Sardinian Warbler or perhaps Rock Sparrow, but all it had to offer was a simple but pleasant lunch!
Returning the way we came we made a diversion to Benijo for a quick spot of sea-watching, but as expected only the ubiquitous Yellow-legged Gulls put in an appearance!
Back at Las Aguas I left my better half and drove back to the Barranco de Ruiz hoping for another glimpse of Laurel Pigeon. A few Blackbirds and the usual Rock Doves kept me on my toes until finally a Laurel Pigeon flew across the barranco and perched in a tree above me! Unfortunately it was right above me and I was unable to see it at all! Several more CI Chiffchaffs and a skulking Robin kept me entertained on my way back to the car and that was it for the day!

Scridifer said:

Many thanks Larry! Just checked my records and three were singing in the open and just one skulker! Funny things aren't they!

Chris

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Although they can also learn our local Robin behaviour, the attached was coming to crumbs at the Caldera café on Tenerife - https://ebird.org/checklist/S33067949

It would have happily perched on a spade for a Christmas card.

All the best

Paul

Paul Chapman said:

Although they can also learn our local Robin behaviour, the attached was coming to crumbs at the Caldera café on Tenerife - https://ebird.org/checklist/S33067949

It would have happily perched on a spade for a Christmas card.

All the best

Paul

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Lovely image Paul! Thanks for sharing!

Chris

I was a bit uncertain what to do the next day as it was to be our last full day in Tenerife before flying to Fuerteventura on Friday. Fortunately I was in the enviable position of having seen all my main targets so I decided to head up El Teide again, aiming to beat the crowds to the visitor centre and perhaps get a better look at Barbary Partridge whilst hoping for an outside chance of Barbary Falcon or even an over-wintering Plain Swift. Regardless of what we might see the spectacular landscapes certainly warranted another visit!

Thursday 30th January

Rising at our usual time, and realising that being 60 wasn't much different from being 59, we experienced a brief moment of panic when I found a missed call from my urologist in Sofia 15 minutes previously! Knowing he was calling with the results of a prostate biopsy he had performed I scrabbled to call him back before he went into surgery and became 'incommunicado' for the morning! Fortunately he picked up on my second attempt and then followed the best birthday present ever - "all clear"!
After a most enjoyable breakfast that included a couple of celebratory 'dulce' biscuits we were on the road and arrived at the El Portillo visitor centre before it had even opened. We enjoyed the tranquility of the gardens for at least 30 minutes before anyone alse arrived. At least a dozen Canaries flitted about, an African Blue Tit almost kept still long enough to be photographed, and a couple of Blue Chaffinches put in an appearance but no partridge! Nothing was going to dent our spirits though so we drove across the caldera to the other visitor centre at Canada Blanca just drinking in the otherworldly scenery! It was beginning to get busy by now so we headed back down into the pine forest zone to see if I could photograph a Blue Chaffinch at the Ramon Caminero picnic site. We hadn't even got out of the car before I saw two males hopping down to the floor and back from the hand rail close to the public conveniences! (See pics below).
Moving further back down the mountain we stopped again at Chasna, the location for our first (and to date only!) Bolle's Pigeon. An attractive-looking bodegon had caught my eye on the ascent and we decided to have lunch there.

The summit of El Teide from El Portillo visitor centre
Blue Chaffinches at Ramon Caminero area recreativa

Love those Blue Chaffinches Chris!

30th January PM

Fortified by some excellent Canarian cooking we decided to check out the upper parts of the Barranco de Chasna as per the Crossbill Guide p. 136. I had seen the one Bolle's Pigeon but was quite eager to have further views and this site sounded promising. The shrine was in a beautiful setting and the whole area was very scenic, but here is where I have my one grievance with the authors (who otherwise have nailed everything perfectly in my opinion) - do not attempt to walk the 800m uphill stretch of road unless you are a b***dy mountain goat! We nearly got divorced over it! No Bolle's Pigeons but we did see Kestrel, Common Buzzard, African Blue Tit, CI Chiffchaff, Robin and a pair of Common Chaffinches.
Dropping Sandra back to the house I decided to have my last roll of the dice pigeon-wise at the upper end of the Barranco de Ruiz as per Dave Gosney's 'Finding Birds in THE CANARIES' P.14. Parking at the now derelict retaurant El Bosque I crossed the road and scanned the gorge. The habitat certainly looked ideal and I soon had several Blackbirds and a couple of CI Chiffchaffs under my belt! Then I hit paydirt, a Bolle's flew across the barranco and perched in a tree further down from me but still in sight! I was able to see the distinctive tail markings quite clearly! In the next 30-40 minutes two more showed, one flying up the gorge and passing almost directly overhead! I also had a bonus Laurel Pigeon plus a Common Buzzard and an African Blue Tit.
Not bad for my last birding session on Tenerife and a birthday that will live long in the memory for a variety of reasons!

Chris

wolfbirder said:

Love those Blue Chaffinches Chris!

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Thanks Nick, they are rather smart aren't they!

Chris

Belated Birthday wishes, Chris, and congratulations on the good news. Agree, great Blue Chaffinch photos.

foresttwitcher said:

Belated Birthday wishes, Chris, and congratulations on the good news. Agree, great Blue Chaffinch photos.

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Many thanks on all counts Pete!

Chris

Great read. loved the blue chaffinch pics. a special looking bird. With respect to the Robins, one the first things I noticed during my first proper birding trip abroad in the Camargue last year, was how differently birds behave from our experience at home. The few Robins we saw there were in deed quite skulky, whereas we had some very showy nightingales. exactly the opposite of what we are used to.

Great news all round Chris!...and as for the Blue Chaffinch...simply stunning! Looking forward to your FTV jaunts, no doubt you’ll consider the LB as an option? If so...the best of luck. :t:

Friday 31st January

We had a 12.30pm flight from Tenerife North to Fuerteventura so had a leisurely morning before dropping off the car and checking in with Binter for the less than 50 minute trip. All went very smoothly and before long the verdant scenery of northern Tenerife was being replaced by the yellows and ochres of Fuerteventura. The only slight hiccough was a lengthy queue at the CICAR desk but the staff were very efficient and we were on our way reasonably speedily!
Half an hour's drive north took us to our hotel in Villaverde, just past La Oliva and fairly close to Tindaya. Spanish Sparrows were in abundance in the palm trees in the gardens and also in the cracks of the old farmhouse-style building itself. Collared Doves were also plentiful and I had a couple of Ravens and several Yellow-legged Gulls passing over. After a delicious luncheon in the hotel's excellent restaurant I left Sandra to unpack and headed off for my first taste of the Tindaya plains!
First stop was at Rosa de los Negrines as described on p. 28 of Gosney's book. Before I had even reached the site I had my first Fuerteventuran Lifer foraging at the side of the track - Lesser Short-toed Lark!. Reaching the site I soon had another target, a very confiding Great Grey Shrike ssp. koenigi! Passing on and reaching the fenced-off area I turned left and headed for Tindaya. Frequent stops to scan for Houbaras were to no avail but I did see several Berthelot's Pipits and a Common Buzzard. Perhaps three-quarters of the way to Tindaya were a couple of dlapidated buildings surrounded by a fence, and close to the fence a couple of small birds were flitting around. Nudging the Opel Mokka round to get a better view through the driver's window I was delighted to see a pair of Trumpeter Finches - another Lifer! Then a black crescent came swooping down out of the azure blue sky - was it my Plain Swift? No, but it was another trip tick - Barn Swallow! Following the track into Tindaya brought none of the hoped-for desert birds but I did add a pair of Ravens. It was time to head back to the hotel now as we were meeting up with friends who had flown out to celebrate my birthday! Not a bad start on our 'desert island'!

Chris

Paul Longland said:

Great read. loved the blue chaffinch pics. a special looking bird. With respect to the Robins, one the first things I noticed during my first proper birding trip abroad in the Camargue last year, was how differently birds behave from our experience at home. The few Robins we saw there were in deed quite skulky, whereas we had some very showy nightingales. exactly the opposite of what we are used to.

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Thanks Paul! What you say is so true - you wouldn't believe how shy the Blackbirds are here in Bulgaria, they only ever come into the garden in the harshest of winters!

Chris

KenM said:

Great news all round Chris!...and as for the Blue Chaffinch...simply stunning! Looking forward to your FTV jaunts, no doubt you’ll consider the LB as an option? If so...the best of luck. :t:

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Thanks indeed Ken! As for the DB, ..thereby hangs a tale!

Chris

Saturday 1st February

Arriving for breakfast (surprisingly fresh after a hearty 'catch-up session' with our friends John & Lorraine the night before!) at 07.30am only to discover it didn't start for another half an hour, we headed into Tindaya. A local cafe-bar doing a brisk trade with locals more than satisfied our needs and we headed out onto the plain not long after sunrise.
We were perhaps half a km out of town and Sandra, quite taken aback at the scale of the stony plains, had just said "How will you find anything in all this?" when I spotted movement not far from a ramshackle agricultural building on her side of the track. Sure enough it was the main prize - Houbara Bustard, a male! It was reasonably distant and rather than risk spooking it by approaching further I inched out of the car and set up the scope. I then got Sandra to clamber over and come out via my door. We enjoyed brief views of it before ,joy of joys, it started to display! A truly mesmerising experience and something I had only really dreamed of! It finished its performance and sauntered away into the distance. Continuing along the track Great Grey Shrike and Spectacled Warbler soon followed, while up ahead was another car, birdwatchers too judging by their stop-start progress. Reaching the crossroads shown on p. 29 of Gosney we continued over and then there was one, no two, sorry three Cream-coloured Coursers darting about! The second Lifer of the day and it wasn't even eight o'clock yet!
We made our way back to the crossroads and took the left-hand track to head for El Cotillo, following the route on p. 124 of our Crossbill Guide. Another Shrike, a Berthelot's Pipit, nine Ravens and Common Kestrel ssp. dacoitae were encountered before we reached El Cotillo and headed out to the Faro de Toston. The tidal pools at the lighthouse did hold the promised Little Egret as well as several Yellow-legged Gulls and a couple of Berthelot's Pipits in the car park. The sand dunes did look inviting but were very busy so we headed off to El Roque in search of more desert birds. The barranco there brought our first Barbary Ground Squirrels but only one bird flitting about! Rather gratifyingly it soon showed itself to be a striking male Canary Island Stonechat! Another major target and Lifer in the bag before lunch!
Returning to Villaverde via the FV-10 we stopped briefly at Rosa de los Negrines where Sandra was delighted to see one of her favourite birds - Hoopoe!
Back at the hotel making our way from the car park to freshen up before lunch, I almost dropped the scope in my haste to examine a group of swifts that appeared overhead! Fortunately Sandra was on hand to save it and I was able to add the hoped for but not entirely expected Plain Swift!

We had enjoyed our meal at El Horno so much the previous evening we were returning there for lunch, but I would have to put any celebrations on hold - that afternoon I was planning a crack at the Barranco del Rio Cabras!......


Chris

Saturday 1st February (continued)

Heading off after lunch, leaving Sandra to struggle with the loungers by the hotel pool on her own, I parked up near the lights of the airport's runway and headed into the Barranco del Rio Cabras.
Rock Doves were in evidence almost from the start, and Common Buzzards soon became apparent as I made my way further in. Spectacled Warbler rattled from the vegetation and put in the occasional appearance while Ravens called from above. Above the (dry) reservoir a dozen Spanish Sparrows flitted around some tamarisks and I saw my first female Chat. By now the gorge had narrowed considerably and I saw the first signs of water, muddy ground! Just then a familiar honking heralded the appearance of four Ruddy Shelduck in flight, not what I was expecting in the barranco! Common Buzzards wheeled overhead and then my reason for visiting the barranco appeared in view - a sub-adult Egyptian Vulture ssp. majorensis, soon followed by three adults! Noticeably different from the birds we get here!
By now there was quite a lot of water, and I was having to jump from dry patch to dry patch to avoid getting a bootee! I could see the first wrecked car just up ahead but decided I had gone far enough. If I made it back to the car in reasonable time I would still have enough daylight for a visit to Tindaya and a crack at the last of the 'desert trinity', the Sandgrouse! The walk back down added a couple of Shrikes (see pic), a pair of Chats and a Berthelot's Pipit.
Back at Tindaya I drove a bit further along the track to Punta Raso Chico than we had in the morning and was rewarded with a pair of Houbaras (see pic)! Making my way back to Tindaya I added another Hoopoe, two Trumpeter Finches, Great Grey Shrike and Berthelot's Pipit. Back at the location of the morning's Houbara anothe (the same?) male showed very close to the track.
No Sandgrouse but a fantastic day's birding, everything I could have hoped for and more! Tomorrow we were meeting up with Lorraine and John and I planned to visit Los Molinos and Betancuria.

Chris

Great Grey Shrike at Barranco del Rio Cabras
Houbara Bustard at Tindaya plain

Great to see you connected with the bustards and the Coursers Chris, I failed with the latter despite 3 visits.

Really enjoying your report Chris, especially the inclusion of the subspecific names. Delighted to find birds named after Indian bandits and a Dutch beer!

Cheers
Mike

wolfbirder said:

Great to see you connected with the bustards and the Coursers Chris, I failed with the latter despite 3 visits.

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Many thanks Nick, I was delighted! A real shame you didn't find the Coursers, lovely little birds!

Chris

MKinHK said:

Really enjoying your report Chris, especially the inclusion of the subspecific names. Delighted to find birds named after Indian bandits and a Dutch beer!

Cheers
Mike

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Welcome aboard Mike, glad you're enjoying the trip!

Chris