Mallorca 2023 (3 Viewers)

[honeym]

I've written up my notes from our visit in September. I'm crossing my fingers that this link will open the report!

Report full Sept 2023 PDF.pdf

drive.google.com

Stew

Hi Stew

Your Common Blue MAY have been the Southern Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus. I personally can't tell them apart but it is supposed to be on the islands.

Martin

 

[Ian Bell]

Great Report Stew. 👍 👍

 

[StewB]

Hi Stew

Your Common Blue MAY have been the Southern Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus. I personally can't tell them apart but it is supposed to be on the islands.

Martin

Thanks Martin. I didn’t know that, and on that basis I’m certain that I’ll struggle to separate them even if one stays still enough to scrutinise!

Stew

 

[Mike Montier]

Martin, Mara and Isabella came for lunch today.
Martin said he would save up his luck for today.
I went down to greet them and Martin announced that I had just missed 2 two-tailed pasha butterflies.
He hadn’t even got his equipment out of the boot.
A couple of seconds later, he stopped, looked very shocked and then shouted “Yellow-browed warbler”. In my front garden!
Luckily, he got a recording and it came back positive.
An amazing find Martin. Congratulations.
We are going to the lighthouse later so I’m wondering what he may find.
No doubt more magic.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

We all went to my local lighthouse in Porto Petro tonight.
A few days ago there were over 600 Scopoli’s shearwaters but tonight I doubt we reached 30 with just a handful of Balearic in tow.
Just as I thought Martin’s run of luck was drying up, he pulled a Storm petrel out of the bag, flying away so fast over the surface of the water in the near-darkness.
It was a great day, spending time together, talking birds and sharing a meal together.
How Martin managed to get things out of the boot of his car whilst saying hello to me and still pick up the call of a Yellow-browsed warbler, I will never know.
Mike

 

[Ian Pollença]

A quick visit late p.m to Albufera and a Plover showed well; I would love it to be the Pacific Golden Plover (which I've not seen before, and is probably many miles away) but something tells me it's a Grey Plover switching to winter plumage. Also a Black Swan which surprised me a little. I'll try to attach a photo but an error message is appearing.

 

[Ian Pollença]

Photos now attached.

 

[Josep Manchado]

Photos now attached.

Hello,
Yes sadly I think it is not the Pacific Golden Plover

 

[Pancho44]

It's hard to get a decent picture of a dragonfly that won't settle when you're being eaten by other insects but ... is this a Violet Dropwing? The picture was taken by the bridge at the inland end of Cami Volantina where StewB had seen them. We're now back in the UK - cold, wet and miserable. Us and the weather.

 

[Geordie Dave]

3 days after me testing positive for covid my wife, Lisa, inevitably caught it. The last week of our holiday has therefore been fairly quiet and I have restricted myself to some short visits to Albufereta and a longer walk at Cala San Vicenc. Sa Barcassa ponds had around 30 flamingo and 60 cattle egret, 4 grey heron and 1 purple heron. I managed brief views of a kingfisher although it was never as obliging as last week when it was perched near the hide offering photo opportunities. 2 osprey low over the pond were a treat, even better seeing one of them take a fish in front of the hide. A yellow head marsh harrier was in attendance on both visits and I also had 2 fairly low booted eagles one of which was a beautiful pale morph. There were stone curlews in and around the cultivated land at the finca but little else of note. Earlier this week the islands were all strimmed and cleared of all grass, leaving only bare earth and no birds. On arriving in to the woods at Cala San Vicenc I saw the first of several firecrests and a wryneck within 5 minutes. On the rest of my walk I had more firecrests and a party of feeding crossbills working their way through the woods. I've had a really enjoyable 25 days on this latest visit and been delighted to add 8 more species to my Big Year total. Highlights have probably been pacific golden plover, pectoral sandpiper, my first caspian terns of the year when a group of 6 were at Albufereta, lesser kestrels on the central plains and hobby at both Albufera and Cap de Ses Salines where we also saw honey buzzards. I enjoyed the walk at Ternelles Valley which was a first for me never having been allowed beyond the gate before. It was good to catch up with my British birding pals again and to spend some time with Pere Thomas. I managed 125 species on the trip, a decent return considering the especially warm weather and little sign of migration on my days out. I returned to Newcastle early this morning to be greeted with 9 degrees and a grey sky. I've just booked up to come back to Mallorca in mid November for 16 days for what will be my last visit of 2023. It looks as though the magical 200 species in the year will evade me once again but there's always next year to look forward to.

 

[StewB]

It's hard to get a decent picture of a dragonfly that won't settle when you're being eaten by other insects but ... is this a Violet Dropwing? The picture was taken by the bridge at the inland end of Cami Volantina where StewB had seen them. We're now back in the UK - cold, wet and miserable. Us and the weather.

It is! They’re rather beautiful aren’t they?

Stew

 

[Pancho44]

It is! They’re rather beautiful aren’t they?

Stew

Thanks! Indeed they are.

 

[Mike Montier]

Javi seems to have photographed a Short-toed snake eagle leaving the Cap last Monday, high in the sky.
I have been expecting one of these beauties recently but I was there the day before, and the day after. Grrr.
Pep photographed a fine young Montagu’s harrier at Sa Barrila. I went this afternoon but couldn’t relocate it. A Black kite was fair compensation.
I went out first thing this morning, camera and recorder in hand, to the same area where Martin found a Yellow-browed warbler but no luck.
The Merlín app registered a Wren, Common redstart and Common swift but I didn’t see any of them. I’m wondering just how accurate it is.
At my friends house in Ses Salines a Black vulture flew over and a mystery species of eagle last Monday, the same day that the Short-toed was seen. Hmmm.
See you next time David, hope you and Lisa have both recovered now.
See you next time.
Mike

 

[Phil Akers]

I set off early yesterday and arrived at the S`Albufera car park at 7.45am, a gorgeous morning. Walking up the canal side lane I found 26 Night Herons and 3 Grey Herons perched in the bushes, a lovely start to the day.
When I arrived at the Visitor centre I went to the new hide. What a sight, there were Shoveller, Teal, about 100 + Glossy Ibis, Cattle and Little egrets on the island, 3 Purple Swamp Hens wandering about. Plenty of birds, nice to see.
At the Cibollar hides here was also a good variety of birds showing; an Osprey was perched on the tower behind the lake, there were Cormorants and BH Gulls perched on the posts, A Great White Egret was perched on an old branch accompanied by 2 Grey Herons and Cattle and Little Egrets. Also, there were 30 Flamingos, Little Stints, 2 Common Redshanks, 4 Dunlins , lots of BW Stilts, and a Black Tailed Godwit.
I went down to Es Columbars next and as I neared the hide I spotted a Black Swan in a small lagoon, undoubtedly the same bird that I saw in Pollensa Bay a couple of weeks ago. Probably an escapee.
Viewed from the Columbars hide there were Spotted Redshanks, Greenshanks, BW Stilts. Out in the open water there were several Little Grebes, and a Crested Grebe.
Viewed from the hide looking to the extreme left there were many BH Gulls perched on the posts, at least 60 Spotted Redshanks, and double that amount of BW Stilts.
On my way back home I called in briefly at Maristany. Pretty much mostly the birds I had seen earlier except for the `Koscoroba Swan, the smallest of all the Swan species, usually found in central South America I believe, which has been around for some time. Another escapee.

I called in briefly at S`Albufereta on my way home. Viewed from the Sa Barcassa hide there were lots of Little and Cattle Egrets but not much else. But just as I was getting ready to leave the hide, a Kingfisher flew in and landed on a post to the left of the hide. What a beauty, it brought a splash of colour and character to the scene.
I went home after having had a lovely day with lots of birds and sunshine. Perfecto.

Cheers
Phil Akers

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Great Photos Phil
Any chance the gull is a Lesser Black Backed Gull ?

 

[Phil Akers]

Great Photos Phil
Any chance the gull is a Lesser Black Backed Gull ?

Yes Mike a young Lesser Black Backed gull, it's been around the Cibollar hides for a couple of weeks.

 

[Mike Montier]

I got to the Cap super-early as usual, only to be devoured by the rampant population of ravenous mosquitoes, despite blasting myself with every deterrent known to human-kind.
I sat there for a few hours seeing nothing except some Barn swallows and House martins.
I was joined by Graham first thing which was a welcome distraction from the paucity of migrants.
Much to my relief, Martin appeared. He paused near the entrance which can only mean one thing: he was onto something.
Indeed he was. He believed he heard a Yellowhammer.
Yellowhammer is a very scarce winter visitor, the most reliable site being near Orient.
A few minutes later, Martin heard Siskin which was confirmed by my Merlín app, not that confirmation was needed. We saw at least three, probably more as he continued to hear them.
There is no doubt, having good hearing is almost as important as having good eyes. Knowing the calls is also of great benefit.
We saw a kestrel leaving, it looked very good for Lesser kestrel we both believed.
A Honey buzzard was next and some local raptors at least gave us something to look at.
I left and three more Honey buzzard came through.
Also a couple of Monarch butterflies fluttered past us.
It’s still very hot but I believe some rain may be on the way tomorrow.
Mike

 

[honeym]

Hi Stew

Your Common Blue MAY have been the Southern Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus. I personally can't tell them apart but it is supposed to be on the islands.

Martin

Oops. I should have said P. celina, not icarus.

 

[Neville Davies]

Great report as ever and a great read Stew, many thanks!

Chris

Hi, you mentioned in your report about free guided tours into the Ternelles Valley - I couldn't open the link provided for that, would you be able to give me that link please via [email protected] Many thanks, Neville.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Back on the Island. A wonderful 28C and blue skies.
A great walk with friends in Son Real. Peter and I stayed in the hide for only 30 minutes as numbers of birds were poor.
Crossbill showed well, Great tit, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch and Cetti Warblers were calling but quiet except for Robins everywhere.
One Thekla Lark was reported.
Walk down to the seashore was again rather disappointing in bird numbers.
Audouin Gulls, Cormorants, Stonechat, Sardinian warbler seen or heard and a great find by Peter of several Turnstones.
Butterflies were quite abundent including Swallowtails Large White, Cleopatra, Clouded Yellow, Speckled Wood, Monarchs, Red Admiral, Painted lady, Langs short tailed blue and Two tailed Pasha.
On the walk back we found a new pond that attracted Crossbills and Linnets. Several Broad Scarlets dragonflies seen
A great day out to be on the island.
Thanks Peter.