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====Amarilla golf course==== | ====Amarilla golf course==== | ||
The neighbouring Amarilla golf course has similar species but is less regularly watched. Even so, [[Glossy Ibis]], [[Barbary Falcon]], [[Cream-coloured Courser]] and American waders have been recorded. | The neighbouring Amarilla golf course has similar species but is less regularly watched. Even so, [[Glossy Ibis]], [[Barbary Falcon]], [[Cream-coloured Courser]] and American waders have been recorded. | ||
| − | Just west of the golf course village is an open desert scrubland which includes some dried up creeks,a good place to observe Hoopoe, Great Grey shrike , Spectacled Warbler and Barbary partridge. | + | Just west of the golf course village is an open desert scrubland which includes some dried up creeks,a good place to observe Hoopoe, Great Grey shrike , Spectacled Warbler and Barbary partridge. Berthelot's pipit is common here. |
[[Image:Great Grey Shrike 27-02-2011.JPG|thumb|by Jeff Copner]] | [[Image:Great Grey Shrike 27-02-2011.JPG|thumb|by Jeff Copner]] | ||
Revision as of 09:47, 26 November 2012
Overview
Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary Islands group, covering 2,058km2 and also has Spain's highest mountain, the 3,718m Mt Teide.
Birds
Notable Species
Mt Teide
Although the upper slopes are largely barren, lower down on Mt Teide the Canarian Pine forest is home to the Blue Chaffinch and Island Canary. Canarian Chiffchaff also occurs here as well as the Canarian subspecies of Great Spotted Woodpecker and the Tenerife race of African Blue Tit.
Mt Teide is reached via the C821 road which crosses the centre of the island. About 10km north of Vilaflor is Las Jajas picnic site with a restaurant and other tourist facilities. Blue Chaffinch regularly feeds and drinks here and also at the picnic site and information centre at Las Canadas further on the same road.
Golf de Sur golf course
Green areas in the south of the island commonly host Red-throated Pipit in winter and one of the most regular sites is the Golf de Sur golf course where Canarian Pipit is also common. Other birds found here include Stone-curlew, Barn Owl, Plain Swift and Southern Grey Shrike, Spectacled Warbler and Trumpeter Finch.
Waders occur on passage and among the rarer species seen here are Collared Pratincole, American Golden Plover, and Pectoral Sandpiper and Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
Other rarities include Eleonora's Falcon and Barbary Falcon, Eurasian Spoonbill and Little Crake, Richard's Pipit and Tawny Pipit.
To reach the golf course leave the motorway at the San Miguel exit and turn towards Los Abrigos.
Amarilla golf course
The neighbouring Amarilla golf course has similar species but is less regularly watched. Even so, Glossy Ibis, Barbary Falcon, Cream-coloured Courser and American waders have been recorded. Just west of the golf course village is an open desert scrubland which includes some dried up creeks,a good place to observe Hoopoe, Great Grey shrike , Spectacled Warbler and Barbary partridge. Berthelot's pipit is common here.
El Medano
Good wader sites are few in the Canaries but the beach just to the south of El Medano usually hosts species such as Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover and Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Greenshank, Ruff and Turnstone, sometimes also godwits and Whimbrel. Canarian Pipit is common and Lesser Short-toed Lark also occurs.
From El Medano take the westerly road towards El Abrigo and turn off to the left after 0.5km on to a rough track and continue for another 0.5km.
Just west of El Medano village and 1km north of Los Abrigos is a small dam, Embalse de Ciguana, where Barbary Partridge and Trumpeter Finch can be seen as well as Grey Heron, Teal and various waders.
At extreme east end of El Medano, Playa Pelada is backed by cliffs. Here Barbary Falcon may be seen.
Erjos
Cooler, wetter, and consequently greener than the south, the north of Tenerife still has areas of the native Laurel and Juniper forest on hills in the north-west and north-east.
Erjos, in the north-west, is famous for both native pigeons, as well as the Canary Island Kinglet, Canary Islands Chiffchaff and African Blue Tit. The track which leaves the western end of the village of Erjos passes through small areas of pinewoods and then laurel forest interspersed with occasional rocks and cliff-faces.
Laurel Pigeon is greatly outnumbered by the easily seen Bolle's Pigeon but both species are present. Also here are Barbary Partridge, Long-eared Owl and Plain Swift, and the native subspecies of Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel, Eurasian Blackbird and European Robin. Common Moorhen, a scarce breeder in the Canaries, nests at ponds just off the Santiago del Teide to Garachico road, reached by turning left at the small crossroads about 1km past the Los Llanos turn-off.
Pico del Ingles
In the north-eastern corner of Tenerife the Pico del Ingles viewpoint has both species of pigeon although clouds can sometimes cause viewing problems. The surrounding laurel forests also have Eurasian Sparrowhawk, and Canarian Kinglet and Canary Islands Chiffchaff. A popular tourist spot, there is a restaurant and car-park here, north-east of La Laguna and easily reached off the C820.
Sea Watching
Punta de la Rasca
The best-known seawatching point on the south coast of Tenerife is the lighthouse on the headland at Punta de la Rasca. From here large numbers of Cory's Shearwater can be seen as well as smaller numbers of Macaronesian Shearwater, Bulwer's Petrel and European Storm-petrel and Madeiran Storm-petrel.
To reach the lighthouse take the TF-21 motorway and turn off for Las Galletas on the first road after Los Christianos. 3-4 km after passing the El Palm-Mar turning there is a rough track heading south towards the lighthouse, follow this and park at the gate.
The remaining 2-3km has to be walked but the open areas and scrub are good for Canarian Pipit and Stone-curlew, Southern Grey Shrike and Spectacled Warbler, and Plain Swift is common overhead. Also possible here are Barbary Partridge, Long-eared Owl, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Trumpeter Finch.
Just east of the lighthouse track is the reservoir of Roquito del Fraile, which, although difficult to view due to high surrounding walls, can hold Grey Heron and Little Egret, Yellow-legged Gull and a variety of waders. Eurasian Coot breeds here, one of the few sites on Tenerife. Eurasian Spoonbill is possible and there is also the chance of transatlantic waders and waterfowl being found here. Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Scaup have both been recorded in recent years.
Punta del Teno
The best-known seawatching point on the north coast is probably Punta del Teno on the extreme north-western tip of the island with Cory's Shearwater and Macaronesian Shearwater.
To reach the point turn off the C820 at Icod and head for Buenavista. From there take the coast road west to the point. The cliffs around this part of the coast hold breeding Barbary Falcon and the Roque de Garachico, just offshore from the town of Garachico, has breeding Bulwer's Petrel, Madeiran Storm-petrel and Cory's Shearwater and also provides a roost site for wintering herons.
Tenerife-Gomera ferry
For better views of the local seabirds many birders take the Tenerife-Gomera ferry out of Los Christianos when large numbers of Macaronesian Shearwater and Bulwer's Petrel can be seen in mid-late summer. Other species include European Storm-petrel and Madeiran Storm-petrel and later in the year, Great Shearwater and Fea's Petrel.
Rarities
Vagrants recorded on Tenerife include Buff-breasted Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs and Ring-billed Gull. In November 2001 the first African Crake for the Western Palearctic was found on Tenerife.
Checklist
Birds you can see here include:
Fea's Petrel, Bulwer's Petrel, Cory's Shearwater, Great Shearwater, Macaronesian Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, European Storm-petrel, Madeiran Storm-petrel, Northern Gannet, Eurasian Spoonbill, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Osprey, Common Kestrel, Barbary Falcon, Barbary Partridge, Common Quail, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Stone-curlew, Red Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Eurasian Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Rock Dove, Bolle's Pigeon, Laurel Pigeon, Barbary Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, European Turtle Dove, Monk Parakeet, Ring-necked Parakeet, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Plain Swift, Pallid Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Canarian Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Eurasian Robin, Eurasian Blackbird, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Canary Island Kinglet, African Blue Tit, Southern Grey Shrike, Northern Raven, Common Starling, Rock Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Chaffinch, Blue Chaffinch, European Serin, Island Canary, European Goldfinch, European Greenfinch, Eurasian Linnet, Trumpeter Finch, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
The legendary Dragon Tree Dracaena draco, a woody member of the Lily family is found on Tenerife but is now very rare and now almost confined to botanical gardens.
One of the most productive areas for botanists is El Fraile on the north coast where around 300 species of flowering plant can be found, among them the rare mallow Lavatera phoenicea as well as restricted plants such as Centaurea canariensis, Vieraea laevigata and Limonium fruticans.
The desert-like El Medano in the south has a good selection of plants adapted to extreme conditions as has the east coast cliffs of Ladera de Guimar.
One of the most distinctive plants of Mt Teide is Echium wildprettii, a 2m tall spike of red flowers in bloom in May-June.
The only wild mammal likely to be seen in the Mt Teide National Park is the ubiquitous Rabbit although Algerian Hedgehog may occasionally appear and Mouflon has been introduced.
The Canary Lizard Gallotia gallottii is common and easily seen and other reptiles include the Canarian Skink Chalcides viridanus, the Canarian Gecko Tarentola delalandii and the introduced Turkish Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus.
Site Information
Access and Facilities
Probably the most popular island of the group, Tenerife, with its excellent tourist infra-structure is perhaps the best base for a birding holiday in the Canary Islands.
It is also home to most of the group's endemics and they can often be seen within a short drive from the main accommodation bases of Playa de las Americas and Los Christianos on the south coast of the island.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
