Tenerife 23rd - 27th February 2015

A very successful and short trip to this small Island. Birding was very easy and all the targets were pretty simple to see. I flew in with my beloved easyJet (arriving in the evening of the 23rd and leaving at lunchtime on the 27th) and hired a car from Goldcar Rental. I stayed in Puerto de la Cruz for three nights, but only had two full days birding, which in my opinion was more than enough time, as I managed to see all the targets, which include the hopeful future splits.

Before leaving the airport I had already picked up a lifer - a CANARY ISLAND CHIFFCHAFF. This species turned out to be the commonest bird on the island.

Day 1

Pigeons were my main targets so I set about seeing these first thing, then moving on to a known site for nesting Barbary Falcons. A route then taking in view of Mt Teide was next seeing a few more endemics before descending back down to the hotel. 

Mirador de Lagrimona

LAUREL PIGEON - 4

BOLLE'S PIGEON - 1 sat next to a Laurel Pigeon. 

Kestrel 

ISLAND CANARY - 5

tenerife Blue Tit - 4

Cory's Shearwater - 10

Punto de Teno

BARBARY FALCON - 2

Cory's Shearwater 

La Lajas

BLUE CHAFFINCH - 10+

Island Canary - 20+

tenerife Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2

CANARY ISLAND GOLDCREST - 1

Ruiz Gorge

Sparrowhawk - 3

tenerife Blue Tit

tenerife Robin - common

 Blue Chaffinch at La Lajas picnic site - stunning bird

 Laurel Pigeon - note the white tail band

both Laurel (left) and Bolle's Pigeon. The dark-pale-dark tail pattern on the Bolle's is just visible.

'tenerife' Blue Tit

 La Lajas Picnic site - site for Blue Chaffinch

beautiful view from above the clouds of Mt. Teide

Day 2

After yesterday's great success seeing all but two of my targets, this morning carried on the same way. The morning was spent where the Laurel Forests meet the Pine Forest, before again taking another look at the Falcons. A short seawatch was had before packing it in and returning to the hotel and chilling out around the town, only to be interrupted by 2 superb Barbary Falcons displaying right in front of me. A brilliant display. 

Chanajiga

Chaffinch sp. tintillon - 8

PLAIN SWIFT - ca. 50

Canary Island Goldcrest - 3

Sparrowhawk - 1 female

Blackcap - 1 male

tenerife Blue Tit - 6

tenerife Robin - 4

Punto de Tino

Barbary Falcon - 2

Cory's Shearwater - 100 in twenty-five minutes

atlantis Yellow-legged Gull - 20

Mirador de Lagrimonas

Laurel Pigeon - 10 in half hour

Puerto de la Cruz

Barbary Falcon - 2 showing superbly

Senegal Parrot - 1

Ring-necked Parakeet - 4

 'Canary Island' Chaffinch - what a beauty

 distant Barbary Falcon

Canary Island Chiffchaff

 Barbary Falcon site - dangerous road though with rocks falling close to me on occasions

 Chanajiga - mid morning a large flock of Plain Swift were feeding above the distant ridge

Punto de Teno

East Sussex 22/2/15

A nice day spent in the east today seeing some nice bits. Also popped into Kent for the usual species. The day started off with superb clear and calm conditions, but I retired the day mid afternoon due to the strengthening winds and eventually heavy rain.

Bexhill

Snow Bunting - 1 male showing well

Pett/Winchelsea

Velvet Scoter - 7 flew in from the west and landed just offshore. 

Common Scoter - ca. 30

Bearded Tit - 1 male 

Long Pit, Rye

Slavonian Grebe - 1 

Black-necked Grebe - 1

Scaup - 1 drk

Northpoint GP

Ruff - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 2 adults

Scotney GP

Little Stint - 1 at Kent end

Scaup - 1 drk

Dungeness area

Red-crested Pochard - 1 drk 

Whooper Swan - 1

Bewick's Swan - 53

 male Snow Bunting at Bexhill

 drk Red-crested Pochard at Dungeness

buy a new van!!

Cuckmere, Beachy, Newhaven 21/2/15

Spent the day with Dan and Mike Booker with nothing much to get too excited about. An adult Mediterranean Gull was yet another surprise in the Cuckmere this morning, with the Glauc putting in another brief show. The Gull flock has been decreasing daily since Thursday. 

Lower Cuckmere

Glaucous Gull - 1 juv still

Mediterranean Gull - 1 adult summer

Gadwall - 3

Barnacle Geese - 5

Redwing - 1

Belle Tout

Tawny Owl - 2

Newhaven

Jack Snipe - 2

Lower Cuckmere 20/2/15

After seeing nothing down Splash Point and then on Seaford Head, I again visited the Lower Cuckmere with a fully charged phone hoping yesterdays highlights were still present. I soon found a first-winter Caspian Gull having a wash on the pool. It thankfully flew and landed among the other Gulls continuously preening. Difficult to tell whether its the same bird as yesterday due to a couple of features not matching up, but maybe this was due to the rain today.

As I was about to leave, the same Glaucous Gull flew in and landed on one of the many floods, and it stayed put until I left. The Glauc does seem to appear at high tide.

first-winter Caspian Gull in Lower Cuckmere - thankfully the phone behaved today

good to see the return of this beast - Glaucous Gull

Lower Cuckmere 19/2/15

A walk down the Cuckmere late morning was had with only one main focus.......Gulls. There was a large assemblage of large Gulls in the usual spot. The first few scans produced nothing, until out of nowhere a large white-winged Gull flew across my view. It was indeed a juvenile Glaucous Gull but it stayed less than a minute before taking off and gradually drifting eastwards.

Soon after I found a superb first-winter Caspian Gull, and for once it was in front of the main group, in full view and in perfect light conditions. However, my stupid phone died for no apparent reason, and annoyingly I couldn't get it going again, despite me throwing it at the ground in anger a couple of times. So below should be a set of full frame Caspian Gull shots, but unfortunately the Glauc is all I could capture. Other then all this and the very short staying Glauc, a very productive visit.

Totals are:
Glaucous Gull - 1 juv 11.36-11.43 then flew east
Caspian Gull - 1 first-winter for half hour before flying SW
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 adult
Barnacle Geese - 5 still
Gadwall - 2 along main dyke

juv. Glaucous Gull in the Lower Cuckmere - unfortunately all pretty much the same pose and same quality........rubbish. Taken with iphone (when working) through the scope in blustery conditions. A shame it wasn't a few inches to the right.

Scotland 18/2/15

A non-birding trip up to Inverness with Paula and Leo has produced the following. Back tomorrow morning. 

Lecht Ski Centre, Moray

Red Grouse - 20

Snow Bunting - 1

Raven - 4

Fort Augustus

Crossbill - 10 

Goldeneye - 1 drk on Loch Ness

Inverness

Red Kite - 1

Dipper - 4

Goosander - 1 redhead 

Splash Point & Cuckmere Haven 16/2/15

A short seawatch was semi-productive this morning, but a walk down the Cuckmere after was a complete waste of time. 

Splash Point: 8-9am, SSW 2

All birds flying East unless otherwise stated. 

Red-throated Diver - 69 + 14W

Brent Geese - 22

Auk sp. - 51

Razorbill - 21

Mediterranean Gull - 4

Great Crested Grebe - 6

Shelduck - 1