Tenerife, June 10 th 17 th 2013 PMC, SEC, APM & RJD

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1 Tenerife, June 10 th 17 th 2013 PMC, SEC, APM & RJD INTRODUCTION The main aim of this trip was to see all the endemic Canarian bird and butterfly species, and we easily connected with all our target birds except Little Shearwater. In addition we d hoped to visit the Loro Parc at Puerto de la Cruz, currently the only place in the world to view captive Spix s Macaws, but unfortunately the macaws are kept behind locked doors during breeding season between March and August. Had we known this beforehand we might have chosen to visit in winter or early spring, either of which is better for migrant waders; as expected, June was pretty dire for migration. Tenerife is a contrasting island, combining amazing mountain scenery with some truly hideous resorts. Both Tenerife and La Gomera had suffered bad forest fires in the winter of but there was no apparent damage to any of the areas we visited. Weather The weather in the north is dominated by the cloud layer off the Atlantic, which tends to arrive at around 1000m, roughly the altitude of Erjos village. Thus the weather at the Erjos forest sites can be highly unpredictable you may be enjoying beautiful sunny skies one minute and be blanketed in mist the next! We experienced the worst effects of this on June 13 th, when Erjos village remained blanketed by a thick layer of cloud all day; however we had a very successful day s birding, both above the clouds at Mt Teide and then below the clouds at Mirador la Grimona later in the afternoon. On a few occasions on the south coast, temperatures did nudge the 30's, otherwise it was perfectly comfortable birding weather all week. Transport We flew Easyjet from Gatwick to Reina Sofia airport in the south, and hired our vehicle from Autoreisen. Despite the fairly short distances involved, driving in the north of Tenerife is hard work because of the winding mountain roads, particularly between Chio Santiago del Teide Erjos El Tanque, and around Masca / Teno Alto. Information The new version of Eduardo Garcia del Rey s Where to Watch Birds in the Canary Islands proved essential for up-to-date info and maps. We also took the Gosney guide to the Canary Islands (1994) although this is now very out of date. These were supplemented by trip reports from the new cloudbirders.com website; Neal Warnock s report from March 2008 and John Rayner s from June 2011 were especially useful. Thanks also to L.Johnson for his updates. Accommodation & Food We stayed in one of the self-catering Barbary Falcon, Masca Road bungalows at Casa Rural Monte del Agua in Erjos village, for 485 for the week (found via the Toprural website, which had served us well on previous European trips). This turned out to be a fantastic place, recently built and within walking distance of all the Erjos sites; in fact there was good birding to be had just standing on balcony and scanning up the forested slopes! Erjos is a sleepy village with one small tapas bar, so most evenings we headed down to Santiago del Teide with its four restaurants. This is a pleasant town (unlike some of the coastal resorts) and

2 might make an even better birding base than Erjos, situated just below the main cloud layer and with quicker links to the south. SITE GUIDE We visited most of the main areas with the exception of the northeast of the island: Mirador La Grimona Though not mentioned in the books, this is now the premier site on Tenerife for Laurel Pigeon, and we also had our best views of Bolle s Pigeons here. At first glance it is an unlikely spot, directly above the busy main TF5 road, but the cliffs here provide the safe nesting niches the pigeons need. Travelling along the T5 west from Puerto de la Cruz, beyond Los Realejos the road passes through a short tunnel then a longer tunnel, and then the Mirador is a small parking area on the right (N 28 degrees W 16 degrees ). Between 5pm and 7pm, the Laurel Pigeons were virtually unmissable, displaying most actively between 17:30-18:30. Bolle s pigeons were also present, and at times both species were perched and visible through the scope. In the lay-by itself, the walls were teeming with Canary Lizards, many of them happy to take pieces of banana from the hand! Erjos Since the discovery of Mirador de la Grimona, the importance of the Erjos site for getting the two pigeon species has lessened. But we did spend a lot of time birding the fields, woods and ponds around the village and found it as pleasant and bird-rich as anywhere else on the island. To find Erjos Ponds: arriving at the village on the TF-82 from the south, opposite a bus shelter with a no-entry sign on the right, a track on the left leads down to the ponds (but a very sharp turn - you will need to U-turn and approach from the north). Although actually created by topsoil removal, the ponds are virtually the only natural-looking freshwater site on Tenerife, all the other lakes being concrete water tanks. Though it appeared very attractive for migrants, in June we had only coot and moorhen. The Monte del Agua forest track is the famous pigeon site. To find it, continue north on the TF-82 past the Erjos ponds turning. At the town sign for Erjos, the start of the track is on the left marked by a blue sign Consejo Insular de Aguas. We had been told that (despite being a perfectly drivable track) this route is now closed to vehicles. On the first morning therefore, we just drove a short distance down to where it splits into three routes (Gosney p.25), and there is room to park a vehicle or two at this junction without obstructing it. This turned out to be a very good move - within an hour we d been buzzed by a low flying Barbary Falcon and had our first Bollé s Pigeon fly by! A farmer told us that Bollé s often feed in these fields in the morning, though we never encountered them (or the falcon) around the village again. From the cross-tracks, the middle route uphill bears round to the right before heading into the woods. We walked it on two occasions, a very pleasant stroll under the trees on a hot day. Tenerife Kinglet were seen both times, plus the local race of Robin and Treecreeper. After about 2km, by a red marker 7 the track takes a 90 left turn downhill, and there is a smaller trail heading straight ahead, soon leading to a rocky outcrop overlooking the woods. Several distant Bollé s Pigeon were visible from here, most flying, plus one sitting on the forested slope. We never walked the whole 4½ km to the rain gauge rock, having already had good views of both pigeons elsewhere. Roque de Garachico This rocky offshore islet has long been suspected as a breeding site for Bulwer s Petrel and Little Shearwater. We spent several hours here over two evenings on 11 th and 16 th hoping for shearwaters. Our chosen seawatch point was a parking area at the west end of Garachico resort, by the closed shack café and a statue ( Monumento al Emigrante Canario ), from where we had a good high view of the rock. But our efforts only produced a distant glimpse of possible little shearwater among hundreds of Cory s. Punta de Teno

3 This headland is perhaps the best seawatching spot on the island now that Punta de la Rasca is out of bounds, and has produced Little Shearwater in the past; unfortunately when we visited at midafternoon we found only a few Cory s on the sea. Even on a weekday we found the headland crowded with tourists and anglers, so we walked south towards the cliffs to look for Osprey, but no luck. The nearby lark fields at this time of year were covered over with netting, so nothing there either. The access road was closed for safety reasons a few years ago, but is now fully open. We briefly spotted the pair of Barbary Falcons for which this road is famed, but failed to relocate them again despite stopping and scanning from different angles. Most of the parking bays mentioned in the guidebooks appear to have been bollarded off, making stopping along this road rather dicey. All things considered, you might be a better looking for the falcons elsewhere nowadays. Teno Alto After yet another drive up a windy mountain road in the late afternoon, we found ourselves at this mountain village in the northwest corner of this island. Surrounded by grassy meadow habitat rather different from other places we visited, this is one of the few good sites for Rock Sparrow and Corn Bunting, but we failed to hear or see either. Masca The road between Santiago del Teide and Masca is famous for its incredible cliff scenery, which unfortunately also attracts a lot of tourist buses, making the drive along this particularly windy mountain road a laborious experience. We came here for one last try at Rock Sparrow, no luck but a fantastic pair of Barbary Falcons flew overhead at the pass a few miles west from Santiago. Parque Nacional del Teide Our long mountain day involved travelling up from Chio, visiting the cable car and then descending towards Aguamansa and Puerto de la Cruz. Our first stop was at the Zona Recreativo Chio, a woodland picnic site on the TF-38 east of Chio, described in Garcia del Rey s guide (N 28 degrees W 16 degrees ). Within minutes of arriving we had several Blue Chaffinches and a family of Great Spotted Woodpeckers of the Tenerife subspecies, both attracted to the water taps here. Berthelot s Pipit, African Blue Tit and our first Canary Blue butterflies were also present. No longer needing to go to the famous Las Lajas picnic site for Blue Chaffinches, we made for the cable car at Base del Teide from where a trail leads south across the volcanic plateau no birds on this trail but excellent scenery. Some members of our group took the cable car up to 3,500m ( 25 return), where the highest flowering plant in Spain grows: the endemic Teide Violet. Around 9km beyond the Base del Teide, at the junction with the TF-24 at El Portilla de la Villa, we stopped at the Restaurant El Portilla and found an amazingly confiding Blue Chaffinch feeding in the car park! The Great Spotted Woodpecker (Tenerife subspecies) Zona Recreativo de Chio botanical gardens at the Icona Information Centre shortly before this are also reported to be good for Blue Chaffinch.

4 Heading down the mountain on the TF-21 towards La Orotava, we stopped at a viewpoint (N 28 degrees W 16 degrees ) which happened to be just above the cloud layer that day. The sunlit meadows here were alive with honey bees and butterflies, including a couple of Canary Red Admirals. Lago Abama / Abama Golf Course This golf course on the west coast was a much more pleasant birding location than the more wellknown Amarilla golf course. The directions in Garcia del Rey s book are basically correct, except some road numbers have been redesignated: departing the TF-82 and travelling west on the TF- 465 towards San Juan, after 1½km you pass through an area of lush gardens and there is a chained entrance on the right (N 28 degrees W 16 degrees ). Parking in this entranceway, it s quite a walk down to the lake (would it be possible to use the golf course car park and save yourself a walk?) The lake held Osprey and Little-ringed Plover, while the golf course provided Hoopoe and another trip tick Goldfinch! Barranco del Infierno Where to Watch Birds in the Canaries lists this barranco as the only reliable spot for on the island for Barbary Partridge, a species we still wanted to see properly. In the event we found no partridge, but this was a terrific place to visit anyway. To find the barranco, head for the town of Adeje off the TF1 north of Playa de las Americas, once in town keep heading uphill and the barranco is signposted; park in the Calle Los Molinos near the Restaurant Otelo. Normally it s a 3 entry fee and the number of walkers is limited daily, therefore we half expected to be turned away. Instead we found the site closed for safety reasons floodwater had damaged the path so we just followed everyone else through the hole in the fence. The 3km walk up the valley is very beautiful, finishing at one of the only waterfalls on the island and a huge cavern. Highlights included a pair of juvenile Barbary Falcons and Plain Tiger butterfly. We rounded off with lunch at the Restaurant Otelo, famous for its garlic chicken and its amazing location, facing up the barranco. The La Gomera Ferry The best ferry is the Naviera Armas Volcan de Tegueste. The trip takes an hour and costs 32 return for foot passengers (remember photo ID for boarding). Scopes are useful, but some of our best sightings were close by through binoculars. From Los Christianos there are daily sailings from Los Christianos at 08.45am returning at 5pm, plus extra departures from Los Christianos at 2pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. These afternoon departures are probably best if you just want a seawatching trip. We d been informed that the 2pm outbound trip would be quiet, and the evening one would be the key time for seawatching; but in fact we found exactly the opposite! On the way to Gomera, we saw 4 Bulwer s Petrel, hundreds of Cory s Shearwaters plus close Shortfinned Pilot Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins and a Loggerhead Turtle; while on the way back, only 2 very distant Bulwer s were visible along with diminished numbers of shearwaters and whales. Our 1½ hours on La Gomera gave little time to do anything but check out the park in the middle of town. This cat-infested park provided our first Monarch butterfly of the trip, plus numerous African Grass Blues and a very nervous-looking Hoopoe! Punta de la Rasca / El Fraille reservoir (Embalse de Salema) The whole of this headland and its adjacent reservoir are now effectively fenced off and unviewable. The only new bird here was Stone Curlew, although Spectacled Warbler and Great Grey Shrike provided some interest If you do decide to visit the area, coming from Guargacho on the TF-652 towards Ten-Bel, turn right onto the TF-653 then after 2km turn left at the roundabout onto the TF-66 towards Las Galletas. After 3km this reaches another roundabout with a GAS petrol station; turn right here into El Fraille then continue straight ahead through town. Turn left just before a football pitch, then

5 right onto another track alongside the pitch and follow this to a red+white gate (N 28 degrees W 16 degrees ). We parked here and walked to the new security barrier. From a low hill nearby it is possible to scope the gulls on the reservoir fence. Ten-Bel (Costa del Silencio) This once-nice resort is looking a bit worse for wear, but there are a number of introduced species to see. Arriving on the main TF-652 from the Guargacho direction, on the main street (Avenida Jose Antionio Tavio) we spotted some Monk Parakeets flying over and followed them to a colony near the Calle Diana, where Ring-necked Parakeets were also present on some bird feeders. Eventually we found our way to the Plaza park which held a pair of Hoopoe and more African Grass Blue butterflies. Northeast of this park we heard some waxbill-type calls coming from the large trees off the Calle Andromeda. Guargacho track This is described in Garcia del Rey s book as the best location for Lesser Short-toed Lark, from where they may be heard singing. Arriving in Guargacho town on the TF652 from the north, park by the parade of shops on the right and cross the road to take the Calle Camino de Archiles by some Indian Laurel trees (not the native laurels). This track bears left around a football pitch and into an area of dry fields, eventually nearing the boundary of the Amarilla golf course (although netted banana plantations block off the track before it gets there). The larks used to sing around here; however the faint, distant song we heard on arrival turned out to be a Nightingale trapped under the banana netting! The dry fields did hold a family flock of Barbary Partridge, several Spectacled Warblers and a number of the Tenerife race of Great Grey Shrike, so certainly worth a visit. Amarilla Golf Course This has to be one of the grimmest birding locations in Tenerife (possibly the world?), hemmed in by banana netting to the west and ugly housing development to the east, with the added risk of being concussed by golf balls. Amarilla and the neighbouring Golf del Sur course are chiefly migrant spots, so perhaps we shouldn t have been surprised to see very little here in June. The only bright spot was a butterfly tick in the car park Geranium Bronze. If you do decide to go, the best route is to leave the TF-1 at junction 24 for San Miguel, then take the last exit, towards Las Galletas on the TF-655. Turn left into the town of Las Chafiras soon after this, then follow the signs in town for the Amarilla golf course (ignoring ones for the Golf del Sur). Eventually you arrive to a track exiting Las Chafiras towards the Amarilla; there s an interesting reservoir just here, described in Garcia del Rey s book (N 28 degrees W 16 degrees ). Geranium Bronze, Amarilla Golf Course El Medano This site east of the airport was our last stop before flying home, so we spent a good couple of hours exploring around the El Medano lagoon and the area west of the tourist resort for looking for possible Kentish Plover. This was interesting semi-desert habitat, different from elsewhere, but sadly devoid of birds! A few Berthelot s Pipits were literally the only species present.

6 BIRD SPECIES LIST Total: 44 species Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) (Cat.D): 3 at Erjos Ponds; 10 adults at the reservoir near Amarilla Golf Course. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) (Cat.D?): genuine vagrant? 1 at the reservoir near Amarilla Golf Course. Maybe a Barbary Partridge (Alectoris barbara) (Cat.C): A flock of 6 alongside the runway at Reina La Sofia airport were the first birds we saw after landing! A creche of at least 25 birds were seen well near the Guargacho track. Cory s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedia): Very common on the surrounding seas: roughly 100 seen from the Mirador La Grimona, and roughly 200 present around the Garichico Rock on the second visit. By far the best views were from the Gomera ferry. Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus): 1 seen from the Gomera ferry. Also, both evening seawatches at the Garichoco Rock recorded a lone shearwater arriving that was probably this species. Bulwer s Petrel (Bulweria bulwerii): A total of 5 were seen from the Gomera ferry, including superb views of 2 passing close in front of the boat. Little Egret (Egretta alba): Rock. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus): Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo): 3 at the reservoir near Amarilla Golf Course; 2 at Garachico 1 perched at Lago Abama. Common. Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus): Several individuals seen every day. Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus): Very common; often seen carrying canary lizards. Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides): Our most prolonged views (though distant) were of 2 immatures on crags above the Barranco del Infierno. Also good views of 2 circling over the pass at Masca, 1 hunting overhead at the crosspaths near Erjos village, and brief views of singles over Garichoco rock and Mirador La Grimona, plus the pair on the road to Punta de Teno. Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus): 4 at Erjos Ponds; 2 at the reservoir near Amarilla Golf Course; pair with 4 chicks at Lago Abama. Coot (Fulica atra): 2 at Erjos Ponds. Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus): 1 near El Fraille. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius): 1 at Lago Abama. Greenshank (Tringa nebularia): 1 at the reservoir en route to Amarilla Golf Course Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis): Common around the coast; maximum count of 30 in the harbour at Las Galletas.

7 Rock Dove (Columba livia): coasts. Common, with many pure Rock Dove types around the Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae): We estimated at least 10 individuals were present at the Mirador La Grimona on both evenings we visited. Most views were of birds doing display flight, but also some perched. Bolle s Pigeon (Columba bollii): Our best and most prolonged views were at the Mirador La Grimona, 4 were seen on the first visit (including a displaying to a at one point), though only 1 on the second visit. We also had a good close view of 1 in flight at the Erjos cross-paths. Along the Monte del Agua forest track at Erjos, we picked out 2 birds in the canopy as we walked along, though these were extremely flighty. We also saw 1 perched bird and 5 flying birds (all distantly) from the Marker 7 viewpoint here. Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto): Very common throughout. In Ten Bel, we looked and listened for possible Barbary Dove but found only Collared. Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur): Grimona. 1 at Teno Alto; 3 individuals at Erjos; 2 at Mirador La Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) (Cat.C): 6 on bird feeders at the Tel-Bel resort. Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) (Cat.C): Roughly individuals around the colony in Ten-Bel resort. Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus): We did check all our swifts every day, but managed just 1 confirmed Pallid Swift, over the Ten-Bel resort. Plain Swift (Apus unicolor): Very common, with our first one seen at the airport car park! An unusual partial albino bird, present in the Barranco del Infierno, strongly resembled a Needletail at first glance! Hoopoe (Upupa epops): 1 in the park in San Sebastian de la Gomera; 2 in the Plaza Park at Ten-Bel resort; 1 at Abama Golf Course. Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major)(canaries race): A family group of at least 4 seen at the Zona Reacreativo de Chio picnic site, easy to photograph when drinking from the taps! Berthelot s Pipit (Anthus berthelotii):common in open habitat in most parts of the island. Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea): Present at almost all freshwater sites on Tenerife. One was singing from the roof of our accommodation most mornings. Robin (Erithacus rubecula - canarian subspecies): juvenile in the fields plus several more in the forest. Seen only in the Erjos area, an adult with a Blackbird (Turdus merula): Common in all suitable habitat. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapella): Seen and heard around Erjos, Santiago, Adeje, Guargacho, Abama Golf Course and Masca. Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala): 1 at Teno Alto; 1 at Erjos village; 3 at Erjos Ponds; 3 at Masca; 1 at Abama Golf Course; also several in the Barranco del Infierno.

8 Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata): Only seen in the south of the island: at least 3 along the Guargacho track, and 1 at El Fraille. Canary Islands ChiffChaff (Phylloscopus canariensis): habitat. Abundant in all woods & cultivated Tenerife Kinglet (Regulus teneriffae): A family feeding young, roughly 1km along the Erjos forest track, seen on both visits. We didn t try any other sites for this species. African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae): Fairly common in all woodland habitat. A family group were present near our accommodation at Erjos, with the male singing regularly from the roof. Another family group were at the Zona Reacreativo de Chio picnic site off the C823. Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor)(subspecies koenigi): Seen fairly easily in the southern semideserts: at least 5 along the Guargacho track; 2 in the Punta de la Rasca area. Also searched for in the volcanic desert south of the Base del Teide, without success. Raven (Corvus corax): also heard calling at Masca. 1 over the road to Punta de Teno; 2 along the C823 east of Chio; Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis): Gomera.. Fairly common in all towns around Tenerife and La Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) : The race Teneriffae was distinctly different from the European race, and was present in most forested areas i.e. near Teno Alto, Erjos, Blue Chaffinch (Fringilla teydea): At least 12 present at the Zona Reacreativo de Chio picnic site off the C823, including a juvenile bird. 1 feeding in the car park of the Restaurant El Portilla at the junction of the TF-21 / TF-24; also said to be easy in the nearby botanic gardens. Linnet (Carduelis cannabina): 2 at Teno Alto; 4 in Erjos woods; 3 at Erjos village. Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis): 2 at Abama Golf Course was our only sighting. Atlantic Canary (Serinus canaria): Abundant in most habitat except the semi-deserts of the far south. I was surprised to read of previous visitors having to search for this species; perhaps time of year is a factor? Birds Missed: Little Shearwater: Our evenings at Garachico rock failed to produce; perhaps an early morning seawatch at Punta de Teno might have been a better plan. Lesser Short-toed Lark: Previously two subspecies were present on Tenerife, but it s possible that both have now died out. A tiny population of the nominate subspecies was present near the Aeroporto Los Rodeos in the north, and an equally small number of the endemic Tenerife subspecies survived in the south and was occasionally seen at Amarilla golf course / Guargacho track. Reports from 2008 and 2012 of wintering birds at Punta de Teno lark fields suggest that one or other of these populations may still survive. Rock Sparrow: These winter at Punta de Teno lark fields, and in breeding season have been variously reported from the Teno Alto/ Masca/ Santiago areas. It is difficult to begin searching for them - almost everwhere looks like perfect habitat!

9 Trumpeter Finch: Last recorded on Montaña de Guaze in 2004, sadly this species almost certainly appears to have died out. MAMMALS: Short-finned Pilot Whale: At least 30 seen from the La Gomera ferry, with one school coming closer to investigate the boat. Bottle-nosed Dolphin: Several small schools from the La Gomera ferry. European Free-tailed Bat? (Tadarida teniotis): A medium-sized bat species with a pale underside was seen flying persistently back and forth, low over the roof lighting of our accommodation in Erjos. Free-tailed bat seems the most likely candidate, the only other insect-eating species of any size on the island being the Leisler s or lesser noctule bat, which normally feeds higher than this. Algerian Hedgehog (Cat C): Several dead on the roads, Erjos/Santiago area. Rabbit: At Erjos Ponds and Teno Alto; droppings were found as high as Mt Teide. Feral Cat: Common around both islands. AMPHIBIANS & REPTILES: Marsh Frog: Several calling at Erjos Ponds in the evening. Common Frog: 3 in the Barranco del Infierno. Canary Islands Lizard: Very common. At Mirador la Grimona, they could even be hand fed on chunks of banana. Loggerhead Turtle: 3 seen from the La Gomera ferry, including one close in BUTTERFLIES: Many of our butterflies were recorded in the Erjos area, where we spent plenty of time. It was noticeable that the butterflies at Erjos became far more visible as the temperature hit the high twenties, as opposed to a normal day in the mid-twenties. Our best Tenerife finds included Plain Tiger and Geranium Bronze. We missed some hoped-for species including American Painted Lady, Canarian Skipper (previously regarded as the Canarian race of lulworth skipper), and Canarian Grayling. The grayling apparently prefers scrubby gullies on the north side of the island. **=endemic species Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli) (Cat.C): 2 in the car park at Amarilla Golf Course. African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna): Several dozen in the park at San Sebastian de la Gomera, and another colony in the Plaza Park at Ten-Bel. Canary Blue (Cyclyrius webbianus)**: Very common above 1500m on Mt Teide. Several dozen at the Zona Reacreativo de Chio picnic site, and beside the TF-21 en route to Mt Teide. Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus): 2 Erjos village.

10 Monarch (Danaus plexippus): 1 at San Sebastian de la Gomera, nectaring on flowering trees in the park; 1 in Ten-Bel; 1 at Amarilla Golf Course; 1 at Abama Golf Course. Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus): 1 in the Barranco del Infierno (the species has been reported from this site before). An unexpected bonus, this is uncommon on the island. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui): 1 at Erjos village; also several probables flew past at different sites. Canarian Red Admiral (Vanessa vulcania) **: Seen on most days, including 1 at Erjos village, 1 at Masca and 2 at the wildflower meadow on the road from Mt. Teide. No definite sighting of a european Red Admiral, though several unidentified admiral sp. whizzed past. (Regarded until recently as a race of Indian Red Admiral). Canary Brimstone (Gonepteryx cleobule)**: 2 near the top of the Barranco del Infierno; 1 at Erjos village. (Previously regarded as the Canarian race of the Cleopatra butterfly). Meadow Brown: Fairly common at Erjos village and many other sites. Canary Large White (Pieris cheiranthi) **: Barranco del Infierno; 2 in Erjos woods. 1 at Teno Alto; 4 by the waterfall at the top of the Canary Speckled Wood (Pararge xiphioides)**: Several seen on our second visit to Erjos woods. Also 1 in Erjos village; 1 at Teno Alto; 1 in the Barranco del Infierno; 2 at Santiago del Teide. Small White (Artogeia rapae): Abundant. Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea): Singles seen on most days. Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas): A few seen on most days. Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera): elsewhere, but locations not recorded). One at the crosstracks at Erjos; (more sightings Bath White (Pontia daplidice): Very common. Hummingbird Hawk Moth (Macroglossum stellatarum): 1 in Erjos Woods. Copyright PMCallagher, 2013 May only be copied for personal use. pmcallagher@yahoo.co.uk