MALLORCA

Our inaugural Mallorca tour 25TH April – 2ND May was another huge success. The house party style that we chose for this tour gave us the freedom to really explore at a pace to suit ourselves and had the advantage of having many wanted species within the grounds of our amazing villa. DAYS ONE & TWO saw species such as Sardinian Warbler, Eurasian Serin, Cirl Bunting, Balearic Warbler, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Woodchat Shrike, Stone Curlew, Firecrest, Wood Warbler, Black Redstart, European Bee-eater, European Scops Owl and Yellow Wagtail get our trip off to a flying start. DAY THREE saw us at the amazing S’Albufera Marshes where a stunning array of birds were seen. Moustached, Cetti’s and Great Reed Warblers gave superb views as they sand from reed tops, Marsh Harriers, Red Crested Pochard and Purple Heron were seen in good numbers, while Black-crowned Night Heron, Common Nightingale , Kentish Plover, Common Greenshank, Black-winged Stilts and Little Ringed Plovers were also well represented. However, it was the scarcer species that really made the day as we notched up four adult Audouin’s Gulls, Squacco Heron, a Temminck’s and four stunningly marked breeding plumaged Little Stints, breeding plumaged Curlew Sandpipers, two Wood Sandpiper, a couple of Stone Curlew, a Northern Goshawk and a dark phase Eleonora’s Falcon that were both mobbing a Golden Eagle low overhead, two Purple Swamp Hens, four Red-knobbed Coot and most unexpectedly a Short-eared Owl that gave scope filling views as on rested on a marshy bank – superb! On DAY FOUR we ventured into the mountains and were rewarded with good numbers of both Griffon and Black Vultures soaring overhead along with a Peregrine and large numbers of Yellow-legged Gulls. A pair of Woodchat Shrikes put on a fine display as did a couple of Tawny Pipit, but a pair of Greater Short-toed Lark and a male Subalpine Warbler were far more elusive. Migrants were in a short supply, but quality made up for the lack of quantity as a Wryneck gave superb views a it called form the branch of a pine tree and a couple of male Common Redstart also showed exceptionally well. A pair of Firecrest were also noted along with Booted Eagles. DAY FIVE saw us get superb views of displaying male and a pair of Balearic Warbler, as well as Spectacled Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Common Nightingale, Eleonora’s Falcon and migrants such as Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart and Willow Warblers. DAY SIX produced more superb birds on the hottest day of the trip. Waders were much in evidence as we made our way to the south of the island and the Salt Pans. Grey Plover, Dunlin and Spotted Redshank were noted in breeding dress, while five Collared Pratincole hawked insects and rested at very close range. Five Greater Flamingo, Pied Avocet and Water Rail were also noted, along with our first Crested Lark and Gull-billed and Little Terns. Turtle Doves and Common Hoopoe were noted in several places, while a sea watch off Cap dos Selines produced some superb views of Cory’s and Balearic Shearwaters and large numbers of European Shag and a few Audouin’s Gull. We rounded off the day at the very picturesque site of Porto Colom, where we enjoyed excellent views of Pallid and Common Swift side by side as they fed over the clear blue seas. On DAY SEVEN heavy rain persisted throughout the morning and meant a trip into the mountains near Arta was abandoned. Instead, we had a quick look at Boquer Valley, where two Western Bonelli’s Warblers were new for the tour and where another cracking male Pied Flycatcher was present. We drove to Albufera Pools and Sewage Works and were rewarded with a pair of Marbled Teal resting on a bank and two Red-rumped Swallows and a Pallid Swift among a huge cloud of hirundines and Common Swifts. Other notable species here were Spotted Redshank, six European Bee-eater, Red Crested Pochard, Little Ringed Plover, Purple Heron and our first Common Pochard of the tour. Thankfully, the rain stopped mid afternoon and a walk around the grounds of the villa produced more Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Stone Curlew, Woodchat Shrikes and Common Redstart. DAY EIGHT was our final morning and a walk around the grounds saw a couple of Booted Eagles and an Osprey over and a Tree Pipit to round off an excellent tour. We will be returning next year 24TH APRIL – 1ST MAY 2010 and if you would like to join us, please register your interest early as places are already limited.