Trip Report: Tenerife, November 4-12, 1998

Lasse Olsson, Falkenbergsgatan 28 b, 432 51 Varberg, Sweden; lasse.olsson@telia.com

I spent the first two weeks of November in Tenerife, together with my wife and two kids. The fact that we actually got married in Puerto de la Cruz on the 6th November didn't make birdwatching top priority on this trip. Even though, I spent some mornings alone in the field.

The weather was quite a lot warmer than usually in November - up to 35°C at daytime - and due to the fact that very little rain had fallen during the year there was very little, or no, water in the ponds around the island.

Locations visited:

4 November - Masca, Punta del Teno
5 November - Medano, Golf del Sur (GdS), Punta de la Rasca (PdlR), Roquito del Fraile (RdF)
6 November - Las Lajas (LL), Puerto de la Cruz
8 November - Gomera with Bar la Carbonnera (BlC), El Cedro (EC)
11 November - Los Rodeos, Tejina pond
12 November - Punta de la Rasca (PdlR), Roquito del Fraile (RdF)

Blacknecked Grebe         Podiceps nigricollis          1 at Roquito del Fraile 12/11
Cory's Shearwater         Calonectris diomedia borealis abundant at sea
Little Shearwater         Puffinus assimilis baroli     2 at Punta de la Rasca  5/11
Little Egret              Egretta garzetta              several places
Grey Heron                Ardea cinerea                 several places
Spoonbill                 Platalea leucorodia           1 at Medano, 3 at RdF 
Teal                      Anas crecca                   2 at Roquito del Fraile 12/11
Lesser Scaup*             Aythya affinis                4 - 5 at RdF 12/11
Buzzard                   Buteo buteo insularum         not uncommon
Kestrel                   Falco tinnunculus canariensis common
Peregrine                 Falco peregrinus              1 1y at Golf del Sur    5/11
Barbary Partridge         Alectoris barbara             1 at Punta del Teno 4/11
Moorhen                   Gallinula chloropus           15 at Tejina Pond   11/11
Coot                      Fulica atra                   25 at Roquito del Fraile
Little Ringed Plover      Charadrius dubius             3 at Roquito del Fraile
Ringed Plover             Charadrius hiaticula          1 at PdlR, 2 at RdF
American Golden Plover    Pluvialis dominica            1 1y at RdF 12/11
Grey Plover               Pluvialis squatarola          2 at Punta de l Rasca 12/11
Lapwing                   Vanellus vanellus             2 at Golf del Sur 5/11
Sanderling                Calidris alba                 20+ at Medano
Little Stint              Calidris minuta               2 at Roquito del Fraile 12/11
Dunlin                    Calidris alpina               1 at Roquito del Fraile 12/11
Snipe                     Gallinago gallinago           1 at Tejina pond 11/11
Whimbrel                  Numenius phaeopus             20+ at Golf del Sur 
Greenshank                Tringa nebularia              2 at Medano  5/11
Common Sandpiper          Actitis hypoleuca             1 at Medano, 2 at GdS, 1 at RdF, 1 at PdlR
Turnstone                 Arenaria interpres            1 at RdF,1 at PdlR
Great Skua                Catharacta skua               2 at Punta de la Rasca 12/11
Blackheaded gull          Larus ridibundus              not uncommon
Lesser Blackbacked Gull   Larus fuscus                  common
Yellowlegged Gull         Larus cachinnans atlantis     common
Greater Blackbacked Gull  Larus marinus                 1 at Los Christianos 1/11
Sandwich Tern             Sterna sandvicensis           several places
Rock Dove                 Columba livia                 common
Bolle's Pigeon            Columba bollii                10 at BlC, 10+ at EC 8/11
Laurel Pigeon             Columba junoniae              1 at BlC, 2 at EC 8/11
Collared dove             Streptopelia decaocta         common Los Christianos
Monk Parakeet             Myiopsitta monachus           2 at Puerto de la Cruz 6/11
Plain Swift               Apus unicolor                 10+ at Los Americanos
Hoopoe                    Upopa epops                   common
Great Spotted Woodpecker  Dendrocopus major canariensis 5+ at Las Lajas 6/11
Lesser Shorttoed Lark     Calandrella rufescens         2 at Los Rodeos 11/11
Berthelot's Pipit         Anthus berthelotii            common
Grey Wagtail              Motacilla cinerea canariensis   several places
White Wagtail             Motacilla alba                1 at Punta de la Rasca 5/11
Robin                     Erithacus rubecula            1 at Gomera 8/11
Blackbird                 Turdus merula cabrerae        not uncommon
Spectacled Warbler        Sylvia conspicillata orbitalis  several places
Sardinian Warbler         Sylvia melanocephala          1 at Gomera, 1 at GdS   
Blackcap                  Sylvia atricapilla heineken   not uncommon
Chiffchaff                Phylloscopus collybita canariensis abundant
Tenerife goldcrest        Regulus teneriffae            10+ at Las Lajas, 5 at Gomera
Blue Tit                  Parus caeruleus teneriffae    2 at LC, 10+ at LL, 10+ at G
Great Grey Shrike         Lanius excubitor koenigi      5 at Punta de la Rasca
Indian Myna               Acridotheres tristis          1 at Los Christianos  3/11
Spanish Sparrow           Passer hispaniolensis         abundant
Rock Sparrow              Petronia petronia madeirensis 3 at Punta del Teno 4/11
Chaffinch                 Fringilla coelebs tintillon   2 at Bar la Carbonnara 8/11
Blue Chaffinch            Fringilla teydea teydea       20+ at Las Lajas 6/11
Canary                    Serinus canaria               not uncommon
Goldfinch                 Carduelis carduelis           2 at Gomera 8/11
Linnet                    Acanthis cannabina meadewaldoi common

* = There was a flock of 7 Aythya ducks at Roquito del Fraile on the 12th November. They were spending the whole time resting in the middle of the pond, with the exception of one female. As far as I could see at least two or three of the other birds were Lesser Scaups too, but probably they weren't all seven. In a mail later Tony Clarke has confirmed my observation, and the birds were still present on the 2nd December.

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This page served with permission of the author by Urs Geiser; ugeiser@xnet.com; December 9, 1998