Mallorca 2025 (3 Viewers)

[Geordie Dave]

A rather frustrating last week with birding opportunities having to be fired in between showers, heavy and sometimes torrential rain and storms. It was so bad earlier in the week I had to take Wor Lass shopping at The Fan Centre, something I’ve managed to avoid this last 6 years. The last couple of days have been much better, brightened by Kevin H arriving for a few days, Mike S arrived today and with Peter S resident here 4 of the Old Gits get to go birding tomorrow. More of that later hopefully. I’ve made several visits to Can Cuarassa and the Llenaire back roads and managed a single roller at each plus another in Gotmar on Wednesday. I’ve had Scops owl calling in Gotmar several times. At Albufera yesterday water levels were too high for small waders but we were treated to close ups of Squacco heron and the ever obliging male little bittern in its favoured spot by the canal. We heard great reed warbler singing and finally caught up with a nightingale. This morning we spent a fabulous couple of hours walking the lanes around Maria de la Salut, but not before a coffee shop at the sports centre. The skies were full with a collection of red kites, booted eagles, marsh harriers and kestrels. We managed to find one make lesser kestrel. A small falcon attracted our interest and we instinctively knew what it wasn’t but couldn’t positively ID it and decide what it actually was; torn between hobby and who knows what!! We moved on to the plains at Villafranca finding thekla lark, short toed lark and dozens of corn buntings. A quail sang right in front of us, as close as 10 yards away and we listened for 20 minutes or more but never managed to see it. A few yellow wagtails showed really well and there were several kestrels around. The star of the show then appeared and we watched a grey falcon with a red rump hunting very low over the ground then climbing slightly and catching insects in its feet before feeding itself in flight; a stunning male red footed falcon! It stayed close by, always on the move and proving difficult to photograph. In all we enjoyed its company for 15-20 minutes before it moved away still hunting. I’ve said it many times before but you’re only ever 1 bird away from a special day out and this was it. Our final stop was at the horse paddocks by the Son Bosc where we caught up with a single bee eater but heard others calling in flight. It was now time to retire to the bar for a well earned pint. What a day.

 

[James Lowther]

At Albufera yesterday water levels were too high for small waders but we were treated to close ups of Squacco heron and the ever obliging male little bittern in its favoured spot by the canal. .

Hi Dave,
I’m coming to Mallorca next week, would love to get nice views of little bittern - where exactly is this favoured spot?
Cheers
James

 

[Geordie Dave]

Hi Dave,
I’m coming to Mallorca next week, would love to get nice views of little bittern - where exactly is this favoured spot?
Cheers
James

James from the information centre cross the main canal heading towards Columbars. 20-30 yards after the main bridge there is a second, much narrower, canal running parallel. On the far left hand side of this second canal there are often horses grazing. Tight up to the bridge there is a sluice gate with a wet area just beyond it. The little bittern are in the reeds on the corner here. With a little patience and quiet waiting one regularly steps out onto the dead reeds and grasses in the water, very close to you. On Wednesday we had both male and female together, earlier in the week a male and in March we had a male standing out in the open for more than 10 minutes. Good luck.

 

[James Lowther]

James from the information centre cross the main canal heading towards Columbars. 20-30 yards after the main bridge there is a second, much narrower, canal running parallel. On the far left hand side of this second canal there are often horses grazing. Tight up to the bridge there is a sluice gate with a wet area just beyond it. The little bittern are in the reeds on the corner here. With a little patience and quiet waiting one regularly steps out onto the dead reeds and grasses in the water, very close to you. On Wednesday we had both male and female together, earlier in the week a male and in March we had a male standing out in the open for more than 10 minutes. Good luck.

Great thank you Dave

 

[Mcnswiss2]

I posted this a few days ago and failed to notice the poor dragonfly ( Black tailed Skimmer) that became lunch!!

 

[Geordie Dave]

on Friday Mike S and Peter S were allowed out to play and were keen to retrace the route Kevin and I had taken the day before. So it was that the 4 of us began the morning at the sports bar at Maria de la Salut. We spent the next couple of hours wandering the lanes seeing several kestrels without any positive Lesser ID. As always there were numerous red kites in the air and we also had 1 each of black and griffon vultures. There were both dark and pale morph booted eagles and a dozen or more marsh harriers. Best of all were 3 small, dark falcons hunting above which we identified as Hobby. We moved on to the plains at Villafranca hoping to find the previous days red footed falcon. Despite several views of a distant, hunting dark falcon we couldn’t be sure what we were looking at. We had short toed lark on the road next to us and quail were constantly calling. At one point we had 3 separate calling birds very close by. Next stop was at the horse paddocks at Son Bosc where we immediately heard then saw up to 20 bee eaters in flight. We eventually located 10-12 in a field along the lane both in a tree together and hawking for insects. A great sight. The Depuradora itself was extremely quiet with 12 cattle egret the only birds of note. After leaving Kevin we called in at the Orange Bridge on the way home and were delighted to see a male little bittern fly close past us along the canal. Our final birding stop was at Maristany where we found 6-8 common swifts unable to see any pallid among them. It was now 5.30pm and time for a beer at Aries. I fly back to Newcastle this afternoon after a 3 weeks stay. Thank you for an entertaining day out as always.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Thanks Davey for a great day out plus the good report...he is a natural!
After the excitement of yesterday stayed locally as the roads will be closed because of Marathon races..if it's not the Iron-man, Cycling events etc it's marathon events. Should be a Birding Event!
Short Visits to La Gola, Llenaire and Bocquer Valley. As others reported rather quiet on the numbers of birds.
No sign of the Rollers, Bee eaters or Blue Rock Thrushes.
Some 30 species seen or heard including Wryneck, Reed Warber ( surprised finding at Bocquer Valley Enterance), Shag, Audouins Gulls, Booted Eagles, Black and Griffon Vultures, etc.


And a nice visitor..Pine Borer

 

[Mike Montier]

Thanks David for all your posts and photos.
Safe trip home.
I’m not so interested in lists of birds alone. I like to hear about the birds, but also the craic.
Maria is my favourite place at the best time of the year so I was there in spirit.
I have to say though, it is extremely painful not to be there with you.
I miss Mallorca terribly.
Mike

 

[AndrewF123]

Did s’Albufura yesterday and after some searching eventually found one Red Knobbed Coot, 2 Purple Gallinules and a Squacco Heron. Need to go back for the Little Bittern. Boquer today for Rock Thrush and Crag Martin and got both plus a couple of Black Vultures. The Blue Rock Thrush are nesting in the big rocks and can be easily seen through the gap on the left hand side where they wait on the rocks before flying high left to the nest.