We decided to have a short pre-Christmas break on Fuerteventura. We flew direct from Glasgow with Thomas Cook. Accommodation was arranged at Dunas Club apartments in Corralejo in the north of the island. Finally we used rentalcars.com to book a car, which we collected from Orlando Car Hire in the resort. We got it at a good price – £74. I had looked at a few trip reports to get details of birding sites, including my notes from a previous visit in April 1999.
6th November. After an uneventful flight from Glasgow and transfer from the airport to Corralejo we arrived at the apartment in late afternoon. After settling in we went out for a walk along the shore from the ferry terminal round to an inlet in a bay just northwest of the town. A good scatter of waders included many Ringed Plover, a few Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Common Redshank, Greenshank and a juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit along with 3 Little Egret and two juvenile Spoonbill. Offshore were a few Cory’s Shearwaters.
7th November. A pre breakfast stroll along the shore revealed little new bar a Grey Plover and a Grey Heron. Collected the car and after getting a few supplies we headed south out of Corralejo. First stop was by the El Contillo junction. The fields here had been very good for birds in 1999. We walked through them but they were very desiccated and apart from a few Berthelot’s Pipits were fairly birdless, highlights being our first Southern Grey Shrike and a Common Stonechat. Overhead had our first Common Kestrels and Common Buzzards.
We continued south through La Oliva and then took turn off to Tefia and then followed FV221 to Las Parcelas. Just at the far end of the village (before the road turns right and starts to go down into the barranco) we turned left down a track. This soon ran alongside a ‘field’ of goats. Feeding on the patches of fodder were lots of Spanish Sparrows and with them 12 Trumpeter Finches and a White Wagtail. We continued along the track towards the dam. In a stone circular goat fank we got close views of another group of 15+ Trumpeter Finches feeding on seeds and then in some trackside shrubs came across a pair of confiding Fuerteventura Chats. Overhead had our first Common Ravens and a nice adult Egyptian Vulture.
Parked by the dam and then walked up side of Los Molinos reservoir. There was plenty of water in it so lots of birds, in particular counted 194 Ruddy Shelduck, 3 Eurasian Teal and 30+ Coot. Feeding in the shallows were 11 Black-winged Stilts, 4 Common Sandpipers, 3 Little Ringed Plovers and two Greenshank. Lots of Yellow-legged Gulls were loafing on the shores of the reservoir and a juvenile Great Cormorant flew in and landed amongst them. Had a wee group of 15+ Linnets amongst the ‘bushes’ on the side of the reservoir. After crossing a fence walked out across the stony desert towards some goat enclosures. As we approached them we began to flush Black-bellied Sandgrouse. These rose and dropped back down amongst the goats. We had a minimum of 28. Also amongst the goats were many pure looking Rock Doves and more surprisingly a Lapwing. Returned to the dam and then walked down into the barranco. There were a few pools and they held another 16 Little Ringed Plover as well as a Green Sandpiper and a Common Snipe.
We retraced our route back to La Oliva where we turned left down the FV10. At the edge of the village we turned off left and followed a track out through the plains looking for bustards. No success but we had a Hoopoe, a flock of 30+ Lesser Short-toed Larks and a group of three Cream-coloured Courser.
8th November. After breakfast headed out to El Cotillo. Followed the track south out of the village, but at the first junction where the coastal track bears right, we continued straight on driving south till the track petered out. Then walked a short distance towards a wall by a ruin. From the wall scanned the plain and soon picked out a Houbara Bustard amongst some bushes, getting reasonable views through the scope. We started back towards El Cotillo stopping off to check the vegetation round small farms and houses. In the various enclosures found one covey of 12 Barbary Partridges, a few Song Thrush and got close views of another Southern Grey Shrike. Had lunch at El Cotillo and then returned to the La Oliva area. It was rather cloudy with a strong wind, not ideal for finding birds so had an early return to the resort.
9th November. It was still very cloudy and windy as we set out south towards Caleta de Fuestes. Turned off by the roundabout at the southern edge of the resort parking by the shore south of the hotel. We then walked down the rocky/stony beach. There were a good scatter of waders with 15+ Ringed Plover, 4 Kentish Plover, a Grey Plover, 9 Sanderling, 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, a Common Redshank and a Turnstone along with 2 Little Egret. It was getting a bit brighter as we headed further south to Salinas del Carmen. The Salinas themselves were birdless. A few waders were on the adjacent rocky platform, with 5 Sandwich Tern, a Grey Heron and a Little Egret.
Continued on the road through the village and then along the track to the mouth of Barranco de la Torre. Parked the car and walked up through the barranco. It was now warm and sunny. Lots of Spectacled Warblers, especially in the low scrub. Also a group of 12 Trumpeter Finch, another Hoopoe and two pairs Ruddy Shelduck.
After lunch drove back north then took FV413 towards Antigua. Stopped off on the plain just before Triquivijate. During a short walk found a large flock of 70+ Lesser Short-toed Larks, also 50+ Spanish Sparrow and another Spectacled Warbler. From Triquivijate drove north towards Tesjuates. The roadside pools we wanted to check were all totally dry. Stopped by Barranco de Rio Cabras, near Tesjuates and turned right down into the barranco. From the roadside tamarisks I flushed some Collared Doves and 4 Laughing Doves. As the road crossed the barranco I continued following a small path. Found a pair of Fuerteventura Chats near the reeds close to the start of the path. There was a bit of water in the barranco and this had attracted a pair of Ruddy Shelduck, two Green Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, a White Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail and a Meadow Pipit.
10th November. Decided to head south again and took the road south via La Oliva. As it was cloudy but with less wind thought it might be worth checking out the bustard areas again, particularly as it was a Sunday morning so disturbance was likely to be low. Drove down the usual track, passed the cultivations and up to the T junction by the bustard protection fence. Turned left then drove on for 500m. Started scanning the bushes below the track (near a rusty fenced enclosure). Suddenly picked out a Houbara Bustard amongst the bushes, then another and another. Eventually found six of them and got superb view for over 30 minutes as they fed and preened.
We continued on our way south via Tefia and Betancuria. As we entered Vega de Rio Palmas we turned off right and drove through the village. Parked in a small car park just before the road crossed the barranco. We then began to walk down through the barranco. Soon entered an area with reeds, tamarisks and some flowing water. Here we found three very confiding Fuerteventura Chats (2 males and a female), several Sardinian Warblers, African Blue Tits, a Common Chiffchaff and more surprisingly a Yellow-browed Warbler. I was later able to show this bird to Tony Clarke and his Naturetreck tour and we also located three Blackcap, three Song Thrush and a Robin.
Prior to this we had walked down the barranco to the chapel in the gorge. Good views of an adult Egyptian Vulture on the cliff and we heard Barbary Partridges calling. Lots of Common Ravens overhead, but little else bar some Southern Grey Shrikes.
After lunch continued further south via Tuineje to Catalina Garcia, but the lagoon was dry. Returned back north via Antigua. Had another quick look at Barranco de Rio Cabras, near Tesjuates. Much as the other day, though found another female Fuerteventura Chat as well as the previous pair and three Song Thrush.
11th November. An early start as once again we headed south. First stop was at Salinas Golf just south of Caleta de Fuestes. Peered through the fences to check some pools. One on the north course held a few Coot and some pure looking Mallard. One on the south coast seen from the road running parallel to the main road held a pair of Ruddy Shelduck, 4 Eurasian Teal, a Eurasian Wigeon and some Common Sandpiper. Unfortunately I missed the pool seen from the fence on the north side of the southern course.
Continued on south to Costa Calma and stopped by the shopping area at the west end of the resort. Parked, crossed the road and walked up through the woodland strip. Did not see much to begin with bar a few Common Chiffchaff, a Hoopoe, a Song Thrush and more surprisingly a juvenile Grey Heron. However at the north end found a large group of Linnets with some Goldfinch all feeding on the cones of the conifers. Also a late Willow Warbler and on some adjacent wasteland a Trumpeter Finch.
Then drove back north through Costa Calma and took the FV605 towards La Pared. Towards the end of this road (by some white boxes) turned off left onto a track. Parked by the next junction and walked out south along the track. Flushed a pair of Black-bellied Sandgrouse and then eventually in a scrubby area on the side of a wide valley found another Houbara Bustard. Not much else seen but it was the middle of the afternoon.
12th November. Decided to revist Los Molinos Reservoir. Enroute we stopped off at La Oliva and had three Houbara Bustards at Sunday’s site, though in the ‘field’ just beyond the fenced area. Two kilometre south of Tefia we stopped to scan the desert. Located yet another Houbara Bustard on the right hand side of the road. Interestingly on the way back we also stopped of here. Relocated the earlier bustard and then found a second on the opposite side of the road and had a flock of 14 Black-bellied Sandgrouse.
As we drove up to the dam at Los Molinos we had four Egyptian Vulture rise up from the adjacent desert (2 adults and 2 immatures). The reservoir held much as last time though there were now 6 Eurasian Teal, 4 Green Sandpipers and a Spotted Redshank. Once again we walked out towards the goat enclosures. Here we were rewarded with great views of Black-bellied Sandgrouse. We had a minimum count of 54 birds. There was also a big flock of 80+ Lesser Short-toed Larks and lots of Ruddy Shelduck. A quick check of the barranco below the dam revealed little new bar two pairs of Fuerteventura Chats. Drove back down towards Las Parcelas and checked out the goat field. It held 20+ Trumpeter Finch and a very confiding pair of Black-bellied Sandgrouse.
Checked the barranco below Las Parcelas, despite some very nice looking habitat and quite a bit of water only found some Little Egrets and a Grey Heron. A final stop by some fields bounded by figs just east of Las Parcelas revealed a juvenile Sparrow Hawk, along with good views of Barbary Ground Squirrels.
12th November. Our final morning. I returned the car and then had a walk along the shore on the north west side of Corralejo. It was high tide so lots of waders were roosting on the rocky platform: 26 Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Plover, 5 Whimbrel, 8 Turnstone, 2 Greenshank and the Bar-tailed Godwit. Six Common Sandpipers were feeding on the rocks along with 4 Little Egrets and the two Spoonbills. Meanwhile off shore were a few Cory’s Shearwaters and three Sandwich Tern. Then walked through the adjacent badlands – seeing little bar a group of 9 Trumpeter Finch. Finally by a dump on the edge of town were several Berthelot’s Pipits, 3 White Wagtails, a Hoopoe and a final Southern Grey Shrike. Headed back to complete packing before we headed for the airport.
We enjoyed our trip, which was fairly relaxing. Saw 62 different species and got good views of all the local specialities. The weather was a bit mixed often quite cloudy and always windy, though most days the cloud broke in late morning letting it get warm and sunny.
Robert.swann@homecall.co.uk