[Sussex bird man]

Hi everyone,

Just back from a very short trip to the inlaws in Soller and while I was there I popped up to Cuber etc. I saw my first Mallorcan Griffon up there. How many are there? My local friends say that they are very rare. This one glided through Cuber valley at low level with four Blacks. I'd appreciate a little info on them from anyone who knows more. Thanks.

M

[Marmot]

ESTEBANIC [Steve] is the BF man in Mallorca who might be able to help out on this one. He is not on BF all the time but we have found him really helpful with info when we go to Mallorca.You could try a PM to him

http://www.birdforum.net/member.php?u=12643

[Sussex bird man]

Thanks Marmot! I've emailed him. M

[ESTEBANNIC]

Hello Marmot and M,

Quite a story behind the Griffons . The status of the Griffon vulture in the Balearics is accidental vagrant.
At the end of last October, beginning of November we had a couple of violent storms with unnusual high eastbound winds. Its seems that a large group of migrating Griffons got very lost in one of these storms and ended up over here in Majorca and Minorca. The first reports where from Minorca of up to 50+ birds, which got a lot of attention from the local press (Beware:large lost birds that carry off children etc..). A couple of exhausted birds ended up in the wildlife recovery centre there, and I think once recovered got shipped back to the mainland. A few days later we got loads of sighting here in Majorca and a few in Ibiza. I think in total around 100+ birds divided between the 3 islands. I understand that most of them where young. One of the birds was ringed and traced as a first winter from Alicante. Most of them departed soon after once the weather cleared up, probably back to the mainland via Ibiza as there were quite a few observations of birds over there making headway towards the west, this must have been some effort for them as soaring birds depend greatly on land mass and thermals on migration. Some of them stayed all winter in the Tramuntana mountains and local efforts were made to increase food at various Black vulture feeding stations to try and keep them going. At present there are still a few birds left and they seem quite at home! Time will tell and see if they stay on for the summer...we will have to wait and see

Here are a few links from our local forum (sorry, in Spanish and Catalan) with some photos:

http://www.gobmallorca.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=862
http://www.gobmallorca.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1144

Ah! By the way, the Serin is quite common in Majorca and Ibiza but not to be found in Minorca (strange? ).

Regards


Steve

[Barred Wobbler]

I've seen serin in Menorca on occasion Steve, but not in any number. The occasion that springs to mind was a flock of about 15 birds feeding on the corner of a field next to the track where it takes a zig-zag near the car-parking area for Cala Pilar. (Looking on Google Earth it's the bend in the track at 40 01 54N, 03 58 19E).

EDIT; I've just looked back at some records and I saw serin on Menorca in 2001 and 2005, but not in 2000 or 2003. I don't have full lists for my visits in the 1990s from 95 onward, but I didn't hire a car then so my birding was very limited and confined to the vicinity of the resort at Cala Galdana.

[Sussex bird man]

Thanks Steve and .. the "Wobbler"! I really appreciate your input. I only saw the one Griffon on this occasion. It was a grey day so photography wasn't good but I managed a few shots. The bright spot of the day was a Blue Rock Thrush that popped up beside me on the roadside, literally a couple of metres away (see my rushed photo in the gallery). I suppose for you, Stee, they are quite normal but for UK-based blokes like me it is great to see the flash of blue as the sun hits them! Best regards, M

[Stephen Dunstan]

I feel a bit stupid now as I was in Ibiza the last week of October and didn't see any Griffons, though there were certainly some strong winds. Did see a Jay, which seemed unusual, and a Stone Curlew as well as several Booted Eagles, a couple of hundred flamingoes, a Med Gull, several Blue Rock Thrushes and a presumably escaped Black-headed Weaver among other things (Audoins, Firecrest etc etc).

Stephen.

[Sussex bird man]

Yep there were Booted Eagles around Cuber, Soller, Marroig, etc. Both pale and dark forms. Also caught an Osprey up there the week before

[ESTEBANNIC]

Hi wobbler,
The serin is a scarce winterer/migrant on Minorca but breeds on all the other main Balearic Islands, so seeing them over there is quite difficult.

Stephen, wow a Jay in Ibiza!! Can you foward an short report via this link? (if you need help let me know):
http://www.gobmallorca.com/cgi/fitxaornitologia.htm
The jay is accidental to the Balearics.....

Regards

Steve

[wolfbirder]

Steve, what is the situation with Spectacled Warbler and Rock Thrush at Cuber? I saw a spectacled once at the dam end, but have never seen a rock thrush. Also think i may have had a couple of western olivaceous warblers there last june, but i guess that is unlikely.


Any thoughts?

[Stephen Dunstan]

Originally Posted by ESTEBANNIC

Stephen, wow a Jay in Ibiza!! Can you foward an short report via this link? (if you need help let me know):
http://www.gobmallorca.com/cgi/fitxaornitologia.htm
The jay is accidental to the Balearics.....

Regards

Steve

Steve,

I didn't realise the significance at the time, so I didn't do any kind of description. With other species not in the Hearl book (the weaver and Collared Dove) I thought there must have been status changes. So given if I went back to my notes I would only have a date and location and nothing else I guess this belongs in the 'one that got away' category.

Out of interest how many have been recorded in the Balearics?

Regards,

Stephen.

[Barred Wobbler]

Originally Posted by ESTEBANNIC

Hi wobbler,
The serin is a scarce winterer/migrant on Minorca but breeds on all the other main Balearic Islands, so seeing them over there is quite difficult.

Stephen, wow a Jay in Ibiza!! Can you foward an short report via this link? (if you need help let me know):
http://www.gobmallorca.com/cgi/fitxaornitologia.htm
The jay is accidental to the Balearics.....

Regards

Steve

So I understand Steve. I've just been looking at my copy of The Birds of Menorca by Enric Ramos. The table in the front says that serin is a spring/summer passage migrant (scarce or moderate), or a winter visitor, (moderate to abundant).

The text describes them as "Migrant and winter residents"

The flock I saw at close range that I mentioned above on 18th July 2001 clearly hadn't read the books.

The other occasion I saw serin was also a July record, 10th July 2005 (I've only been to Menorca for summer holidays, 9 times so far, so I've not had the pleasure of the main migration periods). Unfortunately I failed to note the location, but looking at what I have got, I think it was in the scrub behind the beach at Cala en Porter.

[Julie10_10]

Hi Steve,

I am visiting Mallorca at the beginning of May for a week of hopefully good birdwatching staying near Puerto Pollensa. In my previous holidays I have run out of time and so have never visited the Salinas de Levante in the south. Do you still have a chance of Slender-billed Gull and Flamingo?

Has the weather in Europe effected the bird migration?

Last year I had a brief view of Marbled Teal and I wondered whether they are any still present in the north of the island.

Thanks

Julie

[Dolce]

Hi Estebennec,
I hope I havent spelt your name wrong as just found this site about Mallorca. I enclose two photos of a bird in Son Ferrer woods taken around Easter and am wondering is it a Woodchat Strike or the Red backed Strike.

[Barred Wobbler]

That's a woodchat.

They are common throughout the area, but red-backed shrikes are classed as very rare in the Balearics. They occur in north-east mainland Spain, but not the islands, being put off by the long sea crossing..

[Dolce]

Originally Posted by Barred Wobbler

That's a woodchat.

They are common throughout the area, but red-backed shrikes are classed as very rare in the Balearics. They occur in north-east mainland Spain, but not the islands, being put off by the long sea crossing..

Thank you very much. It did not seem one bit fazed at me creeping up closer to it to get the photos and I probably would have much closer photos only had to hold onto a pup on a lead at the same time. It was much harder last year to get my pictures of Stonechats. There was a lot of the tiniest little birds I have ever seen almost like large butterflies but proving difficult to photograph but hopefully next time. Guessing possibly Goldcrest perhaps.

[ESTEBANNIC]

Originally Posted by wolfbirder

Steve, what is the situation with Spectacled Warbler and Rock Thrush at Cuber? I saw a spectacled once at the dam end, but have never seen a rock thrush. Also think i may have had a couple of western olivaceous warblers there last june, but i guess that is unlikely.


Any thoughts?

Hi wolfbirder,

Spectacled warbler can still be seen occasionally at Cuber in the summer, its seems that this is the only likely place on the island where you can still find them. Sightings vary from year to year.
There was at least one pair of rock thrush last summer up there, don't know about this year, though it's still a little early. I saw a colourful male in Formentera last week, they are constant visitors over there on migration. Olivaceous warblers are quite possible, they also pass through the Balearics on migration , though June maybe a little late.....

Steve

[ESTEBANNIC]

Originally Posted by Dolce

Hi Estebennec,
I hope I havent spelt your name wrong as just found this site about Mallorca. I enclose two photos of a bird in Son Ferrer woods taken around Easter and am wondering is it a Woodchat Strike or the Red backed Strike.

Hi,
Woodchat shrikes as Barred Wobber has said are fairly common summer visitors. In the Balearics we get the "badius" subspecies. It can be told apart from the nominate "senator" by the lack of white on the primaries. It's also slightly bigger (and "badder" )...

[ESTEBANNIC]

Originally Posted by Dolce

Thank you very much. It did not seem one bit fazed at me creeping up closer to it to get the photos and I probably would have much closer photos only had to hold onto a pup on a lead at the same time. It was much harder last year to get my pictures of Stonechats. There was a lot of the tiniest little birds I have ever seen almost like large butterflies but proving difficult to photograph but hopefully next time. Guessing possibly Goldcrest perhaps.

Almost certainly Firecrest. Goldcrest are winter visitors

[ESTEBANNIC]

Originally Posted by Stephen Dunstan

Steve,

I didn't realise the significance at the time, so I didn't do any kind of description. With other species not in the Hearl book (the weaver and Collared Dove) I thought there must have been status changes. So given if I went back to my notes I would only have a date and location and nothing else I guess this belongs in the 'one that got away' category.

Out of interest how many have been recorded in the Balearics?

Regards,

Stephen.

Hi Stephen,

Date and place would be good. From what I can gather, no records in the Balearics, so could be a first!! Any info you can pass on will be most appreciated

Steve

[ESTEBANNIC]

Originally Posted by Julie10_10

Hi Steve,

I am visiting Mallorca at the beginning of May for a week of hopefully good birdwatching staying near Puerto Pollensa. In my previous holidays I have run out of time and so have never visited the Salinas de Levante in the south. Do you still have a chance of Slender-billed Gull and Flamingo?

Has the weather in Europe effected the bird migration?

Last year I had a brief view of Marbled Teal and I wondered whether they are any still present in the north of the island.

Thanks

Julie

Hi Julie,
Flamingoes are present in the Salinas most of the year, Slender billed gulls are a bit more difficult, we get to see them occasionally during migration. There are at least two breeding pairs of Marbled teal in the Albufera. This is pretty recent.

The weather here has been very erratic during April, we are starting to get some good weather now and it seems migration has finnaly kicked of. This morning on a southern cape of the island almost every bush seemed to be occupied, wheatears, whinchats, willow warblers, Bee-eaters, Wood warblers and pied flys just to name a few...

have a good time!

[Dolce]

Originally Posted by ESTEBANNIC

Hi,
Woodchat shrikes as Barred Wobber has said are fairly common summer visitors. In the Balearics we get the "badius" subspecies. It can be told apart from the nominate "senator" by the lack of white on the primaries. It's also slightly bigger (and "badder" )...

Hi Estebannic,
I understand what you mean now about bigger and badder......(as just read a bit about them) I think I will follow the lovely Stonechats and tiny birds around instead. I go back to family in Mallorca latish August for two weeks so look forward to doing some bird watching again. Delighted to have found here too and have bookmarked it. I must post my picture of Hoopoe woodpecker from last year if can find.

[Dolce]

Yep thank goodness still have it and couldnt believe my luck to spot this lovely Hoopoe bird on a short walk to El Toro beach.