Wednesday, 7 February 2018

Birding trip to Fuerteventura Friday 26/01/2018 to 30/01/2018

Eddie Marsh, Laurence Potter and I made the flight to Fuerteventura for a few days birding, to get away from the cold and gloom.

First of all I would like to thank Eddie for organising the trip and all his driving well done mate !!!

26/01/2018 (Friday)
Day 1

Flew from Stansted Airport arrived at El Matorral Airport mid afternoon, went to Lidl Supermarket to stocked up on food and beer. Then proceeded to our Villa, which we finally found after a few wrong turns. After we settled in we went for a recce of Tindaya where we were going the next day for the Houbara Bustard. We found one fairly quickly but not enough light for a photograph. We returned to the villa and then to a local restaurant for an evening meal.

27/01/2018 (Saturday)
Day 2

Tindaya Plain

Found two Houbara Bustard's very close to the car, got some amazing views










Also a very large flock of Lesser short-toed Larks




And distant views of 3 Cream Coloured Corsers.


then to 

Llanos Pelados, Fuerteventura to try and see the Dwarf Bittern, without success.
But views of the following birds:- 

White Stork (very distant)




Black-winged Stilts



The to second dam for another fruitless search for the elusive Dwarf Bittern

Other birds seen :-

African Blue Tit  (Cyanistes teneriffae)





Canary Island Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus dacotiae)



Trumpeter Finches



The off to Barranco de la Torre,  Fuerteventura were we found the
 Tristram's Warbler


28/01/2018 (Sunday)
Day 3

Los Molinos, Reservoir
Fuerteventura


Trumpeter Finch's





Spanish Sparrows






Spectacled Warbler




Berthelot's Pipit




Ruddy Shelduck



Distant shot of Spoonbills, Black Winged Stilts, Little Egrets, Ruddy Shelducks



Back to Llanos Pelados, Fuerteventura to try and see the Dwarf Bittern (fruitless again)

Fuertventra Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae)
Male and Female








We waited for 3 hours then decided to leave, as no sign of the Dwarf Bittern, when we got back to the car, we gave the rubbish dump a look we found, Plain Swift (no pics) and Southern Grey Shrike



As we were leaving a British couple arrived and asked if we had seen the Dwarf Bittern, we said no, but told them where to look and exchanged mobile numbers, then we left, 10 minutes later they call us to say they had found the Dwarf Bittern, it had flown in to exactly where we had been for 3 hours, so we raced back and got distant views.  

29/01/2018 (Monday)

Day 4

La Pared Desert, Fuerteventura

After a rainy start the sun finally came out

Cream Coloured Corser (distant)




Yellow-legged Gull



Southern Grey Shrike (lanius meridionalis koenigii)









Then to Costa Calma, Risco del Sasso

It started to rain, so I decided to stay in the car and Eddie and Laurence went to look at lagoons.


 Eddie and Laurence coming back

I managed to get photo's of a Berthelot's Pipit



Then we decided to give the Dwarf Bittern another look, and this time we had amazing views 


(see separate Blog entry)

Also seen:-

Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)




30/01/2018

Betancuria, Fuerteventura

Day 4

Sardinian Warbler









Barbary Partridge (Alectoris barbara) 

very distant



Then back to the Airport 

We all had a great time



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