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Mallorca 2014 (1 Viewer)

It´s already quite warm today so I´m just back from a sedate whizz round the hides.
Sa Roca had an Osprey with fish (as usual) plus about 8 (visible) Wood Sandpipers (no doubt there are more there hidden from view in the new emergent vegetation). 1♀ Red-crested Pochard now with just 4 ducklings (the others no doubt predated by the Yellow-legged Gulls there).
By the 3rd bridge had excellent views of the ♂ Little Bittern (sorry Clive).
Es Cibollar I had three Avocet, a pair of which were mating and nest scraping with the other asleep on the spit. ALso one Black-tailed Godwit asleep on the spit and 2 Little Stint doing the same in the dead vegeation (it must be the heat). One European Pond Terrapin right in front of the hide. Most of the Spotted Redshank are now almost black so, presumably, they´ve been moulting into their breeding plumage for the last few weeks which is why they´ve been around so long. One raptor over, calling. Will have to check out the call as it was too distant to id by the time I picked it up.
Martin
 
The raptor over was a Marsh Harrier (I should have guessed it was something ´common´), I guess I´ve not heard the call before.
I had 2 Marbled Duck and one Common Tern at S´Illot and at the Depuradora: Black-necked Grebe, 4 Wood Sand, and two each of Common and Green Sand. There was alos a Shelduck with 9 recently hatched ducklings.
Back at s´Albufera two of the Avocet were still present at Es Cibollar I and there were 11 Wood Sand and 5 Little Stint from the Es Ras hide, plus a Purple Heron right in the middle of the muddy lagoon (best views yet).
I fly back early tomorrow afternoon so will leave here at about 10.30. I should therefore have enough time to get one final session in the hides (but I´ll not be mothing).

Martin
 
Many thanks Martin for keeping us all up to date with daily sightings, much appreciated. Have a good trip home and I hope to see you next time. Mike
 
Hi Mike

It´s been a pleasure. I´ve seen some nice birds - although I really ought to make the effort to go to some of the other sites the island has to offer! I´ve met some really nice people and had some good chats (of the verbal variety). Just a shame about the moths. Having said that I did trap another specimen of a species that has never been recorded in Spain (apart from ones I found last September) so I now know more about its flight period which means I can finish writing the paper when I get home.
Hopefully I´ll be here again in the autumn (possibly earlier).
Good birding to those who are still here - you lucky people.
Best wishes
Martin
 
Hi again- a sudden change of plan due to my wife´s ME led to a short visit to sÄlbufera with my younger son. The first bird over the gate near the centre was the Osprey, which my son even noticed! Also new for my trip list were Ruff, Little and Great Crested Grebe, and Avocet. However I dipped out on the Little Bittern as usual, and could not see any Little Stints. This evening looking out with my scope over Pollenca Bay i saw a gathering of gulls and Shags about a mile out, and they were joined by a few Scopoli´s Shearwaters, a nice bonus as I have no way of getting to a suitable headland. I presume there must have been a shoal of fish in the area.Tonight´s Moths included a geometrid about the size and shape of a Blood-vein but with a white centre line across the wings on a grey background with black comma-like markings along the leading edge- pretty but unknown to me. Also a Brindled? Pug and another pug with a whitish thorax and abdomen with a dark stripe midway along, and very intricately lined wings. There are now two Iberian Puss Moths attracted to the big floodlight in the garden. I also met Bob Freeman looking for the Scops Owl at the Pollentia- it called well tonight but was not showing well. Tomorrow is a local family day, so just the Hotel gardens and La Gola as birding opportunities. Hugh Matthews.
 
Hi Hugh

Unfortunately, your accurate descriptions don´t really fit anything I can think of. The ?Brindled Pug may have been Oak-tree Pug as I´ve been getting them (from memory Brindled isn´t here). I´ll keep reading this forum and perhaps others may like to up-load photos and I´ll try to id them.
Re your Puss moths and lights. I´ve noticed before with many species aof moths, they get atracted to the lights and then remain there for several days. No doubt this is because of the timing of the lights going on and off so they are in perpetual roosting mode. Unfortunately they invariably succumb to being predated either by a bird or gecko.
Enjoy the remainder of your trip and I hope you manage to see the Little Bittern.
Martin
ps I overslept so won´t have time for the hides. Something to look forward to next trip!
 
Mike/Martin/Hugh/Bob

Thanks for your updates on this thread.Always appreciated and of great Interest and although I shall be on the Island at a poorer time of year for birds (July) I hope to get some decent birds and post the sightings on here.
 
Hi again- a briefer report today as I was bound to the family for most of the time. It was warm and humid with a bit of cloud cover, later clearing to a fine moonlit night. I got briefly to La Gola but there was only a Common Sandpiper and some Willow Warblers around. Later at Postage Stamp Wood some more Willow Warblers and a Meadow Pipit nearby. My German contact, Benedikt, went to Cases Velles and saw Honey Buzzard and Sparrowhawk, whilst a British couple, Brian and Louise went to Mortitx and saw both Vultures and a reintroduced Bonelli´s Eagle, together with ca40 Redstarts, so perhaps migration is picking up. The funniest incident occurred this evening at the Scops Owl site behind the Pollentia Hotel. Bob, Benedikt and I were listening to the Scops calling from the famous tree as mentioned in Gosney, but we could not see it despite constant peering through our binoculars. Benedikt then said that some people spotlight owls but he thought that it disturbed them and was bad practice. I generally agreed, but then a car drew up nearby, and out got another German birder who proceeded to illuminate thw whole of Port de Pollenca with a million candle power light, thus scaring the Scops out of the tree and up to the nest site whilst giving us all stunning views. To be fair, Benedikt then remonstrated in German with the new guy, and he turned the light off- and then Benedikt whispered to me that these were the best views that he had ever had. Ah well- can´t please everybody all the time!. Tomorrow back to the Boquer, and this time I am allowed out early and the family will join me later. Hugh Matthews.
 
All day yesterday spent at Albuefera ,perfect birding day for there as overcast conditions led to easy walking .First time I have walked down to the Tower Platform but pleased I made the effort just for the view alone.
Had a good look around third bridge area for L.Bittern but no luck,did chance on a Purple Heron skulking in the reeds though which was as good a view I have had of this bird.
All the usual birds seen plus Wheatear from the mound and a couple of Stone Curlew in field by info centre along with about 20 Yellow Wagtail.
Good to catch up with Hugh's Scops Owl at last,often heard them call but first time I have actually seen one,also Stone Curlew calling at dusk behind my hotel.

Bob
 

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Hello again from PP- today ended much better than it began, although it was lovely to be in the Boquer valley early on- but there was very little about. The BRT was singing from the roof of the Finca, and the 2 Cirl Buntings showed much more openly than on Sunday. At the end I lucked in on a Balearic Warbler right by the path where the route splitsbefore the Cala. However, after that- nothing of note although 2 parties of Bee-eaters mocked me as they flew over calling at great and invisible height. I only saw one raptor (Booted Eagle) all day, with a lot of Ravens along the west ridge. I met an Irish birder who I have seen before at the Boquer, and he told me that the plan to turn the finca into an up-market hotel is still a live proposition, and that the footpath would be diverted to be much lower down below the finca, then passing through the orchard area and up to the area near the pines. We shall see! As we came back towards the hotel this afternoon I at last saw a new bird, with a Spotted Flycatcher of the local race in the pines and tamarisks near the old Oro Playa supermarket. This evening I took a casual look out over the bay with my scope, and another frenzy of gulls and shags was evident, and later Shearwaters of both the local species joined them. Tonight I wandered down to the Scops Owl site to be met by a group of 13 German birders with the very German-sounding Birding Tours, and they had had excellent views of the owl as it came out very early, giving great views in it´s favourite tree. Tomorrow I hope to get to the Llenaire Road and Cami Volantina again, and also a third visit to the Can Cuarassa pools and Spotless Starling site. Hugh Matthews.
 
Hi all,
A few updates from my travels..

We had a Black Vulture over Cuber Reservoir area today, and several Red Kites. No time to stop and look for the warblers there though.

I spent a couple of hours at Depadura and S'Illot this evening - the former had 1 Garganey, plenty of iberiae wagtails, 15+ Wood Sand, 1 Green Sand, 1 Little Stint, 2 Stone Curlews in the field behind the platform, and Thekla Lark in Son Bosc. S'Illot had 1 Marbled Duck, 2 Woodchat Shrike and several singing Moustached Warbler after 8pm. Both sites had 100s of hirundines - mainly Swallows, but swifts and both Martins in good quantities too.

After that I raced over to Pollenca and saw the Scops Owl behind the hotel, singing from the famous tree again, and found skilfully by a German birder with no need for artificial light.

Great ending to a good evening out.
 
Boquer Vally before breakfast but very quiet with only two Pied Flycatcher near car park,Hoopoe x2 below Finca and Peregrine,Booted Eagle showing on ridge skyline.
Can Cuarassa area from 0900 until 1300 saw flyover Osprey,Marsh Harrier and flock of about 30 Bee eaters,also seen Woodchat Shrike,Spotless Starling and Kestrel.Ponds held 2 Green and 4 Common Sandpiper,2 pair of Stilt and 1 pair of L R Plover.
Son Real PM not much about bird wise,2 more Pied Fly and Woodchat Shrike but worth a look for the wild flowers alone in the field opposite Main car park.
Cuber tomorrow me thinks before the Easter crowd kicks in.

Bob
 

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Great photo Bob, I have yet to see Bee-eaters this year here in the south. Mondragó last night there were a few Pied flycatchers and a Cuckoo. Mike
 
Mike
Just a matter of pointing camera and hoping for the best as the Bee eaters were in the heavens .
Just back from an 8 hour trudge around Cubar and a dance along a few of the ridges,my first time there and I would go back tomorrow if the drive was not so stressful,Bradly Wiggins and his chums don't make driving an already iffy road much fun and it will get worse over the Easter Break I would think so that's why I took the plunge today.
Fantastic walking and the birds were ok too,Spring well in gear up there.
Birds seen today were Booted Eagle,Peregrine,Black Vulture Wheatear,Firecrest,Stonechat,Whinchat,Pied & Spotted Fly,Cuckoo,Great& Blue Tits,Crossbill,Wood Warbler (stunner bird of the day ) Nightingale, R L Partridge,Rock Thrush and that's all I remember off the top of my head,Cuckoo was calling most of the day so will be very hoarse tomorrow I would have thought.
I will attach a shot of the Vulture as it ,they were very high and I am not a great Vulture expert but siding on Black.
Please bare with me as I can't get the hang of these Apple things and can only figure out how to post one pic at a time.
Cheers and let's see what tomorrow brings.

Bob
 

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Thanks Bob. I would be very interested in where you saw the Rock thrush, they are very rare here and I am sure many others would like to see it too! Thanks, Mike
 
Hi for the penultimate time- a brief walk down the Llenaire road in the morning found no Bee-eaters at the "beehives" but there was a Peregrine on the floor devouring a pigeon. Down to Can Cuarassa, and I investigated the Spotless Starlings again, and I now think that there are at least 6 and probably 8 birds in total- they were on th ewires and flying around, and copulating and disappearing into holes in the Club del Sol, so probably breeding as a minimum BTO style category. I also saw a stunning Wood Warbler and a Black Kite as well as the Osprey. There are 3 pairs of Stilts- they have magically appeared as the water levels have dropped. Tomorrow to Son Real at last- final day on the island. PS Is the first picture a Rock Thrush or a close-up of a Whinchat? Hugh.
 
Mike
Sorry that should have read Blue Rock Thrush I was in a hurry typing out days events as late for dinner again,I did read that Rock Thrush had not been seen up Cuber way for some time now so sorry again for raising anyone's hopes.
Hugh first shot is of Wheatear which I saw today on one of the ridges up Cuber way,.I hung around for well over an hour tonight but no show on your Scops Owl,did hear one calling in the distance though.

Bob
 
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