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!

Early year highlights

As is pretty standard for these parts, it was a slow birding start to the year, however starting yearlists again always breathes life and a bit of excitement into the local birding once again!

Having repeatedly failed to find my own or catch-up with several others in the area, it was actually quite a relief to join in with the first, half decent Waxwing invasion for several years. Patience paid off as I was treated to lovely, if brief views of the 5 sporadically visiting pink sorbus trees in Bodicote, Banbury on 18/02.

A juvenile Great Northern Diver was a very good bird locally, staying for a number of days at Calvert Jubilee Lake. I saw it a couple of times during it's stay including on 20/01, when a lovely adult Caspian Gull and 2cy Yellow-Legged Gull were also present.

Bicester Wetlands has been productive, in addition to the usual Teal, Gadwall and the odd Green Sand. A self-found Cattle Egret on 08/03 was nice, my third there. A cream crown Marsh Harrier on 26/03 was a welcome surprise, actually lingering for a few days, allowing me to catch up with it.

Elsewhere, Grimsbury didn't miss out completely, producing a Rock Pipit on 13/03 found by Gareth. Most of our patch records are from the autumn so nice to a get a spring bird for a change!

Hinton Airfield held my first Bramblings of the year, as well as an impressive count of 10 Stonechat on 18/02 - presumably birds on the move!

Finally, a real highlight for me was the incredibly prolounged encounter with an Otter on 25/02 along the canal near Aynho in the middle of the day. Seemingly blind in one eye and appearing to be unphased by my presence, it went about it's business, swimming, resting and fishing as I walked along the tow path. Just brilliant!