Two Ring-necked Ducks

 Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris)

The two Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) featured in the present post were discovered in an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane) on the evening of March 20, and photographed the following morning. They came as a pleasant surprise during what has been a slack migratory season so far.

The paler of the two ducks

Regular visitors to this blog may recall two other recent records of this species: a female I discovered in the same pond in Las Martelas in December 2012 - and which was last seen there by a local observer on March 8 2013 - and a drake spotted in the Laguna de Barlovento reservoir by a visiting birder in January 2013.

The darker individual

Despite the slight difference in size and distinct plumage, I assume both the present birds are females, and are newcomers to the island. For comparison, below is a picture of the previous female monitored between December 2012 and the end of February 2013. Apart from the drabber plumage, the head appears to lack the peaked crown clearly visible in the two recently-discovered birds. As always, comments would be welcome.

Female Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) and Tufted Duck (A. fuligula)

Photo: December 11 2012

 

The present sighting will be submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee in due course.

Blackcap singing...

 Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Given the absence of migratory birds at the moment, here are a few photos of one of the commonest birds on the island, the Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). One of La Palma's four warblers, this species has already been shown in a previous post, carrying food to its nest (see 29 March 2011).

With spring in the air, males are presently singing from very conspicuous perches in all suitable habitat. The posted images were taken with a Fuji HS10 bridge camera, in an area of degraded scrub near a group of irrigation ponds in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane) - but the Blackcap is easy to find in gardens, orchards and even in public squares, where it frequents the dense foliage of planted Ficus microcarpa trees.

 Male Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Purely by chance, the following Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) was discovered this evening perching near an artificial pond in Las Martelas. Could this be the same bird first detected in 2010? Since my 26 March 2012 post,  a solitary Osprey has been reported in various parts of the island by several observers.

 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

This species no longer breeds on La Palma, but certain toponyms indicate that it once did; a glance at any large-scale map will reveal the local name guincho applied to a number of coastal features.

The bird spent over an hour on top of the same telegraph pole, and was only mobbed briefly, in almost routine fashion, by a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). Apparently at home in the far-from-idyllic, urban surroundings, this specimen seemed unconcerned about passing cars and people.

 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Ring-necked or Tufted Duck?

 Partial view of the Laguna de Barlovento

First of all, my apologies for the exceptionally poor quality of the photos in the present post. To give an idea of the observing conditions, above is an uncropped, partial view of the Laguna de Barlovento reservoir. There are at least 5 birds in the photograph: fairly conspicuous in the lower centre is a Coot (Fulica atra); to the right of it are 3 very indistinct Common Teal (Anas crecca); and in the centre of the image, up against a clump of vegetation, is a solitary black and white duck. It is the latter bird which enticed me up to the far northeast corner of the island on what turned out to be a miserable, windy day...

As mentioned in the previous post, in January this year a male Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) was reported by a visiting birder at the Laguna de Barlovento. This is a difficult location without a telescope, as the entire reservoir is fenced off, and it is impossible to get close enough to its banks for good views of the water with binoculars. An added incovenience is that weather conditions are often less than ideal, with poor light and blustery winds being frequent.

The reservoir is presently full to about 30% of its capacity, according to an estimate in the local press. This implies height differences of at least 20-30 metres between all accessible vantage points and the water surface. The resulting downward angles of vision may account for the fact that, in these photos, the drake's head does not look as characteristically large and pointed as might be expected for Aythya collaris. Perhaps the following view from the rear gives a better idea of its true shape...

Moreover, several other identifiction features visible in these photos indicate the Ring-necked (A. collaris) rather than the Tufted (A. fuligula) Duck: absence of tuft, white subterminal band on bill and white band at its base, flanks grey in colour with white vertical  "spur" at front, upper edge of flank panel more markedly S-shaped than on Tufted, longer tail...

After close examination of all the photos I managed to obtain yesterday, my opinion is that this is the male Ring-necked Duck, correctly identified and reported to the Spanish Rarities Committee by another observer in January this year. Opinions and comments would be greatly appreciated.

Black-tailed Godwit

 Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

At the end of January, I observed the plainer of these two birds in an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane). Presumably, this is a non-breeding adult, probably a female due to its larger size and longer bill. I was unable to get decent photos on that occasion, so didn't bother to post the sighting, and, as there are very few ponds available for waders at present (water levels are generally too high), I assumed the bird would fly on rapidly.

 Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) - male acquiring breeding plumage

However, on returning to the area on Feb 7, I was surprised to find not only the first bird still there, but also a second individual, presumably a male moulting into breeding plumage. The following images allow size comparison, differences in bill colour and length, and other plumage details to be appreciated.

Although both birds have relatively steep foreheads as in islandica, on the basis of distribution, the most likely race would appear to be the nominate limosa.  According to "Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere" (Richard Chandler), islandica only winters as far south as Morocco (where it overlaps with the nominate race), while limosa reaches sub-Saharan Africa. Comments would be appreciated.

Just to discount the remote possibility of haemastica (Hudsonian Godwit), the image below shows the white - not black! - underwing coverts.

Black-tailed Godwits have been recorded previously on La Palma, and are classed as regular winter visitors and passage migrants to the Canaries (all islands), but this was my first sighting of the species on the island.

Incidentally, the female Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) featured in a previous post, was still in Las Martelas on Feb 7, together with 13  Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula). A male Ring-necked Duck was also reported by a visiting birder in January, at the Laguna de Barlovento.

(White-tailed) Laurel Pigeon

 (White-tailed) Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae)

The present species, now simply known as the Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae) is endemic to the Canaries, but restricted to the western islands. It inhabits steep terrain covered with heath and patches of thermophilous woodland (probably its original habitat), and also certain pine forested areas, and has a marked tendency to move towards cultivated land at lower elevation.

It lays a single egg in nests constructed on ledges or cracks in rock faces usually hidden by vegetation, and breeds between March and September, often laying several times. The bird's diet consists mainly of fruits and shoots of trees growing in the laurel forests or thermophilous woods, together with a variety of cultivated fruits, plus the occasional addition of certain invertebrates and assorted vegetables.

La Palma has the largest population of Laurel Pigeons of all the Canary Islands, the species being particularly abundant in the Barranco del Agua (San Andrés y Sauces) and other ravines in the northeast and north of the island. [Info adapted from Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes  en el Archipiélago Canario (1997-2003), Lorenzo, J. A. (Ed.) 2007].

The present images were all taken in the Barranco del Agua this morning. The Laurel Pigeon is not an easy species to photograph with a 400mm lens. The sides of the barrancos are so steep that getting close to where the birds perch is virtually impossible. Light is also a problem, as the remaining patches of thermophilous woodland grow on the north facing slopes, which are in shade throughout the day at this time of year.

Both the Laurel Pigeon, and the more abundant Bolle's Pigeon (Columba bollii), are much easier to photograph outside their natural habitat, for example, when found feeding on cultivated fruit trees in sunnier locations.

It is interesting to note that while Bolle's Pigeon is closely related to the Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus), and is a recent colonizer to the Canaries (5My),  the Laurel Pigeon is not closely related to either and is probably an old lineage that might have colonised the Canaries a long time ago (20My). [Field Guide to the Birds of Macaronesia, García-del-Rey, E. Lynx Edicions 2011].

Two more birds above

The present species, with its shorter wings, has a much slower and flappier flight action than Bolle's. All the birds observed today only made occasional, short sallies out from the sides of the gorge, and spent relatively long periods of time perched close to the cliffs or hidden from view on ledges. None flew for any distance along the length of the valley or crossed to the other side: their discreet behaviour may well indicate that some are already incubating eggs.

Early birds 2013

 Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

In recent years, the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) seems to have become a regular spring visitor to La Palma.  Up to four individuals have been seen on the island at the same time, but the two birds shown above came as a surprise, due to their earlier-than-usual arrival date. They were discovered at an irrigation pond in Tazacorte, where fading light, excessive distance and dense undergrowth made photography difficult.

Just as the sun was setting, warmer light gave a glint to one of the bird's eyes, adding interest to the heavily-cropped photo above. Closer approach at this particular location is not feasible, unfortunately.

Group of 3 adult Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) feeding 3 newborn chicks

(Black-crowned Night Heron in background)

The second surprise at the same pond was the discovery of the first Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) brood of 2013. The group consisted of three adult birds feeding three recently-born chicks. Care of younger siblings by juveniles from earlier, same-year broods is common in many rail species, and I have often observed such behaviour among Moorhens on La Palma. However, this is the first time I have seen fully-grown birds from one breeding season providing sibling care to their parent's offspring the following year.

Chiffchaff

Common or Canary Islands Chiffchaff?

During a birding session at the saltpans in Fuencaliente, on the evening of December 19, I was surprised to spot the bird shown in the present post. The most ubiquitous and abundant passerine on La Palma is the endemic Canary Islands Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis). But what struck me about the individual shown here was its much greener, more contrasting plumage, its lack of buff tones on the flanks....and the fact that it was found at a location where I had never seen a single Chiffchaff previously, despite frequent visits to the site.

The bird was first observed foraging on the ground amid the sparse, coastal scrub on the inland side of the entrance path, and was shortly rediscovered on the stoney banks of the saltpans themselves, where all the pictures were taken. The only passerines which frequent this part of the island are the Atlantic Canary (Serinus canaria), Berthelot's Pipit (Anthus berthelotii), Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) and the scarcer Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata). So here was a case of an unexpected species doing unexpected things in an unexpected area...

The photograph above enables the tertials and primaries to be appreciated: the length of the projection appears to correspond to a Chiffchaff. But are the greenish tones on the upperparts, and the patches of lemon-yellow on the flanks typical for a Canary Islands Chiffchaff?

I have been through all my fieldguides and checked photographs on the Internet. To add to the difficulty there is, of course, an Iberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus), and three subspecies of Common Chiffchaff have been recorded in Macaronesia, the nominate collybita (W and C Europe), abietinus (N and NE Europe) and tristis (Siberia).

If bill-length is diagnostic, when seen from the above angle, this specimen appears to conform to the proportions for the Common, rather than the Canary Islands Chiffchaff. Unfortunately, the bird emitted no calls or song to aid identification.

The last photo (above) shows the lemon-yellow tones around the vent and underparts of the tail.

Any comments regarding the identity of this specimen would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I plan to consult the ringers and other experienced passerine observers at rarebirdspain, and will post their verdict shortly.