The final part of my birding extravaganza on Mallorca involved twitching some reported Red-footed Falcons that were hanging out with a couple of Lesser Kestrels in the central area of the island.
Together with Vanesa Palacios I joined forces with English holidaying birder Chris Martin, to eek out these scarce migrant falcons.
As we had met in the afternoon our search started shortly after so we set about scouring the countryside looking for where the birds might be as we had no pinpoint accurate gen. In between watching Thekla Lark, Red-legged Partridge, European Hare and listening to singing Common Quail we finally found our quarry. At least two Red-foots amongst perhaps four Lesser Kestrel on some wires.
We marveled at these birds as the evening Mallorcan light dimmed. A great way end a great trip.
Mallorca, Spain
4 – 9 May 2017
Bird list:
- Audouin’s Gull – a few seen along the coast.
- Avocet – c8 with chicks in Albufera.
- Balearic Shearwater – 2 off Cabrera.
- Balearic Warbler – singers seen at Cap de Formentor and Cabrera
- Black Kite – a couple outside of Palma.
- Black Stork – 3 in Cap de Formentor. A rarity on the island.
- Black Vulture – 1 near Pollença.
- Blackbird
- Blackcap – in Pollença.
- Black-winged Stilt
- Blue Tit
- Booted Eagle
- Cattle Egret – c40 in Albufera.
- Chaffinch
- Cirl Bunting
- Collared Dove
- Common Buzzard – a couple outside of Palma.
- Common Crossbill – c10 in Pollença.
- Common Kestrel
- Common Redstart – common on Cabrera.
- Common Sandpiper – c2 in Albufera.
- Common Starling
- Common Swift
- Common Tern – in Albufera.
- Common Whitethroat – a couple on Cabrera.
- Coot
- Corn Bunting
- Crag Martin
- Curlew Sandpiper – 2 near summer ads in Albufera.
- Dunlin – 1 with partial black belly in Albufera.
- Eleonora’s Falcon –at Albufera, Cap de Formentor and Cabrera.
- Feral Pigeon
- Gadwall
- Garden Warbler – 1 seen plus a couple singers near Pollença.
- Glossy Ibis – c6 in Albufera.
- Golden Eagle – [1 escaped adult at Albufera being mobbed.]
- Goldfinch
- Great Reed Warbler
- Great Tit
- Greenfinch
- Grey Heron
- Honey Buzzard – 2 near Pollença. First spring birds for island.
- Hoopoe
- House Martin
- House Sparrow
- Jay – a couple seen.
- Kentish Plover
- Lesser Kestrel – c3 with Red-foots at Vilfranca de Bonany.
- Linnet – common on Cabrera.
- Little Egret – c10 in Albufera.
- ((Little Grebe)) *
- Little Ringed Plover
- Little Stint – 4 in Albufera.
- Magpie
- Mallard
- Marbled Duck – c5 in Albufera.
- Marsh Harrier – at Albufera.
- Melodious Warbler – 1 seen plus 1 poss singer in the Boquer Valley.
- Moorhen
- Night Heron – 1 immature over Vilfranca de Bonany.
- Nightingale
- Osprey –Cap de Formentor and on Cabrera.
- Pallid Swift – a few on Cabrera.
- Peregrine – Cap de Formentor and Cabrera.
- Pied Flycatcher –near Pollença and on Cabrera.
- Purple Heron – 2 in Albufera.
- Purple Swamphen – 1 in Albufera.
- ((Quail)) * 2 singers heard
- Raven
- Red Kite – a couple seen.
- Red-crested Pochard – c12 in Albufera.
- Red-footed Falcon – c3 with Les Kes at Vilfranca de Bonany.
- Red-knobbed Coot – c4 in Albufera.
- Red-legged Partridge
- Reed Warbler
- Ringed Plover
- Robin – 1 at the Boquer Valley another on Cabrera.
- Roller – 1 briefly at the Boquer Valley. A rarity on the island.
- Sardinian Warbler
- Scopoli’s Shearwater – 2 off Cabrera.
- Serin
- Shag – several desmarestii race birds.
- Shelduck – c10 some with ducklings in Albufera.
- Short-toed Lark – common at Vilfranca de Bonany.
- Spotted Flycatcher – very pale. Also saw darker nominate race.
- Spotted Redshank – 2 near summer ads in Albufera.
- Squacco Heron – 1 in Albufera.
- ((Stone Curlew)) *
- Stonechat
- Swallow
- Thekla Lark – common at Vilfranca de Bonany.
- Tree Pipit – a couple migrants on Cabrera.
- Turtle Dove – 1 singer and 1 seen on Cabrera.
- Whinchat – several on Cabrera.
- White Stork
- White Wagtail
- Willow Warbler
- Wood Pigeon
- Wood Warbler – 1 on Cabrera.
- Woodchat Shrike – badius race seen.
- Yellow Wagtail – a few seen.
- Yellow-legged Gull
- Zitting Cisticola
Species
Note: ((heard)) *
Lifers
