October 2015 archive

Oct 15 2015

Mallorca : 15th October 2015 : S’Albufera

Mallorca : 15th October 2015 : S’Albufera

The weather on the 14th had been pretty poor so we actually cancelled our birding plan for that day. Today we had another plan and that also went awry. We had planned a boat trip around Cap Formentor but the posters we had been getting our information from proved unreliable as the seasonal run had actually come to an end already.

A bit nonplussed by this we quickly thought that since we were close to the bus station we should just jump on the bus to Can Picafor and spend the day at S’Albufera. As we walked down the track from the entrance to the visitor centre we got a “life tick” in the shape of around  ten Night Herons, all roosting in the bushes on the far bank of the canal. I had looked for these previously with no joy but here, suddenly,  you couldn’t  miss them. We were off to a good start and anticipated a great day walking around the huge site.

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Oct 13 2015

Mallorca : 13th October 2015 : Alcudia and La Gola

Mallorca : 13th October 2015 : Alcudia and La Gola

The last time we were at the Roman remains in Alcudia we were on a walking tour so we could not really stop to look at the birds but I made a mental note to return there to look for birds because it seemed to be  great habitat. This time round we did that  and we were not disappointed. Again I didn’t have my scope but it was so hot and we were going to have a walk around the weekly market in Alcudia afterwards so carrying a scope  wasn’t really practical.  Bins had to do but we still did ok.

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Oct 12 2015

Mallorca : 12th October 2015 : Boquer Valley

Mallorca : 12th October 2015 : Boquer Valley

This day was a lovely day for a walk up the Bocquer Valley but it was also a public holiday so there were a huge number of people walking the valley including hordes of infants out on some group nature trek – very noisy indeed. This combined with the usual loud hikers and kids going over for a swim at the bay at the end of the valley and the result was anything  but peaceful. Fortunately it is such a fantastic place that it was really enjoyable anyway and despite the crowds we managed to see some nice birds including a “life tick”.

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Oct 11 2015

Mallorca : 11th October 2015

Mallorca : 11th October 2015 : Arrival and travelling to hotel; La Gola

We set off horribly early on the 11th of October for a fortnight holiday in Mallorca where we again stayed at the Hoposa Uyal Hotel in Port de Pollenca. We had stayed there last Autumn and again this Spring. We were a bit later this year by a couple of weeks so we were not sure how far advanced the Autumn migration would be. Still it was a holiday and the birding is a bonus.

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Oct 06 2015

Moore Nature Reserve : 6th October 2015

Moore Nature Reserve : 6th October 2015

It was a very pleasant day for what will probably be one of the few birding group days we attend this month on account of our holidaying in Mallorca where we intend to do quite a lot of birding to make up for it. The morning started off quite well with a Greater Spotted Woodpecker drumming from a tree next to the car park; unfortunately we did not see him. Thereafter it was all a little uneventful with the usual suspects on the water and nothing much in the trees.

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