I recently returned from a 14 day birding/family holiday in Puerta Pollensa, Mallorca. This was my first visit to this Balearic Island and didn't know what to expect. I had read that it was good for passage migrants especially in the north of the island which is where I was staying, next to the Bocquer Valley. I was too late for the main part of the spring migration and came in at the tail end. During my stay I visited the Bocquer Valley, Albufera, Albufereta, Son Bosc and Depuradora, Cuber Reservoir, Cap Formentor, country lanes and seafront around Puerta Pollensa several times during my holiday.
The Albufera is a fantastic nature reserve, a wildlife jewel of wetland marsh at the edge of the popular holiday resort of Alcudia, where I saw many species of birds that I had not seen before, including RED KNOBBED COOT, ZITTING CISTICOLA, STONE CURLEW, COLLARED PRATINCOLE, GOLDEN EAGLE, GREAT REED WARBLER, MARBLED DUCK, TAWNY PIPIT, PURPLE HERON, PURPLE GALLINULE, MOUSTACHED WARBLER, WOODCHAT SHRIKE, THEKLA LARK, LITTLE BITTERN and SQUACCO HERON.
At the Bocquer Valley my only sighting of a BALEARIC WARBLER was just as I was giving up ever seeing one, a male bird suddenly showed itself a few yards from me creeping along the ground next to a bush and didn't seem to mind my close presence. Also seen were BLUE ROCK THRUSH, CRAG MARTIN and CIRL BUNTING.
For my trips to the Cuber Reservoir, I had to drive along mountain roads with numerous hair pin bends, as the reservoir is roughly in the middle of the Tramuntana mountain range with breathtaking views , but is probably the best place on the island to see GRIFFON and BLACK VULTURE which I managed to see along with a BOOTED EAGLE. At Cap Formentor there is a lighthouse on top of a high rock, again reached by a steep inclined road with lots more hair pin bends where you can look down over the sea. Looking 200 yards out to sea was a large raft of mainly Cory's Shearwater which I have seen before, but in amonst them were several BALEARIC SHEARWATER that I have not seen previously. This is also a very good spot for ELEANORAS FALCON and 3 were in attendance putting on their amazing aerobatic display.
The Son Bosc and Depuradora trips were to see one of my favourite birds, the EUROPEAN BEE-EATER. This vibrantly coloured and exotic looking bird never fails to excite me, whenever I'm lucky enough to see one. There were five in the area and I had the good fortune to watch one as it started to excavate a nest burrow in a low sandy bank. There were lots of CORN BUNTING which were sat on top of a wire fence next to a corn field in full song.
One bird which I was desperate to see which frequented the Puerta Pollensa seafront was AUDOUIN'S GULL and I wasn't disappointed. I managed to get quite close to them on the beach after the sunbathers had left in the evening and very handsome birds they are.
During the course of the holiday I was amazed to see so many Spotted Flycatchers, they were everywhere, closely followed in numbers by Cetti's Warbler and Nightingale.
I had a great time birding most mornings on this very green, pretty island and hopefully will return in the not too distant future.
The Albufera is a fantastic nature reserve, a wildlife jewel of wetland marsh at the edge of the popular holiday resort of Alcudia, where I saw many species of birds that I had not seen before, including RED KNOBBED COOT, ZITTING CISTICOLA, STONE CURLEW, COLLARED PRATINCOLE, GOLDEN EAGLE, GREAT REED WARBLER, MARBLED DUCK, TAWNY PIPIT, PURPLE HERON, PURPLE GALLINULE, MOUSTACHED WARBLER, WOODCHAT SHRIKE, THEKLA LARK, LITTLE BITTERN and SQUACCO HERON.
At the Bocquer Valley my only sighting of a BALEARIC WARBLER was just as I was giving up ever seeing one, a male bird suddenly showed itself a few yards from me creeping along the ground next to a bush and didn't seem to mind my close presence. Also seen were BLUE ROCK THRUSH, CRAG MARTIN and CIRL BUNTING.
For my trips to the Cuber Reservoir, I had to drive along mountain roads with numerous hair pin bends, as the reservoir is roughly in the middle of the Tramuntana mountain range with breathtaking views , but is probably the best place on the island to see GRIFFON and BLACK VULTURE which I managed to see along with a BOOTED EAGLE. At Cap Formentor there is a lighthouse on top of a high rock, again reached by a steep inclined road with lots more hair pin bends where you can look down over the sea. Looking 200 yards out to sea was a large raft of mainly Cory's Shearwater which I have seen before, but in amonst them were several BALEARIC SHEARWATER that I have not seen previously. This is also a very good spot for ELEANORAS FALCON and 3 were in attendance putting on their amazing aerobatic display.
The Son Bosc and Depuradora trips were to see one of my favourite birds, the EUROPEAN BEE-EATER. This vibrantly coloured and exotic looking bird never fails to excite me, whenever I'm lucky enough to see one. There were five in the area and I had the good fortune to watch one as it started to excavate a nest burrow in a low sandy bank. There were lots of CORN BUNTING which were sat on top of a wire fence next to a corn field in full song.
One bird which I was desperate to see which frequented the Puerta Pollensa seafront was AUDOUIN'S GULL and I wasn't disappointed. I managed to get quite close to them on the beach after the sunbathers had left in the evening and very handsome birds they are.
During the course of the holiday I was amazed to see so many Spotted Flycatchers, they were everywhere, closely followed in numbers by Cetti's Warbler and Nightingale.
I had a great time birding most mornings on this very green, pretty island and hopefully will return in the not too distant future.
RSS Feed
