Birding Ibiza (1 Viewer)

[Z00thera]

Just wanted to post some recent good records from Ibiza this week:

Ses Salines on 15th April had Marbled Duck (rare here), Purple Heron (uncommon and irregular), Great White Egret, Western Osprey and a drake Common Pochard. All these are really good birds here in Ibiza!

The first Eleonora’s Falcon of the spring was at Es Vedra on 14th April. This sighting coincided with a passage of 50+ Booted Eagles at the same site.

Formentera has 2 Bluethroats (ssp azuricolis) at Far de la Moli on 13th April. There was a major fall of 40+ Common Redstarts, and tons of Northern Wheatears and European Pied Flys at the same site.

 

[Mike Montier]

Some great records there.
Thanks for posting.
Mike

 

[Z00thera]

Just wondered where I can find an official list of birds in Ibiza? Would be really useful to know the status of birds here as there’s such a difference between eg Ibiza & Mallorca with what is common, regular, scarce & rare etc.

 

[honeym]

Hi
I've come across a list on Avibase
(https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?region=ESbaib&list=howardmoore)
there are also lists published in the ANUARI ORNITOLÒGIC DE LES BALEARS and
the most recent that I have found on-line is from 2011:
https://www.gobmallorca.com/ornit/anuari/anuari2011/status.pdf
The list is also continued in the English language edition, Balearic Bird Report (latest 2017)
https://www.gobmallorca.com/ornito-publicacions/balearic-bird-report-2017
which can be downloaded for a small fee.
Martin

 

[Z00thera]

Thanks Martin. That will be really useful.

 

[Z00thera]

Back on Ibiza after a week away and just had a flock of at least 6 European Bee-eaters flying around the hills south of San Antonio. They seem to be feeding up and not really heading in any direction.

 

[Z00thera]

Today over Cala de Bou there was a flock of 35 European Bee-eaters circling and seen on 4 occasions. They didn’t seem to be in any hurry to head north and my observations were spread over several hours.

There’s not too much in the way of migrants today in light SE winds apart from a major arrival of Common Swifts and a noticeable upturn in Pallid Swift numbers. There were a few Whinchats and European Pied Flycatchers at the western end of San Antonio Bay, 3 pairs of Eleonora’s Falcons at Es Vedra, a single Booted Eagle heading north over San Antonio and Balearic Warblers are still vocal.

BIG NEWS for Ibizan birding. I discovered a new breeding site of Rock Sparrows today with at least 9 birds seen at their breeding cliff. It’s such a scarce bird here.

Good birding!

Nick.

 

[Z00thera]

There’s been a steady stream of European Bee-eaters heading north over Cala de Bou. Estimated over 200 so far since I started watching from 9am - 12 noon. Also 4 Booted Eagles flying NW, a few Thekla’s Larks heard overhead, there’s a pair of Turtle Doves nesting in the garden, and hordes of Common and a few Pallid Swifts passing over. Last night the local Stone Curlews called all night in the fields behind our villa.

Good birding!
Nick

 

[Z00thera]

The Bee-eater passage peaked at just over 300 on one day las week, but it’s dried up almost completely with several blank days and now just 2 heading north this morning.

At Ses Salines there’s a Little Tern and Pallid Swift, a few Balearic Warblers still singing and it seems nearly every orchard has its own pair of Mediterranean Flycatchers. A female Golden Oriole was a new garden tick this lunchtime, to add to a high flying Eleonora’s Falcon that flew over the villa yesterday.

Also 13 Rock Sparrows at Buscastell yesterday.

Hoping for our own Red-footed Falcon soon.....

Good Birding!

Nick

 

[Z00thera]

An early evening visit to Ses Salines produced only my second Great White Egret of the spring so far. More interestingly, for Ibiza anyway, we’re at least 3 smaller gulls but they were just too distant to i.d.....

 

[Pancho44]

We're coming to Ibiza in mid-October ... as a change from Mallorca. Staying at Santa Eulalia. Any recommendations for good places for birds, accessible by bus, ferry, walking?

 

[Pancho44]

I now see why no-one replied to my last post - there aren't many birds around in October! We walked the coast both ways from Santa Eularia, and had a day down at Ses Salines - where we hardly saw a thing.

We did see:

House Sparrow
Blackbird
Yellow Legged Gull
Collared Dove
Wood Pigeon
Long-tailed Tit
Greenfinch
Shag
Little Egret
Sardinian Warbler
Swallow
Audouin's Gull
Mallard
Moorhen
Stonechat
Kestrel
Probable Scopoli’s Shearwater ... from boat to Formentera.
Robin
Pied Wagtail

 

[Pancho44]

But we did have a trip to Formentera and walked from the port along Track 2 round Estany Pudent to Es Pujols and back. Birds everywhere!

Mallard
Eight smallish, but distant grebes - probably Black-necked.
Black-winged stilt
Greater Flamingo - 4
Common Whitethroat
Common Redstart
Sardinian Warbler
Linnet
Siskins - a long way south!
Thekla Lark
Yellow Legged Gull
Chiffchaff ... several brightly coloured individuals. Iberian?
Marsh Harrier
Grey Heron
House Sparrow
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove

Also several small brown/green warblers flitting round the bushes and reedbeds, that we couldn't see well enough to identify. Not ALL Chiffchaffs, though.