Monday, May 5, 2008 - APRIL 2008 LANZAROTE REPORT: THE SPECTACLE OF MIGRATION
by Francisco Javier García Vargas
On April 2008, we could enjoy the most spectacular migration we have ever seen in Lanzarote, with the irruption of hundreds of birds all around the island.
With this great variety, three new species have been added to our personal list: Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (1 bird detected by F. J. García Vargas y A. Unquiles on 26/IV near Teguise golf course, beeing a very long awaited first for the list and one of the highlights of the month), Black-eared Wheatear (1 bird seen by J. Sagardía on 02/IV at Famara plains) and Fieldfare (1 bird seen by J. Sagardía at Guatiza on 02/IV).
About rarities, is remarkable the presence of 2 Pallid Harriers seen by J. Sagardía on 04/IV at Famara plains, beeing the second and third for the island, all seen on the same spring and by the same (lucky) observer. A Temminck´s Stint was seen by F. J. García Vargas, A. Unquiles and J. Sagardía at Tías golf course between 02 and 04/IV and again on 30/IV remaining there into May. The bird shows a ring on the right leg.
Water Pipits were present at Tías golf course until at least 01/IV, and there, was seen by F. J. García Vargas and A. Unquiles a new Citrine Wagtail, this time an adult female on 12/IV. This is the second bird of this spring after the adult male seen in a farm at Famara plains on March and a photopage of the bird can be seen on this blog. An adult male Ortolan Bunting was seen by J. Sagardía on 04/IV at Famara plains and an adult female was seen the same day by the same observer near Teguise golf course.
About rare and scarce migrants, Black-crowned Night Heron (3 birds seen by A. Unquiles on 19/IV at Mala reservoir), Squacco Heron (2 birds I saw on 30/IV at Tías golf course), Purple Heron (1 bird near Teguise golf course on 01/IV, 5 birds at the same place on 02/IV and 1 bird at Arrecife seen first time on 06/IV remaining there into May), Pintail (1 adult male seen by J. Sagardía on 01 and 02/IV at Los Cocoteros salt pans), Black Kite (1 bird at Mala reservoir on 04/IV, 4 birds at Zonzamas rubbish dump on the same day, 5 birds at the same place one day after and 2 birds still there on 23/IV), Eurasian Marsh Harrier (birds at Arrecife, Famara plains, Mala reservoir, Tías and Teguise golf courses), Montagu´s Harrier (2 birds at Famara plains 02/IV, a spectacular flock of at least 25 birds at the same place on 04/IV, and 3 birds still there on 13/IV remaining some birds into May), Lesser Kestrel (bird still at Famara plains until at least 02/IV), Common Moorhen (birds at Arrecife and Tías golf course), Eurasian Oystercatcher (1 bird at Janubio salt pans on 25/IV), Collared Pratincole (1 bird near Teguise golf course on 02/IV, 2 birds in a farm at Famara plains on 06/IV and 1 bird at Tías golf course on 25/IV increasing to 3 on 30/IV remaining there into May), Little Ringed Plover (birds at Tías golf course), Little Stint (a strong passage of birds starting on 28/IV with a flock of more than 20 birds in summer plumage at Janubio salt pans), Eurasian Curlew (birds at Janubio), Wood Sandpiper (the highest number of birds ever seen with 4 birds at Janubio, 10 birds at Tías golf course and 6 birds in the farm at Famara plains, remaining a good number into May), Gull-billed Tern (1 bird I saw at Caleta de Famara on 10/IV), Wood Pigeon (2 birds seen by J. Sagardía on 03/IV at Teguise golf course), Alpine Swift (1 bird I saw on 25/IV at Janubio), European Bee-eater (the highest numbers ever seen, with birds all aroud the island, sometimes in flocks of more than 50 birds), European Roller (1 bird near Teguise golf course on 25/IV increasing to 2 on 26/IV), Eurasian Wryneck (1 bird seen by A. Unquiles on 28/IV in the farm at Famara plains), and an spectacular passage of passerines including as more remarkable species: Tawny Pipit (1 bird seen by J. Sagardía on 01/IV at Famara plains), Tree pipit (birds all around the island), Red-throated Pipit (birds at Tías golf course, remaining there into May), Common Nightingale (birds near Teguise golf course and the farm at Famara plains), Whinchat (birds all aroud the island), Redwing (birds until at least 02/IV near Teguise golf course), Western Bonelli´s Warbler, Eurasian Golden Oriole (1 adult male near Teguise golf course on 21/IV and an adult female on 26/IV at the same place) and Woodchat Shrike.
APRIL 2008 LANZAROTE COMPLETE LIST
Cory´s Shearwater
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron. Mala reservoir. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
Black-crowned Night Heron. Mala reservoir. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
Squacco Heron
Squacco Heron. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Squacco Heron. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Purple Heron. Arrecife. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Pintail
Pintail. Los Cocoteros salt pans. Photo: J. Sagardía
Black Kite
Black Kite. Zonzamas rubbish dump. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Egyptian Vulture
Eurasian Marsh Harrier
Eurasian Marsh Harrier. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Pallid Harier
Pallid Harrier. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Montagu´s Harrier
Montagu´s Harrier. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Montagu´s Harrier. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Montagu´s Harrier. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Montagu´s Harrier. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Lesser Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Barbary Falcon
Barbary Partridge
Common Moorhen
Common Moorhen. Arrecife. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
Common Moorhen. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Houbara Bustard
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Black-winged Stilt
Stone-curlew
Cream-coloured Courser
Collared Pratincole
Collared Pratincole. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Collared Pratincole. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Grey Plover
Sanderling
Little Stint
Temminck´s Stint
Temminck´s Stint. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Temminck´s Stint. Tías golf course. Photo: J. Sagardía
Curlew Sandpiper
Dunlin
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimberl
Eurasian Curlew
Common Redshank
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Wood Sandpiper. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Common Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Sandwich Tern
Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
European Turtle Dove
Plain Swift
Common Swft
Pallid Swift
Alpine Swift
Alpine Swift. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Alpine Swift. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
European Bee-eater
European Bee-eater. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
European Roller
European Roller. Teguise. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
European Roller. Teguise. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
Hoopoe
Eurasian Wryneck
Eurasian Wryneck. Farm at Famara plains. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
Eurasian Wryneck. Farm at Famara plains. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
Lesser Short-toed Lark
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
House Martin
Tawny Pipit
Tawny Pipit. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Tawny Pipit. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Tawny Pipit. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Berthelot´s Pipit
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Red-throated Pipit. Tías golf course. Photo: J. Sagardía
Water Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (ssp. thunbergi). Tías golf course. Photo: J. Sagardía
Yellow Wagtail (ssp. flavissima). Tías golf course. Photo: J. Sagardía
Yellow Wagtail (ssp. flava). Tías golf course. Photo: J. Sagardía
Yellow Wagtail. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Citrine Wagtail
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin. Teguise. Photo: A. Unquiles Cobos
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin. Teguise. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin. Teguise. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin. Teguise. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin. Teguise. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Common Nightingale
Common Redstart
Common Redstart. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Common Redstart. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Whinchat
Whinchat. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Whinchat. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Northern Wheatear
Black-eared Weathear
Fieldfare
Song Thrush
Redwing
Redwing. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Redwing. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Melodious Warbler
Melodious Warbler. Tías golf course. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Spectacled Warbler
Subalpine Warbler
Subalpine Warbler. Teguie. Photo: J. Sagardía
Common Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Western Bonelli´s Warbler
Western Bonelli´s Warbler. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Wood Warbler
Wood Warbler. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Willow Warbler
Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher. Yaiza. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Pied Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Eurasian Golden Oriole. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Eurasian Golden Oriole. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Southern Grey Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Woodchat Shrike. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Woodchat Shrike. Famara plains. Photo: J. Sagardía
Common Raven
Common Starling
Spanish Sparrow
Common Linnet
Trumpeter Finch
Ortolan Bunting
Ortolan Bunting. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
Ortolan Bunting. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía
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