For a long time we wanted to visit the famous island in the Mediterranean, not only because of the very interesting flora, but not least because of the birds. Mallorca and the Balearic Islands are exactly on the flight route of the European Migratory birds, the quantity and variety of species is often described and we were very curious.
Within only a few days with unfortunately rather bad conditions (a lot of wind and rain) we observed at least 34 different bird species. We could also capture some of them in a photo.
Parc Natural de s'Albufeira
One of our first trips took us to the famous bird sanctuary, the Parc Natural de s´Albufera. It is the largest wetland in Mallorca with forests, freshwater lagoons, canals, dunes and large sandy beaches. Reed beds, brackish lagoons, impossible to do everything in one day. There are some observation huts, with good luck there aren't too many people there. To be open with you, we were relatively disappointed. Although we were there in the morning before the main season, the crowd of pedestrians, hikers and cyclists was simply too much. The mass tourism has also arrived there, an undisturbed bird watching is unthinkable in most observation huts.
Therefore the sightings were limited, only the frequently mentioned species like Purple Moorhen, Black-winged Stilt, Night Heron and Purple Heron and some others we could see here.
Stilt
In the brackish water areas of s´Albufera and later also near Salobrar de Campos we met several stilts which also breed in the areas.
Stonechat
Some stonechat we found on the grounds of the public Finca Son Real. On the way to the coast directly at one of the hiking trails there is also a very nice observation hut with a waterhole, where you can stay longer. The protected area consists of an undeveloped, untouched coastal strip together with nearby pine forests. The low bush offers an interesting habitat for at least 4 species of warblers. In the agriculturally used areas one finds partridges.
Hoophoe
Right next to our hotel in Capdepera there were some park-like properties, here lived Mr. and Mrs. Hoophoe. Unfortunately, both were very shy outside the breeding season and only a few snapshots were taken from afar.
Yellow-legged Gull
In Mallorca, Yellow-legged Gulls are ubiquitous along the coast. Not only have these birds chosen large parts of nature as their habitat, they also often and gladly stay in cities. They can grow up to 67 centimetres in size, their wingspan is a maximum of 1.4 metres. Characteristic are the yellow legs and the yellow beak, which has a red dot in the lower part.
Audouin
The Auduoin is slightly smaller than the Yellow-legged Gull described above, its breeding sites are located on steep rocky slopes or off-shore reefs.
The habitats of the Auduoin are mainly destroyed by tourism. This is most noticeable in the Balearic Islands, where the breeding season coincides with the high tourist season and due to the easy accessibility of many colonies, they are often visited by careless tourists.
Cattle Egret
During the search for food, cattle egrets follow grazing cattle such as sheep, goats or even horses, they also regularly pick up parasites from the animals.
Whinchat
We found the Whinchat next to a beautiful meadow next to a country road south of Campos.
Salobrar de Campos
About 10 km south of Campos is a large wetland: the Salobrar de Campos. Here you can find salty lakes, ponds and swamps, possibly the remains of a lagoon, parts of which are still used today for salt extraction. The Salobrar attracts many bird species, such as stilts, storks, plovers, avocets, Little Egrets and schools of flamingos.
Kentish
The Plover can be found all year round in the salt basins of Salobrar de Campos and the surrounding area.
