SEVENTEEN SPRINGS- EPISODE 25- 7TH-13TH APRIL 2012
A PANDA DOWN SOUTH
Saturday was our last day with the car, and the next place we visited in our quest to see more of the inland towns and villages was Santa Margalida, where we had hot chocolates outside a cafe in the market place. Then we dropped off my wife at the big church in Arta whilst I took the boys up to the radio mast on top of the hill on the way to Betlem, where there are stunning views of Alcudia and Pollensa bays. Then along one of the roads to the coast which became distinctly rough as we arrived at Cala Mitjana- remote but pleasant with Balearic and Scopoli's Shearwaters offshore. Easter Sunday saw us in church to begin with, then I went up the Boquer but as it was quite windy the Balearic Warblers were hiding- but I did see some Black Vultures. That evening I found the Scops near the Llenaire road flying out of a tree at the Bahia Pollensa apartments.
Easter Monday we took the bus to Can Picafort and then walked south into Son Real which was packed with visitors, but despite the crowds the Thekla Larks showed well, and a Turnstone was on the rocks by the shore. We found a live tortoise, but a dead dolphin in the same area.The Tuesday dawned cool and cloudy, and my wife and the boys decided to take a trip to the hotel spa and stay local, so I was able at short notice to squeeze into the back seat of a Fiat Panda with Matthew and Debbie Rodgers, and take an unexpected trip down south to Salobrar de Campos, where we found that the salt company had put in a walking route (for an entrance fee) round the lagoons which went rather too close to the Flamingos, although by careful and slow progress we did not cause them to flush. As usual there was a good selection of waders, and we heard a Cuckoo, although it is still only a "heard" species on my Mallorca list. A Pallid Swift was very obvious amongst loads of Commons. The weather was deteriorating, so we drove back via Castell de Santueri where the Alpine Swifts and Peregrines were showing well.
Wednesday was family trip to the Boquer day, although it was extremely windy, so the best action was up above, with both Vulture species and a Black Kite, whilst on the way down a Black-eared Wheatear at the finca showed after a bit of a wait. Thursday was a local day and only a quick trip up into the Boquer brought birding interest with a Wryneck showing nicely, whilst the poor dog ona chain by the gate had a severe bout of diarrhoea!
Friday we packed and said goodbye to Rosa at the supermarket- our last call there as customers, as Rosa was about to retire having served the area and visitors since 1972, just after the Pollensa park opened. Then on the taxi and back to Brum.
PS- factual error apology- Dave Gosney's revised book and DVD actually came out at Christmas 2012 although he was in the Pollensa Park area in April 2012 filming and researching.