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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Mallorca 2022 (1 Viewer)

Hi Alf
I will ask Mike to post a map, he’s really good at that sort of thing.
The food is local and quite hearty stuff with sepia, tongue, frito and the like but they were very happy to make baguettes for us. Very good they were too. I personally like the local stuff but it’s not to everyone’s taste.

A nice day out Stew, it’s very hard to walk anywhere without birding. Well done.
Mike
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Thanks Mike (and Jane). Great fun as usual.
I counted some 30 species seen or heard including at least 12 Common Kestrel and 2 Lesser Kestrels, Marsh Harriers, 5 Red Kites, Quails calling all over the place, Greater Short toed and Thekla Larks, Corn Bunting, Stone Curlews, Hoopoes ,Little Egrets, Stonechats, Woodchat Shrikes and a flock of some 30 Cattle Egrets etc.
It was about a year ago that I saw 7 Red footed falcons here; the White plains are one of the best places to visit at this time of the year.
 
Thanks Mike. I omitted to say where we were.
I agree that the Central Plain is the best place in May and early June.
I’m always saying so because I just love the openness and sense of freedom that the plains offer. I felt the same in Alicante but we won’t mention that. It was so flaming cold and minus any birds. But you don’t need reminding about that.
Mike
 
I woke up rather early this morning, so decided to do a pre-breakfast walk through the Bocquer.

There was a hoopoe and a rather mobile, calling wryneck in the trees along the “fitness trail” approach to the Bocquer car park. As I entered the valley bee eaters were calling overhead as they moved north. This was the first of three groups that I heard, but all remained unseen against the unrelenting blue sky.

A booted eagle was calling and flying against the northern slope. What was presumably the same bird was later mobbed by an Eleanora’s falcon at the northern end of of the valley. A few crag martins were around the seaward end. For a change the Balearic warblers were cooperative in the scrub on the left above the slope to the sea. At least two, probably three, we’re singing and at least two more were calling, including the bird which I photographed, which came within a couple of metres!

As I left, a blue rock thrush was singing from the roof of the finca, and a raven was inspecting the trees along the fitness trail.

A nice start to the day!

Stew
 

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Fab Balearic warbler photo Stew. I’ve never seen one that close.
It seems like a good time of the year to be watching them, they are often so elusive.
Some Honey buzzard going through the tower this morning.
Mike
 
Phil Akers continues to find great birds in and around his garden.
His latest sighting sparked a debate on the identity but we have settled, with lots of help, on Icterine warbler.
Melodious warbler was mooted but this bird has a long primary projection, a weak supercillium and a pale wing panel.
Too many people to thank for helping but it’s another great bird Phil.
Keep looking at that tree!
Mike
 

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I took a tip from StewB and tried the early morning pre breakfast walk( Still needed 2 Coffees).
Walked around S’Albuferata by the Tower and through the wood to the Hide.
Relatively Quiet for number of birds, although over 30 Species were seen or heard Including Corn Buntings, Serins, Swifts, House Martins, Hoopoes, Kentish Plover, Blackwinged Stilts, etc.
The highlights included Flyover Purple Heron, Osprey being mobbed by Avocets, and a Stone Curlew defending his place on the island infront of the Hide from attacking Common Terns( who won in the end).
Several Butteflies seen including Swallowtails,Large and small Whites, Painted Ladies (so many), and Speckled Woods as well as Hummingbird moth.
Then back for Breakfast….Maybe it is worth the effort but I would not like to make a habit of it!
 

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This morning I went into Pollenca with Mrs B, who wanted to go to the market. I decided to walk through to the Roman Bridge, something I’d not done before. It’s a bridge. It’s Roman. Nice.

Then I realised that I was only just across the road from the approach road to the Ternelles Valley, so I took the 20 minute walk as far as the security gates. Chaffinches, greenfinches, firecrests and Sardinian warblers were all in evidence on the way up. I spent about 20 minutes near the gates looking at the various slopes. Ravens and kestrels were always on view. Two black vultures were over a distant hill, with another a few minutes later. Best bird was a griffon vulture which flew directly overhead.

It had warmed up on the way back and there were dragonflies over a roadside water tank. A single Emperor was patrolling while several black-tailed skimmers were squabbling. Four scarlet dragonflies were also having a dust-up, and a single male violet dropwing was trying hard to avoid the chaos!

Stew
 

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A pleasant evening at Son Bosc yesterday with Mike Swiss and Phil A, with nightjars the target.

We arrived too early of course, despite a few stops along the road from the old bus garage to the waterworks. Stone curlews seemed to be calling everywhere, and several hoopoes were flying about - some carrying food.

We spent a while on the platform at the Depuradora. The little ringed plover nest in the car park was empty, with some broken egg shells suggesting a potentially sad outcome. One adult was still around, so maybe they have hatched and moved away from the nest (fingers crossed). Lots of cattle egrets were flying in and out of the Dep itself, and several common pochards were on the water. A whiskered tern was perched alongside a couple of black-headed gulls on the metal fence of one of the inlet/outlets.

We moved on and Phil parked at the end of the road, just past the waterworks entrance at around 9pm, as dusk was falling. We heard the first nightjar calling at around 9.20, with three or possibly four churring strongly nearby, but the trees and tall scrub were blocking any chance of good views. One bird shot over and dived into the bushes, but we didn’t all manage to see it. We could hear more birds further back along the road so we walked along back to the turning for the platform. Here it was possible to see a reasonably wide open area. By now it was around 9.50, And we could hear two more birds churring. Then we were treated to views of a nightjar flying around along and over the road - phew! A brief view of another bird as we walked back completed the entertainment for the evening! The backdrop of stone curlew calls (and a few silhouetted flight views) added to the atmosphere of a really enjoyable evening (despite the best efforts of the mosquitoes!).

Stew
 
This morning Mike & Susan S, Phil A and I found ourselves on the Fisherman’s Walk at Cala St Vincenc. Much calmer and less wet weather than last week’s visit resulted in a feast of Balearic Warblers. They were singing and calling pretty much from when we left the woods to the corner just past the quarry, where we turned back. We counted a minimum of 13 birds, but agreed that there were certainly more than that! Other birds of interest were three blue rock thrushes, crag martin, red kite, and in the woods some crossbills. Several Iberian water frogs were in the occasional rock pools, and an emperor dragonfly was patrolling a small pond.

A couple of brief stops en route to the Central Plain brought corn buntings, booted eagle and red kite at C’an Cuarassa and glossy ibis over the Albufera, viewed from near the “Orange Bridge” (which I’m pretty sure has never been orange).

Once again, lesser kestrel was a star bird of the Central Plain near Maria de La Salut. We had a male perched in a bush not far from the road, and another distantly on the pylon wires. What was presumably a family party of short-toed larks (two adults and two juveniles) kept us amused as they ran along the road in front of the car. Many corn buntings and two red kites contributed to the supporting cast.

We finished the day with 6+ tree sparrows near the Bar Stop restaurant in Petra - after Mike had successfully negotiated the tortuous one-way system!

Stew
 

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Excellent day out..Thanks Chaps. I calculated about 45 Species.
A few butterflies including Wall Brown, Speckled Wood and Striped Grayling which is a first for me and I think its rare in Mallorca. Well spotted Phil.
 

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An excellent day`s birding yesterday with Mike S, Susan and Stew.
Stew kindly bought the ice creams in Petra and he also passed on to Mike and I some very useful information. Male and female Tree Sparrows are pretty much identical, I`d always assumed that the female would be very similar to a House Sparrow. Good knowledge.
And on the subject of sparrows, I`ve posted a few pics of the Sparrows and chicks in the nest box in the tree near our front porch.
Phil A
 

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Up on Fishermans Walk at Cala Son Vincente.
Just seen a Cardinal flypast in La Gola. Seems early.
Just trying to update list of butterflies of Mallorca..any thoughts? The others listed have been reported but not on any official lists as far as I know.
The list may not download in which case I send separatel.
 

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I spent a long morning around the central part of the Albufera today.

On the way in, I was walking to the Platforma de s’Ulastrar and could hear a Savi’s warbler reeling off to the seaward side of the track. Despite its continuous song I couldn’t locate it. From the platform there were great reed and moustached warblers singing. I got a view of a moustached warbler, but not of the great reed (nor any of the four or five others I heard around the reserve).

As I looked out on arrival at the new Sa Roca hide I was stunned to see two slender-billed gulls flying around. They did a couple of circuits and then headed off in an inland direction, leaving me alone with my thoughts (principally wtf just happened?). There were two stone curlews on the grass between the new and old Sa Roca hides, and a great white egret at the back of the scrape. Here, and all around the reserve, there was a dearth of waterfowl and very few waders.

Around the reserve there were avocets, Kentish and little ringed plovers (many with young), lots of shelducks, purple herons and several iberiae yellow wagtails.

There was a good selection of dragon and damselflies, including violet dropwing, Norfolk hawkers, lesser emperors, black-tailed skimmers, blue-tailed and small red-eyed damselflies and a few goblet-marked damselflies.

I called at Maristany on my way back for lunch. Again, both numbers and selection of wildfowl were very low, three female red-crested pochards and a pair of great crested grebes with three young were noteworthy.

There were more dragonflies, with violet dropwing, lesser emperors, scarlet dragonflies and small red-eyed damselflies in evidence. Black-tailed skimmers we’re in full mating frenzy, with dozens out over the water ovipositing.

A little ringed plover was on the short-grass doing its distraction display to lure me away, and another great reed warbler was heard but remained unseen.

Stew
 

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Final day ….Short trip around La Gola and the Town before tidying up the appartment.
A short trip this time..some 5 days birding and some 90 species heard or seen.
Highlights were Red Footed Falcon in the White Plains (that a few people doubted), Lesser Kestrels in the White Plains, Great Short toed Larks in White Plains, Nightjars in Son Bosc, Egyptian Vulture and Balearic Warblers along the Fishermans walk in Can Son Vincente.
A little disappointing was the number of birds seen, although the species numbers was fine.
Some great Butterflies including Egg laying Swallowtails, Striped Grayling, Cleopatra and Cardinal.
Excellent Dragonflies also about including Emperor and Hawkers.
But as Davey said, its the people you meet here.
Great to see tourist back bringing needed resources to the locals and to see many old friends in the cafes etc.
Special thanks as always to Mike and Jane( we see you soon), Phil A, Peter S, Stew B, and those working from home( Kevin and Davey).
Keep this forum going….
We will be back soon
Mike
 
and Striped Grayling which is a first for me and I think its rare in Mallorca. Well spotted Phil.
Not particularly rare in Mallorca. Just hard to spot sometimes. Where did you see it?
Martin
Up on Fishermans Walk at Cala Son Vincente.
Just seen a Cardinal flypast in La Gola. Seems early.
Just trying to update list of butterflies of Mallorca..any thoughts? The others listed have been reported but not on any official lists as far as I know.
The list may not download in which case I send separatel.
Hi
I don't really get chance to do much with the butterflies (I'm usually in the Lab identifying moths) but I do have an annotated list. I've down-loaded yours and will see if I have any comments.
Martin
 
Now settled in to our very pleasant hotel in PP and getting to grips with the island that we haven't visited for 15 years. Planning a geriatrics' visit to S'Albufera tomorrow, allowing for Mrs K's developing arthritis. Hoping to see and hear a few species that are commonplace for you residents.

Simply great to be back on this lovely island. Treasure it whilst you can.
 
A quiet day yesterday. Had a wander down to La Gola - it was heaving with tiny school children, presumably on a school visit. Usually not one for crowds at nature reserves, this was delightful!

Bird-wise there was nothing unexpected. Goldfinches and greenfinches a plenty, several singing serins and a very nice firecrest was about the sum of it. A patrolling emperor dragonfly, my first red admiral and along a grassy margin, what looked like Lang’s short-tailed blues.

The offshore “reefs” have had very small numbers of shags and gulls (mainly Audouin’s) during our visit, probably because of the disturbance from swimmers and kids with inflatables.

At lunchtime an Eleanora’s falcon spent several minutes directly over the apartment we’re staying in - nice to see as, numbers are still quite low around here.

My eldest daughter and her husband walked with me over the ridge from Puerto Pollenca to Cala St Vicenc in the afternoon. As usual it was pretty light on birds, but we did see three crossbills and a blue rock thrush on the walk down to the beach at Cala St Vicenc. Mrs B met us with the car, so wee avoided the walk back!

Stew
 

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