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Mallorca (North) May 2000 Trip Report,
Wilton FarrellyA two week family holiday in Northern Mallorca between May 11th and 25th 2000. We were based in a villa 1km west of Pollenca booked through OSL in the UK. Although a family holiday, the proximity of excellent birding sites enabled me to undertake a considerable amount of birding. A car was hired for the full two weeks but only sites in the North and West were birded. The exception was a half day to the Arta mountains. In general it was an excellent holiday, a great country to visit, generally cheap and of course, good birding.
Graham Hearls, A birdwatchers guide to Mallorca is invaluable and definitely the guide for the area. Dave Gosneys guide was also used and is recommended as it contains site specific \ species information and is handy in the field.
The first week was constant sun whilst the second week was a mixture of sun and cloudy mornings with the very occasional light shower. Early mornings were often cold, particularly during the first week.
Since the completion of the Graham Hearl guide, a number of site changes have occurred:
Ternelles Valley The upper parts are now closed with no access.
Cases Velles Now fenced in with no access of the road (the potential of finding birds has been reduced considerably).
SAlbufera For latest hides, see the information point in the park. The Watkinson hide is no longer in the middle of the reeds and some of the reeds in the reserve (mainly around the access road) have been cut back. Cars are no longer allowed into the reserve.
Tucan Marsh Although not visited, visiting birders said that it was no more.
In addition to the area immediately adjacent to the villa, the following sites were visited during the two week period.
Bocquer Valley Access still available. Migrants were seen, particularly at the base e.g. Pied Flycatchers and Willow Warblers.
Postage Stamp Wood, Port de Pollenca Held Redstarts and the odd migrant.
Formentor Lighthouse An hour on the second day produced 29 Honey Buzzard and a Black Kite moving through. The café at the lighthouse is excellent for relaxing with a drink and scanning the hills for migrating raptors!
Cases Velles With viewing now restricted, it would seem to offer only limited opportunities. Did have Crossbill, Song Thrush and Booted Eagle.
Hotel Uyal, Port de Pollenca This was the site that held Scops Owl. The bird was using a vent pipe at roof height to the rear of the Hotel. It was not heard calling but was seen hunting along the roadway and using the vent pipes.
Can Cuarassa This site is to the rear of the Cuarassa restaurant on the Port de Pollenca to Alcudia road, behind Pollenca Bay. It was very good, holding excellent numbers of Yellow Wagtails, a Stone Curlew, Roller and Bee Eaters.
Albufereta Small numbers of waders at the bridge \ river to Pollenca Bay. Best viewed from the mound or the road along the eastern side. No doubt it was once a much better site.
SAlbufera The number one site in the North of the Island. Described well in existing literature. Mid morning produced good numbers of Eleonoras Falcon (50+).
Cuber Resevoir Pleasant birding and good for raptors. Water levels were however extremely low.
Arta Mountains The furthest site away (1 hour). Thekla Lark at the TV aerial (site 4 in Hearls book) and Marmoras Warbler at Betlem. However, one site that was superb was Ermita de Betlem, the church at the end of the road and as described in Hearls book. Held easy Blue Rock Thrush, Firecrest and migrants including a Chiffchaff and Melodious Warbler. I was able to do the TV Aerial, Ermita de Betlem and Colonia de St Pere \ Betlem in one morning with an early start.
K11.1 Birding the mountains for Raptors is difficult due to a lack of access points and vantage points. However, one area that I found to be very good and accessible is at K11.1 on the Pollenca to Lluc road. You can park on the downhill side at K11.1 (or K11). There are then two options:
(i) Where the fence meets the road barrier on the downhill side, you can walk through about 10m onto rocks that give a view down the valley and over to the peaks to the east, or
(ii) The better vantage point is however on the higher rocks on the uphill side of the road. Clambering up onto these produces an amazing vantage point with excellent all round views. Three one hour visits here produced 18 Black Vulture sightings, Booted Eagle, Peregrine and Eleonoras Falcon. If raptor migration was occurring, this higher advantage point could be very productive.
Cala de St Vicenc Go through the village, past the coves up the hill as far as the road takes you. Egyptian Vulture was seen from here.
Little Grebe |
SAlbufera |
Cormorant |
2 juvs at SAlbufereta upto 18th |
Shag |
Common |
Little Bittern |
1, SAlbufera |
Night Heron |
Common, SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Squacco Heron |
1 SAlbufera on 16th & 4 SAlbufera on 19th, |
Cattle Egret |
3+ SAlbufera |
Little Egret |
Common, SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Grey Heron |
1 SAlbufereta and at SAlbufera |
Purple Heron |
Common, SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Greater Flamingo |
1, SAlbufera |
Gadwall |
On canal at SAlbufera |
Teal |
1 drake, SAlbufera on 19th |
Mallard |
SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Garganey |
1, SAlbufereta on 13th |
Red Crested Pochard |
Common, SAlbufera |
Honey Buzzard |
29 through Formentor lighthouse on the 13th |
Black Kite |
1 through Formentor lighthouse on the 13th |
Red Kite |
1 at Cuber on 15th |
Egyptian Vulture |
1 adult at Cala de St. Vicenc |
Black Vulture |
1 Cuber, 2 Lluc, 18 K11.1 |
Marsh Harrier |
Common, SAlbufera & occasionally SAlbufereta |
Booted Eagle |
About 10 different sightings in the mountains and 1 at Cases Velles |
Osprey |
Only 1 sighting, in front of the Bishop hide at SAlbufera |
Kestrel |
Regular |
Eleonoras Falcon |
Seen every day. Mid morning seemed to produce groups of birds together at e.g. Bocquer & SAlbufera. |
Peregrine |
Seen infrequently e.g. at Pollenca and K11.1 |
Red Legged Partridge |
Heard at Bocquer and seen at Emrita de Betlem |
Quail |
Heard at Pollenca |
Pheasant |
Heard at Cuber |
Water Rail |
Heard at SAlbufera |
Moorhen |
Common |
Purple Gallinule |
Common at SAlbufera |
Coot |
Common |
Black-winged Stilt |
Common |
Stone Curlew |
1 bird seen in a field at Cuarassa. (It was reported that a pair bred in the Bocquer) |
Little Ringed Plover |
SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Ringed Plover |
SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Kentish Plover |
SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Little Stint |
SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Curlew Sandpiper |
SAlbufera & SAlbufereta (mainly first week) |
Redshank |
3 at SAlbufereta on 23rd |
Common Sandpiper |
SAlbufereta to 23rd |
Black-headed gull |
A few birds at SAlbufera & SAlbufereta |
Audouins Gull |
Seen along Pollenca Bay \ SAlbufereta |
Yellow Legged Gull |
Common |
Whiskered Tern |
2 / 3 birds at SAlbufera |
Rock Dove \ Feral Pigeon |
Bocquer Valley |
Wood Pigeon |
Common |
Turtle Dove |
SAlbufereta 4 on 19th & 2 on 24th |
Cuckoo |
1 heard at Cuber |
Scops Owl |
1 at Hotel Uyal, Port de Pollenca |
Common Swift |
Very common |
Bee-eater |
20 at Lluc on 15th, 15 at Cuarassa on 23rd and breeding at SAlbufera |
Roller |
2 birds. 1 at Cuarassa on the 14th and 1 on Nightingale road on the 19th |
Hoopoe |
Common |
Wryneck |
Breeding in the pines at the base of the Bocquer valley |
Short-toed lark |
SAlbufera |
Thekla Lark |
1 bird on track beside TV aerial \ small resevoir on way to Ermita de Betlem (as accurately described in Hearls book) |
Crag Martin |
Seen around mountains, breeds on Cuber Dam |
Swallow |
Common |
House Martin |
Common |
Tawny Pipit |
Cuber and Arta Mountains |
Yellow Wagtail |
Common at various wet locations. Canassa held numerous birds on the 13th including 1 Feldegg. |
Wren |
Mountain areas only |
Nightingale |
Common (but only one seen) |
Common Redstart |
2 birds in Postage Stamp Wood on the 14th |
Whinchat |
Bocquer and Pollenca on 12th \ 13th |
Stonechat |
Common |
Wheatear |
1, Pollenca, 12th May |
Rock Thrush |
1 male at the Quarry at Cuber |
Blue Rock Thrush |
Birds seen in the mountain regions, around villa, monastery at Pollenca and Ermitta de Betlem |
Blackbird |
Common |
Song Thrush |
1 at Cases Velles on the 13th |
Cettis Warbler |
Common |
Fan tailed warbler |
Common |
Moustached warbler |
Heard only at SAlbufera (There is no longer a hide in the middle of the reeds and the reeds have been cut back around some of the tracks) |
Reed Warbler |
SAlbufera |
Great Reed Warbler |
SAlbufera (easy to see) |
Melodious Warbler |
1, Ermtta de Betlem, 21st |
Marmoras Warbler |
2 birds seen (others heard) at Arta Piere St Colom on 21st. |
Spectacled Warbler |
Heard at Cuber only |
Sardinian Warbler |
Very common |
Garden Warbler |
1, 12th May Pollenca, 1 Ternelles Road 23rd May |
Blackcap |
Common |
Wood Warbler |
Bocquer valley, 1 on 13th |
Chiffchaff |
1, Ermitta de Betlem, 21st May |
Willow Warbler |
2, Bocquer Valley on 12th |
Firecrest |
Surprisingly hard to see. However birds in the gardens at Ermita de Betlem provided excellent views |
Spotted Flycatcher |
Very common |
Pied Flycatcher |
2, at Bocquer valley on 12th & 13th |
Blue Tit |
Seen in mountains \ Lluc |
Great Tit |
Common |
Woodchat Shrike |
Common |
Raven |
Common in the mountains |
House Sparrow |
Very common |
Chaffinch |
Common in the mountains |
Serin |
Very common |
Greenfinch |
Common |
Goldfinch |
Very common |
Linnet |
Common |
Crossbill |
Birds seen around Formentor, Cases Velles & Ermita de Betlem |
Cirl Bunting |
Common in suitable habitat e.g. Bocquer & Arta Mountains |
Reed Bunting |
A few birds seen in SAlbufera |
Corn Bunting |
Common |
Total species count: 105
Wilton Farrelly
33 Old Dundonald Road
Belfast
BT16 2EQ
E mail: wilton.farrelly@jarvis-uk.com June 2000
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