Birds

 

Birds seen

Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Confirmed identification. Seen 2nd December flying over the marina inland pond after being disturbed. Yellow legs and flight style look right and colouring for an immature bird. Seen again on the 6th at Las Chafiras reservoir (2nd and 3rd photos)

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus                                                                                           

First seen 1st December in the marina but this photo is from the 7th December at El Medano. They were an almost daily sight last year and it looks as though they are at home here once again. 

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis 

First seen this year in the marina 1st December. First picture of one actually standing up to show it's yellow legs 2nd January.

Rock Dove Columba livia

First seen this year in the marina 1st December

Often cross-bred with feral pigeons but this one has most of the markings of the true Rock Dove 

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

First seen this year in the marina 1st December. More distant than last year and there was a lot more water in their usual pond so they were out on some distant rocks. Also an almost daily sighting last year and looks to be the same this year.

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Not often seen in Britain up a palm tree!

Canary Chiff-chaff

My favourite type of bird watching, from my balcony, as this was in the apartment below's garden.

Common Sandpiper

My new camera lens is proving it's worth as this bird was across the other side of the marina pond and I am very pleased with the definition in the feathers etc.

Moorhen

The only birds on the San Blas Reserve Ambiental were even beyond my new lens' clear focus 

Grey Wagtail

Ditto - nice reflection though.

In the reserve I did watch a pair of Kestrels doing a handover at a probable nest in the cliffs by the reservoir but they were far too fast and careful to even slow down for photos.

Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

At Las Chafiras reservoir. Also a pair watching the golf by the lake at the top of the posh golf course.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Also at Las Chafiras reservoir along with some, I assume, domestic escapee Muscovy Ducks and the inevitable Mallards. And at Puertito de Guimar a Little Egret and a gull being unfriendly despite sharing a rock. And third in a tree with 3 others by a lake on the Golf Del Sur golf course.

Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria

My first - I didn't see any at all last year so was very pleased to find this on my way back from Las Chafiras

Kestrel falco tinnunculus 

Seen looking very innocent in a tree on the golf course but the second photo is of one at El Medano where I had watched it hunt for, and kill what I think was a mouse and here it was eating it when there was no one around or covering it with its wings and tail if disturbed.

     

Bar-tailed Godwit 

Just off shore at El Medano was a small pond which had obviously been left by the outgoing tide. It was full of wading birds, all very active.

Sanderling

Common Redshank

It did have red legs but I couldn't get a good photo of it showing them.

Common Ringed Plover

The second photo was taken at El Medano and is of a bird with an injured leg but it seemed to be doing  fine foraging and feeding with 2 others at high tide (hence the closer photo)                                              

Knot - confirmed ( it's what my App says and is in my Canary Islands book)  

Spotted Sandpiper - now confirmed (again the App says 97% but it's not in the book)

I saw several of these and they didn't have the white patch from under the wing towards the shoulder, although it's not clear from this photo, and didn't do the bobbing of the Common either. Another one was seen at El Medano on 2nd Jan.  

Hoopoe Upupa epops 

My favourite European bird. It looks ridiculous and has a daft name and Latin name too. Another was seen on 1st Jan on the top of a lamp post !

Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotii                                                                                             

First seen on 8th Dec which was a surprise as we saw them everywhere last year. By the 31st Dec we were seeing them more frequently including this photogenic one on the golf course.

Spanish Sparrow                                                                                                                         

Sorry I had my butterfly lens on the camera so these were too distant for clear pictures but enough to identify them.
 

Great Grey Shrike                                                                                                                  

Yes you've guessed it I had the butterfly lens on again but have been assured that the upright stance    definitely marks this as being a shrike.  Picture replaced by one of A's from the Amarilla Mt. area.                                                                                                  

 Common Tern & Plain and Pallid Swift (probable)                                                                  

 Seen but no photos and not close enough to identify which species of Swift. On the 27th Dec. we both    saw a good sized flock of Swifts and believe there were probably both Plain and Pallid Swifts in the       group.                                                                                                                                                          

Blackbird and Feral Pigeon                                                                                                      

 Also seen but not photographed were many Feral Pigeons some of which had interbred with the Rock  Doves. Blackbirds are odd here as they are infrequently seen and always just flying through. They are apparently more common in the wooded inland areas of the Island.   

Spectacled Warbler

Seen by A up in the Amarilla Mountain area but no photo.

Sandwich Tern

Note the ring on it's leg but unfortunately we can't read it so can't track where it was ringed. The second photo is possibly a different bird and was seen flying at El Medano on 2nd Jan.

European Shag (TBC)

We initially thought this was a Cormorant but it is looking more likely that it is a European Shag. Interestingly neither are in my Wildlife of Madeira and the Canary Islands book so we eagerly await the experts opinion. 

Also seen but no photos were Common Terns and Parakeets (we don't know which species as both Ring-necked and Monk Parakeet breed on Tenerife).   

Grey Heron                                                                                                                                 

Flying over us while we were trying to spy into the lakes on the golf course. 

Also seen today (31st Dec) but no photos were at least 2 Barbary Partridge on the golf course. 

Kentish Plover or Ringed Plover (tbc)                                                                                                        

We have submitted this photo for identification as it was looking different from the other Ringed            Plovers and more like a Kentish Plover.                                                                                                      

Also seen at El Medano on 2nd Jan. were 2 Terns ( possibly Common Terns as we saw a flash of a Red bill) one of which dived and caught something but was then chased for it's lunch by the 2 Yellow-          Legged Gulls that had been lurking nearby. We didn't see the outcome.                                                     

Group picture 1 Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones                                                                

Group picture 2 A whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstones and a Ringed Plover                                    

I was walking back to Los Abrigos along the beach from the Red Mt when I came across these sleepy   waders. It was high tide and I guess they were waiting for the tide to drop to start foraging                                  

Ringed Plover above                                                                                                                 

 Grey Plover below                                                                                                                       Also on my walk back to Los Abrigos along the coast I came across a barranco with some water in it       and these 2 waders, the first Grey Plover photo, they are regular winter visitors to all the Canary             Islands                                                                                                                                                          

                                                   

Cattle Egret

In the golf course car park - naturally ?!  A few days later I found this one (it may be the same one or a   second individual) by the lake at the top of the posh golf course.