Mallorca 2012 (1 Viewer)

[C R White]

Just got back from a 2 week family holiday in Mallorca, most of my birding was done early morning before the wife and kids were awake. We stayed at the Son Baulo hotel in C'an Picafort which I would recommend to birders who are going on a family holiday. I requested a room which over looks the swimming pool, but more importantly over looks the Son Baulo river, a large pine wood and beyond the wood lies the Son Real. Had 44 species, some of the birds seen from our Balcony included,

Honey Buzzard -1 south 22/8, 3 south 4/9
Audouin's Gull - up to 6 on beach
Red-Rumped Swallow 2 south 23/8
Hoopoe - 1, 23/8
Kentish Plover - seen daily along river
Red-crested Pochard - 6 on river 25/8
Common Sandpiper - 1-2 seen daily along river
Fan-tailed Warbler - daily by river
Woodchat Shrike - male in pine trees 25/8
Eleonora's Falcon - 1 over hotel 25/8
Peregrine Falcon - pair seen 27/8 and 4/9
Raven - 2 heading south over pine trees 27/8
Bee-eater - 10+ seen over pine trees 31/8
Osprey - 1 seen flying up and down river during heavy rain 1/9
Marsh Harrier - 1 west 1/9
Red Kite - 1 south 4/9
Common Buzzard - 1 south 4/9
Botted Eagle - 6 south 4/9
Sparrowhawk 2 south 4/9
Shelduck - 1 on river 3/9

I made several early morning visits (06:30-09:00) to the Son Real, birds seen here were,

Nightjar - up to 4 birds churring, 1 seen wing clapping 25/8
Dartford Warbler - 1-2 seen most visits
Balearic Warbler - 2 seen 25/8, 2 seen 28/8, 3 seen 4/9
Turtle Dove - up to 6 in area
Thekla Lark - 4-6 birds seen most visits
Wryneck - 2 birds heard most visits
Woodchat Shrike - 2 adults and 1 juv seen
Ringed Plover - 2 on beach 28/8
Turnstone - 2 on beach 28/8
Common Sandpiper - 1-2 seen on beach
Crossbill - 1 seen 25/8
Hoopoe - 1-2 seen most visits
Northern Wheatear - 1 on beach 4/9
Whinchat - 1 seen 27/8
Swallow - 50+ were seen most visits heading south
Short-toed Lark - few seen along beach
Yellow Wagtail - 1 south 24/8

I made 3 visits to the Depuradora De S'illot where I had the pleasure of meeting Mike and Phil, it's nice to put a face to a name and to find out what had been seen on the Island. Highlights at the Depuradora included

Stone Curlew - 2 heard calling in fields
Hoopoe - 5 seen 29/8
Black-winged Stilt - up to 7 birds seen
Peregrine Falcon - 1 east 29/8
Common Sandpiper - 6+
Purple Gallinule - 1 seen 29/8
Alpine Swift - 2 seen 29/8, 1 seen 30/8
Starling 20+ birds leaving roost behind viewing platform by old farm building
Red-Rumped Swallow - 10 seen together 29/8, 3 seen 30/8
Yellow Wagtail - 3 south 29/8
Woodchat shrike - adult 29/8
Wood Sandpiper - 2 29/8
Green Sandpiper - 5 29/8
Booted Eagle - 1 light morph south 29/8
Pallid Swift - 2 over 29/8
Barn Owl - 1 30/8
Night Heron 1 over 30/8
Tawny Pipit - 2 over south calling 30/8
Greenshank - 1 30/8
Little Ringed Plover - 1 30/8
Short-toed Lark - small group on road to Depuradora 30/8
Black-Headed Gull - 8 seen 1/9
Northern Wheatear - 1 seen 1/9
Pied Flycatcher - female/1st winter 1/9

I made 1 visit to the S'Albufera (1/9) I had got a permit the day before so I could gain entry before 9am (remember to take your passport with you as they require your passport number for the permit) the reserve was quite with not much water in the scrapes. Birds seen here were

Stone Curlew - 20 seen from CIM Hide
Willow Warbler - 3
Pied Flycatcher - 1
Little Ringed Plover - CIM hide
Kentish Plover -large numbers CIM hide
Purple Gallinule
Yellow Wagtail - 2 seen CIM hide
Night Heron - 7 seen along main canal
Osprey - 1 over main canal
Crested Coot - 3 main canal
Greenshank - 6 Bishop 1 hide
Common Sand - Bishop 1 hide
Wood Sandpiper - 5 Bishop 1 hide
Whinchat - 2 around CIM hide
Woodchat Shrike - 2 male CIM Hide

On the way back to the airport on the 5/9 had 4 Red kites cross the MA-3011 just before S'Hostalot.

Chris

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Chris. Yes, it was good to meet you. Let us know when you are coming over again. Thanks for the comprehensive list, brilliant and sounds like you had a great time. I don't think you missed anything looking at your list so not bad for early morning visits only! Mike

 

[honeym]

Hi

Just a quickie.

Today´s ´new´ bird at s´Albufera (CIM hide) was a Garganey. Everything else much the same.

Martin

 

[gus guthrie]

quote=I made 1 visit to the S'Albufera (1/9) I had got a permit the day before so I could gain entry before 9am (remember to take your passport with you as they require your passport number for the permit =quote.

how much does a permit cost and how early are you allowed to go in ? a lot of my birding on holiday is done before my good lady arises in the morning !

 

[osprey31]

Thanks for that Chris, had been looking at staying in C'an Picafort for a change from Alcudia, but was told that the Son Real/Son Baulo area wasn't really worth a visit, but you report says different.
Am visiting the island at the bginning of October, so will have a wander down there & see whats about.

 

[eagle33]

Good day today. Target species was scops owl so thanks to whoever mentioned the road to the sewage plant at deporadora, also here two barn owl. During the day in the reserve, squacco heron, night heron, usual waders, a lifer in form of actually seeing a moustache wrbler. Great reed was nice as was two marble duck. A woodchat shrike and a large black bird came in with egret didnt get bins on it but felt it was a glossy ibis. Single gargney and over 50 stone curlew on the reserve. Green and woodsandpipers. That was the pick of the bunch. Oh and european starling was a bit of a surprise.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Good day today. Target species was scops owl so thanks to whoever mentioned the road to the sewage plant at deporadora, also here two barn owl. During the day in the reserve, squacco heron, night heron, usual waders, a lifer in form of actually seeing a moustache wrbler. Great reed was nice as was two marble duck. A woodchat shrike and a large black bird came in with egret didnt get bins on it but felt it was a glossy ibis. Single gargney and over 50 stone curlew on the reserve. Green and woodsandpipers. That was the pick of the bunch. Oh and european starling was a bit of a surprise.

Hi Craig,

I think depuradora is Spanish for sewage plant, from memory the place you presumably mean is S'Illott??

Stephen

 

[s.g.]

hi craig,
where was the scops in relation to the sewage works.
thanks,
steve.

 

[eagle33]

hi craig,
where was the scops in relation to the sewage works.
thanks,
steve.

On fence 100m befor the viewing platform

 

[C R White]

how much does a permit cost and how early are you allowed to go in ? a lot of my birding on holiday is done before my good lady arises in the morning ![/QUOTE]

Hi Gus

The permits are free and are obtained from the reception, you will need to take your passport as they require your passport number for the permit. The guy at reception was very helpful and asked when I was leaving the island and put this date as the expiry date on the permit so I could visit as many times as I wished. I was at at the main entrance to the reserve at 06:30, just as it was just getting light, I just hopped over the low wall to the left of the gate and walked down to the hides. It was great to walk around without the hoards of tourists and cyclists, in the first 3 hours I only met 3 Dutch birders.

Good Luck
Chris

 

[eagle33]

Hi Craig,

I think depuradora is Spanish for sewage plant, from memory the place you presumably mean is S'Illott??

Stephen

Your probably right steventhe deck is called the son bosc deck on the map

 

[C R White]

Thanks for that Chris, had been looking at staying in C'an Picafort for a change from Alcudia, but was told that the Son Real/Son Baulo area wasn't really worth a visit, but you report says different.
Am visiting the island at the bginning of October, so will have a wander down there & see whats about.

Hi Osprey31

Have never been to the area in October so not sure what will be around then, It would be intersting to see what you manage to find. I have always visited the area in May, Aug/Sept time, I have found early in the moring is quite productive, but even then the going is tough with quick views of a warbler before it disappears into a bush never to be seen again!
If you want more details on where I have seen some of the birds I will be happy to help, maybe best to PM me.

Thanks, and good luck
Chris

 

[gus guthrie]

how much does a permit cost and how early are you allowed to go in ? a lot of my birding on holiday is done before my good lady arises in the morning !

Hi Gus

The permits are free and are obtained from the reception, you will need to take your passport as they require your passport number for the permit. The guy at reception was very helpful and asked when I was leaving the island and put this date as the expiry date on the permit so I could visit as many times as I wished. I was at at the main entrance to the reserve at 06:30, just as it was just getting light, I just hopped over the low wall to the left of the gate and walked down to the hides. It was great to walk around without the hoards of tourists and cyclists, in the first 3 hours I only met 3 Dutch birders
Good Luck
Chris[/QUOTE]

thanks Chris, we are coming out on the 29th for 2 weeks , looking forward to it !

 

[Mike Montier]

Quite a few Golden Orioles passing through, all seen in Pine trees but they do like the Fig trees too so they are worth a scan. A couple of Honey Buzzard also and very large movement of Barn Swallow yesterday evening ahead of a storm. A surprise of eight Common Starling here in the south. Mike

 

[eagle33]

Wow what a place salobra de campos is.. Never been here so i was amazed at the wader numbers. 300 i stopped counting kentish plover, 210 avocet, 60 odd black winged stilts, little stint, dunlin, spotted redshank, common redshank, 2 ruff, a knot and 2 grey plover. 2 summer plum black necked grebes, 50 shelduck. At least 3 osprey, 6 red kite, many marsh harriers and i love flamingos probably nearly 200. To make a great day better a flock of at least 40 bee eaters 1 km sourh west of ses salines then an hour later i heard a flock over cap des ses salines. A half hour sea watch from here produced 5 corys and 3 audouins gulls. What a place.

 

[s.g.]

thanks craig,
cuber this morning,
crag martins 3
black vulture2
booted eagles2
ravens7
cirl buntings4
pied flys3
sp. flys loads
redstarts4
tawny pipits5
whinchats3
kingfisher1
plus usual stuff.
steve

 

[eagle33]

I still need tawny pipit lifer and cirl bunt trip tick. Im gon. Ena have to look a bit better. Edit got tawny pipit today son real. Also good views of wrynek

 

[honeym]

It´s been rather warm today. Had to pop out earlier and the car temperature was registering 30ºC and it wasn´t even the warmest part of the day.

It´s cooling down now so I´ve just got back from a brief visit to CIM. As usual, lovely lighting (must remember to take my camera!) and a little more water than yesterday. Most of the birds from the last few days were still there (couldn´t locate the Temminck´s) but I did a count of the Stone Curlew - 74 - and that´s just the ones I could see.

I was just packing up and left the hide when I saw a Barn Owl on the track ahead. It had missed whatever it was after so it then flew off over the lagoon so I popped back in and had superb views of it quartering the marsh. It more than made up for the few mozzie bites!

Martin

 

[eagle33]

No owls tonight but nightjar instead. depuradora

 

[s.g.]

salbufera today,
t stint
l stint 3
sanderling
curlew sands 4
greenshank 13
greensand 5
c sand 3
wood sand 3
hoopoe
wheatear 2
yellow wags 12

steve.