Mallorca 2022 (3 Viewers)

[Mike Montier]

I have spent most of the evening looking at western reef egrets.
I can only conclude that our bird looks very much like a white form of that species, or, as I initially thought, an hybrid.
I would have said it was pure, except for some grey smudging to the breast. That bothers me.
The jizz and overall appearance in flight really stood out. With that very long, yellow bill, I can’t think of anything else it could be.
I hope British Birds won’t mind me reproducing this photo from many years ago.
Mike

 

[Ian Bell]

I have just posted a report of what I seen on a recent holiday to Puerto Pollenca,In the Vocational Trip Reports page.
Don't expect anything exciting but I had a great time,and seen some personally,fantastic birds,In what was certainly not a all singing/all dancing bird trip.

 

[LaGola]

Hello everybody!
This morning this Little Stint (Calidris minuta) has been seen at La Gola

 

[Mike Montier]

Nice bird for La Gola

As usual, I can’t stay away from the Cap.
I got there early but the sea was devoid of bird life. After a short time, 5 Eleonora’s falcons came in from the sea. The population of Cabrera seem to prefer mainland Mallorca for hunting and they spent some time over the coastline. Nothing else was seen.
As is normal, I moved up to the shade of the trees by “The Wall” and very soon saw two Bonelli’s eagles have a right old spat. It was lovely to watch, these eagles are real acrobats, twisting, turning and swooping on a sixpence. So agile for such a large bird.
A Marsh harrier patrolled the scene and a Kestrel was hunting nearby. The Eleonora’s falcons put in an appearance now and again.
It was a taste of what’s to come. August can be ok, especially towards the end of the month but I am away for the whole of that month in South London, house swapping with our daughter, her husband and their two rumbustious boys. That will be interesting.
I have only had one Brit tick in the last ten years so I hope there are some rarities around. I won’t have a car though. My daughter is quite happy for me to drive hers but no insurance company will cover me as I’m living abroad.
Mike

 

[derban]

Nice bird for La Gola

As usual, I can’t stay away from the Cap.
I got there early but the sea was devoid of bird life. After a short time, 5 Eleonora’s falcons came in from the sea. The population of Cabrera seem to prefer mainland Mallorca for hunting and they spent some time over the coastline. Nothing else was seen.
As is normal, I moved up to the shade of the trees by “The Wall” and very soon saw two Bonelli’s eagles have a right old spat. It was lovely to watch, these eagles are real acrobats, twisting, turning and swooping on a sixpence. So agile for such a large bird.
A Marsh harrier patrolled the scene and a Kestrel was hunting nearby. The Eleonora’s falcons put in an appearance now and again.
It was a taste of what’s to come. August can be ok, especially towards the end of the month but I am away for the whole of that month in South London, house swapping with our daughter, her husband and their two rumbustious boys. That will be interesting.
I have only had one Brit tick in the last ten years so I hope there are some rarities around. I won’t have a car though. My daughter is quite happy for me to drive hers but no insurance company will cover me as I’m living abroad.
Mike

Hi Mike, glad to see you are back keeping watch at the Cape! I miss it. We won't be there to join you probably till late October, but we are departing for Lanzarote for a family holiday on Friday with three generations so as this thread seems to apply to the Balearics and the Canary Islands too, I will post from there if anything pops up – houbara bustard, cream coloured courser and what have you! All the best to you in the UK and all on the forum, I will keep in touch, David

 

[Mike Montier]

Good to hear from you David.
Look forward to seeing you here in October, we will save some good birds for you.
In the meantime, enjoy Lanzarote. What fabulous birds you mention, I haven’t seen either of those but they are high on my wanted list.
All the best,
Mike

 

[derban]

I have to admit I have booked a birding tour with a professional operator. The organisers don't promise but hint heavily that we might get to see those birds. Don't think there are refunds for no-shows!

 

[Geordie Dave]

After 2 weeks back in the UK I took the decision to get away from the hysteria surrounding 2 days of hot weather in mid July!!!! and to return to mallorca. I only booked on Wednesday and flew out on Thursday morning. Arrangements at both Newcastle and Palma airports were extremely efficient. I arrived, was through security, covid qr checks, picked up car and on my way in 30 minutes. Back in Port de Pollenca by lunchtime. Friday morning I stayed close to hone with an early walk to the Llenaire backroads, along Cami Volatina and back onto the sea front in time to take on a couple of cana , you must stay hydrated, before it got too hot. Not much evidence of bird life as expected at this time of year but, as always, I live in hope. Good to be back again.

 

[Geordie Dave]

I met Mike Montier this morning at what we call the shrike site, at the Depuradora off the Villafranca to Felanitx road. It was hot! We spent an hour or so wandering the lanes, saw plenty of red kite including 8 in the air together, a dark morph booted eagle, female peregrine falcon, a solitary griffon vulture and lots of kestrel. In the hazy sky it was difficult to tell if these were all common or if there any lesser mixed in. We also heard several quail calling. After cafe con leche in the town I left Mike and headed to Maria de la Salut. It was now 1.30 pm and 40°. I walked the lanes for an hour and saw more red kites, several corn buntings and heard yet more quail calling. It was time to retreat to the sports centre for a cana!! Next stop the Depuradora at Albufera which was also very quiet although I did see a bee eater on the son Bosc road. The ponds at the Depuradora were very full, a sign of the number of tourists in the nearby hotels? There was very little bird life. I moved on to Maristany where water levels are low. The exposed tufts providing roosting places for hundreds of gulls. I did check through them but only found black headed, yellow legged and audouins. A single purple heron was a bonus. Final stop was a walk along the back of the hotels in Playa Alcudia and on to the orange bridge, looking in to the east edge of Albufera. Other than some common terns there was nothing to report. It was finally time to head home and have a proper drink at Rosa Blanca. It’s tough out there but someone has to do it!

 

[Geordie Dave]

A leisurely start this morning before a couple of hours at Albufereta on another hot day. From the tall platform the far ponds are completely dried out and other than a few black winged stilts there was nothing to report. More water in Sa Barcassa pond with a common sandpiper, yellow legged gulls, common tern and 2 purple heron on show. I then walked around the mound and had a fly past of 3 stone curlew but nothing else. On my way out there was a common kestrel perched on a telegraph pole, a regular sighting that same spot on my recent visits.

 

[Mike Montier]

Another early morning at Cap de Ses Salines.
The sea was again deadly quiet except for a few gulls going up the coast.
I managed a photo of a juvenile, they do not stay on Mallorca for long and they only return here as breeding adults after three years. I therefore have very little experience of first and second year birds.
Where they go in between, I know not. I will ask around.
I moved up to the wall and got an immediate sky full of raptors, an Eleonora’s falcon, three Common kestrels, a Bonelli’s eagle and a Marsh harrier. These are probably all local birds but the kestrels do migrate to Africa.
On good days, the numbers are staggering, one after the other depart south for hours on end. I once saw 7 going off together and I’m certain they were lesser kestrels. Common kestrels tend to migrate alone.
Mike

 

[derban]

As promised a few days ago, here is a message from Lanzarote. I have not been birding intensively as this is primarily a family holiday but I must say I have enjoyed the birding experience here with a somewhat different selection of familiar species, some completely new ones to me and some local varieties. It seems that some early migration has been going on with hirundines and swifts passing through, what I take to have been a melodious warbler – I would welcome input on that, see photos – and a great reed warbler. Among the other species there have been kestrel, booted eagle, raven, hoopoe, stone curlew, southern grey shrike, trumpeter finch, Berthelot's pipit, Barbary partridge, cream coloured courser and Houbara bustard. These last ones I got to see by having booked an excellent birding tour through the desert of El Jable with Eco Insider, part of the incredibly active desertwatch.org environmental group who are energetically trying to protect the fragile ecosystems here on the island. If anyone passes this way, do book one of theit tours. It is hugely informative, even to non-birders. By the way, September or October are the time to come for one of their boat trips to view the uninhabited nearby islands for migrants and especially Eleonora's falcon and Cory's shearwater.

All the best for now,

David

 

[Mike Montier]

Lucky, lucky you. Some fabulous birds there. Enjoy the rest of your time.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Ps. Looks like Melodious warbler to me.
Hopefully, others will comment.

 

[derban]

Ps. Looks like Melodious warbler to me.
Hopefully, others will comment.

And it landed on the agave outside the house, spotted it with a cuppa in one hand and the camera in the other. Yes, I feel very lucky and privileged to have been able to see all this.

 

[Richard Prior]

Isn’t the second bird in the Agave a Rufous Bush Robin?

 

[Mike Montier]

Yes, that’s what I thought it was!

 

[derban]

Isn’t the second bird in the Agave a Rufous Bush Robin?

Thank you Richard, you've just handed me another lifer!

 

[Richard Prior]

Thank you Richard, you've just handed me another lifer!

Great, that’s a handy agave there!!

 

[Mike Montier]

At last the longest heatwave I can remember has passed. It’s still hot but there are at least some northerly winds to cool things down a bit.
I went to the lighthouse at Portopetro but it was terribly quiet.
Just 10 Scopoli’s shearwaters went south but I left at eight so I guess more would have passed.
The last hour of light is often the best.
It looks like Black kites are gathering at Tarifa so I’m hoping for a few early ones at the Cap.
We are off to the UK next week for a month so I will miss the early action.
Mike