Fuerteventura

1st - 14th January 2023

Fuerteventura Chat

Our second winter trip to the Canary Islands and this time we decided to switch from Tenerife to Fuerteventura which has a more varied and interesting birdlife. We flew from Manchester to Fuerteventura and then headed north to the coastal resort of Corralejo.

Sunday 1st January: On the first morning we all took a walk along the beach at Corralejo to get a feeling for the resort and enjoy the warm sunny weather. On the beach were a number of Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Little Egret and Ruddy Turnstone. The afternoon was spent back at the Airbnb where close by there was an extensive area of scrubland called the Dunas de Corralejo. This proved to be an excellent place for local birds with Kestrel, Spectacled Warbler, Southern Grey Shrike, Berthelot’s Pipit, 6 Lesser Short-toed Larks and many Clouded Yellows and Painted Lady butterflies.

Monday 2nd January: An early morning trip to Dunas de Corralejo added 4 Hoopoe to yesterday’s list with 3 Spectacled Warbler, 2 Southern Grey Shrike and a flock of Lesser Short-toed Lark. The afternoon was spent relaxing on Corralejo Beach where we saw Sanderling, Whimbrel, some Sandwich Terns and an African Grass Blue.

Tuesday 3rd January: The next day we decided to explore further afield and headed west to the Faro El Toston Lighthouse at El Cotillo. This is an excellent area with a mixture of rocky coastline and rocky lava fields. To our surprise we found an Isabelline Wheatear at the beginning of the walk and on the coast saw 3 Kentish Plover, 4 Spoonbill, Ringed Plover and Whimbrel.

Wednesday 4th January: Tindaya Plain is probably the most well-known birding site on Fuerteventura and home to many of the island’s specialities. The area is very large and difficult to cover effectively on foot so a car is essential. On this the first of several visits we found 2 Black-bellied Sandgrouse, 2 very distant Cream-coloured Coursers and a Southern Grey Shrike as well as a Green-striped White. Back at Corralejo a Ringed Plover.

Thursday 5th January: A 2 hour boat trip around the Isla de Lobos proved somewhat disappointing with no seabirds seen from the boat other than Whimbrel and Sandwich Tern which were on the beach. Back at Dunas de Corralejo there were many Clouded Yellows and a flock of Lesser Short-toed Larks.

Friday 6th January: Barranco de Rio Cabras is another excellent hotspot for birds where one can walk along the ravine as well as around the surrounding scrubland. Along the walk through the gorge we saw Ruddy Shelduck, Fuerteventura Chat, Trumpeter Finch, African Blue Tit, Kestrel, 4 Plain Swift, Yellow-legged Gull, Linnet, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, White Wagtail, Spanish Sparrow, 3 Black-winged Stilt and 7 Spoonbill. Near the waste recycling centre were 3 Egyptian Vultures and 2 Common Buzzards.

Saturday 7th January: A late afternoon stroll along Corralejo Beach produced a nice group of 4 roosting Bar-tailed Godwits together with Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone and 2 Dunlin.

Tuesday 10th January: Embalse de Los Molinos is a large area of inland water created by a dam. On the lake was a single male Lesser Scaup and during the walk around the water we saw some Trumpeter Finches, Fuerteventura Chat, Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Black-winged Stilts and a single Spoonbill. Close by is the Barranca de Los Molinos, another ravine that can be traversed. Here there were 2 Barbary Partridges, a Spoonbill, Green Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plover.

Thursday 12th January: Another visit to El Cotillo produced 6 approachable Kentish Plovers (including 2 juvenile) as well as a Whimbrel and Ringed Plover. A late afternoon return visit to Tindaya Plain finally paid off with the first sighting of a male Houbara Bustard. The following day two Houbara Bustards were seen including 1 female.

Saturday 14th January: On the way to the airport we stopped off for an hour at Caleta de Fuste where we saw our first Greenish Black-tip together with 9 Spoonbill and 2 Sandwich Terns. It was then time to fly back to wintery Manchester.