Little Ringed Plover second breeding attempt, PART 1

Shortly after their first, unsuccessful breeding attempt, the pair of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) moved to another dried-out irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane).

Here is the post describing their first attempt, and below is a photograph of the new breeding site:

This second location is very similar to the first one. In both cases these are abandoned irrigation ponds in which small amounts of rainwater accumulate. A tiny puddle is just visible at the far end, and a layer of sand in the central area.

These ponds are privately owned but are freely accessible. Some have been converted into lorry parks, workshops, or even skateboard parks. Most, like the pond chosen by the pair of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) have simply fallen into disuse, with no wildlife conservation laws to protect them.

Pair of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

The female is slightly larger, generally paler in colour, with less white above the eye.

I first observed the breeding pair in their new location on May 22. The images above date from May 27. By the end of May there were already 1-2 eggs in the nest, and on June 4, I photographed the full clutch of 4, visible in the centre of the following image:

I have deliberately left this image uncropped, to give a better idea of how well camouflaged the eggs are.

Both birds took turns incubating and defending the nest. Below is a picture of the female, taken on June 4:

Female Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)  sitting on the nest

Another itinerant Osprey

 

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Followers of this blog may recall the longish stopover on La Palma of a ringed Osprey from the north of Scotland last year. Here's the link to the corresponding post:

http://lapalmabirds.blogspot.com/2020/12/osprey-kl9-brief-summary.html

This morning, July 22, I discovered another itinerant bird in the same area. It was devouring a freshly-caught fish on top of the same utility pole used by its predecessor, not far from the Dos Pinos reservoir (Los Llanos de Aridane).

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

This once lifeless irrigation reservoir is now teeming with easy-to-catch Tilapia fish, whose precise origin is unknown. Theories range from deliberate introduction, to accidental escape from other ponds via pipelines and channels, all in connection with an unsuccessful aquiculture project. Motives, dates, and other details are hard to uncover.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

 

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

The bird eventually took flight when a couple of youths, who had been angling only about 70 metres away, inadvertently came too close. The Osprey had difficulty freeing itself from its prey, and flew off with part of the fish still hanging from its talons.

Glossy Ibis

I found this solitary Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) in an irrigation pond near the Dos Pinos reservoir (Los Llanos de Aridane) this evening, July 19. The bird was feeding in the shallows.

There are previous records of this species on La Palma, including a couple of my own, but it is regarded as a vagrant or rare visitor.

"Rare Birds of the Canary Islands" (Eduardo García-del-Rey/Francisco Javier García Vargas, Lynx Edicions 2013) lists only 17 records for the whole of the Canaries, mostly of solitary birds, of which several made longish stopovers. 

Most sightings have been in September and October, but others include one from May 23 to July 17 2003 on El Hierro, one in March 2010 and another from July 6 to August 12 2008 on Tenerife, and two longish winter stopovers on Gran Canaria: one individual from Dec 23 2000 to March 16 2001, and two individuals from Dec 27 2003 to Feb 14 2004.

As always, it needs to be noted that the real figures may be considerably higher: many migrant bird species go unreported on the islands due to low numbers of serious birdwatchers and casual observers alike. The recent proliferation of independent recording sites doesn't help matters.

I found this individual in the irrigation pond shown below:

This is one of the few ponds in the area which has not fallen into disuse and subsequently dried out. Depending on varying water levels it may be suitable for birds accustomed to wading.

This Glossy Ibis (Pleagadis falcinellus) appears to be an adult from its blue lores. It is an extremely jittery individual, taking flight at the slightest sign of danger. It was present yesterday morning (20/07) and again today (21/07), when I managed to get the following images:

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Little Ringed Plover breeding attempt: epilogue

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

The ill-fated breeding attempt by Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) on La Palma, described in my previous post, has had at least one positive spin-off...

Once it was clear that the shorebirds were about to breed, I alerted the island's Environmental Authorities to the critically low water-level in the pond. Only a tiny puddle remained, bordered by a patch of damp sand, and it seemed a good idea at the time to try and improve the conditions and  prevent the artificial habitat from drying up completely.

The authorities promptly responded by agreeing to send a tanker truck containing 6,000 litres of untreated water which was pumped into the irrigation pond two days later, on the morning of May 19, after obtaining permission from the owner. 

Unfortunately, by that time it was too late to save the brood of plovers, but a useful resource has been created for both resident and migratory species, until the water eventually evaporates. The Environmental Authorities might agree to topping up before summer, I was informed by an insider source.

The following images give an idea of the operation as it unfolded on May 19:

Water tanker (left) pumping water into the dried out irrigation pond.

View from the eastern end of the pond, as the pool gradually grows in size.

All 6,000 litres have now been pumped in.

The finished "wetland"...

My thanks to the Environmental Authorities for their efforts and expense.

Breeding attempt of Little Ringed Plover on La Palma

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

The Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) is a resident breeding species on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, and a passage migrant to the remaining Canary Islands. During breeding it favours freshwater reservoirs with sandy edges, but also near golf courses with ponds, and gullies with running water (Birds of Macaronesia Eduardo García-del-Rey, Lynx Edicions).

On La Palma, the species can occasionally be observed during migration periods both at the saltpans in Fuencaliente and at the freshwater irrigation ponds in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane). The possibility of it sporadically breeding on islands other than Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura is postulated in the Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario (various authors, SEO/Birdlife). The following account constitutes - to the best of my knowledge - the first documented case of a breeding attempt on La Palma.

I first observed the future breeding pair in an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane) on March 21, but it wasn't until April 16 that the birds really attracted my attention. As the following images show, by then the two birds were in the process of mating, and nest preparation was already underway. 

 

Mating and nest building April 16

Mating and nest-building April 16

Breeding pair of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), La Palma April 16

The plovers had chosen an inconspicuous sandy patch in an almost dried-out pond: less than idyllic surroundings perhaps, but despite its proximity to a busy lane, the pond is effectively screened from both traffic and passersby. One side of the pond ajoins a banana plantation and has no access, while the other side is skirted by a dead-end track, only used by the occasional farm vehicle. Whatever human activity I witnessed in the vicinity barely affected the birds' behaviour.

The nest site was located at the far (eastern) end of the pond, bordering the darker materials.

Sometime between April 16 and April 24, the female laid her clutch, and on April 25 the two birds could be seen taking turns incubating initially 3, then finally 4 eggs, countable whenever one of the pair briefly left them uncovered. All photography and observation was carried out with the utmost care from a considerable distance, using available bushes for cover to avoid disturbance.

Incubation of the clutch of 4 eggs. Photo taken through bushes of Tree Sorrel (Rumex lunaria) at far (eastern) end of pond.

Centre: the clutch of 4 eggs momentarily exposed during a short absence of the brooding bird. Left click on any image to enlarge.

By May 16-17 all 4 eggs had successfully hatched, and both adults could be seen accompanying the precocial chicks as they foraged. Most of the time the family group stayed away from the wet patch found on one side of the pond, preferring to explore the dry sand. I witnessed neither threats from potential predators such as kestrels, gulls, cats, dogs, or rats during my daytime visits, nor human interference of any kind. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and the breeding pair turned out to be attentive parents.

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) with one of her chicks.

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) with all 4 successfully-hatched chicks. Not easy to see! Try left-clicking on image.

The 4 successfully hatched chicks foraging. At least one of the parents was always close by, keeping an eye on them.

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) on the upper rim of the pond, trying to shepherd the chicks to a safer location

On the morning of May 18 only 2 of the 4 chicks could be seen, and to my surprise the parents were trying to usher them out of the pond. This seemed like an impossible feat for the flightless hatchlings, the banks of the pond being steeply sloping concrete. Through insistent calling and shepherding the parents somehow persuaded their progeny to climb to the top. Unfortunately, the obstacles to further progress proved beyond their capabilities, and the chicks had to clamber back down again. What was going on? I returned to the pond later and, by the time I left at about 19:30, everything had apparently returned to normal and both parents were settling down for the night with their 2 offspring.

Parent ushering her chick up the steep banks of the pond

The two chicks make it to the top but are unable to go any further

One of the 3-day-old chicks contemplating the descent

The same very vulnerable chick mid-descent. 

 

The following morning, May 19, all the chicks were missing and both parents were searching and calling for them. The female was still scanning the pond from the neighbouring greenhouse roof when I left the site in the early afternoon. It seems their brood had been preyed on during the night...the most likely culprits being rats or cats. No feathers or other remains could be seen. On May 18, the adults had probably taken the risky decision to move their family elsewhere after losing two of their chicks to nocturnal predators, but their plan had unfortunately proved unfeasible.

The first documented breeding of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) on La Palma had thus been unsuccessful, but this resilient species is known to make further attempts during the same season after brood failure. Monitoring of the area will continue: let's hope for better luck next time.

Early 2021

 It has been a quiet birding year so far, with few surprises. The usual small numbers of common waders have been observed at the irrigation ponds in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane), including a solitary Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) on Jan16, and a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) on Jan 23.

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) together with Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

On Feb 28 I spotted a small group of Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) off the southern tip of the island at El Faro, the first birds of the year returning to breed. On March 20 the first Plain Swifts (Apus unicolor) appeared in the skies above El Paso, and on March 21 a flock of 15 migrating Barn Swallows (Hirunda rustica) was seen in Tazacorte.

At the saltpans this morning (March 26) I found 3 x Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), a much less frequent visitor to La Palma than the Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula). 

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) at the saltpans in Fuencaliente, March 26.

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.