November 2020 Canaries? (1 Viewer)

[paulsullivan]

As my Madagascar trip for mid November onwards is cancelled, I was considering the canary islands(or maybe Greece). Anyone know of anyone organising any trips?

 

[THE_FERN]

As my Madagascar trip for mid November onwards is cancelled, I was considering the canary islands(or maybe Greece). Anyone know of anyone organising any trips?

I'd been vaguely considering it. Do we know if there'll still be any seabirds?

 

[paulsullivan]

Think it is late for most seabirds, but i've yet to visit the Canaries. A thread on here with advice:


https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=238003

I have been looking at a few days on Tenerife, a few on Fuertaventura and a ferry to Gomera day trip

 

[THE_FERN]

Sounds good. I've never been to la Gomera but I found the pigeons easy in n. Tenerife. We did the ferry from there to gran canaria but only saw cory's. I've tried for the gran canaria Chaffinch several times without success. Of course, that also has robin, blue tit candidate species and it's about the only Island with good populations of (any) giant lizard

(I found the old thread about seabirds after I posted last time)

There are various threads about endemism in the various birds. Here's one:

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=189761

And the Wikipedia page on robin is quite good:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_robin

The gran canaria robin level of genetic divergence is quite high among passerines authorities consider to be species.

 

[paulsullivan]

Thank you, very helpful. Looks like i will need to take a ferry to Gran Canaria too

 

[Mike Hunter]

The gran canaria robin level of genetic divergence is quite high among passerines authorities consider to be species.

Surprisingly visually distinctive too. Whilst rare, the chaffinch isn't too difficult either.

The Canaries has to be one of the best places to bird in Europe, islands with very different habitats and offerings, good inter-island access, and always the chance of finding something good (Hawfinch and Spotted Crake for me two years ago but always felt the next bird could be the biggie).

Mike

 

[Steve Lister]

Agree with that Mike. I think I have possibly found proportionally more scarce birds on the Canaries than I have in the UK bearing in mind the time spent birding there. Nothing mega but things like Eleonora's Falcon, Collared Pratincole, Pectoral Sandpiper twice, Spoonbill, Bittern, Ring-necked Duck.

Steve

 

[Steve Lister]

Belted Kingfisher on Lanzarote today - just shows the sort of birds you could find on the islands.

Steve

 

[Mike Hunter]

Nothing mega but things like Eleonora's Falcon, Collared Pratincole, Pectoral Sandpiper twice, Spoonbill, Bittern, Ring-necked Duck.

Steve

That's an impressive list of finds nevertheless Steve. |8)|

Mike