24th February: Day One:
After a trouble free pre-dawn flight out of Gatwick (although
closing the M23-M25 junction with no warning was inconsiderate) we touched down
in Palma at a little after 9am and were soon on the road out of the city,
heading north to our villa, Ca Ne Neus, a little south of Pollenca.
It took no time at all and we were accompanied along the
main road by Red Kites with 14 seen along with a few verge loving Cattle
Egrets.
Our little villa was superb and set in small field farmland
with a mosaic of grazing, fallow, citrus and olive groves. We decanted and put
the kettle on while checking out the garden inhabitants. A pair of Thekla Larks
chatted to each other from the fence line with little snatches of melodic song
while Corn Buntings dropped in to join the Meadow Pipits foraging beneath the
Olives with White Wagtails, House Sparrows, Serins, Greenfinches, Chaffinches
and Goldfinches. A Stonechat sung from the roof and Sardinian Warblers scolded
each other and us from the bushes.
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| Thekla Lark |
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| Thekla Lark |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Ca Ne Neus |
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| There is always an Egyptian Grasshopper... |
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Little flocks of spotty Starlings whizzed through and
Blackbirds and Black Redstarts were also seen while a pair of Booted Eagles
soared not too far above.
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| pale Booted Eagle |
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| Snow capped peaks seen from our villa |
We needed supplies and headed towards town and Lidls to pick
up something for dinner, lunches and breakfast and even here we enjoyed wonderful
views of an intermediate Booted Eagle while packing the car.
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| intermediate Booted Eagle |
On to Port de Pollenca for a circular amble around the trail
of the Gola reserve in the middle of the town.
A derlict car in the car park had obviously had someone living in it and Annie commented that it looked like someone had died in it... little did we know...
Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Robins and Sardinian Warblers flicked before us
and Black Redstarts and Stonechats were dotted about. Grey and White Wagtails
were on the little patch of saltmarsh along with Common Sandpiper and Cattle
Egrets and Woodpigeons burst from the trees.
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| Gola |
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| Gola |
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| Cattle
Egret |
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| Little Egret |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| A cracking male Black Redstart |
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| Sardinian Warbler |
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| Speckled Wood |
The lady in the visitors centre was incredibly helpful with
details of where to go and what to look for especially with my targets in mind
but suggested that we avoid the mountain roads before Monday as everyone would
be going up to look at the snow that had fallen...
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| A lurking full size Indian Elephant was also encountered |
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| The beach was busy... |
We completed our circuit with Audouin’s Gulls and Shag from
the deserted sandy beach before heading down the coast to l’Albufereta to check
out the smaller of the two most popular wetlands on the island. It was a little parky but the tower hide gave
us good scope views of the marsh which held 20 Flamingos and a good smattering
of the usual dabbling ducks, Coots, Moorhens, Little Grebes, two Great White
Egrets, three Little Egrets, two Grey Herons and an Osprey perched on a distant
post.
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| l’Albufereta |
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| Sand Crocus Romulea columnae |
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| Osprey |
Following the road around the west side of the marsh gave
better views of the Osprey along with three more Booted Eagles and two Marsh
Harriers. Kestrels seem to be very common. Sixty Crag Martins hawked around us
and four Hoopoes bounded across a field after one another.
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| Hoopoe |
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| pale Booted Eagle |
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| What a superb bird... |
Back to base where the ladies decided to lounge while Barry
and I walked back down the road to check out the Torrent del Jordi which we had
seen from the car earlier.
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| Torrent del Jordi |
This crystal
clear river gurgles merrily through the limestone karst and provided ample
rocks for Common Sandpipers to bob around on along with a solitary Green and a
host of insect catching Chiffchaffs and Robins. Blackcaps and Song Thrushes
sang and you could picture interesting herons and crakes in a few weeks time
along with shrikes in the fields and Bee-eaters overhead.
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| And to complete the set - dark Booted Eagle |
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| Cattle Egrets |
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| Cattle Egret |
Some spring flowers were emerging including Vinca, Asphadol, Three
Cornered Leek and various Arums and their allies.
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| Three cornered Leek - Allium triquetrum |
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| Three cornered Leek - Allium triquetrum |
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| Hollow-leaved Asphodel Aspodelus fistulosus |
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| Friars Cowl Arisarum vulgare |
We heard several Fan-tailed Warblers and a nice male
Sardinian gave himself up. With the sun
setting and the temperature dropping quickly from an already chilly 12c we
headed back for a relaxed evening where as expected Stone Curlews sang to each
other as darkness fell.
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| Sardinian Warbler |
