Mallorca 2019 (1 Viewer)

StewB · Sep 15, 2019

En route to Son Real I called in at Maristany and the Depuradora.

At Maristany there were 4 greenshank, 2 snipe and several green and common sandpipers. There was some shooting going on beyond the reeds opposite the track, and a gun dog was splashing around in the shallows nearby, so not surprisingly birds were a little “mobile”.

At the Depuradora quite a lot of Steve’s birds remained, although many of them were on the pool nearest the track entrance which is drying out. I managed to get some views from the gate and through the hedge. Highlights were 3 glossy ibis, 3 ruff, 8 little stints, 1 Temmink’s, 4 wood sands, 1 curlew sand and several green and common sands, and 2 snipe. There were several sand martins with the swallows and house martins.

Bird-wise Son Real was a little disappointing, although as usual Thekla larks were no problem - at least 6 near the beach. Shags and Audouin’s gulls were on the offshore rocks, and a wheatear was in the scrub.

Other creatures provided a lot of interest. At least six two-tailed pasha butterflies were in the air, a scarlet dragonfly was over the pool from the hide, a miniscule Heerman’s tortoise was near the viewing platform and a weasel hesitated by the track before dashing back into cover.

Stew

Mike Montier · Sep 15, 2019

Another great morning at the Cap with Steve and ten locals.
The action started early with four Marsh harriers going through and a Honey Buzzard followed soon after.
Bee-eaters made their presence known by calling constantly, as they do. One of the most evocative sounds of autumn here. Over 200 again I’m sure.
Several Eleonora’s Falcons left, a couple of Common Kestrels and many groups of Barn Swallows.
More Honey Buzzard circled round before leaving and two Hobby flashed overhead. Three Black Kite departed together but changed their minds and came back.
I had to leave so I don’t yet have the totals but I will post them as soon as I can.
A great day.
Mike

Patrick_m · Sep 15, 2019

A few photos of the birds at the Cap, today and yesterday, to support Mike's latest post.
The Montagu's was a nice addition to a great day
Sorry Mike , I did not have good or recent pictures of Bonelli's as you requested the other day.

s.g. · Sep 15, 2019

Indeed a great time Mike, enjoyed the company and the banter even if I didn't get most of it!Great photos Patrick.
Glad you got the birds at the Depuadora Stew.
Called in on the way back from the Cap. The Knot was there, showed it to the guy who was standing on the wall at the Cap, can't remember his name Mike, unfortunately it was flushed by a Marsh Harrier, not sure if it came back. Also Golden Oriole was still there just by the left turning at the binocular sign. And 20 Glossy Ibis.
Steve.

Mike Montier · Sep 15, 2019

Thanks Steve, a great day. I didn’t understand much of the banter either!
Thanks Patrick, superb images.
I believe the Knot was seen at Sa Roca hide, maybe flew there after it was flushed.
Knot is becoming so scarce these days and it’s now hard to find here.
The days totals kindly supplied by Lalo and the Mallorca Raptor Count members were:

Marsh Harrier. 14
Black Kite. 4
Common Kestrel. 3
Honey Buzzard. 13
Eleonora’s Falcon. 17
Montagu’s Harrier. 1
Hobby. 2
Barn swallow. 700
Bee-eater. 310
Golden oriole. 2
Mike

StewB · Sep 16, 2019

Mrs B dropped me off at the S’Albufera car park for a morning on the reserve.

Night herons were roosting in the vegetation across the main canal as I walked down the entrance track. I was following a Spanish photographer/birder, and just before the track dog-legs a pine marten loped across the track in front of us - highlight of the morning!

At Sa Roca a group of about 25 spotted redshank were in a compact feeding group - something I’ve not seen before.

It seems that the large numbers of marbled ducks have relocated from Sa Roca to Es Cibollar - with 40+ on the scapes. There were 22 flamingos from Es Cibollar I, including 12 juvs. An osprey was on dead trees from Es Cibollar II. Otherwise, wader numbers were more modest than on Wednesday - just a few green and common sands, 4 greenshank and a redshank.

Water levels seem to have increased with the rain from the storms earlier in the week. A walk down to Es Columbars was unproductive, with no shallows for waders.

Stew

Maties Rebassa · Sep 17, 2019

StewB said:
Yes, I think Mortitx is one of the Island’s best kept secrets.

Just heard from a friend in the UK that one of his birding friends has arrived in Lesbos to find, quite literally, thousands of vagrant emperors. I know it’s way further east, but you never know..

Stew

Hello, seems that more Vagrant Emperors have arrived to Mallorca. I've seen one early this morning in Colombars area (s'Albufera) and somebody could take a photo of another one in Albufereta, predated by a Lesser Emperor!

Many more species seen these days in s'Albufera. Yesterday I could find some Small red-eyed damselflies in 2 differents places (camí dels Polls and Forcadet), with males, females and "tandems" ovipositing. Not a common species in Mallorca!

Not so lucky with birds, only common species today. Seems that the Knot has gone, and few migrants in front of the hides.

StewB · Sep 17, 2019

Began the last morning of our trip at the Depuradora, where it was good to bump into Steve again. Still plenty of waders, including my first avocet of the trip. The birds seemed to be a bit mobile - probably because an idiot (Brit) birder had climbed through the gap in the fence below the platform and “gone in”. So, apparent counts were 6 little stints, 1 dunlin, 2 ruff, 1wood sand, 6 glossy ibis. There were 5 common starlings and (bird of the trip for me) a red-rumpled swallow which came through with about 40 house martins, hung around for a couple of minutes and moved off with the martins. On the drive out there was a juv woodchat on a fence, a large serin flock (c40 birds) in a roadside tree, and a booted eagle over the bus garage.

Maristany was fairly quiet, a dunlin was among the waders, a couple of yellow wags flew over and at least 13 stone curlews were in the north corner.

Took lunch on the tower at the Albufereta. There were 15 flamingos (inc 4 juvs) on the main lagoon, with 2 great white egrets at the back of the pools. The two greylag geese were on an island. A juv purple heron flew in and remained in view for several minutes. At the hide there were 6 flamingos (3 juvs), anther great white egret, a green sand, a common sand and 6 greenshanks.

An unproductive visit to Ca’n Cuarassa gave me an opportunity to say cheerio to Steve before coming back to the apartment to pack, ready for this evening’s flight back to the UK.

Stew

Raptorash · Sep 17, 2019

StewB said:
The birds seemed to be a bit mobile - probably because an idiot (Brit) birder had climbed through the gap in the fence below the platform and “gone in”. So, apparent counts were 6 little stints, 1 dunlin, 2 ruff, 1wood sand, 6 glossy ibis. There were 5 common starlings and (bird of the trip for me) a red-rumpled swallow which came through with about 40 house martins, hung around for a couple of minutes and moved off with the martins.

Stew

Stew - The Red-rumped (or another?) returned about 10 mins after you’d left and this time hung around for 5 or 6 mins this time in the company of 4 ordinary swallows. I walked up to the gates to try and get you back for it (as you said you were going to look from there on your way out) but you’d already departed - sorry.

And for the record, I was NOT the Brit walking around inside the depudora - I was as flabbergasted as Stew at the twat’s behaviour !!

Ash

StewB · Sep 17, 2019

Raptorash said:
Stew - The Red-rumped (or another?) returned about 10 mins after you’d left and this time hung around for 5 or 6 mins this time in the company of 4 ordinary swallows. I walked up to the gates to try and get you back for it (as you said you were going to look from there on your way out) but you’d already departed - sorry.

And for the record, I was NOT the Brit walking around inside the depudora - I was as flabbergasted as Stew at the ****’s behaviour !!

Ash

Thanks Ash - I appreciate that effort. RRS is one of my favourite birds ever, and I was made up to see it. Great that it returned too! (Nice to meet you both by the way).

As we said at the time, it wasn’t just the consequences for the guy himself (although when he suggested he’d get shot for going in I almost felt sorry that he didn’t), but it destroys our reputation with the locals who have done so much to create the facilities that we take for granted, and who knows what it might do for the attitude of the Depuradora to visiting birders. As you so eloquently summed up - ****!

Stew

Mike Montier · Sep 17, 2019

A fabulous morning at the Cap today with estebannic logging many Honey Buzzard and Alpine Swift.
I’m not keen on using day totals without permission so I hope he posts.
It sounded an amazing day.
I’m going tomorrow so I hope there will be some left-overs.
Mike

Geordie Dave · Sep 17, 2019

Went down to the salt flats at Salobrar de Campos yesterday. A word of advice, the first 200-300 yards are wet! Met a group of birders from Belgium, really nice people. There are 100+ flamingos on the ponds and I was reliably informed 246 avocets out there. Other birds of interest were temmincks and little stints plus dunlin. A few marsh harriers and red kites plus a single peregrine completed the list. Had one tern but not close views that may have been gull billed. Today went to Albufera, saw the usual suspects including curlew sandpiper and plenty of spotted redshank. Only 2 night heron in the usual roost spot on the canal and the whole place generally quiet. Highlight was an osprey catching fish in front of the hotels in Alcudia and bringing them back to eat on a post in front of Cibollar hide. Tomorrow heading to Depuradora

s.g. · Sep 18, 2019

Good to meet up again Stew, will see you again next year. Much the same as Stew but
Missed the Red Rumped Swallow but had Water Pipit at Maristany and 2 Black Necked Grebe at Albuferata.
Steve.

Mike Montier · Sep 18, 2019

A very early start at the Cap was beautiful but unproductive for birds.
Later on a few Marsh Harrier came through and 8 Honey Buzzard but the real stars were the huge numbers of Bee-eaters with one group numbering in excess of 100, an amazing and unforgettable experience as they swirled around overhead. They gained high and left for Africa only to turn round and come back again.
One group of six raptors was interesting. I wrongly assumed they must be the same species but there were two Honey Buzzard, two Marsh Harrier and two Booted Eagle, something I’ve never seen before.
Mike

s.g. · Sep 18, 2019

Waders at Depuadora still decent, Temmincks 2 Little Stints 5, Wood Sands 3, Curlew Sands 2, Glossy Ibis 3, Avocet 21. Decided to take a walk in the woods opposite the entrance to the sewage works and surprise surprise managed to find a Scops Owl and take some decent photos before it was startled by two horses riders and flew deep into the woods.
Steve.

Sally Oakes · Sep 18, 2019

Sightings today:
Maristany @ 1030: 5 stone curlew; 2 yellow wagtail: 1 purple gallinule; 1 northern wheatear; 2 green shank; 6 kentish plover; 1 little ringed plover; 3 ringed plover; 1 knot; 1 willow warbler; 1 great tit; 3 spotted flycatchers.

S’Illot 1130; 2 wood sandpipers; 5 Kentish plovers; 1 stonechat; 1 knot; 3 black wing stilt; 1 booted eagle pale phase, over

Depuradora @ 1230; 5 green sandpipers; 4 glossy ibis; 2 wood sandpipers; 5 swallows; 3 ruff;

Near cami de polls; 1400 Blue throat - female, whitchat

Sa Font, canal de polls @ 1430; juvenile night heron, female marsh harrier - over

Llenaire @ 1530; 2 booted eagle dark phase - over

Mike Montier · Sep 18, 2019

Hi Sally, thanks for posting, some lovely birds there. So that’s where the Knot got to!
Mike

Mike Montier · Sep 18, 2019

You did well Steve, I’ve yet to see a Scops owl in the daytime in a photographable position. I look forward to seeing the results when you get back.
Mike

Ian Bell · Sep 19, 2019

Mike Montier said:
I look forward to seeing the results when you get back.
Mike

Add me to that list :t:

LaGola · Sep 19, 2019

Hello!
in this link you can have a look to the bird list from 1st to 15th of September.
https://www.ctolagola.com/birdlist-listado-de-aves-llistat-d-aus/
Also I attach the birds seen today at the parc.
Sorry I don't know why the image is turned.

Regards,
Cristina.

Mallorca 2019 (1 Viewer)

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

spotted sandpiper

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Active member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

spotted sandpiper

Well-known member

spotted sandpiper

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Registered User

Ornithological tourism center

Attachments

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread