Tenerife

Lez Fairclough · Status: Offline

RE: Tenerife

Lawrence Hindley · Status: Offline

Two weeks staying in the Tamaimo Tropical Hotel, Puerto Santiago, Tenerife 25/03/14 - 08/04/14.
33 species in all, but along with the endemic species the sub-species count was interesting. I used the Helm guide to the Atlantic Islands which proved very useful. Any interesting sub-species (ssp) are highlighted. The list is:

Below seen around hotel and offshore from Puerto Santiago

Rock Dove
Canary Islands Chiffchaff (many round the hotel and the most common sight of all)
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Yellow Legged Gull (ssp atlantis)
African Collared Dove
Common Tern
Eurasian Blackbird (ssp cabrerae)
Ruddy Turnstone
Plain Swift (flocks of 40+ above Los Gigantes)
Eurasian Kestrel (ssp canariensis)
Cory's Shearwater (passage of an estimated 2000 per hour for two hours early morning on 28, 29.03.14 during stormy conditions)
Island Canary
Spanich Sparrow
Booted Eagle (1 above Los Gigantes 04.04.14 and 1 near airport on way home 08.04.14)
Berthelot's Pipit (above Los Gigantes, but surprisingly few seen)

Los Christianos 30.03.14

Eurasian Collared Dove
Ring Necked Parakeet

Erjos Pools to Monte Del Agua 03.04.14

African Blue Tit (ssp teneriffae, also seen in Santiago Del Teide)
Barbary Partridge
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Sardinian Warbler (ssp leucogastra)
Eurasian Linnet (ssp meadewaldoi)
Common Buzzard (ssp insularum)
Common Raven
Blackcap
Common Chaffinch (ssp canariensis)
European Robin (ssp superbus)
Canary Islands Goldcrest
Bolle's Pigeon (4 seen flying over Laurel canopy)
Laurel Pigeon (4 seen flying over Laurel canopy)
Barbary Falcon (1 seen hunting over Laurel Canopy)
Grey Wagtail (ssp canariensis)

Pods of Dolphins and Pilot Whales along with 200+ Cory's Shearwaters seen on boat trip from Los Gigantes.
1 Great Whale, Blue or Fin by size of the spout and length seen on surfacing.

Indian red Admiral (Vanessa indica vulcania, and endemic to the Canaries and Madeira)
Clouded Yellow
Canary Speckled Wood (Parage xiphioides and endemic to the Canaries)
Monarch

I need to return to to get the last endemic species Blue Chaffinch that I dipped on due to lack of transport, so I have something to look forward to. A few more ssp's await as well. It was fascinating to work through ssp's even such as Robin, Linnet and Blackbird.

-- Edited by Lawrence Hindley on Tuesday 22nd of April 2014 11:03:03 AM

Pete Welch · Status: Offline

Just back from a family holiday into which I sneaked some birding - highlights were Shearwater flocks and Petrel species past the hotel, Blue Chaffinch, Bolle's Pigeon, Southern Grey Shrike, Tenerife Kinglet, African Blue tit [very striking birds], Berthelot's Pipits, Night Heron, Barbary Partridge, Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Sardinian Warbler, Plain Swift and Hoopoe [with a few other ID's to work on...]. Also Pilot Wales, Green Turtle and the ever present Tenerife Lizards. I might do a trip report as whilst I used John's excellent report on here and others from the web there are a few updates to some of the key sites. Also found a pair of bins in the forests so have let the leading Tenerife birder know and used a few other means to try and locate their owner but if anyone hears of anyone missing a pair out there let me know [a long shot I know].

David Duncan · Status: Offline

Just returned from a very enjoyable week in Los Cristianos, 16th - 23rd October. Birds seen Southern Grey Shrike, Spectacled Warbler, Berthelots Pippit and Kestrel on spare land between Arona Gran and mountain. Birds on the Beach included, Grey Wagtail, Turnstones, Whimbrel, Cattle Egrets a single juvenile ringed plover and the ubiquitous Berthelots Pippits. Other birds seen were Chiffchaffs and Sparrows. Other wildlife seen were pilot whales, and the odd butterfly and dragonfly.

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Try the link on here

http://www.rarebirdspain.net/arbsr000.htm

Craig Higson · Status: Offline

Can anyone tell me if Osprey is frequently recorded on the island? I've been going to Tenerife (Los Cristianos) for 4-5 years now and have never seen one, but this year had two over the apartment, and presumably the same pair fishing in the Harbour. I wouldn't mind reporting to the relevant recorder if there is one either.

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Ian has recently added some of my images from a short trip to Tenerife from last November. One which is snapshot from video footage taken of a Great Spotted Woodpecker of the race canariensis on a Canarian Pine cone at Galeria Pino de la Cruz, in central Tenerife. My question is does anybody have any liturature to hand (eg. BWP or Woodpeckers of Europe) which identifies what exactly is inside these huge cones that are so attractive to the bird ?. I can hazard a guess at a tasty grub or sap. Cones found on the ground revealed the core had been completely hollowed out. This bird spent a lot of time and energy getting into this cone and the third clip posted on You Tube shows it really getting into the core here

It's odd enough seeing these birds in pine forests let along hanging upsidedown on a pine cone.

The site Galeria Pino de la Cruz is lsited in the Clarke and Collins guide and is a site for Blue Chaffinch (images in the gallery) easily accessible from Puerto de la Cruz on the TF21. If visiting be prepared, the temperature at 9am on 25th November was a chilly 4 degrees C. I didn't record many species here at this roadside picnic area though here is a short list.

Kestrel, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Blackbird, Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Tenerife Goldcrest, African Blue Tit and Blue Chaffinch (a maximum of 2 males and 2 females).

For Bolle's Pigeon I found the Anaga Peninsula in the north east (listed in Clarke & Collins guide) easier to work than Erjos and they were easy at Chamoga (not listed) at the end of the road.

As indicated in John Rayner's excellent trip report from June 2011 in the trip report gallery (which also lists other reports useful in preparation for a trip) Laurel Pigeon (image in the gallery not digiscoped although a scope is advisable for views) is easy at Mirador la Grimona, which is very convienient if based in Puerto de la Cruz.