The Fortunate Isles...

Tenerife & Fuerteventura - 20th -27th April 2008



After a gap of 6 years I finally managed to make a trip back to the Canaries. I undertook some fieldwork there back in 2001 and 2002 and had been wanting to return ever since. Well, I booked myself a week on the islands in order to see all the endemics and whatever else turned up...and the Canaries never fail to disappoint.

The thing about Canary birding is the fact that a) the birds are found in all sorts of odd places, and b) there's a sense that literally anything can turn up anywhere. Add this to the number of endemic species and subspecies and the Canaries are one of the hottest birding/wildlife destinations around.

Even from my cheesy hotel balcony in El Medano on Tenerife I was able to see Plain swifts, Berthelot's pipits, Yellow-legged gulls, Spanish sparrows and Canary Islands Chiffchaffs - not a bad start on day one.

El Medano is a prime example of the strangeness of Tenerife birding experiences - here you have a Canarian version of Clacton-on-sea, full of bars, fast-food joints and sunbathers (although the Spanish generally tend to look more attractive with few clothes on) - and yet it is the last stronghold of breeding Kentish plover on the island. The birds are resident all year, and when the beach is packed they mooch off into the nearby sand dunes to escape. Unluckily I didn't manage to see them this time due to the prevalence of dog walkers - maybe their time is really up??

The saltwater pool behind the beach is usually good for a few migrant waders but again the beach traffic was too much and the site was empty, bar a couple of whimbrel on the nearby rocks. Compensation came in the form of a steady passage of westward-heading Cory's shearwaters just off the coast.

Pine Forest

Of Tenerife's four main ecological zones, the Pinars are perhaps the most exciting for me personally as they are home to my all-time favourite bird, the Blue chaffinch. There had been a major forest fire in the north of Tenerife and the evidence was clear to see - in some areas the pines were totally hammered with no crown left at all. In other areas though the regeneration was well under way...

Due to the fire, the available feeding areas for Blue chaffinch have been reduced and so the birds seem to be forming small groups and exploiting the scattered crops of pine seeds - I saw one group of about 8 birds, mixed male and female.

No squirrels on Tenerife...must be the woodpeckers...

A most unexpetced find in the pine forest was a herd of 15 Moufflon - about 75% of the entire Tenerife population (feral of course...don't think medium-sized herbivores could drift across the Atlantic on vegetation mats).


Regenerating Canary pine in the fire-damaged zone...the needles seem to act as the perfect mulch for the growing seedlings.

Las Lajas...a pine forest site with Blue chaffinches on tap...

Canariensis Great spotted woodpecker and male Canary - it's amazing what a dripping tap can bring in...

An unmistakeable silhouette.

Fuerteventura

Although Tenerife can provide some amazing birding, the desert species are fairly low on the ground (mostly due to the complete ravaging of lowland areas) and so a short flight east to Fuerteventura can yield some specialities more typical of north Africa, plus a cracking endemic.

Being a largely parched island, any greenery or water tends to be the spot to see birds, but there are some that like it hot...

Houbara!!

One of the key species on the island is the mighty Houbara, a mystical desert bird that's bloody hard to see...or so you might think...

Although the north of the island, towards Corralejos, has numerous bustard-shaped road signs the best spot to see this bird is the flat rocky desert encircling Tindaya. Anywhere around Tindaya mountain, particularly seawards, is good...and so after a very short search I found this beast...

A stunning bird - everything you want it to be...

Barbary falcon...putting the willies up the local pigeons!

Catalina Garcia reservoir

This small reservoir is a magnet for birds in this parched landscape. It even has a brand-new hide (locked!) and enables cracking views of a range of species - I managed Ruddy shelduck (breeding), Spoonbill, Grey heron, Little egret, Black-winged stilt, Dunlin, Kentish plover, Little Ringed plover, Yellow-legged gull, Redshank, Lesser Short-toed lark and Southern grey shrike.

Ruddy shelduck with young.

Admirable sentiment...shame about the translation....

Barbary Ground squirrel...every pile of rock has got one of these cheeky buggers on top - I had to throw stones at one when I trying to photograph the chat - bloody thing wouldn't stop scolding me!

Always a pleasure to see Hoopoes...particularly common around La Oliva

Algerian hedgehog (deceased)

Canary Islands stonechat - not an easy bird to get near!

Back on Tenerife...

Arriving back on Tenerife in the middle of a Saharan sandstorm, I had a few more days of birding...now with the promise of a few off-course migrants. First though, it was off to see some of the islands most endangered residents...Rock sparrow.

The last 8 birds ion the east of the island are hanging on in an abondoned building near La Esperanza, sharing their grubby breeze-block home with Plain swifts and Bert's pipits.

One of the 8 birds in eastern Tenerife...very shy and flighty.

A very obliging Linnet...

Berthelot's pipit.

Purple toothwort

Whilst looking for otter shit yesterday evening I came across this amazing growth on a decaying elder trunk. Apparently Purple toothwort is an occasional 'exotic' that turns up in Hampshire and other discrete parts of the UK. A truly cracking plant!

Kite Runner

Just a quickie today...

On my way home from a job this afternoon I came across a group of Red kites circling over a childrens' playground...had to run about a bit to get anything like a decent image.

Morocco, January 11th -20th 2008 - a holiday, plus some birds.

A day after returning from a 10-day tour of some parts of the Mahgreb, it's time to reflect on the ever-fascinating, often-infuriating country that is Morocco...

Day 1 - Marrakech

Luton to Marrakech. Quite a contrast, and nothing can really prepare you for the sensual onslaught that is Marrakech. After being rather politely ripped-off by the smiley, moustachioed cabbie (it's not so bad if they're nice about it), we were dumped at the end of a very narrow street within the southern Medina. The 10 minute walk to our 'hotel' was a baptism - manky cats eating scraps, beggars, motorbikes, exhaust fumes, unmentionable odours and dodgy English phrases. However, after some initial faffing about the room, I was soon standing on a leafy roof terrace overlooking this most mediaeval of cities with the first birds in sight.

Every town in Morocco is populated by hordes of cheeky House buntings and they really are engaging little chaps. Incredibly tame, their quizzical nature is matched by their up-slurred calls, a constant soundtrack to Morocco life.

House bunting - an abundant bird everywhere except the desert.

Another sight characteristic of Marrakech is the noisy, flappy antics of parties of Common bulbuls as they sing and call to each other from palms, rooftops and TV aerials everywhere.

Common bulbuls - although plain, they are real characters...

Day 2 - onwards and upwards...
Morocco is a rather up and down country, with 4 large mountain ranges crossing east-west. Our early morning coach left from the quite scary main bus station headed for Ouarzazate - gateway to the baking south. In order to cross the Atlas it's necessary to navigate the high passes - Tizis - and we were headed for the highest of them all, the Tizi-n-Tichka. Paasing through the scruffy suburbs of Marrakech, the only birds in view from the window were gatherings of White storks amongst the many rubbish dumps littering the countryside. Honestly, I've never seen so many bloody plastic bags!!

Anyway, the High Atlas although breathtakingly stunning yielded very little in the way of bird life bar the first Crag martins, a couple of Common ravens, Sparrowhawk and Moroccan pied wagtails. No Moussiers redstarts! No Levaillants woodpeckers! Still, we did see a car drive over a cliff into a river at speed - our coach driver didn't bother to stop so I have no idea if anyone was killed, but I reckon it'd be a miracle if not...

Day 3 and - El Kelaa M'Gouna - Vallees de Roses and de Dades
Two nights at an amazing kasbah just out of town allowed incredible views overlooking the M'Gouna river valley, where an evening stroll yielded Crag martins, Moroccan pied wagtails, Grey wagtail, Green sandpipers, bulbuls, Chiffchaffs, Sardinian warbler, Blackbird, Little egret, Grey heron, House buntings, Kestrel, Long-legged buzzard, Spotless starling and Kingfisher.

The next day we hired a 4x4 and Spanish-speaking guide to take us out into the Vallee de Roses and through to the Vallee de Dades.The stony hammada and rocky hillsides along the way were surprisingly birdless for the mostpart, but a tea stop with some Berber nomads - cracking old boy and his grandaughters + goats - gave amazing views of Hoopoe lark, Desert lark, and three wheatear species - Black, White-crowned and Mourning! The higher mountain slopes gave flocks of feeding serins plus a solitary Water pipit. A relaxed stroll along the valley bottom gave more of the same, but the contrast of the bone-white poplar trees, the verdant alfalfa fields and the red, dusty cliffs was spectacular. As ever, Black and White-crowned wheatears were our companions.

Day 4 - Auberge Yasmina and the Erg Chebbi

Well for me, the birding really didn't get going until we hit the deserts of the southeast- the Erg Chebbi. After arriving in the slightly dodgy transit town of Erfoud, we ended up getting a cheap lift with the local rude boy - he managed to deck someone whilst we were waiting for our Land Rover - and headed out to Auberge Yasmina via his gaffe, Auberge Berberes. The only saving grace of this enforced diversion was the first sighting of the fabled Desert sparrow - a smart male perched on a wood pile.

White-crowned wheatear is a very common bird in southern Morocco...

Anyway, after insisting we be given a lift to our chosen auberge, we finally arrived at the superb Yasmina and immediatley knew we'd landed on our feet - a fantastic place with amazing views of the dunes and mountains.

The following four days saw us take a three-day, two-night camel trek out into the dunes. This was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip - just amazing to be out in that wilderness where the only sound you can hear is your own heartbeat. Evenings were spent eating amazing food - tajines, cous cous - and watching the spectacle of the night sky unfolding above us - I've never seen the stars with that much clarity before - truly awesome.

Birdwise, the dunes were surprsingly productive. Southern grey shrikes were abundant and we were able to watch them fly from perch to perch, swooping down on unsuspecting dung beetles. The tiniest patch of desert grass or tamarisk contained Tristram's warblers - scolding us as we walked by - and the ubiquitous chiffchaffs. Desert sparrows were very common and small groups would follow our camels, feeding on seeds and insects uncovered by our tracks. The occasional palm groves would be a hive of sparrow activity.

Male Desert sparrow - they were everywhere!

Male and female Desert sparrow - unlike most other sparrows, the female is actually as attractive as the male.

The dunes in the morning were covered with tracks of all descriptions - jerds, mice, hares, hedgehogs, fennec, lizards and beetles, not to mention bird prints.

I must say a word about our guide, Adi - a wonderfully cheerful bloke and he looked after us very well indeed. He spoke broken English and some French but we were able to get by well enough. If I ever return to Morocco I will certainly use the services of this guy again - a true desert man.

Brown-necked raven - a fairly common sight around Yasmina and the dunes.

Hoopoe larks were a regular bird both in the stony desert and even way out into the dunes

Bar-tailed lark - a fairly common bird, often very approachable and seen feeding amongst patches of low vegetation in stony desert.

Crested lark, large billed North African race - only a couple of birds seen in total nearYasmina, foraging around low tamarisk scrub.

Short-toed lark - once I'd worked out what they were, a relatively frequently seen bird in stony desert areas.

A real surprise to find a Short-eared owl in the desert! Cracking views too...

Trumpeter finch - commonly seen / heard around the camel stables around Yasmina.

Each night at Yasmina, this White-crowned wheatear joined us for dinner and sung itself to sleep...

The lack of any large raptors in Morocco is depressingly explained by a quick walk through the souks of Marrakech - thoroughly soul-destroying...

They're out there somewhere...Cream-coloured courser tracks are a tantalising clue.

Thought this was rather amusing...it's amazing how much detail you can pack into a bird log when you are one of the most amazingly fantastically talented birders on the planet...wish I could write with such depth and manage to get across so much information to help other birders...I found the reference to the Hoopoe larks being on 'the track' most useful...gosh, I can see why we need the likes of you as tour guides...thanks, guys!

Afternoon tea, Berber-stylee....sat in the shade of a bush, sipping sweet mint teaa, watching hunting shrikes.

One of our humped guides chewing on some dead twigs...

Avefria!

Lapwings...my favourites!

Work of late has seen me spending muchas horas sitting in various degrees of shite weather counting birds. Hey, I'm not complaining...but in the fourth hour of trying to decide which birds out of that ever-moving flock of 500 dunlin are in my count zone I can be forgiven for feeling a little crazy.

However, the joy of birding is that every so often it throws you something wonderful and makes you feel that life is really pretty special after all. I'm not greedy - no mega rarity for me - and a bird as commonplace as the sturdy old peewit can brighten my day.

So, during a coffee/fag break sat in my car on the edge of Langstone Harbour I was delighted to spend twenty minutes watching the antics of a spanking adult male winter plumage lapwing hunting for fat juicy earthworms on the grass embankment of one of the busiest roads in Hampshire. Undeterred by the far from idyllic setting, this chap diligently paused, listened then

plucked unwary worm after worm from their subterranean boltholes.

And you know what? In this mood even a Black-headed gull can seem beautiful....

Purps...

Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones

A few pics of some stunning birds I saw today during a bird survey on the south coast of England. A beautiful sunny day in the midst of grim industrial docklands was brightened up by discovering these crackers loafing on some concrete blocks....I once saw a colour-ringed turnstone on El Hierro in the Canaries. It was in the town of La Restinga, in a group of about a dozen birds, being hand-fed peanuts by a local guy. I reported the bird when I got home to the UK and it turns out it was ringed as a chick on Ellis Island, Canada. They do get about a bit.

Batty and Ratty

A few recent images from various wildlifey tasks...I must stress that all photos of protected species were taken under license and in the presence of a suitable license holder!

Batty
An arachnophobe is perhaps not the best thing to be when your job often takes you into dark spaces in search of bats. Many is the time when I have entered a loft or other roof void only to come face to face with hordes of the 8-legged gits, or at the very least been plastered in their evil webs.

Every so often though, my highly rational (in Darwinian terms) fear is forgotten when you strike gold...as in this case when a routine roof inspection revealed the presence of a truly amazing Brown long-eared bat having sex doggy style. The tiny ball of fur/leather was going for it big style, ensuring his lady had a treat to end all treats. The photo does not pick up the tiny beads of sweat on his wrinkled brow, but rest assured he was a studdly...



Ratty

If you go down to the woods today you won't see a water vole. Go to a suitable river and you might. Or, more likely, you will just find their poo. Can't miss it...looks like tiny liquorice sweeties, left in nice neat little piles on the river bank...

There aren't so many water voles around these days thanks to vegetarians. Yes, you heard me...bloody vegetarians. In one of the biggest ecological feck-ups in history, vegetarian bunny-hugging do-good know-nothing animal rights 'activists' have been responsible for the demise in one of our most charasmatic native mammalian friends. Don't like mink farms? Well, neither do I much, but releasing thousands of the non-native ferocious water vole-eating predators into the unprepared British countryside was a bit fecking stupid you twats. Mostly thanks to you good old Ratty has declined by about 95% in the last 15 years or so. Nice one.

So I think I can be justified in feeling a little pleased when I come across firm, or runny, evidence that in some places, yet untouched by the mink menace, water voles are doing rather well.



Mmmmmm

A sign that at least all our countryside's not buggered.

Titchmarsh...put him in the skip.

God help us. Yet again I note the rise of wildlife evangelism on British television. Last week saw the much-advertised launch of a new BBC series called 'The Nature of Britain'. At last I thought, maybe the good old BBC bods are using our outrageously expensive license fees to produce something worth watching. Visions of hardy BBC Natural History Unit camera people working their arses off to bring us unparalleled images of Britain's rich wildlife heritage. Joy rose in my heart..at last we might have a film entitled to call itself 'The Nature of Britain'.

No. Instead we got Alan bloody Titchmarsh and his oh-so-cosy-ee-by-gum-everyting's-better-after-a-nice-cuppa-tea-aren't-us-Brits-a-perky-lot bollocks. Given the opportunity to make a momentous and serious wildlife series to educate the British viewer, the BBC chose the presenting equivalent of a cosy armchair snooze on a Sunday whilst watching Songs of Praise. What??? The man's a bloody gardener.

It was like watching some fecking quasi-religious sermon...at every opportunity we were reminded how "special" Britain is. Nowhere else on Earth has such "special" coasts, such "special" mountains, such "special" woodlands ad infinitum. Ever been to Spain? Morocco? India? Ireland? Georgia? North America? They're all bloody amazing...we're no different from any of them...we're not  "special" you tit.

Alan goes abseiling in search of British wildlife. The hand of justified indignation prepares to strike a small blow and send the tit to oblivion where he can wait until joined by every other BBC wildlife 'presenter'

And what images did we get? OK, Arctic skuas mobbing the Northern tit were good, but it wasn't long before we had baby seals gurning. I fully expect red deer rutting, puffins (aren't they funny!!), urban foxes and blue tits in the preceding weeks. Standard BBC idiot-fodder. It's enough that we have to put up with weeks of Springwatch ("Chaffinches!") and Autumnwatch and the endless live drivel about bird feeders and Dennis the badger (cow killer). There is not a single wildlife propgramme on the BBC nowadays that doesn't assume that we are all dribbling morons who collect cat calendars and wear those  fleecy jackets with wolves on them. 

If I see another cheesy, wimpy BBC wildlife presenter call something "BRILLIANT!!" again I will fall into an apolplectic rage, find them and beat them to death with a 'Fun Wildlife Pack'. I really will.

My message to the BBC - stop now, go away to your dark rooms in Bristol, have a think about what's worked in the past (Hint...Mr Attenborough...doesn't get excited, knowledgeable, authoritative, knows when to shut up, not a celebrity) and come back when you've worked it out.

We, and the Nature of the British Isles deserve better. Get a grip .