Birding On Fuerteventura March-April 2019

I had wanted to visit this island in the Canaries for some years. There is one endemic, the Fuerteventura Chat, and several other species that I had never seen and which were reportedly relatively common there. I got my chance in late March, when my wife finally agreed to a 10 day holiday there, as a birthday present.

We were based in a hotel in Caleta de Fuste on the east coast, a 15 minute drive from the airport.

The Island

Fuerteventura is the closest of the Canary Islands to Africa – some 60 miles away from southern Morocco at its closest point. Lying just above the Tropic of Cancer it is on the same latitude as the middle of Mexico and Florida.

Both Fuerteventura and its sister island, Lanzarote, (just to the north) are also the oldest, believed to be up to 20 million years old.

UNESCO recently awarded the entire island Biosphere Reserve status and there are reportedly proposals to make the entire west coast a national park.

Here is an amusing tourist map of the island.

[click on a photo to see a larger view]

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The Photos

Whilst the majority of the rest of the photos in this report were taken by me with my bridge camera, I am grateful to Robert D, our editor, for permission to use 6 photos of species which I was unable to catch on camera, or where my efforts did not do the birds justice. The relevant images are noted in the text.

Robert visited the island at the same time last year, as part of an organised birding tour. He has produced and shared hundreds of excellent images with his superior equipment.

Birding Strategy and Results

To maximise the chances of finding my target species, we sought out an experienced and knowledgeable local birding guide, Derek Bradbury, for two days of our trip. Derek is an ex-pat and resident on the island for many years.

The habitats where we went looking for birds, both with Derek and on our own, were as follows:

• The rocky coast around Caleta de Fuste and the nearby salt pans at Salinas del Carmen
• The Tindaya Plain
• The Vulture feeding station
• The Barrancos (ravines)
• Pools & reservoirs
• The Mountains & Betancuria

All in all, over the period we recorded sightings of 49 different species, including 6 lifers.

The Rocky Coast Around Caleta de Fuste and the Salt Pans at Salinas del Carmen

Here is a shot, taken in the early evening, of the uncommercialised southern end of the beach at Caleta de Fuste, our hotel resort. The sand is typically fine and white. Perhaps unusual for such a volcanic island, apparently the sand has been deposited over millions of years by the prevailing wind from the Sahara. Also to be seen in this image is the low rocky shoreline.

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Walking along the fine promenade, Collared Doves were plentiful, as were Spanish sparrows, such as this splendid male. We never saw a single House Sparrow on the island – most unusual in all our wanderings!

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The rocky shoreline produced a number of waders unconcerned about the tourists walking or riding the prom – 3 Whimbrels, a Turnstone, 5 Sanderlings preening together, and a Common Sandpiper. From the central harbour area we watched Sandwich terns fishing out at sea.

Slightly further south along the shore, the Salt Museum is to be found– with its still working salt pans (the sole such operation on the island). Here is a shot of the salt pans themselves.

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A key exhibit at this site is also this impressive skeleton of a Fin Whale – the second largest living creature on earth. Our guide mentioned that the skeleton has recently been cleaned and remounted.

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On both occasions that we visited, there were no birds on the artificial lagoons, except Yellow-legged Gulls. But on the rocks and in the natural lagoons surrounding the site, on our second visit we watched this Spoonbill moving its bill from side to side in the water, and then taking off. Our guide mentioned that the individual was a juvenile as its bill has not turned fully from yellow to black.

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I also got this decent shot of the bird in flight as it flew overhead, neck and legs outstretched.

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In the same lagoon we also watched this Greenshank fishing.

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And on the rocks a Little Egret and this pair of Common Sandpipers.

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Our guide told us that all these species are resident on the island all year round, eschewing the normal migration cycle for some of them.

Throughout the site and on the rocks Barbary Ground Squirrels scurried about. Here is one tucking into the fleshy leaves of the Uvilla coastal plant.

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These critters were to be seen everywhere on the island where there were holes in the ground for a den, even amongst the rocks at the edge of the shoreline. At Caleta de Fuste amused tourists feed them with nuts from the prom. A colonial rodent, they are endemic to the Western Sahara and countries of north west Africa. They were reportedly introduced to the island in 1965 and have taken to it in a big way.

Here is another individual near the main car park in Betancuria.

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Tindaya Plain

In the north, to the east of the Tindaya mountain, is a large rocky barren plain. This is the favoured haunt of some of the target species we had specifically come to see on the island.

Here is a photo of the sort of terrain, showing in the foreground one of many traditional but picturesque windmills (in various states of repair) on the island.

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Although apparently inhospitable to flora and fauna alike, some plants have taken root, such as this Nicotiana glauca- known as the Tobacco tree because it is smoked by American native Indians. Originally from South America, it has spread across the continents, becoming a roadside weed in some places.

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As to the fauna, first we saw this species – the Houbara Bustard

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Wonderfully camouflaged, this individual strode, unconcernedly and in stately fashion, across the track we were walking along. Note the beady yellow-ringed eye, turned to watching us. Reminded me of a Stone Curlew. Two further birds were seen foraging in the distance.

Later in the day my wife spotted a Cream-coloured Courser from the car, as we drove through the plain. It was a male, blue-gray on the back of its head. We stopped, but not quick enough to get a better view. Here is one of Robert’s excellent photos from his visit last year.

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Then there were the larks, foraging on the arid rocky wasteland among low growing shrubs. These were Lesser Short-toed Larks, the only resident members of the family on the island- so not difficult to identify. Moving around in groups, they took off nervously whenever I approached to get a good photo. So here again I have to rely on a photo of Robert’s from last year – a female. These are one of the smallest of the Lark family, particularly on the Canaries.

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Almost everywhere we came across Southern Grey Shrikes, perched on trees, fences or boulders, on the lookout for prey. Here is one we saw on the plain.

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Vulture Feeding Station

Way out on the Tindaya plain near Villaverde is an enclosure surrounded by a wire fence. Our guide, Derek, explained that the local farmers dump their dead animals (mainly goats) there. He asked us not to get too close to avoid spooking the birds - so no decent photo opportunity here.

That said we had great views, on the ground, of one adult Egyptian Vulture and a black coloured juvenile feeding on the carcasses, with a further four vultures circling lazily in the sky above. Fortunately, last year Robert took this great photo of an adult bird in flight.

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The species’ range on the Canaries is limited to this island and Lanzarote. Down to only 100 individuals in 1998, a successful conservation project has been running since then, with the result that there are now reportedly over 300 resident individuals on the island (60 breeding pairs), with over 85% ringed.

This is a truly spectacular bird with a wingspan of over 5 feet. As might be expected, the diet is principally carrion but, unusually, it also eats faeces, even human excrement. So it provides a useful “cleaning” role for isolated villages with limited services (rather like the Red Kite used to do in the UK). In fact the Spanish name of the bird is Churretero, which apparently means dung-eater. Apparently dung contains carotenoids, which help give the lovely yellow colour to the head, as shown in the image.

Normally these vultures like to roost in trees, but as they are very few trees on the island, they have taken to roosting on electricity pylons. Reportedly, as well as being adaptable, they are a very intelligent species, one of the few that use tools. For example, they are known to use rocks to crack ostrich eggs in Africa and even to use twigs to collect wool for nesting purposes (usually on cliff faces).

As well as the vultures we saw another Southern Grey Shrike and 4 Hoopoes at the feeding station. The latter, Derek explained, feed on the maggots infesting the dead carcasses. Everyone to their own taste!

Barrancos

Simply defined, a barranco is a ravine, and given the volcanic nature of the Canary Islands, there are a great many of them on every Canary island, including Fuerteventura.

Formed by the erosive nature of the water that once flowed from the higher, inland forests and mountains to the sea before the climate changed on this island, nowadays the barrancos here are generally dry on the surface, except in heavy winter rains. Often characterised by sheer sides that sometimes plunge to a stony valley floor, barrancos carve up the landscape. Their myriad trails are a magnet for hikers but they are also great for wildlife.

Unlike the spectacular ravines on some Canary islands, the Barranco de Las Penitas in Vega de Rio Palmas, not far from Betancuria, is typical of this island.

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Here we had a good view of a Turtle Dove perched on a telephone wire and then of two Laughing Doves, one perched on a cactus and one in a tree. I have borrowed another of Robert’s excellent photos to show this very attractive species, essentially an African and Eastern Mediterranean bird, but now locally resident on the island.

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Our most unexpected discovery here was, however, a Barbary Falcon overhead. It was mobbing the resident Ravens and closed its wings as it stooped in the attack.

The much steeper sides of the Barranco Esquinzo, on the other hand, provide an ideal nesting site for a pair of Ravens. Found by our guide, this nest there contained 3 fledglings. We watched as the 3 heads popped up as the parents alighted on the edge of the ravine above the nest.

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The parents, like this individual, the slightly smaller version of our northern species, had been foraging on the plain.

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This barranco was particularly attractive to birds, not least because of some small artificial farm pools in the bottom of the barranco. Those provide drinking water for them.

First we watched a pair of Trumpeter Finches foraging amongst the rocks and vegetation on the side of the ravine. Then the pair flew to the floor of the ravine, as here, and later to the edge of one of the pools to drink. The delicate pink plumage of the male bird is very attractive, as well as the prominent red bill.

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A group of Linnets also foraged nearby. And by one of the pools I also took this great close-up of our first Fuerteventura Chat (the sole island endemic). This one is a female.

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Later in the day our guide found for us this male Chat, hiding in the thicket of another small barranco. A much smarter looking bird!

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The bottom end of the Barranco de la Torre, close to the sea and near our base, was also very productive on two occasions.

On our first visit we could hear several Spectacled Warblers in the dense thickets of shrubby trees in the mouth of the barranco, but so hard to spot. Then this individual appeared with its beak full of nesting material.

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A pair of Trumpeter Finches was then found, busy eating seeds from low vegetation on the side of the main track. Pipits foraged. The odd Barn Swallow and Pallid Swift flew above us. A pair of Ravens flew up and down the ravine. A Common Buzzard (dark form) circled above.

On the second visit, as we walked further up the main track, with our guide, we came across this unusual “Sodom Apple”, a tropical plant native to Africa and Asia. With pretty flowers, the fruit apparently contains a toxic bitter sap.

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The photo background also shows the steep side of this barranco at that point. The main track was cordoned off further on, so as not to disturb Egyptian Vultures which have nested there previously.

And yet another Grey Shrike perched on a wire fence nearby – only to fly swiftly a full 50 yards across a small field to pounce on and kill an unsuspecting lizard. It carried the unfortunate creature back across the field to drop it in the middle, no doubt to a hungry fledgling on the ground.

Here we also saw a rabbit for the first and only time. It bolted as soon as it saw me.

Pools and Reservoirs

With only one reservoir, at Los Molinos, most of the drinking water is obtained from expensive desalination plants. So there is minimal habitat for water-loving bird species, apart from otherwise occasional artificial pools created by farmers to irrigate their crops and some rare natural pools in the otherwise dry barrancos.

Typical of these farmers’ pools is this one at the top edge of the Barranco de la Torre, near Los Alares, which we visited twice.

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This pair of Black-winged Stilts has taken up residence there.

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A Moorhen (of which there were numerous on this pool) can also just be seen in the image, behind a dead palm frond on the right. As we watched here, on the first occasion, a Grey Heron visited briefly and another pair of Ruddy Shelducks flew around to watch over 8 tiny ducklings paddling about on the water (this species is known to start breeding very early in the year).

On our second visit our guide explained that the water here is pumped up, by a modern style windmill, from underneath the Barranco, as seen in this next shot.

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More success was had when we stopped with our guide (a week earlier) near a large farmer’s pool on the Tindaya plain. There we were surprised to see a dozen more tiny Ruddy Shelduck ducklings paddling about in the pool. Their parents were close and flew down to the stony ground by the pool. Here is another of Robert’s photos of the species from last year. The ducks would not let me get close enough for a better shot than this one of Robert’s - a female (without the black neck-band of the male).

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Interestingly, this is the only island of the Canaries where the species is known to breed – and that was not always the case. It is a bird of NW Africa, eastern Europe and Asia.

During our stay we saw, at various water bodies, several pairs of these beautiful ducks, honking like Canada Geese as they flew above, on the water, or just resting on the ground. Because they are so attractive, I gather that they are often a feature of UK waterfowl collections. Their presence in these water bodies is all the more surprising since they were virtually the only species of duck we saw on the island.

These occasional pools also of course attract other species for drinking water. In particular we saw there our first Black-bellied Sandgrouses. A group was lurking nearby but flew off as we approached. Here is another of Robert’s great photos of this colourful species.

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Similarly, a resident Barbary Partridge suddenly exploded from the bushes surrounding the pool. In those same bushes we also found a Willow Warbler busy foraging for insects as it stocked up for the next stage of its migration north – perhaps to the UK eventually. Who knows?

By contrast, the Los Molinas reservoir had by far the largest collection of water-loving species- Stilts, Ruddy Shelducks, Coots, a Common Sandpiper, a White Wagtail, a Greenshank, several Grey Herons, and 13 Little Egrets standing on the dam wall together in a line.

The Mountains & Betancuria

Before the island’s capital was moved to Puerto del Rosario on the east coast, Betancuria used to be the capital in the old days, hidden away from marauding pirates in a deep valley to the west of high mountains.

To get there, the drive from the east coast passes the Mirador Morro Velosa on the top of Tegu mountain - at over 2,200 feet. The building itself is beautiful, designed by the famous Spanish artist, sculptor and architect, Cesar Manrique. But the views from the terraces, particularly to the north, are spectacular. This is an example, showing the villages of El Cotillo and Antigua and the dunes of Corralejo.

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Inside is a really interesting exhibition about the island’s history, geology and ecology – with great enlarged photos of many bird species, etc. One floor houses this scale model of the island.

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Outside the building there was little evidence of birdlife, apart from resident Berthelot’s Pipits. Almost tame, they came very close, as they foraged for insects on these lovely “Canary Islands Daisies”, a plant endemic to Fuerteventura.

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A little further along to road, as it drops down towards Betancuria, is another scenic viewpoint, with views over the distant town. This is the so called “Mirador de Guise y Ayose”. Here are also two gigantic statues of the two erstwhile “kings” of the island, who finally submitted to their Norman conquerors after the invasion of 1402.

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Betancuria itself is very pretty, consequently a tourist hotspot. On our first visit to the town (on our own) I took this photo of the main square outside the small cathedral. But its environs were good for birds too.

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Here we looked down from the town centre over a so-called “Canary Islands Spurge”, a euphorbia endemic to the islands, and not a cactus like the “Prickly Pears” lower down in the photo.

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On our first visit we walked the track in this image (below the euphorbia) out of the town. It is essentially a dried-up stream bed. Further along it, we came to a grove of trees and the unmistakeable calls of a Sardinian Warbler. We got great views when a male obligingly emerged from the thicket of leaves.

Further along still, the track deepened into a small ravine. Here we came across a group of Goldfinches feeding on grass seeds, and a family of six or seven African Blue Tits, foraging for insects and seeds on the cactuses, grasses and other vegetation. Here is an example of the familiar acrobatic behaviour.

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Note the greyish-black crown, rather than the blue crown on our UK version, and the slightly longer bill. This individual is likely to be a juvenile as it is still sporting a white wingbar. Unlike the Eurasian Blue Tit, the African species reportedly lose that when they become fully adult. Birds on the island are members of a subspecies, “degener”, limited to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

To the left of the track we then came across some cultivated fields and a group of palm trees. At the top of one dead tree stump a Kestrel was perched, but flew off as we approached it.

Derek explained on our second visit that a lot of palm trees had been imported, complete with a deadly weevil (the Red Palm weevil), that eventually kills the tree. However, an intensive programme of pesticide spraying appears now to have largely eliminated the problem on this island.

Walking along the track on this second visit we came across this beautiful creature, the so-called Plain Tiger (aka African Monarch) butterfly. The photo shows the underside of a male. This large butterfly is a cousin of the famous Monarch butterflies of the USA. Like its cousin, the larva feeds on milkweed, so ingesting the poison that makes the adult unpalatable to most other creatures. This tropical species, an island resident, has a very wide worldwide distribution apparently, but generally not further north than Africa.

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Our final stop in Betancuria was to the Picnic site in the hills nearby- very popular with locals Derek told us (but not on that dull and windy day). This location is similar to the Mount Tiede park sites on Tenerife, except being on the side of a deep ravine and much more sparsely populated with pine trees.

There we were looking for the Atlantic Canary, a small localised population, and for more Blue Tits. They proved very hard to find. But we eventually came across individuals of both species in the tops of the trees. Our best views, however, were of yet another Southern Grey Shrike, which obligingly perched quite close when we reached the area shown in this image of the site.

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Peter Morgan
April 2019

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