Mallorca 2024 (20 Viewers)

[Mike Montier]

Good morning and a Happy New year to you all.
May you enjoy good health and lots of great birding.
January the first is always a special day where it all begins again.
A new year, a new list and hopefully some new birds too.
It’s a dreary old day here today but I will still be down at the beach party, disappearing up the torrent, tick hungry as usual.
Good luck to everyone and I look forward to reading all your news.
With very best wishes,
Mike

 

[Geordie Dave]

Mike a happy new year to you and Jane and to all the readers and especially the contributors to the forum. An essential supply of news of what is being seen where when I am on the island. It also tells me what I’m missing when I’m not there!! Wishing health and happiness to all. Here’s to another wonderful year of visiting Mallorca. We start again in 2 weeks time. Feliz ano nuevo.

 

[TonyCath]

A Happy New Year to everybody and a BIG thank you to Mike Montier for heading up the forum again in the main a thankless task I guess but one that greatly helps all those that visit the wonderful Island.
We will hopefully be back in May to try and increase our small list. A huge well done to those who get to the "200" plus mark a great effort. Dave had me on the edge of my seat each time I checked if he had made the 200 mark and then almost the last kick of the game he fires in the winner well done.
Only two birds on our target list Wryneck and Golden Oriole so fingers crossed.
Good health and happy birding to all and see you in May.
T&C

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Have a great New Birding Year

 

[hughm]

Thanks once again for keeping up the news from Mallorca, Mike. I doubt I shall make it this year but you never know! Pouring with rain and very dreary here in Northampton, but my daily read of the forum reminds me of better weather and exotic birds- although Bee-eater is now on my British list after searching for and finding them at Trimingham in Norfolk last June! . Hugh

 

[Ian Bell]

Happy New Year to all,locals and visitors to the Island.l have nothing booked yet but hope to be back this year again.
It ls a fantastic Island for birds and that with some fantastic people,always makes for great times.Add to that this avenue for the latest news,lt ls great to read what's being seen and hearing from friends made on previous visits.
"All The Best"

 

[davercox]

Yes, many thanks to you, Mike M, for keeping this series of threads going. I can't travel these days but I have many happy memories of Mallorca, and watching these threads always helps to bring them back.

 

[Alf King]

Likewise this thread has been a valuable source of information and entertainment for the irregular visitor. We had a great trip to the island in 2023 but it looks unlikely that we will be out this year, sadly but I hold out hopes for 2025. I was intrigued and possibly inspired to read of the pleasures that could be gained from October or November visits - maybe that could be a possibility if suitable accommodation was available.

Special thanks to Mike but also to all of the other contributors for keeping me entertained.

 

[H Johnsson]

I had a late afternoon visit to Puig de Sant Salvador maybe chance for Alpine accentor - I got a quick glince just 100 m below top on east side from a flying bird which might could be a candidate. I think there has been Alpine accentor earlier winter or?

Besides that Robin, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Great tit, Chiffchaff, Red kite , Kestrel and several Black redstart

One of the Black redstart must have been ssp. atterimus - extremly dark/black, head black and grey only on top, distinct big white spots on wings. Is this subsp. common at Mallorca?

 

[StewB]

Happy New Year everyone, and especially to Mike, who keeps this forum thread going so brilliantly. I got to know him via the forum, met him by chance in May 2017 and now I’m chuffed to call him a good friend.

We have plans for Island visits in May and September, really looking forward to it!

Stew

 

[BielBernat]

Hi! Happy New Year to everyone!
Today was my first birding day of the year with Toni Soler. We visited Sa Barrala and other southern hotspots.
A little bit windy day but still nice for birding, we could find up to 76 species!
The hightlight was the observation of a wintering Red-Throated Pipit at Sa Barrala, first heard the call and then spot the bird with nice views feeding on a field with Skylarks, Corn Bunting and Meadow Pipit.
A nice specie to start the year!
Hope the best for these 2024 to all you and a lot of birds!!
Thank you Mike for keep that forum thread!!

Biel

 

[BielBernat]

Hi!
Today Pep Manchado and me reached Orient to find some wintering birds...
We were succesfull finding two Bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla), first a male and then a female.
Pep also spotted a male Yellow Hammer (Emberiza citrinella), sadly i missed this bird!
I think this specie is wintering in Mallorca in low numbers...Galatzó, Mortitx or Orient are nice places to look for it!
On December 2023 I found 1 male at Mortitx, this day Pep was the one who missed the bird! Today he strikes back jaja
Later at midday we went to Puig de Randa looking for the Ring Ouzels (Turdus torquatus) and we were succesful to! At least 3 birds from the ssp T.t.torquatus were at the place!
Tomorrow I will reach the north with Toni Soler, hope to find more interesting birds!

Sorry for my English, hope it's easy to understand!

Biel Bernat

 

[Mike Montier]

Excellent English Biel, thanks for posting.
All guests have left now so I hope I can join you for some birding soon!
Mike

 

[BielBernat]

Hi!
Today Toni Soler and I tried to birding at the north but the rain made it impossible, so we went to St Margalida for breakfast and then we reached Maria de la Salut. The rain had stopped so we were able to look for some birds there...
The wind was sometimes strong and there was a lack of passerines but at least the number of raptors on the site was high.
The most notable were a female Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) and a Buzzard (Buteo buteo).
Tomorrow, if the rain allow us, Pep Manchado and I will try again in the north.

Best regards

Biel Bernat

 

[NealM]

A Happy New Year/ Bon Any Nou Feliz Aňo Nuevo to one and all on the forum especially Mike Montier for keeping the Mallorca thread going for so many years.
Only managed one trip last year but hopefully will have a couple of trips this year.
Late last year I had to settle for a very lucky 13 Waxwing in Balham, SW London. And the Rowan berries were so profuse the Waxwings stayed around to give me a New Year's Day 2024 tick too!.
Hasta luego,
Neal M

 

[Phil Akers]

Hello everyone, a belated happy new year. I did actually post on Tues. Jan 2nd... 2023 ?? don`t know how that happened. Must stop time travelling.
So here`s what I found yesterday.
I began the day at S`Amarador, at the viewing tower, overlooking the lagoon at the Southern boundary of the Albufera natural park. A beautiful, crisp sunny morning. There were lots of birds about and I found 23 species in 30 minutes.
The star was a Bluethroat, a1st year female I think and it posed nicely for a couple of photos.
A few other nice birds included : Glossy Ibis, Marsh Harrier, Red Crested Pochard, Red legged Partridge and Cettis Warbler.

A short drive next to Son Bosc. I had a brief stop at the Bus depot hoping to find a Tree Sparrow, but no luck. I drove down the lanes, heading for the viewing tower overlooking the depuradora settling pans. My luck was definitely in, I found a solitary Common Crane grazing in a field fairly close to the depuradora.
At the tower there was a fairly limited number of species i.e. Booted Eagle, Crag Martin, Fan Tailed Warbler, Hoopoe, Shoveller and Teal.

On to the Albufera and the hides close to the viewing centre. Grey heron and Night Heron were on show in the Trees lining the canal. At the 3 Sa Roca hides there were Black Winged Stilts, Snipe, Marbled ducks (19), Wigeon, Water Pipit.
At the 2 Es Cibollar hides on the other side of the canal there were a few Flamingos, Osprey, Gt White egret, a pair of Gargany, Purple Swamp Hen, Avocets and lots of Chiffchaffs.

Moving on to Maristany for a brief viewing. Lots of Black Headed and Yellow legged Gulls, Little egrets, Common Pochards and one handsome Pintail.

The final destination, the Albufereta. Flamingos, Cattle and Little Egrets, 3 Gt White Egrets, a very large number of Crag Martins, 2 Golden Plovers and a Kentish Plover,

An excellent day out with a great birds to be seen, 58 species in total
Cheers
Phil Akers

 

[Mike Montier]

Results of the Bigyear Mallorca are in.
The very worthy winner was Toni Soler who thoroughly deserves the top spot.
Everywhere I went last year, Toni seemed to be around so many congratulations to him.
He’s a nice bloke too, good fun to be with and very knowledgeable.
Nibbling at his heels was our very own Geordie David.
Again, David has been out for many diligent hours in the field in all weathers. He did very well to reach over 200 in a year which lacked the numbers of some previous years.
Congratulations to him on joining the prestigious 200 club.
The all-time record stands at 232 in 2013 currently held by Maties. That will take some beating.
I just managed to scrape into 3rd place but I was away at important migration times so I missed many species I would normally see.
But it’s the taking part that matters and we have all had a great deal of fun and enjoyed each other’s company and a fair amount of leg-pulling.
We hope it all kicks off again this year.
We would like to say a special thank you to Pep for organising the whole competition and keeping it going. It is much appreciated by all.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

I tried all December to see Common crane and Pintial but I failed every time.
Today they both appeared instantly.
The Crane was just where Phil A told me (thanks Phil) and the Pintail showed at Maristany.
In between these two places, I had a gentle stroll around the main reserve of s’Albufera.
It’s always a delight to take things easy around this splendid location and it was a relief to get out of the biting north-west wind which had hastened my departure from the depuradora.
In Sa Roca there was a mountain of Teal, all hunched up around the edges. There were some Glossy ibis and a couple of Marbled duck.
Marsh harrier were very active in the sky, no doubt extra frisky due to the forthcoming breeding season.
I went to Ses Pardes hide but no sign of the Ferruginous duck. There were some Wigeon though and plenty of Gadwall.
Cibollar 1 held huge amounts of Cormorant and some Avocet.
A Great white egret showed up as did 2 Osprey, one with a fish for lunch.
There was an immature Lesser black-backed gull and a few Black-winged stilts.
I had the reserve to myself initially but as it was a Sunday, many families were out and about, enjoying this sunny day.
Time to go home.
Mike

 

[derban]

For me the new year's birding in Mallorca began this morning at 8 with ice on the windscreen – the Campos Depression was colder than everywhere else again. I had decided on a trip to the Cape, and I had the road to myself on the drive down from Ses Salines. There were what seemed like dozens of hoopoes and red-legged partridges startled up as I drove along, and just before I reached Passage No. 5 I startled up three red kites and a raven, probably feasting on a cadaver in the scrub by the road. At the Cape, I enjoyed the warmth of the early sunshine while munching my sandwiches (manchego and hummus on wholemeal bread, if you're interested), and managed to pick out three or four Balearic shearwaters skimming over the waves. There was little else of note there, so I drove to the Es Trenc Road to see if there were any waders about but pretty much drew a blank there except for a distant osprey. It was a gorgeous morning, so peaceful, and the question remains unanswered as to why I ever go away.

 

[Mike Montier]

I am always interested in what people put in their sandwiches derban. I will try those.

In order to get Firecrest and Goldcrest onto my year list, I followed the same short route to the coast from my apartment which StewB and I took, seeing 14 Goldcrests along the way.
Absolutely nothing. It is rather quiet around the south as I had a similar experience to yours.
Never mind, Mike Swiss arrives today to cheer us all up. Never a dull moment when he is around.
We will meet soon.
Welcome back.
Mike