Mallorca 2024 (2 Viewers)

[BielBernat]

Hi!

This morning Toni Soler and I went to Sa Barrala, Carretera Es Trenc (Salobrar Campos) and before lunch to Pla de l'Anzell (Villafranca).

At sa Barrala today we had the feling that there were less birds than other days at the place...

The morning was very cold with only 1 degree at Sa Barrala and the best sightings were the group of around 70 Reed Buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus) that are wintering there, 1 Merlin (Falco columbarius) (wich I missed...Toni spot the bird while I was looking group of Linnets (Linaria cannabina)....Linnets are nice but...jaja) and also 1 Red-Throat Pipit (Anthus cervinus) maybe the same bird we found some days ago.

Also a group of at least 10 Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) were at Sa Barrala.

At Carretera Es Trenc the level of water are so high so waders dont find nice spots to feed, but at least 8 species of them were at the place, quite far away...

At Pla de l'Anzell we found the Iberian Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) on the same fig trees as always...

I let you the link of Es Trenc road eBird list below.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S158427702

Congratulations Toni and Dave! This year, I will be at the Big Year Competition, not with all the effort but with the desire to reach 200!
Let's see how the year progresses! At the moment I have 108 species...

Regards


Biel

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Thanks Mike…the Pressure is on!
Left home this afternoon …minus 3C, snow, rain, and no sign of the sun! Arrived in the North of the Island…great weather, blue skies and sunshine.
Managed to persuade management to shop at Lidl so I could visit Maristany.
Some 30 species seen, including 10 Flamingos, Shellducks, Little Grebes,Shoverlers, Crag Martins,Shoverlers, Cetti Warblers., etc. No sign of the Pintail mentioned above, however 2 Marbled Ducks flew in. The escapee Coscoroba Swan was still there.
Great to be back, looking forward to the big year birding contest, and meeting up with old friends and Mike!
Thanks Biel for taking on the Big Year…Pep did a Grand job. Come on birders join in!

 

[Mike Montier]

Just to clarify Mike, Biel is doing the Bigyear with us, subject to numbers.
If he is on 108 he is already racing away.
Pep will still be running it.
The Ring ouzels are still being seen at Randa and as Biel says, the meridionales grey shrike is still at Vilafranca.
Hopefully, this colder weather will bring in some interesting winter birds, like Hawfinch and Brambling.
I have seen less thrushes so far this year too.
We had better get our skates on if we want to break 100 by the end of the month.
See you in the field soon.
Mike

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Thanks Mike for the Clarification..I never listen to you!
Had a great day out with Peter S.
Weather was sunny and warm, despite the red sky warning this morning…perfecto!
We started at the Mirador (Formentor),always optimistic for the Alpine Accentor but with no luck. At least 5 Blue Rock Thrushes were seen as well as distant (Black) Vultures And a Red Kite. Otherwise was very quiet and disappointingly no sign of Balearic Warblers on the road to the Tower.
We headed off to Bocquer Valley, which again was very quiet except for distant views of Ravens and Booted Eagles.
Back to Maristany to search for the recently reported Pintail,which we indeed did find.
Next to S’Albuferata. At least Seven Stone curlews welcomed up, as well as several dozens of Lapwings and Flamingos.
At the Tower we found a single Bluethroat, however was difficult to get a decent photo.
Some 50 species seen or heard in total including Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Great White, Little and Cattle Egrets, Kingfisher, Glossy Ibis, Blackwinged Stilts and so many Chiffchaffs.
A great start to the New Year.
Thanks Peter.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

2 challenges today....possible Whinchat ( but wrong time) and possible Oystercatcher...sorry photos best we have...
Any thoughts??

 

[H Johnsson]

2 challenges today....possible Whinchat ( but wrong time) and possible Oystercatcher...sorry photos best we have...
Any thoughts??

Hi Mike according to me absolutely a Whinchat what else can it be with that supercilium. Agree it´s rare during winter but even up north in Sweden there have been Whinchat during winter approved even with pictures.

The other can be an Oystercatcher but I wouldn´t put my last shilling on that - photo is difficult and for me it is something with head I do not like but you had probably much better feeling when you saw in field.
Anyway interesting

 

[Neville Davies]

Good morning and a Happy New year to you all.
May you enjoy good health and lots of great birding.
January the first is always a special day where it all begins again.
A new year, a new list and hopefully some new birds too.
It’s a dreary old day here today but I will still be down at the beach party, disappearing up the torrent, tick hungry as usual.
Good luck to everyone and I look forward to reading all your news.
With very best wishes,
Mike

Happy (albeit a bit late now) new year Mike. Hoping to be leading a trip for an overseas tour company in May if we get enough clients, but if not, most likely will still be over to catch up with the birds and orchids. My 2nd edition of Birds of Mallorca is still selling well and a number of people have sent me their bird lists which have been great to read. 2 people have reported yellowhammers from the Puerto Pollensa area which is encouraging - my last was in the grounds of the Fergus Hotel (previously the Pollensa Park) back one May morning, I'm wondering if there is a pair that are resident as opposed to wintering only? Good luck with your year list, you did well in 2023, enjoyed the catch up at the pans, looking forward to another get together...

 

[BielBernat]

Hi!
I think the birds of the photos are a female Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) and a Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus). About the Yellow Hammers (Emberiza citrinella), I really doubt there could be any bredding birds at the island while the numbers of migrants and wintering are very low...

Biel Bernat

2 challenges today....possible Whinchat ( but wrong time) and possible Oystercatcher...sorry photos best we have...
Any thoughts??

 

[Neville Davies]

Hi!
I think the birds of the photos are a female Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) and a Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus). About the Yellow Hammers (Emberiza citrinella), I really doubt there could be any bredding birds at the island while the numbers of migrants and wintering are very low...

Biel Bernat

Tend to agree, but over the years I have seen a number of sightings up north, be one to watch to see what happens.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Peter managed to get a nice photo of the Bluethroat at the tower in S'Albuferata
Another question...Have the various subspecies been seen in the island?

 

[H Johnsson]

2 challenges today....possible Whinchat ( but wrong time) and possible Oystercatcher...sorry photos best we have...
Any thoughts??

I have to admit that my focus was too much on white eye line above the eye yesterday evening. A closer look this morning after comments from others I realise grey brown throat which Whinchat not have and also darker brown red breast and belly which is whiter on Whinchat.

I therefore agree with Biel Bernat and Neville Davies it is a Stonechat.

 

[Ian Pollença]

Hi, I've deleted my original post about the Whinchat/Stonechat in light of the comments above. The Chat I saw in December 22 had a very prominent whitish supercilium (much more so than in the photo above). So could I still have seen a Whinchat?

 

[BielBernat]

Hi!
I keep my thought about Stonechat (Not Whinchat) and about the Yellow Hammers.
But I have to correct myself about the posible Oystercatcher. Today taking more time on analysing the photos, I think this could be an Oystercatcher and not a Green Sandpiper as I said!
Well if it’s that, this is a nice observation!
So, as the saying goes, it’s wice to rectify!

Biel Bernat

 

[Josep Manchado]

I agree with Biel, for me the birds are: female Stonechat and Oystercatcher, but if i had to say a "possible" breeder in Mallorca the yellowhammer woudnt be in the first 100 birds i would say, for sure.
Regards

 

[Mike Montier]

I really enjoy reading about identification problems as I always learn something.
It’s not about getting everything right because nobody does.
We are all learning more and more every time which is great.
Bird life is also changing with some species being seen now in winter that were never seen some years ago.
This winter already a Woodchat and Barn swallow so we just never know what will be seen next.
I took a short trip around Sa Barrala after the rain today.
The raptors were just getting up when I had to leave but there were many in the air including Booted eagle, Red kite and Marsh harrier.
I’m going again on Sunday and will walk the whole area.
Mrs Montier is coming too with hot soup and sandwiches so I’m looking forward to it enormously.
Today I saw quite a few year-ticks, a flock of buntings which I think were Reed buntings as seen by Pep and Biel but I hope to confirm on Sunday.
Also, Zitting cisticola, Corn buntings and a few pipits.
3 very distant waders were on the Polo pitch but will remain a mystery.
With more people out in the field now, things are hotting up.
Mike

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Thanks for all comments on possible identifications..sometime cameras turn up challenges for us poor mortals. I will try and get better photos next time.
Today the weather was extremely pleasent and the expected rain never appeared.
We went for an excellent walk in Son Real, however the bird numbers were low.
Several of the ponds were completely dried out, and the one by the hide had so little water.
No sign of Hawfinch, Fieldfare, or special winter species. Main visitors seen or heard from the hide were Robins, Chiffchaffs, House Sparrows, Crossbills, Great tits, Serins and Goldfinches.
Balearic Warblers were heard on Path 4 down to the beach and a few Audouins Gulls were seen.
Possible fly past by Thekla Larks. No Turnstones or Plovers on the beach.

The next few hours are expected to be stormy and hopefully rain will arrive soon.

 

[H Johnsson]

Today I made a short visit at San Jordi close to airport. Small pond on the fields gave 1 Little ringed plover , 2 Dunlin, 1 Stint , 1 Wood sandpiper
In the surronding Starling, 1 Linnet, House sparrow, a lot of Meadow pipit. White wagtail. Pigeon, 2 Stonechat and 1 Kestrel

 

[Maties Rebassa]

Hello! I know I'm a little late, I don't get into this magnificent forum much and I've seen now some interesting issues. Regarding the mysterious photos, I agree that it is a female stonechat, but I do not agree with the oystercatcher. To me it's pretty sure it's not. What exactly it is is difficult with this photo, but not an oystercatcher. Regarding the bluethroats, both the white medal and the orange medal ssp have been seen in Mallorca. And finally about the yellowhammer bunting, the last spring migrants are late, so an observation in early May does not point to nesting. For me this is not one of the species that could colonize Mallorca in the nearest future, for several reasons. Greetings and happy 2024!

 

[H Johnsson]

Please find a photo from yesterdays visit at San Jordi it is not of best quality because I still struggle to understand my camera. If anyone in this group can help me to understand my Sony RX10 IV I would be extremly happy . Cameras from seventies and eighties was much easier

 

[BielBernat]

Hello! I know I'm a little late, I don't get into this magnificent forum much and I've seen now some interesting issues. Regarding the mysterious photos, I agree that it is a female stonechat, but I do not agree with the oystercatcher. To me it's pretty sure it's not. What exactly it is is difficult with this photo, but not an oystercatcher. Regarding the bluethroats, both the white medal and the orange medal ssp have been seen in Mallorca. And finally about the yellowhammer bunting, the last spring migrants are late, so an observation in early May does not point to nesting. For me this is not one of the species that could colonize Mallorca in the nearest future, for several reasons. Greetings and happy 2024!

Identifying birds in photos makes me feel that I have learnt nothing in the 15 years I have been birdwatching...
Photos can be very confusing and I believe that in many cases, even if we try, we cannot get definitive identifications...
So still wondering which bird is it, if not an Oytercatcher, not a Green Sandpiper....maybe a Common Sandpiper (Even it looks like a bigger bird and with a longer bill...?)
I think we'll never know...
I agree with Maties about Yellow Hammers, and he knows more than any of us about the species that are close to nest in Mallorca as he has recently published a paper about that.

Biel Bernat