Siberia/Tropics…just a few hours apart!….on FTV. (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

Stanstead bound on Sunday 5th for our seven day holiday to Fuerteventura was eagerly awaited, as we packed the car for our 40 min trip to the airport, only to find that they’d closed the M11 for maintenance work!
With Sod’s Law prevailing, we set off hoping that this hiccup would be the only one, and that the detour wouldn’t delay our two hour before flight arrival time.
The 3hour 45min flight time with Ryanair was smooth, as was the Lavazza coffee…the best “in flight” Americano’s we’ve ever had.
A 10-15 min taxi transfer from airport to hotel gave us a couple of hours of daylight, to stroll the promenade and “feel the heat”before dinner, not realising that it would come with a free “floor show”.🤣

To be continued….

 

[KenM]

Monday 6th of March had me up and down stairs for an early breakfast, followed by a stroll along the beach and rocky bay.
The most Sandwich Terns (c200+) that I’d ever seen, occasionally flying up then splitting into two groups, emitting an amazing chorus of sheer excitement, whilst executing rapid aerial turns and sweeps…an air show that one might pay to watch!
Meanwhile back on the ground, the more pedestrian waders were eeking out a living, probing the rocky shoreline.
Three Spoonbill, Legret, Grey Plover, Whimbrel,Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Sanderling plus my first “island lifer” albeit long past it’s “breath by date” Atlantic Puffin!
An unfortunate casualty of February storms, a rare visitor to these islands.

To be continued…

 

[Richard Prior]

Meanwhile back on the ground, the more pedestrian waders were eeking out a living, probing the rocky shoreline.
Three Spoonbill, Legret, Grey Plover, Whimbrel,Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Sanderling plus my first “island lifer” albeit long past it’s “breath by date” Atlantic Puffin!
An unfortunate casualty of February storms, a rare visitor to these islands.

Shame about the Puffin Ken, makes you wonder how many perished this winter, more than in an average year I imagine.
With my retired English teacher’s hat on, is eeking out a living a scary way of feeding?
You mean eking methinks!

Default reaction is to blame predictive text of course……

 

[jogresh]

Yes very sad all the dead Puffins this winter.

So what's the story with the hedgehog?.. 🤔😀🤷‍♂️🦔🦔

 

[dantheman]

Shame about the Puffin Ken, makes you wonder how many perished this winter, more than in an average year I imagine.
With my retired English teacher’s hat on, is eeking out a living a scary way of feeding?
You mean eking methinks!

Default reaction is to blame predictive text of course……

I think they were probably just bimbling along the shoreline, doing their thing, then suddenly something spooks them, they all go 'eek!' (in waderish of course) and freeze or fly off, carry on etc. Or maybe just continually surprised by the odd starfish etc.

Eking, whilst correct, looks just as wrong to me. Smacks of a top social media influencer or something ...

 

[KenM]

Yes very sad all the dead Puffins this winter.

So what's the story with the hedgehog?.. 🤔😀🤷‍♂️🦔🦔

The dining room had a plastic glamping section for hotel overload and as such, it was c8” short of the floor thus allowing “visitors” to mop up the “crumbs”.😊

 

[KenM]

I think they were probably just bimbling along the shoreline, doing their thing, then suddenly something spooks them, they all go 'eek!' (in waderish of course) and freeze or fly off, carry on etc. Or maybe just continually surprised by the odd starfish etc.

Eking, whilst correct, looks just as wrong to me. Smacks of a top social media influencer or something ...

Agreed, a simple case of dropping the “s”.😮

 

[KenM]

Shame about the Puffin Ken, makes you wonder how many perished this winter, more than in an average year I imagine.
With my retired English teacher’s hat on, is eeking out a living a scary way of feeding?
You mean eking methinks!

Default reaction is to blame predictive text of course……

Don’t know how many birds were washed ashore Richard, indeed may have been a fraction of the actual, but a few were recouparated before release as I understand it.🙂👍

 

[KenM]

After lunch, wife and I parted company, her for a shop browse and me South to the desert.
Heading through the desert I perchanced upon a single male Trumpeter finch, two Linnets, two Lesser Short-toed Larks and two Berthalot’s Pipits plus a single Whimbrel and Kentish Plover.

Little did I know, that our travel plans for the week ahead were about to change somewhat,
upon returning from the desert strip, I ambled along the promenade and stopped momentarily for a quick scan over the water feature behind the Atlantico shopping centre.

Here I espied the ONLY Chiffy of the trip + many Blackcaps “to-ing and fro-ing” between an old Tamarisk and other assorted trees, when a German woman approached and asked excitedly “have you seen the tropicbird?” to which I replied “unfortunately no,” to which she replied “It just flew over your head and out to sea!”😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥
Composure in the face of such an admission was extremely difficult, all I could think of was….I shall return!

To be continued….

 

[Richard Prior]

Nothing like a Brit’s stiff upper lip Ken, well done on keeping it all under control!

 

[KenM]

After breakfast on Tuesday (7th March) we had to collect the hire car, with both hirer and Hertz agent double checking the vehicle with (photo validation of current condition on our part being a recquisite!)
After which, we drove South West (seeing two Egyptian Vultures en route) up into the hills to Pajara, where we stopped for a Coffee (40 mins. and 5 Euros lighter).

Here we found Sardinian Warbler, African Blue Tit, more Blackcaps than you could “shake a stick at” seeming to be all singing at once! plus my favourite Sibe….Yellow-Browed Warbler!
Hoping this might be an omen, 😮 we returned picking up Raven and Southern Grey Shrike on the drive back to CDF (Caleta de Fuste) where we grabbed a toasted sandwich for lunch.

Finally, making our way back along the tide line
I noticed an “Oystercatcher!”, flying away then dropping down onto the beach amongst the “Brown Boobies”🤣 never having recorded Oystercatcher in previous double digit visits.
I knew that it was somewhat scarce and had noted the contrasting paler tan back however
it was in direct competition with a potential RBT!

Needless to say it was no real contest, as I hurried Westward along the promenade.
Arriving at the Atlantico, I duly left no “aerial movement” unchallenged, as I patrolled the promenade!
After several hours of nowt of note occurring, I decided to climb the stone tower betwixt sea and the water feature, whilst the German couple Marten and Renata were scanning (land and sea) from below.
Eventually coming straight toward, almost at eye level (between and beneath) the twin towers of the Atlantico….it suddenly appeared!
I shouted out “here it is…it’s a comin!”

Thrusting up my new camera 5 days old (at the start of the learning curve) I attempted to film the oncoming bird, having not used the movie mode before, I eventually realised that what I was seeing was not being recorded, as I’d not hit the right button…A-g-g-h!
With agitated fumbling fingers, I switched to “A” mode and managed a few small going away shots before it plunge dived c1000m out soon resurfacing and flying off distantly to the South!

Just to compound my poor efforts after descending the tower, I met up with Marten and Renata where they unleashed the most awesome image of “the bird”.
Tomorrow was another day, that couldn’t come quick enough!😩

To be continued….

 

[KenM]

On Wednesday 8th March, after breakfast, I worked the beach and rocks of the bay, many Ringed Plovers, Sanderling, Dunlin and what raised a glass that evening…another island 1st!
Initially hiding with head down, then popping up and down like a periscope before slowly emerging to reveal all….a Wood Sandpiper!…”no less oblige”…my fourth “trip tick” so far! 😮
This called for a celebratory coffee at the Beach Cafe, it was here whilst knocking back the caffeine and staring out to sea…when the “Oystercatcher” flew in just metres from my “sprawl” and proceeded to search the beach for vitals.
Leaping up like Indiana Jones (replacing bullwhip with camera 😂) I managed some better shots as it was almost obliging.
Then, my caffeine high propelled me South away from the prom. into the desert once more, where I noticed an increase of Clouded Yellows, more fleet of foot lizards and certainly the biggest Gropper that I’ve ever seen…plus dare I say it, a very distant Red-billed Tropicbird heading out to sea.😩

 

[KenM]

On Thursday 9th March, a change of routine was agreed, so we drove South to Costa Calma (c45 mins.) and the famous Palm/Pine forested strip that has been home to some very scarce birds in the past.
It was a relief to be able to “bird” in the shade and in doing so, connecting with another island “fifth lifer” Tree Pipit, of which there were a pair, also several Song Thrushes and Red-vented Bulbuls.
Unsure of the latter’s status, as believed to have escaped from the local zoo and appears to be doing just nicely….whatever the verdict? an attractive species that is a great little mover on the flycatching front…can be recommended! We then decided to head back to base (CDF) for our daily caffeine break, whereupon arrival
I noted that the NEasterlies had increased in strength and gusting!

This prompted me to visit the NEastern part of the bay, as onshore winds might be productive on the Shearwater front, sometimes coming inshore fairly close, of course all being commensurate with the ambient wind strength.

Doing (several “minute” counts) the Cory’s averaged 30+ going North in that time span, equating to circa 2000 per hour, not a spectacle that I could enjoy back home, such was the pleasure in participating in this seemingly non-stop streaming event.
After an hours “blow drying” I decided discretion was the order of the day, as the “shivers” started to set in.😮

 

[KenM]

On our last full car hire day Friday 10th March, we decided to visit Gran Tarajal, a port, circa 30 minute drive South, this was a place we stumbled upon some five years previous.
Recalling that it enjoyed a small water inlet, which had pools with LRP, Green Sand. and RTPipit…Alas, the pools were no more!
On the upside, it had no foreign tourists as such just local Spaniards…beginning to feel like we were abroad.😂
We found a very pleasant cafe/ice cream parlour on the front, sea facing…with very comfortable chairs…you’ve guessed it…two americano’s and they were extremely good!
However, the bill when it came…I refused to pay!
I let it be known to the proprietoress in no uncertain terms…that I would not be paying “that bill”, further to which, I vowed to return at those ridiculous prices!🤣

 

[KenM]

Saturday 11th March was earmarked as the “all or nothing” day for the Red-billed Tropicbird!
Having returned the hire car, I“blitzed it” to the prom. preparing to give it my all, with binoculars and camera swinging in unison like a couple of pendulums as I stumbled en-route.🤣

I patrolled the beach, prom. and desert between 10.30 am and 3pm when I relented for caffeine, resumed at 3.30pm….then at 4.22pm it came off the land towards the tower opposite the “Atlantico”, fortunately I was barely 20m away stumbling towards, maxing out the zoom as I went, whereupon it was too close through the viewfinder, resulting in more blurred images, eventually some sharp ones…half in and half out the frame, then finally some sharp “centred” images.
To put the exercise into some sort of perspective…if it arrives on the day? it will come unannounced and low, putting all manner of fixed impediments in the way to include trees and buildings added to which it’s literally a “flying visit” before powering off low elsewhere.
Being in the right place at the right time…is as with most things requisite.

Until I laid eyes on this bird, Wallcreeper flying close up and just below eye level occupied my no.1 slot, now I’m not so sure, simplified…a Streamered Snow White pennant, fronted by a cocktail of red lips and mascara…difficult!

 

[Prestdj]

love the report ken i have great memories of CDF as resort based birding site its rather good especially the walk south to the whale bones

great write up

 

[KenM]

On our final Sunday morning (an early breakfast) launched me back to the beach and the prom. Obviously “the gods” felt that enough was enough, and no further visitations were forthcoming, however a totally unexpected “island” 6th tick morphed into view, one which jaw dropped me….Wood Pigeon!
Clearly the best “island lifers” haul I’ve ever had on FTV, not just nos. but sheer quality, overall 43 species for the week, to include a deceased Atlantic Puffin.
There is but one twist to this tale and bizarrely an anecdotal one at that, unfortunately there is no exact year for the date, suffice to say it was the mid ‘50’s.
Often on Sunday mornings dad and I would visit “club row”(Brick Lane, East London) as it was called.
A Sunday market where you could buy almost anything, a positive Aladdin’s Cave of “second hand treasures” some working, some not, you could barter with the vendor and often pick up a bargain!
I always ended up, getting my dad to take me to the pet market where I could stroke the puppies, the very smell of them excited me, how I desperately wanted a dog! (we lived in a small tenament flat 😩)
Hopefully I haven’t digressed too much, but I needed to paint the picture.
The last building standing (c3 storey) adjacent to the bomb site on one side and the “pet market” tother, was where they sold reptiles and other exotics.
I never went in, found the smell offensive, it had a big plate glass window, behind which, was a saw dust covered plinth, holding a barely filled bowl of water.
Adjacent to which, there was a bird….the likes of which I’d never seen afore!
At the time the only birds that I’d ever seen were Pigeons and Sparrows.
However, I can remember the peculiarities of it….short legs with webbed feet, extremely attenuated, all white with a “ridiculously” long tail, pointy red bill and seemingly black eye lashes!
I’ve now come full circle, albeit not under it’s own steam….a first for London anybody? 😥🤣

 

[THE_FERN]

…a Streamered Snow White pennant, fronted by a cocktail of red lips and mascara…difficult!

Perhaps my unfamiliarity (long time since I've seen one) but this individual seems to have especially long streamers?

 

[KenM]

Perhaps my unfamiliarity (long time since I've seen one) but this individual seems to have especially long streamers?

Can’t answer your question Fern but…it was “day twitched” from the UK some two + weeks ago….😮