Mallorca 2025 (2 Viewers)

[Mike Montier]

Happy New Year to all readers, contributors and members of this Birdforum thread.
Thanks to everyone who has been a part of it all. It has been very informative and enormous fun.
Above all, I wish you good health throughout the coming year, lots of great birding and more learning about our amazing and absorbing hobby.
I look forward to seeing many regular visitors again and also meeting new people to share our birding experiences with.
Have a wonderful bird-filled year with lots of wildlife adventures and new experiences.
All the very best
Mike

 

[hughm]

Pouring with rain and strong winds here in Northampton UK and have seen one Wood Pigeon so far in one hour of daylight! Thanks so much for keeping the thread going, Mike, and even though I haven't been to Mallorca for 8 years now I still try and read the forum every day. As I typed this I heard a Blackbird and looked out of the window and saw a Dunnock creeping through a flowerbed. The year list is under way.....

 

[ChrisMc1957]

Happy New Year Mike, hope to visit Mallorca again this year at some point and see if we can hook up again, if you have not already moved out

 

[Alf King]

Happy New Year to you all.

We didn't get to Mallorca in 2024 but will be out there in May this year. Maybe we will bump into some of you during our amateurish bumbling around.

 

[TonyCath]

A Happy New Year to all on the forum.
As usual a big thank you to you Mike for the great forum.
We are due over in May so we could well bump into each other again......
All the best.

 

[Geordie Dave]

Mike, Happy New Year and very best wishes to you and Jane and all contributors and readers of the Forum. I’m back in under a week and look forward to catching up with you and all the other birders throughout the year. Here’s to a great 2025.

 

[Mike Montier]

A couple of year ticks at the beach party.
I resisted going for a swim but it was warm enough.
Looking back at 2024 I see I still didn’t see a flaming Dunnock.
Mike

 

[Pau Castelll]

Happy New Year to everyone! And have a lucky 2025!

Pau

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Happy New Year all you Mallorca Birders..especially Big boy Mike
View attachment VID-20250101-WA0004.mp4

 

[StewB]

Happy New Year Mike, and thanks for all that you do to keep us visitors informed about what’s going on! I’m currently ill and confined to bed, so my year list consists of wood pigeon and blue tit. Hopefully it will have improved before we get to Mallorca in June!

Stew

 

[Mike Montier]

A short visit to the salt pans at Salobrar to kick the new year list off.
It was pretty good with lots of waders around.
120 Greater flamingo, Spotted and common redshank, Ringed plover, Greenshank, Kentish plover, Golden plover, Lapwing, little stint, Dunlin, an Osprey over, Marsh harrier, Red kite, kestrel, Booted eagle and peregrine.
Lots of Shelduck and a big flock of Avocet.
Then off to Colonia Sant Jordi in the slim hope of catching a Razorbill but the sea was big with a strong wind.
A lovely train of 10 Balearic shearwaters went by. I haven’t seen them for a while and after 20 years of watching these little beauties, I have grown very fond of them. They are always in a hurry and they looked magnificent in the sunshine, making easy work of the big waves.
A few Turnstone but nothing else.
Home for tea and the last of the Christmas cake.
Mike

 

[Paul & Margaret]

We stayed in Cala Millor over the Christmas period and took the opportunity to explore the Punta d'amer nature reserve between there and Sa Coma. We were suprised by the number of birds seen despite the number of people out walking. We seem to see Sardinian Warblers in nearly every other bush, along with lots of both Common and Black Redstarts, Stonechats, Flycatchers, Thekla's Lark, Hoopoe, Blackbirds, Robins, Cattle Egrets and various warblers which we could not identify. Apart from the odd Audouin's Gull and YL Gull we saw very few sea birds.

We are returning at the beginning of May staying in the North of the island and hope we may bump into some of the other forum members.

Paul & Margaret

 

[Mike Montier]

The raptor roost at Salobrar is worth a visit with over 20 Marsh harrier coming in to shelter in the reeds.
Two Hen harriers also present.
I was in the area last night just at the right time, so I drove down to Sa Barrala to view. Not the best place but I was ill-equipped to go down the Camino from hotel fontsanta. It’s too muddy.
So I had to be content with single figures of Marsh harrier and one ringtail hen harrier.
There was lots more action too with enormous groups of Common starling, lots of finches and larks and pipits.
It’s a great place to be at dusk, very evocative with many sounds of the marsh.
By the time the raptors come through, it’s too dark for photography but reasonable views can be had.
Lots of shooting going on, pigeons I think.
Next time I will go as far down into the salt pans as possible, it’s a much better vantage point.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Over 40 Marsh harrier came to roost at Salobrar tonight so I was definitely in the wrong place.
I will go again soon, get muddy and probably fall over, but it will be worth it.
Mike

 

[Mike Montier]

Some British birders have arrived and we are having a meet-up at Albufera on Friday which should be a blast. We will go to the depuradora first.
Also, we are going to Maria de La Salut tomorrow morning. We are not expecting too much but there will be lots of year ticks available.
Toni reported one Common crane there so that will help the visitors.
I will report on both outings of course.
Mike

 

[StewB]

For us UK -based members waiting for their next fix..

Hopefully this link will work. Channel 5 on Thursday:

Mallorca on British TV.

Stew

 

[Mike Montier]

Change of plan, in case anyone was going to join us, we are meeting at the depuradora tomorrow now, not Friday.
Mike

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Thanks Mike for the clear plan and instructions!
Back on this lovely Island.
Leaving snow and ice behind for some sunshine and temperatures upto 18C!
After the usual cleanup plus shopping, had half a day birding with Peter S.in S'Albuferata and Maristany.
Some 50 species seen or heard including Green Sandpipers, Black Winged Stilts, Marsh Harriers, Flamingos; Shellducks, etc
Highlights included Black necked grebe at Maristany and a Squacco heron at Albuferata.
Great to be back and looking forward to tomorrow wherever we will go!!!

 

[Geordie Dave]

We’ve had some wintry weather in the last few days in the north east with heavy snow and lows of -9°. It took an hour and a half to dig the car out yesterday afternoon. I left home at midnight last night for the 3 hours drive to a snowy Manchester airport. My early flight was delayed by 90 minutes for de icing. Imagine the pleasure in arriving at Palma just before lunchtime in 19° and bright sunshine. Spent the afternoon dealing with food shopping and some jobs around the house. After some intense negotiations this afternoon 4 of us “Old Gits Birders” have finally agreed on an itinerary for tomorrow. We will meet and the Dep and take it from there. Red kite, kestrel and cattle egret were the highlights in the drive north. The serious stuff starts in the morning!!

 

[Ian Bell]

We’ve had some wintry weather in the last few days in the north east with heavy snow and lows of -9°. It took an hour and a half to dig the car out yesterday afternoon. I left home at midnight last night for the 3 hours drive to a snowy Manchester airport. My early flight was delayed by 90 minutes for de icing. Imagine the pleasure in arriving at Palma just before lunchtime in 19° and bright sunshine. Spent the afternoon dealing with food shopping and some jobs around the house. After some intense negotiations this afternoon 4 of us “Old Gits Birders” have finally agreed on an itinerary for tomorrow. We will meet and the Dep and take it from there. Red kite, kestrel and cattle egret were the highlights in the drive north. The serious stuff starts in the morning!!

Good Luck,Dave.Enjoy