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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Peewit" data-source="post: 1502715" data-attributes="member: 57492">Reports Fornells/Ses Salines - Part 1 of 2Reports Fornells/Ses Salines - Part 1 of 2One evening, during our holiday, I went for a wander to the shore line and sat their amongst the stored boats.  I could hear a Scops Owl close to our chalet.  I sat on a bench outside, and noticed the local Bats flying close to me.  They flitted around my head.  You could hear their little radar squeaks as they moved around. The evening was silent, and calm, and the only noise was a Scops Owl making its call known to the area, and to other Owls nearby.In the morning, my OH and I met up with some of our sailing group.  A couple stated they could hear the same Scops Owl in the complex. They where fascinated as they had never heard of the bird, or its call before.   I have to admit the Scops Owls sound is a repetitive ‘peeeuu’.  At the same time it sounds like the bird is calling out of a tin can.  So metallic, and spooky sounding.  The call never stops at all.  It just goes on bleeping as it does.  It makes the night feel very tropical, intriguing, and relaxing all at the same time.  Nice homely feeling.Today was very windy, and squally, probably hitting force 5.  We decided to take a risk going out sailing, and we capsized, and got a good old soaking.  We managed to get the boat upright, and I clambered into the cockpit.  OH sorted out the rigging.  We got into the boat.  Sadly, the Laser 2000 crewing ropes, are now tangled up in the rigging.  It was cold, windy, we where wet, and felt cold.  The waves where high against the side of the boat, and a face of salty water.  So we got a good drenching.  So we both had given up, and decided to go back to shore, and dry off from our trip.  As we went back to shore a Cormorant flew past and around us and back the way it came.  I was told that there was a colony of Cormorants and Shags, sitting together on the rocks at the other side of the bay from us.  It would mean a sailing trip out to see them, close up as we dare.  The thing is we where not keen to take our binoculars and camera in the boat in case we capsized at all.  So we where limited to what we could see.The bay wind was quite abrupt today, and switched direction a whole lot.  It was difficult to sail in, and keep our balance at all.  Looking over the bay we could see the waves where very choppy, and the wind was shifting in all directions.  Many of the dingy boats used in our class where not sailing at all.  Of the ones that did where continually tipping over into the water  So the rescue boats (RIB’s) where kept very busy indeed. We headed off down to Fornells for a few hours walking about, instead of sailing. The trip to Fornells was interesting.  Various types wildlife moved about, despite of the windy weather.  Lots of Butterflies flying around, and they flew past in the wind.   Lots of Gypsy Moth caterpillers where everywhere on the walls, fences, ground.  Thank you to the expert who ID’s the photos for me.  I understand it is considered a pest species – is that true I wonder – still study the facts a little more.We looked closely at the pavement wall, and the rustic fence as we walked along.   We saw an assortment of wildlife including a Gecko climbing up a building wall nearby.  Lots of pretty Snails sitting half way up stems of plants.  We could hear a Cuckoo in the distance over the other side of the bay.  The song echoed across the bay back  to us, and the sound seemed to travel on the current of the wind.  Great to hear a bird like a Cuckoo in Spain, that is becoming rarer now in the UKWe could hear Corn Buntings, twittering, and moving about in the low bushes close to the shore line, and into the boatyard.  These species everywhere claiming their territories.  What active little birds.  One bird sat on the top of a telegraph pole and twittered non stop.  He was not moving from his patch for anyone.  He was king of his castle.Lots of House Sparrows, and Collared Doves flew about in all directions. Lots of Grasshoppers where well hidden in the tall sedge like grasses despite of the windy weather – chirping as they do.  Each time the sun came the noise from the Grasshoppers increased,  The Butterflies seen to appear form everywhere, and lots of very large bees.As we walked past some palm trees waving in the breeze, saw a huge Rat climbing up the uneven knobbly brown trunk of one of the mature Palm Trees.  What a size and it was not worried about our presence at all.   Lots of little squeaks which gave the impression that there may be a Rat family in the tree.  There was enough leafy undergrowth for the Rat family to live in.  The Rat looked Brown/Dark Grey in colour with a white chest.  I understand that you can only get black Rats in Menorca – need to confirm that!A group of Goldfinches tinkled in the nearby trees, while they moved around in a little group of their own. A resident Nightingale made it tune known, and could out sing every other species in close proximity to the bird.  Its song is one that you could never forget.A leggy looking insect appeared which looked like a type of Clearwing.  It was a scary insect to look at, and looked more like a very long thin wasp.  It buzzed deeply as it past our head and went on its way.  We where intrigued by its presence.We could hear the same low calls from the Yellow Legged Gulls in the sky above  There seemed to be a small group of them around, but still they remained a good distance from each other against the blue coloured sky.Looking over to the sea on our right it was very lively with the wind playing a large part in todays events.  The moored boats clanged and scraped gently against one another.  To the left there was low hills with fields of horses, and some cows.  We could hear Cockerels crowing behind a white building close by.  A meowing call came from the top of the hills and there was a Booted Eagle flying slowly around in circles as they do.  It was being mobbed by a Raven.  We could see the Booted Eagle had no food in its talons, so the Raven was harassing the BoP for reasons only that it knew itself.  I am amazed how similar the Booted Eagle looks in flight to the Common Buzzard.  If you looked closely through a set of binoculars the colouration is so much different.  The lighter areas of the flight feathers show up well  over the BoP’s’ wings as it flies in its circles against the blue sky.We walk on, and now we are close to the built up area of Fornells.  We passed by the Palm Trees blowing in the wind.  Lots of rustling, creaking foliage is heard as we walk by each tree.  A group of House Sparrows disappear into the Palm Trees above our heads.  They where going in to search out the dried leaf foliage for their nests, hiding and chattering to one another as they did.  They reappear out from the same tree, with a beak full of nesting material and disappear elsewhere else with their bounty.  Such busy, lively, vocal little birds and so much more busy than the House Sparrows in the UK.  There is no shortage of them in Menorca.Picture 1 - Map Menorca - Fornells on top rightPicture 2 - Yellow Legged Gull and its anticsPicture 3 - Audouin's GullPicture 4 - Walk facing the Mediterranean Sea.Picture 5 - Yellow Legged gull flying overhead</blockquote>

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