I said I would give brief highlights of the year but after all the excitement of today, it’s hard to come back down to earth.
It’s been a funny old year, that’s for sure.
Winter birding is a delight here in Mallorca, cloudless days up to 20 degrees sometimes, but there are cold days too when we have the log fire blazing. Going to Cúber reservoir in mid-winter can be a challenge but there are rewards too with Ring ouzel, Redwings and vultures.
Son Real is marvelous too with good numbers of Hawfinch in some years.
Mortitx is one of the best sites with Brambling and thrushes too. Bonelli’s eagles show well.
Lluc is a must in winter, it’s a lovely walk down through the valley.
The plain near Vilafranca is awash with pipits, larks finches and this year hosted a Southern Grey shrike.
Early migrants included a Collared flycatcher, Yellow-browed Warbler and a Red-backed shrike.
A Pacific Golden plover was a good find at Salobrar de Campos.
We then entered lockdown which was a very strange time for us all.
Many birders took to their balconies and gardens and it proved to be a very educational time with some excellent sightings from all over the Island.
I was lucky enough to watch a Great Spotted Cuckoo flying right past my balcony. No other bird has ever affected me that much, I couldn’t send the message out as I was trembling so much.
I also managed to see a Pomarine Skua very distantly from my balcony.
Gregor saw some amazing birds from his garden in the south west including a flock of over one hundred Black Kite. He saw a Red-breasted flycatcher too.
Large movements of herons and raptors were also noted and I saw a record number of Alpine Swift, one of my favourite birds.
Caspian terns put on a good show with a couple of sightings.
A Brown booby was filmed on Cabrera which had been a first for the Mediterranean when first seen by Juanjo.
Other rarities included Woodlark, Ruddy shelduck and a super-Rare Arctic Warbler found by Jason.
Common Rosefinch was recorded and 4 Little buntings on Cabrera must surely be a record.
A large influx of Yellowhammer was unprecedented and in with them a big shock in the form of the first Pine bunting.
I thought that must be it for the year but a Great bustard on Formentera was a monumental surprise for us all.
That must surely have been it, but no, the biggest bombshell of them all came on the last day, the Bimaculated Lark from today, found by Jason. For many people this was the star bird of the year.
There are so many other highlights it would take the entire evening to list them. My favourite bird must be the adult summer White-winged Black tern which I found at Colonia Sant Jordi. That one sticks in my mind as the most graceful and elegant bird I have ever seen as it picked mosquitos off the surface of the water. I will never forget it.
Days out with the locals have been great, most notably at the Albercutx tower in the spring and then again in the south for the autumn return migration.
Seawatching two or three evenings a week was always rewarding with hundreds of shearwaters flying past my local lighthouse.
My days out with the Brits, Durban, Geordie Dave, Mike Swiss, Kevin, StewB and the two Phillips were just fantastic and I look forward to many more.
It just remains for me to thank everyone who has read this thread and contributed to it.
It’s all been entertaining, informative and occasionally funny.
I continue to learn, make mistakes and then learn some more.
Thanks everyone, happy new year, see some of you here under better circumstances I hope.
Keep safe,
With my best wishes,
Mike
