The aim of this trip was to explore the different walking environments on Tenerife, whilst looking out for birds along the way, especially the endemics.
We flew with Ryanair from East Midlands to Tenerife South and picked up a small hire car, pre-booked on the web via Autoreisen. The engine was small but the vehicle made it up the hills and was cheap to run. Accommodation for the both of us cost a total of 34 Euros. We used the relatively new Montaña Roja campsite, very convenient for the airport and where the facilities were pretty good, but the ground rock hard. All other nights were spent on special camping/recreation areas, well-maintained by Medio Ambiente and reserved a maximum of 30 days in advance by visiting www.tenerife.es/acampadas. All had picnic areas, a camping area and toilets, although these were closed at night. The sites are normally peaceful in the week but come alive with BBQ parties at the weekend. We were fortunate that most party-goers returned home at night, leaving us to cook in solitude under the stars. Beware that the internet description of facilities is not always accurate e.g. as to the presence of showers.
The first evening was spent walking in the Tejita Beach/Montaña Roja semi-desert area. This had been recommended by Medio Ambiente staff for Trumpeter Finch, but sadly we were to find no desert species. Berthelot’s Pipit were common throughout much of the island but seemed particularly confiding here. Other common birds seen were Kestrel and Rock Dove, but this was the only area we found for Spanish Sparrow. Common Sandpiper and Southern Grey Shrike were also present.
Next day a short drive took us to Palm-Mar, south of Los Christianos. Parking at the old coastal tower we walked through a protected coastal area with many interesting cacti, to the Faro de Rasca and inland to the now abandoned farm. This walk produced our first sightings of, Barbary Partridge, Little Egret (surprisingly there are some small, hidden pools) and the Canarian Chiffchaff, with its variation on the familiar song. Two late Barn Swallows passed by on their journey south. We didn’t find the Long-eared Owls which were one time residents in the trees by the farm.
Come day three we were ready for some remote accommodation. Heading up to the Las Lajas recreation area to the north of Vilaflor, we ticked off Collared Dove. The light at Las Lajas (just over 2000m) was fantastic and over a picnic lunch we watched Blue Chaffinch drinking at the water taps. These stocky finches seem to have developed a close relationship with the “picnicing community” as we were to find them at all of the forested recreation areas. As the sun set we were walking down the forest track towards Ifonche when a raptor was glimpsed to land in a nearby tree and although partially obscured, there was clearly a dark moustache. The bird took off and glided effortlessly through the forest. This must have been Barbary Falcon, our first sighting! The early morning call at Las Lajas was the drumming of one of the many Canarian race Great Spotted Woodpecker, which inhabit the site. However a perfect breakfast, spent watching birds in the sun, ended abruptly with the arrival of five coaches full of local children. It was time to move on! After a couple of walks in the spectacular volcanic scenery of the El Teide National Park we drove to the Las Raices recreation area (1000m), near to the small town of Esperanza in the east of the island.
Las Raices is the nearest official camping to the Anaga peninsular, where we were keen to explore some of the remote parts of the island. The drive to Igueste on the south coast of the rocky Anaga peninsular took just one hour but involved a rush hour motorway journey past La Laguna and Santa Cruz. This was just the start of a punishing, yet unforgettable day. We parked near to the bus turning point in Igueste, where the relief of the coast precludes further building, and set off uphill through the village, passing the church. Before the cemetery a blue mark on a rock to the left points the way to a small chapel on top of the hill. The gradient is steep but the path is carved out of the rock, such that in the early morning the path was pleasantly shaded. After about one hour we turned left again by a wall, ignoring the marked path ahead, which goes to the Semaforo. Now on a much rougher path, we continued uphill for a further forty minutes before finally reaching the chapel on the top of the ridge. The shade of the chapel was a good place to recuperate and watch the lizards.
A hunter arrived and helped us navigate by pointing out the beginning of the descent to our destination, the Playa de Antequera. Once on the path the route is reasonably straightforward but the walking is hard, through dry, rough and rocky terrain. It crosses several Barrancos before following a contour, with a steep drop to the sea to one side, which eventually descends on a sandy path to the beach, reached only on foot or by small boat. We made a dash for the sea and found some relief from the intense midday heat. At first the Yellow-legged Gulls basking on the beach were our only company, until from the sea, Nick drew Alison’s attention to a pair of falcons. One disappeared immediately but Alison was able to focus on the other bird which did a fly past the length of the beach. The bird was heavy bodied with fast wing beats, Peregrine like but with a brown cap and so unmistakeably Barbary Falcon. Conscious that by 3pm dusk was just four hours away, we reluctantly decided not to continue on the circular walk but instead to retrace our steps. The first part of the journey, to an old goat herders pen was the most difficult, as temperatures must have still been in excess of 28 degrees centigrade. As we continued relentlessly uphill the sun began to sink and the birds became more active. There were good views of a perched Common Buzzard and numerous Sardinian Warbler. Barbary Partridge were presumably being hunted, but even so did put in an appearance. Back in the village, after a nine hour excursion, during which we had climbed a total of 2600 feet and descended again, we still found the energy to focus on three Grey Wagtail which flew out of the steam bed into one of the small ploughed plots. We treated ourselves to a pizza in San Andrés!
An easy day followed where we drove a short distance up from Las Raices camping area on the TF24 and parked at the 16km post to walk in the mixed Laurel/Pine woods of Laguneta. The track was wide and afforded good views of many Canarian Kinglet foraging in the Pines. Robins were singing and it was amazing to see the intense red breast. Sparrowhawk, Song Thrush and Chaffinch, considered common at home, were recorded only in these woods. Back at the camping area a track took us a short distance to overlook an untidy Finca. In the early evening this was a favourite, peaceful spot with many Chiffchaff as well as Robin, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler and a resident Kestrel.
By now it was Saturday morning and the continuous gorgeous weather meant a noisy BBQ breakfast for many locals. Again time to move on! This time we travelled east using the northern motorway to the village of San José de los Llanos, and another Pinewood camping area, this time above El Tanque. Here the party was in full swing and huge campervans were in residence, with accompanying loudspeakers and generators. Thankfully the excellent Medio Ambiente wardens soon arrived and calmed things down. We were always thankful to have downloaded the camping permits before leaving home, as without them we would surely have been moved on as our permits were always carefully scrutinised. This camping is convenient for the Laurel forest, which can be accessed by a track off the TF82, above the village of Erjos and opposite the Casa Forestal. We followed the track on foot for about 5 kms to a viewpoint, where after a wait of about twenty minutes, we were rewarded by a two second view of a very obvious in-flight Laurel Pigeon. Sadly no Bolle’s but we were happy to have one of the endemic pigeons in the bag, especially since the mist was beginning to roll in. Back on the TF82 we continued a few hundred yards north, where there is another track on the right which leads to the Erjos pools (visible from the road). Here we found Coot and Moorhen but this habitat could be much more productive in other seasons.
On Sunday 1st November we walked west from the camping, past the visitor centre (under construction) following signs for Montaña de Chinyero, and aiming for the Arenas Negras recreation area. This is an interesting route initially passing through scrubby former farmland, where there were huge flocks of Island Canary. The only downside to this area on this date was the significant number of hunters with their noisy dogs. The geology of the area is due to recent volcanic eruptions and subsequent colonisation by Pine. In the woods mixed flocks of boldly marked Blue Tit, Chiffchaff and Kinglet, all of the Canarian race, were seen foraging. Visibility had not been good today and low cloud dampened the locals’ party spirit, such that by nightfall we were alone. Nevertheless we still experienced a rough night, kept awake by the dripping of water ,deposited on the tent by the tall pines above.
Next morning the weather looked better downhill so we set off west to the Punto de Teno via Santiago del Teide and the spectacular mountain road, which rises to the village of Masca. This is an expensive tourist trap but in the early morning in November the quiet café patios were idyllic. Continuing south to Buenavista on the north coast and then turning west, we passed signs in several languages indicating that the road was closed due to falling rocks. Everyone seems to ignore these and so we continued via a road carved out of the mountainside with precipitous drops to the sea below, en route for the Punto de Teno. Eventually we parked opposite the agricultural ‘warehouse’and followed the coast on foot towards the lighthouse. The strengthening wind was sending waves crashing onto the rocky north coast, so there were few birds until we rounded the point, to find a Turnstone feeding in the relative calm. On the return from the punto we were on the lookout for the Rock Sparrow, known to inhabit a seedy area with old bamboo canes next to the road. The Rock Sparrows were there in good numbers, but very restless on the wind. They were accompanied by a huge flock of the smaller Island Canary.
Another misty, wet night at San José de los Llanos meant a quick getaway next morning, heading up through the cloud to breakfast in the sun at the Chio picnic area, just outside of the Teide National Park. This peaceful spot had Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Chaffinch, Bethelot’s Pipit, and Raven, which patrolled the site and were cleaning up as we left.
The holiday ended as it had begun, in the wind of Tejita beach and Montaña Roja reserve. Still no desert species, but we were rewarded with stunningly close views of Cory’s Shearwater, just offshore and dodging the kite surfers on the beach beside the El Medano resort, where Whimbrel, Sanderling and Ringed Plover were feeding on the rocky shore.
The last tick of the trip was a solitary Black-headed Gull seen amongst the Yellow-legged Gull roosting on Tejita Beach. This had been a wonderfully relaxing away from it all Autumn break, generally in the sun, with some serious exercise, good birdwatching and great food.
Species list:
Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedia
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides
Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Coot Fulica atra
Ringed Plover Charadruis hiaticula
Sanderling Calidris alba
Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans
Rock Dove Columba livia
Laurel Pigeon Columba junoniae
Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major canariensis
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Berthelot’s Pipit Anthus berthelotii
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea canariensis
Robin Erithacus superbus
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Blackbird Turdus merula
Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala
Canarian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus canariensis
Tenerife Kinglet Regulus teneriffae
Blue Tit Cyanistes teneriffae
Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis koenigi
Raven Corvus corax canariensis
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs canariensis
Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea
Island Canary Serinus canaria