[Mike Montier]

Thanks Patrick.
Great photos as always.
I totally agree, no matter how many Honey Buzzard I see, they still make my hair stand on end, such is their beauty.
Thanks to Lalo:
108 Honey Buzzard
43 Marsh harrier
32 Common Kestrel
15 Eleonora’s
3 Hobby
1 Red-footed Falcon.
That won’t be equaled for a while.
I was hoping for a day off but I know I won’t sleep thinking about all those Honey Buzzard.
See you at dawn then.
Mike

[Mike Montier]

I just can’t stay away from the Cap at the moment with all the recent action.
A brief visit at dawn this morning but enough to secure a double figure count of Honey Buzzard.
After I left many more came through together with Black Kite, Hobby and annoyingly, a Sparrowhawk, I still need it for the BigYear.
I will post totals later.
Mike

[Mike Montier]

Totals for yesterday:
30 Honey Buzzard
6 Marsh Harrier
2 Red kites left the Island, most unusual
1 Black Kite
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Hobby
1 Eleonora’s
4 Common Kestrel
60 Bee-eaters

Mike

[Sally Oakes]

Todays sightings
Adult peregrine trying to catch the neighbours pigeons this morning, without luck, over Pollenca.

Ca’n Cuasassa; 14 stone curlew flying over, landed in fields at back, common sandpiper, kestrel

Albufereta, platform next to hotel; marsh harrier - male flying over, 2 kingfisher, willow warbler
Tall platform - kestrel, 14 flamingoes, booted eagle - pale phase over,

Hide; 1 green shank, 1 common sandpiper, 1 stone curlew, 1 black necked grebe and Steve - great to see you again and have a chat.

[s.g.]

Great company this morning with Kevin and Geordie Dave, Highlights were,
Little Stints 6, Wood Sands 2, Green Sands 3, Greenshank at Sillot.
Depuadora, Knot back again plus Wood Sands, Green Sands ect.
Albufereta, Black Necked Grebe 2, Greenshank, Great White Egret, Stone Curlew and Cattle Egrets 71 and great company again with Rodger and Sally.
Best Wishes to Mike, hope everything goes well back in the UK.
Steve.

[timsg80]

Apologies for the late reporting, but I had a handful of super sightings while staying with family in Mallorca last month. Firstly, a beautiful Nightjar low over my head at Es Capdella. Really gratifying because I’d heard them earlier in the summer but couldn’t see them. 110 Bee-eaters had just gone overhead as well! Also, a superb sighting of a Long-eared Owl flushed from one of the pine trees near the short-stay parking at the airport! A super treat for my mate who’d just arrived from Australia! What an unexpected location to get a Mallorcan first for me!

[Mike Montier]

Just a couple of hours spent at the Cap this morning.
Very nice to meet Craig finally. I enjoy speaking to visiting birders and hearing about home.
Plenty of Marsh harriers left the Island but most were super-high.
A couple of Black kites and a few Honey Buzzard too but most impressive of all was the sheer number of Tortoiseshell butterflies streaming past us and out to sea. The movement was non-stop for the whole time we were there.
I know nothing about the migration of butterflies in Mallorca so if anyone knows more, perhaps they could enlighten us.
Thanks, Mike

[honeym]

Originally Posted by Mike Montier

but most impressive of all was the sheer number of Tortoiseshell butterflies streaming past us and out to sea. The movement was non-stop for the whole time we were there.
I know nothing about the migration of butterflies in Mallorca so if anyone knows more, perhaps they could enlighten us.
Thanks, Mike

Hi Mike

A very interesting observation as Small Tortoiseshell is not on the list of Balearic Island butterflies!

Did anyone take any pictures?

I only know of a couple of papers dealing with butterfly migration in or around the Balearics. One deals with butterflies and moths recorded at sea off Ibiza and the other on spring migration of butterflies in Menorca.

Martin

[Mike Montier]

Oops! They were Painted Ladies. Vanessa Cardui. Sorry Martin, I wasn’t thinking straight.
Still very impressive. There were also two danaus chysippus.
20 Marsh Harrier
8 Honey Buzzard
9 Common Kestrel
3 Black Kite
1 Hobby

Just as I sat down at home, promising not to go birding for a while, the bird alert went off. A Lesser Grey shrike was seen at Villafranca.
I was on my way within seconds but I failed to relocate the bird.
It was nice seeing Graham there and having a good catch-up but disappointing that the Shrike was nowhere to be seen.
I’m off to the UK for a few days tomorrow but will still get the news.
Mike

[eagle33]

Yes indeed the butterfles were painted ladies.
Nice to meet Mike also. I too observed Marsh harriers and kestrels leaving the island. 7 Grey heron left the island too. An Eleonora's falcon was the only other observation of note.
Ses selines 150 kentish plover, 6 Dunlin 17 Little stint was it there.
Back at depordeva 7 curlew sand.
A few Flamingos still On the reserve.

[honeym]

Originally Posted by Mike Montier

Oops! They were Painted Ladies. Vanessa Cardui. Sorry Martin, I wasn’t thinking straight.

Hi Mike

I did wonder. It's still an interesting observation, especially as it included two D. chrysippus. It's not often one gets to see 'return' migration.

I'll do a bit more research and pass the info on to a colleague.

Make sure you pack waterproofs and wellies as it's been quite wet here recently (but you've probably seen to forecast).

Best wishes

Martin

[Mike Montier]

Thanks Martin.
I would be very interested to hear more.
I know Lalo has passed the details to a Spanish authority.
Hard to imagine wet and cold weather as we are still in T shirts and shorts. I had better pack some woolies then.
Mike

[Mike Montier]

Whilst on the subject of butterflies we also saw a large white or very pale species flying through.
No time to identify or photograph it but I wondered if anyone had any idea what the possibilities might be bearing in mind the location and time of year?
Thanks, Mike

[pereto]

Hi all,
Today in Mortitx 1 beautiful Danaus chrysippus, very close just after the gate of the public area.
Also many Black and 1 Griffon vult. Great views f 2 aduld Bonelli's and 2-3 Eleonora's. Rather quiet migrantwise a part from Common redstart.
Excellent views of many Eleonora's and BR thrush in Formentor in the morning.
Regards

[Mike Montier]

After non-stop birding for a couple of weeks now I thought I would take it easy today.
Just after we arrived at art class, the bird alert went off. Italian sparrow at Cap de Ses Salines. I made my excuses and slipped out the door.
No luck but it is still there I’m told. However, I did see further large movements of Painted Lady butterflies all moving down south. Also I found two more Tiger butterflies. I was only there for twenty minutes so it would be safe to assume there were others.
Arriving back at the class I glanced at my mobile to see that the Shrike had be relocated at Villafranca.
Off again.
More luck this time but it was not a Lesser Grey Shrike but a Southern Grey Shrike, a new bird for me.
I didn’t get any painting done but luckily all the group know as I spend most of the class looking at the sky every week.
Graham and Patrick were great company and very concerned that I should see the bird as they were looking at it just five minutes before I got there and I had to spend a nail-biting hour waiting for it to show again.
Off to the airport soon. I will be glad to have a rest.
Mike

[Mike Montier]

Ps. It was a sweltering 30 degrees on the central plain so it will be a shock when I hit the UK later.
Also, traveling through the Island earlier I noticed more Painted Lady butterflies everywhere I went. I would love to know the total number. Extraordinary event.
Mike

[Mark Painter]

Originally Posted by Mike Montier

Ps. It was a sweltering 30 degrees on the central plain so it will be a shock when I hit the UK later.
Also, traveling through the Island earlier I noticed more Painted Lady butterflies everywhere I went. I would love to know the total number. Extraordinary event.
Mike

On 30th June I was sat on the beach in Porto Pollensa. For several hours Painted Ladies were flying north. I counted between me and the breakwater about 100m away. They were passing at a rate of about 1250 per hour.More were passing behind me and beyond the breakwater.

Mark

[Sally Oakes]

Yesterday’s sightings at Mortitx 1000 - 1500
3 Cirl bunting, 2 common redstart, 2 willow warbler, 1 blue rock thrush - distant, 2 black vulture, 4 griffon vulture, fantastic fly over by adult bonelli’s eagle, also one sat on favourite perch in distance, 2 raven, 1 peregrine, 2 firecrest.
Also seen several plain tiger butterflies and a spurge hawk moth caterpillar.

Today’s sightings in the Arta mountains
2 firecrest, 15 ravens flying over, 15+ crag martins, 4+ house martins, 2 greenfinch, 1 common redstart, 8 linnet, 1 red kite, 1 possible black kite.

[StewB]

Originally Posted by Mike Montier

Whilst on the subject of butterflies we also saw a large white or very pale species flying through.
No time to identify or photograph it but I wondered if anyone had any idea what the possibilities might be bearing in mind the location and time of year?
Thanks, Mike

When I was at Son Real a couple of weeks ago I chased down a large pale butterfly that turned out to be a rather washed-out female Cleopatra. Shortly after, I saw a similar second individual. I wonder if that’s what you saw Mike?

Stew

[honeym]

Originally Posted by Sally Oakes

Also seen several plain tiger butterflies and a spurge hawk moth caterpillar.

Hi Sally

Your Spurge Hawkmoth larva should have been a Smoky Spurge (Hyles dahlii) as H. euphorbiae is not supposed to be on Mallorca.

Spectacular beasts.

Best wishes

Martin

[LaGola]

Hello!
Tomorrow we have a coffee-talk at La Gola about the Balearic Shearwater.
The expert talking will be Miguel Mcminn.
From 3:30pm to 4:30pm approx. And we invite you a coffee or a tea.

Regards,
Cristina.

[Mike Montier]

That’s a shame Cristina, I would love to come and hear Miguel again, he is so knowledgeable about Shearwaters and I have a bundle of questions for him having been an avid seawatcher for the last couple of years.
Next time.
Only news so far today is of a possible steppe Buzzard seen above Cabrera.
It’s a bit cooler here in Sussex but I have seen a few species that don’t occur in Mallorca which has been good.
Mike

[Maties Rebassa]

Not many migrant birds these days, but a lot of migrant dargonflies. Today at least 5 vagrant emperors. Nice!

[Mike Montier]

Very nice and a superb photo Maties.
What a year it has been for Dragonflies.
Mike

[Sally Oakes]

Hello Martin and thank you for your clarification about the ‘Spurge’ caterpillar. I will post a photo of it ASAP.

Today’s sightings at Albufera 1030 - 1530

New hide opposite visitor centre: 2 purple gallinule, 1 great white egret, Osprey, 15+ Kentish plover, 8+ common snipe, 1 green shank, 2 dunlin.

First stone bridge from ses pardes hide; Reed warbler, 3 kingfisher

Es ciboller 11 hide: 7 spotted redshank, 5 greenshank, 2 shell duck, 1 kestrel

Es ciboller 1 hide: 1 ruff, 8 spotted redshank, 3 greenshank.

Bridge just after turning for above 2 hides: little bittern, moustached warbler