Audouin's entertainment

A day of 'busily doing nothing'.

However, I can report that at least six Audouin's Gulls were patrolling the beach, with four adults and two sud-adults. When I first stayed at Port de Pollenca (in 1989) I had to travel round to Alcudia Bay to see this species close inshore. Since then, the beach at P de P has been built up for tourists, with vast amounts of sand being dumped, forming a sterile 40m deep beach, beloved by sun-worshippers. Such human activity results in food scraps being left behind, dropped or momentarily untended, easy pickings for the opportunistic Audouin's Gull, and thus a constant entertainment for a beach-bound birder!

The natural beach of the bay still exists south of the resort. It is sand, but the beach here is narrow (a few metres wide) and heavily vegetated, is designated a reserve, and hosts breeding Little Ringed and Kentish Plovers.

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