During mid March 2022, we spend a week visiting the island of Fuertaventura. It was our first visit to the Canary Islands and sampling some early spring sunshine. With limited time available, it also provided me with an opportunity to see some of the islands very special birds, including Houbara Bustard, Fuertaventura Chat, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and a few others.
We based ourselves at the resort of Caleta de Fuste, with its rocky coastline and many rock pools. Staying at the superb hotel, Barcelo Fuertaventura Mar.
I visited the Tindaya Plains and Villaverde, spending a day exploring this vast area, finding four Houbara Bustard, lots of Spectacled Warbler, small flock of Trumpeter Finch, two Stone Curlew, 2 Black-bellied Sandgrouse, several Barbary Partridge, 8 Egyptian Vulture, 3 Fuertaventura Chat, Berthalot’s Pipit, Ruddy Shelduck, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Plain and Pallid Swift.
During the remaining time I made early morning visits to the shoreline and beach area surrounding the hotel and found a Whimbrel, Greenshank, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, lots of Cory’s Shearwaters off-shore, a Hoopoe in-off the sea, Sandwich Tern and Yellow-legged Gull.
