A family, one week holiday with some birding. We (2 families from Norway) stayed at Hotel Playa Flamingo just outside Playa Blanca at the most southern end of Lanzarote. We also took the ferry over to Fuerteventura on a one day trip.
We used "Gyldendals store fugleguide" ("Bird Guide" in english) written by  Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterström and Peter Grant. 1999. And "A birdwatchers' guide to the Canary Islands" by Tony Clarke and David Collins, 1996. Few trip reports found on web . But there is a nice website at Birdtours with some Canary and many other tripreports.

Lanzarote.

A dry island with lots of sand, lavastone and wind. We visit the salt-pans at Janubio twice, drove the mountain road from Playa Blanca, passing Femès,  and stayed one day in Puerto del Carmen. We didn`t visit nothern part of the island. But we did find the Bustard, the last morning!

Laguna and the salt-pans of Janubio.

Viewing SW from Femès against Playa Blanca

Small colorfull flowers in the dry areas.

A nice guy!

Another one.

Fuerteventura
 

The resevoir of Los Molinos

The biggest ferry crossing between  Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The other (and smallest ferry) orginally come from Norway. It`s the old ferry between Haugesund and Røvær, an island at the Norvegian west coast, close to the famous bird island Utsira.

We drove along the east coast, up to "main trip target" in the mountains: the resevoir at Los Molinos. We also drive the road from the goat-farm along the resevoir down to the dam. It was possible to drive by car, but not more!. It seems to be very dry and little water in the resevoir this winter.  And it was pity to see the "desert" upstream the resevoir, the vegetation eaten up by the goats? But we did find the Chat there!

Travelling in january will not give many bird species, but we did find some of the local specials. 
And we also missed some, Cream-coloured Courser and Black-bellied Sandgrouse among them. 

Pictures are taken with Nikon Coolpix 990, the bird-pix through a Opticron telescope. All pics by © Trond Sørhuus 

Species list: A total of 44.

Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis,  One in Laguna de Janubio 27.1
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis. One in Puerto del Carmen 25.1
Little Egret Egretta garzetta. Seen several places along the coast, both Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea. Seen twice, one in Puerto del Carmen 25.1 and one along the road outside Playa Blanca 27.1.

Marbled Teal Marmonetta angustirostris.

3 at the resevoir Los Molinos 24.1.  Also local spanish ornitologists stayed in a hide trying to take photos for an article or a book about Canary birds.

Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea. 2 at the resevoir at Los Molinos 24.1. 


Buzzard Buteo buteo insulanium. 1 not far away from the resevoir at Los Molinos 24.1.
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus dacitiae . Common, seen several on both islands.
Coot Fulica atra.  At least 52 in Los Molinos 24.1
Houbara Bustard Chladotis undulata.

Sunrise and displaying Houbara Bustard at  El Rubicon in the morning 28.1. The easiest way to find the houbara are to drive the road between Playa Blanca and Janubio an early morning, and look at the hills.

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus. Several at Janubio
Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus. 2 in a field close to Femès 27.1.


Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius . Seen in Los Molinos 24.1 and both trips to Janubio.
Ringed Plover Charadrinus dubius. One at Junabio 27.1.
Kentish Plover Charadrinus alexandrinus. Several in Janubio.


Dunlin Calidris alpina. Seen in Janubio. Also a big flock 30+, 27.1, could have been dunlins.
Curlew Sandpiper Caladris ferruginea. One at Junabio 27.1.
Black-tailed Godwit  Limosa limosa. One in Janubio 27.1


Whimbrel Numenius phaeops. One seen in Janubio 27.1
Redshank Tringa totanus. Several Janubio 27.1
Greenshank Tringa nebulara (Several at Janubio and 2 at los Molinos.


Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos . Both Janubio and los Molinos.
Turnstone Arenaria interpres. 7 at the beach near the hotel 28.1.
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis atlantis. Common, also a big flock, 80+, in the mountans of Fuerteventura.
Some more pictures of the gull are shown at the link, taken in Playa Blanca.

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus graelsii/  fuscus. 1 flying over the beach near the hotel 27.1.
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis. Seen with 1 to 5 every day along the coast.
Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon Columba livia. Common, seen every day in Playa Blanca.
European Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto. Common, seen everywere in built areas on both islands.


Swift sp.  Apus sp.  5 probably Pallid Swifts Apus pallidus at Los Molinos 24.1.
Hoopoe Upupa epops. 3 near Playa Blanca 28.1.
Lesser short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens. Some sights on both islands. One big flock, 300+, at the Los Molinos  24.1.
Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotii. Seen everywere, the most common bird in desert areas?


White Wagtail Motacilla alba.  1 Los Molinos, Fuerteventura 24 and 1 Femès 25.1.
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros. One Los Molinos 24.1.
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor.  Several seen in open desert areas, both Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
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Often seen in desert areas with bushes. Spectacled Warbler prefered the same landscape.

Canary Islands Chat Saxicola dacotiae. 1 subadult male seen close to the dam at Los Molinos 24.1.
Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata. Seen twice, one at Lanzarote and one Fuerteventura.
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita. 1 close to the hotel at Playa Blanca 23.1. Probably the collybita collybita subspecies.
Raven Corvus corax. Seen both Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis. Very common in all built areas.


Greenfinch Carduelis carduelis. 6 in a flock near the hotel 23.1. Rare at Lanzarote.
Linnet Carduelis cannabina. One singing male at Puerto del Carmen 25.1, and 1 singing male Playa Blanca 28.1.
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus. Common, often heard and some sights at most visited places. 

written by Trond Sørhuus. Back to my birding page.