Mallorca 2021 (4 Viewers)

[Geordie Dave]

Stew B. I was in Mallorca in June and again in July. If you've had 2 jabs you only need to get a QR code for your journey out and provide proof of your vaccinations to show on arrival. The QR is easy to obtain on www.spth.gob.es website. You need to provide the address of where you are staying, details of your flights and it only takes a few minutes to complete. Before travelling home you'll have to take an antigen test in Mallorca timed within 72 hours of your arrival time in UK. I stay in Port de Pollenca and have my test at Juaneda, a private medical facility in the Port. The cost is €30, booked online and results arrive within less than hour an hour. If you've any queries you can always send me a message. I'm going back again in September so shortly going through it all again!

 

[Geordie Dave]

Stew the Juaneda results arrive in less than half an hour. Apologies typo above.

 

[StewB]

Stew B. I was in Mallorca in June and again in July. If you've had 2 jabs you only need to get a QR code for your journey out and provide proof of your vaccinations to show on arrival. The QR is easy to obtain on www.spth.gob.es website. You need to provide the address of where you are staying, details of your flights and it only takes a few minutes to complete. Before travelling home you'll have to take an antigen test in Mallorca timed within 72 hours of your arrival time in UK. I stay in Port de Pollenca and have my test at Juaneda, a private medical facility in the Port. The cost is €30, booked online and results arrive within less than hour an hour. If you've any queries you can always send me a message. I'm going back again in September so shortly going through it all again!

That’s really great, thanks Dave! We’ll be there late September 🤞, maybe see you there?

Stew

 

[Geordie Dave]

That’s really great, thanks Dave! We’ll be there late September 🤞, maybe see you there?

Stew

 

[Mike Montier]

That’s great David.
We leave (hopefully) for the UK on the 29th September but I do hope we can all meet up.
The Cap this morning was fairly quiet with a Common buzzard taking a look out to sea but it soon returned as expected. It’s probably a local bird.
A Marsh harrier left for the south and I had some great dolphin sightings.
A few swallows and swifts were around together with the usual Balearic flycatchers and Woodchats.
Mike

 

[StewB]

That’s great David.
We leave (hopefully) for the UK on the 29th September but I do hope we can all meet up.
The Cap this morning was fairly quiet with a Common buzzard taking a look out to sea but it soon returned as expected. It’s probably a local bird.
A Marsh harrier left for the south and I had some great dolphin sightings.
A few swallows and swifts were around together with the usual Balearic flycatchers and Woodchats.
Mike

Looks like a female red-veined darter Mike

 

[honeym]

Thanks Mike, I’ll give it a look.

Stew

Hi Stew

I've just asked a friend who has just spent a week on the island and returned to the UK yesterday. I'll post when he responds.

Martin

 

[CTO La Gola]

Bonelli’s eagles can be seen regularly at the Cap at the moment, often two or three together.
They sometimes put on a fantastic show of agility, well worth watching.
Mike

Hello Mike and all members of the forum!
Pretty sure they are the couple who nests in s'Avall and one of the juveniles. This year this couple of Bonelli's Eagle has fledge two chicks, both tagged with GPS. One is doing a tour around Mallorca but the other one stays close to the territory of its parents.
It's very interesting for the project Aquila a-LIFE, related to the Bonelli's Eagle, be informed about your sightings there in the Cap but also in another areas of Mallorca.
Thank you!
Cristina.

 

[CTO La Gola]

Hello again,
today in la Gola an undetermined number of Willow Warbler and 2 Common Sandpiper

 

[StewB]

Hi Stew

I've just asked a friend who has just spent a week on the island and returned to the UK yesterday. I'll post when he responds.

Martin

Thanks Martin - got your really helpful DM!

 

[Mike Montier]

Yet another visit to the Cap, many more to come of course.
I heard a Bee-eater and saw four phylloscopus warblers around the pine trees. I suspect they were Willow warblers as there is quite an influx at the moment but I can’t confirm.
No other migrant birds but I was kept busy with local Booted eagle, Red kite, Marsh harrier, Peregrine, Bonelli’s eagle and Kestrel.
A very distant raptor left the Island, a Black kite I thought, but again, I can’t be sure.
All very pleasant. I get so full of enthusiasm every day I go, but often leave with little to shout about.
But that’s birding, if I dont go I will see nothing, so I just turn up most days hoping for the best.
It surely will pay off one day.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

The only day I haven’t been to the Cap was today. Sure enough, Adolfo bagged 24 Marsh harrier going south and out to sea.
I just don’t get it. I study the weather charts every day and I can’t see why birds behave the way they do.
It’s best just to go and see what happens but it’s certainly good to go there on the days I’m not there. I have seen nothing all week.
I went for a lovely walk at Porto Colom instead where there were definitely very few birds and no migrants.
Still, it was a beautiful day out.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

I am no gull man, but in the absence of much bird life today, I found myself going through a flock of Yellow-legged gulls.
They all looked the same except this bird on the left which I assumed was a sub-adult.
It lacks the prominent white wing tips, the bill is darker and lacks the bright red spot and the head is not so clean. The legs lack the vibrant yellow too.
I will have a stab at 3rd summer Yellow-legged gull.

 

[Mike Montier]

I went to the Cap and I was delighted to see young Biel and Mika there, I haven’t seen them for ages.
A Marsh harrier went high over and out to sea but that was it. It must have been a straggler left behind from yesterday’s bonanza.
In contrast, Jason was having a fine old time just up the road at the Salines.
Firstly he found a Dotterel, a very scarce passage migrant, at Sa Barrala.
Having also found a Montagu’s harrier, he saw two more which completed a lovely trio of a juvenile, a female and a male.
Not content with this, he went to the Es Trenc road and found a national rarity in the shape of a Ruddy shelduck. Just for good measure, he added Mediterranean gull and three Temminck’s stints to his tally.
What a day for him.
As Biel needed Dotterel, he was off in a flash so I was left to continue seeing nothing at the Cap.
Birding can be so cruel.
Better luck tomorrow I say. Maybe those three harriers will leave the Island.
Mike

 

[derban]

I went to the Cap and I was delighted to see young Biel and Mika there, I haven’t seen them for ages.
A Marsh harrier went high over and out to sea but that was it. It must have been a straggler left behind from yesterday’s bonanza.
In contrast, Jason was having a fine old time just up the road at the Salines.
Firstly he found a Dotterel, a very scarce passage migrant, at Sa Barrala.
Having also found a Montagu’s harrier, he saw two more which completed a lovely trio of a juvenile, a female and a male.
Not content with this, he went to the Es Trenc road and found a national rarity in the shape of a Ruddy shelduck. Just for good measure, he added Mediterranean gull and three Temminck’s stints to his tally.
What a day for him.
As Biel needed Dotterel, he was off in a flash so I was left to continue seeing nothing at the Cap.
Birding can be so cruel.
Better luck tomorrow I say. Maybe those three harriers will leave the Island.
Mike

Hang on in there Mike. Tomorrow is another day!

 

[Mike Montier]

Thanks derban, today was another day and another “capote” (a day seeing no migrant raptors)
Despite conditions looking good, favourable winds, many Barn swallows and some cloud cover, nothing came through.
There was some compensation in seeing a juvenile Bonelli’s eagle with the adult female and a Tree pipit flew out towards Africa, a year tick for me.
At least my sandwiches were top class and the banter was, as always, lots of fun.
I can’t get to the Cap again until Wednesday by which time I hope things will have improved.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

My daily ritual of going to the Cap was washed out today as torrential rain and lightning made me run for cover.
I then went to the salt pans to see if the Ruddy shelduck was still present but I could hardly see a thing, just some small waders nearby including Temminck’s stints.
I didn’t bother looking for the Dotterel either, those fields round the back turn to the stickiest mud I have ever known and it’s easy to get stuck, so I headed for home.
Storms are always good for birding here as many species on migration put down on the Island for shelter. It will be interesting to see what’s around in the next few days.
Mike

 

[VincentB]

I am staying in Alcudia currently, just had a wryneck in the pines outside my balcony.

 

[Mike Montier]

Hi Vincent
Nice sighting, have a great time and do let us know what you see.
All the best,
Mike

 

[VincentB]

An osprey came from the sea and flew in over land over Alcudia before the rain came again.