December 2017, miscellaneous sightings

 Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

The present post is an overview of bird sightings in December 2017.

The solitary Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) shown in the first photograph was observed in an area of irrigation ponds (Las Martelas, Los Llanos de Aridane) on Dec 19 and 20. The bird was foraging in two different ponds, one of which was completely dry.

 Part of a flock of 20 Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) photographed in Tazacorte, Dec 23

Varying numbers of Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) are regular annual migrants to La Palma. There are presently about 20 birds in the Tazacorte area, 11 in the Laguna de Barlovento, plus another 2 individuals at irrigation ponds in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane).

 Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)

 Part of a flock of Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) flying over banana plantations in Tazacorte

 Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

A juvenile Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) was seen at the saltpans in Fuencaliente on Oct 16 and featured in a previous post. The bird shown above, possibly the same individual, was photographed at the same location on Nov 30 in rather unusual circumstances.

The Spoonbill was approaching the saltpans from the northeast, and was just about to land, when a helicopter appeared out of the blue and scared it off! It is rather odd for a chopper to be flying around the southern tip of the island; in fact, I can't recall ever seeing one there. Anyway, the bird flew back in the direction it had come from, so I never actually got to see the spoonbill on the ground.

Eurasian Spoonbil (Platalea leucorodia)

The photograph above was taken at an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane) on Dec 4. I also saw what was probably the same bird at another irrigation pond in Tazacorte on Dec 23.

Other interesting records from the end of 2017 include a Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) seen in flight, but unfortunately not photographed, above irrigation ponds in Las Martelas on Dec 17.

A visiting Dutch birder, (D. D.) observed and photographed a South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) during a whale-watching trip out of Tazacorte. The same observer also sound-recorded a migratory Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) at the Laguna de Barlovento recreation area.

White-rumped Sandpiper (Part 2)

 White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) seen at Las Salinas, Nov 30

The White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) shown above was observed at the saltpans (Fuencaliente) on Nov 30, from about 09:15 onwards.

The next bird, also a White-rumped Sandpiper (C. fuscicollis) was observed on the same morning in an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane), from about 11:50 onwards.

White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) seen in Las Martelas, Nov 30

Readers may recall from my previous post that on Nov 28, there were two of these Nearctic vagrants in Las Martelas, precisely in the same pond where the above bird was photographed.

Did one of the two sandpipers fly to an unknown location (possibly leaving the island altogether), or did it just move to the saltpans?

You would imagine that close examination of the various photos I took would settle the doubt. But, distinct light conditions, different angle of view, and varying distance from my subject make comparison tricky. I hope to find time to devote to the matter over the next few days.

Both the freshwater ponds and the saltpans provide suitable stopover habitat for this Transatlantic migrant, and my previous records of this species have been split more or less equally between the two sites.

So, nothing strange if one of the birds decided to switch location. But neither is there anything strange for there to be more than two birds on the island at the same time. There was an influx of about 50 birds on the Canary Islands in October 2005, with nine individuals recorded together on La Palma.

White-rumped Sandpiper

 Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

A morning visit to the irrigation ponds in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane) produced an interesting discovery.

There had recently been a Little Stint (Calidris minuta) together with a solitary Dunlin (Calidris alpina) in one of the ponds, and this morning there were initially two waders present also. But by comparing the relative sizes of the two birds it was immediately obvious that the Little Stint (C. minuta) had gone, and its place had now been taken by a vagrant White-rumped Sandpiper (C. fuscicollis).

I only had my Fuji bridge camera with me at the time, and the birds were moving non-stop as they foraged on the dry areas near the water's edge, so the resulting pictures are poor quality. I have included the first photo above, in which the two Calidris sandpipers can be compared.

 Dunlin (C. alpina)  + 2 x White-rumped Sandpiper (C. fuscicollis)

I returned to the pond in the early evening with my full photographic kit, unfortunately with light that was already fading. The surprise this time was that there was not just one, but two fuscicollis along with the solitary alpina!

 2 x White-rumped Sandpiper (C. fuscicollis)

Despite the mediocre images, most of the key field marks can be appreciated: the extremely long primary projection, the white rump visible between the folded wings, the brownish lower mandible, and the conspicuous pale supercillium.

 One of the two White-rumped Sandpipers (C. fuscicollis)

Dunlin (C. alpina) + 2 x White-rumped Sandpiper (C. fuscicollis)

This is my 8th record (11 ind) of White-rumped Sandpiper (C. fuscicollis) on La Palma, and the 2nd this year. See Oct 20 post for details of the previous 2017 record at the saltpans in Fuencaliente.

Details of this sighting will be submitted to the Spanish Rarities Committee in due course.

Migratory Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Route taken by Osprey 637 around the island of La Palma, and on towards La Gomera 
(image: Forestry Commission Scotland)

Two weeks ago, I was very kindly contacted by Janet Sampson, a British observer, who had been following the migration routes taken by several juvenile Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) released in Scotland. On Oct 28, one of the birds, nº 637 had reached the island of La Palma, after a very "oceanic" flight south. In Janet's words:

"The route taken by this juvenile (osprey 637 on the tracking map) is very interesting as he/she took a very westerly route from Portugal, perhaps due to the prevailing winds yesterday.  637 made a stopover of a few weeks at the Embalse de Tanes, Abantro in Northern Spain and only left there 5 days ago on 23 October".

Details of the project, and regular updates of 637's position can be found at the following link:

http://www.societe.org.gg/movetech/ospreys2017/

After receiving the alert on Oct 28, I spent the whole morning of Oct 29 searching for 637 in the northeast of La Palma. The bird had spent the night in the vicinity of San Andrés, and I was hoping to locate it somewhere along the sea cliffs between Playa de Nogales and Barlovento. However, my search turned out to be fruitless.

Movements of 637 on La Gomera over the last two weeks
(image: Forestry Commission Scotland)

637 seemed to be firmly intent on reaching the coasts of La Gomera, where he/she has been for the past fortnight. Recently, the bird ventured out to sea and back, and made some incursions inland, its flight paths clearly visible in the above screenshot.

The island of La Gomera boasts a small breeding population of Ospreys, which has remained more or less stable over recent decades at around 3-4 pairs. The main threat to the species is human encroachment on potential habitat.

The Osprey no longer breeds on La Palma, although it is presumed to have done so in the past. Remains of old nests have been identified, and the island's toponymy includes several references to "guincho" the Canary Island name for the bird known elsewhere in Spain as the "Fishing Eagle", Águila pescadora.

However, migratory Ospreys continue to visit La Palma, and I have seen several here over the years. Some of the island's man-made irrigation ponds have been stocked with carp and/or goldfish, which provide a convenient and relatively easy-to-catch source of nourishment for these resourceful birds.

As in other parts of its worldwide range, the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) seems able to adapt to humanised surroundings, provided it perceives no direct threat. Many of the irrigation ponds on La Palma are found in semi-urban areas, in which electricity pylons and telephone posts make useful perches:

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) perched on a telephone pole on La Palma, 30/03/2012

The occasional presence of a migratory Osprey on La Palma soon attracts the attention of resident gulls and raptors such as the Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

Migratory Osprey being harassed by a Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis). La Palma, 28/03/2012

Red-throated Pipit

 Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus) 1w

Among the resident Bethelot's Pipit (Anthus berthelotii) observed at the saltpans this morning was a first winter Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus).

 Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)

While hardly the most spectacular of birds, this little creature nevertheless deserves credit for somehow making it to La Palma after a long, hazardous journey from northernmost Europe. The Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus) is a passage migrant to the Canaries with records from all main islands except El Hierro. It winters in Africa.

 Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)

Followers of this blog may recall previous entries featuring Anthus cervinus. In fact,  over the years, I have seen several Red-throated Pipits on La Palma, but always at the freshwater irrigation ponds in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane), where many of the semi-abandoned ponds contain a layer of sand or mud providing suitable habitat for this cryptic, ground-forager.

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)

On the present occasion, photography was made difficult by the bird's erratic movements along the rough stone walls of the salt complex, and the impossibility of getting closer to my subject.

In addition to the Red-throated Pipit, there were 2 x White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) and the usual small numbers of common waders.

The White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), featured in my previous post, was still present.

White-rumped Sandpiper

 White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

The White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) is a long-distance migrant which breeds in NE Alaska and N Canada east to S Baffin Island. It winters in SE South America from CE Brazil to Tierra del Fuego. With a total of around 40 records, this species is the second most-detected Nearctic vagrant to the Canary Islands (after the Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos).

The bulk of records have been between September and November, peaking in October. A spectacular influx (by Canary Island standards) was recorded in October 2005, when more than 50 birds were found on almost all of the islands (nine birds together on La Palma). [Rare Birds of the Canary Islands, Eduardo García-del-Rey and Francisco Javier García Vargas, Lynx Edicions, June 2013].

 White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

The present bird was found at the saltpans at Las Salinas (Fuencaliente) this morning, Oct 20.
It was foraging by frenetically picking insects from the water surface, hardly stopping to rest.

 White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

In the above image, the white upper tail coverts can just be seen between the bird's slightly parted wings, Also, note the overall elongated body shape and very long primary projection, with wing tips reaching beyond the tail.

 White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

The pale brown lower mandible is also clearly visible in the present series of photos.

 White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

This is my 7th record/9th individual of White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) on La Palma, my last one dating back to October 2014.

White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

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

Spoonbill

 Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

A visit to the saltpans at Las Salinas (Fuencaliente) this morning yielded the juvenile Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) featured in the present post.

The bird was found foraging in one of the shallow pools, but retired to roost later in the morning in the nearest thing it could find to a "secluded corner". However, people and a few vehicles were passing within 30 metres of the resting migrant. The dog belonging to the complex was also out and about...

 Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

This species is a fairly regular visitor to La Palma during autumnal (post-breeding) migration. I have seen small flocks at the same location in previous years, and there have been sightings of single birds at the airport pools, the Laguna de Barlovento reservoir, and at some of the irrigation ponds in Las Martelas.

 Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

Identification of banded birds has shown that most of the Spoonbills recorded on the Canary Islands come from the Netherlands.

 Eurasian Spoonbil (Platalea leucorodia)

Although the present species is no "rarity", sightings of Spoonbill always provide a welcome change to the usual waders at the saltpans. This morning, they included 5 x Dunlin (Calidris alpina), 2 x Sanderling (Calidris alba), 2 x Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), 1 x Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) and 1 x Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

At the irrigation ponds in the area known as Las Martelas (just outside the town of Los Llanos de Aridane), there were the usual small numbers of Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus), and Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), plus 6 x Coot (Fulica atra) and 1 x Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca).

I have not seen the Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes, see previous post) since October 10.

Lesser Yellowlegs

 Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

After a prolonged "slack" period on La Palma, with only common waders to observe,  I found a juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) at an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane) this morning. This is only my second sighting of this Nearctic wader on La Palma, the previous record dating from October 2011.

 Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Note the long primary projection, and wing tips extending well beyond the tail. Other useful identification features visible in the present images include the pale supercillium restricted to the front of the eye, and the thin, mainly dark bill.

 Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

The Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) is a long-distance migrant which breeds in Alaska and Northern Canada, and winters in Florida and Central and South America. It is classed as a "rarity" on this side of the Atlantic.

However, it is one of the more frequent Nearctic waders recorded in the Western Palearctic, with several records from the Canaries (all main islands except La Gomera and El Hierro), mostly between September and November.

According to data in "Rare Birds of the Canary Islands" (Eduardo García-del-Rey and Francisco Javier García Vargas, Lynx Edicions 2013) the present sighting would be the 4th for La Palma, and about the 15th for the Canaries as a whole (although there have probably been a few more records since the book was published in 2013).

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

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

Yellow Wagtail

 Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) juvenile

A visit to the saltpans in Fuencaliente this morning led to the discovery of the juvenile Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) shown here. The bird was foraging around the edges of the pools.

 Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

The first distant impression was that this migrant passerine might be my second Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) for the site (see Oct 6 2015 post). but all the fieldmarks visible at close range point to Yellow Wagtail (M.flava): dark lores, yellow vent, shortish tail, and pale lower mandible.

Also overall warmer plumage tones, with hints of olive brown on the back, are diagnostic of M. flava...but I am reluctant to assign this juvenile bird to any particular race.

 Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

The windy conditions on the day can be appreciated in the above photo.

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

The Yellow Wagtail (M. flava) is an irregular migrant to La Palma, the only resident/nesting Motacilla species being the Grey Wagtail (M. cinerea).

The following common waders were also present at the saltpans this morning:

2 x Dunlin (Calidris alpina), 2 x Sanderling (C. alba), 2 x Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) and 1 x Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos).

On the drive down, I had another sighting of the Black Kite (Milvus migrans), first spotted on August 15 (see previous blog post).

Elsewhere on the island, on Sep 2, I spotted a Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) at an elevation of about 2,200m asl, on the road to Roque de los Muchachos. The photographs I managed to take are unfortunately of poor quality.

Early birds at Las Salinas, mid-August 2017

 Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

A visit to the saltpans (Las Salinas) in Fuencaliente on August 15 produced the first early birds of the 2017 post-breeding migration season.

Not counting the Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) and the Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis), which are present all year round, the trip yielded seven different species altogether... but only seven birds in total, the kind of numbers to be expected on La Palma!

 Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

The complete list runs as follows: 1 x Dunlin (Calidris alpina), 1 x Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), 1 x Little Stint (Calidris minuta), 1 x Red Knot (Calidris canutus), 1 x Redshank (Tringa totanus), 1 x Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridiundus)... all observed at the saltpans themselves.

 Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

On the drive down to the site, the seventh species, a migrant raptor, was spotted through my car window. But by the time I managed to pull over, the bird was no longer in sight. My first impression from size and flight action was Black Kite (Milvus migrans).

 Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Fortunately, I had another chance to observe the raptor on my return journey, and was able to take the following photos, which actually led to a few doubts as to the bird's id.

This individual's plumage is so tattered that crucial field marks are difficult to see. The tail barely forms the characteristic wedge-shape. and it's hard to discern the pale primary bases forming characteristic lighter "panels" below the wings. Nevertheless, overall shape and flight action still point to Black Kite (Milvus migrans).

 Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

This is my first sighting of a kite on La Palma, and possibly only the second or third for the island. It is apparently much more regular on migration on the Eastern Canary Islands.

This is actually the 4th Black Kite record for La Palma. Of the previous 3 sightings, the first two date from the 1990s and the third from 2002 (Eduardo García-del-Rey, pers. comm.). 

So, this raptor is definitely not a regular visitor to the island...

Seabirds and seawatching on La Palma

I am often asked by birders planning a visit to La Palma about the sea-watching potential of the island. La Palma is, after all, surrounded by a vast expanse of unpolluted ocean, so the question seems reasonable.

However, not all regions of the Earth’s oceans are equally rich in marine life, and the subtropical waters around La Palma are referred to as oligotrophic.

So seabird activity and species numbers are generally low. La Palma has no insular shelf or extensive shallow waters offshore, no reefs, no nearby seamounts, no upwelling or nutrient-rich currents, and no estuaries which could act as feeding grounds for coastal birds. The Atlantic plunges to depths of 3,000-4,000 metres within a short distance of the coast. The narrow beaches are made of inorganic volcanic sand and lack food for waders.

So not a very bright picture for sea and shorebird enthusiasts.  Precise details of the observable species and their status can be found in “Birds of the Atlantic Islands” by Tony Clarke or the “Field Guide to the Birds of Macaronesia” by Eduardo García-del-Rey. (The Avibase checklist should be handled with great care, by the way).

Here is a basic overview of what to expect:

There is only one species of breeding gull, the Yellow-legged (Larus michahellis), and small numbers of Lesser Black-backed (L. fuscus) can also be found. Very occasionally, migratory gulls turn up, such as the solitary Iceland Gull (L. glaucoides), seen by various observers on the island earlier this year.

There are large breeding colonies of Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris borealis) which are absent from the island between November and February-March. Small numbers of Little/BaroloShearwater (Puffinus baroli) and Manx Shearwater (P. puffinus), might be seen from the coast by patient observers.

The Gannet (Morus bassanus) is a fairly regular visiting bird, in extremely small numbers, and there have been about three sightings of Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) on La Palma in the last ten years, including this recent one seen just north of Santa Cruz de La Palma on April 13, and kindly reported by the visiting observers Simon Priestnall and Anthony Cooper, the author of the photograph:

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). Photo: Anthony Cooper

Of course, the fact that hardly anyone is observing birds on the island means that many species are simply overlooked. I also have to admit that, personally, I do more inland birding than coastal. Nevertheless, it would be reasonable not to set your hopes too high, if sea-watching is a priority…

Possible locations to observe seabirds on La Palma include the harbours of Santa Cruz and Tazacorte, Punta Cumplida in Barlovento (northeast) and El Faro in Fuencaliente (south). The latter location has the advantage of an excellent bar-cafeteria, with a wind-sheltered upstairs terrace from where you can survey the ocean in comfort: remember, the birding is going to be very slow.

You might also like to try your luck from Los Cancajos, a resort on the east coast where many foreign visitors stay.

So, no raucous colonies of Guillemot (Uria aalge), Razorbill (Alca torda) or Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) - to mention three of the seabirds Northern European visitors might mistakenly expect to find on an Atlantic island - but La Palma does have a couple of offshore stacks where Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) breed annually. Below, are some recent photos taken at one of the tern colonies:

 Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

 Common Tern (Sterna hirundo):courtship feeding

 Common Tern (Sterna hirundo): courtship feeding

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)