MENORCA 17th to 31st August 2003 (1 Viewer)

[Johnny1]

A fortnight in Menorca sounded like an ideal birding opportunity so we set off from Manchester airport with great optimism however I soon realised it wasn't going to be when I discovered that out of the three drivers in our party NONE had brought their driving licences!!! The second problem arose when we landed at Mahon airport to walk into a furnace... it was 35 degrees and it stayed that way for the whole fortnight, oh the temperature dropped of an evening to 25 degrees...thank god for air conditioning!
We were staying at the Hotel Esmeralda in Cieutadella so we had an hours coach ride from the airport ahead of us... not too bad untill we found the air conditioning wasn't working on the coach. We arrived at the Hotel very hot and irritable, this put us off travelling on any buses for the next fortnight, the only consolation was the Osprey in flight and the 2 Bee Eaters seen from the coach.
Most of the next fortnight was spent relaxing by the poolside with occasional short walks along the cliffs or to the beach which wasn't as bad as it sounds as we would get Booted Eagles flying overhead most days and one of the walks to the beach accounted for Spotless Starling a lifer for me! In fact I ended up with 4 lifers Spotless Starling, Black Kite, Short Toed Eagle and European Bee Eater.
Poolside birding also accounted for Hoopoe, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift and Eleanoras Falcon.
I won't bore you all with a list of all my sightings but I will recomend Menorca to you all even if like me you don't get to spend much time birding!
By the way the air conditioning WAS working on the coach trip back to the airport.

 

[IanF]

Sounds like ylou had a great time despite the heat :t:

I'll second your recomendation. We have been to Menorca four times in late April. As the whole island is a reserve you can't go wrong virtually wherever you end up. Cala Galdana is our favourite spot to stay with ravines and pine woodlands along the sorrounding cliffs, not to mention some very nice beaches and bays - ideal for combining a 'family' holiday with a bit of birding.

 

[Tom Moodie]

Will note this for future family holiday. Have been considering Menoraca fo sometime next year.

Thanks
Tom

 

[joser]

I went to Menorca last year for a week and it was most deffinately THE BEST holiday I have ever been on although I have never been on a proper birding holiday so when I do Im sure it will give Menorca a run for its money. I didnt plan to go for birding which explains why the only bird I saw was a LBJ that I wouldnt be able to id anyway!! But I certainly recommend Menorca.

 

[Edward woodwood]

Eleonora's from the pool, sipping a G & T?
can't be bad
my kind of birding Johnny

 

[Johnny1]

Yeah it was a very relaxing holliday, on one occasion while watching people diving off the cliffs outside the hotel I spotted 12 cattle egrets flying accross the bay, they circled round for a few while before eventually flying inland passing to within 50 yards of where I was standing, a sight I'll never forget.