KenM
Well-known member
The law of averages might suggest that returning to the same site (after an amazing Xmas/New Year break one year from the previous visit) might result in a somewhat more pedestrian avian affair....however nothing could have been more unexpected.
Arrived at our hotel on Dec.26th at 5pm,(circa an hours daylight left) dropped the bags, and did a brisk charge round the bay before sunset. Highlights being 2 Spoonbills flying over, and 39 Sandwich Terns jostling for roost buoys in the bay.
Walking back to our accommodation entry gate, we noted some blurred movements (hadn't been drinking) in the flower beds, a quick look then ''wa-wa-wow'' a ''nectar-ing'' Striped Hawk Moth. A quick peep through the viewfinder proved pointless (too dark)..thus I quickly ran up to the room and brought down my battery powered LED strip, which turned night into day, and managed some ''reasonable-ish'' images''.
A good start I thought in just an hour, what might the ''morrow'' bring I mused.
Sunday the 27th. was to turn into a warm wall to wall, blue c23 degree day, thus we decided to walk South along the coastal path to Las Salinas del Carmen a c6km return walk. En-route we encountered a small flock of Lesser-short toed larks with some accompanying Trumpeter Finches and a few Kentish Plover, also several Southern Grey Shrikes.
As it was getting quite hot we decided to return to Caleta de Fuste for some refreshment stopping off at the ''relief channel'' which runs adjacent to the last hotel on the strip. On the way back to the ''channel'' I managed to image a ''life tick'' butterfly...a Plains Tiger (Imo....probably the best butterfly that I've seen to date). When duly arriving at the freshwater overflow we picked up Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, White Wagtail and Common Sandpiper. As we reached the Southern end of the bay, we noted that it was high tide, and with a fresh N Easterly blowing, all the ''webbed feet and long legs'' were in a relatively tight flock standing on the low lying rocks. Gulls (Yellow-legged, Sandwich Tern, Little Egret and 3 preening Spoonbills in a line just behind the smaller shorebirds, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Sanderlings and a single Dunlin.
At this point (on the promenade, I decided to get nearer the flock, to get a shot of the Spoonbills), when I noted another ''Birder'' coming from my rear flank with projected Bazooka lens, clearly with the same Idea, he appeared to be heading closer than I had intended, thus I hastened my step until we had distance parity, with the only obstruction being a couple of low, roofless stone built igloos between us and the flock perhaps 20m away.
I then proceeded to film the ''ensemble'' when I noticed an ''odd'' smaller gull amongst the throng, standing alongside one of the YLG's, it appeared to have creamy yellow base to the bare parts of the bill, didn't seem to tick any boxes at this point...when ''all of a sudden'' a woman shot up in front of me from within the ''stone igloo'' with ''bare-parts'' barely covered!..looking most indignant and red-faced! Thus realising that I/we, were in a ''sensitive'' situation, I side-stepped the woman and mused on the bird, only to see a 2nd individual that had been ''masked'' by the preening Spoonbills, this had a grey base to the bill, I then looked at the legs...they were grey! Still confused, I then ''found'' another bird behind, another Spoonbill....this had a red bill!!!!...simultaneously as I was digesting the obvious!!!, the other birder joined me (and hadn't noted the gulls)...quipped with a grin on his face, that the occupants in the adjoining igloo were easily identifiable...as the ''bare parts'' were for all to see! :eek!:
Thus it was life-ticks all round, not one but three!!!...and a lot of ''chuckling'' to boot! I'm unsure as to the status of Audouin's Gull on the Canaries, suffice to say I believe they are not annual ?
Certainly an Incredible and amusing first day, surely it doesn't get any better?....watch this space.
Arrived at our hotel on Dec.26th at 5pm,(circa an hours daylight left) dropped the bags, and did a brisk charge round the bay before sunset. Highlights being 2 Spoonbills flying over, and 39 Sandwich Terns jostling for roost buoys in the bay.
Walking back to our accommodation entry gate, we noted some blurred movements (hadn't been drinking) in the flower beds, a quick look then ''wa-wa-wow'' a ''nectar-ing'' Striped Hawk Moth. A quick peep through the viewfinder proved pointless (too dark)..thus I quickly ran up to the room and brought down my battery powered LED strip, which turned night into day, and managed some ''reasonable-ish'' images''.
A good start I thought in just an hour, what might the ''morrow'' bring I mused.
Sunday the 27th. was to turn into a warm wall to wall, blue c23 degree day, thus we decided to walk South along the coastal path to Las Salinas del Carmen a c6km return walk. En-route we encountered a small flock of Lesser-short toed larks with some accompanying Trumpeter Finches and a few Kentish Plover, also several Southern Grey Shrikes.
As it was getting quite hot we decided to return to Caleta de Fuste for some refreshment stopping off at the ''relief channel'' which runs adjacent to the last hotel on the strip. On the way back to the ''channel'' I managed to image a ''life tick'' butterfly...a Plains Tiger (Imo....probably the best butterfly that I've seen to date). When duly arriving at the freshwater overflow we picked up Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, White Wagtail and Common Sandpiper. As we reached the Southern end of the bay, we noted that it was high tide, and with a fresh N Easterly blowing, all the ''webbed feet and long legs'' were in a relatively tight flock standing on the low lying rocks. Gulls (Yellow-legged, Sandwich Tern, Little Egret and 3 preening Spoonbills in a line just behind the smaller shorebirds, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Sanderlings and a single Dunlin.
At this point (on the promenade, I decided to get nearer the flock, to get a shot of the Spoonbills), when I noted another ''Birder'' coming from my rear flank with projected Bazooka lens, clearly with the same Idea, he appeared to be heading closer than I had intended, thus I hastened my step until we had distance parity, with the only obstruction being a couple of low, roofless stone built igloos between us and the flock perhaps 20m away.
I then proceeded to film the ''ensemble'' when I noticed an ''odd'' smaller gull amongst the throng, standing alongside one of the YLG's, it appeared to have creamy yellow base to the bare parts of the bill, didn't seem to tick any boxes at this point...when ''all of a sudden'' a woman shot up in front of me from within the ''stone igloo'' with ''bare-parts'' barely covered!..looking most indignant and red-faced! Thus realising that I/we, were in a ''sensitive'' situation, I side-stepped the woman and mused on the bird, only to see a 2nd individual that had been ''masked'' by the preening Spoonbills, this had a grey base to the bill, I then looked at the legs...they were grey! Still confused, I then ''found'' another bird behind, another Spoonbill....this had a red bill!!!!...simultaneously as I was digesting the obvious!!!, the other birder joined me (and hadn't noted the gulls)...quipped with a grin on his face, that the occupants in the adjoining igloo were easily identifiable...as the ''bare parts'' were for all to see! :eek!:
Thus it was life-ticks all round, not one but three!!!...and a lot of ''chuckling'' to boot! I'm unsure as to the status of Audouin's Gull on the Canaries, suffice to say I believe they are not annual ?
Certainly an Incredible and amusing first day, surely it doesn't get any better?....watch this space.
