Hi All
This 'mini' trip report will hopefully be of interest to anyone planning a trip to Menorca next September, especially if Cala Galdana (CG) is your chosen resort. As my wife is a non-birder, staying at the Audax Hotel provided me with the chance of early morning or late afternoon walks into the nearby Algendar Gorge (AG) safe in the knowledge that CG is so self-contained she would always have plenty to see and do.
Being there from 7 to 16 September provided me with the chance for around 10 walks into the gorge, which is easily reached by walking up the side of the river which enters the CG cove right in front of the Audax. Initially this is along a very pleasant boardwalk in front of the shopping area and neighbouring bars, but as you leave these behind, a small run of flats and apartments ends next to a small turning circle, marking the end of the resort. Locked, double gates seemingly block your path into the gorge proper, but a neatly constructed mini-style to the right of them enables you to hop over the adjoining wall. The gates are very much to keep animals in (horse, goats etc) and unwanted vehicles out ... the landowner being happy for you to do this but NOT if you are in a big group I understand. The right hand track is then the one to take and not the concrete drive that leads up to a nearby property I understand. You are now in the gorge proper.
On my very first walk early on the first morning, two BOOTED EAGLE were over the marshy area opposite that turning circle and I saw this species virtually every day, soaring over the gorge or perched in trees at the top of it's 'cliff-faces'. Along the track into the gorge, I was soon inadvertently spooking an unseen HOOPOE, again a species seen on at least six occasions ... two or probably three birds feeding alongside the track in the rough ground providing excellent ant sources... ant 'pathways' across the track late afternoon being a speciality all holiday ! SARDINIAN WARBLER were seen in singles darting in and around the low dense hedges to the right of this rough ground and on one occasion a nice male WOODCHAT SHRIKE stayed for a few seconds on top of one particular hedge and on another, a female was near those entrance gates.
I was warned by our tour rep (who leads various walks in the area) that the EGYPTIAN VULTURES had all migrated south. That was not the case and I and other birders I met saw a number during all the time we were there, again either soaring overhead like the eagles or perched on the edge of the highest part of the gorge around 500 to 1000 metres into the gorge. BLUE ROCK THRUSH were found further still into the gorge, mainly on the left-hand vertical face of the gorge well beyond another locked gate (once again a handy stone style has been set into the wall alongside the gates). And finally, in terms of the 'best' birds seen, and a real stunner for me, a lovely SCOPS OWL flew towards in the dark at 10.25 one evening, just past the turning-circle and went hunting over the marsh to the right. incredibly it flew back past me two or three minutes later, looking directly at me in the gloom of the last streetlight. Wow ! The following evening a took a non-birder (staying at the Audax with his wife) along with me and we saw two owls flying across the left-hand cliff-face, again just near that turning-circle.
Great holiday ... great resort (we stayed there nearly 30 years ago when our children were quite young) ... great weather - around 30 celcius most days ... and super birding !
If you go ... Enjoy !!!
Cheers
Andy R.
This 'mini' trip report will hopefully be of interest to anyone planning a trip to Menorca next September, especially if Cala Galdana (CG) is your chosen resort. As my wife is a non-birder, staying at the Audax Hotel provided me with the chance of early morning or late afternoon walks into the nearby Algendar Gorge (AG) safe in the knowledge that CG is so self-contained she would always have plenty to see and do.
Being there from 7 to 16 September provided me with the chance for around 10 walks into the gorge, which is easily reached by walking up the side of the river which enters the CG cove right in front of the Audax. Initially this is along a very pleasant boardwalk in front of the shopping area and neighbouring bars, but as you leave these behind, a small run of flats and apartments ends next to a small turning circle, marking the end of the resort. Locked, double gates seemingly block your path into the gorge proper, but a neatly constructed mini-style to the right of them enables you to hop over the adjoining wall. The gates are very much to keep animals in (horse, goats etc) and unwanted vehicles out ... the landowner being happy for you to do this but NOT if you are in a big group I understand. The right hand track is then the one to take and not the concrete drive that leads up to a nearby property I understand. You are now in the gorge proper.
On my very first walk early on the first morning, two BOOTED EAGLE were over the marshy area opposite that turning circle and I saw this species virtually every day, soaring over the gorge or perched in trees at the top of it's 'cliff-faces'. Along the track into the gorge, I was soon inadvertently spooking an unseen HOOPOE, again a species seen on at least six occasions ... two or probably three birds feeding alongside the track in the rough ground providing excellent ant sources... ant 'pathways' across the track late afternoon being a speciality all holiday ! SARDINIAN WARBLER were seen in singles darting in and around the low dense hedges to the right of this rough ground and on one occasion a nice male WOODCHAT SHRIKE stayed for a few seconds on top of one particular hedge and on another, a female was near those entrance gates.
I was warned by our tour rep (who leads various walks in the area) that the EGYPTIAN VULTURES had all migrated south. That was not the case and I and other birders I met saw a number during all the time we were there, again either soaring overhead like the eagles or perched on the edge of the highest part of the gorge around 500 to 1000 metres into the gorge. BLUE ROCK THRUSH were found further still into the gorge, mainly on the left-hand vertical face of the gorge well beyond another locked gate (once again a handy stone style has been set into the wall alongside the gates). And finally, in terms of the 'best' birds seen, and a real stunner for me, a lovely SCOPS OWL flew towards in the dark at 10.25 one evening, just past the turning-circle and went hunting over the marsh to the right. incredibly it flew back past me two or three minutes later, looking directly at me in the gloom of the last streetlight. Wow ! The following evening a took a non-birder (staying at the Audax with his wife) along with me and we saw two owls flying across the left-hand cliff-face, again just near that turning-circle.
Great holiday ... great resort (we stayed there nearly 30 years ago when our children were quite young) ... great weather - around 30 celcius most days ... and super birding !
If you go ... Enjoy !!!
Cheers
Andy R.
