Mallorca 2013 (1 Viewer)

Captain_of_Crunch

YVdpep_re64

• Mar 26, 2013

• #81

Mike Montier said:

Yelkouan shearwater is a scarce winter visitor mainly seen off Formentor but I have also seen them at Capdepera lighthouse and I think they are more common near Menorca. Well done for your sightings, great stuff, no Gull-billed terns reported yet so they were a good find. Please keep the reports coming if you can. thanks, Mike

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Thanks for that - have to check out the Menorcan Shearwater, but would be confident that at least one of a number of pale Shearwaters seen (like Manx Shear) was a Yelkouan.

Other recent sightings:

-Albufera: Single Reed, Great Reed and Savi's Warblers heard singing in the reedbed south of the elevated boardwalk just before the visitor centre. A flock of 14 Green Sands flew over as well as did a ring-tail Montagu's Harrier. Yesterday there were two Little Stint and at least 20 Night Herons roosting in the trees along the channel to the visitor centre though only 3 or 4 this morning (40 Cattle Egrets instead). Osprey gave good views catching fish at the extreme NE end ("Ave Segalls ponds"). Stone Curlews also giving good views from the hides just south of the visitor centre.
-Boquer valley had Blue Rock Thrush yesterday evening.
-Two Red Kites at exit 8 along Palma to Alcudia motorway, as well as one about 5 kms west of Pollenca on C-710.
-Two Booted Eagles singing at one site (pale and dark phase)
-Booted Eagle + Black Vulture plus one Subalpine Warbler aong southern shore of Cuber reservoir.
-Salgar Bay had quite a few Balearic Warblers singing on Saturday. Not easy to find amongst many Sardinians but gave good views with some persistence.
-Pollenca Port has some very tame Audoins Gulls, with a couple of Sandwich Terns further out on Sunday afternoon.

Just arrived back home into the snow and will put together a trip report with detailed info & species list in due course.

 

Captain_of_Crunch

YVdpep_re64

• Mar 27, 2013

• #82

Having read up a bit more on Menorcan Shearwater, I think I'll leave the pale shearwaters as unidentified.

Also, is there a local colour ringing scheme of Kentish Plovers? I photographed three Kentish with colour rings and would happily forward the sighting details on to anyone interested.

 

Mike Montier

Well-known member

• Mar 27, 2013

• #83

I will ask around about the colour ringing of Kentish Plovers, I don't know of any but hopefully will find out. Thanks for the sightings and I hope you get time for a trip report. I am off to the UK tomorrow for two weeks so hope that visitors can keep the thread going and I will try to update when I can- only trouble is I am going to Arran!! I will have to dig my way in I think and after all the sunshine here it will be mighty cold. Mike

 

Johnny1

Well-known member

• Mar 27, 2013

• #84

I hate to be the bearer of bad news Mike but according to the weather forcasts it's going to stay cold here right into April, although there isn't any more snow forcast it won't even warm up enough for the snow to thaw! Don't just take a shovel - take a snowplough! and plenty of warm clothes. Hope you enjoy your stay.

 

honeym

Well-known member

• Mar 27, 2013

• #85

Hi Mike

I hope that you have been keeping up-to-date with the news as Arran has been without electricity for some time due to the snow. They hope get it reconnected shortly but there are some places that have been without electricity since last Friday.

I'm staying just south of Dumfries this week and there's still lots of snow on the ground and quite heavy snow at times. Despite the weather we've had some good birds, though. 1000s of Barnacle Geese, plenty of Whooper Swan, a few Pink-feet, Merlin, Peregrine, several Goosander and Goldeneye, a couple of Barn Owls and a male Hen Harrier - many of these from the lounge windows of our cottage!!

Hope you have a good time.

Martin

 

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petervandebraak

Member

• Mar 29, 2013

• #86

Hi, we will come from 1 may till 8 may. I am very curious as to what to see,

Peter

 

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hughm

Well-known member

• Mar 30, 2013

• #87

Hi - at Port de Pollenca tody it was very windy, but sunny. As we arrived last night the Scops Owls were calling, so they have been faithful to the Pollensa Park/ Pollentia site for another year. With the wind there has been nothing special today, but it is always nice to see old favourites like Hoopoe, Fan-tailed Warbler and Audouins Gull again. We only got to La Gola and the beach today, but after church tomorrow morning I am hoping to get into the Boquer Valley. No raptors so far but my wife saw a Sparrowhawk scatter some Sparrows while I unloaded the taxi yeasterday. Tonight a lovely Puss Moth by the tennis court floodlight, and some bats and geckos around. It is actually pretty warm here, but the wind is hiding the heat. If anyone is visiting the area and wants to get in touch I am in Pollensa Park room 824, but no calls after 2000 please as i have children trying to get to sleep. Hugh Matthews.

 

honeym

Well-known member

• Mar 31, 2013

• #88

Hi Hugh

The Puss moth would have been the Iberian Puss moth Cerura iberica.

Good to know thaat they are 'on the wing'.

Martin

 

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hughm

Well-known member

• Mar 31, 2013

• #89

Still pretty warm today, but less windy- except in the Boquer which is a wind tunnel at the best of times. Nothing much about- perhaps due to yesterdays wind, but it was good to see Black Redstart in the valley and Common Redstart at the pine avenue. The Booted Eagles and Ravens put on a good show over the valley and Blue Rock Thrush was singing. Tonight the Scops Owls sang briefly 3 times but I have yet to actually see them. Thanks for the moth correction, Martin- today at the various security/ floodlights I found a Pug sp and a worn noctuid which I couldn¨t ID. I have not got room to bring a trap or books to Mallorca so the moths may be guesswork to some extent- any recommendations for a book with the Spanish species of macros in? Tomorrow it may rain early but we are hoping to go to Albufereta at some point. Hugh Matthews.

 

honeym

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2013

• #90

Hi Hugh

If you can get pictures of the moths I'll do my best to id them. I'll be there doing moths, etc., in a week's time. I hope the wind drops off as it can be a real problem.

Probably the best book is Guide des Papillons Nocturnes de France edited by Robineau. It has a good range of the Spanish species illustrated (although there are a couple of mis-ids).

One of the most common species of pug is Eupithecia ultimaria - the (so-called) Channel Islands Pug, the other is the Double-striped Pug, which can look slightly different to ones in the UK.

Best wishes

Martin

 

Last edited: Apr 1, 2013

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hughm

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2013

• #91

Hi again- at Albufereta today the highlight was a lovely pink adult Flamingo on the big pool together with at least two Great White Egrets. It was still pretty windy so the smaller birds were keeping down, but there were a good selection of waterbirds including Greenshank, Redshank, Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper, and they have built two islands on the SE pool, one of which seems to have been colonised by YLGulls as a loafing area, but on the other one two pairs of LRPlovers were in territorial dispute. Nice to hear the quintessential sound of Corn Buntings singing all around again. On the moth front nothing tonight, and I am afraid that I have no camera (soon to be rectified) so I cannot take moth photos at present. Tomorrow a local day with the family on the beach- the forecast is again for strong winds- but on Wednesday to Albufera with a light SE forecast- perhaps some migrants? Just a few Swallows through today. Hugh Matthews.

 

Jeff Woad

Well-known member

• Apr 2, 2013

• #92

hughm said:

Hi - at Port de Pollenca tody it was very windy, but sunny. As we arrived last night the Scops Owls were calling, so they have been faithful to the Pollensa Park/ Pollentia site for another year. With the wind there has been nothing special today, but it is always nice to see old favourites like Hoopoe, Fan-tailed Warbler and Audouins Gull again. We only got to La Gola and the beach today, but after church tomorrow morning I am hoping to get into the Boquer Valley. No raptors so far but my wife saw a Sparrowhawk scatter some Sparrows while I unloaded the taxi yeasterday. Tonight a lovely Puss Moth by the tennis court floodlight, and some bats and geckos around. It is actually pretty warm here, but the wind is hiding the heat. If anyone is visiting the area and wants to get in touch I am in Pollensa Park room 824, but no calls after 2000 please as i have children trying to get to sleep. Hugh Matthews.

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Hi Hugh, arrive tomorrow for a week, have sent PM.

 

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hughm

Well-known member

• Apr 2, 2013

• #93

Hello again- just in from a frustrating hour under the huge pine tree in the garden of the first house north of the Hotel Uyal, where a Scops Owl has been singing non-stop, but I could not get a glimpse. Still, I was able to explain to many British people from the Uyal what was disturbing their sleep.Today we went on a local walk via Llenaire Road, Cami Volantina and the Can Cuarassa Pools. Unfortunately at the pools the wind or vandalism has damaged the screening, and the birds are liable to fly off as you approach. The water levels are also a bit high. There was a Greenshank, a Snipe, a pair of Stilts and a low flyover by an Osprey, which later hunted out over the bay. A fishing boat came into port at 1700, followed by gulls and some Scopoli´s Shearwaters. When I got the scope out back at the hotel at 1730, Iwas amazed to find Shearwaters all over Pollensa Bay- probably between 2-300 in total. I have only ever seen this phenomenon once before in my 13 visits. They all appeared to be Scopoli´s despite a lot of searching for Balearic. More migrants today- lots of swallows, Willow Warblers, Yellow Wags and a couple of Redstarts. Tomorrow- Albufera. Hugh Matthews

 

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hughm

Well-known member

• Apr 3, 2013

• #94

Hi- a calmer day here, and a pleasant surprise at Albufera were two Mallorca ticks in the shape of a Spoonbill and two Temminck´s Stints. There was a good selection of waders including Stone Curlew,Avocet, Wood Sand, Green Sand, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Snipe, Dunlin and the usual plovers. There has been a lot of change near the visitor centre with a large new pool dredged out opposite the mound, ironically destroying a good area of reeds for the local race of Reed Bunting. There were a few Purple Herons, but other summer visitors were thin on the ground. A Water Pipit was a good sighting at CIM hide, but Moustached Warblers proved totally elusive. Later at Pollenca Bay a few Shearwaters still around, and the invisible Scops Owl was in the same tree at the Uyal this evening. Tomorrow we get a car for 3 days and Cuber and Alfabia are our first venues to visit. Hugh Matthews.

 

honeym

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2013

• #95

Hi Hugh

re the new pool - the local race of the Reed Bunting are now (since the population crashed) mainly seen at the back of the park.

Also seen (and photographed) at s'Albufera yesterday - a Gull-billed Tern and a Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Looking forward to arriving next Tuesday - especially as it's snowing today here in London.

Martin

 

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SimonCollins

Member

• Apr 4, 2013

• #96

My first full day in Mallorca, spent at Castell d'Alaro and Embalse de Cuber. A fruitless search for any late Accentors at Castell d'Alaro but did catch up with Firecrest, Raven and Booted Eagle. Embalse de Cuber proved better with 4 Black Vultures, a Griffon Vulture, two Booted Eagles, a Crag Martin, a Little Ringed Plover and a couple of Water Pipits. Several Swallows in the air coming into Puerto de Pollenca. Last night at Alaro, a Stone Curlew in flight and a Scops Owl singing in the olive groves behind my B&B. Albufera/Albufereta tomorrow.

 

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hughm

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2013

• #97

Hi again- family day out today in hire car- brief stop at Cuber netted 4 Black Vultures and some possible distant Griffons, Alfabia gardens had Booted Eagle really low over, and Red Kite over the motorway near Binissalem. Other birders have reported Cranes, Gull-billed Tern and Whiskered Tern at Albufera, and and influx of Swifts and some passerines including Pied Flycatcher in the PP grounds while I was out. Tonight the Scops Owl was seen by other birders (but not me ) flying out of the tree by the Uyal Hotel at 2145. Also today reported at Son Real were at least 4 Tawny Pipts plus Thekla Lark and an elusive Balearic Warbler. Hugh Matthews.

 

Jeff Woad

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2013

• #98

Several Balearic Warblers seen this morning from the little road that snakes up the hillside, opposite the first vista car park along the Formentor peninsula (mentioned in Gosney). One bird was singing by the first hairpin with 2 more 100 yds past the second hairpin. Mobile but gave good views close to the road. Back to family for breaky though so not time for a lot else.

 

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SimonCollins

Member

• Apr 5, 2013

• #99

Albufereta this morning: Greater Flamingo, a few Swifts passing through, two Great White Egrets, Osprey on a pole, 2 Woodchat Shrikes, Willow Warbler
S'Albufera this afternoon: Red-spotted Bluethroat (in tamarisk and low fence behind the Sa Roca hide closest to the Info Centre), Temminck's Stint, Little Stint, Dunlin, 2 Avocets, several Spotted Redshank and Ruff, and a singing Great Reed Warbler along the track near Km5 on the way out to Sa Pobla. A couple of Wood Sandpipers on the pool at the end of the track and lots of Blue Headed Wagtails.
A single Lesser Kestrel between Muro and Santa Maria.

 

Last edited: Apr 5, 2013

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hughm

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2013

• #100

It´s pouring with rain in Port de Pollenca tonight, and has been since 1400, but we went South today for better weather- a brief stop at the Depuradora revealed a few Garganey and a single Pochard among loads of Shoveler. There is now a tern raft in the pool below the look-out point- but no terns there today. At Porto Colom (sÀlgar bay) we had great views of both Scopoli´s and Balearic Shearwaters just offshore behind the old pill box, in flight and resting on the sea. There were Thekla Larks singing in the scrub, a Wheatear and one call of Balearic Warbler in 90 minutes. The Scops was singing briefly tonight but the rain seems to have dampened its ardour. Tomorrow is weather dependent- we may be off to Son Marroig near Deia. Hugh Matthews.