Lanzarote
- Nicholas Turner
- Jan 31, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 31
26th December 2023 - 9th January 2024
For the third consecutive year we organised a family holiday in the Canary Islands and on this occasion we decided to visit Lanzarote, having previously been to Tenerife and Fuertaventura. On the 26th of December we flew from Gatwick to Lanzarote, picked up our rental car and headed for the AirBnb at Playa Blanca where we planned to spend the first 7 days of the holiday.
Wednesday 27th December: After an early rise we decided to walk up the nearby Montana Roja from where you can gain a superb view of Playa Blanca and the coast. We then walked south along the promenade by the coast picking up Yellow-legged Gull, Cattle Egret, Spanish Sparrow, Collared Dove, Grey Heron and plenty of shorebirds including Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Kentish Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Sandwich Tern. A distant Egyptian Vulture was picked up flying over Montana Roja with the occasional Painted Lady gliding by. Later in the afternoon a stroll around Playa Blanca produced Berthelot’s Pipit, Cattle Egret and Plain Swift.
Thursday 28th December: The best local birding spot close to Playa Blanca looked like being Salinas de Janubio, a large area of salt flats by the coast which attracted a wide range of waders. Along the edge of the salt pans were Dunlin, singles of Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Common Redshank, Grey Plover, Black-winged Stilt and Common Sandpiper. On the water were some noisy and very mobile Ruddy Shelduck with a Southern Grey Shrike on the adjacent scrubland.
Behind the Airbnb at Playa Blanca an area of scrubland containing wild flowers proved to be excellent for butterflies with Lang’s Short-tailed Blue, Southern Blue, Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady, Large White and African Grass Blue.
Friday 29th December & Monday 1st January: A late afternoon visit to Salinas de Janubio added a single Kentish Plover and 2 Little Stint to the list of waders seen the day before. A final trip on New Year’s Day increased the list with a large flock of distant Black-necked Grebe and a single Trumpeter Finch.
Tuesday 2nd January: With the first week now over we drove north from Playa Blanca to our home for the next seven days on the east coast of Lanzarote at the resort of Costa Teguise.
Wednesday 3rd January: To the north west of Costa Teguise is a large area of desert known as Jable de Famara where we were hoping to find some of the specialities of the island. On the western edge we found 11 Cream-coloured Coursers as well as a Houbara Bustard, some Mediterranean Short-toed Larks, Barbary Partridge, Southern Grey Shrike, Berthelot’s Pipit, Hoopoe and a Greenish Black-tip butterfly. Back near the Airbnb at Costa Teguise a small area of scrubland proved very good for butterflies with some African Grass Blues.
Thursday 4th January: The next day we ventured a little further to the coastal town of Caleta de Famara which is very popular with surfers. Here we saw Spectacled Warbler, Berthelot’s Pipit and Southern Grey Shrike. On the way home via Jable de Famara there were some Mediterranean Short-toed Larks and 3 Cream-coloured Coursers.
Friday 5th January: The Golf Club at Costa Teguise turned out to be a great local patch for birdwatching. Surrounding the fairways and greens is a large area of scrubland which proved to be excellent with Spectacled Warbler, a flock of 6 Cattle Egret, Berthelot’s Pipit, a White Wagtail and 4 Barbary Partridges. However, the highlight was undoubtedly a pair of Stone Curlews which landed close by and gave excellent views. A single Egyptian Vulture flew over together with 3 Plain Swifts.
Sunday 7th January: Today we headed north to the town of Haria which is famous for being the home of the artist César Manrique. Having arrived early before the museum opened we decided to do a circular walk around the town climbing to the Mirador Rincon de Haria from where there are excellent views of the west coastline of Lanzarote. On the way we saw Linnet, Island Canary, Spectacled Warbler, Raven, Kestrel, Southern Grey Shrike, Hoopoe and Berthelot’s Pipit.
Monday 8th January: Another trip to Costa Teguise Golf Club this time with good views of a pair of Ruddy Shelduck as well as Barbary Partridge and Hoopoe.
Tuesday 9th January: On the way to the airport we spent a couple of hours by the beach at Costa Teguise where there were 4 Sandwich Tern, 2 Grey Plover and 4 Common Sandpiper.
Comments