Harry J. Lehto TENERIFE, LA PALMA APRIL 1992 Internet::"hlehto@astro.utu.fi" I made recently a business trip to La Palma, the westernmost of the Canary Islands. My connection flights were though Tenerife, enabling me to have one day of birding on the island. I hope this summary gives you an idea what can be seen in 1 day of birding on Tenerife, 3.5 hours of birding on LaPalma and from hotel windows and taxis. April 5: Hotel window in Playa de las Americas, Taxi ride to Tenerife North Airport. April 5: Car drive from LaPalma airport to the Roque de la Muchachos. A single 30 minute stop on the way up at the recreation area on LP22. Apr 6-9: Staying at the mountain top at the Nordic Optical Telescope. Listed is the local population of birds. Apr 10 : A 3 hour trip of birding from Roque del la Muchachos down to sea level at Garafia, and then via the mountain top to the airport nonstop. Apr 10 : Taxi ride from Tenerife North Airport to Playa de Las Americas. A walk without binoculars (!) between Los Christianos and Playa de las Americas. Apr 11: Start at sunrise in Erjos Laurel Forest Road. From there went south on a new very curvy and slow road towards Santiago del Teide, up the western side of the Teide. From there continued through VilaFlor down to the agricultural area between San Isidro, Las Galletas and Guaza. A Rental Car for a day was about 4500 pesetas=25 pounds=45 dollars. Apr 12: Bus ride from Playa de las Americas to South Airport. Weather: Date Time Elevation Temp. Wind Clouds Vis. m øC m/s /8 km 5 9.00 0 20 4NW 3Cu >20 11.00 0 20 8NW 4Cu >20 17.00 2300 2 12NW 0 >20 6-9 night 2300 -1-+6 7-25NW 0-5Ci >200 day 2300 +5-+10 5-25NW 0-5Ci >200 10 8.30 2300 +10 22NW 3Ci >200 9.30 1200 +7 15N cloud 0.3-2 10.30 0 +18 12N 6St >20 18.00 0 +18 4N 2St >40 11 8.00 500 +7 14N 6St >20 11.00 500 +15 5N 0 >20 14.00 1700 +27 10N 3Ci >200 17.00 800 +22 7N 4Ci >20 20.00 0 +20 7N 4Ci >20 Birds: 1992 Date of April 5 5 6-9 10 10 11 12 Island Tenerife| La Palma | Tenerife Latin /English /Finnish Egr gar /Little Egret /Silkkihaikara - - - - 3 1 - *Acc nis /Sparrowhawk /Varpushaukka - - - 1 - - - *Fal tin /Kestrel /Tuulihaukka - - - - - 2 - Cha hia /Ringed Plover /Tylli - - - - 3 - - Cha dub /Li. Ri. Plover/Pikkutylli - - - - - 4 - Cal alb /Sanderling /Pulmussirri - - - - 10 - - Sco rus /Woodcock /Lehtokurppa - - - - - 1 - Phi pug /Ruff /Suokukko - - - - - 1 - Lar arg /Herring gull /Harmaalokki - 3 - 20 4 12 - Col liv /Rock Dove /Kalliokyyhky - - - 17 - - - *Col bol /Bolle's Laurel/Kanariankyyhky - - - - - 4 - *Col jun /Laurel Pigeon /Laakerikyyhky - - - - - 1 - Col bollii/junociae - - - - - 7 - Str tur /Turtle Dove /Turturikyyhky - - - - - 8 - *Apu uni /Plain Swift /Kanariantervis 45 100+ - 25 15 300+ 15 *Upu epo /Hoopoe /Harjalintu - - - - - 8 1 *Den maj /Gr. Sp. Woodp./K„pytikka - - - - - 5 - Hir rus /Barn Swallow /Haarap„„sky - - - - - 3 - *Ant ber /Berthel. Pipit/Kanariankirvi. - 3 6 19 - 41 - *Mot cin /Grey Wagtail /Vuoriv„st„r„kki - - - - - 5 - *Syl atr /Blackcap /Mustap„„kerttu - - - 5 1 9 - Syl con /Spect. Warbler/Pikkupensaske. - 2 1 - - 3 - Syl mel /Sardi. Warbler/Samettip„„kert. - 1 - 2sp - - - *Phy col /Chiffchaff /Tiltaltti - 7 3 25 - 25 - *Reg ten /"Can. Crest" /Kan. Hippi„inen - 5 - 7 - 6 - *Eri rub1/Robin /Punarinta - - - 3 - - - *Eri rub2/Robin /Punarinta - - - - - 4 - *Tur mer /Blackbird /Mustarastas 3 - - 4 1 8 - *Par cae1/Bluetit /Sinitiainen - 2 - - - - - *Par cae2/Bluetit /Sinitiainen - - - - - 8 - *Emb cal /Corn Bunting /Harmaasirkku - - - 1 - - - *Fri coe /Chaffinch /Peippo - 7 - 8 - - - *Fri tey /Blue Chaffinch/Sinipeippo - - - - - 9 - Ser can /Canary /Kanarianlintu 2 8 - 15 - 3 - *Car can /Linnet /Hemppo - - - 3 - - - Pas his /Span. Sparrow /V„limerenvarpu 10 - - - 10+ 40 10+ *Phy phy /Chough /Alppivaris - 160 12 109 - - - *Cor rax /Raven /Korppi - 4 2 - - - - *=Endemic species or race / Endeeminen laji tai rotu. La Palma: The mountain top was quite empty of birds. Column 3 shows the species that were local during my stay. The scrubby mountain top habitat on La Palma occurs at elevations >2000m. Last year in early May Apu uni, Syl con and Phy col were abundant. At elevations 1200-2000 the steep mountain sides are dominated by "Pinus canariensis" with scrubby undergrowth, and by deciduous trees in some valleys. In this habitat I found Reg (reg/ign) ten, Fri coe, Phy col, Eri rub, and Phy phy. At lower elevations agricultural areas dominate, with some Pinus in the Barrancos (Canyon). Species include Sylvias, Ser can, Tur mer, Eri rub, and this time of the year Apu uni. At sea level the habitat is dry and deserty, with Ant ber, Phy pyh, Syl mel, and Lar arg being locally common. Access to near sea level at Garafia: As you arrive to Garafia (from South East), turn left at the T intersection. Drive about 2km (SW), and turn (W) on the dirt road leading to the cemetery and the burial chapel. Take the dirt road on the right side of the cemetery. Continue until you get close to the rocks and islets on the shore. Tenerife: Three sites are described: The Erjos Laurel Forest, the road from Santiago del Teide to VilaFlor, and the agricultural South of Vilaflor. Erjos Laurel Forest: Driving North on C820, take the dirt road on the left side right where the village of Erjos begins (signposted). The road is small and easily overlooked. After passing the creek valley the rough road climbs the hill slope opposite to the village. Within 0.5km it enters the laurel forest. After 5-6 km, you will notice a 3 m high rock on your right side, just at a point where the road bends left. You'll also notice that this is THE point where you can get splendid views of the whole Laurel forest, below and above you. There is also a green abandonned water gathering instrument at the top of this rock. I saw a Bolle's Laurel and about 6 other pigeons during a 1.5 hour (9.20-11.00) watch on the rock. The following 2-3 km along the road provide also good views of the forest, and at the end of the Laurel forest section there are several good looking dead trees on the left side of the road. I got good views of a couple Laurel pigeons by these trees. Both pigeon species fly fast and low above the tree tops. A telecope was more of nuiccance than of any help. I saw no rock doves or domestic pigeons in the forest. Other species observed include Syl atr, Par cae, Fri coe, Phy col, Tur mer and Sco rus. Chio Recreation Area and Las Lajas Recreation area. Chio recreation area is on right side of the road C823 from Chio some 13-15km towards Teide. Las Lajas Recreation area is on the left side of the road C821 from Vilaflor some 9km towards Teide. Each site is signposted with a single, quite unconspicious sign. The habitat at both sites is Pinus Canariensis habitat, with almost no undergrowth at Chio recreation area. I visited both sites. This time Chio was much better (Fri tey, Ant ber, Den maj, Hir rus) than Las Lajas (Den maj, Fri tey). The opposite is known to be true too. The birds in Chio were highly congregated around dripping picknick water sites. Agricultural Area: The route I drove was about: San Isidro-Atogo- El Guincho-Guaza-Las Galletas. There were 3 ponds with water: 2 at Atogo (Phi pug, Mot cin), and 1 in a village 5km directly east of Guaza (Mot cin, Cha dub, Syl con). Two sites provided good numbers of hoopoes: 2.5km east of Guaza by the "Camping"-sign (2 Upu epo, Ant ber, Pas his, Syl con), and the waste ground just south of Service station some 3 SE of Guaza (6 Upu epo, Ant ber). This area had two major errors on all 3 maps I had: The pond 2km ESE of Guaza is absolutely dry, with a semipermanent homeless population. There is NO access to the minor roads northeast of the road between Las Galletas and Guaza. Some other roads were non existent, closed or newly opened, especially south of San Miguel. Only the oldest map I had, showed the Erjos Laurel Forest road, and only the two newer ones showed the road between Santiago del Tiede and Las Portelas, the west end of the Erjos Laurel Forest Road. Location of various sites: La Palma Picknick area 17ø49'W 28ø44.5'N Roque de la Muchacos 17 52 28 46 Garafia 17 57 28 49.5 Santa Cruz Airport 17 45 28 37 Tenerife Playa de las Americas 16 44 28 04 Christianos 16 43 28 03 Erjos 16 48.0 28 19.6 Erjos Laurel Forest 16 49.6 28 19.6 Las Portelas 16 50.5 28 19.7 Santiago del Teide 16 49.0 28 17.8 Chio Recreation area 16 45 28 16 Las Lajas Recreation Area 16 47 28 11 Vilaflor 16 38 28 09 San Isidro 16 34 28 05 Guaza 16 41 28 01.5 Las Galletas 16 39 28 00