Osprey KL9: a brief summary

Migrant Osprey KL9 perched amid banana plantations, Sep 20

As 2020 draws to a close, I thought I would include a post to briefly recap on the most interesting birding event of the year: the long stopover on La Palma of KL9, a ringed juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) from the north of Scotland.

I discovered this first-time migrant near the Dos Pinos reservoir (Los Llanos de Aridane) on Sep 20, in rather exotic surroundings for a Scottish osprey. See photo above.

The blue Darvic ring became visible when the bird took flight, and the relevant details were duly reported to The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, who traced the ringer. 

One of the first shots of KL9 in which the alphanumeric code can be read

For the next 6 weeks, the young bird settled in the area around the reservoir, and very quickly learned to catch the introduced Tilapia fish. Initially it devoured its catch in situ, on the concrete banks, but later tended to carry its prey off to a nearby utility pole, outside the reservoir fence. KL9's fishing expertise reached the point where success often came at the first attempt.

The migrant Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) KL9 in action

I made regular visits to the reservoir from Sep 20 onwards, observing KL9 for the last time on Oct 28. A local family whose house overlooks the reservoir reported seeing the bird around Nov 4, which must be the approximate date on which KL9 decided to leave the island, after an unusually long sojourn.

Let's hope that KL9 has a successful onward flight to its probable destination in West Africa, and eventually makes it back to the north of Scotland to breed.

Barbary Falcon

 

Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides)

It's not easy to get close enough to a Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides) for decent photographs, but this morning a combination of stealth and good luck got me to within 50 metres of my subject. This particular bird hunts over an inland territory that contains a large pigeon colony and provides habitat for resident passerines.

Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides)

It's a rather slim individual, only slightly larger than one of the island's abundant Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus canariensis), and must therefore be a male.

Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides)

First discovered back in October, I have observed this bird several times since then. Initially, identification of the dark silhouette against a bright sky was something of a challenge. The body shape looked right, but the bird seemed too small, compared to other Barbary Falcons I have seen on the island.

Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides)

According to a 2017 study, there are an estimated 30 breeding pairs of Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides) on La Palma. The species is difficult to observe since it favours high coastal or inland cliffs for breeding, and spends long periods in inaccessible terrain.  However, it often hunts closer to inhabited areas, where feral pigeons form the basis of its diet.

Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides)

Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides)

Meadow Pipit

 

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

On December 7th I found this inconspicuous pipit foraging among the weeds in the bottom of an irrigation pond. Thanks to recent rainfall, there is now a shallow layer of water in several of the abandoned ponds in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane), and vegetation has started to sprout in the mud.

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

It was difficult to get clear views of the bird as it crept in and out of the undergrowth at the foot of the inner walls of the pond, and I first assumed it was a juvenile Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus), based on previous observations in the same area. 

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

This was not the case, however: despite the bird's worn plumage, the photos clearly show the key field marks of a Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis). 

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

Meadow Pipit (A. pratensis) has been recorded a number of times on La Palma, typically by visiting observers at the Laguna de Barlovento in the northeast of the island, where more suitable habitat for this species is found.

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

This pipit is classed as a regular winter visitor to the Canary Islands in general, and this is my first record for La Palma.