by Juan Sagardía Pradera

On 23/03/07 I made a short trip to the vicinity island of Fuerteventura, where without any doubt, the highlights were at Rosa de Catalina García. There, three species of crakes were present: 1 Spotted Crake, 2 Little Crakes and 4 Baillon´s Crakes! were an spectacle.

Another interesting species seen there was Eurasian Spoonbill,  Ruddy Shelduck, Common Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed, Ringed and Kentish Plovers, Little Stint, Ruff,  Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin and 1 Sedge Warbler.

 

SPOTTED CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

Very shy, it couldn´t be photographed at close range, only digiscoped.

 

SPOTTED CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

LITTLE CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

LITTLE CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

LITTLE CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

LITTLE CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

BAILLON´S CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

BAILLON´S CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

BAILLON´S CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

BAILLON´S CRAKE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE. Rosa de Catalina García. Photo: J. Sagardía

 

 

 

by Francisco Javier García Vargas

 

The female Lesser Scaup has remained at Janubio until at least 18/II and a second Black-necked Grebe arrived at the salt pans too. About other scarce migrants, the most remarkable surprise was 1 Alpine Swift seen with some Pallid Swifts at Los Ajaches Coast (Juan Sagardía on 17/II) and is the 1^st for our personal island list. Other interesting birds was the corpse of an adult male Merlin knocked down at Arrecife-Costa Teguise road seen by Juan Sagardía on 06/II, one Eurasian Spoonbill at La Santa, the European Golden Plover at Arrecife, and other interesting waders was about 10 Little Ringed Plovers at Janubio since 12 until at least 18/II and 1 at Los Ancones, 1 Ruff at Janubio, 1 Common Snipe at Guatiza, 1 ringed Black-tailed Godwit at Los Cocoteros salt pans on 13/II and 3 at Janubio, 1 Green Sandpiper at Mala reservoir and 1 at Janubio. 1 Stonechat at Yaiza and 1 European Goldfinch at Arrecife were interesting too.

COMPLETE LIST FEBRUARY 2007 

Black-necked Grebe (2 birds)

BLACK-NECKED GREBE. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

Cattle Egret

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Eurasian Spoonbill

Lesser Scaup

LESSER SCAUP. Janubio salt pans. Photo: J. Sagardía

LESSER SCAUP. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

Common Kestrel

Merlin

Barbary Falcon

Black-winged Stilt

Little Ringed Plover

 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas 

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

Ringed Plover

European Golden Plover

Grey Plover

Sanderling

Ruff

Common Snipe

Black-tailed Godwit 

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. Los Cocoteros salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

Bar-tailed Godwit

Whimbrel

Common Redshank

Common Greenshank

Green Sandpiper

GREEN SANDPIPER. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

GREEN SANDPIPER. Janubio salt pans. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

Common Sandpiper

Ruddy Turnstone

Black-headed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Sandwich Tern

Eurasian Collared Dove

Laughing Dove (on 25/II, 1 flying young at Mala)

Plain Swift

Pallid Swift

Alpine Swift (1^st personal record for Lanzarote)

Hoopoe

Lesser Short-toed Lark

Barn Swallow

House Martin

Berthelot´s Pipit

Grey Wagtail

White Wagtail

Stonechat

Song Thrush

Blackcap

Common Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

African Blue Tit

Southern Grey Shrike

Common Raven

Spanish Sparrow

Canary

European Goldfinch

Common Linnet

Trumpeter Finch

 

 

by Francisco Javier García Vargas

 

This month, the most remarkable was the female Lesser Scaup at Janubio salt pans (a special photopage of the bird can be seen here), and the arrival of a Black-necked Grebe at the same place. About other scarce migrants, the highlight was a Black Kite near San Bartolomé, seen by Juan Sagardía on 11/I (the first for our personal Lanzarote list), Arctic Skua (a dark morph bird seen at Arrecife by Juan Sagardía on 10/I), the European Golden Plover remained at Arrecife, a Black-tailed Godwit at Janubio and some Stonechats (1 at Arrecife, 2 at Guatiza and 1 at Yaiza).

COMPLETE LIST JANUARY 2007 

Black-necked Grebe

Cattle Egret

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Lesser Scaup

Black Kite (our personal 1^st for Lanzarote)

Common Kestrel

Barbary Falcon

Black-winged Stilt

Ringed Plover

European Golden Plover

EUROPEAN GOLDEN  PLOVER. Arrecife. Photo: J. Sagardía

Grey Plover

Sanderling

Little Stint

Black-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Whimbrel

Common Redshank

Common Greenshank

Common Sandpiper

Ruddy Turnstone

Arctic Skua

Black-headed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Sandwich Tern

Eurasian Collared Dove

Laughing Dove

Plain Swift

Hoopoe

Lesser Short-toed Lark

Barn Swallow

House Martin

HOUSE MARTIN. Arrecife. Photos: F. J. García Vargas

Berthelot´s Pipit

Grey Wagtail

White Wagtail

European Robin

Stonechat

Song Thrush

Common Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

African Blue Tit

Southern Grey Shrike

Common Raven

Common Starling

COMMON STARLING. Uga. Photo: F. J. García Vargas

Spanish Sparrow

Canary

Common Linnet

Trumpeter Finch