Mallorca 2014 (1 Viewer)

[Max Radford]

Just got back from another week in Puerto Pollensa. (Was there at the end of April.) Managed a few hours birding each day, mostly at the Albufereta which became my 'local patch' for a week; visiting it daily between 0800 and 1000. Below are the highlights from the places visited:

Boquer Valley: Hawfinch, Common Redstart. (A big fall on the Sunday) Purple Heron. Black Redstart. (Just started arriving on the island at the end of the week.)

Depuradora, S'Albufera: Bluethroat (2) Wood Sandpiper. (Very quiet here this time.)

Betlem: (First time here, very impressed.) Good views of Wryneck, Black Kite in off, and the only Pied Fly of the holiday.

S'Albufera: Slender Billed Gull, Glossy Ibis.

Albufereta: Fly over Richard's Pipit, Dotterel (for two days.) Caspian Tern (for two days) Montagu's Harrier, Black Tern, Hobby, Honey Buzzard, Quail (flushed,) Merlin, Greater Flamingo, Great White Egret (5 max,) Tree Pipit (4 max.)

Another great week in Mallorca, didn't visit Cuber, Mortix or Formentor this time. Saved them for next April/May

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Max, some great birds there, well done. I will have to PM you my number for next time as there are a few birds I would have liked to see for the year. There have been two female/juv Pallid harriers seen so it is worth checking all those harriers! Pallid are becoming more frequent recently maybe because of more awareness. Either way, they are a great bird to see this spring brought record numbers including some spanking adult males. Richard's pipit is ultra rare so congratulations on that one. I have never seen Hawfinch here despite several attempts at dawn in their favourite location. Thanks again, Mike

 

[davercox]

Cuba tomorrow.

Made me blink for a moment: at least it woke me up

 

[IanF]

Costa de los Pinos - am - Hoopoe, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Firecrest x8, Crossbill x8, Chaffinch, Robin, Sardinian Warbler. Lots of Backbirds.

Cala Bona - Shag x3, Heron, Little Egret.

Ave. Magnolia - Stone Curlew x8, Serin, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart.

 

[Wimpy]

So how do people manage to view s'Albufereta? Been passed many times but I have never been able to work out where to go? Sorry for my speelin musteak Cuba shud ave bean Cuber.

 

[honeym]

Hi
You should be able to pick up a guide/map to s'Albufereta from the Reception at s'Albufera and it is also covered in the Birding Tourist's Guide to Mallorca on pp 20-25 (also available from the Reception at s'Albufera) which also covers the wetland area behind the restaurant Can Cuarassa.
The 'main' entrance is at Sa Gola (also called Es Grau), where the torrente that runs through the reserve meets the sea (where the kite surfers are) but there are a couple of additional areas that overlook the reserve down tracks on foot off the 'back road' (the Ma-2202). There is an area where one can park and then walk in via a track that leads down the side of the houses. I actually find that turning a little tricky so I drive down the road at the side of a disused bar and park there and walk round on foot. The track, which is signposted, takes you through a small area of pines (good for orchids in Spring), behind a small finca and eventually onto a raised area wuith a couple of pine trees for shade. From here you get a good panorama and views of several lagoons.
I hope this helps. It can certainly be a productive area.
Martin
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/Can+Cuarassa+Mallorca/@39.8610463,3.0966344,1160m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

[cwpbirder]

I agree Wimpy......drove round behind Cuarassa restaurant 2 weeks ago and still could not find any water or lagoons!.....

 

[honeym]

To access the area behind Can Cuarassa:
park just off the main road along the bay just after the restaurant by a smallish triangular traffic island. Walk inland, there's a left turn and where the road turns right and heads further inland* there's a track leading up to a small gate with a passing place for pedestrians on the left. There's also a large sign there explaining a bit about the area. From there follow the path and you eventually come to a series of reed fences and blinds (not strictly hides) over-looking some small pools. You can explore further on foot but there are no more pools.
The main lagoons are accessed as per my previous message.
Hope you find it.
Martin
ps * this is an area from which you can see Spotless Starlings - usually perched on the telegraph wires or the roof of the buildings of the Club del Sol

 

[rollingthunder]

The road just past where the torrente enters the sea is nice and quiet and is a very good cycle route where you can follow it all the way back round to Porto Alcudia - early morning you have the area to yourself and there are lots of little tracks to mooch down - It was also very dry in mid-June when i went but i have the unexpected bonus of a singing Baillons Crake:eek!: on a a couple of mornings.

Laurie:t:

 

[Mike Montier]

A couple of fruitless hours at Salobrar de Campos this afternoon, no Flamingos! (not sure where they get to when they are not at Salobrar but I hope they return soon, I am taking a group there just to see them so it will be a tad embarrassing if there are none.). Barn swallows passing through going purposefully south-west at the rate of about 300 per hour. Mike

 

[Wimpy]

Slender billed gull at Salobrar today in with the black-headed gulls. Flamingos until about 12.30 when they all flew off inland. Plenty of waders including ring plovers, Kentish plovers, dumlin, curlew Sand, ruff, little stint and a single knot. Oh and a black necked grebe.
Then went to CapBlanc looking for larks, only blue rock thrush and stonechat. Well you can't win 'em all!

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Wimpy, Cap Blanc is about the best place for the very scarce Rock sparrow. Well done for the Knot, very few are seen and ditto for the Slender-billed although there has been one for a while now at Salobrar. Mike

 

[Wimpy]

Thanks Mike.
Can you confirm this bird? Taken in the Bocquer Valley yesterday, near the stand of pine trees.
I hope that it's a Balearic warbler.
It seams I can only upload one imagerost from my iPad so I will make another post.
Roger

 

[Wimpy]

Warbler

Here is No. 2

 

[Mike Montier]

Looks good to me! Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

A Black Stork has been seen a couple of times at Albufera, otherwise it's all gone a bit quiet, there is high pressure and virtually no wind so I guess everything is passing straight over. Mike

 

[John Watts]

A Black Stork has been seen a couple of times at Albufera, otherwise it's all gone a bit quiet,

Hi Mike, What dates was the Black Stork seen over Albufera?......I was coming back into Alcudia on one of the boat trips on Wednesday 8th and saw, with bins, what i presumed to be a Black Stork in flight behind the hotels towards the power station....John

PS. report trip/sightings later.

 

[Mike Montier]

The sightings were today but a few pass through the Island on migration. A few have lingered, one summered at Cúber one year and I saw a wintering White stork earlier this year. Your record is a typical date for this species but they are never easy, nice one. Mike

 

[Houdiny]

I've seen the Black Stork at S'Albufera on the 9th. Otherwise not much to report.

Edit: I'm not much of a Butterfly expert, but I'm pretty sure I saw a Two-Tailed Pasha at S'Albufera on the 9th as well? Anyone else seen it? Is this possible?

Regards,
Martin

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Martin, yes, we saw Two-tailed pasha at s'Albufera about a week ago which was the first sighting logged for the site for many people, great news! Mike