Anotherbudgetholiday:thistimeanattempttoseeasmanyCanaryIslandandMacronesianendemicsaspossible,plusafewotherkeytargets,ontheislandofTenerife.Tomakelifemoreinterestingwealsosoughtoutendemicsub-species.WechoselatedatesforourvisitbecausetheseendemicsarepresentallyearroundandthistimingmaximisedourchancesoffindingscarceseabirdsontheTenerifetoLaGomeraferry.Thedownsidewasthattheoverallnumberofspeciespresentwasreducedoutsideofthemigrationseason.Althoughweonlywentfor7dayswedidconsideraone-wayinter-islandflighttoFuerteventuraforHoubaraBustardandFuerteventuraChat,withtheadditionalenticementofa9hourreturnferryjourneyandthepossibilityofWhite-facedPetrel.Thiswouldhavebeenperfectlyfeasibleaswesawalltheendemicandnear-endemicspecieswithinthefirsttwodaysbutweeventuallydecidedtoleaveFuerteventuraforanotherday.

TravelArrangementsOnthisoccasiontherewereonlytwoparticipants,JohnRayner(travellingfromManchester)andDougSmith(travellingfromNewcastle).WeusedJet2.comastheyflewfromourrespectivehometownairportsandwerecheap.Wereducedcostsfurtherbydecliningalltheusualadd-ons;Jet2insurance,pre-bookedseats,in-flightmeals,in-flightdrinks,dutyfree,headphonehire,filmhire,scratchcardsetc(istherenothingtheywon’tsell?)andtookhandluggageonly(areasonable10kilos).ThisbroughttheflightcostfromManchesterdownto£112.AFordFiestawasbookedthroughCarhire3000withGoldcarfor£84.Accommodationwasalarge,selfcateringapartmentintheMarinoHotelTenerifeontheCostadelSilencio,excellentvalueat£100.Wewentasfootpassengers(40Eurosreturn)ontheLosCristanostoLaGomeraferrytravellingwiththeslowerNavieraArmas(acrossingofabout80minutes)ratherthantheFredOlsenExpress.

Maps,GuidesandRecommendedTripReportsThemapweused,the1:50000Tenerife,Freytag&Berndt,hassomefinedetailandisprobablythebestavailable,butwasunwieldytouseinthecarasitismassiveandprintedonbothsides.Wetook‘ABirdwatchers’GuidetotheCanaryIslands’(TonyClarke&DaveCollins)and‘WheretowatchBirdsinTenerife’(EduardoGarciadelRey).Buttheseguideswerepublished12-15yearsagoandarenowalittledated.Wefoundmanysiteschangedbeyondrecognition,forexample,allusualaccessroutestoPuntadelaRascalighthousearenowbehindlockedgatesorblockedoffwithnewandmassivetentedbananaplantationsandElFrailereservoir,accessibleasrecentlyasJanuary2011,isnowfencedoff.Suchistherateofchange.TheseInternetreportsarefromthelast3yearsandgiveusefulinformationonspeciesseen,sitesvisitedandchangestositedirectionsplusthelocationofthecurrentbestsiteforLaurelPigeon:TenerifeandLaGomera–25thMarchto1stApril2008-NealWarnock(Surfbird.com)Tenerife,CanaryIslands–10-13December2009–NickLittlewood(TravellingBirder.com)TenerifeandFuerteventura–12-19May2009–StefanMagnusson(TravellingBirder.com)Tenerife–11-18September2010–RichardSutton(Surfbirders.com)Tenerife–8-22August2008–PhilLindley(Surfbirds.com)Tenerife–Feb2008–RichardBonsor(Surfbirds.com)Tenerife–22-29January2011–GaryWestdean(TravellingBirder.com)

4thJune

LateafternoonflightsbutasDS’sflightwasdelayedby3hoursJRmanagedabitofbirdingaroundtheReinaSofiaairport.ThisquicklyproducedthefirstsightingsoftheabundantandwidespreadCanaryIslandsChiffchaffsandPlainSwifts,theendemicsub-speciesofBlackbird(ssp.cabrarae,notmuchdifferenttoours)andasinglesofBarbaryPartridgeandTurtleDove.

5thJune

Anearlystartwascalledforasweheadedtothenorthoftheislandtoasitenotfoundinthebooks,butgleanedfrominternettripreports(seeabove).MiradorlaGrimonaisapproximately5kilometreswestofPuertodelaCruzandisjustwestofaseriesoftunnelsontheTF5.WithinsecondsofgettingoutofthecaraLaurelPigeonflew,andthenlanded,halfwayupthemountainslopeoppositeaffordingexcellentscopedviews.Therewere2-3birdspresentandtheyputonabitofashowoverthenexthalfhour.OurfirstofmanyCanaries,theextremelybrightandaptlynamedsub-speciesofRobin(ssp.superbus)andasub-speciesofCory’sShearwater(ssp.borealis)werealsointhearea.BuoyedbythisearlysuccessweheadedbacktothemountainvillageofErjoswherewequicklyfoundtheendemicsub-speciesofGreyWagtail(ssp.canariensis),butittooksomeefforttofindthecorrecttracktotheBolle’sPigeonsite.Problemsarosemainlyfromthedisappearanceofthe‘CasaForestal’sign,whichismentionedinbothguidesandhasbeenusedasaprominentlandmarkinthepast.WechosetowalkthroughthepineforestratherthandriveandthushadcloseviewsofCanaryIslandKinglet,AfricanBlueTitandthesub-speciesofChaffinch(ssp.tintillon,amuchdrabberbirdthanthoseinBritain).Wechosetowalkfurtherthanthefamousrockwiththegreenraingauge(N.B.thegaugecannotbeseenfromgroundlevel)andontothenextbarecliffface.This,surroundedasitisbypristinelaurelforestisidealhabitatforBolle’sPigeonandagainwequicklyhadbothflightandscopedperchedviews.ItisworthnotingthatontwosubsequentdaysaswepassedErjositwasshroudedinthickcloud,soonthisoccasionwewereluckywiththeweather.

Above:LaurelPigeonsite

Above:raingaugerockwithcliffsinbackground

Above:maleIslandCanary

6thJune

Anotherearlystartaswedrovetotheinterioroftheislandbeforecrowdsoftouristsgotthere.BarbaryPartridgeswerepercheduproadsideandanotherpairwalkedacrosstheroadwithachick.ThefirstofdozensofBerthelot’sPipitswerenotedbeforewearrivedatLasLajaspicnicarea.HerewereBlueChaffinches,Canaries,CanaryIslandsKingletsandtheendemicsub-speciesofGreat-spottedWoodpecker(ssp.canariensis),thelattersportingquiteduskyunderparts.AfricanBlueTitswerenestingundertheeavesofastonebuildingandwiththeirblackandwhiteheadpattern,bluemantleandlackofwingbarstheylookedverydifferenttoEurasianBlueTit.Insectswerealsoflyingwiththegolden-honeycolouredfemaleCanaryBluecatchingtheeyeandCanaryLizardswarmedupintheearlysun.

Above:BarbaryPartridge

Above:LaLajaspicnicsite

Above:maleBlueChaffinch

Above:femaleBlueChaffinch

Above:AfricanBlueTit

Above:femaleCanaryBlue

Above:CanaryLizard

Intheafternoonwetookthe14.00ferryfromLosCristianostothenearbyislandofLaGomera.AswehadalreadyseenbothpigeonswellwedidnotneedtotakethecartoreachthepigeonstrongholdsonLaGomeraandsotravelledasfootpassengers.InLosCristianosharbourwesawouronlyCommonTernoftheweek.The80minuteoutboundseawatchproduced35Cory’sShearwatersand1Bulwer’sPetrelbutthe17.00returnwasbetter,aspredicted,with156Cory’sShearwatersandaminimumof6Bulwer’sPetrels.SadlyLittleShearwaterprovedmoredifficultandwasouronlybadmissofthetrip.OnLaGomeraitselfaflockofPlainSwiftsheldasingleHouseMartin.

7thJune

WithnomoreendemicslefttofindweconcentratedonnewareasandfirstlyexploredtheplateauonGuazaMountain.GreyHerons,BlackcapsandloadsofBerthelot’sPipitswereseenonthewayup,thebrownerjuvenilescontrastingwiththegreyeradults.Moresub-specieswererecordedontheplateauwithSpectacledWarblers(ssp.orbitalis),aSouthernGreyShrikefamilyparty(ssp.koenigi),Hoopoes(ssp.pulchra)and2StoneCurlews(ssp.distinctus)butTrumpeterFinchesprovedtobeelusive.BathWhiteswereabundant.WefinishedoffthedaybystrugglingtofindaccesstoPuntadelaRascalighthouse.EventuallywedidthisbyparkingbythefootballpitchinElFraile(atthebottomofCalleFuerteventura)andwalkingalongthecoast,skirtinganewandenormousbananaplantationtent.Cory’swereplentifulandPallidSwiftwasnew.

Above:GuazaMountainplateau

Above:juvenileBerthelot'sPipit

Above:BathWhite

8thJune

AnothertriptothenorthwesttodaybutfirstwecalledinatLagoAbamawheretherewasnothingonthewaterandjustaloneLittleEgrettoaddtoourtinylist.AswepassedErjoswasinthickcloudandrainandwewerethankfulthattodaywasnotapigeonday.RoquedeGarachicoisgivenasaLittleShearwaterbreedingsitesowesusseditout.Therewasabreedingcolonyofover200Yellow-leggedGulls(ssp.atlantis)butnotripreportwecouldfindhaseverreportedseeingLittleShearwatersfromhereandwechosetogofurtherwest.SoweheadedforPuntodeTenoand,likeeveryoneelse,ignoredthe‘RoadClosed’signs.Hereitwasextremelywindybut,unfortunately,itwasblowingastrongoff-shoreeasterlyso,althoughthisisreputedtobethepremiersea-watchingpointonTenerife,theprospectsofseabirdscomingcloseinshoreseemedquiteremote.ThiswassupportedbythefactthatonlyafewdistantCory’swerepresent.However,wequicklyfoundoneofourremainingtargetswithtwoscreamingBarbaryFalconsputtingonanicedisplayaroundtheseacliffsatPuntadelFraile(viewedfromthewestcarpark-seedelReysiteguide).TherewasstillalackofgeneralactivityontheseaandwemadethedecisiontoheadbacksouthtoPuntadelaRascainthehopethatthewindswouldbemorefavourableinthesouth.PassingErjosagainthecloudshadliftedslightlysowecalledintoErjosPondsaddingCootandMoorhentothetriplist.(wowee!)At19.00nearElFrailewesetupforthelasthourofsea-watchingandobservedagoodpassageofCory’s,withapproximately300perhourheadingeastbut,unfortunately,nothingrarer.MorePlainSwifts,Berthelot’sPipits,SouthernGreyShrikesandSpectacledWarblerswerefoundinandaroundtheeuphorbiascrub.

Above:BarbaryFalconsiteatPuntadelFraile

Above:PuntadelRasca

Above:Yellow-leggedGull

Above:SouthernGreyShrikeoftheraceKoenigi

Above:PlainSwift

9thJune

AspeedytriptothenortheasttodayasitwasmotorwayallthewaytoLosRodeosairportarea.ThisissupposedtobeaLesserShort-toedLarksitebutthevegetationlookedtoohigh,perhapsitisbetterinwinter.ApartfrombirdsalreadynotedwefoundCornBuntingsandatleast4Quailswereheard.AfteralittlefurtherexplorationoftheareaweheadedbacksouthtoAmarillaGolfCoursereservoir.HereafemaleWoodDuckmighthavebeenaspecialfindifithadnotbeenaccompaniedbyaferalMallardtype.ButTenBelPlazaistheplaceforintroducedspecies.HerethereweremorethantwelveRing-neckedParakeetsand7MonkParakeets,withtwopairsnestinginlarge,untidybundlesoftwigs.Also2NandayParakeetsandafewBarbaryDovesmixedinwiththeCollaredDovesplusHoopesandtheubiquitousSpanishSparrows.

Above:MonkParakeets

Above:SpanishSparrow

Above:Hoopoe

10thJune

Inadditiontoyesterday’sfindsthereservoiratAmarillaGolfnowheldaMuscovyDucktoreducethecredentialsoftheWoodDuckevenfurther.TherewasonenewbirdintheformofanadultNightHeronandthisprovedtobethelastnewbirdofthetrip.TherestofthedaywasspentphotographingbirdsatLasLajas,takingthecablecarupMountTeide,whichstandsatanimpressive3718metresandpreparingforouruneventfuleveningreturnflights.

Above:mountainfloranearLasLajas

Above:TeideBugloss(Echiumwildpretii)

Above:MountTeide

Andsoendedanenjoyablefewdaysofrelaxedbirding.AllourmaintargetsweredulytickedoffwiththeexceptionofLittleShearwaterandmanyendemicsub-specieswererecorded.Thesub-speciesmissedwereTrumpeterFinch,Long-earedOwl,LesserShort-toedLarkandRockSparrow-butsomeoftheseareeasieronFuerteventura.Perhapsthatwillbethenexttrip.

JohnRayner,June2011

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