INTRODUCTION
I spent a week in Mallorca with my wife and daughter staying in Prinshotel La Dorada, which overlooks the S’Albufera Natural Park. Handy because you can see the reserve from the balcony of the hotel, birding as you eat your breakfast!
My family set up base camp at the hotel pool which left me free to go birding each day. I went to three local areas, S’Albufera, Bocquer Valley and Son Real.
The weather all week was basically sunny with some clouds, a decent spell when you consider our visit in 2013 roughly at the same time, we had three days of wind and rain, so we were thankful for the much improved weather in 2014. Apart from two morning trips to the Bocquer and Son Real I spent the rest of the trip in the S’Albufera and the local surroundings.
SYSTEMATIC BIRD SPECIES LIST
| English Name | Species | Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cory’s Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | Alcudia Bay | 20+ seen on the 7th at the headland. |
| Gadwall | Anas strepera | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Mallard | Anas platyrchynchos | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Marbled Duck | Marmaronetta augustirostis | Ses Salinetes | Birds were seen all week in the park, but only glimpes of them flying over the reeds. However they were more visible at the ponds in the Ses Salinetes area of the Park. 2-3 birds visiting there early in the mornings to feed, almost daily. |
| Pochard | Aythya ferina | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Red-crested Pochard | Aythya ferina | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Shoveler | Anas clypeata | S’Albufera | Seen twice in Park. |
| Teal | Anas crecca | S’Albufera | Seen twice in Park. |
| Red-Legged Partridge | Alectoris rufa | Son Bosc | 3 birds. |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | S’Albufera | A pair were seen on main channel 4-8th. |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis | Son Real | 3 birds seen on 5th May. |
| Shag | Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii | Son Real | Several seen on 5th May. |
| Little Bittern | Ixobrychus miutus | S’Albufera | As for the Marbled Duck, everday I got glimpses of the birds but luckily at the main bridge over the channel, on the 7th a bird emerged for a few minutes and gave excellent views to several birders nearby. |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Great White Egret | Ardea alba | S’Albufera | One bird seen on the 7th May. |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | S’Albufera | Common, seen all week. |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | S’Albufera | One seen on the 8th droppping in to roost. |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | S’Albufera | Three birds were present all week and seen mainly in and around the Sa Roca hides. Sometimes coming within 30m of the hide and giving birders excellent views. |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | S’Albufera | Seen almost daily in the Park. |
| Honey Buzzard | Pernis apivorus | S’Albufera | Had to wait until the 9th, my last day to see this raptor. It was two dutch birders who initially saw some birds soaring on a thermal and when I looked up I saw at least seven of these birds gaining height to cross over the Traumuntana. |
| Booted Eagle | Aquila pennata | Bocquer Valley | Seen briefly on the 6th gliding over valley. |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | S’Albufera | A bird frequented the reserve all week. |
| Spanish Imperial Eagle | Aquila adalberti | Bocquer Valley | Immature seen on 6th soaring with vultures. |
| Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | S’Albufera | Widespread in S’Albufera, seen daily. |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | Bocquer Valley | One on the 6th. |
| Red Kite | Milvus milvus | S’Albufera | One bird seen in Park on the 5th. |
| Black Vulture | Aegypius monachus | Bocquer Valley | Three birds seen on the 6th. |
| Griffon Vulture | Gyps fulvous | Bocquer Valley | Four birds seen on the 6th. |
| Eleonora’s Falcon | Falco eleonorae | S’Albufera | One of the iconic birds of Mallorca, seen daily in the park, maximum of 4 on the 7th. |
| Peregrine | Falco peregrinus | Bocquer Valley | One bird on the 6th gliding across valley. |
| Red-footed Falcon | Falco vespertinus | Alcudia Bay | An unexpected surprise, not only one but two birds turned up. A female was in Son Bosc area on the 4th, on the 7th a 2y male flew across Alcudia Bay, migrating north. |
| Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | S’Albufera | Several birds seen in and around Park. |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra | S’Albufera | Seen daily in S’Albufera. |
| Red-knobbed Coot | Fulica cristata | S’Albufera | Seen daily in S’Albufera. |
| Purple Gallinule | Porphyrio porphyrio | S’Albufera | Seen daily in S’Albufera. |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | S’Albufera | Seen daily in S’Albufera. |
| Water Rail | Rallus aquaticus | S’Albufera | Heard daily seen on the 4th. |
| Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | Ses Salinetes | Two birds seen on 6th. |
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | S’Albufera | Widespread in S’Albufera, seen daily. |
| Stone Curlew | Burhinus oedicnemus | Son Bosc | Not as easy to find this year as it was in 2013. But eventually I found three birds behind a fenced-off area in the Son Bosc area. |
| Kentish Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | S’Albufera | Widespread in S’Albufera, seen daily. |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | S’Albufera | Widespread in S’Albufera, seen daily. |
| Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | S’Albufera | Two birds present all week. |
| Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | S’Albufera | One bird seen in Park on the 3rd. |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | Depuradora | Two birds seen on the 4th. |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | S’Albufera | Seen daily in S’Albufera. |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | S’Albufera | One bird seen on the 6th at the Sa Roca hide. |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | Depuradora | Three birds seen on the 4th. |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | S’Albufera | Birds seen daily in reserve. |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta | S’Albufera | Two birds seen from 4-6th at Sa Roca hide. |
| Audouin’s Gull | Larus audouinii | S’Albufera | Widespread in area seen daily. |
| Black-headed Gull | Larus ridibundus | S’Albufera | Birds seen daily in reserve. |
| Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michahellis | S’Albufera | Widespread in area seen daily. |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | S’Albufera | Now breeding in area, seen daily in reserve. |
| Sandwich Tern | Sterna sandvicensis | Alcudia Bay | Common in bay. |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybridus | S’Albufera | Seen from the 5-8th in the park. An unexpected bonus, often giving excellent views from the hides. |
| Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | Son Bosc | Several seen during the week. |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | Bocquer Valley | Several seen on 6th. |
| Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus | S’Albufera | Widespread. |
| Common Swift | Apus apus | S’Albufera | Widespread. |
| Pallid Swift | Apus pallidus | Bocquer Valley | Several seen on 6th. |
| Eurasian Hoopoe | Upupa epops | Son Bosc | Common in area. |
| European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | Son Bosc | Colony of 20 in area. |
| Greater Short-toed Lark | Calandrella brachydactyla | Son Bosc | Five birds seen during the week. |
| Thekla Lark | Galerida theklae | Son Bosc | Three birds seen in the area, getting scarcer. |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | S’Albufera | Widespread. |
| Tawny Pipit | Anthus petrosus | Son Bosc | Two birds seen over the week. |
| Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava iberiae | S’Albufera | Common in S’Albufera Park. Quite a few birds seen at the east end of the reserve where the cattle and horses where grazing in the water meadow. |
| Common Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | Son Bosc | Two birds seen in the grounds of the STW. |
| European Stonechat | Saxicola torquatus rubicola | S’Albufera | Common in S’Albufera Park. |
| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | Ses Salinetes | One bird seen on the 6th at the pools. |
| Blue Rock Thrush | Monticola solitarius | Bocquer Valley | Pair seen at entrance to valley on the 6th. |
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | S’Albufera | Common in S’Albufera Park. |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | Son Bosc | A pair was spotted near the bus depot. |
| Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | S’Albufera | Widespread in reserve. |
| Cetti’s Warbler | Cettia cetti | S’Albufera | Widespread in reserve. |
| Moustached Warbler | Acrocephalus melanopogon | S’Albufera | Widespread but difficult, two birds seen. |
| Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | S’Albufera | Widespread in reserve. |
| Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | S’Albufera | Widespread in reserve. |
| Sardinian Warbler | Sylvia melanocephala | S’Albufera | Widespread in reserve. |
| Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | S’Albufera | One female seen on the 9th. |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata iberiae | Son Bosc | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
| Great Tit | Parus major | Son Bosc | Widespread in reserve. |
| Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator | Son Bosc | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
| Raven | Corvus corax | Son Bosc | Three birds seen flying overhead. |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | S’Albufera | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
| Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | S’Albufera | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
| Greenfinch | Carduelis chloris | S’Albufera | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
| Serin | Serinus serinus | S’Albufera | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
| Linnet | Carduelis cannabina | Son Bosc | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
| Cirl Bunting | Emberiza cirius | Bocquer Valley | One male seen. |
| Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra | Son Bosc | Common in and around S’Albufera. |
