Report on bird Watching at Parc de S’Albufera Des Grau/Cala Tirant on the 19th May 20
Hi there
Part 1 of 2
This a part of my report on a mornings Bird Watching at Parc de S’Albufera Des Grau, Menorca
The owners of the Sailing group arranged for us with a full mornings birding out with an experienced Ornithologist/Bird Ringer at Parc de S’Albufera Des Grau. We where looking forward to visiting one of the well known main National Parks on the East side of the island. It is a well known, and ideal for all the
spring migratory birds that it holds the moment.
This meant an early start for us and we where up at 6am this particular morning. It was a quiet mystical morning, and lots of low lying mist congregated across the bay. Many calls from shore birds and waders penitrated from the south side of the bay far in the distance. The bay is well stocked with fish and crabs of all types. Lots of splashing from many areas of the shore, as the tiny fish moved around in their allocated groups.
The boats moored on the bay clanged, and clattered together, their bodywork together with the slight ‘softly’ spoken wind. The boats tied to the pontoon sloshed together in the misty wake. A dog barks in the distance, and the noise echos for miles over the water. A loud ‘Haw oo’ call comes from a Yellow Legged Gull flying overhead. A haunting sound early in the morning, and the gull itself flew almost motionless in the air, looking down at all the activity below.
A Blackbird sings from a nearby tree and it made me think of England. I never saw the bird in question. He disappears, when I opened the door, and walk onto the chalet porch area. The same Blackbird carries on singing in another tree close-by. A lovely clear fluty call for first thing in the morning. It was super to hear with the lovely sparkling watery backdrop to look over. The sun had just risen in lots of yellow, golds, and oranges. It was going to be a beautiful day for us. We took the opportunity of taking some pictures of the sky as it changed its huge, and the daylight brightened up. It was going to be another warm day.
The time moved forward, and 8.30am struck. Our ‘tour’ guide arrived in a vehicle, and we where picked up. We past by our Sailing ‘tutor’, and waved at him. I told him about our bird trip so he was made aware of our plans. Just one of those things. Bird watching was on our agenda, as well as sailing/racing Laser 2000 boats.
We where taken straight to 'Parc de S’Albufera Des Grau’,with high hopes and expectations as to what we would see bird-wise. We drove along the scorched countryside, low lying bushes, and trees. The heat was starting to build up even for the early hour in the morning. Lots of water, sun-cream, and juice was needed for the journey and we made sure we had plenty with us. A trip of about 5 miles brought us to our destination. What a super area full of lakes, and lagoons of all shapes and sizes. I was told that the area had half fresh and half salt water so ideal for all bird life. The area brought in an influx of birds from all over the world, including the UK
We got out of the vehicle. The first thing we noticed was the large numbers of Painted Lady Butterflies flying about in all directions, over our heads and close to us as we started to walk. The flowering plants where alive with all their activity. The area had low sturdy scrub trees, and this gave us a better prospective of the area we where looking at, and what we would see. We where going to have a good morning out. It is the best time of day to see birds, as the heat would take over and all the wildlife went underground to cooler areas. Birds prefer to store energy through hot times of the day in Menorca and who can blame them
Then there was the sounds of crickets hiding in the tall grass, rushes, and vegetation. Then a few ‘Purrs’ started. There where a good number of Turtle Doves communicating with one another while they remained well hidden in the greenery. Then one made an appearance on top of a nearby tree and started to preen itself. Lots more calls continued through our trip. Lovely looking birds and it was good to have seen one, to add to that all important list of birds.
We moved on and as we reached a new section of path. The paths where were rugged and very stony underfoot. The heat made the going quite rugged, and slippery, so we where glad to have sturdy shoes. Then we could hear a Fan Tailed Warbler singing at the top of its voice while it remained well hidden from view. Then another one sang in response to the first bird. We stopped and looked in the bush line, and saw same birds starting moving up and down through the undergrowth. We only got a glimpse but it was a look that is the main thing. So we did see the birds in question moving about but as only a glimpse and blink of the eye. They where so fast as they moved about in their over active way.
Now, I was beginning to see that this area was Warbler heaven, as 3 species of the birds made their presence known to us for our full walk. Two Sardinian Warblers started to call, and they where a pair by the way they remained close to one another in the same bush. They liked to remain well hidden in the middle area of the bush, and made it hard to see them except through the binocular lens. They were more active than the Fan Tailed Warblers. They would not stay still at all. They moved form one bush to another continually singing to one another.
Then another Warbler made an appearance and, and joins in the chorus of birds. It was a Cetti’s Warbler, and it did its usual thing, and that was to remain invisible to us as they like too. Not the easiest birds to see at all anytime – like the ones in the UK. They are dark horses, and are illusive birds to all and sundry who want to have a chance to see them.
So now there was a chorus of three types of Warblers all trying to out sing each other, The Fan Tailed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler. We wondered which bird sounded the loudest of all. Then in addition to the Warblers, along came the first song from the nearby Nightingale. What a fabulous singer. Of all the songsters this bird has one of the most spectacular singing voices ever to listen too. The song is rich, deep, clear, echoing, and tropical and very loud!. The bird remained invisible to our eyes. And the added problem with its well matched coloration did not help matters for a sighting at all.
The heat was starting to rise, and the day was going to get hotter for walking about. The stony path was slippery so we had to be careful where we place our feet. Lots of stopping, starting and listening went on between us, and we spoke in quiet voices to discuss all the birds that where around.
Then a large Brimstone butterfly flew past, and landed on a flower. We where lucky to take of a photo of it, and it sat there for us though it was doing a type of film pose. Lots of Painted Ladies Butterflies flew about in all direction, and a small Blue Butterfly flew quietly past not stopping for anyone. Not sure which Blue Butterfly it was. but Holly Blue came to mind, due to its size and colour.
We stop at a large part of the bay, and the water sparkles for a long way off into the sunlight. It was more of a grandstand view of the birds below. A sound of ‘cuckoo’ from a lone Cuckoo resounded over the area. We stopped to listen and notice which direction it was coming from. Our attention caught for a second with the Cuckoo. We start to talk, and we could see lots of Coots, and Mallards swimming about making their calls as they do in the UK. We all know how squabbly Coots are, and where we stood was no exception with these birds behaviour, all noise and more noise. We are told ducks are rare in this part of the world compared with the UK. Mallards and Red Crested Pochard are the most familiar ones that are known on Menorca. We centre our attention towards inland, and, yet, more purring from the bushes nearby. The Turtle Doves sang in unison as they like to as a group.
We move on, and then we could hear a Water Rail in the watery wetlands, and glimpsed it briefly moving behind some trees, and reeds, before it disappears once more into the undergrowth. Then we are taken to another aerial view of the same watery ‘bay’ area from another slightly different angle. This time it had lots of Mallards, Great Crested Grebes and Little Grebes.
We continue through some dense growth, and up to an old disused white building hiding in the trees. A Gecko is seen climbing the whitewashed wall, and we are told that only one Lizard breeds in Menorca, (not be confused with Geckos). We could see an ‘added’ Owls box placed on the wall.
As we are talking a Nightingale bursts into song in the tree next to us. Still hard to see the bird in question, but we still live in hope. A Large white butterfly draws our attention away from the Gecko, and the Nightingale. The Nightingale is a mission to avoid our camera. He flutters on down the trackway, and disappears somewhere into the shadows.
In the nearby tree a pair of Dragonflies appear and we looked at them. They sit on the branches right above our heads, and the local name for the type is a Libelula and Dragones. The sexes are Blue and Brown and look so different to one another to the point we though it was two different species.
We walk back the way we come, and we could hear a Hoopoe in the distance, and the stoney paths became more rugged to walk along. It was hard going in some places with the heat and the loose stones underfoot. There was a blistering heat now, and the sun was scorching us as we moved along.
A Swallow swooped close to us, and made its sweet call for a minute and it disappeared once more, swooping and cascading as it does. We are told that Flamingo's made an appearance on the Saltpans in Menorca in the wintertime – now that would be a sight to see any day.
I noticed that there is a lot of beautiful flowering plants/butterflies around the area of a walk. I will keep this for another thread in the correct area of the Forum. We bought a Menorca book about flowers so that is my reference to what species that we saw. By the way the species looked different in the National Park than to anywhere else. Must be because the unique plants are left undisturbed by people. So it means that this area would be a great area for insects to flourish.
We stopped to look over another area of Waterways, and Lagoons, and, yes it is a bird haven for wintering birds. Quiet as it was, but we where told we would have to come in winter time to see what it is really like for wild fowl. The view was once more high up and it gave us a chance to see over the Lagoons form a birds eye view of the current occupants.
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