Fuerteventura (Spring jolly) - Day 2 Los Molinos & Betancuria

Little Egret on reservoir bank

Spoonbills

Black-winged Stilt

Glossy Ibis

Local Lizard

Fuerteventura Chat

Fuerteventura Chat

Los Molinos

Sewage Works

Coffee Stop

Trumpeter Finch

Windmill in stunning terrain

Resting up at Los Molinos

Betancuria (view from south)

Betancuria (view from north)

Salt Pans

Kestrel

Southern Grey Shrike

Turtle Dove

Redshank

African Blue Tit (File photo)

Each days agenda was set the previous evening. So after a great dawn session on the plains we headed to Los Molinos via Oliva where we found yet another Shrike and a single Corn Bunting. In the town square we had coffee & tortilla with the locals. If  you are going be warned there are no signs, guide books and tips are essential. 

Los Molinos Reservoir is the largest fresh water area on the island so it promised to deliver us some good birding. There was a super range of species including 12+ Black-winged Stilt, 4 Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, 20+ Little Egret, 5 Teal, 4 Mallard, 30 Yellow-legged Gulls, Grey Heron, 2 Hoopoe, 40+ Ruddy Shelduck, Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 30+ Coot, a Black-headed Gull & a Tufted Duck.  A pair of Fuerteventura Chat showed very well on the track watching us without a care in the world. 

Our next location of the day was Betancuria a stunning village where our target bird was the African Blue Tit. We had to work particually hard for this species in rising tempatures. A Blackcap was a welcome addition to the trip list and a male Kestrel was hunting non stop throughout the village. A refreshing ice cream on the move did the trick as we finally found the high pitched tweeting Blue Tit showing its bright & bold plumage. 

We did try a small Barranco south of the village hoping to find a Canary. Whilst we had no luck with the Canary, two Turtle Doves came into view. Other sightings included a singing Sardinian Warbler, Collared Doves and two Song Thrush.

We wrapped the day up at the Salt Pans just south of our apartment. Two Redshank were on the lagoons whilst a Green Sandpiper was on the rocks. Out at sea we picked up 5 Sandwich Tern, two Corys Shearwater and 7 Gannet. 

A circuit of the golf course was unsuccessful before 2 Plain Swifts and 5 Common Swifts emerged over the hotel. 

Quite a day…….the trip list now stood at a pleasing 50 species. Just as we were planning our next days agenda news reached Twitter that the Dwarf Bittern had been seen again. Our pints in the restaurant tasted mighty good as perhaps we could well get to see this stunning bird after all.