B Whyte
Active member
Hello fellow birders. I'm just back from a tremendous weeks holiday in Tenerife in which I managed to get in a solid amount of birding whilst balancing time for the usual holiday stuff with my good lady wife.
Below is some of the birding highlights.
Birding Day 1-The first ticks were at breakfast round the pool of the hotel where the sound of the Canary Islands Chiffchaff greeted me before giving itself up to view. It wasn't long before a couple of African Blue Tit then appeared followed by a excellent number of Plain Swift barrelling around over the palms and complex buildings.
A walk down to the marina in Costa Adeje produced a couple of bigger with noticeable white throat patches Pallid Swift overhead. Luckily I managed some half decent pics for the ID clincher. A great start with 4 lifers around the hotel.
Birding Day 2-We hired a car and not a very good one it turned out for the incredibly challenging drive up to the famous Las Lajas picnic spot teetering on the side of a great big bloody volcano! The conditions were perfect but it seemed very quiet. We wandered around until an unfamiliar song caught our ear and then right above us was the stunning prize we had come for, the Blue Chaffinch.
After a little more scanning I spied a watering hole at the foot of a pine tree and around it were 4 Atlantic Canary. Beautiful looking resplendent Yellows and Grey tones in the mid day sunshine.
Off we went back down the side of Mount Teide and then swung up to the north for a stop at another iconic spot Barranco de Ruiz observing the gorge from the recreation area and bridge just off the main road. I had a very decent 14 sp. here with Laurel Pigeon almost immediately seen as it flew past at eye level. The white tail stood out well. Unfortunately no Bolles Pigeon and this would remain unticked. 3 Peregrine (Barbary) Falcon soaring around high on the cliff face, Kestrel, Buzzard, Sardinian Warbler, C.I.Chiffchaff, African Blue Tit, Atlantic Canary and Robin also of note here.
Birding Day 3-Was all about the Golf Courses. The lush greenery and fresh water pools were a welcome sight and the birds did not disappoint. Firstly the large pool at Golf del Sur gave up a nice mix of Black-crowned Night Heron (juve) and a lovely Cattle Egret. 2 Common Sandpipers were on the rocks with Grey Wagtail, Moorhen and Ruddy Shelduck. A singing Blackcap in the bushes nearby.
Amarilla golf course is a 5 min drive from Golf del Sur. After parking up we walked along the path south through the course scoring a Berthelot's Pipit flitting between the rocks alongside us. We then seen another and another. 5 in total. In some scrub land off to the side of the course a couple of Barbary Partridge were quickly waddling away from us as we approached but not before giving another life tick. 4 Whimbrel, 2 Hoopoe, Plain Swift galore, couple of hunting Kestrel and more CI Chiffs noted.
A rather aimlessly enjoyable drive took us to a headland called Punta de Abona further up the eastern coast. There is a rough track out to the lighthouse where I spent a bit of time scanning the sea with the bins. I was delighted to see that the excellent number of Cory's Shearwaters were passing in relatively close to clinch another life tick. In the village at the start of the rough track I was watching a couple Bert's Pips when a Great Grey Shrike swooped in and took a lizard in the village square. Wow that was a wonderful surprise and quite a sight. It must have been perched unseen nearby.
Birding Day 4-We sailed out on a catamaran for a whale and dolphin watching tour but my main focus was of course the seabirds. The Corys were passing by and resting on the sea in huge numbers. I easily estimated around 200 from the boat in the couple of hours we were out there. Unfortunaly no other Shearwater or Petrel sp. at all just more Yellow-legged Gull and a single LBBG.
Birding Day 5-I spent the last available opportunity to head back around the golf courses and pools and I am glad I did because literally right at the last moment on the island I got another life target tick with Spectacled Warbler. After putting in some hard yards in the blazing heat trying to see one it felt like it wasn't going to happen with very little about around the scrub land to the west Amarilla golf course until my fortunes changed first with stunning views of a perched Great Grey Shrike followed a little while later by a faint warbler song on the breeze. Kind of like a Sedgy and then a rattling “churrrr” alarm call. I knew my target was close. I scanned and scanned furiously in the vicinity but there was only bare branches. Where is it!?? Then a bird flew in between some trees and perched. Bins on it. It was another CI Chiff argh! But then out of nowhere the bespectalced one appears and chases off the CI Chiff and perches nicely for ID confirmation and to round off a terrific birding experience.
All in all 11 lifers were had in some spectacular and unforgettable surroundings. A place I would recommend to any birder. Thanks.
Below is some of the birding highlights.
Birding Day 1-The first ticks were at breakfast round the pool of the hotel where the sound of the Canary Islands Chiffchaff greeted me before giving itself up to view. It wasn't long before a couple of African Blue Tit then appeared followed by a excellent number of Plain Swift barrelling around over the palms and complex buildings.
A walk down to the marina in Costa Adeje produced a couple of bigger with noticeable white throat patches Pallid Swift overhead. Luckily I managed some half decent pics for the ID clincher. A great start with 4 lifers around the hotel.
Birding Day 2-We hired a car and not a very good one it turned out for the incredibly challenging drive up to the famous Las Lajas picnic spot teetering on the side of a great big bloody volcano! The conditions were perfect but it seemed very quiet. We wandered around until an unfamiliar song caught our ear and then right above us was the stunning prize we had come for, the Blue Chaffinch.
After a little more scanning I spied a watering hole at the foot of a pine tree and around it were 4 Atlantic Canary. Beautiful looking resplendent Yellows and Grey tones in the mid day sunshine.
Off we went back down the side of Mount Teide and then swung up to the north for a stop at another iconic spot Barranco de Ruiz observing the gorge from the recreation area and bridge just off the main road. I had a very decent 14 sp. here with Laurel Pigeon almost immediately seen as it flew past at eye level. The white tail stood out well. Unfortunately no Bolles Pigeon and this would remain unticked. 3 Peregrine (Barbary) Falcon soaring around high on the cliff face, Kestrel, Buzzard, Sardinian Warbler, C.I.Chiffchaff, African Blue Tit, Atlantic Canary and Robin also of note here.
Birding Day 3-Was all about the Golf Courses. The lush greenery and fresh water pools were a welcome sight and the birds did not disappoint. Firstly the large pool at Golf del Sur gave up a nice mix of Black-crowned Night Heron (juve) and a lovely Cattle Egret. 2 Common Sandpipers were on the rocks with Grey Wagtail, Moorhen and Ruddy Shelduck. A singing Blackcap in the bushes nearby.
Amarilla golf course is a 5 min drive from Golf del Sur. After parking up we walked along the path south through the course scoring a Berthelot's Pipit flitting between the rocks alongside us. We then seen another and another. 5 in total. In some scrub land off to the side of the course a couple of Barbary Partridge were quickly waddling away from us as we approached but not before giving another life tick. 4 Whimbrel, 2 Hoopoe, Plain Swift galore, couple of hunting Kestrel and more CI Chiffs noted.
A rather aimlessly enjoyable drive took us to a headland called Punta de Abona further up the eastern coast. There is a rough track out to the lighthouse where I spent a bit of time scanning the sea with the bins. I was delighted to see that the excellent number of Cory's Shearwaters were passing in relatively close to clinch another life tick. In the village at the start of the rough track I was watching a couple Bert's Pips when a Great Grey Shrike swooped in and took a lizard in the village square. Wow that was a wonderful surprise and quite a sight. It must have been perched unseen nearby.
Birding Day 4-We sailed out on a catamaran for a whale and dolphin watching tour but my main focus was of course the seabirds. The Corys were passing by and resting on the sea in huge numbers. I easily estimated around 200 from the boat in the couple of hours we were out there. Unfortunaly no other Shearwater or Petrel sp. at all just more Yellow-legged Gull and a single LBBG.
Birding Day 5-I spent the last available opportunity to head back around the golf courses and pools and I am glad I did because literally right at the last moment on the island I got another life target tick with Spectacled Warbler. After putting in some hard yards in the blazing heat trying to see one it felt like it wasn't going to happen with very little about around the scrub land to the west Amarilla golf course until my fortunes changed first with stunning views of a perched Great Grey Shrike followed a little while later by a faint warbler song on the breeze. Kind of like a Sedgy and then a rattling “churrrr” alarm call. I knew my target was close. I scanned and scanned furiously in the vicinity but there was only bare branches. Where is it!?? Then a bird flew in between some trees and perched. Bins on it. It was another CI Chiff argh! But then out of nowhere the bespectalced one appears and chases off the CI Chiff and perches nicely for ID confirmation and to round off a terrific birding experience.
All in all 11 lifers were had in some spectacular and unforgettable surroundings. A place I would recommend to any birder. Thanks.
