Playa El Puertillo, Bahia de Arinaga, Los Espinales Este, Playa del Inglés / Parque Romántico and Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain.

An early start pays off with two American Waders, both Spanish Lifers.

Deb and Ian, Day Twenty Two.

Ebird List for El Puertillo. 

Ebird List for Bahia de Arinaga.

Ebird List for Los Espinales Este.

Ebird List for Playa del Inglés / Parque Romántico.

Ebird List for Maspalomas.

El Puertillo Rocks where the Plover was seen.

We were up and out slightly earlier than planned but this worked out well as we were up at El Puertillo early and it was very quiet and the tide was low so we were hopeful but all we found on the first sweep of the beach and rocks were Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis). 

Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus).

Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus).

Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus).

Just as we were about to find a way around to the next beach I glanced back and saw something move on the nearest rocks which I assumed was going to be a Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) but when I got the scope on it I was pleased to see it was the target Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus) which over the next 40 minutes or so disappeared a few time but also showed extremely well for us.

Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus).

Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus).

Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus).

Semipalmated Plover (Chorlitejo Semipalmeado / Charadrius semipalmatus).

As we sat on the rocks waiting for the bird which dropped between the boulders and ridges to show we also saw several Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis) out to sea.

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Very happy we headed for a second American wader which had been around for a while on the rocks at Bahia de Arinaga which was down on the SE corner of the Island, we parked and walked around to the seafront where almost straight away Ian picked up a small wader which was soon confirmed as being the Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius) we had come for so we walked further along the Prom to a point where we could get out to the beach.

Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius).

Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius).

Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius).

Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius).

Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius).

There were a few Guys out on the rocks collecting Seafood so we walked out a short way and watched this stunning little bird feed happily amongst the rocks in front of us, we also saw a couple of Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling and Yellow-legged Gull.  

Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).

Very happy again we walked back up the Prom and had a late breakfast at Restaurante El Salón de la Sal and then headed off to a less pleasant spot nearer the Airport amongst a large area of abandoned plastic green houses with loads of waste plastic lying around, a mess to say the least.

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

Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

We checked out one of the Irrigation pools but didn't find anything of interest so we started to leave the site but picked up a couple of Great Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Norteño Koenigi / Lanius excubitor koenigi) as well as lots of Bath Whites (Pontia daplidice) x30+.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).

Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Atlantic Canary (Serin Canario / Serinus canaria).

Atlantic Canary (Serin Canario / Serinus canaria).

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala).

We headed back towards the accommodation but thought that we would give the Sudan Golden Sparrow (Gorrión Dorado del Sudán / Passer luteus) another hour or so even though it was by now quite warm, we didn't see the Sparrow but we did get Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula cabrerae), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Atlantic Canary (Serin Canario / Serinus canaria) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) before we headed just up the road to another spot.

Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).

At this spot I was 100% sure I would not find the Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus) which Paul Selby had told me about as I was way too late in the year but thought I would look at the site, whilst there we had a flock of Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and a few European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) before we headed for the accommodation for some nibbles.

The Nibbles.

Later we went for a walk to the bar and had a few beers and then walked around the Feria area before heading back for a noisy night of not much sleep.