This trip was based around a relatively cheap holiday with good weather with a few ticks thrown in.
Location:
We chose to stay in Puerto de la Cruz on the North Coast of Tenerife because we had heard that this side of the island is greener and therefore hopefully more picturesque than the South West, which is another popular area for tourists. Some reports suggest that it also wetter on the North coast but as we only saw rain on one day I guess we got lucky. One draw back to staying on the North Coast is that it is a long way to Los Christianos for the ferry especially if hoping to catch the early one.
Costs and logistics:
We had booked a package with Bookable holidays over the Internet that included flying out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport with Ryan Air and bed & breakfast at the hotel Vaccational Eden in Tenerife. The total cost of the holiday was £743. The flights went OK with only a short delay outbound due to another passenger having health problems about ¾ of the way there and having to be taken off the plane by Paramedic on arrival at Tenerife and a delay of about 1 hour on the return flight but we are not sure why this was. The hotel Vaccational Eden was a long steep walk from Puerto de la Cruz town centre and the Seafront so although the hotel was quite attractive and did reasonable continental style breakfasts, I would not recommend you stay here unless used to walking, one big advantage that this hotel does have over a lot of others in the area is that it has its own car park – very useful if you are hiring a car.
The car I hired was with Holiday Autos but they actually booked my car with a local agent Orlando rent a car. The cost was £66 for 4 days for an economy 3 door car but on picking up the car we actually found a small 5 door car with Air conditioning waiting for us, the only problem with it was that the hand brake would only just hold the car if parked on a slope of which there are plenty on Tenerife. This type of car was fine for all the roads we had to drive along, and we also managed to drive it along the Erjos track as far as the ponds.
Due to the small size of the Island navigating around is very easy. We did not bother buying a map but just got around using the various free ones that can be picked up at Airports and hire car places etc… plus the lonely planet guide that we loaned from the library and for birding spots Tony Clarke’s birdwatchers guide to the Canary Islands, and we never got anything like lost all trip.
Books & Field Guides:
The field guide I used was ‘Birds of the Atlantic Islands’ by Tony Clarke but I think you could get by with just using the latest Collins bird guide, I also used A Birdwatchers Guide to The Canary Islands also by Tony Clarke and this was very useful for finding your way around, especially as most birding spots are not marked on the maps.
Weather:
Most days very nice with the daytime temperature ranging from about 19 degrees first thing to around 30 degrees mid afternoon, it was often cloudy for much of the day at Puerto de la Cruz although it often got sunnier at about 4 o’clock. The nights were generally mild. I think we may have been lucky on the day we chose to visit Mount Teide as it was very sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky, not at all what I was expecting. We had some rain and strong winds on Tuesday 14th Sept but mainly in the first half of the day and it did not spoil our day or our birding, as this was the day I connected with Laurel Pigeon and Barbary Falcon.
Nuisances etc…:
We only saw 2 mosquitoes all trip one bit me at night in central Puerto de la Cruz and the other entered our room one evening as we had the lights on and the balcony door wide open. There were no other problems caused by wildlife or people.
Endemics & Target Species
Laurel Pigeon – A single bird was seen in flight at Mirador Lagrimona, this appears to be the most regular site for this species at the moment. The Mirador or view point is located along the TF5 highway a few kilometres West of Puerto de la Cruz above Playa del Socorro and it is between 2 small tunnels, in reality the Mirador is no more than a lay-by but it is sign posted if you approach from the East when it will be on the right-hand side of the TF5, if you are approaching from the West then it could be more difficult to find and much more difficult to get to as you would have to cross the lanes of on coming traffic to get across the busy road and into the lay-by. Once you have found the site get comfortable and scan back across the road and into the small area of trees that stretches away from you up the side of the mountain opposite, I saw my Laurel Pigeon after about 40 minutes wait as it flew into the very top group of trees. Distant and brief views but unmistakable even so.
Bolle’s Pigeon – A single bird was seen very well perched in the trees at the back of Erjos ponds for at least 15 minutes and it or another was seen to fly from this area up into the hills.
Blue Chaffinch – We only saw this bird around Mount Teide and as we were approaching from the North we did not visit the popular sites such as Las Lajas but we did have success at the small picnic area of Galeria Pino de la Cruz were we saw several birds, they mostly seemed to prefer the area around the large lay-by than the actual picnic site itself.
Berthelot’s Pipit – This species was common and often very confiding in most areas, I managed to see it at Punta de Teno, various locations around Mount Teide, and El Medano, one was even in the Airport carpark.
Island Canary – Another common and widespread species, they were regularly seen around Puerto de la Cruz including from my hotel balcony. The best location for getting good views was the El Portillo visitor centre on the Northern approach to Mount Teide, were they came to drink in the small pools dotted around the gardens.
Plain Swift – Common and seen in many locations.
Canary Island Chiffchaff – This is perhaps the commonest bird on the island and so I don’t need to mention any particular sites, you will probably hear its calls and song everywhere you go.
Tenerife Goldcrest – I only saw about 3 of these in the pine forest around the small picnic area of Galeria Pino de la Cruz on the Northern approach to Mount Teide, they were part of a small mixed flock of birds including Tenerife Blue Tit, Canary Island Chiffchaff and Great Spotted Woodpecker
Tenerife Blue Tit – This species was regularly seen in Puerto de la Cruz including nesting in one of the buildings in the centre of town, also seen in several other locations such as Galeria Pino de la Cruz on Mount Teide, Erjos Ponds and the Mirador Lagrimona.
Barbary Falcon – One was seen flying around the huge sea cliffs at Punta de Teno, we parked at the lookout at the rock arch and saw the Falcon on both visits (morning and afternoon).
Macronesian Shearwater – One was seen on the La Gomera ferry and it left it late to make an appearance, about half an hour out from Los Christianos on our return (second) sailing I picked one out flying away from the front of the boat, not great views but good enough. Interestingly this was when the numbers of Cory’s increased also. I sailed out on the two o’clock in the afternoon sailing with the Naviera Armas ferry company returning on the last sailing back at five o’clock, if you do sail then don’t forget your I.D. you will need something to be let on the boat and a passport would be the best thing.
Barbary Partridge – This species I missed but apparently it is easier in the South of Tenerife and I spent most of my time in the North. Sites visited that I could have seen it at but didn’t are Punta de Teno and around Mount Teide. This species will have to wait until I do Fuerteventura.
Cory’s Shearwater - A few off Punta de Teno and lots from the La Gomera ferry
Macronesian Shearwater - One from the La Gomera ferry 16/9
Little Egret - 6 were flying off-shore past Puerto de la Cruz 17/9
Kestrel - Common & seen every day
Barbary Falcon - One Punta de Teno 14/9
Buzzard - 3 at Erjos Ponds 13/9 and 1 Mount Teide 15/9
Moorhen - Only at Erjos Ponds 13/9
Coot - Only at Erjos Ponds 13/9
Ringed Plover - At least 10 around El Medano 16/9
Whimbrel - 1 Puerto de la Cruz 12/9, 3 El Medano 16/9, 1 San Sebastian de la Gomera 16/9, 1 Puerto de la Cruz 17/9
Turnstone - 10 El Medano 16/9
Sanderling - 1 Playa de la Arena 13/9, 6 El Medano 16/9, 2 Puerto de la Cruz 17/9
Yellow-legged Gull - Common at the coast
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Only one at Puerto de la Cruz 11 & 12/9
Sandwich Tern - 2 El Medano 16/9
Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon - Common & seen every day
Bolle’s Pigeon - 1 or 2 Erjos Ponds 13/9
Laurel Pigeon - 1 at the Mirador Lagrimona 14/9
Eurasian Collared Dove - Common seen every day
African Collared Dove - 1 El Medano 16/9 and 1 Puerto de la Cruz 17/9
Rose-ringed Parakeet - 1 Puerto do la Cruz 13/9
Plain Swift - Common & seen every day
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1 Galeria Pino de la Cruz, near Mount Teide 15/9
Southern Grey Shrike - 1 around the edge of the carpark at the Canada Blanca visitor centre on the Southern approach to Mount Teide 15/9
Tenerife Blue Tit - Small numbers at Puerto de la Cruz, Erjos Ponds, Galeria Pino de la Cruz and Mirador Lagrimona
Canary Island Chiffchaff - Seen and heard everywhere and on all days
Sardinian Warbler - 2 Erjos Ponds 13/9, 2 Puerto de la Cruz 17/9
Tenerife Goldcrest - 3 Galeria Pino de la Cruz, near Mount Teide 15/9
Blackbird - Common & seen every day
Northern Wheatear - 1 near Mount Teide 15/9
Spotted Flycatcher - 1 Punta de Teno 14/9
Grey Wagtail - 1 Puerto de la Cruz 12 & 14/9, 2 Playa de la Arena 13/9
White Wagtail - 5 flying over Puerto de la Cruz at dusk 11/9
Berthelot’s Pipit - Singles at Punta de Teno 14/9, El Medano 16/9 & Reina Sofia Airport 18/9, 6 around Mount Teide 15/9
Blue Chaffinch - 8 Galeria Pino de la Cruz, near Mount Teide 15/9
Island Canary - Common at Puerto de la Cruz and about 13 around Mount Teide 15/9