WYKE BIRDING: Houbara Bustard

Saturday, 14 December 2019

FUERTEVENTURA - 10th December

Back out to the El Cotillo Plains first thing on our final morning where we got what we came for with great views of two Houbara Bustards including a male in full, ludicrous display mode, running across the plains all fluffed up and a female sneaking off, trying to avoid him at all costs and awesome views of three Cream-coloured Coursers running around close to and across the road, oblivious to the car; a big flock of 100+ Lesser Short-toed Larks were also of note.

We then went back to the big goat farm where a few Black-bellied Sandgrouse were grubbing around while 4 Egyptian Vultures also fed in the enclosure and then on to Los Molinos Reservoir again where it was much calmer and warmer than the last visit allowing us to have a better look. Birds here included 272+ Ruddy Shelduck, a female Garganey with 4 Teal, 2 Mallard, 32 Coot, 2 Snipe and a few Greenshank, Common Sandpipers and Black-winged Stilt with a couple of Buzzards circling round before visiting a couple of other small pools and finally getting Moorhen on the trip list.

Displaying Houbara Bustard

Cream-coloured Coursers

Spectacled Warbler

Lesser Short-toed Lark

Buzzard

Friday, 13 December 2019

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.