Lanzarote, a round up Friday 25th May 2018
Just returned from a "family" holiday on the Spanish Island of Lanzarote.
A really interesting location and some good birds and volcanoes
The weather was mixed with a constant NE wind (the trade winds) and heavy cloud cover for most if not all of every day - the weather at home was much better as I kept hearing...
A respectable bird list of 22 birds with the specialities discovered on a tour with a local Eco guiding company.
New birds for me included, HOUBARA BUSTARD, CREAM COLOURED COURSER, LESSER SHORT TOED LARK AND SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE. I also had good views of BARBARY FALCON, ( an adult and a well grown chick) A selection of "record shots" below.
The scenery is amazing with over 200 inactive volcano cones, [the whole of the Canary Islands complex is still considered volcanically active] and extensive lava fields as well as an interesting "desert type" landscape consisting of what appear to be very flat dunes. (all explored with the same company)
I was fortunate to have the same guide on both trips, a professional geologist by profession but also a sharp eyed birder, his passion for the island was infectious especially when he was discussing the many environmental problems Lanzarote faces....
There was very little litter anywhere but there appeared to be quite a few drinks cans scattered about showing signs of having been used for target practise by the locals ... but that was not the case at all, hunting is reasonably well controlled with only two target species, Rabbits and Barbary Partridge, both introduced for hunting, and local conservationists have a good relationship with the hunting community.
Anyway back to the can, amazingly the cause of the damage was RAVENS who have learned to target the cans as quite often a lizard or small mammal gets trapped in the can!!!!! there's even some research being undertaken by university students into this behaviour.
All in all a pleasant week away but now its back to reality with me commencing work (paid) with the Outdoor Recreation Service from tomorrow.
A really interesting location and some good birds and volcanoes
The weather was mixed with a constant NE wind (the trade winds) and heavy cloud cover for most if not all of every day - the weather at home was much better as I kept hearing...
A respectable bird list of 22 birds with the specialities discovered on a tour with a local Eco guiding company.
New birds for me included, HOUBARA BUSTARD, CREAM COLOURED COURSER, LESSER SHORT TOED LARK AND SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE. I also had good views of BARBARY FALCON, ( an adult and a well grown chick) A selection of "record shots" below.
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| Houbara Bustard |
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| Cream Coloured Courser |
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| Southern Grey Shrike |
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| Barbary Falcon chick |
The scenery is amazing with over 200 inactive volcano cones, [the whole of the Canary Islands complex is still considered volcanically active] and extensive lava fields as well as an interesting "desert type" landscape consisting of what appear to be very flat dunes. (all explored with the same company)
 |
| Looking into a crater, notice the magma lake cap |
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| Inside a crater |
I was fortunate to have the same guide on both trips, a professional geologist by profession but also a sharp eyed birder, his passion for the island was infectious especially when he was discussing the many environmental problems Lanzarote faces....
There was very little litter anywhere but there appeared to be quite a few drinks cans scattered about showing signs of having been used for target practise by the locals ... but that was not the case at all, hunting is reasonably well controlled with only two target species, Rabbits and Barbary Partridge, both introduced for hunting, and local conservationists have a good relationship with the hunting community.
Anyway back to the can, amazingly the cause of the damage was RAVENS who have learned to target the cans as quite often a lizard or small mammal gets trapped in the can!!!!! there's even some research being undertaken by university students into this behaviour.
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| Corvids are clever... |
All in all a pleasant week away but now its back to reality with me commencing work (paid) with the Outdoor Recreation Service from tomorrow.
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