Fuerteventura Canary Islands.

Catching up with the Others and some good birding.

Berthelots Pipit (Bisbita Caminero / Anthus berthelotii).

I was up and about before light and made my way down to the Car park for the Museo de la Sal at Salinas del Carmen where in the first bit of light I picked out 4 Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) on the rocky shoreline.

Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Once the light got a bit better I had a walk down to the bay next to the Salinas and scanned the rocks again, this time as well as the Egrets I found a single Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 2 Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a couple of quite tolerant Berthelots Pipits (Bisbita Caminero / Anthus berthelotii).

Berthelots Pipit (Bisbita Caminero / Anthus berthelotii).

I went back up to the van and continued on along the same road down into the Barranco del la Torre checking the beach first but apart from the usual Yellow-legged Gulls and a Little Egret it was quiet so I continued inland for a short way checking the disused Palm plantations and scrub areas on the way. It was generally quite but I did find at least 3 Laughing Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Several Great Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Norteño / Lanius excubitor koenigi), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and a soaring Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) before returning to the Salt pans.

Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus).

I checked the area to the side of the pans this time including the rocky shoreline where I had brief views of a single Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) before it dropped in amongst the rocks and a couple of flighty Painted Ladys (Vanessa cardui) which were getting a bit of a battering in the winds.

Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus).

Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus).

Time was moving on and I still had not had breakfast so I tried to find a small bar which friends John and Sharon had found on their last visit which did good sandwiches and had Plain Swift (Vencejo Unicolor / Apus unicolor) in the skies above as a big bonus.

I found it and after a couple of coffees and some food I crossed the road and scanned the skyline over the trees around the airport and had a single Swift which showed well. I went back for another coffee and when I returned to the spot found 5 of them fighting the wind.

Whale at Salinas del Carmen.

Next stop was the airport where I met Mike, Judy, Nick, Lynda, Bob and Ann but found that Mike H had not come as he was unwell which was a great shame as his humour and birding skills will be missed greatly.

Lunch with the bay behind us.

We made our way out of the airport parking and back down to the salt pans where I got the others all the species I had seen earlier and we added Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia) and Barbary Ground Squirrels (Atlantoxerus getulus) to the list in the car park where they were so used to people they approached to with in a meter or so.

Canarian Potatos.

We had lunch in a bar nearby in Salinas del Carmen called Restaurante Los Caracolitos where we saw Canarian Potatos for the first time.

We moved on and made our way out on to the plains north of Tindaya looking for the Houbara Bustards (Avutarda Hubara / Chlamydotis undulata) but after a couple of hours scanning the area we only came up with Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Great Grey Shrike, Berthalots Pipit, Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Yellow-legged Gull at La Huesilla Vantage Point, more Barbary Ground Squirrels and 3 Large Whites (Pieris brassicae).

The gang at La Huesilla Vantage Point.

La Huesilla Vantage Point.

We started to drive towards the hotel in La Oliva but called in at a difficult to view area of water where we found a pair of Ruddy Shelduck (Tarro Canelo / Tadorna ferruginea), lots of Common Moorhens (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and a Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

Tindya Plain.

We arrived at our accommodation and booked in before having a large but very nice meal.

Views from the Embalse de La Oliva.