FUERTEVENTURA - 6th December

Another early start to get down to Jandia Golf Course at Morro Jable for some morning birding around the greens (before we got kicked off by the groundsmen!); we eventually found the EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL up near the pool furthest up the valley that had been present since last week (first record for Canary Islands and second for Spain) which showed well briefly and handily called frequently.   It was a good morning’s birding with high numbers of birds wintering round the couple of pools and the regularly watered greens including 2 Red-throated Pipits and another Yellow Wagtail ssp. (which I couldn’t really work out) with the big flocks of Meadow Pipits, White Wagtails and Grey Wagtails, a RED KITE which drifted up the valley (apparently only the 3rd record for Fuerteventura!), 2 Sacred Ibis (not sure about their status) and a couple of Swallows zipping around amongst a fine selection of other bits such as Hoopoes, Berthelot’s Pipits, Southern Grey Shrikes, Chiffchaffs, Fuerteventura Chats, Spectacled Warblers, Kestrels and a Robin.   

On the way back north we then called into Risco del Paso at the south end of Laguna Sotavento where there was a nice selection of waders for the trip list including a good flock of Kentish Plovers, Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Sanderling and a Grey Plover with an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and some Sandwich Terns also present.   Next was the wood at Costa Calma again, concentrating at the other end to where we were the other day but it was quiet with 2 Brambling the only birds of note (scarce on Fuerteventura) followed by a look around the zoo at Oasis Park which looked good but was a bit weird as we got stuck around the back of the [ghost town] garden centre with lots of abandoned-looking plants and greenhouse but no people anywhere!   Birds here included a smart little flock of noisy Lavender Waxbills (presumably local escapees from the zoo), more Siskins, a Blackcap and some Chiffchaffs plus butterflies such as Plain Tiger and Monarch.   
A walk across the Las Playitas golf courses then produced 3 Common Sandpipers and a Greenshank along with Ruddy Shelduck, Berthelot’s Pipits, Kestrels etc. before finally a drive up to Entellada Lighthouse late afternoon added a couple of Gannets offshore and a little flock of c5 Barbary Partridges around a dried-up dam.

Southern Grey Shrike

Red-throated Pipit

Yellow Wagtail ssp. (not the Eastern but it didn't really look like a standard Western race bird)

Cattle Egret

Sacred Ibis

Fuerteventura Chat

The mega Red Kite

Lesser Black-backed Gull (with bit of a hood thing going on)

Kentish Plover

Laughing Dove

Lavender Waxbills

Little Egret

Plain Tiger

Monarch