Almost Home

We’re almost at the end of Menorca for 2014. So here are a few more pictures of Menorca life until next year. Enjoy. 

On some evenings the Scops Owl comes for a close look at us just as we're enjoying a glass of wine.

Scops Owl

The common lark in these parts is the crested Thekla Lark. It makes a change from the humble UK Skylark.

 Thekla Lark

Adding a little interest to the sunbathing are regular sightings of ringed Audouin's Gulls. 

Audouin's Gull

Or watching the local Kestrel watching us from on high.

Kestrel

Spring in Menorca is just wonderful for seeing and painting the wild flowers.

 Menorca Poppies

A walk to the local shops even involves a spot of birding.

Spotted Flycatcher

Now that's what I call a Menorca walk.

Menorca

Menorca Horses

Another Bird Blog is back home in the UK any day now and will post new pictures from the last two weeks very soon.

I promise to catch up with all your comments soon.  Apologies if you are still waiting.

I hope everyone enjoyed Menorca as much as we did? Linking today to Anni's Blog, Camera Critters and Eileen's Saturday Blog.

Home!

As the plane splashed across the puddled runway towards the terminal building we knew it must be Manchester Airport. We were home. Two weeks of glorious Menorcan sunshine was over and normality beckoned. 

To get the blog back up and running I’m posting a few pictures from the holiday and hope to catch up with fellow bloggers soon. 

Most days were spent exploring again the rolling landscapes of the Menorca countryside, either on foot or by car. More often it would be both, stop-starting as particular spots or sightings lured us further into discovering the delights of this wonderful flower-filled island, a place where traditional farming and its associated birdlife is the norm. 

Don’t forget to “click the pics” for a Menorca experience. 

Spring flowers - Tirant, Menorca

Traditional farming - Menorca

Traditional farming - Menorca

Towards Cavallaria - Menorca

The roadside towards Cap de Cavalaria was a good place to find Tawny Pipit, Corn Bunting, Stonechat, Quail, Sardinian Warbler, Kestrels a-plenty, Short-toed Lark, Thekla Lark, Red Kites and Booted Eagles, the latter the commonest raptor of the island. Just one Red-footed Falcon seen in the two weeks, a later migrant and also one which arrives in poor weather and/or south-easterly winds. Egyptian Vultures can be seen almost anywhere on the island, especially so on the Cavallaria route but the clear skies of the two weeks kept both them and the Booted eagles high in the sky. And below is the best shot I could get of a distant Montagu’s Harrier as it sought insects above a recently cut field.

Sardinian Warbler

Corn Bunting

Tawny Pipit

 

Thekla Lark

Red Kite

Stonechat

Montagu's Harrier

In the first week of our holiday Woodchat Shrikes were very evident, particularly on roadside wires from which they searched the ground below for insect food. In the second week the shrikes were less visible with just local pairs noted rather then obvious migrants.

Woodchat Shrike

At one point we stopped the car to retrieve a Heerman’s Tortoise from the centre of the road and an approaching car. The tortoises lay their eggs in the spring so May is a time when lots of youngsters explore, so putting themselves in danger. The one below is probably some weeks old and not fully grown, but we also found some tiny individuals. 

 Heerman's Tortoise

Heermans’s Tortoise Testudo hermanni 

Generally the pace of life in Menorca is slow so the tortoises probably have time to cross the road, as do the cattle. 

Beware, Slow Cattle

All that walking and birding, leaning over gates in the dry and often dusty countryside makes for thirsty work. 

 

 Traditional Gate Menorca Style

Wash That Car

What Crisis? - Es Mercadal, Menorca

There’s more from Menorca soon and hopefully some local news when I get back in the swing of local birding. 

Linking today to Stewart in Australia.

Menorca Friday

I dropped Sue in trendy second-city Ciutadella, the jewel in Menorca’s crown. Here she could put the map away and browse the shops and the market, explore the narrow streets and mingle with the locals, wandering the pedestrianised old city with its many narrow streets of hidden sights, shops and cafe treats. 

Ciutadella - Menorca

Ciutadella - Menorca

Café Bar Es Moli- Ciutadella - Menorca

Well that was my excuse as the car stopped at Café Bar Es Moli from where I joined the ring road towards the north of the island and a few well-chosen birding spots. There’s a bit of a narrow, dodgy one lane road where giving way is test of nerves of who chickens out first. Eventually after many stops in tiny roadside spaces to bird from the car I reach the calm oasis of Punta Nati. Here there are Short-toed Larks, Thekla Larks, late Whinchats and Wheatears still heading for Europe and more of those ridiculously blue thrushes. There were raptors too enjoying the warm, lifting air and the plethora of food on offer below - Red Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Red-footed Falcons. 

Thekla Lark

Short-toed Lark

 

Punta Nati - Menorca

Whinchat

It’s too easy to forget the gulls in the search for passerines or raptors, but there are Yellow-legged Gulls aplenty and small numbers of Audouin’s Gull enjoying the coastal scenery even here in the remote north. 

Audouin's Gull

On the way back to Ciutadella I stop at the Cattle Egret noisy and active colony , still here after many years despite the building of holiday lets close by. 

Cattle Egret

The shopping bags appear full, and so is my notebook - It’s another successful day in Menorca for Another Bird Blog.

News from later  - Corncrake. Montagus Harrier, Whiskered Tern, Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and European Roller. Still 25 degrees.  

Back soon from the Balearics when I promise to catch up with Blogger friends.

News And Views

Nothing much to report today – the first Willow Warbler nest of the year with youngsters, plus a few oddities at Pilling after the easterly winds: a fresh in Chiffchaff, an unseasonal Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Lesser Redpoll at Pilling Water. 

Willow Warbler nest

To fill the gap I compiled a post with photographs from the recent Menorca holiday, both birds and views. 

It sounded like a good deal to me; drop Sue off In Ciutadella at the Friday market for shopping and browsing around the swanky shops while I drive up to Punta Nati for birding before the midday heat. Later we would meet up for a spot of lunch at our favourite café bar The Aurora in Placa D’Alfons. 

The tiny roadside Little Egret colony just outside the second city prospers despite the passing traffic, with this year large young out of the nest while the adults repaired the damage caused by constant comings and goings. There are Turtle Doves here too. 

Cattle Egret

Cattle  Egret

 Turtle Dove

The road to Punta Nati is single track, and so as to avoid scratching the hire car it’s best to remember the correct side of the road if something suddenly appears from the opposite direction. There’s constant song and calling from three similar sounding birds, Thekla Lark, Tawny Pipit and Short-toed Lark, actually finding each made more difficult by the birds’ colouration blending into the rock strewn landscape; unless that is they perch up alongside the road. 

Punta Nati, Menorca

Punta Nati, Menorca 

Short-toed Lark

Tawny Pipit

Thekla Lark

Like most of the thrush family the Blue Rock Thrushes here are shy, keeping their distance from visitors who mostly spend 15 minutes wandering about the lighthouse then head off to the delights of Ciutadella. In the first week of May we saw Wheatears and Whinchats, both species on their way to Northern Europe, not to mention thousands of Swifts and Swallows.

Blue Rock Thrush

Whinchat

Birds of prey up here in the north of the island: Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagle, Red Kite and Kestrel. Depending upon recent rainfall levels there may be tiny pool of water here which often has an unusual Menorcan bird or two, last year Golden Plover, this year Ruff. 

Ruff

Many years ago Ciutadella lost the crown of capital city of Menorca in favour of Mahon about 50 kilometres to the east where the harbour is bigger and more suitable for larger vessels, and in recent years cruise ships. We prefer magnificent Ciutadella any day, an intimate, working Spanish city where a labyrinth of tiny streets crowded with shops, restaurants and cafes buzz with the daily life of half the population of Menorca. 

Placa Pio, Ciutadella Cathedral

Placa Des Borns, Ciutadella

Placa Federico

The Aurora and Es Moli

Les Voltes, Ciutadella

 

Port De Ciutadella

Menorcan Lunch - Ensaimada and coffee

I hope everyone enjoyed today's trip to Menorca. More Birds soon.