rosbifs
PutAin STOP
Just lost my whole spiel by pressing wrong button anyway this report will be a lot shorter!
We were staying about 5kms from Mahon in a beautiful farmhouse, just at the back of the 4 wind turbines.
The first thing we did on arrival was jump in the pool and cool off after the trip - it's a long drive for us to Barcelona but a cheap and short flight...
I could hear Blackcap, Corn Bunting and Nightingale from me privileged position. Priviledged because I could sit outside with a beer, glass of Rioja and plate of Salmon! Out popped a Woodchat Shrike - great. I even had time to reach for the camera whilst he picked off some insects!
The next morning I snuck off up the track. There were Goldfinches and Corn Buntings everywhere and a nice female Sardinian Warbler. I was suprised because normally these things dissappear into the nearest bush but this one was fairly obliging so I wonder whether the need to feed young was more than her fear of me.
Overhead I got a nice light phase Booted Eagle.
I took my daughter on the short trip up to Cap Favaritx to scan some rocky coast line, thank you Peewit. Picked up a dark phase booty and Red Kite on route as well as an unidentified Pipit.
Whilst a bit unsure of the private sign I took the risk and headed to the lighthouse. A Blue Rock Thrush flew across the road and posed some distance away - I took a poor record shot. At the end two Shags were basking in the sun and two Kentish Plovers pottered about the small inland lagoon. I scanned for some gulls but only saw Yellow Legged. A gull drifted by and I followed with my binos. No Yellow bill - AUDOINS - it flew past at no more than 5 metres wow. Peewit was right they are pretty. I was suprised by the difficulty in picking up the bill at first glance and made a mental note to check all gulls more carefully.
Happy, went back for the rest of the crowd and a trip to the beach. We went to Es Grau. The first bird that flew past was another Audoins Gull. Too easy! One landed not far off and I waded out to get some better pictures. Another overhead.
One thing I did notice was one harrassing a fisherman on the dock with a couple of Yellow Legs. This i was led to believe is not something they do! We peddled past on a pedalo and again got very close views. On the way back from the beach an Egyptian Vulture drifted by a farmhouse just at the entrance to the property and Stonechat rested across the road.
A Red legged Partridge ran up the track in front of the car. A Peregrine flew over the farmhouse as some Kestrels played in the distance. A Hoopoe announced his presence in the garden. What a day.
That night a Scops Owl came to visit. I did catch a glimpse but as always with this bird you hear it more than you see it!
The following day was much of the same pattern. A trip to the beach, a trip out to Favoritx.
Setting off for the airport and again at the end of the track two birds were perched on a dry stone wall. Thekla Larks. Please review the pictures because the bird books are a bit unclear on 'balearic' birds. The bill isn't massively stocky and the crest isn't fanned - however, I was under the impression that Crested didn't exist on the island! Help. In my defence the birds weren't sandy coloured and did have some nice streaks on the breast. My views were cut short by a bus honking because I had stopped on the road.
And that was the hols - gone. A good array of birds and I definately envious of anyone with more time to enjoy the island. I would certainly like to concentrate of some of the warblers - obvioulsy now the target Audoins has been ticked off!!!!
We were staying about 5kms from Mahon in a beautiful farmhouse, just at the back of the 4 wind turbines.
The first thing we did on arrival was jump in the pool and cool off after the trip - it's a long drive for us to Barcelona but a cheap and short flight...
I could hear Blackcap, Corn Bunting and Nightingale from me privileged position. Priviledged because I could sit outside with a beer, glass of Rioja and plate of Salmon! Out popped a Woodchat Shrike - great. I even had time to reach for the camera whilst he picked off some insects!
The next morning I snuck off up the track. There were Goldfinches and Corn Buntings everywhere and a nice female Sardinian Warbler. I was suprised because normally these things dissappear into the nearest bush but this one was fairly obliging so I wonder whether the need to feed young was more than her fear of me.
Overhead I got a nice light phase Booted Eagle.
I took my daughter on the short trip up to Cap Favaritx to scan some rocky coast line, thank you Peewit. Picked up a dark phase booty and Red Kite on route as well as an unidentified Pipit.
Whilst a bit unsure of the private sign I took the risk and headed to the lighthouse. A Blue Rock Thrush flew across the road and posed some distance away - I took a poor record shot. At the end two Shags were basking in the sun and two Kentish Plovers pottered about the small inland lagoon. I scanned for some gulls but only saw Yellow Legged. A gull drifted by and I followed with my binos. No Yellow bill - AUDOINS - it flew past at no more than 5 metres wow. Peewit was right they are pretty. I was suprised by the difficulty in picking up the bill at first glance and made a mental note to check all gulls more carefully.
Happy, went back for the rest of the crowd and a trip to the beach. We went to Es Grau. The first bird that flew past was another Audoins Gull. Too easy! One landed not far off and I waded out to get some better pictures. Another overhead.
One thing I did notice was one harrassing a fisherman on the dock with a couple of Yellow Legs. This i was led to believe is not something they do! We peddled past on a pedalo and again got very close views. On the way back from the beach an Egyptian Vulture drifted by a farmhouse just at the entrance to the property and Stonechat rested across the road.
A Red legged Partridge ran up the track in front of the car. A Peregrine flew over the farmhouse as some Kestrels played in the distance. A Hoopoe announced his presence in the garden. What a day.
That night a Scops Owl came to visit. I did catch a glimpse but as always with this bird you hear it more than you see it!
The following day was much of the same pattern. A trip to the beach, a trip out to Favoritx.
Setting off for the airport and again at the end of the track two birds were perched on a dry stone wall. Thekla Larks. Please review the pictures because the bird books are a bit unclear on 'balearic' birds. The bill isn't massively stocky and the crest isn't fanned - however, I was under the impression that Crested didn't exist on the island! Help. In my defence the birds weren't sandy coloured and did have some nice streaks on the breast. My views were cut short by a bus honking because I had stopped on the road.
And that was the hols - gone. A good array of birds and I definately envious of anyone with more time to enjoy the island. I would certainly like to concentrate of some of the warblers - obvioulsy now the target Audoins has been ticked off!!!!
