Mallorca 2020 (2 Viewers)

Mike Montier · Dec 31, 2019

Happy New Year to all readers of and contributors to this thread.
May 2020 bring you good health and lots of good birding.
For those traveling to Mallorca in the coming year, I look forward to meeting up with many of you and do please let me know if I can help in any way.
Let’s hope for some great birds and memorable outings on this beautiful Island.
With my best wishes,
Mike

davercox · Jan 1, 2020

Happy New Year Mike, and thanks again for keeping this series of threads going.

TonyCath · Jan 1, 2020

Happy New Year Mike
As already stated...thank you so much for the thread
We are back over in May and you never know we may bump into you on our search for a Roller......and we look forward to meeting Christina again at La Gola again
All the best for 2020
T and C

Geordie Dave · Jan 1, 2020

Mike Happy New Year to you and Jane and to all who read and contribute to the forum. So here we go again! We've been spending time this morning looking at possible flight dates to come out as often as we can this coming year. The first trip for me might even be next week. Looking forward to seeing old friends and new and to sharing many laughs along the way. Here's to 2020 !!
David & Lisa

Mcnswiss2 · Jan 1, 2020

Happy New Year to All.
Hoping for a Great Birding Year on the Island.
M&S

StewB · Jan 2, 2020

Happy New Year Mike - it’s great that you’re keeping this thread going, it’s got to be the go-to site for anyone who’s visiting or loves birding on the island! You are a star!

Stew

Ian Bell · Jan 2, 2020

Happy New Year to Mike,Jane and all the regulars on this forum. B

Mike Montier · Jan 3, 2020

Thanks everyone for your good wishes, it’s nice to know you are out there.
It’s because of you that I try to keep the news coming.
A quick trip round Colonia Sant Jordi revealed 410 Golden Plover on the small island just behind the Hotel Marqués. Also a Turnstone and Kentish plovers.
A Great Bittern was seen today at Prat de Sant Jordi near the airport, a bird so many people still haven’t seen, including me.
When I came to Mallorca in 1989 and 1990 I remember hearing them booming in April but I’ve never heard them since.
I will be going to all the major reserves once our guests have left in order to boost my year list so I will post all sightings.
Mike

Mike Montier · Jan 3, 2020

Tonycath, May is by far the best month to see Roller.
Can Cuerassa is the best place, the telegraph wires and pylons are a good bet.
I hope we do meet up, the north in May can be spectacular.
Mike

TonyCath · Jan 3, 2020

Thanks Mike
We will be staying from the 2nd of May for a week in Puerto Pollenca so not far from the "best place" at hopefully the right time!!
T&C

Mike Montier · Jan 4, 2020

A brief seawatch produced 126 Balearic shearwaters, all going south. No Scopoli’s yet.
A short walk at dusk was accompanied by the very vocal Stone curlews, one of the quintessential sounds of Mallorca.
Nice as the call is, it can’t match the most evocative call of them all, for me it’s Common Crane flying over the salt-marsh, they never fail to give me goosebumps.
Hopefully, I will hear some more this winter, numbers have been very low so far. I guess the lack of hard weather may be responsible.
Mike

Mike Montier · Jan 5, 2020

A Great Bittern has been seen and photographed in flight over the Albufera reserve.
Lucky Miguel but it does mean there is a better chance of connecting with this shy and secretive bird.
I’ve seen quite a few in the UK where they used to show quite well, especially in hard weather.
No such luck here.
It’s a bit of a mystery to me, one of Europe’s largest reed beds but only one or two Great bitterns. If anybody knows why this is I would like to be enlightened.
Thanks, Mike

Mike Montier · Jan 6, 2020

Having dropped the last lot of guests off, I had a scoot along the south coast. Just a few Sandwich terns, no mergansers nor Mediterranean gulls sadly but I will have another go soon.
I then went to Sa Barrala for Common Crane. I heard one but couldn’t locate it.
Lots of Year ticks though with Corn bunting, Skylark, Lapwing, Meadow Pipit Marsh Harrier.
A quick look down the Es Trenc road produced lots of Little Stint, two Flamingoes and Redshank.
Good numbers of Woodcock are being report of late so there may have been an influx. I will pop out now and try to catch up with one.
Mike

kevinh · Jan 8, 2020

For my visit of the year today at S’albufera I was joined by Mike M, Mike Swiss and Geordie Dave.
The reserve was very quiet bird wise and apart from us we only saw 6 other visitors all day.
We found the birding hard going with a total of only 56 species seen during our visit.
The highlights included... Marsh harrier, Glossy ibis, Hoopoe, Kingfisher, Cetti’s warbler, Water rail, Water pipit, Marbled duck, Purple gallinule, Red knobbed coot, Black winged Stilt, Snipe, Green and Common sandpipers, Night heron, Great egret and more.
Later in the afternoon we called in to the Son Real hide for an hour and saw Hawfinch, Firecrest,Crossbill, Blackcap, Sardinian warbler and Red legged partridge.
We ended up with a total of 65 species for the day . Great start to the year on what was a lovely sunny day with great company, great laughs (and thanks to Mike M) great pies.

TonyCath · Jan 9, 2020

Kevin are the pies homemade by Mike M or shop bought?

Mcnswiss2 · Jan 9, 2020

Thanks to all for great day yesterday!
Today it was time to visit local sites up North including Llenaire, Maristany and S’Albufereta..
The weather was glorious.
Birds seen included Marsh Harriers, Kestrels, Shoverlers, Gadwall, Wigeon, Great and Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets,Little Grebe, Hoopoe, Cettis Warblers, Water Rail, Sandwich Tern, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Corn Buntings and Red Legged Partridges. So many Chiffchaffs and Stonechats. Are Whinchats still around?

Best birds included Flamingoes (approx. 60) and Greylag goose at S’Albufereta; Mute Swan and Red Crested Pochard at Maristany.

Interested to know if the Mute Swan is an escapee?

Mike Montier · Jan 9, 2020

Hi ToniCath. The pies are shop bought, I love to cook but I’m not sure my skills are a match for my local bakery. They are superb, meat and peas, chicken and a vegetarian one too.
They are very popular in Mallorca as are many other delights.
Mike

Mike Montier · Jan 9, 2020

Results for the BigYear are in.
The winner was a very dedicated and hard working Juanjo having logged 221 species.
He saw some fabulous species including a first for the Mediterranean in the shape of a Brown Boobie.
Many congratulations to him. He has a great sense of humour and has always helped me very much by sending me maps and locations of rare and scarce birds.
This can also be said about all the locals I have met, always willing to help, and none more so than second place contestant, Pep.
Considering how much Pep was away, he did amazingly well to finish on 214.
Toni came in third with 213 and fourth was shared by two female birders, Mika and Fatima. How refreshing it is to see women doing so well especially as birding in the UK at the top level is so male dominated.
It was all great fun and conducted in the best possible spirits. It is great to part of it all.
Mike

Geordie Dave · Jan 9, 2020

Had a great day with Kevin on a glorious sunny day around Port de Pollenca today. Started off at Albufereta with booted eagle, osprey and plenty of marsh harriers. 70+ flamingo on the ponds, single grey lag goose and 2 sandwich terns and 2 greenshank. We were also treated to a fly past of 7 stone curlew. We then went off to the mirador and Albercutx tower at Formentor and lost count of the number of alpine accentors we saw and reckoned on up to 7 individual birds. Good views of blue rock thrush and at least one Balearic warbler completed the afternoon before we retired to the pub. All in all an excellent day.

Mcnswiss2 · Jan 10, 2020

Following in the footsteps of the two Northern Amigos, I took an early trip upto the Mirador (09.30). This is the best time of the year to visit. Few cars, no cyclists, no buses and so so many birds.
Only One Alpine Accentor seen at the Mirador however excellent views of three Blue Rock Thrush. At least three Balearic Warblers calling along the road up towards the Tower. So many Black Redstarts, Sardinian Warblers, Robins, Stonechats and Blackcaps enjoying the peaceful morning. Now the rain is coming!

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