Mallorca 2015 (1 Viewer)

[Michael J Raven]

Todays highlights: spent the day at S'Albufera, plenty about in and around the hides around the centre, including: snipe, 2 osprey, 3 green sandpiper, 2 alpine swift, 2 greenshank, spotted redshank, 2 raven, 20 garganey, 3 marbled teal, great crested grebe, 5 pochard, moustached warbler, yellow wagtail, robin, song thrush, meadow pipit, avocet, 6 dunlin, 15 night heron and 30-40 swift. Back at the villa, we had another 2-3 alpine swifts over.

 

[hughm]

Today was a day of scorching gales if there can be such a thing- it was so windy early on that no small birds were showing or calling at all, but things gradually improved with a couple of White Wagtails over the bus stop as we waited for the bus which eventually came along only 39 minutes late! We found the water levels at Albufereta very high and there were no waders other than a Common Sand in a ditch near the entrance. However, as the winds slowly eased things started to appear, with Fan-tailed Warblers the first in the air, accompanied by Corn Bunting and Stonechat. A Great White Egret suddenly leapt from a distant reedy area and my wife flushed a hare from the path in front of us. There was also a Marsh Harrier battling with the wind, a single Yellow Wagtail and at least 3 RLPartridges. In the duck line there were just loads of Mallards, a few Shelduck, and pairs of Shoveler and Gadwall. As we went back to get the return bus- only 25 minutes late this time an Osprey glided over, and the same or another was over the hotel later in the afternoon. No Shearwaters at all today, and still no Scops Owls yet. Tomorrow is a local day again, but I hope to get to the foot of the Boquer Valley at some point. Very warm tonight- perhaps there may be some moths around. Hugh Matthews

 

[Mike Montier]

Warm mostly southerly winds have brought a host of migrants, over 130 Garganey, mostly at Salobrar de Campos, 6 White Storks, Nightingales and Woodchat Shrikes. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

and a few Cukoos!

 

[fatherjackhackett]

Hello,
I am in Mallorca 18-25th April and i hope to do some birding. I have a guide by D Gosney with some excellent information but i was wondering if i will be too early for some migrants eg: Eleonora's falcon. The guide is 2012 so i don't know if the Pollenca Park Hotel is still a good site for Scops owl.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[honeym]

A few records from today:
a 'herd' of 125 Garganey in off the sea at Salobrar
6 White Storks above s'Albufera in the direction of Campanet
and from yesterday at Maristany:
male Little Bittern
Slender-billed Gull(s)
Common Sandpiper
and from s'Albufera
some Ruff coming into breeding plumage
Martin
ps 3 posts whilst writing this up-date some of the above

 

[honeym]

and my wife flushed a hare from the path in front of us. (snip) Very warm tonight- perhaps there may be some moths around. Hugh Matthews

Hi Hugh
According to something I've just read the hare would have been an Iberian hare Lepus granatensis. Some claim that the Mallorcan ones are a subspecies, L. g. solisi, but given that they were introduced from Iberia this is not likely, especially as recent genetics prove that they are closely related to the mainland species (but with probably two phases of introductions).
I hope you do see some moths (there are very few here in London with the weather at present).
Best wishes
Martin

 

[Mike Montier]

Fatherjack! Arrival dates for Eleanora's can be as early as the very end of March but that would be a one-off, others arrive mid April although early May is the norm but you should be OK. I will be around and will post all sightings on this forum so you will know where they are. If you have transport and can get to the central plain at Maria de la Salut that is a good place early in the year, you should also see Lesser Kestrel too, the first one has been seen today, also Red-footed Falcon is possible. I think visiting birders will report on the Scop's Owl as and when it shows so keep an eye on this thread! I hope you have a great time, the Gosney guide is very good and up-to-date so that will be a great help. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

I am never quite sure about the status of Scop's Owl here, some are summer migrants and I believe some stay all year, certainly I have heard them calling in winter but not for the last two years. They are certainly very vocal tonight so they may be newly arrived breeders. Mike

 

[hughm]

Hi again- a perfect day for holidaymakers with 23 degrees, unbroken sunshine and little wind until late on. A Common Redstart was new in, seen from the dining room whilst having breakfast, but little else other than Ravens at the Boquer foot and one migrating Marsh Harrier there. A good number of hirundines going through this afternoon, and some more Shearwaters in the bay- about 20 SS and 6 BS with a large gathering of gulls, presumably at a shoal of fish. Unfortunately for Fatherjack and those of us here already there is still no sight or sound of the Scop's Owls. Tomorrow I am hoping to walk round the circuit fron the Hotel via the Llenaire Road, Cami Volantina and the C'an Cuarassa Pools and track- another birder told me there were loads of flava Wagtails there today and some Spotless Starlings. Hugh Matthews

 

[fatherjackhackett]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your information. I will hire a car so i should be able to get about.

Are you Mike from Goodhart Way (25+ years ago) by any chance?

 

[hughm]

Hi again from a much cooler Port de Pollenca- the change since yesterday is remarkable- the chilly East wind allowed only 14 degrees today, although a watery sun did come out late on. A sudden change of plan led to me going on the bus to s'Albufera today, and although the water levels are too high for many smaller waders there were a good selection of birds on view. At the CIM hide there were 2 Marbled Ducks, an Osprey having a paddle, 3 Garganey and loads of flava Wagtails. 2 Dunlin were the only waders of note there. On towards the other hides and a surprise was a new bridge and hide overlooking the recently created big pool, but the only birds on view were common duck species and a GCGrebe. Crested Coots are on the small pool and on the Gran Canal, with RCPochards on the Canal near the centre. At EC1 there were loads of Stilts and Spotted Redshanks, one Avocet and a few smaller waders including Snipe, Common Redshank, KPs and LRPs, and I heard a Green Sand fly over. To the left of the hide a Purple Gallinule fed happily on the roots of the vegetation. At EC2 there were more of the same and audible Water Rail and Stone Curlew. Walking back to the bus stop I heard a Moustached Warbler singing where the boardwalk back towards the road finishes but it wouldn't come out. Lastly it was possible to see some Night Herons on the opposite bank of the Gran Canal, but you have to search really carefully to see them. No sign of any Purple herons yet- just one Grey. Back at the Hotel a Hoopoe was digging in the garden- the first of the trip. Better news from last night- early this morning Scop's Owl was calling- but not at the Hotel- it sounded quite a long way away. Tomorrow I might do the Llenaire road having postpo;ed it today- Hugh Matthews

 

[GusHawk]

Wow, I'm really looking forward to my trip in the summer now!

 

[Michael J Raven]

Yesterday at Boquer Valley: redstart 2, black redstart 5, peregrine, 2 raven 2, booted eagle 2, hoopoe, Scopolis shearwater 3, plus plenty of blue rock thrush, but no wryneck or cirl bunting. However, heard wryneck from villa in Pollensa this morning, but failed on the scops owl we had last year along Pine Walk in Port de Pollensa

Today: La Gola produced single common sandpiper, greenshank and a female RC pochard, plus a crag martin over. Heard wryneck again from villa.

 

[Chris Pendlebury]

I shall be visiting Mallorca again, for a week from Monday. I will hopefully bump into people whilst I'm out and about. Thanks to everyone that reports what they see - it's really useful to get an update!
Cheers, Chris

 

[RobWilton]

Hi all,
Good to meet you yesterday Hugh. Thanks for the advice on the Balearic Warbler. We had good views in the area you suggested. Also, saw 2 Blue Rock Thrush and 3 Booted Eagle.

Spent the afternoon of April 1st birding the headland at Punta de n'Amer (on the east of the Island).

Highlights included: 1 Balearic Shrike, 6 Crossbill, 3 Cirl Bunting, 2 Hoopoe.

Large numbers of shearwaters were seen offshore from the south side of the headland. There were two groups feeding distantly, but we also had extremely good views of both Cory's and Balearic close in. Cory's were constantly passing west; in one scan alone we had 120 compared to 4 Balearic's. I didn't do a proper count but we saw a few hundred Cory's and c40 Balearics.

Cheers
Rob Wilton

 

[Peewit]

and a few Cukoos!

Hi Mike

Cuckoos are great to hear, though they are hard to see.

Have to say I have heard an odd cuckoo here, there and everywhere in Spain over the years - not seen one yet.... sadly :-C

Most of the calls that I hear calling are on the other side of the bay at Ses Selines/Fornells, Menorca. Great bird to hear at close quarters, and better still from a sailing boat in the bay on a calm day.

 

[Mike Montier]

Fatherjack.yes, I am Michael Montier from Goodhart Way all those years ago, how extraordinary, we must have known each other then? Unless I owe you money in which case it's not me. Mike

 

[hughm]

Hi again- glad to hear you saw the Balearic Warblers, Rob, and Punta de n'Amer is a great place for land and sea birds. Today I started with a quick spin round La Gola- there were lots of House Martins collecting mud for their nests, and the Common Sand is still there. On the way back I went through the Los Pinos area to see if there were any Crossbills about, and I came across a singing male and at least two other birds. At lunchtime we set off on our walk, first calling in at the extremely posh Hotel Llenaire for some refreshment, and as we sipped our orange juices I heard the unmistakeable sound of Bee-eaters, and 3 showed very briefly over the Hotel terrace. Later on, as we walked down the Cami Volantina I heard them again, and this time there were 6 birds around the power lines to the south of the road. The family returned to the PP Hotel, and I walked on my own down to the C'an Cuarassa pools. A Green Sandpiper flushed from the side of the track, and at that moment a Purple Heron came in from the south and landed in the wet field. The screens at the pools are in much better repair this year , but a Greenshank still flushed at my approach. Another GSand and a LRP were the only other waders there, but a Little Grebe was a bonus bird. The water level is still pretty high, and the best pool near the coast road is too deep for waders at present. Tomorrow we are getting a car, and Ihope to get to the Albercutx tower in the morning, and then an exploration along the coast at Alcanada near Port d'Alcudia in the afternoon. Hugh Matthews

 

[Michael J Raven]

Today, went along the mountain road as far as Gorge Blau, stopping off at Lluc. One black vulture and a peregrine at Lluc, plus the usual raven and booted eagle. Also 2 wryneck, great views of firecrest, and several black redstarts and robins still around. At Gorge Blau had 3 of each, black and griffon vultures, raven, booted eagle and 2 blue rock thrush. Makes you wonder how many pairs of booted eagle breed on Mallorca, as we have seen them everywhere in the north-east, with a pair circling daily over the villa in Pollensa.

In the evening went to C'an Curassa pools: a starling sp. flying in, plus 3 little ringed plover, snipe, green sandpiper and greenshank. Are all the starlings in this area spotless at this time of year?