Fuerteventura: Days 1 & 2.

The week before last, me and my dad headed south to have a week's birding on the island of Fuerteventura. We had a superb week, managing to catch up with all of our targets, often getting fantastic views too. I am slowly going through my photos, and over the next few weeks I will be putting them on my blog along with a brief account of the days birding...

We flew out on Saturday the 16th of February and arrived early afternoon. After picking up a hire car, we drove to the town of El Cotillo which would be our base for the week. This drive did prove productive and our first tick come almost immediately with a couple of Plain Swift nicely lit as they flew next to the road. These would prove to be our only Plain Swifts of the trip. Two Canary Islands Stonechats and a Laughing Dove were also notable flybys on our drive from the airport.

Once we arrived at our apartment we had a bit of trouble getting in, so decided to have a walk on the beach we it looked onto. A couple of Common Sandpipers were feeding among the rocks as well a Redshank and twos of Turnstone and Whimbrel. A Barbary Falcon gave a brief flyby, but unfortunately too fast for photos.

As we headed back to the apartment, we looked up to see a pair of Southern Grey Shrikes sat on the roof, while Spanish Sparrows were also obvious.

Day 2

On our second day, we spent a really enjoyable eight hours at Barranco de Rio Cabras, seeing a great selection of birds around the water ad scrubby areas, although we did fail to find the Dwarf Bittern. Before we arrived, we also had a couple of Houbara Bustards by the FV-30 near La Oliva.

The water had attracted a few waders with ten Black-winged Stilts, a Snipe, Green Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plover. Three Little Egrets and a Spoonbill were also on the grassy bank, and twelve Ruddy Shelduck included a brood of eight ducklings.

Birds around the scrub on the bottom and walls of the barranco included several pairs of Canary Island Stonechats, a party of four African Blue Tits, at least fifteen Trumpeter Finches, some Spectacled Warblers and good numbers of Berthelot's Pipits, Spanish Sparrows and Hoopoes. A few Laughing Doves were also flying around the barranco floor.

As we walked back to the car, eleven Egyptian Vultures were circling overhead with Yellow-legged Gulls and Common Buzzards, while a few Lesser Short-toed Larks were also singing from an area of low scrub.

Non-avian sightings included a Monarch butterfly and Barbary Ground Squirrels, while odonata was represented by Scarlet Darters, Epaulet Skimmers, Blue Emperors and Sahara Bluetails.

Canary Islands Stonechats - male, females and juvenile

Ruddy Shelduck

Egyptian Vultures - adult and immature

Common Buzzard ssp. insularum

Spoonbill

African Blue Tit

Scarlet Darter

Sahara Bluetail