INTRODUCTION
This was a combination of family holiday and getting a short list of targets. The Canary Islands make a great destination for this combo. It is very straightforward to bird - the butterflies required a bit more effort to find. A good part of the time was spent relaxing, visiting charmful villages and some beach/water activities. Great place for children!
Many thanks go out to Pieter Vantieghem and Billy Herman for some recent information.
ITINERARY
28 jul - 5 aug | Tenerife | Masca area, Teide NP, Barranco de la Cruz, Barranco de la Arena |
6 aug - 10 aug | Gran Canaria | El Juncal |
11 aug - 18 aug | Fuerteventura | Rio Vega de las Palmas, Barranco de Torres, Betancuria area, Toto area, Tindaya area |
Notes on the schedule: We could have stayed somewhat longer in Tenerife and make a day trip to La Gomera...
Download kml file with all gps coordinates
PRACTICALITIES
Transport
To get from one island to the other we used the ferry services of both Naviera Armas (Tenerife > Gran Canaria) and Fred Olsen (Gran Canaria > Fuerteventura). Both crossings were smooth and took about 2 - 2.5 hrs. The slower and larger ferries of Armas are definitely better for seawatching as they move slower and it is possible to stand outside. The Fred Olsen catamarans are closed and the windows are covered with a salty wave spray. We found it very practical that for the Armas ferry one can check in larger luggage - no need to keep an eye on all your stuff while seawatching!
As far as we know, most rental car companies allow you to take a car on the ferries, as long as you return the car to the same island. We didn't have a round flight and hence needed to rent cars on each island.
On all three islands we rented cars from CICAR, which were all in an almost brand new state. Driving in the Canaries is very easy and the whole island is easily explored by a good road system.
Accommodation & food
As we traveled with our 2 year old son, we opted to rent appartements or houses through Airbnb and mostly cooked ourself. Make sure to book well in advance as the options get scarce in the higher seasons. Needless to say that in the touristic areas there is a huge maount and diversity of accommodation and restaurants.
Money
ATM's all around and credit cards are widely accepted.
Weather
We had warm and dry weather throughout. Only on Tenerife we had some cloudy weather, mainly on the northern side. The upper parts of the Teide were always above the cloud cover. Read more at the Weather And Climate site.
Health and safety
No problems were encountered. Make sure to bring sufficient sun protection. No vaccinations needed. (reference: Institute of Tropical Medicine).
Electricity
All plugs are type C/F - the standard European plugs. Read more at the Worldstandards website.
VISITED SITES
Below is a basic list of the sites we birded with some short notes. Information is well covered in the Crossbill guides and birding site guides by Clarke & Gosney. To gather additional information www.cloudbirders.com was consulted for bird trip reports.
Masca area
- montane trail above Masca [28.313532, -16.845687]
Erjos area
- laurel forest above Erjos [28.327458, -16.81391]
- Erjos pools [28.31836, -16.808781]
Teide NP
- Caņadas del Teide [28.252325, -16.623858]
- picnic area Las Lajas [28.189881, -16.665941]
- picnic area Chio [28.26723, -16.747575]
- Montaņa Roja [28.316725, -16.574777]
- El Portillo [28.305073, -16.567557]
- Mirador de Chipeque [28.373772, -16.463814]
- Mirador de Ayosa [28.360679, -16.467822]
- Bujero del Agua [28.317425, -16.564391]
Aguamansa
- Barranco de la Arena [28.363527, -16.496312]
Barranco de Ruiz
- Camino del Risco de las Pencas [28.390388, -16.626879]
- Mirador de Lagrimona [28.3927614427, -16.6088355365]
HIGHLIGHTS:
Bolle's Pigeon (seen in the Laurel forest above Erjos and in the Barranco de Ruiz), Laurel Pigeon (Erjos, Barranco de Ruiz, Mirador de Lagrimona), Tenerife Blue Chaffinch (very easy at both picnic areas of Las Lajas and Chio), Plain Swift (widespread and common), Canary Islands Chiffchaff (widespread and common), Berthelot's Pipit (widespread), Atlantic Canary (widespread and common), Bulwers Petrel (5 on the ferry to Gran Canaria), Barolo Shearwater (1 on the ferry to Gran Canaria).
Tenerife Grayling (singles seen near Mirador de Chipeque and Mirador de Ayosa and several at Barranco de la Arena), Canary Islands Large White (singles in Orotava), Canary Brimston (a single near Aguamansa), Canary Skipper (4 at Barranco de la Arena), Canary Red Admiral (several in Teide NP and near Aguamansa), Canary Speckled Wood (common), Canary Blue (abundant on the Teide).
Island Darter (several at the Erjos pools), Ringed Cascader (1 in the village of Masca)
El Juncal
- pine forest Pajonales NP, Inagua [27.948726, -15.660497]
roadside stops
- Barranco de Tejada [27.99216, -15.706968]
- Presa Caidero de la Niņa [27.980899, -15.725701]
HIGHLIGHTS:
Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch (a single bird [27.949189, -15.654582] and a pair seen in the pine forest [27.945569, -15.662964] near El Juncal), Plain Swift (widespread and common), (Gran Canaria) Blue Tit (widespread - split by some authors), (Gran Canaria) European Robin (a few seen - split by some authors), Bulwers Petrel (3 on the ferry to Fuerteventura)
Gran Canaria Grayling (good numbers at El Juncal)
Vega de Rio Palmas
- Presa de las Peņitas [28.3923931867, -14.0905456153]
Betancuria
- trail [28.403025, -14.060853]
Los Molinos
- Embalse de los Molinos [28.512754, -14.031278]
Salinas del Carmen
- Barranco de Torre [28.369325, -13.896143]
Tindaya
- driving around plains [28.606228, -14.002353]
Pajara - Toto area
- night driving
La Oliva
- Calderon Honda [28.701393, -13.919529]
HIGHLIGHTS:
Canary Islands Stonechat (near Vega de Rio Palmas and at Calderon Honda), (Slender-billed) Barn Owl (1 between Toto and Pajara - split by The Sound Approach), Houbara Bustard (up to 4 on the Tindaya plains)
Long Skimmer (a few near Barranco de Torre)
FULL TRIP LIST
Taxonomy strictly follows the IOC checklist version 6.2. The list only contains species positively identified by at least one of our group. Birds identified by guides or other people only are not included, presumed species neither...
[70 species]
Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara
Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis
Barolo Shearwater Puffinus baroli
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus Endangered (EN)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata Vulnerable (VU)
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Dunlin Calidris alpina
Cream-colored Courser Cursorius cursor
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis
Rock Dove Columba livia
Bolle's Pigeon Columba bollii Country endemic
Laurel Pigeon Columba junoniae Near-threatened (NT) Country endemic
European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Vulnerable (VU)
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea
Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis
Western Barn Owl Tyto alba
Plain Swift Apus unicolor
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides
Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri (feral)
Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus (feral)
Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis
Northern Raven Corvus corax
African Blue Tit Cyanistes teneriffae
Lesser Short-toed Lark Alaudala rufescens
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
Canary Islands Chiffchaff Phylloscopus canariensis Country endemic
Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata
Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans
Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala
Goldcrest Regulus regulus
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
European Robin Erithacus rubecula
Canary Islands Stonechat Saxicola dacotiae Near-threatened (NT) Country endemic
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotii
Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Tenerife Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea Near-threatened (NT) Country endemic
Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch Fringilla polatzeki Country endemic
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus
Common Linnet Linaria cannabina
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria
Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra
BUTTERFLY LIST
DRAGONFLY LIST
|