I've long wanted to visit the Canary Islands, not least for the several endemics they hold, so, earlier this month, I had a week-long break based in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, for some birding and winter sun. As you can see, the sun wasn't really co-operating; it was the coldest winter they'd had for years and I only made one visit to the beach where I forced myself to dip my toes into the very cold sea (I was on holiday after all)!
As soon as I stepped out of the bus from the airport, however, I heard my first Canary Islands Chiffchaff with its distinctive, almost Cetti's Warbler-like song. Around my accommodation, I then added Canary and African Blue Tit, as well as my first Plain Swifts, all within a few hours of arriving. The following morning, I cycled down to Maspalomas Bay (above), enjoying the view back to the mountainous interior, and was surprised to find this adult Audouin's Gull, a scarce winter visitor to the islands.
Trawling through the immature gulls, mostly Yellow-legged and Mediterranean, I then discovered two more 1st-winter Audouin's, while a Ruddy Shelduck circled briefly overhead. The rest of my first day was spent exploring the local area, seeing my first Berthelot's Pipits and Monarch butterflies (below), which colonised the islands from the Americas. I then took the overnight ferry to Fuerteventura...
