Mallorca 2025 (7 Viewers)

[Mike Montier]

I had a short visit to the salt pans this morning.
I must have timed it right as a long line of 20 Common crane came in from the East at 10.30 am.
They settled in their usual place on the marsh and out of sight.
Huge numbers of Avocet were also present together with the usual small waders; Kentish plovers, Little stint and a good number of Greater flamingoes.
3 Booted eagles circled above and Red kites were in evidence.
I will be covering the salt pans and surrounding areas for the next couple of weeks as we are living with friends in Ses Salines, having sold our property and moved out.
Mike

 

[StewB]

Weekend was so varied. Saturday trying to avoid rain downfalls and windy conditions, Sunday was sunny and calm.
Visits to Maristany, Cala Sant Vicenc, Albuferata, and Son Baulo.
View attachment 1627523
Some 50 species seen including 50 Flamingos, 100 Avocet, Stone Curlews, Blue Rock Thrush, Cattle Egrets, Turnstone, 70 Common Pochards, Tufted Ducks, Marsh Harriers etc.
Highlights included Squacco Heron at Albuferata and Peregrine at Maristany.
View attachment 1627518
Good to meet Pau and Carlos today.

It's interesting to see several recent records of Squacco. I'd always thought of it as a summer visitor, and even in the excellent "Birds of Mallorca" (published, I think, in 2020) it's described as only present during Spring and Summer. Climate change I guess?

Stew

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Rain up North. A quick trip to Maristany between the showers.
This site has improved so much. I had three grebes in my binocular view..Great Crested, Little and Black Necked Grebe.
Some 70 Common Pochard and 20 Red Crested Pochards, 30 Shoverlers, Gadwalls, So many Coots, Black Headed and Yellow legged Gulls.

2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Booted Eagles stirred the ducks up!
The most enjoyable sight was some 80 or more Crag Martins feeding.
After searching amongst them for a few minutes, found my first Barn Swallow of the year!
Some 35 bird species seen in 30 minutes. A great site to visit.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

After family stuff I raced to the Vulture Foundation / Sanctuary before it closed.

Walking Tour at the Vulture Sanctuary

Spend a day with these beautiful and misunderstood birds!

www.affordablemallorca.com

A great place to see local nature and the birds up close.


Near by is the wonderful area around the Campanet Caves(Coves).
Normally free flying Black and Griffon Vultures can be seen here but not today.
However the place was heaving with Goldfinches, Serins, Song Thrushes, Great tits, etc etc. It is a favourite for Cirl Buntings and Blue tits, and I was not disappointed. Some 35 Species seen on a glorious day.
My Merlin app was registering Hawfinch and I heard at least 2 individuals myself before finding them.



I have never seen them there before and now I wonder how many are on the Island at this time of the year?

 

[Mike Montier]

Jane and I met Mike and Susan at the Sports Bar, Maria de La Salut for the now traditional pre-birding coffee and pamboli. It is superb.
We then ventured onto the Plains for a spot of birding.
As usual for this site, the sky was dotted with raptors.
Many birds were getting frisky with all sorts of aerobatics with 7 Red kites all slogging it out to grab the attention of the accompanying females, I presume.
Booted eagles were at it too, swooping and diving all over the place.
It was a very impressive display, mesmerizing at times.
We then spotted an enormous bird of prey alighting at the top of a tree on the horizon. It could only be one species, surely.
Some minutes later, the bird had taken off, confirming our initial thoughts, a stupendous Golden eagle, dwarfing all the other raptors which were mobbing the monster.
They really didn’t like it at all and with a collective effort, finally drove the big boy off the premises.
It was a great moment.
Mike kept count of the other birds, he’s good at that sort of thing.
He will no doubt fill in the blanks.
It’s difficult for me to put my heart into it as I know my days in Mallorca are numbered.
Maria is in my top five places to go birding on the Island.
Go on a fine day in May, and you will be treated to a top class experience with Red-footed falcons and Lesser kestrels.
Mike

 

[Mcnswiss2]

What can I add!
I'm still trembling from Mike's discovery...He is very magnanimous...he spotted the bird..Sigh...
Some 25 species seen including Sky and Thekla Larks..
In addition to those mentioned above, Great place for Quail, Barn Owls, Cranes, etc.
Here is some info on Maria

https://www.abc-mallorca.com/maria-de-la-salut/

How I will miss Mike and Jane...but they will be back I am sure!

 

[derban]

Well I can't match the drama of the Mikes at Maria but the saltpans were also worth a visit this morning. Besides the usual shelducks and mallards, there were shoveler, pochard and teal – very nice in view of the usual lack of variety in ducks at that location, but I was also treated to a sudden flypast of a large flock of golden plover – too fast to frame and focus properly – and there were also lapwing doing their stuff, plus meadow pipit and a handsome linnet, but I was also pleased to see what I believe to be a Temminck's stint - yellow/green legs being the giveaway.

 

[Evangelist]

Hi all.
Heading to Alcudia for 7 days on 15 March with scope and bins and will probably hire a car after exhausting the local wonders. Have been before a few times. Anyone with passion and local knowledge care to join me? Dinner would be on me.
Jonathan

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Sorry, will not be here then..sigh.
Check out this forum and ebirds for information. Let us know if you are looking for specific birds or sites.
I would also recommend the use of local bird guide Pere Tomas

About us - Mallorca Nature Tours

We are a local company based in Pollença, at the North of Mallorca. We organize birding and wildlife tours to the major natural areas on the island. In our tours we offer you the best combination of birding, discovering Mallorca's wildlife, landscapes, history and culture. We also organize tours...

www.mallorcanaturetours.com

Cheers

 

[Mcnswiss2]

A few photos from today's walk above Calle san Vincente..Quiet on birding front..Gulls, Cormorants, Shags, usual warblers, etc.
Two Black Vultures overhead.

 

[Evangelist]

Sorry, will not be here then..sigh.
Check out this forum and ebirds for information. Let us know if you are looking for specific birds or sites.
I would also recommend the use of local bird guide Pere Tomas

About us - Mallorca Nature Tours

We are a local company based in Pollença, at the North of Mallorca. We organize birding and wildlife tours to the major natural areas on the island. In our tours we offer you the best combination of birding, discovering Mallorca's wildlife, landscapes, history and culture. We also organize tours...

www.mallorcanaturetours.com

Cheers

 

[Evangelist]

Great stuff. Thanks

 

[derban]

I paid a quick visit to the Cape this morning with the objective of seeing Balearic shearwaters and northern gannets and I was not disappointed – several groups of shearwaters were heading out and there were at least two juvenile gannets and one or probably two adults, both species which I love to see, the former skimming just above the waves, the latter wheeling to plunge into the sea at breathtaking speed. On the way home, a stop at passage no. 5 seemed fruitless at first but just as I was about to get in the car, I looked up and saw two booted eagles spiralling hypnotically upwards. It is so often about looking in the right direction at the right time.

 

[Ian Bell]

I would also highly recommend Pere Thomas of Mallorca Nature Tours.
He will do his best to help you see what you hope for and as well as being a great Guide,he Is also a lovely person.
I have had fantastic encounters while out with Pere and bumped Into him last year,while he was helping out at La Gola.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

With Peter S, we headed out this morning to Son Real and Albufera, stopping first at the Screen at Albuferata.
Quiet start although 25 Flamingos, a Marsh Harrier and a Red Kite were a great way to begin the day.
The sea mist suddenly appeared as we headed towards Son Real.
Again very quiet at the hide, no sign of Crossbills or Hawfinches. Usual birds seen, most interesting were the number of Hoopoes calling. No sign of Wryneck.
Birding got more interesting at Sa Roca hides in the park. Some 40 species seen including Garganey, Wigeon, a flock of 60 Avocets flying past, Spotted Redshank, Glossy Ibis, Osprey and a single barn swallow. Two Moustached Warblers were singing in the sunshine.
Water levels at the Cibollar Hides was low. Some 25 species seen including 25 Flamingos, Black winged Stilts, Great White Egrets and Osprey.
A short walk towards the Cibollar hide was worth doing as low water levels and mud flats there have become the place for Kentish, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers. 2 Spoonbills and some 150 Flamingos were seen in the distance.
Some 65 Species were seen or heard today.
Thanks to Peter for the great company and the Beer at the end of a great day!.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Visit to els Calderers in the Central/ White plains.

http://elscalderers.com/en

Excellent place to bring family etc.

A few birds around, mostly Serins, Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Corn Buntings and Meadow pipits.
As Villafranca is so close tried for the Great Grey Shrike, but alas no sign.
Sky and Thekla Larks, Linnets and Corn Buntings in abundance. Several Red Kites, Booted Eagles and Kestrels above.
As I walked along the track I disturbed a thrush like bird, and to my surprised came across a Redwing!
I have seen them before on the island but not so far away from water. I tried for a photo but the bird disappeared.
What a surprised.
Stopped at Petra for lunch and then walked around the town to find 25 Golden Plovers in a farmers field.Again so far from water.

You never can tell what will turn up!

 

[Ian Pollença]

Anyone admit to struggling with juvenile Gull Identification as I do?

 

[derban]

Senile bed flight ensured I would be at the Cape again this morning to witness sunrise. I was soon joined by my coeval Mike and we spent a while discussing ageing, among other things, and were entertained by sociable Audouin's gulls, gannets galore (well, at least three different ones), a black redstart and finally a robin that ate out of my hand. Unfortunately no skuas. We then moved on to the Es Trenc road, where we met Kevin, and as if the conversation was not entertaining enough, we were kept on our toes by water pipit, Thekla's lark and linnet, several large flights of small waders of confusing diversity, distant raptors aloft and a slender-billed gull that initially played hard to get but finally sat nicely for us in the water so that there was no confusing it with other gull species, even bearing in mind Ian's post above! There was also a flight of unidentifiable small birds, my money would be on golden plover in retrospect, but who can tell? A beautiful and rewarding morning.

 

[Mike Montier]

Thanks derban, a nice sum-up of a great morning.
The conversations were, as always, highly amusing. Real life situations are usually the funniest.
I miss-identified the Water pipit. I believe it’s a Meadow pipit, albeit in a Water pipit environment.
I wasn’t quick enough to get the Robin in your hand but it’s just flying away.
Thanks again for a great morning.
Mike

 

[derban]

Thanks derban, a nice sum-up of a great morning.
The conversations were, as always, highly amusing. Real life situations are usually the funniest.
I miss-identified the Water pipit. I believe it’s a Meadow pipit, albeit in a Water pipit environment.
I wasn’t quick enough to get the Robin in your hand but it’s just flying away.
Thanks again for a great morning.
Mike

So a mipit not a wipit! In the great scheme of things not a great tragedy, I fell for it too! But my, that robin was fast. I honestly didn't see it move and suddenly it was gone together with the crust of my sandwich.