Summary: A combination of family holiday with my wife and searching for the localised and endemic species of bird, orchid and other wildlife.
Location: I purposefully chose to stay in Puerto de Santiago because of the locality and the fact that in the winter it is in the warmest part of the island. It is ideally located to access the sites in the centre and north west of the island where the endemic wildlife is concentrated. For example, it is only a 25-minute drive to the Erjos pigeon site. Having passed through the main holiday resorts of Las Americas and Los Cristianos, we were particularly glad to have been where we were!
Costs and logistics: We had hoped for a cheap last minute deal, but there were none. As such, I booked everything two weeks before departure. Flight was with Thomson, and cost £110 each from Birmingham (we wanted to fly from a midlands airport). They allow 20kg of check-in and 3kg of hand luggage. Accommodation was booked on the internet and was at Vigilia Park apartments in Puero de Santiago. Cost was €332 for the week for both of us, room only. Although relatively basic, it was clean and had everything we needed.
Car Hire was with Auto Reisen which I think is a local (to the Canaries) company. Cost was €91 for the week for a Seat Ibiza five door with Air conditioning. A standard car was fine for all the roads, which in 2009 looked like they had been re-surfaced very recently. In fact although some of the roads are very narrow and a little scary, the actual surfacing on all was superb. The Erjos track was driveable in this car.
Fuel at the time of our visit was c€0.655 per litre. Because distances are short on the whole, fuel shouldn’t be an expensive part of the cost. I put a total of €30 in for the whole week. The Island is relatively small and navigating around is very easy. We had a 1:150,000 GeoCenter map bought in the UK for £4.99 and this was more than adequate. I also found one in Icod for €2.50 which didn’t rip at the seams and had clearer roads on it.
Weather: Very pleasant throughout, temperature most days 20 degrees+ and mainly sunny. It can get cool at night and at altitude, and there is often a cool wind coming in off the sea. Also it is not sunny for the whole day because there is a near permanent cloud cover over the higher ground and this can extend to some lower altitudes. We had rain and strong winds on the night of 29th Jan, following a really hot and sunny day. On 30th the temperature ranged from 13 deg. At the coast to –0.5 around Teide.
As such, take a light pullover and perhaps a lightweight fleece. Average rainfall in January is 37mm, in February 20mm, so it would be prudent to include a very lightweight waterproof or a hat. Terrain is very easy if you are not hiking long distances, and most of the wildlife can be seen very close to roads. As such I didn’t even need walking boots, just a pair of trainers. Beware if kneeling or lying on the ground for photography, as the rocks are all lava and will make big black marks on your clothes!
Critters: We didn’t get bitten or eaten by anything. There is little fresh water on Tenerife, so no mosquitos. The only problem is supposed to be Cockroaches (if you consider them a problem as they are harmless), but if you choose a Hotel rated for cleanliness and keep doors and windows shut at night they should be no problem.
Notes on some of the sites: I refer primarily to sites noted in Garcia del Rey’s guide, with some reference to Gosney.
1. Erjos Laurel Forests: In 2008 access was prohibited along the track to the viewpoint. On my visit it was open again, and driveable with care in a Seat Ibiza.
A couple of pieces of advice from my experience: a) there is a sign in Spanish suggesting there is no car access. I ignored this. I parked at the viewpoint and a 4 x 4 official vehicle with what looked like two wardens passed me. They didn’t stop or tell me to go back, so I’d say drive it. However, on the way back up the track, at 10.30 a.m., some hikers were coming the other way. That could be dangerous if they think no vehicles are allowed! My advice is therefore to get there just after first light. That’s when there’s no-one around and also when the pigeons are most active – about half an hour after sunrise. B) Viewing from the road is no good in the moring as the sun is straight in your eyes. Go down to “Hornbuckle’s Rock”, where I had several good views of Bolle’s pigeons – including three below me feeding at the top of a tree for ten minutes. It would seem that White-tailed pigeon is very difficult to see from this site now – but it may be easier during that species’ breeding season, from March onwards. I would recommend going to Ladera de tgaiga in the Orotava Valley or to La Gomera for this species if you want to be more sure.
2. Las Lajas Picnic site: An absolute must visit. You will see Blue chaffinch, Canary, Canarian GS woodpecker, Blue tit & Goldcrest, and Rock dove very easily here. Visit on a week day preferably, and then early in the morning or late afternoon. The less people there are, the better views you will get. I found only one water tap that was working, and therefore attracted many birds to drink. This was on the right as you drive down the track from the road, opposite the “Visitor centre?” building. My advice – buy some cagebird Canary seed from a supermarket for €0.86 and spread it on the tables and it will attract Canaries, and sit and wait at the same table but the one overlooking the water tap. Turn on the tap and leave it dripping. Don’t chase the birds around the area – they’ll come to you if you are patient.
3. El Fraile Reservoir/Punta de la Rasca: Banana plantations have now taken over this area, preventing access to the Lighthouse. My recommendation for access to this point would be to go up the road and take the road to Palm-Mar at the roundabout. Go left at the roundabout having entered the complex (Palm-mar is not a town, just a purpose-built holiday apartment area). There is a one-way system in place but you eventually end up at the southern end of the complex which borders onto a load of Euphorbia scrub, and the lighthouse can actually be seen from this road. There are paths through the scrub, though I didn’t take them.
The Reservoir appeared inaccessible; there is a shanty town on this end of El Fraile beyond the football pitch, and the sandy area behind is criss-crossed with dusty tracks used by quad bikes when we were there (but it was a Sunday). It seemed a little inhospitable and we were due to fly back so we didn’t try any further. Other people have tried to access the reservoir recently and failed, too.
4. Vilaflor/The leaking pipe: This area was my favourite of all those that we visited, possibly the most unspoiled and peaceful place on the Island (the second place is also very close to the fantastic Las Lajas). We somehow missed the massive Pine Tree “Pino Gordo”, but did stop at a couple of places to find good numbers of Canaries, Blue tits and Berthelot pipit. The leaking pipe no longer leaks (maybe meaning more birds at Las Lajas?) but there was a singing male Blue chaffinch in a pine by the road on the left just past the bridge.
5. Las Canadas info centre: The Mount Teide information centre, east of the cable car. The nearby El Portillo Hotel area is supposedly a Blue chaffinch site, but we passed the info centre during late afternoon and birds flying around caused me to stop and investigate. Several Blue chaffinches showed extremely well on the steps of the centre and the adjacent paths and trees (there is a fountain to the right of the centre which was not switched on as the place was closed), Berthelot’s pipits in pairs were around the centre, as were Canaries. A Good stop for three endemics!
Birds: The target species are:
Bolle’s Pigeon: I made one attempt, at Erjos, and saw them easily from “Hornbuckle’s rock”. I got there at 08.45 on a nice clear day. The first ones came crashing across the tops of the Laurels below at 09.05, and it continued until around 10.00. There was a party of three feeding at the top of a Laurel right below me for 15 minutes.
White-tailed Laurel Pigeon (the difficult one): I did not see this in two hours at Erjos. There is another site, at Ladera de Tigaiga, near La Orotava, but I did not visit, as cloud cover was incessant after the 29th. This is the hardest endemic to see, but is easier on La Gomera.
Blue Chaffinch: Very easy to see at Las Lajas Picnic site. Wait especially by the water tap on the right opposite the buildings. They are very tame. Also saw a singing male by the road at the leaking pipe site. Several at the Teide visitor centre late afternoon on 30th when it was deserted.
Canary: The second commonest endemic after Chiffchaff. Saw them everywhere away from habitation, and sometimes near it in the villages. Usually also in flocks.
Canarian Chiffchaff: The commonest endemic, absolutely everywhere.
Canarian Blue Tit: Not that common, but seen in various places, especially with pine trees. Distinctive looking with a different call and song to standard Blue tit. Surely due to be split?
Canarian Kinglet (Goldcrest/Firecrest): Didn’t see that many – one or two at Las Lajas, one or two in other areas of Pine woods at higher altitudes.
Berthelot’s Pipit: Widespread and in various habitats, but never in large numbers, just pairs or singles. Look quite a lot like Meadow pipits sometimes, especially with their bright orange legs. However, listen for the call and look for the lack of buff on the breast and dark eye stripe. Call is like a Pied/White wagtail.
Barbary Partridge: Saw in the north west especially: a pair at Santiago del Teide Cemetery, a pair by the SdT – Masca road, and heard around the Teide plateau.
Barbary Falcon: Breeds in the far north west from February. I did not visit the site (Punta del Fraile).
Plain Swift: supposedly widespread all year round, but I did not see any. I guess they are easier from February onwards.
Seabirds - Only Madeiran petrel and Cory’s & Little shearwater possible at this time of year. Madeiran petrel requires a boat trip from Puerto de la Cruz, Little & Cory’s shearwaters can be seen or heard around Los Gigantes later in the year. I did not do any seawatching as it wasn’t the best time of year.
Additional birds of note:
Osprey: one over Puerto de Santiago late evening on 26th.
Atlantic Yellow-legged Gull: For the larophiles, this was common around the coast.
Hoopoe: one behind the shanty town at El Fraile on 1st Feb
Parakeet sp: a pair flew over Los Gigantes on 27th Jan. Could have been either Ring-necked or Alexandrine
Sardinian Warbler: Two males seen, one near Las Cruces on the north coast, a second in the Orotava Valley.
Southern Grey Shrike: the Canarian race is darker, so worth seeing. I saw only one, by the road between El Fraile and Guaza, on Cacti on the left side of the road just out of El Fraile.
Spanish Sparrow: Where I was staying, on the north west coast, not as common as expected. A few pairs round the apartments but not especially showy.
Rock Sparrow: I checked a couple of the known areas, Vilaflor and Santiago del Teide, but did not connect. I didn’t spend a lot of time looking though.
Chaffinch: The Canarian race is worth seeing. I saw only one, on the steps below the parking place at Erjos.
Serin: Not a common bird on Tenerife, despite being dirt everywhere else hot in Europe. The Canary essentially replaces it. I did see a singing male in display-flight on the road from Tanque to Las Cruces.
Orchids: My other great passion, and there are four special ones to be found on Tenerife, three of which are endemic (and one, the Metlesic’s, only to be found on Tenerife).
Habaneria tridactylites (e): Seen by the road near Garachico so didn’t visit the main site near Masca. I was a little too late, with most plants having burned-off flowers. A week earlier would be best.
Orchis canariensis (e): Seen at two sites, one near Erjos, the other the main one in the Orotava Valley. At both, they were merely rosettes. I’d guess a visit at the end of Feb/beginning Mar would be better. Also tried a site near Masca but failed to even find any rosettes, or the actual spot.
Himantoglossum (Barlia) metlesicsiana (e): A Tenerife speciality, found only here and on Gran Canaria. Perfect time for these, tall stately spikes in perfect flower. Two flowering spikes and 17 rosettes near Santiago del Teide, and 10 flowering spikes and 19 rosettes near Chirche. The latter, on 31st, were starting to go over. This species was only rediscovered in 1979 after a 19th century record.
Gennaria diphylla: Not endemic, but restricted to a few places around the Med and Macronesia, this species was common at the O. canariensis site in the Orotava Valley. They were all in bud, and were about a week or so off flowering. They may have been more advanced at lower altitudes or open habitats, though.
Other wildlife: Butterflies were few and far between at this time of year as to be expected, but I saw Large white-types, some Bath whites and a few Monarchs, plus a Painted lady on the north coast on 29th. Trouble is, they only come out when it is hot and then they never stay still for a decent look. I took a net as I would normally for butterfly study, but didn’t use it.
The Canarian lizard is common in rocky places, hiding in gaps in stone walls and warm banks. They have very good eyesight and see you coming, so photography can be difficult.
Spotted dolphin and Short-finned pilot whales are guaranteed on the boat trips which run out of Los Gigantes. We paid €20 each for a two hour trip, which only goes out for the dolphins. You’ll have to go on the three hour trip to see both.
Other plants: there are 800 endemic species on the Canaries, so I am still working through the photos of some of the striking plants I saw. Noteworthy of the landscape are the cacti, Dragon Trees and Century Plants.