This note is intended to summarise four trips to the island made by British birders in February 2006, including my own, to give a more rounded feel of sites to visit and the total number of species available than my trip report on its own.  One of the other accounts, by Don Taylor, can be seen on the KentOS website.  One is published by Maurice Jones in the newsletter of the Fylde Bird Club, the other was made available to me privately.

Cory’s Shearwater
Only seen from a Lanzarote-Fuerteventura ferry crossing near dusk.  Clearly on the early side for them.

Little Egret
Widespread, seen without much difficulty.  Up to 14 at Catalina Garcia and regular at Embalse de los Molinos and around Corralejo etc.

Grey Heron
Up to four west of Corralejo and two each at Embalse de los Molinos and Catalina Garcia.

Spoonbill
Up to 16 at Catalina Garcia, and four on shore west of Corralejo.

 Ruddy Shelduck
Up to 20 at Embalse de los Molinos, two Catalina Garcia and two Barranco de la Torre.

Teal
Up to 22 Embalse de Los Molinos.

Shoveler
Up to 5 Embalse de Los Molinos

Lesser Scaup
Long-staying female Catalina Garcia Reservoir.

Ring Necked Duck
Long-staying male Catalina Garcia Reservoir.

Egyptian Vulture

Reported from Barranco de la Torre, Betancuria, Las Penitas, Las Salinas and Embalse de los Molinos.

Buzzard
Local race birds seen over Los Lobos, Betancuria, Fimipaire Valley, La Oliva, Las Parcelas, Las Penitas and at the Embalse de los Molinos.

Booted Eagle
One seen over Catalina Garcia.

Kestrel
Widespread.

Barbary Falcon
Seen at La Pared, Casas Los Molinos and Embalse de los Molinos.

Barbary Partridge
Four in the Fimapaire Valley, one heard at Embalse de los Molinos.

Moorhen
Pair Catalina Garcia.

Coot
Up to 90 at Embalse de los Molinos, 40 at Catalina Garcia and two at Las Penitas.

Houbara Bustard
Two seen at La Pared dunes on the outskirts of Costa Calma, singles north west of Tindaya, Embalse de los Molinos, north of Barranco de la Torre, north of La Oliva.

Cream Coloured Courser
Up to eight near Tindaya, six El Cotillo, unspecified numbers La Pared.

Stone Curlew
Seen El Cotillo and La Pared.

Little Ringed Plover
Up to five Embalse do los Molinos, four Catalina Garcia and one Las Salinas.

Ringed Plover
Up to 20 west of Corralejo, 10 near Faro de Toston and north to El Cotillo.

Kentish Plover
Up to 15 near Faro de Toston and north to El Cotillo lighthouse, three west of Corralejo and three Catalina Garcia.

 Grey Plover
Two on El Cotillo shore, singles west of Corralejo and Embalse de los Molinos.

Golden Plover
One Catalina Garcia.

Lapwing
Up to three Catalina Garcia.

Sanderling
Up to four El Cotillo and two on the beach at Corralejo dunes.

Dunlin
Up to 15 Casas de las Salinas, also Corralejo harbour and the Embalse de los Molinos.

Green Sandpiper
One at Embalse de los Molinos.

Common Sandpiper
Up to two birds seen at Corralejo harbour, El Cotillo shore, Los Molinos shore and the saltpans south of Catalina de Fuste.

Spotshank
Three Catalina Garcia.

Redshank
Three at the saltpans south of Catalina de Fuste, one on Los Lobos.

Greenshank
Up to six at Embalse de los Molinos and five at Catalina Garcia.

Black-tailed Godwit
Up to six at Catalina Garcia and one at Las Salinas.

Whimbrel
Up to ten west of Corralejo harbour, three at El Cotillo and one on Los Lobos.

Curlew
One Las Salinas.

Turnstone
Up to 25 at Corralejo. Also seen at El Cotillo and the saltpans T Las Salinas.

Yellow-legged Gull
Widespread.

Lesser Black-backed Gull
Up to 100 near La Caleta.  Several seen for certain in gull flocks on Los Lobos.

Sandwich Tern
One offshore near La Caleta.

BB Sandgrouse
Up to seven near La Oliva, five near Tindaya and unspecified numbers La Pared.

Rock Dove
Particularly pure looking flocks at Las Penitas and Casas Los Molinos

Feral Pigeon
Widespread.

Collared Dove
Common and widespread.

Turtle Dove
Two Betancuria, one heard near Tefia.

Pallid Swift
Up to 60 Catalina Garcia, 50 Embalse de los Molinos.

Plain Swift
Up to 12 Embalse de los Molinos, two Catalina Garcia and one Barrance de la Torre.

Little Swift
One Embalse de los Molinos.

Hoopoe
Generally widespread other than in the Corralejo area, not seen on Los Lobos.

Monk Parakeet
Up to 20 Jandia at Stella Canaris gardens, two La Lajita and one Las Penitas.

Ring-necked Parakeet
Two at Stella Canaris gardens, Jandia.

Lesser Short-toed Lark
Seen in large numbers at La Pared, smaller numbers off tracks at El Cotillo, near Tindaya, east of Los Molinos and east of La Lajares.

Berthelot’s Pipit
Widespread.

White Wagtail
Up to two birds Embalse de los Molinos.

Grey Wagtail
One feeding round the otter tank at Oasis Park zoo, Las Lajitas.  One at a hotel complex in Corralejo.

Fuerteventura Stonechat
Four pairs Fimapaire Valley, Three seen at Embalse de los Molinos, alspp recorded near Oliva.

Stonechat
One El Cotillo.

Song Thrush
One in cultivations at Vega de Rio Palmas.

Fieldfare
One near Betancuria

Blackcap
Seen from apartments in Corralejo, a number singing at Costa Calma.

Spectacled Warbler
Most seen at Las Penitas. Small numbers elsewhere.

Sardinian Warbler
Up to four Las Penitas Valley, one Catalina Garcia

Chiffchaff
Up to two seen around apartments in Corralejo.  Also recorded Las Penitas Valley, La Oliva and Las Salinas.

Yellow-browed Warbler
One in the grounds of Oasis Park zoo, La Lajita.

Blue Tit
Local race birds seen at Betancuria and at Las Penitas.

Southern Grey Shrike
Widespread.

Raven
Widespread.

Spanish Sparrow
Common at virtually all settlements.

Linnet
Regular over apartment in Corralejo, several seen at El Cotillo and smaller numbers elsewhere.

Goldfinch
One over Costa Calma, one in the Las Penitas Valley.

Trumpeter Finch
Seen at several sites, easiest at Embalse de los Molinos and between here and Los Molinos where 10-20 birds regular.  Further south recorded from Barranco de la Torre.

Hawfinch
One Betancuria – Las Penitas area.

So with good fortune 70 species could be attainable in a visit during the winter.  Never take anything for granted though, there were clearly Swifts feeding in large numbers shortly before my visit but I didn’t see a single Swift at the reservoirs and had to rely on chance encounters elsewhere.

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