Pectoral Sandpiper Sep 2011

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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?