Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Berthelot's Pipit |
 Blue Chaffinch |
 Hoopoe |
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 Humpback Whale |
 Cory's Shearwater |
 Long-finned Pilot Whale |
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This was a family holiday where I took a few days out to do somebirding. We were located at Puerto de la Cruz (PDLC), on the north-west side of the island. We flew from Manchester to Tenerife South, hired a Renault Megane Estate, and stayed in Teide Mar Apartments (2 apartments between 4 people). This was all booked through Expedia and came to around £1300 for all 4 of us.
Main birding trips and highlights (numbers in brackets refer to pages in Tony Clarke's site guide - A Birdwatchers Guide to The Canary Islands)
3 Aug 05 - Chanajiga (29)
Bolle's Pigeon
Goldcrest
Pallid Swift
5 Aug 05 - Mt Teide - Galeria Pino de la Cruz (39)
Blue Chaffinch
Goldcrest
Plain Swift
Mirador de Grimones (4km west of PDLC, on TF-5, 1km east of large Texaco petrol station).
Laurel Pigeon
Bolle's Pigeon
7 Aug 05 - Los Rodeos (36)
Berthelot's Pipit
Golf del Sur (17)
Berthelot's Pipit
Great Grey Shrike
Guargacho Dam 1 (19)
Berthelot's Pipit
Spectacled Warbler
Plain Swift
8 Aug 05 - Los Cristianos - Whale Watching
Cory's Shearwater
British Storm Petrel
Cory's Shearwater - Commonly seen off-shore in large numbers, especiallyin the evening.
British Storm Petrel - 1 from a whale watching trip off Los Cristianos 8
Aug
Grey Heron - 1 over PDLC 3 Aug
Common Buzzard - regularly seen at higher elevations in smallnumbers
Kestrel - widespread. Regularly seen in lower and mid-elevations
Moorhen - about 10 birds at Erjos Ponds 7 Aug
Turnstone - 1 in PDLC harbour 6 Aug
Little Ringed Plover - 1 adult at Guargacho Dam 1 7 Aug
Black-headed Gull - 1st summer at Los Cristianos sea fish-farm 8 Aug
Yellow-legged Gull - fairly common in all coastal areas
Common Tern - 4 Los Cristianos harbour 7 Aug
Bolle's Pigeon - 15 Chanajiga 3 Aug, 5 Mirador de Grimones 5 Aug, 1 Erjos Ponds 7 Aug
Laurel Pigeon - 4 Mirador de Grimones 5 Aug - For best views of these birds walk west along the TF-5 for about 500 metres and view the 2nd and 3rd valley. Seen perching and displaying on and around cliff face.
Collared Dove - common in all built-up areas
Turtle Dove - regularly seen in town parks and gardens
Ring-necked Parakeet - c15 Los Cristianos 7 Aug
Monk Parakeet - fairly common in PDLC
Plain Swift - regularly seen around lowland towns. 20+ Mt Teide 5 Aug
Pallid Swift - 15+ birds near Chanajiga 3 Aug
Hoopoe - c10 birds at Golf del Sur 7 + 8 Aug
Berthelot's Pipt - regularly seen in lowland open areas, including parking lot in Tenerife South Airport
Grey Wagtail - up to 5 at Golf del Sur 7 + 8 Aug
Blackbird - seen in small numbers in parks and wooded areas. Quite timid.
Spectacled Warbler - 1 at Guargacho Dam 1 7 Aug
Sardinian Warbler - 2 seen at Mirador de Grimones 5 Aug. Others heard only, at various 'scrubby' areas
Chiffchaff - probably the commonest bird on Tenerife, seen in all habitats and elevations
Tenerife Goldcrest - common at Chanajiga 3 Aug and around Mt Teide 5 Aug
Blue Tit - regularly seen in small numbers in any wooded areas, including gardens
Raven - 1 at Punta de Teno (27) 7 Aug
Spanish Sparrow - common in most built-up areas, usually around parks and tree-lined squares
Blue Chaffinch - c15 at Galeria Pino de la Cruz 5 Aug
Canary - Common in PDLC. Smaller numbers seen at many sites around Tenerife
Greenfinch - about 4 birds at Erjos Ponds 7 Aug
Linnet - c200 at Los Rodeos 7 Aug
Other wildlife of interest:
Humpback Whale - c15 seen from Los Cristianos whale-watching trip 8 Aug
Long-finned Pilot Whale - 8 seen from Los Cristianos whale-watching trip 8 Aug