Searching for Tenerife’s endemics April 17–April 21

[Stevieb]

Firstly, a huge thanks to Paul Selby and David Moore for kindly advising me on some of the better locations to visit.

Unlike David, I don’t have near full autonomy on my trips abroad as I have a very patient wife waiting back at the hotel. For this holiday my trips out where generally timed from 9am to 2pm. Given the size of Tenerife this wasn’t a problem as the furthest site I visited was no more than 1hr 15 minutes away from the hotel with the other sites considerably closer.

Day 1. I had my hire car delivered to the hotel for 9am. A nice Peugeot 208 with the all-important Apple CarPlay so that I could use my google maps app with my pinned sites.

First port of call, driving north up TF-1 and then TF-82, was the lush hillsides of Erjos. I’d visited this place in the past as it’s an excellent site for birding. I arrived on site after about a 45-minute drive. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and quite cool when I arrived, which didn’t bode well.

Parking up at the Restaurante Fleytas on the TF-82 I headed off on the tracks around Charcas de Erjos. First endemic picked up within the first 10 meters of the track, Canary Speckled Wood. These would prove common throughout the walk and indeed all the sites visited on the island.

Erjos flower meadows

Erjos track

Canary Speckled Wood Pararge xiphioides

Canary Speckled Wood Pararge xiphioides

Canary Speckled Wood Pararge xiphioides

[Stevieb]

Eventually the sun made a brief appearance, although still cool. More butterflies started appearing with good numbers of Clouded Yellow, a few Long-tailed Blue and a couple of Small Coppers.

Unfortunately, no sign of my much sought after Canary Red Admiral despite David having seen a few at this site and also a fellow enthusiast telling me they were numerous here only a few days ago. Little did I know it at the time, but this species would become my bogy butterfly of the trip.

Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus

Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus

Clouded Yellow Colias croceus

Unsurprisingly there was a good selection of birds to be seen here too with Atlantic Canary and Canary Islands Chiffchaff being most prominent.

Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria

Canary Islands Chiffchaff Phylloscopus canariensis

With mountain cloud beginning to descend into the valley I decided to cut my losses and drive back down the TF-82 towards Santiago del Teide where David had given me some useful info on a Canary Blue site.

David was indeed spot on. Exactly where he had described where he had found them, I came across two of these delightful butterflies.

Canary Blue Cyclyrius webbianus

Canary Blue Cyclyrius webbianus

[Stevieb]

A supporting cast of Bath White, Small Copper and Long-tailed Blue were also present.

Bath White Pontia daplidice

Bath White Pontia daplidice

Two endemics in the bag on morning one. Back to the hotel to join my wife around the pool for the remainder of the afternoon.

Day 2. This morning saw me head up the TF-563 and TF-21 to Mount Tiede. I’d heard that the flowers around the cable car entrance and the café could be good for Canary Red Admiral and Tenerife Green-striped White.

I stopped off on the way at Área Recreativa Las Lajas, a picnic site on the TF-21 north of Vilaflor, the highest village on the island at an altitude of 1,400m. I wanted to get some photos of Tenerife Blue Chaffinch which are both relatively common and approachable at this site.

Once again it was cloudy and very breezy, but the Chaffinches behaved impeccably and came down for some crumbs of croissant that I had brought with me to tempt them.

Tenerife Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea

Tenerife Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea

I’d also heard that Canary Blue was fairly common at this site and indeed there was a large patch of Canary Island Lavender which looked promising, but it was still too breezy and cold to see any.

Canary Island Lavender Lavandula canariensis Las Larjos

At Mount Tiede it was no surprise to find nothing flying around the flowers there due to the cool and breezy conditions.

[Stevieb]

As I drove back down the TF-21 the sun began to make an appearance, so I made the decision to re visit the Área Recreativa Las Lajas. This proved the correct decision as on arrival the sun was warming up the area nicely and this encouraged a plethora of Canary Blues to start flying around the lavender.

Canary Blue Cyclyrius webbianus

Canary Blue Cyclyrius webbianus Female

Canary Blue Cyclyrius webbianus Female

Canary Blue Cyclyrius webbianus Male

Whilst enjoying the company of the blues I noticed a small white butterfly nectoring on the lavender too. It was quite a distance away and by the time I’d got closer it was up and away.
I managed a record shot and discovered, to my delight, it was a Tenerife Green-striped White.

Tenerife Green-striped White Euchloe eversi

[Stevieb]

I still had plenty of time so decided to hang around and hope that the Green-striped White would re-appear. After about 30 minutes it did indeed make another appearance and I was able to get some better shots of my third endemic butterfly of the trip.

Tenerife Green-striped White Euchloe eversi

Tenerife Green-striped White Euchloe eversi

Tenerife Green-striped White Euchloe eversi

Tenerife Green-striped White Euchloe eversi

Tenerife Green-striped White Euchloe eversi

Day 3. This morning was a relatively early start as I wanted to get on site at Mirador de Lagrimona on the TF-5 for when the Laurel Pigeons begin stirring. This is the only endemic Tenerife bird that I hadn’t seen. It was also a site that both David and Paul had recommended for Canary Islands Large White.

Before I had even parked the car, I could see half a dozen Canary Islands Large Whites flitting up and down the opposite hills close to the road. I therefore took it upon myself to cross the busy TF-5 road and brave the traffic to stand on the hard shoulder to take some photographs.

Canary Islands Large White Pieris cheiranthi

Canary Islands Large White Pieris cheiranthi

Canary Islands Large White Pieris cheiranthi

[Stevieb]

Being rather precarious, after a few photos, I decided that a better course of action would be to move onto Zona Recreativa Barranco de Ruiz, just 1.8 kilometers down the road, where hopefully they should be flying too.

Barranco de Ruiz

After climbing the steep steps to the terraced cliff, I headed off on the single track above the Barranco.
It was getting rather warm which was encouraging but no butterflies were in sight. Slight disappointment was suddenly abated when I saw a cracking Laurel Pigeon in flight just above me.

With the temperature still rising butterflies began to show with the ubiquitous Canary Speckled Wood first on the scene swiftly followed by at least 6 or 7 Canary Brimstones. One male in particular was very obliging and allowed close inspection. The rest were all flighty, and I only saw one more Canary Islands Large White in flight, buzzing the male Brimstone sending both in the air and away.

Canary Brimstone Gonepteryx cleobule

Canary Brimstone Gonepteryx cleobule

Canary Brimstone Gonepteryx cleobule

Canary Brimstone Gonepteryx cleobule

With two more endemics ticked off the target list, and with lots of time to spare, I decided to head towards La Orotava, just off the TF-5, to a site I had read about on a birding blog.

Jardines del Marquesado de la Quinta Roja. A bit of a mouthful but essentially a small ornamental garden in the middle of the town. Very nice it was too with Monarchs flitting through, but I was in search of a patch of flowery waste ground adjacent to the gardens.

Flowery waste ground La Orotava

[Stevieb]

This waste ground was filled with butterflies and it’s here that I got my one and only Canary Red Admiral of the trip. Unfortunately I didn’t get the best of photos due to the Red Admirals position but at least I got a couple of record shots.

Canary Red Admiral Vanessa vulcania

Canary Red Admiral Vanessa vulcania

Much to my surprise I also encountered at least four Canary Skippers, a species I was not expecting to see here. All very approachable too. Pressure off on this species and saved me a trip out to Parque de Las Mesas where David had found his.

Canary Skipper Thymelicus christi

Canary Skipper Thymelicus christi

Canary Skipper Thymelicus christi

Canary Skipper Thymelicus christi

Canary Skipper Thymelicus christi

[Stevieb]

Other species seen at this cracking little site included Geranium Bronze, Canary Speckled Wood, long-tailed Blue and Painted Lady

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Geranium Bronze Cacyreus marshalli

Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus

Canary Speckled Wood Pararge xiphioides

All the available Tenerife endemics had now been accounted for after just three mornings searching.

The Canary Grayling would have to be looked for later in the season.

Day 4. A well-deserved rest from driving and yomping up valleys and mountainsides, with sangria and sunbathing the order of the day.

Day 5. My last trip out, due to the rental car having to be handed back tomorrow morning.

I headed east on TF-1 to the Palmetum in Santa Cruz, a 12-hectare botanical garden that specialises in palm trees, in search of some photogenic Monarchs. I’d seen Monarchs at various locations during my jaunts, but always on the wing.

The Palmetum is a known hotspot for a colony of Monarchs around the milkweed plants there.

Palmetum

[Stevieb]

On entering the gardens, the first thing you immediately notice are the hundreds of African Grass Blue around the site.

African Grass Blue Zizeeria knysna Male

African Grass Blue Zizeeria knysna

African Grass Blue Zizeeria knysna Female?

African Grass Blue Zizeeria knysna

Thereafter it was a bee-line to the milkweeds and some very showy Monarchs.

Monarch Danaus plexippus

Monarch Danaus plexippus

Monarch Danaus plexippus

Monarch Danaus plexippus

Another addition to the trip list came in the form of a single female Lang’s Short-tailed Blue which was ovipositing on a single flowering shrub.

Lang’s Short-tailed Blue Leptotes pirithous Female

Lang’s Short-tailed Blue Leptotes pirithous Female

After a very pleasant, but rather hot, few hours it was back to the hotel for a refreshing San Miguel.

[Stevieb]

Amongst the other fauna I saw over the past few days, apart from the birds, my favourites have to be a beautiful male Tenerife Lizard in his breeding finery and a dazzling Scarlet Darter.

Tenerife Lizard Gallotia galloti

Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea

The remaining two days of the holiday were spent lounging around the pool enjoying the all-inclusive amenities on offer.

Tenerife was as good as I thought it would be in offering up its endemic butterflies. A good bit of research beforehand and plenty of kilometers driven certainly produced the goods.

I may have to return for a better photo of my bogy Canary Red Admiral though!

Species list in order seen.

Canary Speckled Wood Pararge xiphioides Endemic
Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus
Clouded Yellow Colias croceus
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Small White Peris rapae
Canary Blue Cyclyrius webbianus Endemic
Bath White Pontia daplidice
Tenerife Green-striped White Euchloe eversi Endemic
Canary Islands Large White Pieris cheiranthi Endemic
Canary Brimstone Gonepteryx cleobule Endemic
Monarch Danaus plexippus
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
Canary Red Admiral Vanessa vulcania Endemic
Canary Skipper Thymelicus christi Endemic
Geranium Bronze Cacyreus marshalli
African Grass Blue Zizeeria knysna
Lang’s Short-tailed Blue Leptotes pirithous

Tenerife is more quality over quantity.

Now to prep for Spain in June

Steve

[millerd]

What a beautiful selection of butterflies, Steve. You are absolutely right about quality. The Canary Brimstone in flight is the standout for me - the upperside is the distinctive feature, and you have captured it splendidly. The Canary Blues come a close second! And by the way...

Cheers,

Dave

[bugboy]

Some lovely images and many pristine individuals too. It may have been you bogey butterfly but that Canary Red Admiral looks very freshly minted Clearly the endemic Brimstones are descended from cleopatra and not rhamni.

[petesmith]

I'll echo the comments above - a great selection of fine shots, Steve. You certainly nailed the endemics! I am envious of your eversi, one still on my hitlist of Canarian endemics.

[selbypaul]

A fantastic report, thanks for sharing Steve!

[Stevieb]

What a beautiful selection of butterflies, Steve. You are absolutely right about quality. The Canary Brimstone in flight is the standout for me - the upperside is the distinctive feature, and you have captured it splendidly. The Canary Blues come a close second! And by the way...

Cheers,

Dave

Many thanks Dave

Some lovely images and many pristine individuals too. It may have been you bogey butterfly but that Canary Red Admiral looks very freshly minted Clearly the endemic Brimstones are descended from cleopatra and not rhamni.

Many thanks. The Canary Red Admiral was indeed very fresh which makes it all the more disappointing that I didn't get a decent photo

I'll echo the comments above - a great selection of fine shots, Steve. You certainly nailed the endemics! I am envious of your eversi, one still on my hitlist of Canarian endemics.

Many thanks Pete, certainly saved me a hairy drive up to Teno which I'm grateful for!

A fantastic report, thanks for sharing Steve!

Thankyou for your help Paul

[Padfield]

I'd just like to add my congratulations, Steve. Really fantastic shots of amazing insects, animals and birds.

Guy

[Stevieb]

I'd just like to add my congratulations, Steve. Really fantastic shots of amazing insects, animals and birds.

Guy

Many thanks Guy. I'm glad you enjoyed them

[David M]

So sorry I'm late commenting, Steve (been leading a tour in Spain since last Saturday).

Really pleased you nailed the endemics (and got such good images of Canary Brimstone).

Couple of places in there I will have to visit when I next go.

Well done!

[Stevieb]

So sorry I'm late commenting, Steve (been leading a tour in Spain since last Saturday).

Really pleased you nailed the endemics (and got such good images of Canary Brimstone).

Couple of places in there I will have to visit when I next go.

Well done!

Many thanks David and many thanks, once again, for your help.

Hope it's not too hot over there for you. Heading there myself in 42 days