Vulture time
I spent the whole afternoon on a circular walk, from Port de Pollenca, through the fields almost to Pollenca 'old town', then walking along the base of the wooded hills until joining the (noisy) road that runs along the base of the Tramuntana mountains back to my starting point - a good few miles.
The farmland was quiet, although when practically every other bird is a Serin or a Woodchat Shrike you don't really mind. 20+ Cattle Egrets (largest group of nine) had to make do with following goats in lieu of any cattle.
As I got close to the mountains I started to scan the tops in earnest, and, just before the turn off to Cala San Vincente was rewarded with a superb, and enormous, Black Vulture. I was watching this bird, on and off, for half-an-hour. Further along was an adult Booted Eagle and a couple of Eleanora's Falcons.
Wonder where all the UK's Spotted Flycatchers have gone? They're here. Almost every fence, post, roof and branch holds one or two, although as Gareth kindly pointed out in a recent comment, there is speculation that the Balearic birds might just be a separate species...
The farmland was quiet, although when practically every other bird is a Serin or a Woodchat Shrike you don't really mind. 20+ Cattle Egrets (largest group of nine) had to make do with following goats in lieu of any cattle.
As I got close to the mountains I started to scan the tops in earnest, and, just before the turn off to Cala San Vincente was rewarded with a superb, and enormous, Black Vulture. I was watching this bird, on and off, for half-an-hour. Further along was an adult Booted Eagle and a couple of Eleanora's Falcons.
Wonder where all the UK's Spotted Flycatchers have gone? They're here. Almost every fence, post, roof and branch holds one or two, although as Gareth kindly pointed out in a recent comment, there is speculation that the Balearic birds might just be a separate species...
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