MALLORCA: 12-19 September 2018

A week away with Megan, booked back in December. We flew from Gatwick to Palma with EasyJet and on arrival hired a car for 5 days. We spent two nights at the very pleasant Ca'n Pep in Alaro and from there visited Valdemossa and walked along the hiking trail towards Oriente. We moved on to Alcudia where we had three nights at Hostatgeria La Victoria and visited Son Real, Alcudia, the Boquer Valley, Cap Formentor and Albufera. We returned the car to Palma and caught the bus into town spending two nights at Hostal Ritzi near the cathedral before flying home. 

My first foreign birding trip had been to Mallorca with Cardiff friends in October 1974, not that I remembered any of it. Amongst the 75+ species I saw were Marbled Duck (15), Shag (4), Booted Eagle (6), reintroduced Western Swamphen (6) and Red-knobbed Coot (2, wasn't paying much attention to coot!), Stone Curlew (1), Kentish Plover (4), Audouin's Gull (1), Hoopoe (8), Wryneck (2), Eleanora's Falcon (8), Woodchat Shrike (2), Crag Martin (19), Thekla Lark (6), Balearic Warbler (3), Sardinian Warbler (28), Firecrest (22), Mediterranean Flycatcher (31), Pied Flycatcher (7), Nightingale (1), Rock Thrush (1), Crossbill (39) and Serin (2). I wasn't expecting to see Cinereous Vulture which has become much rarer since my previous visit but no Blue Rock Thrush and few migrants was a disappointment.

Alfabia Gardens near Bunyola

the trail to Oriente

above La Victoria on the Cap del Pinar peninsular looking across to Cap Formentor

sunset

Woodchat Shrike at Son Real

Son Real burial chambers

Son Real

Cap des Pinar from Son Real

Tortoise at Son Real

Cormorant, Little Egret, 'Mediterranean' Shag and Yellow-legged Gull at Son Real

Alcudia old city wall

'old' Alcudia

Talaia d'Alcudia

'Balearic' Crossbill

Yellow-legged Gull at La Victoria

Mediterranean Flycatcher at La Victoria

Balearic Warbler in the Boquer Valley

Boquer Valley looking south

Boquer Valley looking south

view west from Cap Formentor

spectacular scenery but cars queueing almost a km down the road to get in the small car park was very off-putting

Cap Formentor from Talaia d'Alcudia

Alcudia from Talaia d'Alcudia

Talaia d'Alcudia

view from our window at La Victoria

Osprey at Albufera

Western Swamphen at Albufera

Marbled Duck at Albufera

Stone Curlew at Albufera

Red-knobbed Coot at Albufera

Colour-ringed Red-knobbed Coot. This one could have been read if placed on its leg.

Megan at Foundation Pilar i Joan Miro

one of the exhibits

Palmer from Castell de Bellver

Mediterranean Flycatcher at Castell de Bellver

Palma Cathedral

Megan in Palma