Northumbrian Birder In Fuerteventura

Fuertaventura April 2009

2010-01-12T07:42:00.001-08:00

I still have to sort photos out for this trip,but the star bird was undoubtedly the above Red Billed Tropic Bird, seen on several occasions while I was there, what an absolutely fantastic bird ,I saw it as I headed to a seawatch and ran with all my gear on my back and round my neck,took a couple of hasty shots, but it hung around for about 45mins, even coming back a couple of times more, also saw it on an other day as it briefly flew past, and not another birder in sight ,I was bursting to tell someone !!!!!!

14 Days in Fuertaventura

2010-01-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

Branco de Torre as seen on the approach to Fuertaventura it is not far from Calle de Fuste great place with massive potential , water is the key , very dry while I was there, while others visited just a few weeks before had much more here as it was wetter.
Common Sandpiper on the pool by Atlantico Shopping Centre...... of no use to me but handy to drop the other halve here as you head off birding
Spanish Sparrow on the headland make good subjects for photographs , we also had them drop on our balcony, and a pair displaying & mating as I swam in the pool.
Berthelot's Pipit common and confiding ,nice birds !!
Corys Shearwater, very common in the right conditions I observed at least 1000 in the 14 days
Cory's Shearwater one or two would come in close ,but I'm sure there must be opportunities to get closer perhaps on a boat
Yellow Legged Gulls sat n the point where I seawatched so I took a couple of shots the strong light was a problem, I thought I'll get them another day but they did not come back, I had assumed they would be in the small harbour but no.
Whimbrel dropped in while seawatching
Red Billed Tropic Bird in company with YLG, superb bird probably my most exotic birds to date

2010-01-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Egyptian Vulture
God knows ????
Southern Grey Shrike near our apartment

Spanish Sparrow much more confiding than others Iv'e seen
Ground Squirell these where commoner than I thought they would be seen in nearly all sites visited

Fuertaventura Chat
Trumpeter Finch

2010-01-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

Ruddy Shellduck

Little Ringed Plover

Cream Coloured Courser
My hire car for which I took out the extra insurance !!!!

2010-01-12T06:59:00.000-08:00

Yellow Legged Gull, not sure now which race is on Fuertaventura as atlantis seems assigned to the Azores

Apparently water is held in deep chambers as the island is very dry this old wind pump intrigued me with the USA logo

Blue Tit

2010-01-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Red Veined Darter
Trumpeter Finch

Southern Grey Shrike

Houbara Bustard
Lesser Short Toed Lark
Corn Bunting

2010-01-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

Corn Bunting
Ruddy Shellduck
Curlew Sandpiper

Turtle Dove
The vast sand dunes
Hoopoe
A stream from the ornamental pool at the Atlantico Shopping Centre flowed onto the beach it had lots of fish in
Red Billed Tropicbird