Mallorca 2017 (30 Viewers)

[Mike Montier]

Hi Clive, good to know you are on the Island. I hope you are well and that we will meet up sometime. I am going to Maristany tomorrow but not until about 3pm. I am also going to the Starling roost with some friends on Tuesday. Not sure if we will be at the depuradora or s’Amarador yet.
I also found a Woodcock which had sadly died just like yours, no sign of anything broken and no evidence of having been shot. A bit of a mystery. There are a few here in Porto Petro every evening. Mike

 

[eagle33]

Sounds like winter birding could be good. May have to make an efforg for an early Feb trip. Anyone recommend good accommodation in the pollensa area please.

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Craig. I hope you make it here. Winter birding can be great with almond blossom and wild flowers galore. The beginning of January is normally calm, (Las calmas de enero) but February can be horrible at times with cold winds. It’s very unpredictable because it may well be sunny and warm, you just never know.
Alpine Accentors are usually present and there are plenty of other species to keep most people happy. The normally skulking sylvia warblers show quite well on good days and the passage of Shearwaters (mainly from the east coast) is truly staggering.
I’m afraid I can’t help with accommodation but I’m sure others will let you know. It depends which places are open, most of them close until April. Mike

 

[StewB]

Sounds like winter birding could be good. May have to make an efforg for an early Feb trip. Anyone recommend good accommodation in the pollensa area please.

My wife & I stayed in Puerto Pollenca for five nights at the beginning of February 2015. We had the worst weather -wind and rain, unable to get into the Tramuntanas later in the week because the roads were blocked with snow! I did manage to see Alpine Accentor though, plus added a lot of the commoner winter visitors (skylark, lapwing etc.), there were carpets of black restarts, lots of chifchaffs and robins everywhere. I’m formulating a plan for Jan 2019 (which I have been clearly told will not involve my wife!), but I would take some convincing to risk February again.

We stayed in the Marina apartments on PP seafront - excellent, spacious and warm. Remember that most shops, bars and restaurants aren’t open, so there’s not too much to amuse a non-birding partner!

Stew

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Hi Mike,

Did you know that the list of breeding birds 2016 (BBR2016) has been published.

https://www.gobmallorca.com

Hope the birding gets better as winter winds are coming!

Cheers

Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Thanks Mike. No, I didn’t know about this, I will read it with interest. Weather has turned horrible today but it’s been a great autumn and a good year for Siskin, Hawfinch, Brambling, Ring Ouzel and Fieldfare. As we have had a couple of Siberian species there must be a rare Thrush out there somewhere. Mike

 

[Phil Akers]

Sounds like winter birding could be good. May have to make an efforg for an early Feb trip. Anyone recommend good accommodation in the pollensa area please.

Hi Craig
Accommodation is harder to find in winter, maybe the Pollensa Forum might be worth having a look at?
forum.puertopollensa.com
Good luck
Phil

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Hi Craig

Stews comments was spot on! Stayed in the Marina..nice guy called Pep running it. Should be over then and should meet up
Mike

 

[eagle33]

thanks everyone, flights are amazingly cheap Jan 20th so just going to look at the recommended hotels, thanks for all the tips. Marina is top of my list at £50 a day.

 

[Josep Manchado]

Jack snipes at Amarador (s'Albufera)

There are very few birds in Majorca right now, maybe the weather is too much good (today finally had changed), but some of them are very interesting.

Today in s'Albufera, at Amarador area, 2 Jack snipes, eating near the reefs very friendly.

 

[eagle33]

http://www.booking.com/Share-sFCa13 anyone ne stayed at lluc. Sounds great

 

[Mike Montier]

Thanks Pep, lovely birds. Every year in the same place I have seen the Jack Snipe. It seems the best place in Mallorca to see them. I am going there Tuesday and I hope they are still showing.
Also I am going to Portixol tomorrow where it is possible the see Mediterranean Gull and Lesser-black backed Gull, Larus fuscus.
I will post all sightings. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Craig. I was at Lluc last Sunday and it is an amazing place for winter birds. There is a lovely walk down into the Valley which is only open on Sundays but on The Valley floor there were good numbers of Brambling, Hawfinch on the way down and the possibility of wintering thrushes. There was also a very rare Yellowhammer there but I didn’t see it. It may still be in the area.
Also at the weekends there are hundreds of locals who all gather round the gardens of the monastery and make barbecues with a fantastic atmosphere.
Lluc is a great place and I can thoroughly recommend it. I know people who have stayed there. I think it’s a bit basic so it depends what you want. There are always vultures and other raptors present too.
I’m sure you would not be disappointed. Mike

 

[Clive Griffin]

Hi Clive, good to know you are on the Island. I hope you are well and that we will meet up sometime. I am going to Maristany tomorrow but not until about 3pm. I am also going to the Starling roost with some friends on Tuesday. Not sure if we will be at the depuradora or s’Amarador yet.
I also found a Woodcock which had sadly died just like yours, no sign of anything broken and no evidence of having been shot. A bit of a mystery. There are a few here in Porto Petro every evening. Mike

Hi Mike, it would be good to meet up again - it's been a long time. What time will you be at S'Amarador tomorrow? This is at S'Albufera, right? Don't know if I can make it, but might in the afternoon.

 

[eagle33]

Superb stuff thanks Mike. at £99 for 3 days you vnt grumble, only need somewhere to sleep anyway

Hi Craig. I was at Lluc last Sunday and it is an amazing place for winter birds. There is a lovely walk down into the Valley which is only open on Sundays but on The Valley floor there were good numbers of Brambling, Hawfinch on the way down and the possibility of wintering thrushes. There was also a very rare Yellowhammer there but I didn’t see it. It may still be in the area.
Also at the weekends there are hundreds of locals who all gather round the gardens of the monastery and make barbecues with a fantastic atmosphere.
Lluc is a great place and I can thoroughly recommend it. I know people who have stayed there. I think it’s a bit basic so it depends what you want. There are always vultures and other raptors present too.
I’m sure you would not be disappointed. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Clive. S’amarador is off the road to Muro from the roundabout at the Alcudia end of Can Picafort. You go past the turn off for the depuradora and about 3km more there is a turning on the right posted s’amarador. Follow the track down to a platform at the end. There are Jack Snipe there at the moment and Waxbills.
However, I have agreed to meet some friends tomorrow at the depuradora first, at 4.30pm so I will be there initially. If the Starlings are showing well we may well stay there. If you are around it would be good to see you. If not, perhaps we could arrange to meet soon. I am meeting Neville at the main Albufera reserve at 8.30am this coming Saturday but then my family arrives. I’m not sure how long you are here for so perhaps I could mail you to arrange a day out.
Craig, glad you approve, it sounds great. Let us know.
I walked down the promenade of Palma today and it’s well worth going. I didn’t see either of my two target species, Med Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull but it was well worth it to see the Sandwich terns diving in the water for small fish. Very close views of these elegant terns which kept us happy for ages. Mike

 

[Clive Griffin]

Thanks Mike, I will try to get there tomorrow, may go straight to S'amarador, interested in Jack Snipe. I am here for a few more weeks, haven't done much birding, busy with home improvements at the moment. Hope to see you tomorrow.

 

[Mike Montier]

The weather has turned cold and windy so I expect a few more interesting birds will be seen. Eight Mistle thrushes were seen at Albufera and I was lucky enough to see one bird on the way down to Cap de Ses Salines. There were also four adult Gannet seen from the lighthouse this morning.
A few groups of Common Crane have also been logged and Hawfinch and Brambling continue to show around the Island. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

For the first time ever, I had to scrape ice off the windscreen in the dark this morning in order to get to Albufera not long after first light.
Ten Fieldfares were a great find, a scarce bird in Mallorca.
There were four Common Crane, a year tick at last, and a single Ferruginous Duck.
We had super-close views of an Osprey fishing right in front of the hide and, despite the hailstorms, we had a great day.
Lots of snow in the mountains. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Just read my earlier post 1618. My report of Mistle Thrush was erroneous, I forgot the scientific name for Fieldfare which is what they were. Sorry! Mike