Botanising the Canary Islands – La Palma and La Gomera

La Palma

Euphorbia canariensis - reminiscent of organ pipes

It gave me a considerable thrill as our plane descended into La Palma to notice the Canary Island Spurge growing on hillsides. It was in December 2002 when my wife and I made our first visit to the Canary Islands. We had been intending to go to India, but a period of intense internal religious conflict made that trip impossible. At very short notice, we needed to find somewhere for a holiday. A stunning photograph in a brochure of the Caldera de Taburiente decided us, we chose La Palma.

Our first experiences in La Palma were not as happy as they might have been. On the coach taking us to where we were to stay, I asked our tour operations representative about car hire. She gave the opinion that she doubted whether it would be possible. Our spirits took a further dive when the site of the hotel was indicated to us. It was a hotel with a beach, surrounded for miles by acre after acre of banana plantations. Luckily at the hotel reception, car hire presented no problems, so the next morning we had a car to take us around the island.

In many people’s eyes, looking for roadside plants while driving is far from a good idea, and my wife was strongly of this opinion. Although I was confident that looking out for endemics while negotiating tight, hairpin bends was quite safe, she was not. [She still isn't]

One species I did spot from the car in some quantity in an area of woodland was the orchid Habenaria tridactylites which was in fine flower.

Habenaria tridactylites

After I had taken a good series of photos, we drove towards the southern end, where the most recent volcanic activity on the island had taken place. The vegetation was just recovering on the black volcanic ash, and a plant I was particularly pleased to see was Ceropegia hians.

Tenerife: Visit to Las Canadas National Park

One of the most dramatic and rewarding experiences in Tenerife is a visit to Las Canadas National Park. This wonderful area is designated as a World Heritage Site. The whole park is a caldera that consists of the remains of a super volcano that collapsed nearly two hundred thousand years ago. Today, we think of the massive volcanic cone of Teide as being impressive; it is the highest mountain in Spain, but it is nothing compared to the original volcano that stood on this site.

A visit to Las Canadas National Park from Puerto de la Cruz starts with a drive through a large amount of suburbia. However, this can be interesting for the botanist. On a wall beside a suburban road, we found the Canarian endemic member of the stonecrop family, Aichryson parlatorei in excellent flower. Entering the edges of Aguamanza, and before reaching the pine forest, on the roadside verge were fine examples of the beautiful, purple flowered endemic Pericallis echinata and on the same verge was the endemic figwort, Scrophularia smithii.

Aichryson parlatorei

Pericallis echinata

On leaving the suburbs, the terrain begins to rise up towards the caldera through a zone of Canarian Pine Forest. The species of pine making up the woodland is Pinus canariensis and is endemic to the Canary Islands. Especially on Tenerife, it produces large areas of forest. Amongst other things, this habitat is home to the delightful and endemic Blue Chaffinch. As lichens are a group that I am particularly interested in, I was delighted to see a range of species that would never grow on pine in Britain, but are doing exceptionally well on the trees here. Species included the hairlike Alectoria sarmentosa and Usnea articulata which were surprisingly difficult to separate when growing together in Tenerife. Perhaps the greatest surprises were great cabbage-like bushes of Common Lungwort Lobaria pulmonaria and the delightful, bright yellow lichen Teloschistes flavicans. This latter is particularly rare in Britain, and is particularly pollution sensitive.

Canary Island Pine Forest
(Photograph: Amanda Davey)

Lobaria pulmonaria

Teloschistes flavicans – photographed on the Anaga Ridge

At lower levels, the flowering plant flora of the woodland is not rich, but as it opens out higher up, the verges especially support a wide range of species. These include the almost white endemic Sideritis oroteneriffae which seems to be restricted to a particular altitude zone in the higher part of the forest. Sideritis is another of those genera that has many endemic relatives in the Canary islands. Also seen here are Aeonium sedifolium and areas where the beautiful, if introduced, Californian Poppy makes a striking show. Another rather scarce little plant from this zone is Helianthemum juliae. The distinctive black triangular shapes at the base of the petals help to distinguish it from other rock roses. It grows amongst its much taller relative Cistus symphytifolius with its large pink flowers. In this same area, the close relative of Cistus symphytifolius occurs, but is rare and differs only slightly. This is Cistus osbeckifolius, a species that I looked out for hard, but failed to find.

Sideritis oroteneriffae

Aeonium spathulatum

Helianthemum juliae

Cistus symphytifolius

Once out into the open and arid countryside of Las Canadas Country Park, the main features are the dotted, bushy clumps of species such as the white Spartocytisus supranubius, the yellow Tolpis webbii and Adenocarpus viscosus. The white flowered Argyranthemum teneriffae is abundant, especially by the road, as is the scabious relative Pterocephalus lasiospermus. These are the main components of much of the flora of Las Canadas.

Teide

Road through Las Canadas
(Photograph: Amanda Davey)

Las Canadas Vegetation
(Photograph: Amanda Davey)

Argyranthemum  teneriffae

Pterocephalus lasiospermus

Spartocytisus supranubius

It is on approaching the base of Teide and the Parador that the most dramatic species of the area becomes such a feature. This is the endemic bugloss Echium wildpretii that is virtually restricted to Las Canadas in the world. Outside Las Canadas, and entering it from the south, it can be encountered just above Viraflor where Lotus bertelotii can be seen so well. Close to the base of Teide is the real home of Echium wildpretii, where its tall spikes can dominate the arid volcanic landscape.

Echium wildpretii
(Photograph: Amanda Davey)

One species I had particularly hoped to find is the endemic Viola cheiranthifolia. This delightful little plant grows amongst stones on the slopes of Mount Teide itself. Although I was given directions to a relatively low altitude spot where it was supposed to be, even scanning with binoculars I failed to find it. I had also hoped perhaps to see it in one of the gardens I visited, but this plant eluded me. Perhaps May is the wrong time of year for it.

In the past, there were gardens surrounding the Park Visitor Centre, where a number of the endemic species of Las Canadas could be seen. This included the rare Cheirolophus teydis with its pale yellow flowers. Cheirolophus is another important genus with several Canarian endemic species, and most are rather rare, and restricted in range. I have only ever seen this one in flower in September and October. This time I could not even see it in seed.

Cheirolophus teydis

Another blue flowered endemic with a very restricted range is Nepeta teydea. My experience is that it is restricted to a small area to the south west of Teide itself where it is easy to see on the roadside verge. Also growing in this area is the ordinary, but endemic Arrhenatherum calderae, a relative of our very common false oat grass. This one, however is extremely restricted in occurrence.

Nepeta teydea

Arrhenatherum calderae

No visit to Las Canadas would be complete without a chance to marvel at its volcanic splendour. At 3718 metres (12198 feet) Mount Teide is a high, and impressive mountain. At this altitude, it frequently retains snow on its upper reaches well into May. It is possible to ascend the mountain by cable car. More often than not, the view, although majestic, is a sea of white cloud far below, out of which emerge other members of the Canarian archipelago. Beneath the summit can be seen Teide’s Nostrils. These are the result of an eruption that was witnessed by Columbus as he sailed past Tenerife in the 16th century. The last eruption took place in 1909, and during one eighteenth-century eruption, the harbour of a fishing village (Garachico) on the north coast was dramatically filled with larva.

Teide’s Nostrils

Landscape dominated by volcanic lava
(Photograph: Amanda Davey)

Solidified lava flow near the base of Mount Teide

Banded volcanic ash near the edge of Las Canadas National Park

La Palma rising above surrounding cloud

Two features of particular importance are the dramatic lava flow that can be seen from the road close to the base of Mount Teide. A convenient car park allows the visitor to enjoy fine views of it. On leaving Las Canadas on one of the major access roads that heads to La Laguna, the road passes by a spectacular series of layers of ash ranging from white to almost black. Once again, there is a convenient car park here, and in suitable weather, which is frequent, the island of La Palma to the west can be seen rising from the surrounding cloud bank. One feature of Canarian weather seems to be that the Anaga Ridge, and Puerto de la Cruz are frequently smothered in cloud while Las Canadas National Park rises majestically above it.

Paying Homage to Lotus berthelotii

Arid habitat above the sea near San Isidro

It was fairly early in our holiday in Tenerife that my wife and I decided we should go and visit Vilaflor to try and see Lotus berthelotii.  I say try to see, since I did not know whether the time we were there was its flowering season, and the information we had received might not have been taking this into account. The first part of the journey was along the motorway that connects Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the airport and the south east of the island. My wife Amanda was map reading, and indicated where we should leave the motorway, and strike up into the hills.

The road we took was not busy and soon after we had started climbing, we passed through some interesting, dry habitat where there was a very convenient parking place. The area was close to the sea, and as well as being arid, had a considerable maritime influence. The first species I found belonged to Lotus, a genus I am particularly interested in. Although common and usually in maritime habitats, it was nonetheless good to find Lotus glaucus in reasonable quantities. Frankenia capitata also added to maritime species as did Aizoon canariense, a maritime species that is not typical of its family Aizoaceae.

Lotus glaucus. Near the village of San Isidro

Frankenia capitata. Coastal species from near San Isidro

Aizoon canariense. Canary Islands, coastal endemic

Tenerife, the Jewel in a botanical crown

Isoplexis canariensis A beautiful endemic
on the roadside, Anaga Ridge.    

The endemic flora of the Canary Islands is incredible, and Tenerife is arguably the most exciting island in the archipelago for its plants. The Canary Islands sit out in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, and have a very variable climate, ranging from the wet, warm and temperate island of La Palma in the west, to the hot, arid island of Lanzarote in the east. The flora of the Canary Islands is dominated by a number of genera such as Echium, Aeonium, Sonchus, Pericallis and Euphorbia. One or two endemic members of genera such as Lotus  and Limonium are also a fascinating feature; in fact the flora is so rich, it is difficult to summarise it by mentioning its important genera.

Looking at the flora of other Atlantic Islands, they are not as rich. Madeira has a few members of the Canarian genera, while the Azores and the flora of the Cape Verde Islands share little in common with the Canarian flora. A question that has been asked many times is; ‘where did this flora come from?’ One answer is that it is a remaining fragment of the flora of the African Sahara before it became a desert. However, the fringes of coastal, Mediterranean Africa and the mountains of Morocco, which have a relatively similar climate, bear little resemblance to the current endemic flora of the Canary Islands. There are also one or two genera with a beautiful single species in the Canary Islands that have no close relatives elsewhere. These include the beautiful bellflower Canarina canariensis and the member of Scrophulariaceae, Isoplexis canariensis.  Limonium sinuatum in Gibraltar is similar to the endemic Limonium species of the Canaries, but Europe has none of the extreme Echium species such as Echium wildpretii, simplex and pininana of the Canaries, neither are there any Aeoniums or the wonderful member of Sonchus that grace the Canarian flora. Even the far out possibility that the Canarian Flora is botanical proof of the existence of Atlantis has been aired.

To Twitch or not to twitch – that IS a question!

Dusky Thrush, Margate Cemetery, May 2013

Not long ago, a rare bird from the far east, a Dusky Thrush turned up in East Kent. This was the first time this species had been available in Britain to be seen by potential admirers since 1960. On this occasion, it attracted about a thousand people during the day after it had been announced the previous evening just before midnight. In fact, it was my wife who told me of it, as she saw it mentioned on Twitter. One of the few who had seen it in 1960, told a friend that in those days, he had been informed of it by a friend in a letter. It seems the great Ron Johns who had the longest list for many years was also informed of the same Dusky Thrush by letter, and in fact the two of them went together by train the very next day. How communications have changed since then! In the event, on this 2013 occasion, the bird remained for just one day after it had been announced.

My experience of it started in a fairly leisurely way with a cup of coffee at a sociable hour in the morning. I consulted Bird Alert to find that the bird was indeed showing quite well, so after finishing my coffee, I got up and then left for East Kent at around ten thirty. How different this was to how I would have been in the early days of my twitching when North Yorkshire, or even Northumberland would have been considered, and I would have left at 3 o’clock in the morning! In the event, I arrived at the site at around midday. The latest news was that it was quite easy to see the bird, but that it was sitting in fairly dense cover where it had been for an hour or two.  Being in dense cover, it had to be viewed in small pieces at a time, that is a tail, followed by a beak, and then a wing if one was lucky.

Scilly Birding - my first book!

Something really good turns up

In just five days time (on 25th April 2013), my first book will be released for publication. Brambleby Books are publishing “Scilly Birding – Joining the Madding Crowd”. In 1984, I joined a group of pretty fanatical bird watchers to spend a fortnight in the Isles of Scilly. I had only been hooked on twitching rare birds for about six months, so the experience of being in the company of over a thousand rabidly keen birders was totally new. This gave me the opportunity to observe from a totally fresh perspective, the antics, joy and despair of dedicated enthusiasts. During that fortnight, I developed a way of being in the right place at the right time by predicting the reactions of the majority, and thereby attempting to be able to enjoy birds in the presence of just a few. 1984 was a most memorable year for birds on the Scillies, and these included several charismatic American visitors, all of which gave us a good old run around. The hours spent in silence under taxing weather conditions in order to catch a glimpse of a little bundle of feathers was an experience I had never had before. The book describes, in a hopefully amusing way, the trials and tribulations, as well as the joys and enthusiasms these experiences gave.

As the fortnight progressed, I got to know one or two of the seriously experienced Scilly birders. People who, during the fortnight, would be lucky to see one new bird. It was in some ways embarrassing that I added an amazing twenty-six new species to my British bird list ending the fortnight with a list of two hundred and fifty. On my last full day I was in the company of two birders with British totals of around the then magical four hundred mark. All three of us had seen the bird of the moment, a quite remarkably beautiful Rock Thrush and a very rare bird indeed in Britain.

“Simon, never let yourself become a yesterday’s man,” They advised. “Always try to end the day without a today’s bird still to be caught up with.” We were sitting on a rock outcrop close to a headland. Suddenly the Rock Thrush flew towards us, and perched on a rock a few feet away. The views we had of it were utterly stunning, and relaxed. Suddenly several birders broke the skyline in the direction from which the Rock Thrush had arrived. It was moments later that they began to rush towards us. Having wings, the Rock Thrush, the bird of the moment, alighted and flew off another quarter of a mile away from its would-be admirers.

“Yesterday’s men……all of them,” my companions scoffed.

“Seen the bird?” a breathless lad demanded as he caught up with us.

More on the Exciting New Lichens in Sussex

Teloschistes chrysophthalmus - the Tangerine

Mark Jackson who lives in Southampton should be crowned the Teloschistes chrysophthalmus King. Recently, I received an e-mail from him saying that he had found eight bushes with Teloschistes to the north east of Brighton, and another two not too far from where he originally found it. Inspired by this news, I went over to have a look at areas between Birling Gap and Beachy Head where there were masses of thorn bushes in open country that seemed ideal. I was utterly convinced I would be successful, but in the event, I failed to find any. Having never ever actually seen Teloschistes chrysophthalmus without being shown it, I resolved to go and have a look at one of Mark’s sites for which I had very accurate grid references. In spite of this, it took me some time to find his two bushes with it on.