26th August

I am back after 9 very warm and enjoyable days on the island of Menorca. First around up of what I missed in the park.

Osprey: one drifted low to the south at 9.57am 17th.

Tree Pipit: just after the above species had flown through one dropped into a tree on the open spaces.

Spotted Flycatcher: birds were seen on 17th, 18th and 2 on 24th.

Common Redstart: an adult male was seen for a few minutes in the wetland pen at 6.25pm.

Willow Warbler: 20+ were around the park 22nd.

Chiffchaff: seen in similar numbers also on the 22nd.

Garden Warbler: two were in area 31 on 24th.

Hobby: One flew west at 8.00am 25th.

Yellow Wagtail: one flew south at 9.25am 25th.

Common Whitethroat: six birds were in the cricket pen 25th.

Now for a few snaps from my holiday.

We stayed with Pete and Lynn on a very tidy development called Son Vilar. Their villa is on the edge by fields and quiet lanes, which I wandered around several time a day while Sally sunbathed by the pool. The area we rented for the nine days was on the ground floor in this picture and we had sole use of the pool. Every evening we wandered down to Es Castelle to sample the local foods and beverages. Most of my early morning excursions were within 20 minutes of our base, with the exception of the trip to find Egyptian Vultures in the Algendar Gorge  near Cala Galdana, which took 40 minutes.

If this looks and sounds like the kind of place you would like to stay visit www.fly2mahon.com 

                                 Now the Birds

                           Purple Heron at Son Parc

                         Purple Gallinule at Son Bou

Audouin’s Gull, this species was seen regularly around the coast

Egyptian Vulture in Algendar Gorge

                    Booted Eagle, light and dark phase birds

The head lights on the shoulders are a good ID feature on this bird

Elanoras Falcon in the early morning light

                Pallid Swift

          Woodchat Shrikes 3 female, 2 male and 1 juvenile

       Turtle Doves were very numerous and a pleasant surprise.

 Blue Rock Thrush, adult and juvenile

             Thekla Lark (above)

      Tawny Pipit (adult and juvenile)

  Bee-eaters would fly over the house most evenings on there way to a roost site. I eventually found where their daytime feeding area was.

Juveniles are greener than the adults 

Hoopoe’s were seen by are harder to approach at this time of year

Sardinian Warbler (female and juvenile)

I have found out where all the Spotted Flycatchers have gone. They were everywhere on the island.