Fuerteventura (Spring jolly) - Day 4 Final additions

Dawn at the Salt Pans

Calle de fuste

Yellow-legged Gull

Sanderling & Greenshank

Some of the 170 Terns

Sardwich Tern

Southern Grey Shrike

Distant drake Garganey

Ground hopping

El Cotillo

Windy times

Turnstone

Little Egret

Jellyfish

With us not having to get to the airport until late afternoon it gave us another day of birding to try and add to our 59 species. We went down to the bay at Calle de Fuste as despite being the nearest birding spot mentioned in the Gosney guide we hadn't visited it.

From the harbour side we could see there were Sandwich Terns & waders on the rocks near the beach and with it being a few hundred meters from the passing walkers the birds should stick around. Quickly parked up we set ourselves up to watch the birds well. The lava rock pools clearly contained some rich food content for birds. 

Whilst I was trying to take some shots of the terns, @1stbirdoftheday picked up two Great Skua's harassing a flock of terns off shore. The Skua's seemed to disappear after a successful raid but would then be back charging at great pace before bullying the Terns into submission of their breakfast. There was at least eight Cory's Shearwaters offshore. 

Among the rocks there were 170 Sandwich Terns, 2 Whimbrel, 5 Kentish Plover, 3 Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plover, Greenshank & a Common Sandpiper. Walking back to the car African Collard Dove was added coming out of the rough ground by the side of hotel before perching up in the distance. 

We were still keen to try and see a Barbary Falcon after we had handed our keys off to our hosts. First stop would be Tindaya where we added 4 Cream-coloured Coursers to our haul but there no Bustards despite an extensive search for 90 minutes. There seemed to be regular sightings of the falcon at Los Molinos so we headed back there. A stunning Shrike showed off roadside but the only addition of a distant drake Garganey. 

As we were leaving a couple from UK mentioned they had a Falcon at El Cotillo so we put the foot down and headed north. The stunning landscape was amazing but no such luck with the falcon. When looking around we found Gannets at sea & 2 Whimbrel, a Ringed Plover , Little Egret & our final bird a Turnstone.