It seems fitting that the last day of the season at the Cap de Ses Salines should be so crammed full of superb birds and certainly a day to remember .
Like most days, I got to the Cap in the dark and sat on my favourite rock watching the sun come up. Soon the sky was full of birds, flocks of Wood pigeon, Starling, Goldfinch, Song Thrushes, Swallows and Linnets. There were several flocks of Wood pigeon which left the Island at daybreak, 200, 350 and a few other flocks numbering about 1,000 birds in total.
A Marsh Harrier left at first light, a Grey Heron followed and a Mistle thrush flew past which is a nice bird in Mallorca. I’m lucky enough to see one or two all year but when a flock of 42 flew overhead, I was a bit overwhelmed. Five more were seen making a superb and very rare total.
Ten species of raptor were seen including Hobby, Black Kite, Bonelli’s eagle, Common Buzzard, Kestrels, Osprey. Red kites, Peregrine falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon and Booted eagles, both local and migrating birds in some cases.
It was a lovely sunny day with white puffy clouds and all in the great company of Lalo, Susana and Antonio.
A big thank you to everybody involved with this year’s migration watch, I have certainly been at the Cap more times than I should have, almost every day at times, so a big thank you to my wife for putting up with me.
Mike
