Canary Islands (Spain) Birding Trip Report
Jan 15 - Aug 26, 2008
TOTAL SPECIES SEEN - 36
Introduced species - 2
Native species- 34
Endemic species - 9
Day 1 Jan 15
Arrived Canary Islands
Day 2 Jan 16
Birded around hotel in Costs Adeje and found Goldfinch, Berthelot's Pipit, Blackbird, Eurasian Collared Dove, Canary Islands Chiffchaff . Drove to Erjos Ponds where we saw the results of the large fire that had burned the area in 2007...found Coot & Moorhen,..near Masca saw Kestrel then drove to Los Gigantes and photographed Osprey from highway.
Day 3 Jan 17
Drove to Vilaflor and then to Las Lajas . Blue Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, African Blue Tit,Canary Island's Kinglet, and Island Canary found and photographed. Observing the different endemic species here was easy as the guide and bird reports mention.
We then visited Tiede where we saw Berthelot's Pipit. Continued towards La Orotava and along the way photographed Plain swift. Stopped by Icod de Los Vinos and the up towards Erjos where we attempted to get to Monte del Agua but we had to turn around at entrance to Laurel forest due to pipeline work going on along road ! Found Canary, Sardinian Warbler and Common Chaffinch.
Day 4 Jan 18
Drove to area along coast near airport. Only birded two hours. Windy.
Day 5 Jan 19
Landed Fuerteventura and began birding @ 1PM Cecilia spotted 2 Egyptian Vultures near Las Pocetas and I photographed them..also Barbary Partridge ,House Martin,Linnet,Trumpeter Finch,Kestrel,Buzzard and Hoopoe. Drove to La Pared and drove ridge road and made big circle...photographed Lesser Short-toed Lark ...no Bustards seen....Drove East of FV605 on dirt road half way up towards La Pared and photographed both Cream coloured Courser and Black-bellied Sandgrouse.
Day 6 Jan 20 Very windy
Walked from H10 Tindaya Hotel up towards wind farm then on South side of large arroyo.2 Houbara Bustard seen @ 100 meters distant for @ 1 minute. Did not attempt to photograph. They moved and I could not find them. 3-4 groups of Sandgrouse seen but no coursers. Drove to Morro Jable no birding and then in afternoon re-drove the two roads I checked yesterday but nothing found...3:30-4:30PM.
