Las Palmas on Gran Canaria is a popular place for weathly Mauritanians to visit and expats based in that country. It is well connected by air to Nouakchott and is less than two hours away.
I know I will be there again. So on this stopover, I stayed close to Las Palmas and enjoyed the food, drink and obtained a medical as well as doing some important shopping.
My birding was light and I went to just two local places. One was Doramas Park and the other was El Confital. The park is a large ornamental garden on a hillside while El Confital is the rocky coast just north of the city's western beaches. Both are within walking distance of my hotel (Hotel Dona Louisa).
El Confital gave me a notable success. I found a spotted sandpiper.
spotted sandpiper 1
This American rarity was a lifer for me.
spotted sandpiper 2
It is very similar to a common sandpiper in winter. Though it has brighter yellow legs, a shorter body and tail and, sometimes a few light spots remaining in the lower flank. This bird had these.
spotted sandpiper 3
spotted sandpiper 4
I actually found two common sandpiper in very similar terrain in other places along my walks.
common sandpiper 1
On inspecting the pictures afterwards, there appears to be at least one other difference between the species that I can use for future reference. The white eye ring is split quite comprehensively in the spotted sandpiper but barely notched in the common sandpiper.
common sandpiper 2
Elsewhere and on both days that I walked El Confital, there was a lone little egret.
little egret
Rocky coastal pools almost the world over are a magnet for ruddy turnstone. I was not surprised to see them here.
ruddy turnstone
Crabs are the favourite food of whimbrel. The coastline is covered in them. Nevertheless seeing 21 whimbrel one day and 25 the next day on the same rock was quite special. It is certainly the most I have ever seen in one place.
some of the whimbrel
On the inland scrub at El Confital, it is easy to find Berthelot's pipit.
Berthelot's pipit
This resident of the Canaries and of Madeira was another lifer. Also inland I found a common kestrel both days.
yellow-legged gull
There were very few other birds on the rocks. I found a lone whimbrel one day. On both days there were a pair of adult yellow-legged gull.
El Confitil comes to an end in the north at a restricted military zone. I could see several more yellow-legged gull resting there. I suspect this undisturbed area would be good birding.
There are no house sparrow on the Canaries. However, there are Spanish sparrow. I didn't see in the more urbanised areas. Nevertheless, in the trees on the edge of the city where it meets El Confital starts there was a small flock. They ventured onto the buildings there from time to time.
Spanish sparrow on building
I found them forming a mixed flock with Island canary at one place too.
male spanish sparrow in breeding plumage
African collared dove
Tame African collared dove are among the most conspicuous.
common moorhen
Another tame bird was a solitary moorhen in one of the ornamental ponds.
male blackbird
The trees and bushes had a high density of blackbird.
canary islands chiffchaff
Canary islands chiffchaff are readily glimpsed but it took me a long time to see one well.
young canary
My first canary was probably a juvenile rather than a female. They look difficult to separate from juvenile serin. However the pink bill was a good marker.
Las Palmas from Paque Doramas
As I climbed up Paque Doramas, I found it easier to pick out island canary.
male island canary
I eventually got excellent views of a male.
Canary island chiffchaff
I also had fine views of a Canary Island chiffchaff too. It has a darker and more olive back than a typical common chiffchaff and characteristic strong buff undersides.
The park was very noisy because of not only rose-ringed parakeet but also monk parakeet.
monk parakeet
grey wagtail
One of the pecularities of the Gran Canaria to me was a lack of white wagtail and yet I saw five grey wagtail in both the park and in El Confital. I am not complaining though.
After Gran Canaria I returned to work in Nouakchott. I managed some birding last weekend and finally added the first bird to my Mauritanian list for six weeks. I will blog about that next.
December 15th El Confital
Little Egret
Whimbrel
Common Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Yellow-legged Gull
Common Kestrel (Canary Is.)
Grey Wagtail
Berthelot's Pipit
December 14th El Confital
Little Egret
Whimbrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Yellow-legged Gull
Feral Pigeon
Common Kestrel (Canary Is.)
Grey Wagtail
Berthelot's Pipit
Spanish Sparrow
December 14th Parque Doramas
Common Moorhen
Feral Pigeon
African Collared Dove
Ring-necked Parakeet
Monk Parakeet
Common Chiffchaff
Canary Islands Chiffchaff
Eurasian Blackbird
Grey Wagtail
Island Canary
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