Mallorca 2023 (5 Viewers)

[Mike Montier]

Stew and I decided to go to the depuradora at s’Albufera this morning to see if the lesser Scaup was still around.
We arrived to see Kevin already ahead of us.
It was windy and rainy and very little was showing from the tower hide. We therefore moved further down the lane to scan the lower lagoons.
After a fruitless search, we picked up two aythya species in flight, one of which seemed to be a likely candidate.
We saw most of the identification features, especially the wing bar and flight feathers.
After circling the pools several frustrating times, they finally put down and we were able to confirm the identity.
I thought I was a reformed twitcher but all the old symptoms returned, especially the last ten minutes before we arrived. It’s awful really but I couldn’t help laughing at my increased speed and anxiety levels. No cure for me yet then.
Thanks Stew and Kevin for your excellent company.
We even met Mike Swiss and Susan when we popped into Albufereta on the way home, grinning all the way.
Stew will no doubt fill in all the blanks as I was too elated to record other species present.
Mike

 

[StewB]

As Mike says, the pull of a potential Mallorca tick proved too much! Fortunately Mrs B and Mrs M were happy to travel north on the promise of coffee stops in Puerto Pollenca, so we headed for the Depuradora where we bumped into Kevin who had the same target.

We had a very anxious time after realising that there were no wildfowl on view from the observation platform. Eventually we managed to get onto a large flock at the other end of the Dep, and when all the ducks went up we were fairly sure that we had picked up the Lesser Scaup in flight, and this proved correct when it settled on the water, albeit a little distant. Mike has related the requisite identification features, and also from some angles the head shape seemed more in line with expectations compared to some other images of the bird.

It was nice to see ten or so Crag Martins low over the pools, and a Swallow added to the satisfaction. A few Green and a single Common Sandpipers were nice, and a Booted Eagle winding up the starlings was fun.

Audouin’s and Yellow-legged Gulls and three Sandwich Terns off the beach kept us entertained during coffee stops at Puerto Pollenca.

A brief stop at the Albufereta screen on Carrer Salvador Dali provided two Stone Curlews, a single Golden Plover, five Flamingos and Mike and Mrs S. It was nice to have another catch-up with them at the end of a pretty successful trip north.

I went for a local stroll when we got back, the highlights being three Balearic Shearwaters offshore and two goldcrests in the pines near Mike’s apartment.

Stew

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Nothing much to add to note in S’Albuferata today.
60 Flamingos, 30 Lapwings, Black winged Stilts, Cattle, Great White, and Little Egrets,Marsh Harriers, Water Rails, Cetti Warblers,etc etc.
Good to see Stone Curlews and Golden Plovers still around.

 

[H Johnsson]

Pale legs rule out Rock & Water, I would agree with Mipit.

Chris

I agree with meadow pipit but leg color can vary especially during winter plumage. Color on back and stripes on breast and abdomen are similiar. The stripped head which is visible on your photo says meadow pipit.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Morning trip to Lluc. Busy at the Monastery with Christmas Market.
Lluc is one of my favourite places on the island.
6 or 7 distant views of Griffon Vultures, 2 Red Kites, Common Kestrel, 2 or 3 Booted Eagles and 2 Ravens Seen. No Black Vultures or Peregrines seen today.
Wryneck calling, several Chiffchaff, Chaffinches, Great and Blue Tits, Serins and Goldfinches seen.
Great coffee and Almond cake!

 

[StewB]

A nice day in the field with Mike here in the South. After connecting with Siskin and Goldcrests near Mike’s apartment we headed for Vilafranca. Amazingly the Iberian Grey Shrike was on show when we arrived, and remained around for quite a while, albeit rather distant. As a birder from the agricultural wastelands of East Anglia it was lovely to see good numbers of Skylarks, Thekla Larks, Corn Buntings and Meadow Pipits on the fields. Several Red Kites, a couple of Kestrels and a Booted Eagle made up the available raptors.

We called at the polo pitch en route for Sa Barrrala. A bit disappointing to find only a few Meadow Pipits and White Wagtails on the grass. A Red Kite dropped in and took what was probably a Meadow Pipit. A few puddles provided bathing opportunities for Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Linnets and Goldfinches. Three Ravens kronked away overhead.

Sa Barrala produced many more Skylarks, Thekla Larks, Linnets and Meadow Pipits. A fine Bonelli’s Eagle drifted over the fields and frustratingly there was a short burst of Crane calling but we were unable to find the bird itself. A couple of Booted Eagles and c20 Lapwing made up the numbers.

We drove along the Es Trenc road but waders were few and far between until the very last pools, where we found 20+ Little Stints, 36 Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper. Four Stone Curlews flew in and landed out of view, and a flock of 20+ Avocets were spooked by a fly-over Red Kite.

We tried Eddie’s track, which was surprisingly passable, given Thursday’s rain. We saw 7 Curlew, another 55+ Dunlin, 5 Little Stints, 3 Kentish Plovers and a Ringed Plover. A Greenshank called but remained unseen.

I was surprised to see so many butterflies - a selection of species included Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Green-veined White.

All in all a really nice way to spend a day!

Stew

 

[Mike Montier]

Nothing to add Stew except a photo of a very distant Bonelli’s eagle and one of the Goldcrests you so cheekily found on my doorstep. I’ve never seen one there.
We will walk the coast here tomorrow to see how many Goldcrests we can count, double figures will be the target, there seems to have been quite an influx.
Mike

 

[Geordie Dave]

Arrived back in Newcastle on Thursday afternoon after a flight to Liverpool and a drive through torrential rain all the way home. My latest trip of 16 days was blessed with glorious weather throughout reaching 24° on occasions. The roads were quiet, there was an almost complete absence of cyclists and travelling around the island was a joy whether it was to the top of the mountain at Randa for Ring Ouzels, the central plains at Maria de la Salut or the salt pans at Ses Salinas. Birding has generally been fairly quiet and other than lesser scaup there has been nothing rare or scarce. 150 Mediterranean gulls at Port de Pollenca was a special treat and seeing Balearic Warblers at Albercutx and Cala San Vicenc is always a joy. The weather has provided ample opportunity for days out in the field sharing long walks and good company with my fellow Brit birders. So here I am, 5.30 am at Liverpool airport having left the house at 2.30am this morning. Circumstances have given me the opportunity to return to Mallorca for 7 days and with the weather set to continue to be good I’m looking forward to final week in the sunshine in pursuit of the few elusive birds that might take me to magic 200 on the island this year. Here’s hoping!

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Trying to help Davey...Sunday morning trip up the Mirador to check for Alpine Accentors..still not arrived.
Several Blue Rock Thrushes, 2 Ravens and at least 4 Balearic Warblers enjoying the great weather.
After Coffee in Pollensa, a short walk up the Road leading to Ternelle Valley.
Distant views of 4 Black Vultures, a single Griffon Vulture, a Red Kite, 2 Ravens, Bootle eagle and 2 Kestrels. A fleeting glance of a Sparrowhawk..same area I saw one a few weeks ago.
Several Monachs, Cleopatra and Red Admiral Butterflies.
A great morning!

 

[StewB]

Today Mike and I had a day’s local birding in the south, before Mrs B and I head back to the UK tomorrow morning.

Pre-dawn there were several Stone Curlews wailing away near the harbour, and before we set off there was a Grey Wagtail in front of the apartment.

Sadly we couldn’t find Rock Sparrows at Pasatge 5, but searching through Hoopoes, Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaffs, Song Thrushes, Red-legged Partridges, Thekla Larks, Black Redstarts, Goldfinches and Robins kept us occupied for quite a while.

We spent a couple of hours at the Cap de Ses Salines. Out over the sea we had at least seven gannets and a single Balearic Shearwater. An auk flying east quite distantly offshore just had to be a Razorbill. An Osprey flew over the trees behind us, and a Booted Eagle was soaring in the distance.

Butterflies here included Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow.

A visit to Colonia Sant Jordi was pretty productive. Another Osprey was heading towards the sea as we arrived. On the salt pans we had 14+ Stone Curlews, a few Black-winged Stilts, 4 Dunlin, 16 Kentish Plovers and a single Ringed Plover. A small wader on the edge of a distant pool proved to be a Temminck’s Stint - a good winter record!

Looking out from the beach there were 300+ Golden Plovers on the offshore islands, together with several Kentish Plovers, 2 Audouin’s Gulls and a Sandwich Tern.

After a rest and a cuppa at Mike’s apartment we set out to find Goldcrests. Usually a hard-to-find winter visitor, there seems to have been a bit of an influx. We managed to find a minimum of 14 birds within half a mile of setting out. Given that we hardly scratched the surface of suitable habitat, there must be a lot out there! I added Wall and Speckled Wood butterflies to a surprisingly good December list.

Many thanks to Mike and Mrs M for great hospitality and company during an all too short visit.

Stew

 

[Paul & Margaret]

Morning trip to Lluc. Busy at the Monastery with Christmas Market.
Lluc is one of my favourite places on the island.
6 or 7 distant views of Griffon Vultures, 2 Red Kites, Common Kestrel, 2 or 3 Booted Eagles and 2 Ravens Seen. No Black Vultures or Peregrines seen today.
Wryneck calling, several Chiffchaff, Chaffinches, Great and Blue Tits, Serins and Goldfinches seen.
Great coffee and Almond cake!

Hi Mic,
The Lluc Monastery is one of our favourite places too. The carrot cake at the cafe next to the Monastery is very good as well. We visited it twice this year in the Spring and Autumn, we found one set of steps up from the side of the Monastery closed for repair. On one occasion in 2022 we counted 14 Black Vultures high over the mountain, we assumed a dead animal must have attracted them. It is easy to catch a bus from Puerto Pollenca.

 

[derban]

I managed to get a couple of hours today at La Gola and Albufereta way up north. La Gola was quiet, but I did encounter a yellow wagtail, cattle egret and, in the canal at the inland end of the reserve, a grey heron who was completely unconcerned by my proximity as he waded through the water looking for fish. Then on to Albufereta in perfect weather, above 20°C, hardly any wind or clouds – why do people come here in summer at 40°C when it is simply so lovely at this time of year? But don't tell anybody! Anyway, from the viewing platforms, there were plenty of flamingo, grey heron, cattle egret, great white and little egret, lapwing, green sandpiper, hoopoe, teal and something a bit more special, a pintail. A wonderful morning in the north!

 

[Geordie Dave]

Arriving back at lunchtime on Sunday I had a quiet and fairly unproductive afternoon firstly at Maristany, where I couldn’t find the Scaup and then to Albufereta where there were around 40 flamingo, 2 great white egrets and a kingfisher but little else of note. Monday morning I picked up Mike Swiss and we headed to Mortix on what was a glorious but largely bird less trip. With temperatures up to 24° and the valley deserted we had the place to ourselves for a couple of hours. We had hoped to find brambling in the vineyards or indeed any of the other 2 places I have seen them but it wasn’t to be. Other than a solitary raven there was nothing in the sky. 100+ finches were around the vineyards, mainly goldfinch and we did see blackcap, a pair of cirl bunting and dozens of black redstart. We retreated to the cafe/bar at Pont Roma for cafe con leche and suitably refreshed spent an hour on the Ternelles approach road where I saw my first siskin of the year but little else. Next stop was the woods at Cala San Vincenc where we’ve seen dunnock in previous years but not today, firecrest and crossbills being the best we could manage. Final stop was to the low platform behind Port Blue hotel then in to Albufereta reserve. We watched a group of stone curlew in the field by the finca thinking there were 9 birds, taking flight we counted a total of 11. From the hide at Sa Barcassa pond we saw another kingfisher, great white egret, green sandpiper and a sandwich tern. Time for a pint at the roundabout bar and to count up our species total for the day. Despite us thinking we’d seen very little we actually managed 49 in the day. Great craic with Mike as always and a really enjoyable day in the sun with Mallorca and Mortix in particular looking stunning. Thank you Mike, safe trip tomorrow, see you in January.

 

[Erik Hansen]

Last Tuesday we went to the S'Albufera and were met by the night herons along the canal, but also two grey herons sitting in the vegetation and a lot of mallards. As usual we were very kindly met in the reception and got a list of birds seen up to the 15th of November. And were told that 14 cranes had been seen flying in the area, in the Sa Pobla-end. It would be a nice start, but it shouldn't be. We went towards the Cibollar 1-hide, were greeted by a very beautiful hen harrier male at the bridge just before turning down the path, and had a wonderful one-and-half-an-hour in the hide enjoying some 40 flamingos, many shellducks and shovelers, black-winged stilt, one grey heron, little egret, marsh harrier female and an osprey sitting in a tree. All of a sudden my wife found a kingfisher in the tamarisk to the left, it found some little fish, sat quietly for about thirty seconds and disappeared. Also chiffchaffs were around of course. On our way back to the car we went shortly to the Sa Roca-hide: moorhen, swamphen and very many teals, among them a beautiful male, looking almost hand-coloured. Remarkably we didn't hear one cetti.

The day after we went to the other end of S'Albufera, Cami des Polls, in the hope to find the cranes and the waxbills. We walked from the southern end, and when we reached the bridge in the northern, we had seen stonechat, chiffchaff, blackbird, moorhen, 3 common snipes, three marsh harriers (2 males, 1 female) and again a hen harrier male (probably the same as the day before). When we turned at the bridge the starlings began to come in small flocks, and it looked as though they would rest near the big electricity plant "Es Murterar". When we had walked halfway we heard a sound above, looked up and there they were the 14 cranes (they didn't want to be photographed all of them). Unfortunately they didn't go to rest. A little later we were almost in the middle of a very large flock of starlings trying to find out who should sleep where. It fascinated us to stand in the middle of all the quarrels in the, apart from the starlings, wonderfully quiet sunset. Perhaps the waxbills will show up some other day, anyway one cetti did when we left.

Sunday we went to the S'Albufereta, first to the tower: One marsh harrier female, two shellducks, little egret, three great egrets, and some twenty flamingoes. Afterwards to the hide with the pond: some 40 lapwings, one grey heron, three little egret, six cattle egrets and three great egrets, one of them fishing. It got a nice meal, but on its way to the throat the fish escaped, leaving a somewhat frustrated bird. We were there for about an hour in the most peaceful and silent surroundings. A wonderful afternoon. On our way back to the car we had the pleasure of saying hello to Geordie Dave.

 

[Geordie Dave]

I picked up Peter S yesterday morning and drove from Port de Pollenca to spend a day in the south of the island. We began at Eddies Track next to Fontsanta Hotel looking for waders and hopefully my first curlew of the year. I have never seen the pools so dry and not surprisingly we were out of luck. We moved round to the Es Trenc road and found a group of 14 little stints feeding with dunlin, a group of 40-50 avocets and a similar number of shelduck. Overhead we were entertained by several marsh harriers, red kite, kestrel and booted eagle. We did have another larger eagle, dark on the back and very light/white underneath which we took to be Bonellis. It was always too distant for us to be sure. Our next stop was at the polo pitches at Sa Barrala where, as always, there some several hundred meadow pipits with white wagtails and a fairly mobile group of about 50 serin mixed in. We decided to call in at Cala Gamba on the way home as I had been assured by Mike S that we were guaranteed to see whimbrel. Parking near the hospital we walked along the rocky shore line to Can Pastilla before returning the same way. Other than 10-12 turnstones, some cormorants and 2 sandwich terns we saw nothing else until, just before reaching the first rocky outcrop, we found a single whimbrel feeding on the base of the rocks and the water line. A first of the year in Mallorca for me and bird number 199 for 2023; thank you Mike!! I’ve got 4 days left of my final visit of the year and looking to find 1 more to bring up the magic 200. It a bit like following my beloved Newcastle United; it’s the hope that gets you every time!!

 

[Mike Montier]

I’m sure you will join the 200 club David.
When I went down Camino de Sa Barrala, from Hotel fontsanta with Stew, there were several Curlew on the first path on the left, 7 I think, so I would think they are still around.
Good luck, I will text you with any news.
Mike

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Back home in the wet and cold; floods and snow….WHY!
The last trip to Mallorca lasted only 10 days and although the birding was nothing sensational, the weather was fantastic. The crowds and cyclists had also disappeared. The best time of the year to visit.
The chance to meet up with Birding friends and even non birding friends was another positive reason to come back for a short break.
Around 95 Species were seen or heard. Some great sites visited including Randa, Ses Salines, S’Albuferata, The Cap, Mortix, S’Albufera, Son Real to name a few.
A few photos locked in my memory.
I have booked my return trip!
Merry Christmas to all, and a great New Birding year!

 

[Scridifer]

Back home in the wet and cold; floods and snow….WHY!
The last trip to Mallorca lasted only 10 days and although the birding was nothing sensational, the weather was fantastic. The crowds and cyclists had also disappeared. The best time of the year to visit.
The chance to meet up with Birding friends and even non birding friends was another positive reason to come back for a short break.
Around 95 Species were seen or heard. Some great sites visited including Randa, Ses Salines, S’Albuferata, The Cap, Mortix, S’Albufera, Son Real to name a few.
A few photos locked in my memory.
I have booked my return trip!
Merry Christmas to all, and a great New Birding year!

Nice photos Mike, especially love that whip snake!

Chris

 

[andyb39]

Nice photos Mike, especially love that whip snake!

Chris

It's a beauty. Do you know what species it is?

 

[Scridifer]

It's a beauty. do you know what species it is?

Horseshoe Whip Snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis. Introduced, but a cracker nevertheless.

Chris