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Spain Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands (Spanish: Islas Baleares) are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The four largest islands are Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain, of which the capital city is Palma. The co-official languages in the Balearic Islands are Spanish and Catalan (i.e. Mallorquí, Menorquí and Eivissenc, as Catalan is known by its speakers in this territory). The Balearic Islands comprise Majorca and Minorca which are the Balearic Islands proper, and other smaller islands, which together constitute an autonomous community of Spain. The main islands of the autonomous community are Majorca (Mallorca in Catalan), Minorca (Menorca), Ibiza (Eivissa), and Formentera, all of which are popular tourist destinations. Among the minor islands is Cabrera, which is the location of the Parc Nacional de l'Arxipèlag de Cabrera. The islands can be further grouped, with Majorca, Minorca, and Cabrera as the Gymnesian Islands, and Ibiza and Formentera as the Pine Islands. Majorca - the most frequently birded island - has two mountainous regions each about 70 km in length. These occupy the north-western (Serra de Tramuntana or Tramuntana range) and eastern thirds of the island. The highest peak on Majorca is Puig Major (1,445 m) in the Serra de Tramuntana. As this is a military zone, the neighbouring peak at Puig de Massanella is considered the highest accessible peak (1,364 m). The northeast coast comprises two sweeping bays: the Badia de Pollença and the larger Badia d'Alcúdia. Inland of here lie some of the best birding areas of the island with slat pans and the extensive reedbeds of S'Albufera d'Alcúdia nature reserve as well as the fame Boca Valley with its vultures and etc. |
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Parc Natural De S'Albufera De Mallorca
The Albufera is a real model for reserves in Europe, not least because every Majorcan schoolchild has to visit at least once a year... a great policy we should all adopt.Basically the reserve is a large wetland with very extensive reedbeds, scrapes, canals and scrub and hosts many breeding birds such as the purple gallinule and is a magnet for passage migrants - almost anything can turn up! It is possible at the right time of the year to see literally dozens of Eleanora's falcons in the air over the marshes whilst surrounded by birdsong and delighted by everything from purple heron to great reed warblers. There is a supporting cast of hoopoes, roosting night herons and much more. What is more it is within walking distance (for the fit) of many hotels and allows vehicular access to blue badge holders. Visit! Fatbirder
Salinas de Migjorn - South Mallorca
Salinas de Migjorn is popular with local birdwatchers with a great number of prey species, attracts raptors, including marsh harriers, kestrels, and ospreys.contributor |
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Wikipedia
(GNU Free Documentation License)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balearic_Islands
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Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
useful reading |
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A Birdwatching Guide to Mallorca
Graham Hearl, Jon King Paperback (1995) Arlequin PublicationsISBN: 0952201976
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Gosney in Mallorca - Video
A Birdwatching Adventure to the Mediterranean in Spring Dave Gosney Col photos of over 40 species, 31 min. Gostours 1994ISBN: 42565
Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Birds of Menorca
Enric Ramos 168 pages, col plates, b/w line illus. Editorial Moll reprint under considerationISBN: 8427307616
Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Balearic Group of Ornithology Mallorca
http://www.gobmallorca.com/The GOB (Balearic Group of Ornithology and Defence of Nature) is a non governmental organisation and registered charity, legally founded in 1973. The objectives of GOB are the conservation, dissemination and study of nature and the environment of the Balearic Islands. The organisation is structures in four sections, one on each island (Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa and Formentera) and in local delegations (currently 18)
Balearic Group of Ornithology Elivissa
http://www.gengob.org/Elivissa branch of GOB...
Balearic Group of Ornithology Menorca
http://www.gobmenorca.com/The Balearic Group of Ornithology and Defence of Nature, known as G.O.B. - acronym of Grup Ornitologic Balear-, is a non-governmental, non-profit association dedicated to the study, the popularization and the defence of the environment in the Balearic Islands (Spain). It is sustained by the donation of members and sympathizers, the production of services related to environment and the sale of books and other promotional materials.
Institut Català d'Ornitologia
http://www.ornitologia.org/L'Institut Català d'Ornitologia (ICO) és una entitat sense ànim de lucre, que des de la seva creació, l'any 1975, s'ha dedicat a estudiar la biologia i la migració dels ocells mitjançant l'anellament científic...
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Archipiélago de Cabrera
http://el-mundo.es/larevista/num143/textos/par3.htmlUn 85% de la superficie de este Parque Nacional es mar. Unas aguas limpias y transparentes que reflejan la belleza de las islas y dan cobijo a una fauna absolutamente única y fascinante.
Biodiversity at S'Alburfera
http://www.iknow-majorca.co.uk/tourist_information/mallorca_holidays/port_dalcudia_mallorca/albufera_de_pollensa.htmWithout water, S'Albufera would not exist. Fortunately, although this is threatened, at the moment it has water aplenty which ensures favourable conditions for vegetation growth and variety according to the depth of water, proximity of the sea and type of terrain...
Menorca Reserva de Biosfera
http://www.biosferamenorca.orgMenorca is an island of 700 sq kilometre surface and a coast length of 200 km. It is divided into eight municipalities with a steady population of 85,000 inhabitants. Tourism has become over the past decades its main economic resource: this fact explains seasonal population variations with peaks as high as 160,000...
Parc Natural De S'Albufera De Mallorca
http://www.mallorcaweb.net/salbufera/Albufera Natural Parc is (+34) 971 89 22 50. S'Albufera is a famous, almost mythical place: its birds, eels, water and canals. It is also notorious for mosquitoes, strong smells and occasional and violent floods. S'Albufera has been used for many purposes: as a hunting-ground by privileged minority - as well as by poachers - and the origin of delicious eels. On a dry island like Majorca the contrast of a landscape of bridges and canals is especially attractive. S'Albufera offers a diverse and plentiful fauna; a particular flora of its own. S'Albufera is a unique place on the island and its natural value is appreciated as such. This recognition was confirmed with the declaration of the area as a natural park by the Balearic Government in 1988. It is one of the most valuable ecosystems of the Balearic islands and enjoys the strictest protection.
Puerto Pollensa
http://www.puertopollensa.com/FloraFauna.htmlPuerto Pollensa is a well known base for bird watchers. Read the two reports below. Click on the bird links and you will see and hear them!
Reserves Marines Formentera
http://oliba.uoc.edu/eivifor/a2_cat/e4/cos_03.htmlProposta del GOB Formentera. Creació de Reserves Marines al llarg del litoral, com a signes de protecció, ordenació i gestió dels ecosistemes marins costaners, amb els objectius de...
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Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!
2000 [October] – Pat & Judy Hayes – Menorca
http://www.realbirder.com/menorca.htmOther notable winter visitors were the Starlings that roosted at Son Bou Marsh, this contained and estimated 1> million birds...
2001 [Easter] - Ibiza - John Girdley
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/ibiza1/ibiza2001.htmContrary to popular misconceptions, it is possible to have a free holiday out of a time-share scam. This was to be my second in two years. There are three simple rules:
(1.) Agree to go to the original presentation.
(2.) Say NO at the presentation. Very important this one! (If you are tempted, remember that prices come in at a 40% discount abroad.) After you say no, they then give you a free holiday voucher!
(3.) There are loads of catches. (e.g.. Perhaps you can only go on a weekend but the plane only flies on a Friday - Tenerife is like this.) Therefore read every bit of small print and act on it accordingly...
2001 [May] - Mallorca - Morten Bentzon Hansen
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/mallorca6/mallorca2001.htmAs most of the best birding sites are located in the north of the Island, it makes sense to be based in either Pt. Pollenca or Alcudia in the north. This allows all of the sites to be easily visited with minimal driving. When staying in one of the above mentioned towns, the Boquer Valley, Albufereta and S`Albufera can all be visited either on foot, by bike or public transport, if you do not wish to hire a car for the full duration of the trip...
2001 [May] - Menorca - Nick Pomiankowski
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/menorca4/menorca2001.htmI went on a family holiday to Cala`n Bosch, Menorca, but nevertheless, with just a pair of binoculars, I did manage to get some really interesting birdwatching done. We landed at Mahon airport on the 6th May and transferred to a coach which took us to our resort in the southwest of the island. Since we had no hire car and were about as far away as possible from S`Albufera (the major nature reserve on the island); I never visited this site, and instead tried to find my own birding spots.
2002 [October] - John & Sue Roberts - Menorca
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/menorca8/men-oct-02.htm...Menorca had had a very wet summer, with torrential rain for several days, just before we arrived. Consequently there were areas of open water visible in the reedbed from the highest dunes; the marshy area south of Cala Tirant had plenty of water showing and S`Albufera des Grau was probably too full for best wader watching conditions...
2003 [April] - Christopher Hall - Mallorca; the quiet side
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/mallorca8/mall-ap-03.htmThe village of Sineu in the heart of Mallorca, commemorates Good Friday night with a procession of icons, depicting the crucifixion and resurrection, which passes through the narrow streets, blocking all access to our hotel. As we watch the participants file slowly past, dressed in robes and tall pointed hoods, the white silhouette of a Barn Owl sweeps across the black sky above us. We are off to a flying start even before we have checked in to our hotel...
2003 [October] – Pat & Judy Hayes – Mallorca
http://www.realbirder.com/mallorcareport.htmMallorca has always be a firm favourite of ours with many spring and autumn visits under our belt. So it’s with little pleasure that I report that Mallorca is changing almost daily; many of the birding sights familiar to birders only a few years ago have either gone or had the access removed.
2004 [April] - Menorca - Honeyguide
http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/menorca-2004.pdf2004 [October] - Hans Schick - Mallorca
http://www.ornithos.de/Ornithos/Trip_Reports/Spain-Mallorca2004/Mallorca2004-Excursions.htmFrom October 24–31, 2004 I spent 7 days for birdwatching in Mallorca (Spain). I arrived by plain at 15:00 on the airport of Palma de Mallorca. There I took over a prepaid car and drove to Alcúdia at the north-eastern coast of Mallorca..
2005 [April] - Honeyguides
http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/Menorca-2005.pdf2005 [March] - Mark How
http://www.hows.org.uk/inter/birds/mallorca/mallorca.htmUpon arrival and eventually getting the hire car we booked into the Hotel and then headed off to Salinas de Levante, parking by the saltworks. Kentish plovers, avocets, black winged stilts, coot, white wagtails, shelduck, shoveler, gadwall, little grebe were on the flats and pools. The scrub near the pools produced serin, corn bunting, meadow pipit, stonechat, whinchat, redstart, linnet, black redstart, song thrush and lots of sardinian warblers. We moved to Eddi’s track but nothing to add apart from Kestrel and Swift...
2005 [October] - Stephen Burch - Mallorca
http://www.stephenburch.com/trips/mallorca/mallorca.htmThis is a brief report on the birding highlights from a one week family holiday to Mallorca in October 2005. Opportunities for birding were limited, but I did manage to see a reasonable number of species, and do some digiscoping on a couple of days...
2005 [October] – Pat & Judy Hayes – Mallorca
http://www.realbirder.com/Mallorca2005.htm… a great island to begin your birding abroad. Most of the birding sites are well documented and many have been developed to cater for the British birder with bird hides positioned at strategic points allowing long sessions out of the sun….
2006 [April] - Robin & Rachel Hamilton - Menorca
http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/2006Menorca.pdfHoneyguides tour - pdf
2006 [October] - Stephen Burch
http://www.stephenburch.com/trips/mallorca06/mallorca06.htmThis is a brief illustrated report on birding during a one week family holiday to Mallorca in October 2006, which follows on from a visit at exactly the same time last year, to the same villa...
2006 [September] - Paul Lawrence
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/menorca-9/Menorca%2002-09%20sept%202006%20holiday.pdf2007 [April] - Honeyguide
http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/2007-Menorca.pdf2007 [April] – David & Amanda Mason – Mallorca
http://www.realbirder.com/Mallorca2007.htmAfter 4 days the garden list included 3 Stone Curlew, Serin, 40+ European Bee-eater, Golden Oriole, Nightingale, several Woodchat Shrike and a fly-by Eleonora's Falcon. A calling Wryneck remained elusive however.
2007 [August] - Chris Stott - Menorca
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/Menorca-10/Menorca-aug-07.htmWe were based in Es Castell at the Hotel Agamenon, a lovely venue with great views over Mahon harbour which provided a number of good birds from the balcony – my kind of birding!
2007 [May] – Pat & Judy Hayes – Mallorca
http://www.realbirder.com/Mallorca2007P.htmAll the species that were on the island 15 years ago are still there, although arguably not in the numbers they once were...
2007 [October] - Stephen Burch - Mallorca
http://www.stephenburch.com:80/trips/mallorca07/mallorca07.htmThis is a brief illustrated report on birding during a one week family holiday to Mallorca in October 2007. This was our third and probably last visit to the same villa at the same time in consecutive years...
2008 [April] - Ken Reeves
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/mallorca-13/Mallorca-april-2008.htm13 birders from Burbage Bird Club in Leicestershire stayed in Puerto Pollensa at the Pollensa Park Hotel for 7 nights. The weather was sunny and warm throughout. The roads were quiet the hotel superb and the birding excellent...
2008 [October] - Derek Lister - Majorca
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/balearics/Mallorca-15/Mallorca-oct-08.htmMajorca deservedly holds a high place with birders who want to see an excellent selection of Mediterranean birds in a varied and sometimes spectacular island...
2008 [October] - Tony Jones - Mallorca
http://www.realbirder.com/Mallorca2008.html...Our week’s total was 85 (12 over my expected 'target') with 12 'lifers' which included the totally unexpected Red-knobbed Coot...
2009 [April-May] - Pat and Judy Hayes - Mallorca
http://www.realbirder.com/Mallorca2009.htmlWe chose Villa Select to provide both our accommodation and our flight. Our villa was situated within the triangle of Pollensa, Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia. A little further out than any of our previous villas, but it did mean we were within a 10min drive of the premier birding site “Albufera”.
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Birding Pal
http://www.birdingpal.org/Spain.htmLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays
http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/wildlife-holidays/menorca.htmlIf you are looking for a quality natural history holiday, this is a great place to start. The Honeyguide programme offers a mix of the very best of wildlife in fascinating parts of Europe..
Naturetrek
http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/wildlife-holidays-in-europe/country.asp?ID=26An 8-day birdwatching tour of Mallorca`s finest sites, concentrating mainly on the spectacular north-east...
Sunbird Tours
http://www.sunbirdtours.co.uk/brochure_2003/europe/spain/mallorca.htmlThe ornithological richness of a spring visit to Mallorca has made the island famous as one of Europe`s prime birdwatching destinations...
Wings
http://wingsbirds.com/tours/view/60The ornithological richness of a spring visit to Mallorca has made the island famous as one of Europe`s prime birdwatching destinations...
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Hotel Playa Esperanza - Mallorca
http://www.esperanzahoteles.comS`Albufera Av., 4 - 07408 Platja de Muro, Mallorca - Phone: 971 890 568 / Fax: 971 890 938
Special offers for Birdwatchers Sept/Oct & March/April
Mallorcarural.com
http://uk.mallorcarural.com/Mallorcarural.com is a free booking centre offering stylish rural accommodation from simple farmhouses to the ultimate luxury hotel...
Scott's - Mallorca
http://www.scottshotel.com/eng/index.html...a charming small hotel in the centre of Mallorca...
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Birding in Mallorca
http://w3.kvalito.no/~inniarnstein/mallorc.htmMallorca is the perfect holiday destination to obtain an introduction to Mediterranean birdlife and despite the package tour image is essentially av very attractive island, boasting magnificent coastal scenery, rugged montains, and a largely unspoilt interior. The island was one of the first destinations to become popular with birdwatchers from northern Europe who relished the opportunity to get to grips with the impressive migrations of the Mediterrianean and with the localised breeding birds of the area. Altougether 340 species are recorded in Mallorca. (updated 1999)
Birds in Menorca
http://www.bridgestomenorca.com/?pg=birdsSon Bou is an amazing place for bird watching. Even a "non bird watcher" could not fail to be impressed with the sight of the migrating birds leaving the marsh at day break and then another mass of them arriving at dusk. We have spent many an early evening in the Jacuzzi waiting for their arrival - we are right under their flight path!
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