End of January summary

 Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)

The Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides), first detected on Jan 13, was still at the same irrigation pond in Tazacorte at the end of the month. This evening, I was able to photograph the remarkable postures adopted by the bird while it hunted for prey; on one occasion it even plunged into the water to catch something edible. The first picture, above, is probably the best of the bunch.

Unfortunately, the pond is bordered by private land, with only one access point located at some distance from the overhanging vegetation where the heron perches.

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)

Also seen in the same area on Jan 31 was a solitary Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), flying low over the ponds in search of insects. The species is a regular passage migrant to the Canaries, usually in spring.

At an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane), I spotted the juvenile Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) which was originally found at the airport pools (Mazo), and later observed in Tazacorte (see previous blog post).

To complete this brief summary of interesting sightings in January, two White Wagtails (Motacilla alba) and two Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) were still present in Las Martelas.