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Canary Islands
The Fortunate Isles

Friday 11 – Friday 18 July 2008 (8 days)

While most holidaymakers visiting the Canaries will venture no further than the nearest sun-drenched beach, for anyone with an interest in wildlife - especially birds but also cetaceans and plants - the islands are so remarkable it can be difficult to know where to start... or finish! Fortunately, this won’t be a problem on our tour for we will again benefit from the unrivalled expertise of our old friend Tony Clarke, the islands’ foremost bird and wildlife guide and author of the essential Field Guide to the Birds of the Atlantic Islands.

We spend six nights at a lovely rural hotel on Tenerife, one of the more westerly islands of this famous volcanic archipelago. The landscape here is lush, with moist laurel forests that secrete two of the islands' most elusive endemic birds: Bolle's Pigeon and Laurel Pigeon. Higher up, where the air is drier, the laurel is replaced by forests of Canary Islands Pine where we'll seek two further endemics: Tenerife Kinglet and Blue Chaffinch. Towering above the pines, the volcanic cone of Pico del Teide - Spain's highest peak - soars to 3718 metres. Many of the plants up here are also unique to these islands, while birds to be seen in this spectacularly beautiful national park include Plain Swift, Berthelot's Pipit and Atlantic Canary - a trio of species found only on the Canaries and Madeira.

From our base on Tenerife we will enjoy a day trip by ferry to the neighbouring island of Gomera. The crossing can be good both for seabirds and cetaceans: Bulwer’s Petrel and Cory’s and Little Shearwaters are likely in July, along with Bottlenose Dolphins and Short-finned Pilot Whales.

Islands in the eastern half of the archipelago are more strongly influenced by North Africa and its hot, dry climate, and so present a very different flora and fauna. We’ll fly to Fuerteventura for an overnight stop, where the rocky slopes of once mighty volcanoes are sculpted by the wind into an endless variety of surreal shapes, and peculiar cactus-like Euphorbias and giant lobelias can be found. This arid landscape is the haunt of the endangered Houbara Bustard and Canary Islands Chat - the latter endemic to Fuerteventura - whilst the likes of Cream-coloured Courser, Spectacled Warbler and Trumpeter Finch are further attractions.

Our regular July visit to the Canaries offers the best chances of seabirds and also butterflies, with Canary Blue, Canary Speckled Wood and Indian Red Admiral among species on the wing. The islands’ endemic birds are, of course, present throughout - as is the breathtaking scenery! And by taking advantage of the summer season flights, it’s usually possible for us to arrange travel from UK regional airports (such as Manchester), for those that wish.

Price: £ 1,395
Single supp.: £ 130
Deposit: £ 300 per person

The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of return charter flights London-Tenerife with meals on-board as appropriate; domestic flights Tenerife-Fuerteventura return; all accommodation and meals, minibus transport, ferry to Gomera, entry fees, tips, airport taxes, bird and butterfly checklist & services of leader/s.

The price excludes travel insurance, drinks and other personal expenses.

*It may be possible to fly from Manchester or other UK regional airports. Please enquire for details and supplement.

This trip will be operated in conjunction with Limosa Holidays.

Principal Leader: Tony Clarke

Itinerary:
Day 1
Our holiday begins with a flight from London to Reina Sofia airport, on the island of Tenerife. If flight times allow we will enjoy some introductory birding around about - our recent groups found Berthelot’s Pipit and Canary Islands Chiffchaff even before leaving the airport car park!

Transfer to our Tenerife hotel - a small, comfortable rural finca with just 20 guest rooms, and set amid its own attractive gardens - which will be our base for six nights of the tour.
Overnight Tenerife.

Days 2 - 7
During our stay, we shall spend a total of six nights at a hotel on Tenerife and one on the island
of Fuerteventura. Please note that the following itinerary remains reasonably flexible so as to take best advantage of the weather at the time, as well as to allow for changes to local flight and ferry schedules:



TENERIFE
Tenerife’s Atlantic climate is responsible for the island’s verdant laurel forests on its northern slopes and it’s here that we shall seek out some of the Canaries’ most elusive endemics. Both Laurel and Bolle’s Pigeons occur and, whilst glimpses in flight are relatively easy to achieve (given good visibility!), we may need to be patient to enjoy longer views of these sought-after birds. In the areas around Monte del Agua, Pico del Ingles and Chanajiga, the mists can sometimes hang for days, creating the impression of a tropical cloud forest as we go in search
of Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Tenerife Blue Tit and the diminutive Tenerife Kinglet against a backdrop of some of the most spectacular of all Canarian landscapes.

Moving higher, we’ll enter the extensive forests of Canary Islands Pine that encircle the lofty cone of Mount Teide. At 3,718 metres, this is Spain’s highest peak. It’s here we will find the incomparable Blue Chaffinch, one of the best-known of all the Canarian endemics. Hard to find in many areas, the hand of human kindness has ensured that certain local picnic spots have become as good as anywhere to see this attractive species. We should have ample time here to enjoy these surprising birds and for photographers to try and get some good shots - close-focus lenses required!

Another speciality of the pine belt is the Canarian form of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, whilst other birds with local forms to watch for on Tenerife include Common Buzzard, Robin, Blackcap and Chaffinch. For anyone with an interest in butterflies, this habitat is also home to the endemic Canary Grayling, which should be flying at the time of our visit.

Emerging above the forests, we’ll enter Las Canadas National Park, famed both for its wonderful endemic flora and as one of the locations where the film ‘One Million Years BC’ was shot. Though not especially rich in birdlife, the scenery is spectacular and this is a good area to see Plain Swift and Berthelot’s Pipit, as well as the best-known of all the Atlantic Islands’ endemics, the trilling Canary.

Back down at the coast, the dramatic sea cliffs of Punta de Teno are home to one of the few pairs of Barbary Falcons on Tenerife, which lies at the very western edge of its range. Nearby as the falcon flies, is Teno Alto - but we will have to take the long way round by road in order to search one of the last strongholds on Tenerife for the rapidly declining Rock Sparrow. They are still fairly common here and, if the weather is kind, we should be able to find some. Amid the semi-desert scrub that covers most of the lower slopes on the drier, southern side of the island, the finch-like Lesser Short-toed Lark, Spectacled Warbler, Spanish Sparrow and goggle-eyed Stone-curlew breed, together with a race of Southern Grey Shrike endemic to the Islands.

LA GOMERA
On at least one day, we will take the ferry from the southern port of Los Cristianos to the nearby island of La Gomera. July is an excellent month for seabirds and this relatively short crossing offers perhaps our best chances of seeing them, as well as Bottlenose Dolphins and the local resident population of Short-finned Pilot Whales. Cory’s Shearwater is likely to be the most numerous pelagic species and we should be treated to splendid views of these majestic long-distance travellers as we watch for the scuttling Little Shearwater or the distinctive outline of Bulwer’s Petrel. If only all ferry crossings could be like this!

Once on La Gomera we will head to Garajonay National Park. Protecting the largest remaining tract of Atlantic laurel forest, this is generally the best place to find the flighty Laurel Pigeon sitting quietly on an exposed snag or a Bolle’s Pigeon hiding within the canopy of a leafy tree, and most of our time on La Gomera will be spent on this quest. Returning to Tenerife in the afternoon, we’ll be able to enjoy some further seawatching from the ferry.

FUERTEVENTURA
During our week (days may vary according to flights), we shall take a flight across to the outlying island of Fuerteventura, for an overnight stay. One of the closest islands to the African mainland, Fuerteventura’s harsh, desert-like terrain is home to dry country specialists such as Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Cream-coloured Courser. Egyptian Vultures still soar over the hills and plains, but numbers are low and they’re often hard to find.

The two key species on Fuerteventura are the Canary Islands or Fuerteventura Chat, a lively endemic that frequents the island’s vegetated barrancos (gorges), and the furtive Houbara Bustard which inhabits the plains and rolling hillsides. As numbers of the latter continue to dwindle elsewhere due to persistent hunting pressure, Fuerteventura is perhaps now the best place in the world to look for this gravely endangered bird. As we search, we should come across Trumpeter Finch and the wary Barbary Partridge, two arid country species which are more numerous here than on Tenerife. We may also be lucky enough to see a few Ruddy Shelducks or even Marbled Duck.


Day 8
If flight times permit, we’ll enjoy some final birding on Tenerife today before returning to Reina Sofia airport and boarding our flight home to London.


Accommodation: We spend six nights at a small, comfortable rural finca set amid attractive gardens and with it’s own restaurant, heated outdoor pool and just 20 guest rooms, all with private facilities. For our one night stay on Fuerteventura we are based at a good quality tourist hotel.

Walking: Short, easy walks.

Flights: The Canary Islands are well-served by charter flights operating direct from London to Tenerife. It may be possible for us to arrange flights from Manchester and other regional airports in the UK. Please ask for details and supplement.

Note: our tour price also includes the cost of scheduled return flights between the islands of Tenerife and Fuerteventura.

Ground Transport: By minibus, with sea-crossings between Tenerife and La Gomera by ferry.

Numbers: Max. 12 clients