Mallorca 2024 (2 Viewers)

[Mike Montier]

I spent much of last night looking at photos of Pallid harrier and reading up about identification criteria.
I know absolutely that the bird I saw yesterday was a male Pallid harrier.
It flew low over a field on my left. I stopped the car and watched it as it flew alongside the car, flying up and over the road in front of the car, showing the wings, both above and below. They appeared to be uniformly whitish below and pale grey above. The black wedge on the primaries was narrow as expected and confirmed the birds identity. I looked for dark markings on both upper and underwings, as I was aware that young birds are thus adorned.
I saw no markings at all. It was a dull day but the jizz I find quite distinctive.
The only thing that worried me was that the head was darker than the other two male Pallid harriers I’ve seen, thus putting into question the age of the bird.
I am not an expert and I will not be submitting the record without photos, so it really doesn’t matter I suppose.
It’s just that I love to go on learning and reading up about different species. It may also help anyone else who may see this bird.
I believe it was an adult, or near adult, male Pallid harrier.
It is a bird of extraordinary beauty and elegance. That’s what really matters to me.
Gave me goose bumps it did.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Even though the season for raptor migration is over, I thought I would give Cap de Ses Salines one last bash.
I arrived in the dark of course and as soon as I opened the car door, about a dozen mosquitoes entered uninvited.
I blasted myself with horrid chemicals but it was to no avail.
At the lighthouse it was even worse, with a thick black cloud of the voracious monsters around my head. My jeans were also covered with desperate little blighters, all baying for blood.
Dog walkers came and went, all people fishing packed up and went until there was only one person left. Birders just don’t give up.
A great egret flew past, a Blue rock thrush was near, lots of finches flew over but I could stand it no more.
I moved to passage 5 where I saw 6 Rock sparrows, a Black kite, a Booted eagle and a Redwing perched briefly.
About 600 Common starling kept me company but the mosquitoes persisted so I too finally succumbed.
I spent the whole journey home trying to swat the pesky intruders.
Mike

 

[timsg80]

I’ve had a few weeks staying with my Mum in Mallorca while I finish my university thesis. I haven’t had as much time as I’d have liked for birding, but a few highlights:

Small groups of Long-tailed Tits on several occasions in the garden in Es Capdellà. I’ve seen them quite frequently here at this time of year, and at Galatzo too. They are harder to find through the rest of the year so I do wonder where they go. Also a Black Kite, both species of Vulture and a Hawfinch here. In late October I also saw a late Eleonora’s Falcon, a House Martin and my first November sighting of Common Swift in Europe, alol over the garden.

I saw at least one of the Red-throated Pipits found by others at Pla de Lanzell. It’s a species that has evaded me for a long time, and it’s always nice to get a lifer! Absolutely loads of birds there, including a Marsh Harrier, large flocks of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, a big murmuration of Starlings and a very unusual site of at least 45 Moorhens together at the Depuradora there, as well as lots of the other usual species.

I tried and failed to find the Yellow-browed Warbler at Parc BIT in Palma - I got a bit overwhelmed by the volume of Chiffchaffs!

My two usual local birding sites in the southwest - Port d’Andratx and Sa Porrassa/Magaluf have been quiet. A Peregrine, a Kingfisher and the first eBird record of a Coot at the former were the highlights there, while a couple of Swamphens, a Lapwing and two Snipe were the only birds of note at the latter.

Finally, Galatzo was very quiet, but I was treated to a wonderful spectacle of 20 Red Kites together flying low over the car park there.

I’ll be back briefly around Christmas before heading back to New Zealand, hopefully there’ll be some interesting birds around!

 

[Geordie Dave]

I left Newcastle at 1.30am the other morning to drive to Manchester for an early flight. Temperatures were minus 3 and the last hour was driven in the dark and snow. Arrived mid morning at Palma to 22° and bright sunshine. Yesterday I started at a very quiet Maristany where there was nothing on the small pool and only a few common waterfowl on the main pond. There was the fairly regular coscoroba swan which unfortunately does not count for the Big Year. A shame when I still need 4 more to reach to magic 200. Next stop was Albufereta which, by now, was a very pleasant 24°. Green and common sandpiper, 2 greenshank, 20+ Kentish plover, around 50 lapwing, 4 great white egret and 12 flamingo were the highlights along with Cetti’s and fan tailed warbler, 4 marsh harrier and an Osprey . I heard stone curlew calling overhead but didn’t see them. In the afternoon a walk from Gotmar through Siller and in to Port de Pollenca produced 3 vulture sp and 2 red kites. It’s good to be back to some shorts and t shirts weather, not that it ever really leaves us Geordies. Im
here for another 10 days so plenty to go at. Tomorrow, Albufera for the day.

 

[Geordie Dave]

On Thursday I walked into the Vall de Colonya. A distance of about 2 miles out and then back starting on the south side of Pollenca. It is a walk I’ve been meaning to do for some time. Whilst it was quiet this week the area looks well worth a visit in the spring time. The road is lined with private fincas all with large mature gardens interspersed with small parcels of agricultural land all set against a backdrop of the mountains. I will be sure to return early next year. Yesterday I met Kevin and we spent the day at Albufera. No real surprises but a lovely day in the sunshine. We saw plenty of chiffchaff, a late willow warbler and a probable yellow browed warbler outside the hide at Cibollar 1. A kingfisher flew past a couple of times, there was a Osprey on the dead tree, several marsh harriers overhead, the 3 long staying spoonbills, 60+ flamingo, a similar number of cormorants, dunlin, ringed plover, green and common sandpipers, 4 avocets, 4 glossy ibis and 5-6 western swamphen. We finished the day at Carrer del Bateman near the orange bridge looking for red breasted merganser but without success. I was being updated with reports of deep snow at home while enjoying 23° in the sunshine. A really enjoyable day.

 

[Pancho44]

The Vall de Colonya is one of our favourite walks in May. Good for hoopoe, shrikes, nightingales etc. And the fields around Can Fanals are excellent for butterflies.

 

[Geordie Dave]

I spent the afternoon at a very quiet Son Real today. After 2 hours in the hide I had a Robin, Great Tit, a sore back and a stiff neck. I was then rewarded when a Hawfinch appeared very briefly, returning shortly after for some better views. It never came down to drink, always staying in the trees at the back of the pond. After about half an hour it reappeared allowing a couple of half decent photographs. In between 2 Cetti’s warblers showed well and brightened the afternoon. The Hawfinch was my first since January 2022 and a welcome year tick for the Big Year. I am getting perilously close to the magic 200 for the year and need to carefully check my records before submitting my total to the end of November. It’s like deja vu all over again!

 

[Geordie Dave]

A very enjoyable if quiet walk in the sunshine at Ufanes yesterday. A mixture of farmland and woodland near the Caves at Campanet. A single song thrush was probably the highlight with a stunning male black redstart a close second. There were a few corn buntings about and plenty of goldfinches. A single kestrel was hunting the ploughed fields and a pale morph booted eagle was soaring overhead. Well worth a visit for those that have not been before.

 

[Mike Montier]

Having endured a week of British weather in Shrewsbury, with snow, then storm Bert followed by floods, it was a great relief to be greeted by 21 degrees of sunshine at Palma airport.
I managed to get to Sa Barrala briefly today where there are lots of Meadow pipits, Skylarks and assorted finches.
A bright blue sky was littered with Kestrels, Marsh harriers and Red kites which was a glorious sight.
A quick drive down the Es Trenc road held no surprises with Black-winged stilts, Avocets, Kentish plovers and Little stint.
I hope to be out and about a lot more soon. We have both succumbed to horrid coughs and colds no doubt transmitted on the airplane home.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

A Birthday boy walk down the Es Trenc Road, coughing all the way. Airplane journeys pretty much guarantee a virus or two.
It was a fabulous day, a fresh breeze and 19 degrees of mostly sunshine. There were hundreds of small waders spread over much of the exposed muddy bits, and loads more wherever I looked.
Mostly Kentish plovers I guess but also a good number of Dunlin and Little stint.
A large group of Avocets and gulls, all too distant for safe identification.
The bushes lining the road held lots of thrushes, mostly song thrush, but I did see a Redwing flying close by, followed by another sighting, possibly the same bird.
Further down the road, 2 Hawfinch flew up from a bush and were away. Plenty of time for a good look though. Even Merlin got that one right.
I don’t pick up too many birds on call these days but I heard that unmistakable and haunting call of the marsh. I very quickly pin-pointed 10 Common crane flying fay away.
What a thrill it was to see a good number of this beautiful bird.
Then it was off for a celebratory lunch, all four hours of it.
One year older, a wee bit wiser but still as mad for birds as I’ve ever been.
What a fabulous day.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

A morning walk through my local Parc of Mondragó was fabulous. I sometimes forget how lucky we are to live here, so I’m trying to make the most of the time I have left here.
Lots of Plain tiger butterflies, a few Monarch and many common passerines. Cirl buntings seemed to be everywhere, Meadow pipits, Song thrush, Robins and 5 Booted eagles of varying ages and morphs.
A clear and calm sea and lots of people swimming. I nearly joined them.
It’s just lovely to be out and about, enjoying nature and breathing it all in.
Mike

 

[Geordie Dave]

Back home after travelling yesterday on a late morning flight to Manchester followed by a 3 hour drive north. The contrast with the beautiful sunny weather over the last 2 weeks in Mallorca has been stark. This will be my last visit to the island for 2024. On Thursday I went to Mortix with Peter S. The roads were very quiet and Mortix deserted. We quickly found dozens of black redstart, a cirl bunting and plenty of chaffinch and goldfinch. Shortly after the vineyard we were treated to a low fly past brambling that disappeared in to a bush and despite our best efforts couldn’t find it. We saw what we assumed to be the same bird in the same area on our return down the valley about 3 hours later. In between we had up to 30 sightings of vultures, both black and griffon, with a maximum of 9 at one time. Better still was finding an adult Bonellis eagle and getting good flight views. It was joined briefly by a second, immature bird. We had distant views of a smaller raptor, perhaps a peregrine amongst the vultures, several red kites and booted eagles of both dark and light morph. We only managed to find one blue rock thrush, a striking male. It was nice to see several monarch butterflies in the sunshine including 2 together. On the way back to the Port we made a short stop at Albufereta where a beautiful water pipit was the highlight. My Big Year is now at an end and I am pleased with a total of 201 this despite missing out on a dozen or more species that I’ve seen several times in the last few years. With a little more luck and a lot more effort a score of 205-210 seems achievable. I’ll be back in 6 weeks time to try again in 2025. Hasta luego and gan canny.

 

[Geordie Dave]

Some photos from Thursday

 

[Andy Aardvark]

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

Hi Michael
Please telephone Mary Montier if she hasn't already called you when you see this.
Best wishes
Andrew Evans

 

[Mike Montier]

I will phone right away. I’m not sure I have her number though.
Mike

 

[derban]

At the risk of repeating what others have already said: the contrast between Mallorca and the damp, gloomy wastes of northern Europe is arresting. I have managed to get away for a week here, and I spent today at S'Albufera – armed with a pie from Hipercentro in Campos and my camera – and in my shirtsleeves and virtually alone. It doesn't really get much better. But first I called in at the Depuradora, where I thought there was nothing going on, it all appeared so quiet. Well, I soon discovered lapwing, little grebe and black-necked grebe, shoveler and about thirty crag martin as well as what was a mystery bird to me – it turned out to be a white-cheeked pintail, exciting at first until it became clear it must be an escapee. At the main reserve, I was further delighted by more teal and shoveler than you could shake a stick at, grey heron, night heron, purple swamphen, glossy ibis, gadwall kingfisher, water pipit, green sandpiper, ruff, osprey... I also discovered how spoonbills scratch their necks, tricky with such a long bill. Only a week, but I am not complaining.

 

[Mike Montier]

A walk along the promenade from Palma towards Cala Gamba is always rewarding with some great wintering birds often present.
Today, many were missing, birds that probably require harder weather, like Red-breasted merganser and Razorbill but the usual visitors were present.
Lots of Sandwich terns, mixed gulls, Turnstones and usually Sanderling.
Whimbrel is always a possibility and a few rarities have been found over the years.
Great company made up for the lack of variety so it really didn’t matter much.
Days like today remind me that life is short and the more days like today I have, the happier I will be.
Mike

 

[derban]

MikeM and I decided to go for a gentle walk along the Es Trenc road, have a quiet chat, set the world to rights and maybe spot one or two birds – the omens were good after his birthday walk, with hawfinch, redwing, crane and more, so we thought we were in for some easy birding. The weather intervened. We had already delayed for a couple of hours because of the rain this morning, and then came the wind. It can really blow along that road, it seems to funnel in across the saltpans, bordered by some higher ground on the other side of the road. Right from the outset we decided against taking a scope for fear the tripod would blow over, in the end it wasn't possible to hold binoculars steady and even walking and standing were a challenge. All the sensible birds were hunkered down somewhere, most of them out of sight



However we were not unrewarded. Firstly, we (or rather Mike) spotted a sturdy mistle thrush disappearing over the bushes. And then, looking in the right direction at the right time, I happened to see a flock of large birds in the distance. I got my binoculars on them and it was obvious they were common cranes, twenty in the photo, Mike counted at least 28, but there were certainly more. They were landing in the inaccessible area beyond the saltpans visible from the Es Trenc road and certainly out of reach from "Eddie's track".

It was time to celebrate the success (and warm up) so we made a tactical retreat to Pomar in Campos for first rate almond cake and coffee and to compare notes on the joys of eating in unpretentious bars and restaurants. Memorable afternoon.

 

[Mike Montier]

It was certainly a bit blowy Derban. My hat took off down the road a few times.
I’m pretty sure the three birds we saw flying away were Hawfinch but not enough to tick sadly.
They were in exactly the same place where I saw two last time.
Well done for spotting the Cranes, I would have missed them.
The almond cake was in a different class. We will call in again on Friday having ticked off those Ring ouzels at Randa. My treat.
See you then.
Mike

 

[hughm]

22 in the photo at least! Hugh