Lanzarote : 10th February 2015

Lanzarote : 10th February 2015
On the 10th February we spent the morning doing the Timanfaya tour which was as amazing as ever. Apart from a few Berthelot’s Pipits there wasn’t much bird action. We left there for a camel ride on the slopes of the volcano nearby but again only the roost of Rock Doves by the camel station gave us another tick, even if rather mundane. From here we went to El Golfo for a spot of lunch (Yellow-legged Gulls mainly) and the on to the Salinas de Janubio where we had gone with Carmen, our birding guide, a couple of days previously. This time we were on our own but had just as much success and in some respects we had more remarkable views than previously.

Instead of working the landward edge of the lagoon, we walked along the seaward side. The result was similar however with great sightings of many Black-winged Stilts then a somewhat wary pair of Greenshank flying around and piping as they flew. A duck-like sound alerted us to a Ruddy Shelduck sitting on a rock in quite an elevated position.  This was just the start as we then watched a pair in flight for quite a time before they settled on the water.

The Black-necked Grebes were still there in numbers. At the very far end of this side of the lagoon a small flock of Stilts harboured a single Whimbrel which gave us a couple of noisy flybys. Common Sandpipers were again darting about and we caught sight of the Barbary Falcon again. I tried to creep up on it but, of course, it was to clever for that and it disappeared as soon as it decided I was too near.

Another great visit to the salt pans – you can never tire of this place.

Bird Sightings : Lanzarote 10th February 2015