Great White Pelican - the black trailing edge of adults is across almost the entire underwing. Dalmatian and Pink-backed have mostly pale underwings. For American White Pelican (which might be a ship-assisted rarity), the black trailing edge of adults leaves a distinct gap of white feathers close to the body.Many thanks Pep. Superb images of a cracking bird.
If anyone has any thoughts on the Pelican species, please let us know.
Mike
I would conclude that the bird is a Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus. There are 16 records of UK occurrences, but the species is placed in Category D (it is well-known as an ornamental favourite - there is one flock in St James's park London, where individuals sometimes catch and kill feral pigeons). It's also a popular bird in public and private bird collections, and there is the unfortunate custom of keeping one as a publicity stunt for eastern Mediterranean restaurants. I think that your bird should be considered a only possibly a wild bird. I attach the BirdLife Datazone map: it indicates that the non-breeding areas are vast in comparison with the breeding areas, thus suggesting wandering or vagrancy: pelicans are superb soarers. Incidentally, the map omits the Lake Skodar/Shkodra population on the border of Montenegro and Albania (Dalmatian Pelican P. crispus also occurs there).Many thanks MJB, I can add some other distant pics from fellows yesterday. I hope some can help to identify it, one Pelican in Majorca is very very very rare.
Pictures are very bad, but the bird was more than 3 km away from us (Maties, Fàtima and Toni)
Josep
I hope that this link works. It’s a BirdGuides article about the importance of British waters for Balearic Shearwaters - nice to have a connection to the Island during lockdown!I know I go on about it, but Seawatching on an evening like today, is glorious and I’m hooked on counting on as many evenings as I can.
I told Pep last week that the Balearic shearwaters don’t really start coming through until about 5.15pm but when I went out at 4.45pm tonight, they were already streaming through. I obviously got that wrong.
I was hoping to break the 1,000 barrier tonight but I didn’t quite make it with a grand total of 944.
The sea was super-calm which added to the occasion.
No Scopoli’s shearwaters yet. They should be appearing around the middle of the month. I’m looking forward to that, a bit of variety wouldn’t go amiss.
Mike
Mike, would the Cape be a good place to watch them?I told Pep last week that the Balearic shearwaters don’t really start coming through until about 5.15pm but when I went out at 4.45pm tonight, they were already streaming through. I obviously got that wrong.
I was hoping to break the 1,000 barrier tonight but I didn’t quite make it with a grand total of 944.
The sea was super-calm which added to the occasion.
No Scopoli’s shearwaters yet. They should be appearing around the middle of the month. I’m looking forward to that, a bit of variety wouldn’t go amiss.
Mike
Thank you for the comprehensive answer!Hi derban.
The Cap de Ses Salines is a good place in general but for sheer numbers returning to the south in the evenings, the east coast cannot be beaten. That’s because with the right winds, the birds are very close to the shore affording good views.
By the time they have reached the archipelago of Cabrera, which is where they are all heading, they are already way out to sea.
That’s not to say it’s no good, on the contrary, it can be very good on the right day with the chance of other species too like Great Skua, Sandwich terns, Razorbills and Mergansers.
I mainly watch from Porto Petro because I live there but I firmly believe it is one of the best sites in Mallorca to watch returning shearwaters in the evenings.
Mike