lapalmabirds

Egret roost

2011-12-26T21:00:00.092Z

Followers of this blog may recall that a census of overwintering Ardeidae was carried out on La Palma at the end of January 2011, and coordinated throughout the country by SEO/Birdlife (see: Annual Ardeidae Census - RESULTS, posted on 26 Jan 2011 for more details). The census method entailed localising communal heron and/or egret roosts and simply counting the number of birds flying in at dusk to spend the night there.

The first of the two main roosts on La Palma was located along coastal cliffs between Puerto de Tazacorte and Tijarafe, on the west coast of the island, and the second in a banana plantation bordering an irrigation pond, in the Tazacorte municipality. At the two roosts, 51 and 52 Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta), plus 5 and 1 Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) were recorded respectively.

For the January 2012 census, an inspection of the coastal site is pending to see if it is still in use, but the plantation roost in Tazacorte now appears to have shifted to another group of irrigation basins about one kilometre away. On the evening of December 21, I counted 44 Little Egrets and 4 Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) at this newly-discovered location. The birds start flying in from about 18h onwards, with the peak of activity between 18:30 and 19:00. At this time of the year, from about 19:15 onwards, failing light makes further counting unreliable.

The short video posted above gives an idea of the lively atmosphere as the birds squabble for places on the flimsy, swaying branches of a Nicotiana glauca bush overhanging the pond... (Apologies for the rather poor quality of the film).

Blue-winged Teal 2

2011-12-16T19:46:00.004Z

Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)

On November 30, a female Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) was found at an irrigation pond in Las Martelas. The duck was observed and photographed on December 1 and 2, and then disappeared from the area...either to continue its migration, or simply to find itself a new pond in another part of the island.

After thorough searching, and repeated visits to the same location in Las Martelas, I was pretty convinced that the duck had left La Palma for good. However, on December 13, the individual shown in the present post turned up at the same spot, and the question immediately arose as to whether this was the the first bird which had returned, or a complete newcomer...

My first impression was that the new bird's plumage appeared to be more contrasting, with a more conspicuous dark stripe behind the eye, and a very obvious pale loral patch, clearly visible in all light conditions.

Female Blue-winged Teal together with Coot

In an attempt to settle the doubt, I have been comparing photographs, trying to judge the amount of blue and white on the upper wings, and to assess other relevant plumage details. As regards behaviour, the present bird seems equally at ease within the confines of its man-made pond, dabbling placidly across the surface at a respectful distance from the Coots (Fulica atra), preening itself both in and out of the water, and taking the occasional nap in the middle of the basin.

The following images highlight various aspects of the bird's plumage...

My final verdict, without conclusive photographic evidence to the contrary, is that this is the bird first observed on November 30 - but where it spent the 11 days between December 2 and December 13 remains a mystery...

Blue-winged Teal

2011-12-02T19:25:00.003Z

On Nov 30, during a visit to an irrigation pond in Las Martelas, I discovered this rather drab duck among the group of 10 Coots (Fulica atra) currently overwintering at the site...

By this time of the year, the first migratory flocks of Teal (Anas crecca) have usually arrived on the island, but this bird, although roughly the same size, was no Eurasian Teal: the unusually long tail, and uniform grey bill were conspicuous differences, but the overall drabness made identification difficult...a Garganey (Anas querquedula) perhaps?

No helpful speculum or wing-bars were visible as the duck placidly dabbled around the pond, but the thin eye-ring and pale loral patch were useful clues...

Finally, after a brief session of preening, a small, turquoise blue patch came into view on the bird's flanks: a female, or juvenile Blue-winged Teal!

Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)

Not the best pictures of this unexpected American visitor perhaps, but strong, gusty winds make photography difficult on the west side of the island at the moment.

The Blue-winged Teal is widespread in North America, from Alaska to Newfoundland, and in the centre of the United States. As with the European Garganey, it is more migratory than other Anatidae. Wintering grounds extend along the southern coasts, from California and North Carolina, throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and a large part of South America, where some individuals occasionally reach northern Chile and Argentina. The predominance of spring sightings in Europe, together with other evidence, suggests that many birds spend the winter in Africa, and only pass through Europe on migration, with their spring routes being more easterly than their autumnal ones (Eduardo de Juana, Aves Raras de España, Lynx, 2006).

Up to 2003, there had been 32 records of this species in Spain, 5 of them on the Canaries. It is interesting to note that, of the 5 Canary Island sightings, 4 were in winter (December-February). Consequently, de Juana postulates that "perhaps the islands are located only a short distance from the areas in Africa where most of the Blue-winged Teal visiting the Old World spend the winter".

More recent figures for this species are included in the SEO Rarities List of 2006: 35 records, 39 birds, nationwide.

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

Sparrowhawk

2011-11-16T17:24:00.096Z

Identification of the "Mystery Bird" shown in the previous post was confirmed by the next three pictures received today. The barring on the pale breast is clearly visible, as are the tail bands.

My thanks to the photographer Roger Ligter for permission to publish these excellent shots of a magnificent raptor.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

The Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is described in the Atlas de las aves nidificantes en el archipiélago canario (Ed. J. A. Lorenzo, Madrid, 2007) as follows:

"...widely distributed on La Palma in all types of forested areas, from the far north of the island to the vicinity of Fuencaliente in the south. Although absent from drier zones, urban environments or farmland, it is often seen when hunting there..."

Despite being a widespread species , one rarely gets the chance to witness bathing scenes, such as those shown in the present post!

Readers of this blog are invited to send news of interesting sightings on the island of La Palma to the author at: grajaland@gmail.com

Mystery bird in El Paso

2011-11-16T08:19:00.040Z

On Nov 9 I was sent these two photographs of a bird of prey, taken at a small water tank in a garden in El Paso:

The author of the pictures (Roger Ligter) requested help with identification of the species. I was surprised by the amount of pink on the bird's plumage, and a better view of the breast would have been helpful. My final verdict, after seeking a second opinion from an experienced local birder, is that the mystery raptor is an adult Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus).

Lesser Yellowlegs...at last!

2011-10-27T22:26:00.007+01:00

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

The juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) shown in the present post was discovered at the saltpans in Fuencaliente (Las Salinas) this morning, foraging together with 2 Redshanks (Tringa totanus), 2 Curlew Sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea) and a Little Stint (Calidris minuta) - plus the usual Ringed Plovers (Charadrius hiaticula) and Turnstones (Arenaria interpres).

Identification of this species at such close quarters poses few problems, and most of the relevant points can be appreciated in the present series of images: the fine, straight, dark-coloured bill; the long primary projection beyond the tertials and tail; the short supercillium mainly in front of the eye...and, of course, the unmistakable, mustard-yellow legs.

Eduardo de Juana (Aves Raras de España, Lynx, 2006) gives the following figures for sightings of this North American breeding species up to the year 2003: GB 216, France 34, mainland Portugal 11, Azores 14...with 49 records in Spain for the same period, of which 7 were in the Canaries.

More recent information gleaned from Canary Islands Birding News mentions 9 Canary Island records accepted by the Spanish Rarities Committee from the islands of La Palma (J.M. Castro, Las Martelas, 2003), Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, with a few more pending homologation. At national level, the same source quotes a figure of 54 birds.

The Spanish observations peak in autumn, coinciding with those of mainland Portugal and North Africa, and are noticeably later than those of other European countries, suggesting that these trans-Atlantic vagrants initially make landfalls further north, and then move progressively south.

Having already seen a number of the commoner Nearctic waders on La Palma, I had been looking forward to my first Yellowlegs, and this sighting will be submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee in due course.

The next two images are included merely to highlight a specific identification feature: the white rump, with no white V (pointed extension) running up the back, as in Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Redshank (T. totanus) and Marsh Sandpiper (T. stagnatilis)

Spoonbills, October 2011

2011-10-20T21:32:00.002+01:00

Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia)

The above image shows two Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) found resting at the saltpans in Fuencaliente, presumably after a long migratory flight, on the morning of October 19. They have chosen one of the centrally-located pans, well away from the sign-posted path running round the perimeter of the complex, and strictly out of bounds to the general public. The same spot is also commonly used by Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis) as a daytime refuge.

Described in Birds of the Atlantic Islands (Tony Clarke, Helm, 2006) as being "scarce in winter and on passage in the Canary Islands", several small groups of this species have nevertheless been recorded on Tenerife in the last few years. See avescanarias.blogspot, the blog of SEO/Birdlife on the Canaries for more details.

The same two birds in flight

As regards La Palma, 3 Spoonbills were discovered at the Fuencaliente saltpans (Las Salinas) in mid-October 2008, a single individual at a freshwater irrigation basin in Las Martelas in November 2008, and another solitary bird in the Tazacorte area in September 2009, photos and details of which have appeared in this blog.

Thanks to scientific ringing, it is now known that most of the Spoonbills visiting the Canaries come from Dutch breeding colonies, and have their winter quarters in the Arguin Bank, off the coast of Mauritania. Although some of these migratory birds simply pass through the Canaries on their outbound journey, others overwinter in the archipelago. Martin and Lorenzo (2001, Aves del Archipiélago Canario) present data on thirty-odd ringed birds, many originating from the Netherlands, including cases of some birds returning to the same Canary Island locality over a number of consecutive winters. Nevertheless, some birds of different origin have also been recorded, for example from France, although in much smaller numbers.

The two birds shown leaving the saltpans to continue their journey...

Common Migrants October 2011

2011-10-13T22:01:00.007+01:00

Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)

Given the absence of rarer species on the island at present, here is a sample of the regular migrants which can be observed almost every year...

The solitary Redshank (Tringa totanus) shown above and below was discovered at the saltpans in Fuencaliente this morning. While at some European estuaries and marshes massive concentrations of this wader are a common sight, on the oceanic island of La Palma just one or two birds turn up occasionally.

The next species - also found at the saltpans - is migratory on the Canary Islands, where the only breeding Motacilla is the fairly widespread Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea).

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

During recent visits to the saltpans, one or two Dunlins (Calidris alpina) have usually been present, such as the one shown above, photographed this morning. Also to be expected at the site at the moment are one or two Little Stint (Calidris minuta), a couple of Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), and the usual Turnstones (Arenaria interpres).

The following series of images shows a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) enjoying a tasty snack on the edge of an irrigation basin in Las Martelas. The dragonfly in question appears to be a female or immature example of the very abundant Crocothemis erythraea, in which adult males are crimson red in colour.

Finally, while the bird on the right in the next image is a regular passage migrant, the species on the left is none other than the Nearctic-Holarctic Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis), first detected on September 25 at the saltpans (see previous post), and still present at the time of writing.

Left: Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis); right: Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

Buff-breasted Sandpiper September 2011

2011-09-25T18:15:00.012+01:00

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis)

Discovered at the Fuencaliente saltpans (Las Salinas) this morning, this is my second Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) on La Palma, following my first sighting on Sep 29 2010 at the same location (see corresponding blog post).

The bird shown here was foraging restlessly around the edges of two adjacent pans, together with 4 Sanderlings (Calidris alba), a couple of Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), and the usual small numbers of Turnstones (Arenaria interpres).

The characteristic buff tones are clearly visible in the above image

This species is held to be the second most frequent Nearctic wader recorded in Europe, after the Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos). Since 1960, it has been considered an annual visitor to Great Britain, where it ceased to be classified as a rarity from 1983 onwards. By the year 2003, 620 birds had been recorded there.

In Spain, the Rarities Committee had accepted 28 records of this species by 2003, making it the third most common American wader at national level, after the previously cited Pectoral Sandpiper and the Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes). The Spanish sightings came mainly from Galicia (11), Catalonia (5) and the Canaries (6), with another 6 from Portugal.

Since 2003, the number of observers has increased considerably, with the result that fewer migrant birds escape detection: as a matter of fact, in recent weeks, unusually high numbers of Buff-breasted Sandpipers have been reported from various locations around the country, including 2 on Lanzarote, 11 in the Ebro Delta, and 4 in Galicia.

Observations of Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Spain mainly correspond to the post-breeding migratory period, with almost all records occurring between the end of August and mid-October, and hardly any in spring. As is the case with other Nearctic waders, the Canary Island sightings tend to be somewhat later, suggesting that birds make a stopover in mainland Europe before reaching the islands.

Most of the information in this post comes from Aves Raras de España, E. de Juana, Lynx Edicions 2006.

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

Two Pectoral Sandpipers!

2011-09-20T18:34:00.010+01:00

Two juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos)

Late on Monday evening (Sep 19), a second Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) was discovered in Las Martelas, having joined the individual featured in the previous post, and both were photographed this morning (Sep 20) in two neighbouring irrigation tanks.

The birds started foraging in close proximity to each other, in the rather grim, man-made habitat shown below:

The far from idyllic surroundings can be appreciated in the next image: food items gathered on the sheer concrete slopes of the basin were mostly insects, including dragonfly and their larvae. A couple of Common Sandpipers were also searching for food in the same manner:

Eventually, the two Pectorals moved across to the sunny side of the pond, where I managed to photograph one of them, before both flew off to another basin:

The two birds were soon re-located and the two remaining pictures, plus the one at the top of this post, were taken in much better light conditions:

Pectoral Sandpipers foraging on a floating layer of pondweed

Pectoral Sandpiper Sep 2011

2011-09-18T21:16:00.008+01:00

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

"Of all waders considered vagrants in Europe, this is by far the most frequent" - so begins the Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) entry in Aves Raras de España, E. de Juana 2006. Amongst other interesting data, the author informs us that almost 2,000 birds of this species were registered in Great Britain between 1968-2002, and in Spain, 163 individuals were recorded between the founding of the Spanish Rarities Committee in 1984, and the year 2003. Distribution of the Spanish records during this period were mainly from Galicia (50), Catalonia (28), and the Canaries (23), with the overwhelming majority in September, involving mostly juveniles.

The species breeds in northern tundra, between west Siberia and Hudson Bay, and may have extended westwards in the former region. This possibly accounts for the extremely high number of individuals detected in Europe, compared to other nearctic vagrants. In support of this hypothesis, Pectoral Sandpipers were recently observed in the Taimyr peninsula migrating in a south-westerly direction (Hjort, 2005).

The bird shown in this post was first detected on September 15 in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane), where at least two irrigation basins presently allow migrant waders to feed, either by walking across the floating pond weed as in the top photograph, or by foraging around the edges, as above. This is, incidentally, my fifth melanotos in recent years on La Palma: I saw two birds in September 2009, one in March 2010, and also one in September 2010 - all in the Las Martelas area, except the second of September 2009, which was found at Las Salinas, the saltpans on the southern tip of the island.

Front view, showing the abrupt junction between breast streaks and white belly

The Pectoral Sandpiper featured in this post was still in Las Martelas at the time of writing (Sep 18); details of this sighting will be submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee in due course.

Early September 2011

2011-09-12T11:24:00.014+01:00

Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica)

As September progresses, small numbers of post-breeding migratory species are steadily turning up on the island. In addition to the usual waders, I photographed this solitary Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica) in Las Martelas on Sept 11. The species is described in Birds of the Atlantic Islands (T. Clarke, Helm 2006) as an "...accidental visitor or rare and irregular passage migrant, recorded from all main islands except La Palma", so this could be a "first" for the Isla Bonita. The next two images allow various other identification features to be appreciated, including the characteristic bill shape.

The Knot (Calidris canutus) appears to be one of the less frequent migrants on La Palma: a few years ago there was a group of 4-5 at the saltpans in Fuencaliente, the same location where this individual was seen at the beginning of September.

Knot (Calidris canutus)

The remaining species in this post can be described as regular visitors:

Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

Two at the saltpans at the beginning of the month, one in a freshwater irrigation basin in Las Martelas at the time of writing.

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Up to 5 individuals at the saltpans so far this month.

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
The two birds shown here, above and below, were both present in Las Martelas at the beginning of the month.

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
Two birds in Las Martelas, still present at the time of writing.

To sum up, in addition to the above species, a solitary Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) has been seen in Las Martelas, together with the usual Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), and Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus).

At least one Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), and one or two Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus) have been seen around the various irrigation basins on the west side of the island, together with the usual Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) and Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta).

At the saltwater pools near the airport, the typical species are already present, and will probably over-winter at the site: Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), and Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus).

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

2011-07-21T17:41:00.007+01:00

Juvenile Night Heron, well-concealed in vegetation

A solitary adult Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) was detected at an irrigation basin in Tazacorte on the evening of April 16, and featured in two previous blog entries. Since early May, both the adult and as many as three other individuals have been located sporadically in the same area, either singly or together.

The species has bred recently on Tenerife, and possibly occasionally on Gran Canaria, as well as having been recorded from all main Canary Islands, where it is classified as a "regular migrant" (Birds of the Atlantic Islands, T. Clarke, Helm, 2006). The present group of 4 birds on La Palma, and their protracted stay, is probably a much less frequent occurrence.

Juvenile Night Heron out in the open

The same bird, hunting prey in the water

Above, the adult bird, keeping a watchful eye on a Moorhen chick

Finally, the adult again, posing for the camera...

Herons, spring 2011

2011-04-20T14:09:00.023+01:00

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

First glimpsed at a distance on April 16, identification remained uncertain until better views a day later settled the doubt. This is my first sighting of Purple Heron ( Ardea purpurea) on La Palma, although the species is a "regular but scarce passage migrant, especially in spring, recorded from all main islands except El Hierro" (Birds of the Atlantic Islands, T. Clarke 2006).

There are presently at least two birds around the irrigation basins in Las Martelas and adjacent areas, while on the island of Tenerife, two groups of 7 and 4 individuals have been sighted this month - exceptional for a species which normally appears in ones and twos. See the SEO blog avescanarias.blogspot.com for more details.

The photo above was taken early in the morning, after waiting under a camouflage net for first light. At about 7:20, the bird glided in from out of nowhere and landed on the shady side of the pond, remaining almost motionless and partly hidden for about one hour, making no attempt to forage.

Getting the first images meant setting the ISO speed at 1600, shutter 1/6 second, f.5.6. After its initial inactivity, the heron finally flew over to the sunnier side of the basin, and, had it not been for the untimely appearance of a man who flushed the bird when he came to measure the water level, I might have got some more satisfactory, better-lit shots...

Purple Heron in early morning sun

The Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) is a fairly regular visitor to the island, and is tolerant of stealthy approach. It seems to feed well while here, taking frogs, tadpoles, dragonfly larvae, and possibly the occasional small fish, hunting either by wading or from a perch. Two individuals are present at the time of writing, in various irrigation basins in Tazacorte.

Squacco Heron hunting in water

Squacco Heron: on the left, slightly out of focus, one of the 3 surviving Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) chicks from an early February brood

Finally, the Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) mentioned in my last post, has been seen on a number of occasions in Tazacorte and Las Martelas, both on the ground, and in flight.

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Spring Migrants 2011

2011-04-16T23:30:00.014+01:00

Group of 3 Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

After a longish spell with little migratory activity, the above group of three Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) photographed in Las Martelas on April 15 came as a pleasant surprise!

A small colony of this species established itself on Lanzarote in the 1990s, and the bird has also bred sporadically on Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and, more recently, on Tenerife (Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario, Ed. J.A.Lorenzo, 2007). On the remaining islands it is probably an uncommon but regular passage migrant (Birds of the Atlantic Islands, T. Clarke 2006).

The following record for La Palma was published in Ardeola 42/2 1995:

6 birds on April 11 1994 and 3 birds on April 15 1994 in irrigation basins in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane), and 1 female in the seawater pools near the airport on 13 and 15 April 1994 (D. Trujillo).

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

The Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) shown below was discovered in an irrigation basin in Tazacorte on the evening of April 16: the handheld shot was captured in poor light conditions, with ISO set at 1600, 1/250 second, with a 400mm lense without image stabilisation.

This species has bred recently on Tenerife, and possibly occasionally on Gran Canaria, and there are records of birds on passage from all the islands. In the case of La Palma, a sighting was published in Ardeola Vol. 55/2 2008 of an individual seen by I. Brito in Las Martelas on Sep 28-29 2000.

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

The Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) has been recorded regularly on La Palma in recent years, mainly around irrigation basins in Tazacorte, where the bird below was located on April 15.

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)

The following Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) has been seen in various irrigation basins in Las Martelas since April 7. This individual appears to have exceptionally long tibia...

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Over the last few days, apart from the above species, there have been up to 6 Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) in Las Martelas, a Redshank (Tringa totanus) at the seawater pools near the airport, and a possible sighting of a Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), also in Las Martelas but pending confirmation and photo.

Common Nesting Birds 2

2011-04-11T19:18:00.011+01:00

Male Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Very common in forest or scrub, especially at low to medium altitude, the noisy rattle-like call of the Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) is unmistakable, and is emitted during foraging and when perched.

Interestingly, the natural habitat of Canary Island warblers in the past was probably the thermophilous forest, located between the coastal and montane zones, a kind of Mediterranean dry woodland in which wild olive trees, palms, dragon trees, juniper, buckthorn and various other trees and bushes once grew. As these areas were cleared to create farmland, or generally became degraded, warblers were able to expand their range both above and below their original habitat (Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes, Ed. J.A. Lorenzo, 2007).

The photos in this post were all taken in coastal scrubland, on a dull windy day with fairly poor light. Both the male and the female were foraging energetically, in order to deliver food to a nest hidden in a thicket of Rumex lunaria (Tree Sorrel).

Male emitting characteristic rattle-like call

Male Sardinian Warbler perched in a Rumex lunaria bush

Blackcap nest

2011-03-29T18:33:00.011+01:00

The above image shows a patch of degraded scrub typical of uncultivated land in low-lying areas, consisting of a mixture of genuine Canary Island flora together with various invasive species.

In the shady area on the left is a species of Sorrel (Rumex lunaria) and, right of centre, the bright green, succulent foliage of a Verode (Kleinia nerifolia) can be seen. It is in this latter bush that a pair of Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) have decided to nest...

Both parents assiduously feed the chicks, usually perching on the Sorrel bush before first swooping down, and then up, through the branches of the Verode, often in one single movement, as the following image attempts to illustrate.

Male Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) carrying food to nest

At ISO 400 and 1/3200 of a second, this photo leaves plenty of room for improvement! When either of the birds briefly perches before flying up to the nest rim, as was the case with the female below, it is obviously much easier to freeze the action.

Female Blackcap perching before flying up to nest

The remaining images show the two birds transporting food items to the breeding site, which is located in a ludicrously exposed position very close to a track, in an area which offers an almost unlimited supply of more secluded, virtually impenetrable vegetation of exactly the same type. So why there precisely?

Common Nesting Birds 1

2011-03-20T21:25:00.011Z

Canary (Serinus canarius)

Ancestor of the numerous caged varieties bred over the centuries, the Canary (Serinus canariensis) is plentiful and widely distributed in both natural and man-made habitats, including pine forests, heathlands, coastal and summit scrub, and gardens and farmland. The three images shown here were taken in degraded scrub in Las Martelas, an area of irrigation basins outside Los Llanos.

Regarded as a subspecies of the Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), the endemic Canary Islands Chiffchaff (P. canariensis) is extremely common in a wide range of habitats, at all altitudes. It is one of the only four warblers found on the island, the other three species being the Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), the Sardinian (S. melanocephalus) and the Spectacled Warbler (S. conspicillata).

Canary Islands Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis)

Female Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Abundant in both forest and scrubland habitats, this species is largely absent from pure pine forests. The male's melodious warbling is frequently heard in urban surroundings, coming from the dense foliage of the Ficus microcarpa trees planted in squares and streets throughout the island.

Moorhen: first brood of 2011

2011-02-17T21:37:00.011Z

Parent with five of the six chicks

The Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) breeding season is already underway: the first brood of the year, consisting of 6 chicks, appeared in one of several regularly-monitored irrigation basins in Tazacorte on Feb 13.

Information on this species has appeared previously in this blog, but here is a brief summary of the figures:

In 2009, 5 irrigation basins were monitored and a total of 13 broods detected, with 49 chicks hatching altogether, of which 10 were observed to survive until they eventually left their respective ponds as fully-independent young birds.

In 2010, the same 5 basins were monitored plus 3 others. Altogether, 18 broods were detected with a total of 67 chicks, of which 14 survived until they finally abandoned their ponds as independent juveniles.

The percentage of surviving chicks from the total number hatched is remarkably similar in both years: in 2009, 20.4% and in 2010, 20.8%.

As a matter of curiosity, the first brood of 2010 was discovered slightly later in February, at a different location, and also consisted of 6 chicks, of which 2 survived.

Both parents feed the recently-hatched chicks, most of which fail to survive, due to factors outlined in previous posts.
(see 28 Jul 2010 and 16 Dec 2009)

Annual Ardeidae Census - RESULTS

2011-02-07T19:41:00.009Z

Mouth of the Angustias Ravine on the west coast of the island

The results of the Annual Ardeidae Census were better than expected on the west side of the island: at least three communal roosts have been identified, and smaller numbers of Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) were also counted at other sites.

As suspected, some birds of both species fly past the mouth of the Angustias Ravine from early evening onwards, and then head up the coast towards Tijarafe. The precise location of the roost remains unknown, but is probably somewhere on the cliffs opposite the offshore fish-farm (see previous post). One of our observers positioned on the old quay at Puerto de Tazacorte, on the evening of Jan 28, counted 51 Little Egret and 5 Grey Heron flying northwards over the sea at low altitude.

The old harbour wall at Puerto de Tazacorte, looking north

Another member of the our team visited the Dos Pinos reservoir, shown below. Although up to 35 Grey Heron have been recorded around the inner rim of this large irrigation basin in the past, on Jan 28 only 9 birds turned up. Prospections carried out a few days earlier revealed similarly reduced numbers. Perhaps higher counts have included contingents of birds on passage, and not only overwintering individuals.

Dos Pinos reservoir, south of Los Llanos

The recently-discovered roost in Tazacorte, featured in the previous post, yielded a total of 52 Little Egret and 1 Grey Heron, from 18:00h to about 19:25h, when light conditions made further counting impossible. The solitary Cattle Egret spotted on Jan 19 was not recorded on the evening of the census.

The Little Egret roost in Tazacorte. Birds spend the night in the tops of the banana plants located above and to the right of the irrigation basin. The photograph was taken on the evening of the census, from my chosen vantage point.

Other sites where significant figures were obtained:

Los Barros, a mainly avocado-growing and residential area above Los Llanos, yielded a total of 12 Little Egret and 3 Grey Heron in the vicinity of the numerous irrigation tanks.

The floating cages of the fish-farm in Tijarafe added a further 14 Little Egret and 12 Grey Heron.

TOTAL FIGURES FOR THE ISLAND:

134 Little Egret + 35 Grey Heron

Annual Ardeidae Census

2011-01-26T18:27:00.009Z

Fish-farm off the west coast (Tijarafe)

January 15 was the target date for the annual census of Ardeidae, a nationwide effort promoted by SEO/Birdlife to quantify members of the heron family over-wintering in Spain. Figures for the island of La Palma are still pending, but should be available by the end of this month.

To carry out the survey, observers are required to station themselves at known roost sites before sunset, and count members of the relevant species as they fly in to spend the night. In the case of La Palma, only two species of Ardeidae are involved: the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) and the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta).

One of the locations which previously attracted large numbers of this latter species was the fish-farm off the west coast of the island, shown above: over 70 Little Egrets were regularly seen flying to and from the cages anchored offshore. However, during a recent visit to the site, I counted only a dozen birds or so, plus a handful of Grey Herons. The two images below, taken in March 2008, give an idea of the former abundance.

Flock of Little Egret heading for the cliffs

Large numbers of mainly Little Egrets opposite the fish-farm

It is unknown whether such impressive numbers of Little Egret continue to feed and/or roost on the west coast, but some birds can still be observed flying out of the Angustias Ravine in the evening, and then heading in a northerly direction towards the cliffs of Tijarafe. Further field-work is obviously required to ascertain present-day numbers.

During recent prospections a new communal roost has come to light, in rather surprising surroundings. A few days ago I counted 47 Little Egret and 1 Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) flying into the banana plantations shown below late in the evening.

In the centre of the following image is an irrigation basin, hidden from view between the two parallel breeze-block walls. The Egrets tend to arrive from 18:30 onwards, often perching on one or other of the walls, before finally settling down for the night in the tops of the banana plants!

Recently-discovered Little Egret roost

The main roost itself is located in some of the least accessible banana plantations in the whole area, on land which is strictly private property and well walled-off and gated. However, some of the peripheral roosting sites can be reached without trespassing, and the two photos below were taken from a nearby irrigation canal.

Appearance of some of the banana plants used by Little Egret as roosting sites

Sightings in November and December 2010

2010-12-26T11:03:00.016Z

Group of 6 Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula)

Migratory ducks tend to arrive on La Palma later in the year than waders. There have been several interesting species on the island this autumn.

A group of 6 Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) appeared in Las Martelas on Nov 25. Within a few days, two of the birds had left the group, possibly to find themselves another pond, or perhaps to continue their southward journey. At the time of writing, 3 birds remain at their original location.

The solitary Garganey (Anas querquedula) above was also photographed in Las Martelas, and is possibly still on the island, although has not been seen recently.

The rather drab Gadwall (Anas strepera) above has been in Las Martelas since Oct 29, but was recently joined by a group of 4 shown below, which arrived on, or just before Dec 12.

Group of 4 Gadwall (Anas strepera)

I assume the above bird is a Eurasian (Anas penelope), rather than an American (A. americana) Wigeon, simply because of the reddish-brown tones on the head and neck. First seen on Nov 25, the bird is still on the island.

However, on Dec 18, two individuals were discovered at different locations. They eventually joined up in the same basin, as can be appreciated in the image below. The second bird to arrive is much greyer in colouring....a female, perhaps?

Even out of its full breeding plumage, the Shoveler (Anas clypeata) is an unmistakable species.

The following male, moulting into winter plumage, was photographed in Las Martelas on Dec 4.

Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

There have also been up to 18 Common Teal (Anas crecca) in Las Martelas in recent weeks, and, at the seawater pools near the airport, the juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) was discovered on Nov 18, later to be joined by a second bird. Both are still present at the time of writing.

My apologies to all followers of this blog for the lack of new posts in recent weeks. I am presently experiencing serious technical problems with my Internet connection at home, and am having to use other people's computers and Cyber Centres. Hopefully the problems will be solved by early 2011.

A third American Golden Plover!

2010-11-12T19:20:00.014Z

American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica)

The juvenile American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) shown here is the third example of this neartic vagrant I have observed on La Palma this autumn. The two previous birds were both discovered in freshwater irrigation basins in Las Martelas, and one of them is still to be found there at the time of writing.

This third example, however, was seen feeding at the seawater pools opposite the airport, on the east coast of the island, on Nov 6. The relevant plumage details can be clearly appreciated in this series of images, and identification and distribution of this long-distance migrant have been briefly covered in previous posts.
It is perhaps interesting to reflect that P. dominica was not separated from P. fulva until relatively recent times. Present-day populations of the former are estimated at 10,000-50,000 individuals, despite heavy hunting in the past. The post-breeding migration route is typically an ellipse, in which the outward journey from the arctic and subarctic tundra of North America initially follows the east coast of Canada southwards, crosses the Caribbean, and eventually reaches wintering quarters in Argentina, with the return journey being routed further to the west.
Most remarkably, it appears that the leg from Canada to South America is covered in a single non-stop flight, which, in fair weather, is estimated to take 37 hours. Hardly surprising then, that vagrants turn up in Europe, and other parts of the world, fairly frequently!

Up to 2003, only 28 records of dominica in Spain had been accepted by the Spanish Rarities Committee: 12 in the Canary Islands, and the remaining 16 on the mainland.

The above information has been taken from Aves Raras de España (Eduardo de Juana, Lynx Editions, 2006), a catalogue of bird species of occasional occurrence in Spain. The book includes a table of all records accepted by the Spanish Rarities Committee up to the year 2003.

A second American Golden Plover

2010-10-25T17:52:00.010+01:00

American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica)

On Saturday 23 October, I discovered this juvenile American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) in Las Martelas, and the bird was still there today, Oct 25, when these three photographs were taken.

The second example of this North American migrant to appear on La Palma so far this season, two birds have also been recorded on Lanzarote in recent weeks: see appropriate links in Canary Islands Bird News for more details.

Plumage details of the previously-detected adult bird were harder to appreciate than in the present case: in the above photograph, there's no mistaking the four primaries projecting beyond the tertials, with two extending beyond the tail end.

This species "breeds in North American Arctic and subarctic tundra, and migrates south through interior North America, or via Hudson Bay, to reach the coast around New England, then over the Atlantic to South America, with the non-breeding season being spent in northern Argentina and Uruguay" (Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere, R. Chandler, 2009).

Presumably it is during that "over the Atlantic to South America" part of the migration route when certain individuals go astray...especially in autumns as stormy as the present one.

The Spanish Rarities Committee is receiving an unusually high number of records for assessment this year, including the country's first Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), a transatlantic passerine currently located on Lanzarote.

Another North American vagrant at the saltpans

2010-10-22T19:17:00.011+01:00

White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

The saltpans at Fuencaliente recently attracted yet another North American migrant: following the Semi-palmated (Calidris pusilla) and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) of two previous posts, on the evening of Oct 21 I discovered a solitary White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), feeding together with 3 Sanderlings (Calidris alba).

The island of La Palma actually holds the Spanish record for the largest single influx of this particular Nearctic wader, with 6 birds in Las Martelas on Oct 10 2005, 9 individuals at the Fuencaliente saltpans, and 4 at the seawater pools near the airport on the same date! (Ardeola, 54/2)

Note the wing tips projecting beyond the tail

Body size is somewhat smaller than the two Sanderlings shown above, and much more elongated in appearance.

The pale brown colouring on the underside of the bill, and the white rump which gives the species its name, can be clearly appreciated above and below, respectively.

This record will be submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee in due course.

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Autumn 2010 sightings

2010-10-16T21:01:00.014+01:00

Tringa glareola and Calidris alpina

The Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola), shown above accompanied by a Dunlin (Calidris alpina), has been sighted several times in Las Martelas in recent weeks; in fact, there might actually be two birds in the area at present. This passage migrant is a much less frequent visitor than both the Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) and the Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos).

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Solitary examples of Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) are recorded on the island of La Palma almost every year, and are considered "regular passage migrants" by T. Clarke (2006, "Birds of the Atlantic Islands").

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) featured in two previous posts, was still on the island on Oct 12, but had moved from the Tazacorte area to a group of irrigation basins in Las Martelas, where the above photograph was taken.

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

The Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) often winters in small groups on La Palma. So far this year numbers have been low, since hardly any suitable habitat is available for a species which forages in basins with muddy or soft sandy bottoms. The bird's diagonal probing, rather than vertical stitching, can be appreciated in the photo above.

Above: two images of the juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis), which was still at the Fuencaliente saltpans on Oct 3.

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), also at the saltpans on the same date

2 North American vagrants at the saltpans

2010-10-02T22:10:00.033+01:00

View of the saltpans on the windswept southern tip of the island

The saltpans at Fuencaliente attracted two rare North American vagrants in September: a Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) on 24/09, and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis), first detected on 29/09 but still present at the same location on 03/10.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper "breeds in the arctic and subartic tundra from far-eastern Siberia, Alaska to Baffin Island and Labrador, and winters in Pacific Central America, West Indies and northern and central South America. It is a vagrant to Galápagos, the Azores, and Europe east to Hungary" (Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere, R. Chandler, 2009).

Curlew Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper (C. ferruginea and C. pusilla)

Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpiper (C. alpina and C. Pusilla)

Apart from the short, straight, blunt-tipped bill, and the very short primary projection beyond the tertials, the critical identification feature, which gives the species its name, can be seen in the next two images - the partially-webbed toes:

Further images of the same bird, found feeding in a small mixed flock of Curlew Sandpiper (C. ferruginea), Dunlin (C. alpina) and Sanderling (C. alba):

There have been 14 officially-accepted records of this species in Spain to date, mostly in the autumn, including 3 from the Canary Islands. Two of the Canary Island sightings are from Tenerife (Oct 1996 and May 1997) and the third is from Lanzarote (Nov 1998). The present bird could therefore be the first for La Palma, the 4th at regional level and the 15th for Spain as a whole, pending homologation by the Spanish Rarities Committee.

The second nearctic vagrant discovered at the saltpans is shown below. This juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) is also a long way from home! The species breeds "on well-drained grassy tundra, locally in north-east Siberia, northern Alaska and northern Canada east to King William Island" and spends the non-breeding season "on sparsely vegetated wet grasslands primarily in Argentina" (Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere, R. Chandler, 2009).

It is a much commoner visitor on this side of the Atlantic than the previous species, with 40 records from Spain, including 7 from the Canaries. This sighting is also the first for La Palma and will be submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee in due course.

Above and below, Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis)

Further information regarding the status of the above species can be found on avescanarias.blogspot.com, the Canary Islands Bird News blog.

September Roundup

2010-09-27T12:22:00.014+01:00

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

It has been a busy month bird-wise, with several interesting sightings. The juvenile Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) of the first two photos was observed in Las Martelas from September 16-20. Not exactly a rarity, but by no means a common visitor to La Palma, this species actually breeds on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and possibly Lanzarote.

As almost to be expected, given the numerous records from mainland Spain this autumn, a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) also turned up in Las Martelas - my third sighting to date of this North American rarity. Detected on Sept. 16th, and featured in the Canary Islands Bird News blog (avescanarias.blogspot.com), the bird was still present on Sept. 26th.

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

The same bird in differnt surroundings

I can recall at least two sightings of Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) on La Palma in recent years: one by I. Brito near the Roque de los Muchachos, the island's highest peak, and another juvenile seen by D. Martín on 30th Sept. 2009 at an altitude of 1,800metres along Cumbre Vieja, in the southern half of the island. This present record also comes from the Roque de los Muchachos area, at about 2,200 metres above sea-level, and the following photos were taken through my car window on Sept. 26th.

Above, two images of Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus)

Not shown in this entry, but worthy of mention: 1 Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) in Las Martelas on Sep 24-25; 1 Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) in a basin near La Laguna on Sept 25; 1 Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) in Las Martelas on Sept 24; 2 Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava) and 1 White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) at the Fuencaliente saltpans on Sept 24, together with 8 Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), 2 Dunlin (C. alpina), 2 Sanderling (C. alba) and a rare Semipalmated Sandpiper (C. pusilla), to be treated in a forthcoming post...

Glossy Ibis

2010-09-26T21:03:00.009+01:00

The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) shown above was first detected on Sept. 12th in a basin in Tazacorte. Since then, the bird seems to have made itself at home in the same pond, even allowing itself the luxury of an occasional nap.

To this Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), the apparently headless, snoozing Ibis is a mystery...
...demanding closer scrutiny.
After its initial surprise, the Egret opts for giving the avian alien a wide berth...
... and with a display of feather-fluffing, it cautiously withdraws to a safe distance.
Unimpressed, the migratory bird adopts its characteristically tranquil pose...
... and then resumes feeding.

American Golden Plover, Sept. 2010

2010-09-21T16:18:00.012+01:00

American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica)

As reported in the blog of the Canary Island SEO Delegation (see: avescanarias.blogspot.com), an American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) was discovered in Las Martelas on September 10th, in a basin very close to where a juvenile of the same species appeared in October 2009. The present specimen, however, is clearly an adult in the process of moulting from breeding to winter plumage.

In the image above, the long primary projection beyond the tertials can be appreciated, typical of the American (dominica), rather than the Pacific (fulva) Golden Plover.

The buff-greyish axillaries shown below allow both the European Golden Plover (P. apricaria) and the Grey Plover (P. squatarola) to be discounted:

Despite persistent attempts to get as close as possible in good light conditions, the following images are the best I have obtained of the bird's critical tail area: according to the literature there should be at least 4 primaries projecting beyond the tertials, two of which should also project beyond the tail. Unfortunately, none of the photographs allow this characteristic arrangement to be distinguished.

Depending on the state of the bird's moult, such fine details may, apparently, be partially concealed or difficult to appreciate, but, judging from the raised-wing shot above, none of the primary feathers seem to be missing.

Still on the island at the time of writing, this rare North American migrant may well resume its journey in the next few days.

All in all, an interesting sighting which will eventually be submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee for expert appraisal.

First half of September 2010

2010-09-13T20:30:00.011+01:00

Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) are fairly regular on all main islands in small numbers, on passage and in winter, and have been featured in previous posts. On Sept. 13th I saw 2 birds in Las Martelas, and photographed the one above in rather unflattering surroundings.

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

The above species is no stranger to these pages either: a Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) also appeared in a couple of entries last autumn, first in Las Martelas and then at the Fuencaliente saltpans. A fairly regular, if uncommon passage migrant, this particular specimen was found feeding in an almost empty basin in Las Martelas on Sept. 11th.

The next bird is certainly the highlight of the present post! I could hardly believe my eyes when I came across this solitary Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) foraging ravenously in a weed-choked irrigation tank in Tazacorte, late in the evening on Sept. 12th.

The species has a fragmented breeding range across Southern Europe and parts of Asia, and winters in Africa , India and around the Mediterranean. There are now resident breeding populations in certain parts of southern Spain, and the Glossy Ibis has become a familiar sight, often in large flocks, in swampy habitats such as those of Doñana.

To quote from "Birds of the Atlantic Islands", Tony Clarke, Helm 2006:

"Martín and Lorenzo (2001) consider it a scarce and irregular passage migrant and winter visitor. However, only on Lanzarote is this species recorded regularly, and it is certainly a vagrant to other islands on which it has been recorded. Records from La Graciosa, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife."

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Early September 2010

2010-09-07T21:10:00.005+01:00

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

The post-breeding migration season is now underway, and my first visit to the Fuencaliente saltpans on Sept. 4th revealed small numbers of common waders typical for the site: 2 Curlew Sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea), 2 Little Stints (Calidris minuta), 1 Sanderling (Calidris alba) and 1 Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula).

There were also about 10 Turnstones (Arenaria interpres), a species found all year round.

By Sept. 7th, water-levels had changed in the basins and only the Turnstones and Plover were still present.

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

At the seawater pools near the airport, there were 2 juvenile Ringed Plovers (Charadrius hiaticula), one of which is shown above, 1 Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), 1 Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus ) and 1 immature Dunlin (Calidris alpina), together with about 25 Turnstones (Arenaria interpres).

Again, the typical species array present throughout the autumn-spring period.

In the irrigation basins in and around Las Martelas, there are already small contingents of Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) and Greenshank (Tringa nebularia).

Coots (Fulica atra) should start arriving this month and, hopefully, an occasional rarity...

For descriptions of the above-mentioned birding locations, return to the Nov 2nd 2009 post entitled "Observing Sites" by clicking on "entradas antiguas" below.

Recent Developments at the Fuencaliente Saltpans

2010-09-05T08:29:00.018+01:00

One of the island's key birding sites - the saltpans at Fuencaliente - has recently been equipped with lectern-style interpretation panels to create a self-guided, 30-minute walking tour of the complex.

Birders need not worry about possible access restrictions however, as entrance to the protected area is possible at all hours, no admittance-fee is charged, and the sign-posted route skirts all the pools of ornithological interest.
The official conservation status of the complex, as displayed at the entrance.
Above, the first lectern, dealing with general norms and advice, provides an overview of the self-guided route. The standard of the information found throughout the itinerary is generally high, with succinct accounts in three languages (Spanish, English and German) covering biological aspects of the saltpans, details of their construction and design, and an explanation of the salt-making process itself, etc.

Only one of the seven panels refers specifically to the significance of the saltpans for migratory birds. The English text is shown below:
Puzzled by that reference to the Snowy Plover? So was I. Apparently, it is the North American nivosus race of the nominate, European Charadrius alexandrinus or Kentish Plover. So, wrong side of the Atlantic, I'm afraid.

As to what a "strider" is, the translator was obviously looking for an equivalent English term for the Spanish andarríos, applicable to some of the Actitis and Tringa species. Unfortunately, I don't think there is one...other than "sandpiper".

And, of course, the small birds do not "remove mud from the bottom of the ponds": that is a classic mistranslation of the Spanish verb remover, which simply means to move, turn over, or "stir up" something -mud in this case - but not to take it away or clean it off!

These inaccuracies apart, the self-guided route makes an interesting addition to the island's tourist infrastructure and will prove highly instructive to most visitors.

The position of the birding panel, together with its contents, can be appreciated in the remaining images.

Harsh reality

2010-07-28T23:22:00.035+01:00

The image above shows one of the irrigation basins in Las Martelas, a fairly nondescript, semi-urban area on the outskirts of Los Llanos.

A pair of Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) have established themselves in this particular pond and have already had three broods this year, consisting of 6, 5 and 3 chicks respectively. Given the relatively good habitat, compared to certain other locations where the species attempts to breed, it has always baffled me that none of the offspring so far observed have ever survived.

The two domestic ducks in the next photo also inhabit this artificial pond on a more or less permanent basis. I assume they are Mallard x Muscovy hybrids (Anas platyrhynchos x Cairina moschata). Surprisingly, both birds can fly well, despite their large size, and they move around neighbouring basins freely.
On July 25th, partly concealed among the bushes, I was busy taking pictures of an adult Moorhen as it carefully passed tasty morsels to one of its three chicks.
It was a scene I had witnessed many times before, in which each of the progenitors takes charge of feeding one or more of the hatchlings. However, despite appropriate parental care, only one, or at most two chicks tend to survive per brood of 5-6, if any at all.

As outlined in two 2009 posts, among the possible causes for this relatively low survival-rate could be the drastically varying water-levels dictated by irrigation requirements - which destroy nests and render cover untenable - together with predation by rats, cats, herons and even kestrels, or perhaps simply the limited food resources in the basins themselves.

Whatever the case, during this particular photography session, another explanation for the hatchlings' high mortality was unveiled, and I was totally unprepared for the ensuing events...

Despite the rather blurred images - my ISO and shutter speeds were set for the placid, previous scene - the violence of this sudden attack by the smaller of the two domestic ducks, and the Moorhen's desperate attempt to rescue its helpless chick, can be fully appreciated.

A few minutes later, as if nothing had happened, the adult Moorhen resumed its parental duties. The remaining chick seemed to sense imminent danger, for as soon as the parent momentarily averted its head, the hybrid duck rushed in and grabbed itself another meal...

This gruesome sequence depicts an unexpected behavioural trait of what are, in most people's minds, docile water fowl, and it came as a sharp reminder of the often harsh reality of nature.

It can only be hoped that numbers of this particular duck variety never increase to the point where they pose a serious threat to the island's small nesting Moorhen population.

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) - Late July 2010

2010-07-25T11:38:00.015+01:00

This is my second encounter with the Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) on La Palma. From May to August 2009, one - occasionally two - birds were regularly seen at the same irrigation basins in Tazacorte where the present bird was photographed.

The species is described as a "rare and irregular passage migrant, recorded from all main islands except El Hierro", in Birds of the Atlantic Islands (Tony Clarke, Helm).

Regarding other Ardeidae on the Canaries, the Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) bred on Tenerife in 1997, and possibly sparodically since then; the Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) bred on Gran Canaria in 2008 and is a regular breeder on Tenerife; the Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) has a nesting colony on Lanzarote, and the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) also breeds there, as well as on Tenerife.

In the case of La Palma, only the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) and the Little Egret are seen all year round, although no evidence of either species breeding has come to light (Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario, Ed. J. A. Lorenzo).
Above, the Squacco Heron uses its long, flexible neck and dagger-like bill to seize prey from a perch located some distance above the surface.
This particular basin is full of frogs: here the bird relishes a large tadpole.
When not foraging from overhanging branches, the heron stalks its prey in the water...

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) Early June

2010-06-10T22:25:00.012+01:00

This solitary example of a Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) was discovered in a freshwater basin in Las Martelas on June 6th, perhaps a somewhat atypical location for a species described in most identification guides as being more inclined towards saltwater habitats.

On the Canaries considered a "regular passage migrant and winter visitor, recorded from all main islands" (Tony Clarke, "Birds of the Atlantic Islands", Helm), this was nevertheless my first sighting on La Palma.

The present images allow a number of key identification points to be appreciated: the shorter legs in comparison to the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), the pale supercilium extending to behind the eye...
...the obviously barred tail (!) and white rump...
...and the very slightly upturned bill, the length of which suggests a female.

The baueri, or eastern race of the Bar-tailed Godwit, holds the record for the longest-known non-stop migration flight of any bird. Satellite tagging showed that in 2007 one bird flew from North Island, New Zealand, over the Western Pacific to the Yellow Sea, a distance of at least 10,000 km.

Birds of the "lapponica group" generally breed on low-lying tundra discontinuously from northern Scandinavia through Russia to Alaska, and use coastal and estuarine environments when not breeding: lapponica largely in Britain, Ireland and Denmark; tymyrensis south down the Atlantic seabord to west and southern Africa ("Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere", Richard Chandler).

Reaching La Palma has not necessarily entailed an extended ocean crossing for the present bird, but it has meant a journey south covering approximately 40 degrees of latitude - no mean achievement!

Common Kestrel 2: brood of four (see previous post)

2010-06-04T09:26:00.010+01:00

Being the first to reach the top of the wall has its advantages: there's no need to share meals, such as this juicy lizard, with other nestmates.
The tail is swallowed whole...
Parachuting down to the nest cavity again is no problem...
The first bird's advantage is short-lived: soon, all four fledglings can be seen perched expectantly along the breeze block partition...
When the young birds are not raucously begging to be fed, wing muscles are exercised...
Within a few days, all four birds have mastered active flight and low-altitude gliding over short distances.

Common Kestrel (Late May 2010)

2010-05-25T21:21:00.013+01:00

The most abundant diurnal raptor on the Canary Islands, the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), is encountered as two sub-species: canariensis on the central and western isles, and dacotiae on the eastern ones.

The species nests in cavities and ledges on rock faces, in pine trees and palms, in old crow and pigeon nests, in holes in the ground, and in derelict buildings, bridges and walls - such as the one shown above. In the photgraph, the nest cavity can be seen in the centre, roughly two thirds up the natural stone part of the wall, about 5 metres from ground-level at that point.
The four young chicks on the day the nest was first discovered (May 16th), with large amounts of fluffy white down still covering their bodies.
Only the male bird appears to deliver food to the nest, but all observations to date have been in the late afternoon. Perhaps mother feeds the chicks at other times of the day?
The fourth member of the family is hidden inside the cavity, which is becoming increasingly cramped as the birds grow.
Another meal is handed over: first come, first served!
Lizards form a basic part of the kestrel's diet, although mice and large insects, such as dragon-flies, are also caught. The latter are typically plucked from the surface of ponds, and moorhen chicks are also predated on in this way.
This recent image (May 25th) shows three of the young birds already clambering around on the wall outside the nest: the slightly less-developed runt is also visible inside the cavity. With luck, all four chicks will soon be fledged...

Note that all photgraphs (except the first) were taken from under a camouflage net at a distance of 20-30 metres, using a 400mm lens, to minimise disturbance.

Early May 2010

2010-05-08T22:06:00.012+01:00

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Moorhen chicks from mid-Februrary clutch (Gallinula chloropus)

Moorhen chicks from late April clutch

The solitary White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) appeared in an almost empty irrigation basin in the Las Martelas area on 07/05. Small numbers of this species turn up on the island almost every year at various locations, such as the rubbish tip north of Santa Cruz (Barranco Seco), where I saw a group of 3 birds in April 2007. There have even been sporadic breeding attempts in recent years, and the species possibly nested regularly on certain church bell towers in the past.

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) are fairly regular visitors to all the main islands and have been breeding on Lanzarote since the 1990s decade.

From the clutch of six Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) chicks born in mid-February, featured in a previous post, two of the young survive at the time of writing and are past the "critical period". The irrigation basin is located in Las Martelas and still has good water levels and plenty of cover.

The last photo shows 4 of the 5 chicks from a Moorhen clutch born at the end of April at a basin in Tazacorte. Even chicks of this size are able to reach dry land by climbing up the stalks of the overhanging tomato plant visible in the image.

Barbary Falcon

2010-04-28T16:35:00.016+01:00

A typical area of coastal habitat

Acrobatic courtship behaviour

Note that barring is absent on upper breast

Note the dark terminal band on undertail

The present post focusses on another of the island's scarce resident birds: the Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides), closely related to the Peregrine (F. peregrinus) and regarded by many authors as conspecific. On the Canaries it is found on all islands, including many of the islets and stacks at the eastern end of the archipelago.

The species usually breeds on inaccessible sea cliffs, and the present population on La Palma is estimated to be in the order of 20 pairs, with evidence of a moderate increase in numbers in recent years. Occasionally inland crags are also chosen as nesting sites, and locations of up to 15km inland and 2,000m altitude have been recorded ("Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario").

The images above have been selected to illustrate a number of identification and behavioural points: the first photo gives an idea of typical coastal habitat; the distant shots of 2 or 3 grappling birds attempt to capture the spectacular courtship behaviour; and the last three photos allow appreciation of the reduced barring on the underparts, the rufous or paler nape area, and the tendency to show a dark, sub-terminal band on the undertail, in contrast to the evenly-barred Peregrine's.

In the case of all La Palma birds I have seen so far, the width of the Barbary Falcon's facial "moustache" has never appeared to be as narrow as in the typical field-guide illustrations.

Stone Curlew 2: late April 2010

2010-04-25T21:11:00.006+01:00

Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus): young chick (above), with anxious parents (below) The pair of Stone Curlews (Burhinus oedicnemus), featured in the previous post, were first detected on 22/03, and successfully photographed on 23/03 and 25/03. At least one, and often both birds were regularly observed in the same corner of the field for over two weeks, so it seemed likely that they were attempting to breed.

Finally, on 15/04, I was treated to a brief glimpse of the recently-hatched chick and its two rather anxious parents.
The two photographs above were taken from a well-concealed position behind a stone wall.
Since the first sighting, the young bird has been located by ear on a number of occasions at various points in the field, with one or other of the parent birds present in the vicinity. The chick itself is extremely difficult to spot in the lush grass between the Tagasaste (Chamaecytisus proliferus) bushes.
On the Western and Central Canary Islands, it is the distinctus subspecies which is found. According to "Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere" (Richard Chandler), in the nominate species: "the male has a more contrasting lower dark border to the white lesser-covert bar, and may have darker moustache and yellower legs than the female". The precocial young fly completely at 36-42 days.

Stone Curlew: end of March 2010

2010-03-28T22:28:00.010+01:00

Four images of a Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)

As a change from seasonal migrants, the present post focusses on one of the island's scarcer resident birds.

I must confess to always having had a fascination for the enigmatic Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus). The species is fairly rare on the island of La Palma, where it is locally known - if it is known at all - by the onomatopoeic name "Pedro Luis". According to the "Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario" (Ed. J. A. Lorenzo), the bulk of its population is to be found in medium-altitude zones of the Aridane Valley, in localities such as Tacande, La Montañita, Los Barros and El Barrial. Habitat loss and destruction, human interference in breeding areas, and depredation by introduced mammals are just some of the problems facing this lover of bare open spaces and steppes.

Eerily-wailing birds can be heard flying over El Barrial, where I happen to live, almost every night of the year, and a good spot to try and locate them is at Llano de las Cuevas, in the high part of El Paso. The above photographs were all taken there.

Mid-March 2010

2010-03-18T20:35:00.008Z

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Three images of a juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

On 17/03 a Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) turned up in an almost-empty irrigation basin in Las Martelas. This is the third example of this national rarity I have seen on the island, the previous two being observed in autumn 2009 (see corresponding posts).

The juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), photographed above, has now been on the island for over four months, and appears to have moved from the Dos Pinos area, in Los Llanos, to the banana plantations of Tazacorte, where there are dozens of irrigation basins stocked with carp.

In a water basin in Tazacorte, a pair of Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) hatched a brood of 7 chicks in early March which all died within a couple of days when the basin was filled, swamping their nest. The tiny chicks were unable to climb the steps to reach safety. The parent birds have now abandoned the basin.

The first brood of Moorhens detected in Las Martelas in mid-February, which was featured in the March 2nd post, is now down to 2 surviving chicks.

March 2nd 2010

2010-03-02T11:39:00.010Z

Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

Photo: Isidro Brito

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) at nest, with 5 chicks

The month of February was one of several storms on the island, with heavy rain and strong winds. Remarkably, a couple of Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus), oblivious to the elements, managed to hatch the first brood of the year in an irrigation basin in Las Martelas. The chicks, first detected on 19/02, were originally 6, possibly 8 in number, and are down to 5 at the time of writing.

A solitary Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) was detected in a small reservoir just south of Las Martelas by Isidro Brito. This species has been recorded in previous years on the island.

The Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) was last seen on 25/01 and despite thorough searching has not been re-located.

The Sandpiper (Actitis sp.) shown above, photgraphed at the saltpans in Fuencaliente, is probably the same bird featured in an earlier post. Although I still haven't heard it call, or seen the wing bar, I think this is macularia rather than hypoleucos.

There are still small numbers of common waders both in the fresh-water basins and at the seawater-flooded gravel pits near the airport.

Finally, the juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) has been seen several times in recent weeks and has now been on the island for over four months.

Mid-January 2010

2010-01-16T18:03:00.013Z

Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)

The birding year has got off to a promising start with this sighting of a Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus). The bird was first located on 09/01, feeding in an irrigation basin in the municipality of Tazacorte.

As can be appreciated from the photos above, wader-style foraging is possible in full basins, provided the floating layer of pond weed is able to support the bird's weight. Snipe, Moorhen, and even Little Egret can often be seen "walking on the water" in a similar fashion.

Opting for Limnodromus scolopaceus rather than griseus is based on:

Bill length, which I estimate at slightly over twice the head diameter
Width of black bands on tail feathers, clearly wider than the white bands
Freshwater rather than saltwater habitat

So far, the all-clinching call has not been heard, and the bird is still feeding (16/01) in an extremely secluded pond, where it is unlikely to be accidentally flushed.

Also of note this month, one Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus) on 15/01, a dark morph Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) on 16/01, a couple of Hoopoes (Upupa epops) on 09/01, and various sightings of Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides), both single birds and pairs.

End of December

2010-01-03T12:11:00.012Z

As can be appreciated from the images above, the juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), featured in previous posts, seems to have acquired a taste for oriental food. Goldfish must be a lot easier to catch than native sea fish, so someone's garden pond has now become a convenient Chinese Takeaway for this young bird.

The photos were taken on 24/12, and the Osprey was seen again on 31/12, in the Dos Pinos area.

Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

Another repeat sighting at the end of the month (26/12) was this solitary Spoonbill. The surroundings in which the bird was photographed will probably appear incongruous to birders familiar with the usual haunts of this species. The edge of the concrete irrigation basin can be seen, together with a fleshy-leaved Kleinia nerifolia bush to the right.

On 18-19/12 I came across a single Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), feeding in the bottom of an empty basin, and spotted a Hoopoe (Upupa epops) calling from the top of an electricity pylon on 19/12, apparently getting off to an early start with its territorial behaviour.

Moorhen 2009 (Part 2)

2009-12-16T19:32:00.012Z

June 6th, basin B: second brood of 3 chicks.

The following information is based on an observation period of 8 months (from early May 2009 to mid-December 2009), during which 5 different irrigation basins in the municipality of Tazacorte were regularly monitored.

As stated in the previous post, the Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a prolific breeder, but mortality rates are high due to a number of factors:

Unpredicatble, drastic changes in water levels of 1 - 3 metres, dictated by irrigation requirements, can render nesting sites and available cover untenable.

Chicks are easy prey for opportunistic predators such as cats, rats, Grey Heron, Little Egret and Common Kestrel.

Inadequate breeding sites sometimes chosen by parent birds (basins with insufficient food resources, or with high, vertical sides and lack of floating material, so that flightless chicks are unable to leave the water once in).

The number of broods per basin is listed below, together with the number of chicks per brood, and the number of successfully-reared birds. Figures are given for breeding success in each basin, and for the overall breeding success in all 5 basins, expressed as a percentage.

Basin A had 3 broods of 4(June), 7 (July) and 5 (Sept) chicks.

None of the 16 chicks survived more than a few days.

Breeding success = 0%

Basin B had 3 broods of 5 (May), 3 (June) and 2 (July) chicks.
1 chick was successfully reared from the first brood and 2 from the third.
Breeding success = 3/10 = 30%

Basin C had 2 broods of 4 (May) and 1 (July) chicks.
1 chick was successfully reared from the second brood, none from the first.
Breeding success = 1/5 = 20%

Basin D had 2 broods of 4 (May) and 3 (July) chicks.
2 chicks were successfully reared from the first brood, none from the third.
Breeding success = 2/7 = 28.6%

Basin E had 3 broods of 1 (May), 5 (June) and 5 (July) chicks.
1 chick was successfully reared from the first brood and 3 from the third.
Breeding success = 4/11 = 36%

Overall breeding success = 10/49 = 20.4%

Moorhen 2009 (Part 1)

2009-12-14T17:12:00.054Z

The Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is described in the Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario (Ed. J.A. Lorenzo) as having a small resident population on the island of La Palma, and reference is made to recent observations of individual birds, evidence of both successful and unsuccessful nesting, and the detection of chicks and juveniles still attached to their parents at various sites.

The following notes are based on the monitoring of 5 different irrigation basins in the municipality of Tazacorte; each one was inspected approximately 70 times during an eight month period, from early May 2009 to mid-December 2009.

Observations show that the species is well-established at specific locations on the island, and is a prolific breeder, with 2 - 3 broods per year.

Two images of the only surviving chick from a brood of 5 born in early May.

This bird eventually left the basin in late July.

A healthy-looking juvenile Moorhen

There was remarkable brood synchronisation in mid-July: the breeding pairs in all 5 basins had either a second or third brood on, or very close to, July 16th.

Cooperative care of chicks by siblings from previous broods was observed in three of the basins (B, D, E).

Although floating platforms of pond weeds were built by some birds, final nesting sites were always on dry land in undergrowth, on concrete steps or manmade structures, or else well-concealed in Rumex lunaria bushes, with the floating platforms being used merely for temporary refuge or as resting areas.

Building a floating platform from water weed

Heading for the nesting site on dry land

A commonly-employed escape strategy when danger threatens. The sequence of 3 images shows a juvenile re-emerging, after remaining motionless for several minutes with only its head above water.

Early December 2009

2009-12-10T09:40:00.009Z

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Photo: Isidro Brito

Coot (Fulica atra)

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Pintail (Anas acuta) + Coot (Fulica atra)

Nothing new on the island so far this month, but on 05/12 Isidro Brito managed to observe and get excellent photographs of the juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) which has been around for several weeks. The bird perched twice to devour two small fish caught in a nearby irrigation tank.

The solitary female Pintail (Anas acuta), first detected on 28/11, has been rediscovered in a neighbouring basin, in the company of a large domestic duck.

The female Shoveler (Anas clypeata) can be found at the same location in Tazacorte, but the male Teal (Anas crecca) was no longer there on the evening of 09/12.

Otherwise, there are small numbers of Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus), Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), and 45 -50 Coots (Fulica atra) in the Martelas area, with a single Redshank (Tringa totanus) at the saltpans in Fuencaliente.

End of November

2009-12-01T08:20:00.027Z

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Female Pintail (Anas acuta)

Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)

On 28/11 a solitary female Pintail (Anas acuta) appeared in a basin in Las Martelas presently occupied by 45 -50 Coots. This "rare and irregular winter visitor, recorded on all main islands except La Gomera", according to Birds of the Atlantic Islands (T. Clarke, Helm), had gone by the evening.

After temporarily "losing" the Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus), the bird was rediscovered at another irrigation basin together with the male Teal and female Shoveler shown in an earlier post (25-30/11).

Finally, on 30/11 I came across the juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), which has been on the island for a few weeks, being mobbed by gulls at the Dos Pinos reservoir. In the photo, the bird can be seen making off with the remains of a recently-caught fish.

Osprey

2009-11-23T21:28:00.029Z

Various images of Pandion haliaetus

The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) breeds in small numbers on Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro, with only sporadic nesting elsewhere in the Canaries. On La Palma reproduction has not been confirmed, but the species is seen from time to time inland, and along sections of the coastline. The presence of old nests at certain points on the sea cliffs suggests that the species formerly bred on the island. (Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes, Ed. J.A.Lorenzo).

Inland, near Los Llanos and Tazacorte, the bird feeds on carp which have been introduced into some of the irrigation basins. From my enquiries, it would seem that some banana plantation workers have occasionally seen the bird fishing in their reservoirs, while others react with disbelief at the mere mention of the bird's name, "Fishing Eagle" in Spanish.

This year, I was lucky to spot an Osprey on 26/03, but unlucky not to have my camera prepared. It wasn't until 23/10 that I had another uncertain, distant sighting. Then Xabier Remirez reported and photgraphed an immature bird in Las Martelas on 24/10. On all three occasions, kestrels were mobbing the visiting raptor mercilessly.

Today, 23/11 I had a further encounter with the species and was able to get a few shots for the record. Close scrutiny of the photos above reveals that the individual was a juvenile, with traces of white on the back feathers and a finely cross-barred tail without the darker trailing band.

Late November 2009

2009-11-22T19:12:00.020Z

Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca). Male

Shoveler (Anas clypeata). Female

Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)

Tringa erythropus

On the evening of 21/11 I had my second sighting of a Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) on the island of La Palma.
A number of identifying features of this attractive wader can be clearly appreciated in the photos: the long bill with its subtly downwards tilting tip - the red being restricted to the lower mandible - and the species' obvious willingness to wade in relatively deep water. The irrigation basin where this scarce migrant was feeding is now being filled with water, so unfortunately this bird will be forced to move on.

22/11: The first ducks of the season! Usually arriving later than the waders, Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) are fairly common in winter. Small flocks of mostly females and immature birds often spend short periods on the island, moving around in search of suitable basins to dabble in. The flashy male Teal and the female Shoveler (Anas clypeata) shown above were sharing an irrigation basin with two Coots.

In the same area, Tazacorte, there were also three Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus), a fairly regular visitor in winter.

Spotted or Common Sandpiper?

2009-11-17T21:07:00.004Z

The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) is very similar in most plumages to the Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos). There have been several recent records of macularia on the Canaries, including one (17/10/1996) at the Fuencaliente saltpans, precisely where I saw the bird shown in the photos.

This solitary sandpiper has been at its present location for several weeks and has been confidently reported as Actitis macularia by at least one visiting birder. I still haven't seen the bird in flight or heard it call, two important aids to clinching identification, but the general shape, length of tail projection and absence of dark notches on edges of tertials would seem to tip the balance in favour of the Spotted, rather than the Common Sandpiper.

Any comments from birders with experience of the two species would be much appreciated.

Eurasian Spoonbill

2009-11-15T16:08:00.000Z

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.

Chats and Wheatears

2009-11-12T12:09:00.000Z

A Common Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) discovered in an empty irrigation basin

On La Palma there are no resident species of chat or wheatear, the Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae) being endemic to Fuerteventura, with sporadic records in recent years on the island of Lanzarote (Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario, Ed. J. A. Lorenzo).

However, I have observed migratory Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) a number of times, a species described in Birds of the Atlantic Islands (T. Clarke, Helm) as a "regular passage migrant in the Canaries, with records from all main islands".

The three photos of a Common Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) were taken recently on 10/11. The bird, a male moulting into winter plumage, was perching and foraging from low vegetation in an empty irrigation basin on the outskirts of Los Llanos. The Helm Guide refers to the species as a " scarce and irregular winter visitor, more common on eastern islands, and not recorded from either La Palma or El Hierro".

A "first" for La Palma?

Early November 2009

2009-11-06T18:47:00.000Z

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

So far this month nothing unusual has been reported on the island. Small numbers of White Wagtails (Motacilla alba) can be seen in Las Martelas (see Observing Sites for birding areas), and the wintering Coot (Fulica atra) population has reached a total of 49 birds, all concentrated in a single irrigation basin. This figure compares favourably with winter 2008-2009, when less than 10 were present, but falls well short of typical numbers in previous years, such as the 109 birds in December 2004 (J.M.Castro, cited in "Atlas de las Aves Nidifcantes en el Archipiélago Canario 1997-2003", Ed. Juan Antonio Lorenzo). Although the possibility that some of these migrants may nest on the island cannot be discounted, conclusive evidence for successful breeding on La Palma has yet to be found.

There was a Redshank (Tringa totanus) at the salt-pans on 04/11, in addition to one Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), a Dunlin (Calidris alpina), and about 10 Turnstones (Arenaria interpres). Water levels are presently high, with very little sand exposed within the basins, and hence limited potential for waders.

I have spotted 2 Snipes in Las Martelas, plus two others in Tazacorte, photgraphed in a basin formerly occupied by a couple of Moorhens and their single chick.

Rare migrants in October 2009

2009-11-05T18:23:00.000Z

Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)

Long-billed Dowitcher with Greenshank

(Limnodromus scolopaceus + Tringa nebularia)

Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybrida)

American Golden Plover

(Pluvialis dominica)

American Golden Plover

(Pluvialis dominica)

All photographs copyright R. Burton unless otherwise stated

Summary of sightings in October 2009

2009-11-05T18:02:00.000Z

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)

October proved to be an exceptional month, with the presence of two national rarities on the island.

An American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) was discovered in an empty irrigation basin, where it remained for several days (19-24/10).

In the evening of 26/10, a Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) was observed and photographed in poor light conditions. The bird was feeding in the shallow water and mud in the bottom of an almost empty basin. Unfortunately, this rare vagrant had flown on by the following morning.

A Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana) was present throughout the month, and a group of three juvenile Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybrida) spent about one week at another basin (13-22/10).

On 24/10, a juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) was observed and photgraphed by Xabier Remirez, who also saw the American Golden Plover in flight.

In the case of Pluvialis dominica and Limnodromus scolopaceus, the corresponding forms have been submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee for homologation.

All photographs copyright R. Burton unless otherwise stated

Uncommon species observed in September 2009

2009-11-05T16:53:00.002Z

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Pectoral Sandpiper and Ruff

(Calidris melanotos + Philomachus pugnax)

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana)

All photographs copyright R.Burton unless otherwise stated

Summary of September 2009

2009-11-05T16:31:00.000Z

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) at the saltpans

The second half of September saw the arrival of several uncommon passage migrants, including one rarity at national level.

There was a Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) at the salt pans on 23/09, and another bird in an irrigation basin from 23-26/09, accompanied by a Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana) 24-30/09, and a Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 23-26/09. Another Pectoral Sandpiper was discovered at the salt pans on 29/09.

A Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) was seen and photographed by Daniel Martín, at an altitude of approximately 1,800m, halfway along the Cumbre Vieja ridge in the southern half of the island.

Calidris melanotos is a rarity at national level, and the corresponding form has been submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee for homologation.

All photos copyright R.Burton unless otherwise stated.

Observing sites

2009-11-02T10:43:00.000Z

The key locations for finding migratory birds on the island are:

1 The salt-pans at Fuencaliente, on the island's southermost tip
2 Fresh-water irrigation basins on the outskirts of Los Llanos and Tazacorte
3 Disused gravel-pits on the coast alongside the airport

A brief description of each site follows, with a short list of species to be expected:

1. Fuencaliente salt-pans

A group of shallow, man-made pools where sea salt is still produced in the traditional way. Access is at present unrestricted, but visitors are advised to remain on the track which runs round the outside of the complex. Water levels are artificially regulated and hence the amount of exposed sand inside the pools varies. Regular visiting waders include Dunlin, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper in small numbers, more numerous Turnstones, and, less frequently, Knot, Little Stint, Ruff, Redshank etc. Rare sightings in recent years have included Flamingo, Shelduck, Spoonbill and Pectoral Sandpiper.

2 Irrigation basins around Los Llanos/Tazacorte

The dozens of fresh-water storage basins south of Los Llanos de Aridane are located in an area often loosely referred to in the literature as "Las Martelas". Further south, between Montaña la Laguna and Montaña Todoque, in the Tazacorte municipality, are several other basins of interest. (The 1:25 000 Mapa Topográfico Nacional de España, sheet 1085-1 shows all basins).
Many of the tanks are abandoned, and the water-level in those which are still in use varies considerably. Full or partially-full basins attract Grey Heron, Little Egret, Coots, Moorhens (small resident population) and Teal, with the occasional Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Spoonbill, Squacco Heron or Black-necked Grebe in recent years. Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, and Greenshank are also regularly seen in small numbers. In empty basins with a layer of mud, and perhaps a shallow puddle of water, the occasional Red-throated Pippit, Alpine Pippit, Pectoral Sandpiper, Spotted Crake or American Golden Plover might turn up, along with the regular Snipe.

3. Disused gravel pits:
At present, not exactly an idyllic location due to construction work at airport, but worth checking for Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Turnstones, Whimbrel ... and perhaps the occasional surprise. The former gravel pits are on the coast alongside the airport, immediately north of the wind generators.

The above notes are intended as a brief guideline only. For further information on past records, species status/rarities, or for submitting personal sightings: jalorenzo@seo.org

General Introduction

2009-11-02T10:13:00.000Z

The purpose of the following blog is to provide visiting and resident birders with news of the latest bird sightings on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands). Information regarding the locations will also be included, but precise details may be withheld at the author's discretion, in the interest of the birds themselves. In such cases, bona fide observers are advised to contact Robert Burton for further information: grajaland@gmail.com

Regular news of interesting species observed both on La Palma and elsewhere in the Archipelago, can be found on the official website of the Canary Island Delegation of SEO/Birdlife : http://avescanarias.blogspot.com (in Spanish)