Spring migration on the stunning island of Menorca was underway when we arrived on the 21 April 2015. Before we had even signed the paper work for the hire car at the airport we were being serenaded by Nightingales: they are just everywhere on Menorca!
Accommodation and car hire
Our self-catering accommodation was in the north of the Island at Playas de Fornells, a frontline apartment overlooking the bay of Cala Tirant. The apartment was booked through Owners Direct (apartment reference number 8008777) and the car through the ever helpful Sol Cars.
Local bird guide
A couple of years ago I met Javier Mendez, the top birder and professional ecologist on the Island. He now provides a birding and guided walking service and I would highly recommend him. His website is www.menorcawalkingbirds.com or email info@menorcawalkingbirds.com
The rest of this blog is organised in terms of key sites, with many birds being seen on multiple occasions.
Tiranat marshes (aka Lluriac by the locals)
• Little Egret
• Woodchat Shrike x2
• Booted Eagle (numerous)
• Cettis Warbler
• Fan Tailed Warbler
• Mallard (several pairs on the marsh)
• Common Swifts
• Bee-eaters x9
• Kestrel (common kestrel)
• Red Crested Pochard (a pair)
• Ravens
• Cuckoo (flying through)
• Wood pigeons
• Little Grebe
• Gadwall
• Marsh Harrier
• Greenshank
• Woodsandpiper x6
• House Martins
• Stone Chat
• Black Winged Stilts
• Corn Bunting
Playas de Fornells apartments/urbanisation & Cala Tirant beach
• Nightingale (mainly heard)
• House Sparrow (numerous)
• Red Kite x1
• Balearic Shag
• Yellow Legged Gulls (numerous)
• Audouin’s Gull
• Collared Dove (common)
• Swallows (numerous)
• Sardinian Warbler (one building a nest just below the terrace of the apartment)
• Blackbird
• Goldfinches
• Hoopoe x1
• Great Tit - a pair
• Osprey, with a fish
• Blue Rock Thrushes (many around the apartment, often singing from the roof tops and chimney pots)
• Magpie (a first for Menorca if accepted by the rarities committee)
• Green Finch
• Turtle Dove
• Egyptian Vultures x2 (from the terrace of the apartment)
• Little Ringed Plover
• Scops Owl heard calling - three around the apartment on the evening of 28 April
• Black Cap
• Rock Doves on the cliffs below the apartment
Es Grau and Illa d'en Colom
• Black winged Stilt on the beach early in the morning
• Cory's Shearwaters off shore heading East
I was lucky to be invited by local birders to visit the Island of Colom, just off the coast from Es Grau. The purpose of the visit was to carry out a survey of breeding Yellow Legged Gulls on behalf of the national parks service. The parks service provided a speedy 'rib' to take us across the small stretch of turquoise water and we landed on a secluded beach. From here the hard work started as we had to clamber over the rocky and shale terrain, or bash our way through prickly undergrowth, in search of active nests. There were three of us carrying out this work on a hot morning (24 April), and after four hours, we had located103 nests. The majority of nests had two eggs, but perhaps 30 - 40% had three. The eggs were superbly camouflaged, so the trick was to look for a small scrape containing some rudimentary vegetation. Fascinatingly, some eggs were hatching why we recorded the exact location with GPS, and a few nests had one or more chicks. It was also incredible to see some eggs with an obvious hole in them, and a tiny bill breaking through the shell in a bid for freedom! Not surprisingly, some of the adult birds were not at all impressed by our presence, and more than once we were dive bombed as angry birds tried to drive us away.
Northern Wheatears were also noted on the Island in small numbers, together with a superb and very pale Red Kite.
Sant Thomas to Son Bou (the walk along the coast path)
• Tawny Pipits
• Linnets
• Egyptian Vulture
• Sandwich Tern x1 (on some rocks, just off shore)
Miscellaneous sites
Bar Suzy Macarella, a delightful 2km walk from Cala Galdana: a couple of Spotted Flycatchers in the garden. Red Kites and Booted eagles seen on many occasions across the Island. Quail heard at several sites but never seen!
Moorhen and Cattle Egret both at the reservoir near Mercadal, and two superb Red Footed Falcons perched on overhead electricity wires nearby. Common Sandpiper and Shellducks at Ses Salinas. One Spotless Starling in Mercadal - there is now a small breeding population there.
On the cliff walk between Playas de Fornells and Fornells port there were migrating Yellow Wagtails (about 15) and a couple of Winchats on the 3 May.