Fuerteventura, Canary Islands.

Bad news from the Pelagic group and a day in the Barranco de la Cabras for Ann, Bob and I.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).

During the early hours of the morning we got news from Judy, Mike and Nick that the hospital had kept Lynda in and wanted to do more scans as they were not happy with the head injury so they were all staying on the boat and would find out more today.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).

Bob, Ann and I headed out to the Barranco de la Cabras where we had been a couple of days earlier in the trip and started the day off with good views of a fine male Canary Island Chat (Tarabilla Canaria / Saxicola dacotiae) and a very cooperative Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata) which showed well and was one of Bob's target species for the day. 

African Blue Tit (Cyanistes Teneriffae / Herrerillo canario).

Then on a bush nearby we got some shots of the Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui) that we coming to nectar there before walking off down the Barranco through the Tamarisk trees seeing the first of quite a few African Blue Tits (Cyanistes Teneriffae / Herrerillo canario), a second Spectacled Warbler which showed very well, Laughing Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis) which didn't show well at all and plenty of the omnipresent Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

African Blue Tit (Cyanistes Teneriffae / Herrerillo canario).

Through the Tamarisk we had Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis),  a Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), several more Laughing Doves, a very confiding male Canary Island Chat and then on our way back to the van the first photographable Lizard species which I think is Atlantic lizard (Gallotia atlantica).

Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata).

As we came back out of the trees near to the van we had a Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and a Laughing Dove which sat long enough for me to bang off a couple of shots before it flew out of sight.

Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata).

We moved just down stream a km or so and checked some areas of open water in the deeper parts of the Barranco finding Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) before moving back to a spot nearer to the start of the track where we looked for Dragonflies.

Atlantic lizard (Gallotia atlantica).

In this area of the stream the water was shallow but still flowing and we soon found Sahara Bluetails (Ischnura saharensis), Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) x1M, Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), a couple of Vagrant Emperors (Emperatriz emigrante / Anax ephippiger) and one Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) which posed nicely for us. 

Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

At one moment we had three very smart male Canary Island Chats in a bush nearby and a female on the rocky crag opposite which she shared with a Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Spectacled Warbler and a couple of African Blue Tits.

Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis).

Next came lunch and the we followed some directions which Friends Sharon and John Holian had sent the evening before to another spot nearby on the Barranco. 

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

At this point the Barranco had become quite deep but with the good instructions we found a good path down, on the decent we had a flock of around 20 or so Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Common Buzzard, Green Sandpiper, 2x Ruddy Shelduck (Tarro Canelo / Tadorna ferruginea), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Spanish Sparrow.

Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator).

Once we were down at the bottom of the track we found an adult and immature Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), I continued on along a rather rough trail whilst Ann and Bob scanned the trees near the point were we had descended. 

Plain Swift (Vencejo Unicolor / Apus unicolor).

I reached the second bolder barrier and checked the pool on the upper side were there were just a pair of Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) and a Spectacled Warbler.

Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus).

We returned to the van and made our way out to the beach near the Salinas del Carmen where Bob and Ann had a walk along the coast and I did a short sea watch but did not see much apart from Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and a few nice Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus). 

Great Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Norteño / Lanius excubitor koenigi).

Later we headed back North towards the Hotel but made a couple of quick stops, the first was just to call and get some info about Lynda and we had a single Plain Swift (Vencejo Unicolor / Apus unicolor) and our second quick stop was at the small man made pool just to the south of El Oliva seeing 15 or so more Ruddy Shelducks, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), another couple of Spectacled Warblers and another Great Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Norteño / Lanius excubitor koenigi).

Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata).

We returned to the hotel and contacted the Pelagic group who had been with Lynda in hospital during the day. She was still needing to have a scan so they were not letting her out, so they stayed for another night on Lanzarote.

Ruddy Shelduck (Tarro Canelo / Tadorna ferruginea).

During the night at some point I could hear several Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) calling on the fields opposite.