Mallorca 2019 (1 Viewer)

[Mike Montier]

Good morning and Happy New Year to all.
I wish you good health and happiness in 2019.
I will do my best to keep this thread up to date throughout the year and I look forward to reading all your sightings and comments too.
Have a great New Year and I hope to meet up with many of you soon.
All the best, Mike

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Happy New Year to Mallorca. See you soon

 

[Mike Montier]

Just off to the annual beach party and swim in the sea.
It’s a glorious day, 17 degrees and sunny so I will have a walk around the park too and kick-off my Year list.
I will post the results of the BigYear as soon as they are published.
Mike

 

[honeym]

Happy New Year Mike, and all who contribute to this thread.

The beach party and swim sounds interesting - and no doubt invigorating.

I may be coming out to Mallorca fairly soon and hope e to catch up with some winter birds - and moths.

Martin

 

[timsg80]

36 species for me today, 33 of which were around Es Capdella, including Eurasian Wryneck, Blue Rock Thrush, Red Crossbill, Cirl Bunting, Zitting Cisticola, Thekla Lark and Booted Eagle. What a fantastic start to the year!

 

[StewB]

Happy new year everyone. Spent the day scrabbling around Norfolk and thinking that only a week tomorrow we’ll be back in Puerto Pollenca for a few days - hoping to add to my Mallorca list with some winter birds!

Stew

 

[Mike Montier]

My local park this morning, 19 degrees. Not as many species as you timsg80 but it was a nice gentle way of starting the year.
Upload thanks to Mike Swiss who finally taught me how to do it, his most difficult customer to date. Thanks Mike.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Results for the BigYear are in.
There were less species available in 2018 than in other years so only three birders managed 200 species or more.
The very worthy winner was Pep who works so hard for his ticks (clings as they are called here) and he puts in the hours finding his own birds too.
Second was Juanjo who has also taken some spectacular photographs too.
Third was Steve who did amazingly well to just reach 200 before the year’s end.
Fourth was Mika and myself in fifth.
Totals were as follows:
Pep. 220
Juanjo. 210
Steve. 200
Mika. 198
Mike M. 192
As I have said before, it is all conducted in the best spirits with good humour and friendly competition followed by a riotous party in the summer for the presentation.
I have never finished higher than fifth. I thought I would really go for it one year and try to win but it is very hard to compete with the top guys. I reached 205 once but the last few weeks nearly killed me so my hopes of ever winning are fading with every year that passes.
Never mind, it’s the taking part that matters but whoever said that was kidding.
Full results can be viewed at: https://bigyearmallorca.blogspot.com/2019/01/classificacio-final-big-year-2018.html
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Looks like I will be meeting up with StewB, Kevin and I hope Martin very soon so that’s a great start to the year. You can help me find more birds and do a bit better in this year’s BigYear.
Mike

 

[Patrick_m]

Happy and Healthy New Year to all. Thank you Mike for keeping this post alive for yet another year. I hope your 2019 bird count will make you proud.

 

[Mike Montier]

I hope so Patrick and thanks for posting all your photos which just get better and better.
The Red-flanked bluetail shots were the highlight for us all I think but any other photos you have are always very welcome on here.
I hope to see you out in the field soon, another major rarity would be nice!
All the best, Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

I had a scoot around the south today.
At the back of the salt pans (Sa Barrala) I saw 47 Common Crane but after only a couple of minutes, two tractors appeared and they all took to the air joined by another 7 which were out of sight.
The birds circled a few times and then left purposefully to the east. They went much higher than their local flights so I hope they didn’t leave the Island.
There were lots of Skylarks around, mixed flocks of finches and a few Marsh Harrier.
At the Polo pitch I counted 29 Hoopoe all quite close together. I’m not sure what constitutes a “group” but the most I have seen before was 9 so this far exceeds my previous total. Pep and others have posted about large groups of this species but it seems there are many more around this year than normal.
At the salt pans there were a few wader species but nothing unusual.
It was 19.5 degrees with strong sunshine but it will at some point turn colder that’s for sure. It’s lovely whilst it lasts though. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

It is still sunny but the wind has swung round and is now coming from the north.
I thought a seawatch might be good but it was a bit fresh standing on the east coast and there was a marked lack of life, virtually nothing, just three Shearwaters in a couple of hours but looking great in the late afternoon sun.
Mike

 

[timsg80]

55 species this morning at S'Albufera, including Western Swamphen, Red-knobbed Coot, Marbled Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Glossy Ibis, Spotted Redshank, Pied Avocet, Water Pipit and Moustached Warbler (my first lifer of the year!). Also 31 Black-crowned Night Herons roosting!

Are there any particularly good sites for Balearic Warblers? I still haven't seen one!

And are any of Yelkouan Shearwater, Common Waxbill and Red Avadavat possible here? Thanks!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Are there any particularly good sites for Balearic Warblers?

I'm sure Mike or one of the other locals will be along soon with some information but I found a good spot to be at the end of the Boquer Valley just before the drop down to the sea.

 

[StewB]

And are any of Yelkouan Shearwater, Common Waxbill and Red Avadavat possible here? Thanks!

There are waxbills at the southern end of the Cami des Polls (you’ll see the Cami des Polls on the S’Albufera permit map). You can get there by car if you take the road from the roundabout at Can Picafort to Muro (shown as the Ma3431 on my map). You take a right turning a fair way along the road, signed to S’Amarador, which you’d also take if you were going to the viewing tower. However before you get to the tower you take a left on the Cami de Sa Font, which passes a track on the right which leads to the sluices at the southern end of the Cami desPolls.

I’ve seen waxbills at the sluices themselves, but also in an orchard on the left a little further along Cami de Sa Font. They’re mobile and not always easy.

Stew

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi timsg80
Balearic Warbler as foresttwitcher suggests and Waxbills where StewB says.
Yelkouan shearwaters are difficult.
Scopoli’s and Balearic shearwaters are in the waters around Mallorca at the moment but are scarce at this time of the year. The east coast is by far the best.
I have seen Yelkouan from the south and east coasts but I believe they are more numerous towards Menorca where they breed, so sites like Cap de Capdepera are best. There is sometimes confusion with Balearic because the latter vary so much in plumage and weather conditions have a big impact too.
Yelkouan are best seen in the company of Balearics where the flight pattern and jizz of the Yelkouan really stands out. They appear smaller with smaller more rounded looking wings. They fly faster with more rapid wing beats and they always seem to overtake the Balearics! The lighter underside is not enough to identify the birds alone, lots of Balearics are often very white underneath.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

A long walk through the Sóller valley today was worth it for the spectacular scenery alone but the big numbers of vultures helped as well!
Quite a few Black vultures went through around the mountain tops but then the Griffon vultures came, often in groups of six or so. I didn’t count them all but they are such a majestic bird to see as they soar effortlessly over the mountains without a single flap.
The smell of coffee and woodsmoke must be one of the best things to welcome you back to town. Try ensaimada con crema from the bakers shop just to the right of Cafe de Paris. Heaven. Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

The valley

 

[honeym]

It looks fantastic.