Mallorca 2022 (6 Viewers)

[honeym]

I’m pretty sure that there isn’t any public access to the back of the Albufereta. There is a platform (which you can see from the public viewing platform off the coast road) but that is for use by staff for surveys etc.

Stew

That's as I understand it, too. Area best avoided.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Great Spotted Cuckoo seen in Switzerland..the first since 2010……and a Goshawk has just taken it out!??Sigh

But it still seems to be alive..reported again today..fingers crossed

 

[bittern]

But it still seems to be alive..reported again today..fingers crossed

Yes it made a miraculous recovery, in fac it is believed that someone saw the Goshawk take a Kestrel, and panicked... There are excellent photos of the G S Cuckoo taken today and apparently in great shape with no signs of a tussle with the Goshawk.

 

[StewB]

After going a bit stir-crazy in the apartment this morning I headed for the Albufereta after lunch. Although not the best time of day, there was quite a lot to enjoy. A Coscoroba swan, which has apparently been around for a while, was on view from the platform - a bit of a bizarre sight. An osprey, male and female marsh harriers and a purple heron all flew over the main body of water. The Sa Barcassa hide provided several young Kentish plovers, young black-winged stilts, sitting avocets and a couple of little ringed plovers. Elsewhere there were lots of corn buntings (including young ones), linnets, fan-tailed warblers and calling stone curlews.

I drove the extra few kilometres to Maristany. Nothing new here, with three female pochards with broods of young, four great crested grebes, lots of little grebes and two singing great Reed warblers.

A few dragonflies were around, including lesser emperor, scarlet dragonfly, black-tailed skimmer and violet dropwing.

Stew

 

[Phil Akers]

Our posts are usually about the birds we find by going out. But this time I thought it would make a change by posting the birds I`ve found by staying at home.
I`m very fortunate to live in the Colonia Valley just outside the old town of Pollenca. There is a large old Holm tree in my garden, which I must admit that I hadn't really paid much attention to. Until one morning early in April this year. I was walking past the tree when I noticed there were lots of few small birds hopping around in it`s branches. I grabbed my bins to take a closer look. There appeared to be quite a variety of species, mostly Finches and Warblers.
I was amazed that I hadn't seen this in Spring before.
I went back into the house and found a window that looked out toward the tree. I got myself set up on a stool with my camera and began trying to get a few photos to identify the species. The tree is about 23mtrs away from where I was perched and the birds were constantly on the move. And so my initial photos were poor. However, with patience and spending an hour or more each afternoon for a few days ,I began to get the Knack and my pics started to improve to the point where I could get definite I.D.
As April wore on the sightings began to diminish but there were still some nice birds about and early May was still productive .But by the end of May I was only seeing occasional birds passing through.
Of course, in April and to a lesser degree in May, the birds were obviously finding plenty to eat in the Oak tree. Very probably there were insect larvae hatching out.
I contacted Martin Honey who has an terrific knowledge of insects and asked what his thought were. As always he was very helpful and he agreed that the birds were probably feeding on insect larvae and there may have been several different species. He also advised me to keep an eye out in Autumn when there could be further hatchings.
He also gave me a tip on how to collect some of the larvae in order to identify the species. Hold a tray (preferably white) underneath a branch and give it a good whack and some of the larvae should fall out onto the tray - Hey Presto. Then I can take a few photos of them for Martin to I.D.
So, I`m now looking forward to Autumn to try it out.
Anyway, here`s a few photos of my Oak tree findings, I did also have a female Golden Oriole but the photos were very poor.

 

[Mike Montier]

Absolutely brilliant Phil, just my kind of birding, sitting somewhere quietly and waiting.
I know that I also go out a lot and dash off for an occasional rarity, but I admire this activity more than most things.
Patience and skill are required and photos are essential really. I probably wouldn’t have been able to identify some birds without images.
What a fantastic array of species.
Martin is a wonderful resource for us all and I feel very lucky that he reads this thread and helps us all out at times.
I am looking forward to autumn too Phil, I wonder just what might turn up for you in the future.
Well done, a great inspiration for us all.
Mike

 

[LaGola]

Hello everyone! A Green Sandpiper and a Turtle Dove have been seen today at La Gola

 

[derban]

Our posts are usually about the birds we find by going out. But this time I thought it would make a change by posting the birds I`ve found by staying at home.
I`m very fortunate to live in the Colonia Valley just outside the old town of Pollenca. There is a large old Holm tree in my garden, which I must admit that I hadn't really paid much attention to. Until one morning early in April this year. I was walking past the tree when I noticed there were lots of few small birds hopping around in it`s branches. I grabbed my bins to take a closer look. There appeared to be quite a variety of species, mostly Finches and Warblers.
I was amazed that I hadn't seen this in Spring before.
I went back into the house and found a window that looked out toward the tree. I got myself set up on a stool with my camera and began trying to get a few photos to identify the species. The tree is about 23mtrs away from where I was perched and the birds were constantly on the move. And so my initial photos were poor. However, with patience and spending an hour or more each afternoon for a few days ,I began to get the Knack and my pics started to improve to the point where I could get definite I.D.
As April wore on the sightings began to diminish but there were still some nice birds about and early May was still productive .But by the end of May I was only seeing occasional birds passing through.
Of course, in April and to a lesser degree in May, the birds were obviously finding plenty to eat in the Oak tree. Very probably there were insect larvae hatching out.
I contacted Martin Honey who has an terrific knowledge of insects and asked what his thought were. As always he was very helpful and he agreed that the birds were probably feeding on insect larvae and there may have been several different species. He also advised me to keep an eye out in Autumn when there could be further hatchings.
He also gave me a tip on how to collect some of the larvae in order to identify the species. Hold a tray (preferably white) underneath a branch and give it a good whack and some of the larvae should fall out onto the tray - Hey Presto. Then I can take a few photos of them for Martin to I.D.
So, I`m now looking forward to Autumn to try it out.
Anyway, here`s a few photos of my Oak tree findings, I did also have a female Golden Oriole but the photos were very poor.

Phil, I have often thought of doing soemthing similar with the field at the back of our house in Campos. I'll have to construct some sort of hide though. And wait for a holm oak to grow. Great post!

 

[StewB]

I did a pre-brunch walk through the Bocquer Valley this morning. There were three hoopoes along the “exercise walk” before the roundabout near the car park, several blue rock thrushes were singing all along the valley, a male stonechat was trying to shepherd two young birds away from the path. Ravens were kronking around the seaward end, and half a dozen or so crag martins were flying around the valley. Balearic warblers were calling in the scrub above the slope to the sea but proved very elusive, giving just a few glimpses. I saw a couple of kestrels, but they proved to be the only raptors on offer.

Back at the apartment I saw the La Gola green sandpiper post on Facebook, and walked down to the reserve to see the bird which was still there. House martins were collecting mud from the water’s edge - good to see given the low numbers of hirundines around to date. There were a few gulls (all Audouin’s) and shags on the offshore reefs along the seafront.

Stew

 

[Lynn Pin]

Not sure if I’m allowed to reproduce google maps on here but the birds fly around areas in the middle of the map, just up from the torrent in scrubby areas and pine trees.
Mike

No luck with seeing any Nightjars at Mondrago last night, sadly, but enjoyed a very pretty sunset whilst listening to Turtle doves and the odd Nightingale still singing. Will try again soon and will keep my ears peeled when I'm out and about.

 

[StewB]

Spent this morning at the Albufera, then had my packed lunch on the Depuradora platform, before getting back for a beer. Birds were pretty quiet at both locations.

The Savi’s warbler was still reeling as I walked along from the entrance track dog-leg, but again no chance of actually seeing it! Also a few snatches of moustached warbler song there.

At Sa Roca a purple heron was striding about in front of the new hide, and at the far hide there was a marbled duck and a few yellow wagtails. Great Reed warblers were in fine voice, and from the mound I saw a squacco heron drop in out of view near Sa Roca. There was a crested coot near the Bridge over the Gran Canal, and from the Es Cibollar hides there were avocets, Kentish plovers and black-winged stilts, all with young.

There were lots of dragon and damsel flies around the reserve, and it was particularly nice to get good views of goblet-marked damselflies (Erythromma lindenii).

The bus garage at the start of the Son Bosc road was rather busy, but a very brief stop produced a tree sparrow on the perimeter fence, and a booted eagle over on the return drive. The Depuradora itself had nothing of real note.

Stew

 

[southernsteve]

Arrived Sunday afternoon and after a night in Can Pastilla, finally got to our villa for the week between Pollenca and Alcudia. After doing all the sorting out and shopping, I finally got a chance to have a brief look at the surroundings. first bird I saw was a Woodchat Shrike, a lifer for me and not a bad start to the week. I later noticed there was a pair, so I'll keep a watch on them. Otherwise not a lot to see, a Nightingale keeps singing from the bushes on the far side of next doors field, and I've seen a few Sardinian Warblers in the trees. Tonight I heard the churring of a Nightjar, though it didn't seem that close. Today I met up with an old work mate who's also out on holiday and we went to Albufereta. It was fairly quiet as usual, but did note a couple of Purple and Night Heron's flying over, a few Eleonora's Falcons and a Booted Eagle. Next onto Son Real with Spotted Flycatcher and Woodchat Shrike topping the list. Otherwise just run of the mill birds. My mate was impressed though, having never been before, and it was great to have the place to ourselves. Next I took him to Depurador, another new location for him. We didn't see a a great deal here though it was interesting to watch a distant Eleonor's Falcon being mobbed by a Kestrel. Finally, he left me, and I carried on to S'Amarador, which was again very quiet. However, just before the end of the road on my way out, I managed to get a great view of a Turtle Dove, a great way to finish the day off. There will be loads of photos once I get them sorted and edited, but here's a couple for now.

 

[StewB]

This morning Mrs B and I drove through the Tramuntanas to Cuber Reservoir (my first visit there in several years). We arrived quite early, and things were quiet. A wryneck was calling in the trees near the entrance, and an Iberian Hare was on the entrance road. Wrens were very active along the track as far as the bothy, blue rock thrushes were in song too. A tawny pipit was displaying behind the bothy.

Apart from a booted eagle there was not much raptor activity until around 10.30, when a distant black vulture appeared beyond the western peaks. Soon after, two more, much closer, soared over the nearer slopes and were joined by a griffon. By the time we reached the car there had been a total of five black and five griffons. Meanwhile, an osprey had flown across the reservoir and a red kite had flown along the lower slopes. Two Eleanora’s falcons were dashing around the western ridge.

Sadly, we could find no sign of my target, Moltoni’s warbler.

On the return drive we stopped for lunch at the roadside refugi at Gorg Bleu. Crossbills were calling in the pines and a wryneck was calling and flying around the picnic area. Two more griffons were flying over the peaks.

Stew

 

[southernsteve]

A sit around the villa pool day today, well it is a family holiday not a birding trip, that's in September, and was rewarded with this beauty 😃😃

 

[sferguk]

The Bigyear so far.
It will all be a bit quiet until some returning waders put in an appearance followed by a few raptors, mainly Black kite, in August, and then what will hopefully be a bird-filled autumn.
Good birding to all visitors, there are a few Brits here at the moment.
Thanks to Pep for his continuing work on compiling the results.
Mike

I'm there in 21 days luckily the birds I really want to see aren't passage migrants so I'll still be happy.....hopefully.

 

[StewB]

Today was a bit “birding lite”. A pre-breakfast visit to the mirador at Albercutx produced four pallid swifts - I walked to the far end and looked down to the caves at the bottom of the cliffs, and they were flying around above the sea and up and down the cliffs. Also at the mirador were 2+ rock thrushes, a couple of crag martins and calling crossbills.

After breakfast Mrs B and I went to Son Real for a walk down to the beach and a swim. A hoopoe was singing as we left the car park, and the walk to the beach and back produced a family party of crossbills, with the female feeding at least two young, two woodchat shrikes, singing corn buntings and near the beach, an Eleanora’s falcon.

Tomorrow we’re taking the bus for a day out in Palma..

Stew

 

[StewB]

Today Mrs B and I took the bus from Puerto Pollenca to Palma. It wasn’t all shopping and cathedrals, as I managed to track down some Ibiza Wall Lizards that a friend had told me about some years ago (before lockdown interrupted everything).

I eventually found them on the boulders along the north shore of the lake below the cathedral, especially the area where the path dog-legs around the high wall, near the fountain. I saw 6+, not bad for late morning during the heat of the day.

The lizards are, like most of the island’s reptiles and amphibians, an introduction to Mallorca - probably during the 20th century. Still, well worth the effort.

Stew

 

[southernsteve]

Spotted or Mediterranean Flycatcher, in the villa garden today

 

[southernsteve]

First batch of photos from Tuesday 7th June at Albufereta.....

 

[southernsteve]

Some more from Albufereta 7th June