Tenerife

Back from a very sunny, family holiday in Tenerife, 17/03 - 22/03.

If time permitted, I was keen to get round to see as many of the endemc bird species as I could, though in reality, it wasn't quite possible with us losing a day to food poisoning! Anyways, the two Pigeons species had to be left for another time, however the Tenerife Blue Chaffinch was one I was really hoping to see and reasonably achievable, being 45 minutes drive from our hotel in the south of the island. Even better, one of the best locations - Las Lajas picnic site, would mean it could be combined with a family picnic!

Luckily, they were relatively easy to find a short distance from the car and what little crackers they were!   

Some great views of teneriffae African Blue Tit and canariensis Great Spotted Woodpecker were had too, plus a few Atlantic Canaries. Other birds seen up in the hills included Raven, a calling Sardinian Warbler, a flyover Night Heron and quite a few Pallid Swift.

Elsewhere, I walked the odd circuit of the park round the corner from the hotel.

Amazing views of a feeding Hoopoe, a Spanish Sparrow, a couple of African Collared Doves types and a flyover Peregrine were the highlights.

Also generally about in the area were plenty of Atlantic Canaries and Canary Islands Chiffchaffs, Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel, Collared Doves, Blackbird, Goldfinch, a group of Nanday Parakeets, Yellow-Legged Gull and a few brief Swift sp. over. I also managed to hear and even see a small group of calling Cory's Shearwaters over the hotel, lit up in the urban lights!