Rfi - Tenerife, La Gomera & Fuerteventura (1 Viewer)

[Paul Chapman]

I am planning a short Canaries trip with a couple of friends. I have visited before in 1999 so personally, I have no proper targets but there are two potential Category C species in which I would have some interest – Black-hooded/Nanday Parakeets and Barbary/African Collared Dove. Any current sites for either?

The group targets are the usual – Barbary Falcon, Houbara Bustard, Laurel Pigeon, Bolle’s Pigeon, Plain Swift, Berthelot’s Pipit, Canary Islands Chat, Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Tenerife Goldcrest, Blue Chaffinch & Canary.

The current plan is to arrive on Tenerife at 12.25pm on Wednesday 25th February and head straight to Las Lajas. I reckon an hour’s drive from the airport. We are staying in Playa de las Americas and I expect that between Las Lajas and the south end - Plain Swift, Berthelot’s Pipit, Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Tenerife Goldcrest, Blue Chaffinch & Canary will be straight forward?

On Thursday 26th February, we’ll be heading to La Gomera for the day and again I presume that Laurel and Bolle’s Pigeons are relatively straightforward in the Garajonay Natural Park stopping in the usual places?

We’ll then have two further days on Tenerife - 27th and 28th February….. The sole remaining Tenerife target should be Barbary Falcon. Again, I presume that the cliffs en route to Punta de Teno are the best location? If anyone has any other sites/recent gen, I would be particularly grateful for that. If anything is sensitive, please feel free to PM me.

We fly to Fuerteventura in the evening of 28th February and have two dawns before flying back home on 2nd March. Again, I presume that the coastal drive south at dawn from El Cotillo is the best way to see Houbara Bustard and Gosney suggests that the best Canary Islands Chat site is Puertito de Los Molionos rather than Barannco de la Torre. Any recent experience of either is gratefully received.

I presume that there are no realistic seabirds at the end of February/beginning of March?

Also any recent vagrants would be nice. I saw some photos recently of Lesser Scaup?

All the best

 

[Jos Stratford]

I did a short winter trip combining these islands a couple of winters back - see here for trip report, has details of most of what you are requesting. Had one nice Madeiran Storm Petrel on a ferry crossing, but no other seabirds.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I did a short winter trip combining these islands a couple of winters back - see here for trip report, has details of most of what you are requesting. Had one nice Madeiran Storm Petrel on a ferry crossing, but no other seabirds.

Jos

Many thanks

 

[birdboybowley]

We were there in Dec '11 and had Barbary Falcon every day I looked along the cliffs at Los Gigantes where we were staying - also here are Blue-crowned Parakeets. Macaronesian Shear was also seen looking across the harbour on a couple of evenings
Mirador de la Grimona has to be the simplest place to see Laurel Pigeon still I'd say....
El Cotillo easy for the bustard and we had our best and most approachable chats in the Fimapaire Valley which is not that far from El Cotillo - also in Barranco de la Torre, but down way past the palm trees. Blue Tit easy around Betancuria

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Are you going to La Gomera for the pigeons or just to see the island. As Adam says the Mirador is good for Laurel Pigeon and in my experience Bolle's were straightforward at Erjos Ponds.

Stephen

 

[Xenospiza]

February 2013:
Barbary Falcon - on the steep cliffs of Punta de Teno
Laurel Pigeon - a bit distant but easy at Las Grimonas parking on the main insular ring road through Los Realejos.
Bolle’s Pigeon - excellent views in laurel forest on the Anaga peninsula, also in flight at the Chanajiga picknick area above Los Realejos
Plain Swift - a few groups in northern Tenerife (Chanajiga and Puerto de la Cruz), also three over La Gomera harbour. Not seen in the south, but I tried to stay away from there.
Tenerife Goldcrest - easy at Chanajiga, also at the Aguamansa picknick site near Orotava, on Teide (Chío, km 20) and on the Anaga Peninsula. Not seen on the road to Las Lajas, but I may not always have tried.
Blue Chaffinch - Las Lajas is the first port of call from the south, but the "La Caldera" picknick site near Aguamansa on the north side of the Teide is more fun because it occurs with the local Chaffinch race. Also easy at Pinar de Chío.
Tenerife Robin - Las Grimonas, Aguamansa, Anaga.
Berthelot’s Pipit, Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Tenerife Blue Tit and Canary all easy.
All these birds can easily be seen in a day (route: Grimonas -> Chajaniga -> Punta de Teno -> any Blue Chaffinch site).
I had no special seabirds from the ferry to La Gomera, but the town was nice. I didn't do any birding on La Gomera (no need!)

Houbara Bustard - great views eventually south of El Cotillo. Not too early in the morning, as I flew in from Tenerife for a day!
Canary Islands Chat - easy enough: seen at Embalse de los Molinos (where you'll probably go anyway), Valle de Fimapaire (good spot, picked up from Birdforum) and many near Betancuria (Morro Velosa on the FV-30, more on a walk through La Vega de Rio Palma).

 

[foresttwitcher]

Glad you posted this Paul, I am planning a trip along similar lines later in the Spring so the information above will come in useful. I hope a trip report will be forthcoming!

 

[dantheman]

Don't forget all the 'endemic' subspecies - Woodcock, GSW, Sparrowhawk etc!

 

[Paul Chapman]

Birdboybowley/Stephen Dunstan/Xenospisa - many thanks

Foresttwitcher - I'll endeavour to post something as I go with photos to follow

Dantheman - of course but I was pretty successful last time and we're not doing all islands. Woodcock?

All the best

 

[dantheman]

Dantheman - of course but I was pretty successful last time and we're not doing all islands. Woodcock?

Quick look on the internet and unable to follow this one up ...

But from what I remember on our visit in 2011 and looking into it a little at the time, Woodcock are sedentary on the islands (the breeders that is - there may be some augmentation from N Europe in winter?), have shorter bills and possibly larger.

We came across a couple whilst driving past a small ravine next to a banana(?) plantation next to the main road in the SW of Teneriffe at night. Don't recall if there is a split, a proposed split, someone getting over-excited and no studies/analysis done, but on the basis that half the other resident species or so on the islands are of distinct forms/subspecies it seems a reasonable assumption to make - in any case, interesting to see.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I hadn't previously read anything about the Woodcock. Shorebirds says monotypic but touts potentially subspecies status on the Azores. Birds of the Atlantic Islands does not mention subspecies but says declining except for La Gomera where relatively common. BWP says on geographical variation - 'hardly any. Birds from Azores allegedly smaller.'

I didn't even know they occurred!

Many thanks