Showing posts with label Black Vulture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Vulture. Show all posts

Sunday, 30 April 2017

Mallorca - Cuber Reservoir...

On our way to a day out in Soller on the west side of Mallorca we stopped twice on the way, hoping to catch up with a few more birds of prey...

First was the viewpoint overlooking the Torrent de Pareis, where we suspect we were too early for vultures, however a group of 17 birds sat on a ridge eventually took off and revealed themselves as Black Kites. A dark morph Booted Eagle also appeared over a distant ridge and a couple of Wrynecks were calling from the trees behind.

Further west we stopped at Cuber Reservoir, which proved to be much more successful with really nice views of 4 Black Vultures, and eventually 3 Griffon Vultures, along with 2 Booted Eagles, a Red Kite and 10+ Raven. Passerines here included Water Pipits and Firecrests.

On the drive back from Soller, our only Osprey of the trip was sat on a rock overlooking the reservoir at Gorg Blau and 2 Crag Martins flew over.



Black Vultures


Griffon Vulture
Red Kite
Video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p. Note the Wrynecks calling in the background!

Tuesday, 18 April 2017

Mallorca - Birding around our villa & Pollensa

Last Sunday (the 9th) we arrived on the island of Mallorca for a weeks break. We stayed in a villa on the north side of Pollensa, overlooking the mountains and ridges to the north of the town. Within just a few minutes of arriving I had my first lifer of the trip - Black Vulture. These huge birds were seen daily from the villa, the first of nine species of birds of prey.

On the 15th, a superb evening scanning the ridges produced a smart Egyptian Vulture, along with a Golden Eagle, which I understand is an escapee that has been on the island for a while now. While on our penultimate day a Griffon Vulture put in an appearance.

Other raptors seen regularly from the garden were Booted Eagles, Red Kite, Peregrine and Kestrel.

During the night we could stand outside the villa to watch and listen to Stone Curlews flying around. Two Night Herons also flew over on the 11th, while at least two Scops Owls were calling down the road into Pollensa, and on the 12th, we were able to see one calling from a hole in a tree at twilight.

Flocks of Bee-eaters were regularly seen in the area, including a flock of 40+ low over the garden on the 13th, and Hoopoes appeared twice.

Passerines seen around the garden included Serins, Sardinian Warblers and a single Pied Flycatcher and Cirl Bunting.

Lots more photos from other sites on our holiday to come soon on more blog posts...





Serin

Sardinian Warbler

Booted Eagle
Black Vulture

Griffon Vulture
Can you see the Scops Owl!? Photo handheld at 1 second shutter speed!



Bee-eaters - stunning birds!


Yellow-legged Gulls on a nearby beach
Moorish Gecko