2007 Tour Narrative
In Brief: Our first afternoon on the sun-kissed island of Mallorca set the scene for what proved to be an exciting and bird-filled week. Within an hour and a half we had seen a perched Eleonora’s Falcon, two Black Vultures overhead, several “Balearic” Marmora’s Warblers, and an Audouin’s Gull! I can’t remember a tour ever starting so well, and we even managed finish our scope views of the gull before the heavens opened. The weather was changeable throughout the week, but somehow it never hampered our birding; it always stayed dry for picnics, and on several occasions was responsible for some dramatic birding. Particular highlights included the huge flock of birds behind a distant trawler, appearing like a swarm of insects, that materialized into incredible views of more than 400 Cory’s Shearwaters, with a blackening sky and the island of Cabrera proving a spectacular backdrop. At the same time we saw migrating Black Terns passing at sea along with double figures of the endangered Balearic Shearwater. Equally impressive was the group of 10 Eleonora’s Falcons at the Formentor lighthouse; the scenery here is some of the best on the island, but add in these impressive, long-winged falcons patrolling the coast for arriving migrants and occasionally calling overhead, and it seemed like heaven!
In Detail: The marshes of the Albufereta and S’Albufera provided many herons and egrets including Squaccos, a Great White Egret, and a female Little Bittern. Waterfowl included a few Marbled Ducks and some striking drake Garganey. More specialties came our way in the form of Moustached and Great Reed Warblers, hunting Marsh Harriers, and a great selection of waders from Wood and Curlew Sandpipers to Temminck’s Stint and Kentish Plover. During more overcast weather we managed to see all three species of marsh tern in one flock, with two White-winged Blacks a real treat.
In the south, the saltpans held four Greater Flamingos, while fields allowed the opportunity to compare Thekla and Short-toed Larks. We also connected with Avocet, lots of Black-winged Stilts, and a flighty Hoopoe.
The final afternoon of the trip was one of the best of all. As we watched an impending thunderstorm, Dan picked up a Roller perched on overhead wires. If this wasn’t impressive enough, seeing it with a deep purple sky and bolts of lightning behind really added to the experience. At the same time low-flying groups of swallows and swifts finally gave us a Red-rumped Swallow. We had incredible views of Bee-eaters before and after the rain, sheltering at first and then drying themselves. We also caught up with a couple of Golden Orioles, and a brief large falcon that didn’t hang around was probably a Saker.
A cold day in the mountains was enlivened by fishing Ospreys, close-up Tawny Pipits, a couple of moltoni Subalpine Warblers with their distinctive calls, and best of all a pair of Rock Thrushes, with the male finally giving itself up for prolonged scope views.
There were too many highlights to mention, but we have to note more Black Vultures, Red and Black Kites, daily Booted Eagles, close-up Crag Martins, Peregrines, Turtle Dove, more Hoopoes and Bee-eaters, Pallid Swifts, breeding Tree Sparrows, Firecrests, Scops Owl, Blue Rock Thrush, scores of Spotted Flycatchers, the nominate and the endemic Mallorca races of Woodchat Shrike, a Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstarts, Wrynecks, Stone Curlews, and Cirl Buntings, not to mention the orchids, butterflies, and scenery.
All of the above was made all the more enjoyable by the tasty picnics (I’m not sure I’ve found the perfect sandwich yet, but avocado, cambozola, and serrano ham with a handful of dates comes pretty close!). Each year on Mallorca we’re treated like returning friends, and once again our hosts couldn’t do enough to make our stay enjoyable and entertaining. A week of sheer relaxation and birding!
- James Lidster
Updated: September 2008