Mallorca 2018 (3 Viewers)

Salbufera this Morning,
Black Tailed Godwit, Garganey Male again, Moustashed Warblers showing Well, Black Redstarts again in good numbers, Tufted Ducks 6.
Steve.

honeym said:

One possibility might be Weasel. It will be interesting to see the photo.
Martin

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Martin I am heading back to the park later today so I will see if the remains are still there.
Looking at the pic again the prey looks a bit like a Water Vole,do they have them on the Island ?
You mention that a Weasel could be the culprit and I have definitely seen one around that area of the park before ,not on this visit but a few years back .

Bob

bob freeman said:

Martin I am heading back to the park later today so I will see if the remains are still there.
Looking at the pic again the prey looks a bit like a Water Vole,do they have them on the Island ?
You mention that a Weasel could be the culprit and I have definitely seen one around that area of the park before ,not on this visit but a few years back .
Bob

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Hi Bob
No voles but three species of shrew, three mice and two rats.
Martin

Good numbers of hirundines, including Red-rumped swallows, along the south coast this morning and Common Swift too. Mirella found a Sub-Alpine Warbler near Cala d’Or. Mike

A Red-breasted merganser seen and photographed by Maties off the north coast at Son Real. There have been very few this winter. Mike

Great last full day on the island.
Never made the early start due to last nights jaunt on the town but my friends had a look up at the Formentor viewpoint and saw brief views of the Alpine Accentor feeding on the ground with a Robin.
Arrived at S Albufera around 1400 hrs and first stop was Sa Roca hide.
Water levels were higher than yesterday for some reason and not much on view so we moved over to the Solar Panel hide as three Glossy Ibis were very close.
When we arrived we had good point black views of the Ibis and then Nine Ruff appeared from nowhere followed by Three Stone Curlews and Water Pipit.
Just getting onto all three new arrivals when the whole place took to the sky.
A fantastic Female Monties Harrier had put most of the bids up,it swooped over close to the hide but too quick for any pics.
Things settled down and most of the waders returned bringing a nice Temmincks Stint with them,it was perched up on a rock so just as I was about to hit the shutter button for a shot the Monties Harrier returned putting all of the birds up again,this time it gave great views swooping around for about 30 seconds before shooting over the hide and out of view.
Once the birds returned there was sadly no sign of the Stint.
About five minutes later unbelievably another raptor swooped in but this time it was some kind of Falcon,nobody seemed to get a clear ID on it but it was definitely not a Kestrel.
Little Egrets , Red Crested Pochard ,Water Pipit and Swamphen then gave lovely views right up to the hide and were then joined by two nice Greenshank.
A quick look down at the Bishop 1 hide rewarded us with a nice Spotted Redshank but nothing like the parade which we had just witnessed at the previous hide.
What an end to a fantastic visit to Majorca and probably my best ever birdwise.

PS Martin I checked out the head of the animal on the Bishop track and is was crawling with Maggots,I turned it over with a stick and it looked like a Rat by the look of it’s teeth but sure enough the decapitation looked clean and surgical.
I will still post shot once I get back home for your opinion.

Cheers

Bob

It’s been great reading your posts Bob and so good to hear such enthusiasm for this wonderful Island.
Take a good look at your photos of the Montagu’s Harrier, it may just turn out to be a female Pallid Harrier, I believe it was one! All the best, hope to meet up next time you are in Mallorca, Mike

Mike Montier said:

It’s been great reading your posts Bob and so good to hear such enthusiasm for this wonderful Island.
Take a good look at your photos of the Montagu’s Harrier, it may just turn out to be a female Pallid Harrier, I believe it was one! All the best, hope to meet up next time you are in Mallorca, Mike

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Will do Mike the hide was full when the Harrier flew over and we were thinking either Monties or Hen never even thought of Pallid.
I will post the best shot I have of it and let the experts call it.
Yeah hope to eventually catch up with you one day but here’s hoping you have a great birding year out here in Majorca.

Cheers

Bob

Just another point Bob, I believe some kind of hybrid falcon has been photographed at Albufera so that may answer the question of the identity of the raptor you saw. I don’t know any more at the moment but will keep you posted. Mike

bob freeman said:

PS Martin I checked out the head of the animal on the Bishop track and is was crawling with Maggots,I turned it over with a stick and it looked like a Rat by the look of it’s teeth but sure enough the decapitation looked clean and surgical.
I will still post shot once I get back home for your opinion.
Bob

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Hi Bob

Both Brown and Black rat occur in s'Albufera. I suppose it's always possible that it might have been the result of human intervention. It will be interesting to see the photo.

Martin

The female Pallid Harrier was seen and photographed by Patrick today at Albufera. I hope he posts his excellent shots on here. A nice record for Mallorca although sightings have been more frequent in recent years. Still a top bird though. Mike

Just having quick check of Harrier Photo from yesterdays excellent day at
S Albufera.
This is the best shot I could manage and after looking at the Collins guide and reading that it was present again today then it confirms that the bird was a Pallid Harrier.
Good news for me too as this makes it a first for me.
Thanks Mike for help with ID and I will post some more shots when I get home and sorted.

Cheers

Bob

honeym said:

Hi Bob

Both Brown and Black rat occur in s'Albufera. I suppose it's always possible that it might have been the result of human intervention. It will be interesting to see the photo.

Martin

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Thanks again Martin I will post the shot once my friends wife emails me on the file.

Bob

Nice one Bob! I’m very pleased for you, Mike

Great shot Bob. I was lucky this morning to find the Harrier resting in Sa Roca. I assume it is the same bird.

Hi Bob, your photo has stirred up quite a bit of controversy. I think you said you had more photos so if it’s at all possible, we would really appreciate you posting them here or sending them to me. Then we may be able to establish whether this is the same bird that has been photographed today. Or were there two different birds? The plot thickens. Thanks, Mike

The general consensus is that Bob’s bird is indeed a different one from today’s photos.
Because of the number of fingers showing, the feeling is that this is a ring-tail Hen Harrier.
I guess I assumed it was the same bird. I think I read recently that in the bird world, never assume!!
Mike

Very nice Patrick,great bird and good to see it or they are still about.
Mike I will sort through my files tomorrow and post them on this forum.
Just back home to the freezing miserable weather so won’t be doing much else me thinks.

Bob

Wow. Just been catching up on the forum and just booked for a week in Port Pollenca as from next Sunday. Appear to be some cracking birds around and several in the North of the Island - and a Coati! That made me smile! Had heard there were pine martens about but seeing a coati - brilliant!!

Am again over with family but will be hiring a car sometime during my break so if any other birders in the area or anyone who wants to have another set of eyes whilst checking out the boquer valley do please let me know!

As i look out the window snowing this end so will be good to be in the relative warmth!!

Mike here are a another three big crops of Thursdays bird.
When you mention the Five fingers which the Hen Harrier has and checking the field guide again then yes i must agree. Easy this bird id lark isn't it lol.

Bob