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Mallorca 2017 (1 Viewer)

Mike Montier

Well-known member
Happy New Year to all readers and contributors of this thread.
May 2017 bring you all good health and lots of great birds. 2016 has been exceptionally good for rare birds so let's hope the coming year continues in the same fashion.
I look forward to meeting up with many of you again later in the year. The Island is in good shape with more protected areas and an ever expanding group of locals who are all great fun and very helpful. Best wishes, Mike
 
Happy New Year Mallorca

Happy New Year to all readers and contributors of this thread.
May 2017 bring you all good health and lots of great birds. 2016 has been exceptionally good for rare birds so let's hope the coming year continues in the same fashion.
I look forward to meeting up with many of you again later in the year. The Island is in good shape with more protected areas and an ever expanding group of locals who are all great fun and very helpful. Best wishes, Mike

Wishing all the best for 2017

Mike
 

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Our usual beach party at Mondrago was a good place to start the year with three Hoopoes, lots of Black Redstarts, Firecrest, Serin, Cirl Bunting, Sardinian Warbler, Red Kite and Booted Eagle.
Common Crane are being seen regularly at Salobrar de Campos.
Mike
 
The Black throated diver is still at Port Andratx, a few Red-breasted mergansers are being seen from the coast and Common Cranes are at both Son Ferriol and Salobrar de Campos. Mike
 
Plenty of good birds being seen, mainly from the coast, Red-breasted Merganser in Colonia Sant Jordi and Porto Colom, Gannet, lots of Sandwich terns today together with a Whimbrel and there have been a few Razorbills around. Glorious weather, which is normal for the first half of January, but it can turn much colder for the second half. Blossom here and there, a few butterflies and wild flowers galore. Mike
 
Happy New Year to all The Majorca Forum Guys & Girls.
Trying to squeeze a week in on the island early March.
Always wanted to give the hill Walking a go but it's always been on the Hot side on my previous visits,thus an early visit this year.
Hope to maybe catch up with Alpine Accentor and Hawfinch too and let's not forget the wild flowers which should be showing nicely.

All The Best For 2017

Bob
 
Hi Bob, glad you are coming back and March will certainly be cooler. It's a funny month, quite cold and rainy on some days yet warm and sunny at times too, it's pot luck really. Alpine Accentors will still be around and I will post all sightings on here to keep you up to date. The approach road to the tower at Albercutx is usually good for this species.
Hawfinch I have mentioned, but as a reminder, the hide at Son Real is far and away the best place. It's on the blue walk number 4.
As you say, the wild flowers can be stunning, the road to the depuradora, Albufera is usually a very good place.
Good luck, let me know if I can help in any way. Mike
 
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I visited Salobrar this morning. The water level was surprisingly high and my half-height boots did not quite cut it. So I ended up on the road to Es Trenc beach where I found a small feeding ground for waders. 7 species in one shot taken from the car about 20m away.
Also a surprise sight of a Hen Harrier, flying quite high, going east.
Other than that, quite a few Flamingoes, Shelducks, a couple Marsh Harriers. Unfortunately, I couldn't sight any Cranes.
 

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Thanks Patrick, a nice male Hen Harrier. The water levels are impossibly high so the Es Trenc road is the only option at the moment. The Cranes often move to nearby fields to feed, early morning I have found is the best time to see them in flight. Hope this helps. Mike
 
Thanks Mike, I will try searching nearer the Polo Club for cranes next time I go that way.
On a different non-bird matter, I have been puzzled for quite some time about finding in at least three different locations in the Tramuntana, pine cones eaten away as a squirrel would do it, clean to the bone. I read they do not occur on the island but I can't think what else would do that. In one place the cones were old and could have been eaten on the ground, by goats?. But at the other two locations, near Sant Elm recently, the cone were freshly stripped and plentiful in a small area, as if they had been dropped from the tree already eaten. Any ideas?
 
Hi Patrick, yes, someone has already noticed that and there was a discussion on here about it. I can't remember the outcome, I will try to find it and let you know. There are no squirrels, only Pine Martens and Gennet. Mike
 
Hi Patrick, yes, someone has already noticed that and there was a discussion on here about it. I can't remember the outcome, I will try to find it and let you know. There are no squirrels, only Pine Martens and Gennet. Mike

It was back in March 2014. I'm not sure if there was a final concensus.

Best wishes

Martin
 
I read they do not occur on the island but I can't think what else would do that. In one place the cones were old and could have been eaten on the ground, by goats?. But at the other two locations, near Sant Elm recently, the cone were freshly stripped and plentiful in a small area, as if they had been dropped from the tree already eaten. Any ideas?

Hi,
They are rats who eat pine cones on that way, big rats, sometimes with big nests on the up side of the big pine trees.
 
Results are in for the "BigYear" here in Mallorca.
The very worthy winner was Pep who thoroughly deserves top spot. He is not only an excellent birder but he is very rigorous about his records having photographed nearly all of them.
There is usually a presentation evening which is a riotous event and quite unlike anything I have ever attended before.
Thanks also to Carlos for all his hard work compiling the results.
It has been great fun and I thank all the locals for allowing me to take part and be one of their group.
Results can be viewed here: bigyearmallorca.blogspot.com
Mike
 
Hi,
They are rats who eat pine cones on that way, big rats, sometimes with big nests on the up side of the big pine trees.
Hi Pep, thank you, problem solved. Rats crossed my mind but I never really thought they could get that big here.
Congratulations for your Big Year win.
Patrick
 
Hi Bob, glad you are coming back and March will certainly be cooler. It's a funny month, quite cold and rainy on some days yet warm and sunny at times too, it's pot luck really. Alpine Accentors will still be around and I will post all sightings on here to keep you up to date. The approach road to the tower at Albercutx is usually good for this species.
Hawfinch I have mentioned, but as a reminder, the hide at Son Real is far and away the best place. It's on the blue walk number 4.
As you say, the wild flowers can be stunning, the road to the depuradora, Albufera is usually a very good place.
Good luck, let me know if I can help in any way. Mike

Thanks Again Mike I will keep checking the Majorca thread as I always do anyways

Bob
 
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