Pipit on parade
Many of the plants on Gran Canaria have given up on having leaves. Some have evolved to simply have stems and spikes, like true cacti. Others conserve all the water they can and burst into flower and leaf for a few months. These fleshy-stemmed plants are a delight.
So is this Berthelot’s Pipit. What a beautiful bird. It’s got that thin beak so essential to insect eaters
It’s a long way down to the seabirds skipping over the waves.
The afternoon light’s beautiful here.
It’s very relaxing to see white waves breaking in turquoise seas.
How dare the books refer to this beautiful bird as ‘undistinguished’?
They’ve obviously never really, really looked.
More from Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria – the outtakes It's been an incredible few days in Gran Canaria with my son. We've laughed and smiled at so many great… read more
Barranco de Barafonso My son has another photograph he'd like to take. He's researched it all and knows the route we'll be taking… read more
The dunes of Maspalomas My son has a specific photograph in mind and he wants to get it. He's a very driven young man.… read more
Canary Islands Chiffchaff on the balcony We're in Gran Canaria for a few days and we've moved to Agaete, a coastal town. There's a wonderful walk… read more
Pipit We can see Tenerife in the distance. The peak, Teide, is 3718 meters high. No wonder it's visible above the clouds.… read more
Incoming! We've diverted from our route slightly to visit Roque Bentayga on Gran Canaria. Looking down into the ravine, it's great… read more
A Canary Islands Robin deep in the prehistoric Laurel forest A quick check reveals there's a stretch of original Laurisilva forest on our route through Gran Canaria. That's exciting. How… read more
Bertholet’s Pipit on Gran Canaria Clear skies, winding roads, sea spray; what's not to like? We're driving on the GC-200 through Parque Natural Tamadaba on… read more
Sunset at Mirador del Balcón My son suggests a place he really wants to go in Gran Canaria. It's a viewpoint over the ocean at… read more