Roger Baddley
Active member
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Mallorca 2024 (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mike Montier
- Start date
Roger Baddley
Active member
Jonny Holliday
Active member
Another walk out along front too Son Real this morning produced at least 4 each of Theklas and Tawny Pipit, Balearic Warbler, Kentish Plover and a mountain of Sardinian and Stonechat. A Scops Owl is calling somewhere beyond the Lidl tonight.
timsg80
Gregor Tims
A quick trip to Bassa de Can Guidet this morning produced Whiskered Tern, Avocet, Common Ringed Plover and Red-crested Pochard along with the usual species. Nothing of note at Prat de Sant Jordi, and a handful of Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers and Black-winged Stilts at Depuradora de Palma.
Sa Porassa/Magaluf has been quiet except for the Little Bitterns - I saw one and heard at least one other yesterday, but I suspect there are quite a few there at the moment!
Another (?) Golden Oriole was calling briefly at Es Capdella yesterday, I’ve heard them about every other day in the past week here! Otherwise no other migrants about here now, and Griffon and Black Vultures have been the highlights.
Sa Porassa/Magaluf has been quiet except for the Little Bitterns - I saw one and heard at least one other yesterday, but I suspect there are quite a few there at the moment!
Another (?) Golden Oriole was calling briefly at Es Capdella yesterday, I’ve heard them about every other day in the past week here! Otherwise no other migrants about here now, and Griffon and Black Vultures have been the highlights.
Mike Montier
Well-known member
A good morning at the tower, Albercutx, with:
1 Montagu’s harrier, sub-adult male.
10 Honey buzzard
1 Egyptian vulture, sub adult
4 Marsh harrier
2 migrant common Kestrel.
Well done to those who enjoyed this nice passage of raptors.
Also seen around, 18 Eleonora’s falcons.
Not much in sunny Shrewsbury.
Mike
1 Montagu’s harrier, sub-adult male.
10 Honey buzzard
1 Egyptian vulture, sub adult
4 Marsh harrier
2 migrant common Kestrel.
Well done to those who enjoyed this nice passage of raptors.
Also seen around, 18 Eleonora’s falcons.
Not much in sunny Shrewsbury.
Mike
Roger Baddley
Active member
Today, 4 Whiskered tern on raft at the Depadora. Eleanora’s falcon above water treatment plant.
Jonny Holliday
Active member
Arrived home yesterday after our week on the island - just wanted to thank everyone who shared information, tips and directions!
Whilst it was a family holiday, still managed lots of quality birds, although no island ticks (i think i must have seen Avocet before but not in my notes lol!!) it was such a great week that we have already booked 2 weeks for next spring, so hope to see some of you then!
Whilst it was a family holiday, still managed lots of quality birds, although no island ticks (i think i must have seen Avocet before but not in my notes lol!!) it was such a great week that we have already booked 2 weeks for next spring, so hope to see some of you then!
Roger Baddley
Active member
Today, the last of a thirty day stint on the island. So we decided to try our luck on our own at the Albercutx tower. This resulted in 3 honey buzzard, 2 black kite, 1 adult Egyptian vulture, 2 Eleanor’s falcon and a very obliging balearic warbler.
Overall a respectable 124 species seen over the 30 day period
Our thanks in particular to Geordie Dave for your invaluable advice and expertise and comprehensive reports on the forum.
Thanks also to Mike Montier for managing the forum and for the morning meet at Eddie’s Track and finding the lesser flamingo.
Biel and Pep for your invaluable knowledge of the raptors at the tower on the Saturday mornings we attended.
Thanks to everybody else who posted on the forum during our stay here. Long may it continue
Hasta Pronto!
Sally & Roger
Overall a respectable 124 species seen over the 30 day period
Our thanks in particular to Geordie Dave for your invaluable advice and expertise and comprehensive reports on the forum.
Thanks also to Mike Montier for managing the forum and for the morning meet at Eddie’s Track and finding the lesser flamingo.
Biel and Pep for your invaluable knowledge of the raptors at the tower on the Saturday mornings we attended.
Thanks to everybody else who posted on the forum during our stay here. Long may it continue
Hasta Pronto!
Sally & Roger
Attachments
Ian Pollença
Well-known member
Arrived Saturday pm and then off to Maria de la Salut almost immediately. Got to see Red-footed Falcon but no Lesser Kestrel. TonyCath gave me a good route which enabled me to see 2 x Greater Short-toed Lark (Thanks Tony) which is a Lifer (Bimbo) for me. Heard 4 Quail but no sightings. Also 1 Wheatear. Sunday a.m, see Mike Montier's thread above; seeing an Egyptian Vulture was fantastic (lifer) and thanks to Lalo and Pau for pointing it out. Seeing a Honey Buzzard slowly circle 2 or 3 times right next to Albercutx Tower was fantastic too. Saw several Pallid Swift close up too was nice as I've been after decent views for a while. Sunday p.m, saw a snake (25cm) actually on the Can Cuirassa track; my last snake (100 cm) was also actually on the path to Es Colombars 4 weeks ago. This morning we set off to Maria de la Salut to see Red-legged Partridge and another ST Lark. No Lesser Kestrel; we could hear a few Quail but alas no sightings. Then off to Vilafranca (Thanks Mike M for your map you posted recently) to see Collared Pratincole, Spotless Starling and 4 x ST larks and 2 Little Ringed Plover. The Quail were vocal but extremely shy! At Castle de Santueri there were about 12 Alpine Swift putting on a nice flying display with a sole Crag Martin whilst we ate our lunch. Finally to Porto Colom to get some more nice close up views of about 12 Pallid Swift. (Thanks Stew B). Quail was/is my target bird but after 2 days looking I'm beginning to think I'm wasting my time; still, the fields and scenery around Es Blanquer are stunning.
Roger Baddley
Active member
Be careful about quail calling near the back lanes at Maria de Salut.
We tracked down the call to some caged birds on a small holding opposite a line of trees on a back lane.
We tracked down the call to some caged birds on a small holding opposite a line of trees on a back lane.
JoeDowning
New member
Hi all, fairly new to birding abroad and visiting next week, staying near Alcudia, so will be spending time at S'Albufera of course.
I'd love to try and get a decent view of a Wryneck, would anyone have recommendations on areas near Pollenca/Alcudia that is good for them? Many thanks!
I'd love to try and get a decent view of a Wryneck, would anyone have recommendations on areas near Pollenca/Alcudia that is good for them? Many thanks!
StewB
Well-known member
Hi Joe,
Wryneck is relatively common and can crop up pretty much anywhere in suitable habitat. Seeing them isn’t always that easy though. Presumably you know the song - it’s always the first indication that there’s a bird nearby.
Son Real is pretty reliable ( especially the areas near the hide on trail 4), as are the woods at the beginning of the Fishermen’s Walk at Cala St Vicenc, and the walk at Mortitx before you reach the end of the vineyard. But you could come across them almost anywhere.
Good luck!
Stew
Jonny Holliday
Active member
To add to Stews excellent advice, I have regularly seen breeding Wryneck around the entrance to Boquer Valley...normally between the 2 set of gates in the yardstick the left.
Good luck
Matthebirder
Well-known member
Wrynecks; Had one calling in bare tree in garden of Pollensa Park Hotel in March, saw several up the road to Tennelles Valley gates. Sound like Kestrels so can be overlooked.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Strontium Dog
Well-known member
I was at S'Albufera on Saturday, didn't see a huge number of species but got five lifers - Mediterranean Flycatcher, Purple Heron, Eleonora's Falcon, Nightingale and Kentish Plover. Also nice to see my first Night Herons in Europe, and my first Spanish Yellow Wagtails, plus a couple of Little Bitterns near the hotel. Went again on Monday and saw even fewer birds, however I did add one more lifer, a spectacular singing Great Reed Warbler, plus a Whiskered Tern, which I'd not seen in summer plumage before. No sign of Stone Curlews was the major let-down. No Pratincoles or Moustached Warblers either, but I didn't expect those.
I made a late afternoon trip out to Son Real yesterday, the walk from the bus stop to the necropolis took a while so I didn't see much of it, and the only birds spotted were Stonechats, sparrows, and the ubiquitous Sardinian Warblers. I will almost certainly need to spend more time here and go further inland, although I'm braced for more disappointment.
Pretty much limited to where I can get by bus here, so this may be it.
I made a late afternoon trip out to Son Real yesterday, the walk from the bus stop to the necropolis took a while so I didn't see much of it, and the only birds spotted were Stonechats, sparrows, and the ubiquitous Sardinian Warblers. I will almost certainly need to spend more time here and go further inland, although I'm braced for more disappointment.
Pretty much limited to where I can get by bus here, so this may be it.
Good, Bad and Ugly again. ( Part 1)
Following our recent trip/holiday or whatever a brief summary follows of some key memories.
Firstly the Ugly: a recent newspaper article in the UK described our cyclists as being "lycra louts" on Mallorca my description is that they are " cycling psychopaths" they have no regard for other road users or pedestrians an accident waiting to happen.
Bad: Having to jump through hoops to get a permit for S'Albufera, taking a passport as ID and form filling, really, this is over kill. we are only going looking at birds.
And now the Good: we arrived on the 29th April with a bit of a wish/target list of 10 birds, we stayed in Playa de Muro for the first five days giving us good access to S'Albufera, Son Real and the Central Plains. Our trips to these locations is documented in the threads above but getting three lifers in four days was most welcome, Whiskered and Gull billed Tern at the Dep then Lesser Kestrels at the Plains. Eventually catching up with Balearic Warbler at Son Real after four years of trying felt like a weight had been lifted and then sharing them with a Northumberland trio felt really special.
Only three birds were ticked off the wish list but seventy three species were recorded in five days
However the big highlight was meeting a few people on the way, three people mentioned above from Northumberland (posh term for Newcastle) we only got Ians name but we bumped into them at three locations. Then there was Peter from Calderdale (posh name for Halifax) again came across him a few times.
Finally met Geordie Dave and his brother not sure where they were from. At the Dep met Phil Garnett from Bolton and spent a good hour with him before Mr Mike Montier arrived and we spent most of the day in his company which was privilege.
Part 2 to follow.
Thank you for reading
T&C
Following our recent trip/holiday or whatever a brief summary follows of some key memories.
Firstly the Ugly: a recent newspaper article in the UK described our cyclists as being "lycra louts" on Mallorca my description is that they are " cycling psychopaths" they have no regard for other road users or pedestrians an accident waiting to happen.
Bad: Having to jump through hoops to get a permit for S'Albufera, taking a passport as ID and form filling, really, this is over kill. we are only going looking at birds.
And now the Good: we arrived on the 29th April with a bit of a wish/target list of 10 birds, we stayed in Playa de Muro for the first five days giving us good access to S'Albufera, Son Real and the Central Plains. Our trips to these locations is documented in the threads above but getting three lifers in four days was most welcome, Whiskered and Gull billed Tern at the Dep then Lesser Kestrels at the Plains. Eventually catching up with Balearic Warbler at Son Real after four years of trying felt like a weight had been lifted and then sharing them with a Northumberland trio felt really special.
Only three birds were ticked off the wish list but seventy three species were recorded in five days
However the big highlight was meeting a few people on the way, three people mentioned above from Northumberland (posh term for Newcastle) we only got Ians name but we bumped into them at three locations. Then there was Peter from Calderdale (posh name for Halifax) again came across him a few times.
Finally met Geordie Dave and his brother not sure where they were from. At the Dep met Phil Garnett from Bolton and spent a good hour with him before Mr Mike Montier arrived and we spent most of the day in his company which was privilege.
Part 2 to follow.
Thank you for reading
T&C
Mr Dog, we used buses on our recent trip, from Can Picafort terminus we walked upto the main road and then along the road to the entrance of Son Real, a good walk, 30 minutes but along this route last year we had Rollers on the wires. You are only 30 minutes to the hide from the entrance.
From Can Picafort you can catch the 316 to Santa Margalida and this opens up access to the Central Plains but again some good walking needs to be done.
Hope this helps
T&C
