Hugh Ouston
Active member
Some photos. The peregrine is from Boquer on 23rd, the Crossbill from Sa Barcassa today, Audouins from Maristany today, Greenshank and Stilts from Albufereta yesterday. So good to see the sun.
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Mallorca 2025 (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mike Montier
- Start date
Matthebirder
Well-known member
Matthebirder
Well-known member
27 March; after paying for very expensive parking at Mortix vineyard; two bottles of wine! The sun came out briefly late morning and the place livened up. Two male Common Redstarts showed off nicely. Water pipit at the flooded section of the vineyard. Five Griffon Vultures failed to get going in the cloudy conditions. A cold Monarch was an easy subject. On to the Lluc monastery for cake and beer but the hoped for raptor display never happened in the cloudy sky.
'Mallorcan' Wren was the highlight near the entrance to the botanic garden. Can I tick it!!
'Mallorcan' Wren was the highlight near the entrance to the botanic garden. Can I tick it!!
Matthebirder
Well-known member
That reminded me; a calling Wryneck just behind the Mortix wine shop yesterday late morning. Would have bee nice to linger there with a glass or two but the driver was keen to get to the monastery....
Matthebirder
Well-known member
A long day around Son Real; a couple of sightings of Balearic Warbler near the navigation beacon/viewing pkatform but no singing at all.
Four Cirl Buntings in the freshly tilled strip opposite the famous Black Pigs. The pigs are a must for a Mallorca list! Thekla Larks about. Several fast moving Painted Ladies heading north. A Booted Eagle was over the visitor centre mid afternoon.
A quick look at the water treatment works produced a Common Redstart.
Maristany had lots of House Martins, Sandmartins and Swallows plus a large group of Red-crested Pochards. Ecery Hirundine carefully checked...
Many Yellow-legged Gulls dropping in for a few mibs then moving off. A Lesser Black-backed Gull joined then; don't forget to check all black-backed gulls nowadays- Cape Gulls should be in mind.
Four Cirl Buntings in the freshly tilled strip opposite the famous Black Pigs. The pigs are a must for a Mallorca list! Thekla Larks about. Several fast moving Painted Ladies heading north. A Booted Eagle was over the visitor centre mid afternoon.
A quick look at the water treatment works produced a Common Redstart.
Maristany had lots of House Martins, Sandmartins and Swallows plus a large group of Red-crested Pochards. Ecery Hirundine carefully checked...
Many Yellow-legged Gulls dropping in for a few mibs then moving off. A Lesser Black-backed Gull joined then; don't forget to check all black-backed gulls nowadays- Cape Gulls should be in mind.
Matthebirder
Well-known member
Son Real- Orchids; there are lots if interested; four species seen without searching. I need to refresh the identities as it was 13 years ago that I went through them all.
Jonny Holliday
Well-known member
Hi Matt - i would be interested on Orchid info, im not very botanical but like to have a look! staying Can Picafort, Son Real end, so will be walking there along coastal path first 2 weeks May.....many thanks for any tips.
Jonny
derban
Well-known member
Still here! That was what I found yesterday along the Es Trenc road, the slender-billed gull at the Salobrar is still around. First (and probably last) birding outing this trip for me what with bad weather, having the car MOT'd and spending three mornings waiting for the plumber (came every time, problem finally solved) as well as sundry maintenance jobs around the house. The water levels in the salt pans were of course unusually high but kentish plovers and little stints still put in an appearance. Also on view were the usuals, black-winged stilt, avocet, shelduck, flamingo, a solitary greenshank and a ruff, then two, then three, and ultimately a group of seven of them. Nice to see, but the never ending stream of cars to-ing and fro-ing to the carpark at the end of the road rather spoiled the otherwise peaceful evening.
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derban
Well-known member
93 for me – BTW, where are you publishing the results, Mike? I'm hoping fewer people are participating this year – then I can sneak up the rankings to a higher position
. Thanks for looking after the Big Year!mike puxley
Well-known member
Out of interest has anyone managed a 100 species in a day on Majorca and if so what is the day record?
Thanks
Thanks
Mike Montier
Well-known member
Philip Garnett and I saw 93 species in one day in May many years ago.
I’m not sure I still have details as I’ve had to throw away many of my historical bird records, which was painful to say the least. No room for them apparently. Mind you, I did have a mountain of notebooks going back to the 1970’s.
Phil will have every species we saw, that’s a certainty. I will ask him.
As far as I know, nobody has beaten it but I’m happy to be wrong.
He’s a top man but wears me out. We were in the field over 10 hours which meant a 12 hour day out for me.
I will never forget it though. We got very lucky with some species.
Talking of lists, it’s almost a lifetimes birding here to reach 300.
I believe only one birder has achieved that but Pep will put me right if I’m wrong.
It was my great ambition to achieve that figure but I fell short, but only relatively few were still needed. Another handful of years and I would have made it.
A few of the birds I saw many years ago may never be seen again so it will be hard for newer birders to unblock them.
Rather like a golden-winged warbler in the UK. There are those who saw it and those who didn’t. One may never come again.
Mike
I’m not sure I still have details as I’ve had to throw away many of my historical bird records, which was painful to say the least. No room for them apparently. Mind you, I did have a mountain of notebooks going back to the 1970’s.
Phil will have every species we saw, that’s a certainty. I will ask him.
As far as I know, nobody has beaten it but I’m happy to be wrong.
He’s a top man but wears me out. We were in the field over 10 hours which meant a 12 hour day out for me.
I will never forget it though. We got very lucky with some species.
Talking of lists, it’s almost a lifetimes birding here to reach 300.
I believe only one birder has achieved that but Pep will put me right if I’m wrong.
It was my great ambition to achieve that figure but I fell short, but only relatively few were still needed. Another handful of years and I would have made it.
A few of the birds I saw many years ago may never be seen again so it will be hard for newer birders to unblock them.
Rather like a golden-winged warbler in the UK. There are those who saw it and those who didn’t. One may never come again.
Mike
Matthebirder
Well-known member
Most of the orchids are flowering now I think so will be over by end of April.
A couple of examples if I remember their names correctly.
Mirror Orchid 1st photo
Balearic Orchid 2nd photo
There is a very good orchid garden at the Albufera visitor centre where you can see most species ; but will be gone over by May more or less.
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Matthebirder
Well-known member
Sun 30 Mar; two Red-rumped Swallows at Maristany 09:45 in large hiundine/swift flock
Matthebirder
Well-known member
Now several Red-rumped at the Treatment works (Albufera) at 10:15
Mike Montier
Well-known member
Lovely birds, well done.
Quite an influx this year.
Hope some stay to breed. Phil and I have both seen red-rumps throughout the summer a few years ago so our guess is, they both bred. His in Santa Ponça and mine from the tower at Albercutx.
Mike
Quite an influx this year.
Hope some stay to breed. Phil and I have both seen red-rumps throughout the summer a few years ago so our guess is, they both bred. His in Santa Ponça and mine from the tower at Albercutx.
Mike
Matthebirder
Well-known member
Final day, no further Red-rumps at treatment plant after 11:00; none seen at Maristany late afternoon. (Great crested Grebe)
A calculated estimate of R-rumps was the 2 at Maristany and likely to have been 5 at the treatment plant.
A Purple Heron from the platform.
A calculated estimate of R-rumps was the 2 at Maristany and likely to have been 5 at the treatment plant.
A Purple Heron from the platform.
Spent yesterday afternoon at Son Real. Very quiet. Had an hour in the hide watching the drinking pool with only a few green finch and serin of interest. Few hoopoe seen and heard with red kite and booted eagle passing over.
This morning started at Boquer valley. Arrived early and first car in the car park. Walked to the downward slope at the far end but didn’t see or hear any Balearic warblers. It was very windy tho.
Again not many migrants about with a couple of redstart and chiffs near the Finca. Had one griffon vulture, a couple of ravens and a crag Martin on the walk. By the time we walked back it was very busy. Never seen it like this before. The car park was full.
Next we walked the Can cullerassa road from the eastern end. Not much to report again. Steady trickle of swallows moving north, couple of marsh harriers, red led partridge, fan tailed warblers displaying etc
Visited the Sa Barcassa area next. Didn’t see the reported squacco heron. Green sand next to the main hide and a couple of audouins gulls asleep on one of the islands the best bits. Redstart and a few chiffs in the small orchard at the end of the wood along with stone curlew. One yellow wag from the viewing platform.
Impressions so far. Not many migrants about.
This morning started at Boquer valley. Arrived early and first car in the car park. Walked to the downward slope at the far end but didn’t see or hear any Balearic warblers. It was very windy tho.
Again not many migrants about with a couple of redstart and chiffs near the Finca. Had one griffon vulture, a couple of ravens and a crag Martin on the walk. By the time we walked back it was very busy. Never seen it like this before. The car park was full.
Next we walked the Can cullerassa road from the eastern end. Not much to report again. Steady trickle of swallows moving north, couple of marsh harriers, red led partridge, fan tailed warblers displaying etc
Visited the Sa Barcassa area next. Didn’t see the reported squacco heron. Green sand next to the main hide and a couple of audouins gulls asleep on one of the islands the best bits. Redstart and a few chiffs in the small orchard at the end of the wood along with stone curlew. One yellow wag from the viewing platform.
Impressions so far. Not many migrants about.
