Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Squacco Heron |
 Purple Heron |
 Spotted Flycatcher |
|
 Night Heron - immature |
 Night Heron |
 unknown |
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Location:
Based in Puerto Pollensa at the Club Pollentia complex. Hotel on the Puerto Pollensa – Alcudia road with Pollensa bay to the front and the Albuferata marsh to the rear. Even has its own bird hide! Whilst we managed to see a total of species our trip to Mallorca was a holiday rather than a non-stop birding marathon. Undoubtedly we could have seen far more but the hotel had an excellent bar and fabulous swimming pool likewise the beach isn’t bad.
Sites visited:
Albuferata – Puerto Pollensa
An excellent site although access can be awkward. Fortunately being based at the Club Pollentia complex we had a slight advantage over other birdwatchers. Several wooden bridges over the ditches suggest access on foot is available around the back of the hotel however by September the route is overgrown and obscured (lack of use). Unfortunately everybody takes Gosney’s guide at face value and no longer seem to bother. We found the Albuferata to be best in early morning, mid-afternoon/evening. Highlights were the Booted Eagle, Marsh Harriers and Osprey overhead. Wryneck in the tamarisk, Olivaceous warblers in the taller reeds, Squacco, Night and Purple Herons in and around the ditches/pools and the spectacular movements across the marsh at dusk. Literally hundreds of Night Herons, Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets etc. flying to their roosts.
Blackbird
Marsh Harrier
Spanish Sparrow
Squacco Heron
Grey Heron
Water rail
Moorhen
Coot
Serin
Little Egret
Great White Egret
Wryneck
Purple Heron
Nightingale
Cettis Warbler
Woodpigeon
Kingfisher
Barn Swallow
Bluethroat
Blackcap
Shag – 1st year desmarestti (between rocks on beachfront in front of hotel at high tide)
Mallard
Purple Galinule
Black Vulture (over radiomast hill early morning)
Little Grebe
Osprey
Spotted Flycatcher (common in Olives)
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Collared Dove
Savi’s Warbler
Fan-tailed Warbler
Olivaceous Warbler
Booted Eagle
Barn Owl (dead at side of road)
Stonechat
C’an Guarassa – Puerto Pollensa
An extensive open area of marshland and scrub to the rear of the C’an Guarassa restaurant on the main Puerto Pollensa – Alcudia road. Although only visited twice we were impressed with this site. Hoopoe was regular especially next to the beehives, Cattle Egret in the sheep fields, Woodchat Shrike on the fenceposts, Serin and huge flocks of Goldfinch everywhere. Although reputedly good for various falcons we could only find Kestrel.
Kestrel
Cattle Egret
Hoopoe
Woodchat Shrike
Stonechat
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Pigeon
Unknown leaf warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Cirl Bunting
S’albufera – Alcudia
A huge area of Phragmites dominated marshland just outside of Alcudia. Although it has the reputation of being one of the best sites within the western Mediterranean we were slightly disappointed and considering what we saw I’m not sure why. Probably because we knew there was a lot we missed. Unfortunately the problem with visiting this site so late on in the year is the fact that the reeds were approx 24ft/8m high. Therefore many of the views down the ditches were just not there and as a result we
had to use the hides. Highlights included a group of 6 Marsh Harriers, watching an Osprey fishing from the Bishop Hide, Black-winged stilts everywhere, Night Herons by the main canal and an unexpected encounter with a Little Bittern whilst walking down a path. If wearing shorts or sandals watch out for ticks!
Marsh Harrier
Coot
Little Egret
Night Heron
Cettis Warbler (very common)
Barn Swallow
Hoopoe
Stonechat
Goldfinch
Little Grebe
Osprey
Little Bittern
Black winged Stilt
Greenshank
Redshank
Snipe
Red-knobbed coot
Pied Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
Boquer Valley – Puerto Pollensa
After a few minor difficulties finding the start of the valley (adjacent to the Oro Playa apartments) again we found this site to be relatively quiet however the spectacular scenery made up for the relative lack of birds. The highlight was undoubtedly watching an Egyptian Vulture being mobbed by a large group of Eleonora’s falcon. A close second was the incredible number of Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts and Stonechats at the base of the valley. Undoubtedly this site would be better in Spring however its definitely worth visiting in late Summer as well. Numerous raptors were seen moving through probably on migration including a Black Kite and an unknown large eagle.
Kestrel
Goldfinch
Eleonora’s falcon
Pied Flycatcher
Greenfinch
Raven
Egyptian Vulture
Black Kite
Redstart
Spotted Flycatcher
Crag Martin
Sardinian Warbler
Stonechat
Red Kite
Barn Swallow
Black Kite
Black Vulture
Black winged Stilt
Blackbird
Blackcap
Bluethroat
Booted Eagle
Cattle Egret
Cettis Warbler
Cirl Bunting
Collared Dove
Coot
Crag Martin
Egyptian Vulture
Eleonora’s falcon
Fan-tailed Warbler
Goldfinch
Great White Egret
Greenfinch
Greenshank
Grey Heron
Hoopoe
Kestrel
Kingfisher
Little Bittern
Little Egret
Little Grebe
Little Ringed Plover
Mallard
Marsh Harrier
Moorhen
Night Heron
Nightingale
Olivaceous Warbler
Osprey
Pied Flycatcher
Pigeon
Purple Galinule
Purple Heron
Raven
Red Kite
Red-knobbed coot
Redshank
Redstart
Ringed Plover
Sardinian Warbler
Savi’s Warbler
Serin
Shag – 1st year desmarestti (between rocks on beachfront in front of hotel at high tide)
Snipe
Spanish Sparrow
Spotted Flycatcher (common in Olives)
Squacco Heron
Stonechat
Unknown eagle
Unknown leaf warbler
Water rail
Woodchat Shrike
Woodpigeon
Wryneck
Barn Owl (dead at side of road)