On The Beach Fuerteventura

Another Bird Blog is doing its best to get back to normal with a visit to the feeding station in the hope of a spot of ringing soon. The usual birds were around the site including 2 Kestrels, 14 Corn Bunting, 1 Little Owl and 50+ Tree Sparrows, but after my absense for 2 weeks and little topping up of the feeders, there wasn't too much activity around them. Nonetheless, 10+ Reed Bunting, 6/8 Goldfinch, 10+ Chaffinch bodes well for later in the week when the wind eventually subsides.

No such problems with the weather in Fuerteventura where the light for photography was often perfect, so for today’s post there are images from the recent holiday of 12th-26th January. 

Beach walks proved a good way to work off breakfast and although birds were fairly scarce in the face of processions of tourists exercising their often flaccid limbs, there was always something to marvel at. Read on and remember to "click the pics" for a close encounter.

On The Beach Fuereventura

Costa Calma is a large bay approximately 1.5 km long. Southwards it is possible to walk along the beach to Morro Jable for approximately 21 km. The stretch of beach from Costa Calm and then south to Jandia is reckoned to be amongst the most beautiful in the world, with large swathes of pristine sand exposed at times of low tide where just the occasional black rocks extend into the beach. It’s at such locations that you realise how the scurrying Sanderling probably obtained its name with the often employed “clockwork toy” description springing to mind. Kentish Plovers could usually be found running across the sand, with dozens of Sandwich Terns loitering on the distant tideline or feeding offshore where a Gannet or two might also be seen. 

Sanderling

On The Beach Fuerteventura

Kentish Plover

Sandwich Tern

 Sandwich Tern

The retreating tides leave pools of clear salt water where the occasional fish and smaller items are left behind for the scavengers and opportunists, mainly herons and egrets. Being accustomed to passing tourists the birds aren’t too concerned when people stop for snapshots, and if someone gets a little close the birds just fly a few yards out of harm’s way. 

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

The perfect sand beaches are not the result of sand being blown across from the Sahara Desert (as some Guidebooks claim) but are in fact composed of broken shells and other remains from marine organisms. Fuerteventura can get very windy, though normally it is possible to find a sheltered beach somewhere along the east coast 

On The Beach Fuerteventura

Grey Herons aren’t too common, with just occasional birds seen. 

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

There’s a word of warning to the squeamish and to bird watchers carrying binoculars and cameras. Nude sunbathing is very popular on Fuerteventura, some might even say legendary, so if those Sanderlings are running along under people’s feet, take care where you point the camera and that any blowing sand doesn’t stick to moving parts. 

Sanderling

On The Beach Fuerteventura

More bare facts and related bird news from Another Bird Blog fairly soon. Today we are linking with Stewart in Australia who knows a thing or two about sandy beaches.