Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is described as "scarce on passage and in winter in the Canary Islands" in Birds of the Atlantic Islands (T. Clarke, Helm).

My own records of the species amount to 3-4 birds in mid-October 2008 at the Fuencaliente saltpans, and one bird in late November 2008 at the irrigation basins outside Los Llanos.

There have been several sightings so far this autumn on the islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Tenerife of up to 10 individuals (see http://avescanarias.blogspot.com/ for full details).

However, it wasn't until the evening of November 14 that I happened to be in the right place at the right time in order to see my first Spoonbill of 2009 on La Palma. The bird shown in the photograph flew straight over my head while I was checking the Moorhen population in an irrigation basin in the municipality of Tazacorte.