Fuertaventura day 1

I decided to finally make a move for the long staying Dwarf Bittern on Fuerteventura, and mop up a few more ticks whilst I was out there. I booked myself flights that would give me an afternoon, a full day and a morning to hopefully see the bird, whilst providing me with the time to make sure I saw everything else. I hired a small car that would be my base of operations, and where I would sleep.

I got off the plane from Manchester about midday and once I had retrieved my car and grabbed some food I went straight to the river valley where the Bittern had been inhabiting. Unfortunately, in the time since I had booked my flights, the bird had disappeared and I was not confident in my chances of seeing the bird. This is indeed how it transpired, that despite six hours working the river valley, staying until it was almost dark, I failed to find the bird.

That said the birding was brilliant with two new birds for me; Fuerteventura Stonechat and African Blue Tit. Other nice species included Berthelot’s Pipit, Trumpeter Finch and Egyptian Vulture. It was a fantastic afternoons birding, despite the lack of my number one target.

-Fuertaventura Stonechat

-African Blue Tit

-Trumpeter Finch

-Berthelot's Pipit

-Common Buzzard (Canary Islands form)

-Black-winged Stilt & Ruddy Shelduck

-Barbary Ground Squirrel

Species List: 

Barranco del Rio Cabras: Ruddy Shelduck, Feral Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Plain Swift, Common Moorhen, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Egyptian Vulture, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Kestrel, Great Grey Shrike, Northern Raven, African Blue Tit, Spectacled Warbler, Canary Islands Stonechat, Spanish Sparrow, White Wagtail, Berthelot's Pipit, Trumpeter Finch, Barbary Ground Squirrel,