A short stroll yesterday evening into part of the Albufereta reserve, which is literally just outside our gate, provided the breathtaking scene of 100's of
Common Swift feeding low over the cereal fields and seemingly heading straight for me before veering off at the last second, unforgettable!
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| Gorgeous Stonechat - Canon SX50 |
Another highlight was watching a pair of
Sardinian Warbler constantly taking food into a nearby nest, located alongside a drainage ditch. The fence which runs alongside the ditch had a gorgeous
Stonechat perching for photographs and a couple of
Hoopoe were chasing each other across the fields opposite.
Nightingales, at least four, were in full song and
Zitting Cisticola (Fantail Warbler) were constantly calling overhead.
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| You get Two for One in Majorca - Stonechat and Sardinian Warbler - Canon SX50 |
As we sat out having dinner a
Cattle Egret flew over the villa and having a
Cetti's Warbler in your garden calling every so often is something I really can't get used to, it's just crazy. Finally, a brief venture out before bed listening for any nearby
Scops Owl didn't produce but a cracking first day to our holiday.
After torrential overnight rain we decided to stay local today (Sunday) as we knew it would be busy out there, plus we had a trip back to the airport later to pick up my buddy Dave, who was flying in from Malaga.
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| Black-winged Stilt - Several on the secluded pools near Port De Pollenca |
After the overnight rain a glorious day ensued and we actually found a superb site on the Alberfereta not far from our location and spent most of the morning investigating. The pools were well hidden and provided close up views of
Black-winged Stilt,
Snipe,
Little-ringed Plover and a trio of Sandpipers with
Common Sandpiper,
Green Sandpiper and
Wood Sandpiper. Also recorded were
Little Egret,
Cattle Egret and our first
Marsh Harrier.
Stonechats and
Corn Buntings are everywhere at present and the addition of
Whinchat,
Serin,
Nightingale and
Blue-headed Wagtail rounded off a great mornings birding.
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| Swallowtail butterfly |
Of course my ever vigilant wife Dee was scouring the bushes and ditches for her favourite mammals, bugs and butterflies and came up with a superb shot of the above Swallowtail butterfly.
