October is a favorite month for traveling. The veggie garden is about finished in Michigan and it’s past high tourist season in most areas we want to visit. Our trip to the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands, originally scheduled in 2021, had been cancelled and postponed at least twice due to Covid-19, so we were ready to go! This Bucket focuses on the Canary Islands.
The Canary Islands (/kəˈnɛəri/; Spanish: Canarias, pronounced [kaˈnaɾjas]), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Morocco. (Wikipedia)
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
WE INVITE YOU TO NOTE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AROUND YOU IN YOUR OWN PART OF THE WORLD, AND TO SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF THE DAILY BUCKET FEATURE, CHECK OUT THIS DIARY: DAILY BUCKET PHENOLOGY: 11 YEARS OF RECORDING EARTH'S VITAL SIGNS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
The Canaries are supposedly named after Canids (dogs), rather than the ubiquitous yellow birds. Not really after dogs either, but seals or “sea dogs”, thanks to Pliny the Elder. Wild or Atlantic canaries (Serinus canaria) are named after the islands and are native to the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira.
The Canary Islands have only two endemic terrestrial mammals: the Canary Shrew (Crocidura canariensis) and the Canary Big-eared Bat (Plecotus teneriffae).
The first human inhabitants of the Canaries were Berbers from North Africa. They were invaded and conquered by the Spanish in the 1400s.
We visited 3 of the eight main islands, not including landing in Tenerife. The islands are volcanic and sub-tropical, but with distinct microclimates. After flying into Tenerife in the evening, we boarded ship and set sail for La Gomera. Our ship was small, with about 93 passengers (59 cabins).
La Gomera
The Canary Island National Parks had been closed for weeks due to high temperatures, increased fire danger, and active fires. The schools had been closed, too. Very luckily for us, the heat wave broke on the day we arrived and we were able to hike in the Garajonay National Park on La Gomera. The park is known for the Laurisilva cloud forest, dominated by broadleaf evergreen trees and shrubs.
Laurel forests are found in the islands of Macaronesia in the eastern Atlantic, in particular the Azores, Madeira Islands, and Canary Islands from 400 to 1200 metres elevation. Trees of the genera Apollonias (Lauraceae), Ocotea (Lauraceae), Persea (Lauraceae), Clethra (Clethraceae), Dracaena (Ruscaceae), and Picconia (Oleaceae) are characteristic.[14] The Garajonay National Park, on the island of La Gomera and the Laurisilva in the Madeira Island were designated World Heritage sites by UNESCO in 1986 and 1999, respectively. They are considered the best remaining examples of the Atlantic laurel forest, due to their intact nature.[15] The paleobotanical record of the island of Madeira reveals that laurisilva forests have existed on this island for at least 1.8 million years.[16]
El Hierro's size and geography supports entirely endemic species including the critically endangered El Hierro giant lizard (Gallotia simonyi), for which there is a captive breeding programme, allowing its reintroduction.[20]
The non-barren parts of the interior rely on relief precipitation, not much more than the average of 19 rainfall days per year, high relative humidity and geothermal springs. This non-arid parts have thermophilous (geothermal heat-liking) juniper clumps and a pine forest with other evergreens.[20] In 2000, El Hierro was designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, with 60% of its territory protected to preserve its natural and cultural diversity.[20] Among cetaceans in these waters, it is notable that several species of lesser known beaked whales inhabit around the island.[21]
We hiked the Camino de la Llania, through more Laurel Cloud Forest and Canary Island Pine forest, as well as open arid areas.
Our day had started out relatively clear, but by the time we were ready to head back to the coast the clouds had blown in so thickly that you couldn’t see beyond a few feet.
The difference in the weather and vegetation of the arid coast and the interior cloud forest was striking on all the islands we visited.
We stopped to view lava scars from the 2021 eruption. La Palma and Tenerife are the most volcanically active islands in the Canaries.
Next was a hike part way around the Caldera de Taburiente, which collapsed about a half million years ago.
We saw European Kestrels frequently, but I couldn’t get pictures of them. There were many small birds, including wild canaries and Chiffchaffs.
This Chough was perched on the top of the excellent Volcano Visitor Center on La Palma, calling to a buddy who was somewhere in the botanical gardens.
Back in the port of Santa Cruz, we enjoyed a walk around town.
We departed the Canary Islands for the Cape Verde archipelago (about 2 days at sea).
A juvenile Red-footed Booby flew around the ship one afternoon (Sula sula, identified by the naturalist on staff). There were a few other pelagic birds. The Booby video is 1:19 in length. It was successfully catching Flying fish, although I wasn’t able to capture that on video.
We saw multitudes of Flying Fish (video 0:11 seconds, don’t blink or you’ll miss them). They can glide up to 650 feet.
in sw michigan The high today will be in the 30s f and overcast. Temperatures are dropping into the 20s overnight.
Now it’s your turn! What’s happening in your backyard?
Any observations from travels near or far?