FUERTEVENTURA - 8th December

Went back down to Jandia Golf Course first thing and while the birds were pretty similar to last time there’s a high concentration of stuff so it was good birding; the Eastern Yellow Wagtail showed for longer, albeit distantly along with Meadow Pipits, White Wagtails etc. while our only Atlantic Canaries of the trip (male and female) were also of note along with 10 Trumpeter Finches and the usual Shrikes, Chiffchaffs, Chats etc.   

We then had a look in Morro Jable Harbour where the (underwhelming) highlight was a female COMMON SCOTER deep in the harbour (apparently only the second record for Fuerteventura!) along with many Yellow-legged Gulls and Sandwich Terns while some massive Stingrays were drifting around the harbour with big shoals of other fish.   The Red Kite from a few days ago floated over the town (that’s a first, a second and a third for Fuerteventura seen within a few hours!) before we drove the long way out to Faro de Jandia (the SW point of the island), it was very dry and rocky with not many birds with the exception of a first winter Black-headed Gull by the Lighthouse!   

Back in the town we bumped into a noisy, fun flock of Monk Parakeets while Spectacled Warblers showed well in the narrow strip of saltmarsh.

Record shots of the Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Fuerteventura Stonechat

Southern Grey Shrike

Crippling views of the mega Common Scoter!

Berthelot's Pipit

Spectacled Warbler

Monk Parakeets

Popped back into Risco del Pasco where there were at least three colour ringed Kentish Plovers, not sure where they are from but probably Lanzarote.

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

FUERTEVENTURA - 5th December

Made an early start to get to the El Cotillo Plains (I think that’s what they are called, NW of Tindaya anyway) in the morning where we had great views of some of our target species; highlights included awesome views of at least 4 HOUBARA BUSTARDS right by the road, just wandering around, not really bothered by the car, mediocre views of two fabulous CREAM-COLOURED COURSERS, four distant Black-bellied Sandgrouse in flight, plenty of Berthelot’s Pipits, 10+ Lesser Short-toed Larks, nice views of a couple of Spectacled Warblers and nice but brief views of a big female Barbary Falcon along the cliff edge.   

We then drove back SE a bit to the now famous Barranco Rio Cabras but we failed to find the Dwarf Bittern that has been resident here for ages (plenty of time though!) but it was a great site with water, trees and marshy bits down the bottom of a really steep Barranco; birding was good as totals included at least 6 FUERTAVENTURA CHATS (very confiding!), 2+ African Blue Tits, a single White Stork (scarce I think on Fuerteventura – attracted by the nearby landfill site), a Little Ringed Plover, 5 Black-winged Stilts, 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Spoonbills, Little Egrets, 9+ Egyptian Vultures circling the ridges, better views of the smart Southern Grey Shrikes (of the distinctive, dark, smoky looking L. m. koenigi race), lots of Spectacled Warblers, a White Wagtail, Ruddy Shelducks flying about, Hoopoes, lots of confiding Barbary Ground Squirrels running about the cliffs and a peeled, depredated Algerian Hedgehog.   

A little look at Los Molinos Reservoir in the afternoon was quiet (but it was very windy by then) with a few trip ticks though including Grey Heron, Greenshank, Coot, Mallard and Teal.

Houbara Bustards

Berthelot's Pipit

Barbary Falcon record shots

Southern Grey Shrike

Fuerteventura Chats

Barranco scenes

Barbary Ground Squirrel

Egyptian Vulture

Black-winged Stilts

Yellow-legged Gull in Gran Tarajal Harbour in the evening