Birding in Mallorca, October 2014

We flew out to Mallorca on the 29th September arriving in Palma where we stayed for four days. We didn’t do any birding there but some friends drove us north from Palma over the mountains and down to Port de Pollenca and during this drive we had great sightings of Black Vultures (Aegypius monachus) in the vicinity of Lluc Monastery high in the mountains. This is apparently the hot spot for this species.
Our hotel in Port de Pollenca was the Hoposa Uyal Hotel. which had the advantage of being only a couple of miles from S’Alufereta nature reserve which was our first birding opportunity there.

S’Albufereta nature reserve 4th October 2014

A couple of kilometres walking down the road led us to entrance to the reserve where we had our first meeting with the local warbler, the Sardinian Warbler. A short walk down the path brought us to a couple of blinds overlooking some small lakes. Here there were a couple of Common Sandpipers and a few Snipe. A Kingfisher and a pair of Little Egrets added more interest but probably the best bird of the day was a Hoopoe perched on a fence in the middle of some farmland.
S’Albufera nature reserve 6th October 2014
The much bigger companion site to S’Albufereta is the Parc National S’Albefura further along the coast just past Alcudia. Getting here was easy as a result of the very good bus service. The number 352 goes down the coast From Port de Pollensa to Playa Dorada every fifteen minutes. The only confusion was about which was the best stop to get off. The site is so large that there are many entrances to different parts. We, however, wanted to visit the visitor centre so our correct bus stop was “Parc Natural”. It is a kilometre walk down a path that runs parallel with a canal that runs out to the sea before you reach the visitor centre but due to cutbacks there isn’t really anything there anymore except a couple of drinks machines and some toilets. The cafe and the shop are no longer open.
At the visitor centre we got a site map and we decided that we would do some of the shorter paths. Our first walk took us over a bridge over the canal where we spotted out first Red-knobbed Coots. We turned right after the bridge and walked down to the first of the two hides down the track. We settled in at the hide and on the wetland in front of us was a splendid collection of birds including Black-winged Stilts and Red, Spotted Red and Green shanks. There was also Green and Wood Sandpipers and plenty of Wheatear. A Marsh Harrier put in an appearance as did a Great White Egret.
We stayed there quite some time before moving on the next hide which was more or less the same body of water from a slightly different angle. Turning back up the track we walked along another path leading slightly up hill to a viewing platform where we could see a number of Purple Gallinules (or Swamphen). We walked down the path to get a better view of this patch of scrape and we came across another hide where we got better views of these birds as well as nice views of Kentish Plovers. Moving along a bit more to another hide I realized that we had heard reference to this hide earlier when a birder was referring to seeing Stone Curlews. Hopeful, I looked out onto some dry, stony ground to the left of the hide and there they were – all twelve of them. I was amazed to see most of them up and striding around like it was rush hour. Sure enough, ten minutes later they were all hunkered down again almost impossible to discern. What a treat !
CLICK HERE FOR MAP OF ROUTE FROM PORT DE POLLENSA TO S’ALBEFURA

Boquer Valley 7th October 2014

One of the recommended walks in the book, “A Birding Tourist’s Guide to Majorca” by Maties Rebassa et al, was the walk from Port de Pollensa to Cala Boquer through the Boquer Valler. This is reached from a roundabout on the by-pass to Formentor on the outskirts of Port de Pollensa. From the roundabout you take a dirt track uphill and through two gates belonging to a rather run-down looking mansion. It is, in fact, occupied so you have to pass quickly through. Once you have done this you start climbing up a stony path into the valley where you are surrounded by mountains and the track runs through scrub land to the other side of the peninsula. this means that you go from coast to coast on the walk even though it is only a few miles. The drop down to the beach at Cala Boquer is perhaps worth doing once but I wouldn’t dream of doing it again. It is, in fact, the walk through the valley that is the great attraction and the chance to see some great birds.

Although autumn is nowhere near as good as spring, there were still birds to be see. We started off with a Booted Eagle and a Black Vulture or two although I have to say we needed help from other birders in identifying them. There were lots of small birds flitting around but they were next to impossible to latch on to. Our best chances were with the Sardinian Warblers that were plentiful but apparently there were Redstarts and Spotted Flycatchers around. At the far end of the valley we also spotted a pair of Eleonora’s Falcons.

One of the birds I had really wanted to see that are supposedly present in this valley was Blue Rock Thrush but I had to wait until I returned to the valley on another date before I could add this and Raven to our list.

Other Sightings

Apart from my return to the Boquer Valley on the 10th I only had one more day out and that was a morning trip only back to S’Albefura where I spent at least an hour watching and taking photos of an Osprey as it perched on a fallen tree just a hundred yards in front of the hide.

In general I think we might have been expecting more from Mallorca but clearly spring is the time to go and this is well worth considering – just remember the insect repellant !!!

CLICK HERE FOR MAP OF ROUTE FROM PORT DE POLLENSA TO BOQUER VALLEY

Bird Sightings : Lluc Monastery

Species	Count
Black Vulture	4
Common Buzzard	2
Spanish Sparrow	8

Bird Sightings : S’Albufereta

Species	Count
Little Egret	2
Common Buzzard	1
Common Sandpiper	2
Common Snipe	4
Common Wood Pigeon	4
Common Kingfisher	1
Hoopoe	1
Great Tit	1
Sardinian Warbler	2
Common Stonechat	1
Eurasian Blackbird	1
Reed Bunting	1
European Goldfinch	12

Bird Sightings : Port de Pollensa

Species	Count
Mediterranean Gull	4
White Wagtail	1
Spanish Sparrow	40

Bird Sightings : S’Albefura

Species	Count
Gadwall	8
Mallard	20
Northern Shoveler	20
Common Teal	50
Great Egret	1
Little Egret	4
Eurasian Marsh Harrier	1
Purple Swamphen	6
Eurasian Common Moorhen	4
Red-knobbed Coot	4
Common Coot	20
Eurasian Stone Curlew	12
Kentish Plover	10
Black-winged Stilt	2
Green Sandpiper	1
Spotted Redshank	2
Common Greenshank	8
Wood Sandpiper	1
Common Redshank	8
Yellow-legged Gull	1
Common Wood Pigeon	8
Sardinian Warbler	2
Common Stonechat	1
Northern Wheatear	8
Meadow Pipit	2
European Goldfinch	12

Bird Sightings : Boquer Valley

Species	Count
Black Vulture	2
Booted Eagle	1
Eleonora’s Falcon	2
Sardinian Warbler	6
European Robin	1
Blue Rock Thrush	1
Raven	1

Bird Sightings : S’Albefura

Species	Count
Mallard	20
Common Teal	30
Great Egret	1
Little Egret	4
Osprey	1
Purple Swamphen	4
Red-knobbed Coot	3
Common Coot	20
Eurasian Stone Curlew	4
Kentish Plover	4
Spotted Redshank	2
Common Greenshank	4
Sardinian Warbler	6
European Goldfinch	10

Birding in Mallorca, October 2014