There was no time for an early walk pre-breakfast and by
7.30 we were on the road and heading west back towards Palma and St Elm
beyond. Apart from a small diversion to
begin with the journey was uneventful unlike some of the rush hour traffic
around the city but eventually we were wiggling through pine clad hills and
down to the small picturesque town over looking the island of Dragonera. We had arrived in good time and found a shady
parking spot complete with metallic sounding Crossbills in the pines above
which typically were only seen as they flew off.
It was a short walk to the harbour and we quickly picked up
Audouin’s and Yellow-legged Gulls and out to sea single Scopoli’s Shearwaters
cruised slowly by. The Eleonora’s
Falcons on the southern cliffs of the island could already be seen swooping
around. The sea here was as clear as glass and there were many fish three of
which I think I have identified!
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| Dragonera |
 |
St Elm
|
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| White Sea Bream |
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| Mediterranean Damselfish |
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| Ornate Wrasse |
The boat soon came back and we were on our way for the short
journey across but the two and a half hours we had had did not feel long enough
before we even started on the walk towards those falcons and their vertical
homes!
We were greeted by a host of Lilford’s Wall Lizards which
have become somewhat habituated to humans and despite the clear signs in many
languages are clearly fed.
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| Lilford’s Wall Lizard |
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| Lilford’s Wall Lizard |
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| Lilford’s Wall Lizard |
The track south was good and pretty smooth with a
gentle climb most of the way and Geoff and Graham yomped on ahead to try and
get to the very end and back while most of us pottered knowing that it was not
going to happen! It was once again incredibly hot and it was very much eyes to
the skies rather than the bushes and we quickly found Osprey, a dark Booted
Eagle (looking like a mini Golden Eagle), Ravens, two Peregrine, two Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel and
of course several Eleonora’s.
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| Eleonora’s Falcon |
 |
| Raven |
 |
| Booted Eagle |
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| Common Kestrel |
As expected there were very few small birds and all ears
were trained on finding Balearic Warbler and a brief scratchy rattle was heard
up slope and after a few minutes a presumed family party of five made there way
down to where we where and afforded some excellent views as the fossicked on
almost glowing tangerine coloured legs (thanks Graham). I think I only saw a male last time I visited
so it was good to get such good prolonged views. Much paler that I remember underneath but
still with that beady red eye so typical of these Sylvias.
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| Balearic Warbler |
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| Balearic Warblers - three in this shot! |
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| Balearic Warbler |
We opted to not actually walk any further but hung around
with these endemic Warblers and their Sardinian cousins until Geoff got back to
us and we treated to a full on display flight!
The walk back begun but I stayed to wait for Graham just in case he had
not been successful but when he caught me up he thankfully had and we continued
back to the harbour below where the still attentive Lizards were waiting for
us. A Pale Clouded Yellow was almost the
only insect seen.
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| Lilford’s Wall Lizard |
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| Lilford’s Wall Lizard - look at those blue spots and pink tongue |
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| Lilford’s Wall Lizard |
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| Rock Samphire |
Back in St Elm we took up the offer of a free drink at a
local taverna courtesy of the boat company and followed it up with a much
enjoyed local ice-cream before wiggling out of the now bustling town to find a
roadside stop for lunch where two pale Booted Eagles circled with some Common
Swifts.
It was still way too hot so we went
and joined the terrible Palma traffic but it did take us along the harbour front where truly monstrous cruise ships were moored and past the imposing cathedral to make our way ‘home’ where the Thekla’s
Larks were spiralling and the Stonechats were clinking away.
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