• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Mallorca 2020 (2 Viewers)

After yesterday’s outing at Salobrar de Campos seeing no migrant waders, I received news this morning that Jason had been to the same site and seen Whiskered tern, Ruff, Curlew sandpipers, Sanderling, Greenshank and Curlew. We were 24 hours too early then..
Also, a friend sent a photo of a Kingfisher corpse, fresh dead, found at Formentor this morning. They do return to Mallorca super early as I remember Kevin saying he had seen one in July.
Mike
 
I heard the full story about the Kingfisher this morning.
A friend who was working at a house in Formentor saw a Kingfisher strike the patio doors and sadly it died.
As he was photographing the corpse, a second Kingfisher flew into the same window.
The chances of that happening must be almost zero.
Happily, the second bird survived.
I have written suggesting that the owners put some stickers on the glass to avoid further catastrophe.
Such a sad way for such a beautiful bird to end its life.
Mike
 
Met Kevin for a couple of hours at S’Illot tonight hoping for nightjars. We had one, possibly two calling for around 40 minutes from about 8.45 pm onwards and then again shortly before 10pm. Also had several quail calling. Plenty of stone curlew, a few bee eaters, marbled duck, Squacco heron, 2 green sandpipers, fan tailed warbler, 2 purple heron, 4 ringed plover and fly over marsh harriers. Called it a night in the dark at 10pm
 
A very hot, clear evening so I thought a seawatch might be good, if only to try to cool down.
It seemed even hotter at the lighthouse though but I managed to log 474 Scopoli’s shearwaters drifting gently south, hardly flapping as they went to roost.
Nothing else of note, just one Shag and three Audouin’s gulls. Not a single Balearic shearwater.
A very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
Mike
 
I spent a couple of hours late morning yesterday at Salobrar de Campos on the Es Trenc road before picking Lisa up from the airport. It was 35° and with little shade. Delighted to see 20 curlew sandpipers, 4 little stint, 2 greenshank, red kite, peregrine falcon, kestrel and the usual high numbers of Avocet and flamingo
 
A quick visit to Pla de Lanzell near Vilafranca in a sweltering 37 degrees of humidity produced very little.
An astonishing 210 Cattle Egrets were lined up along the railings of the depuradora though and a dark morph Booted Eagle patrolled the parched countryside.
No sign of any kestrels which is unusual, big numbers usually pass through in autumn.
Mike
 

Attachments

  • E075559F-4F46-4DC7-906E-317C574C7E93.jpeg
    E075559F-4F46-4DC7-906E-317C574C7E93.jpeg
    37.4 KB · Views: 61
Last edited:
Heading back to Newcastle tomorrow after 2 weeks in Mallorca and the prospect of 14 days in quarantine!! I’ve not been here at this time to year but the fewer people, the absence of cyclists on the roads and the hot but fairly moderate temperatures of 28-34° degrees have all made for an enjoyable stay. “Only” 87 species seen but I knew before I came out that this would be a quiet time. Great fun as ever to catch up with my UK and ex pat birding friends and to spend leisurely days out in the field with them. The companionship is just as important as what we see. Birds of the trip? Nightjars at S’Illot, little bittern, Squacco heron, curlew sandpiper, eleanoras falcons, purple herons, bee eaters at Son Bosc, little tern, whiskered tern and gull billed tern, hundreds of avocets and flamingo and several more. I’m due back late August if Boris will let me. Until then stay safe and enjoy this beautiful island!!
 
A very pleasant morning at the salt pans with David E.
An early start is the best option at the moment due to the heat. There are also good opportunities to photograph birds which are still napping, especially Flamingoes.
Good numbers of Barn Swallows, a few House martins, 9 Greenshank and 2 Curlew sandpipers plus the usual high numbers of Kentish plovers, Avocets, Shelduck and Marsh harriers.
Mike
 

Attachments

  • AD9B4CF8-66B9-4192-A774-E3E8F71A5E64.jpeg
    AD9B4CF8-66B9-4192-A774-E3E8F71A5E64.jpeg
    30.5 KB · Views: 35
One bird I have grown to love more and more here in Mallorca is the delightful zitting cisticola.
Bursting with character, they “zit, zit” their way around the scrub and marshes.
Happily, they often pose for photos, unlike many other warblers here.
Mike
 

Attachments

  • A9A9AE65-C062-4951-BFFF-093BE5F3BC13.jpeg
    A9A9AE65-C062-4951-BFFF-093BE5F3BC13.jpeg
    70.2 KB · Views: 56
There are still some Lesser kestrels to be seen here around the area of Maria de la Salut, seen by both myself and Kevin.
There are quite a few Common kestrels around at the moment too, so sorting them out is quite a challenge.
Mike
 
Good News. La Gola in Port de Pollensa reopens:

https://m.facebook.com/ctolagola/

El Centre de Turisme Ornitològic de la Gola torna a estar obert dilluns, dimecres i divendres de 9 a 16h. Siau benvinguts!

El Centro de Turismo Ornitológico de la Gola vuelve a estar abierto los lunes, miércoles y viernes de 9 a 16h. Sed bienvenidos!

The Ornithological Tourism Centre La Gola is opened again on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 4pm.
 
Last edited:
Our first “capote” (a day without seeing any migrants) took place this morning with Pep and I going to the favoured spot for autumn migration at the lighthouse, Cap de Ses Salines. It is the most southerly point of Mallorca and in autumn groups of birders gather there to watch many migrants leaving the Island for Africa.
We saw at least five Eleonora’s falcons hunting locally and about the same number of Scopoli’s shearwaters. A group of young Audouin’s gulls flew by, very nice to see them. A Balearic Warbler was flitting around, a few Spotted flycatchers and two young Woodchats.
Anyone who has ever been there on the right day will have had a memorable day with Booted eagles, Marsh harriers, Black kites and many other birds of prey, gaining height, and leaving to the south. The numbers of Common Kestrel can be staggering.
On the way down to the Cap, Turtle doves often line the road (although there were only three today.)
Some raptors leave at first light but the main event starts around 11am and tails off around 1pm.
Bee-eater numbers can be very impressive, I think my total for a single group was 85.
Common Swift sometimes gather in huge numbers before leaving and Barn Swallows also appear in impressive numbers.
There are always surprises too, you just never know.
It’s very exciting waiting for the first of the migrants to come through but you just never know when that is going to be, hence there will be quite a few more “capotes” to come no doubt.
Mike
 
Last edited:
I see that Mirella, a near neighbour in Cala d’Or, has just seen a Plain Tiger butterfly.
Last year was a bumper one for this previously scarce species, some days they seemed to be everywhere.
Mike
 
My second attempt this autumn to see some early return migration from Cap de Ses Salines this morning.
An early start produced very little, just a couple of Turtle doves.
Eleonora’s falcons began to appear, about 10, it’s difficult not to double count, but there may have been more.
I believe they are the breeding birds from Cabrera, and indeed, I often see birds coming from there to the Cap at dawn. They hunt in the fields near the Cap.
A spiraling group of 17 Ravens set my pulse racing as for a moment I thought they were raptors.
Two Black Kite were near the coast, they will surely be leaving any day now.
A couple of Marsh Harrier we’re knocking around but they were probably residents.
I moved further up the road for some shade and there in the field was a group of 9 Kestrel. One was a Lesser Kestrel for sure and maybe another one, but as for the others, I really couldn’t tell. Females and immature are beyond my skills.
I read a very long thread on Birdforum about a possible Lesser Kestrel in the UK which just demonstrated how difficult the whole business is.
I believe Lesser kestrels migrate in groups so there is a possibility that more of them were Lesser.
More reports on Saturday when I will be joined by some locals.
Mike
 
The group met for the first time this morning at Cap de Ses Salines.
As it’s very early in the season for return migration, I wasn’t expecting too much.
Pep and I were on site early. There were some Woodchats and Spotted flycatchers. Pep found a Blue Rock thrush and he also picked out a Grey heron flying along the coast of Cabrera.
We both watched a seabird flying from Cabrera into the bay of Palma. It was distant but we both felt it may well have been the Brown booby. Despite prolonged views, it was very distant so we are left being pretty sure but sadly not 100%. We will nail it one day soon.
We moved further up the road for some shade and were rewarded by sightings of a group of 9 Black Kite. They looked splendid as they performed their pre-crossing ritual, circling round in a spiral before determinedly flying out to sea. Our first migrating raptors of the return passage.
Two Bonelli’s eagles were also present as were two Common Buzzard.
A few Marsh Harrier were seen together with Common Kestrel and Eleonora’s falcons.
A great start to the season. Let’s just hope it continues in this fashion and that we have a bumper year.
Mike
 
I couldn’t resist popping down to Cap de Ses Salines this morning on our way to the shops. It didn’t go down too well but in just over an hour, four Black kites went east and a bit later one Black Kite left the Island for Africa.
There were large groups of both Common and Pallid swift also on their way and Swallows were in evidence too. I just wish I’d had more time but with just one withering look, I knew it was time to go.
Mike
 
News came through yesterday of a Marsh Sandpiper at Salobrar de Campos seen by Toni.
I was working nearby but had no optics. I managed to see the bird but with the naked eye it wasn’t my finest moment.
It seems to me that Marsh sandpipers were more regular here many years ago when I saw a few groups of them at the salt pans. They have been really quite scare in recent years so either I was just lucky all those years ago, or they are declining as a migrant in Mallorca.
I will try to find out more.
Mike
 
With so many hot and calm evenings recently, I thought I would go for a seawatch. My wife came too with a picnic but when we got there, there was a strong south-easterly breeze.
I recorded my lowest ever count, just seven Scopoli’s shearwaters all evening.
The sandwiches were nice though.
Mike
 
Mcnswiss2 said:
Good News. La Gola in Port de Pollensa reopens:
Click to expand...

Hello!
Thanks Mike to inform about the reopening of la Gola Bird Center on July.
I have just joined last Monday, so I'm still starting to explore the area again;)
But this morning I have already seen the Kingfisher and 2 Common Sandpiper (as you know there is usually one :))
Also Tyrrhenian /Mediterranean/ Balearic Flycatcher around the Bird Center, lots of House Martin and some Barn Swallow.

Regarding security measures due to the covid-19, the use of face mask inside the Centre is mandatory, also here you have hand sanitiser. I have been asking about the use of the mask outside because of the peculiarity of la Gola (natural area but urban parc) and there are diferent opinions: mask mandatory vs mask only when you can't keep distance.

Well, take care and I hope see you soon birdwatching in the park.

Regards,
Cristina.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 3 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

Mike Montier
Mallorca 2024
19 20 21
Replies
405
Views
36K
Mike Montier
Mike Montier
Mike Montier
Mallorca 2023
76 77 78
Replies
2K
Views
148K
derban
derban
Mike Montier
Mallorca 2022
79 80 81
Replies
2K
Views
158K
Lars Rudfeld
L
Mike Montier
Mallorca 2021
43 44 45
Replies
896
Views
122K
MJB
MJB
T
Hello from a new Georgian birder!
Replies
7
Views
152
Fritz73
Fritz73

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Back
Top