Our next trip was a day on the nearby island of La Graciosa where our intention was to have a good long walk. We headed off to Orzola which is where the boats leave from. The crossing takes around thirty minutes and for the first part is quite lively. I was hoping to see some Cory’s Shearwaters from the boat but all I got was YL Gulls and a couple of Sandwich Terns. Arriving on the island our first stop was the local bakery where the filled baguettes made us regret buying service station sandwiches. We got over it with a couple of nice doughnuts. We then set off across the island on what was to be ten mile (sixteen kilometre walk). It was fairly warm with the temperature being in the low twenties but the usual stiff breeze helped to keep us cool. It was as expected very quiet for birds, House Martins and Swallows were flying around Caleta del Sebo with the usual Pipits and Linnets, and a couple of Shrikes and Ravens. The path took us across the island to Playa De las Conchas and then on to Los Arcos where we had our lunch overlooking a pretty rough sea, and Playa Del Ambar which is covered with what must be millions of tiny shells, before following the coast to the small settlement of Casas De Pedro Barba from where a precarious cliff edge path took us back to the ferries. The small village here seemed to be where old four wheel drive vehicles end their days. A single was seen here picking food from the rocks. Part of the reason that we visited earlier in the year was to do some walking and this one did not disappoint. Back at the port we treated ourselves to another pastry from the bakery before embarking on the return journey. The boat went fairly close to the impressive cliffs on the main island but some serious scanning didn’t manage to find any falcolns. However this time I did manage to get the Shearwaters with several dozen wheeling around fairly close in to shore. Also here were a couple of Redshank. Our final trip was to Cueva De Los Verdes where the lava has created a complex of tubes and caves. From the nearby coast more Shearwaters were seen. In the afternoon I had a look at the golf course just outside of Puerto Carmen but the wind had become even stronger and there were literally no birds to be seen. I drove back to the hotel on some quiet back roads but only found more PIpits, a few Egrets and a Kestrel. In all on the trip i managed forty-five species which included ten lifers, a total with which I was quite pleased with considering that in all I spent the equivalent of just a single day birding.
wiltshirebirder 