Mallorca day 2, part 2: into the swamp

After the early start at Formentor we returned to the apartment to cool off in the pool. With the rest of the family planning a late afternoon siesta, I was free to make my first visit to the renowned S'Albufera marsh, a 20 minute drive from our base in Port de Pollenca. Heavy traffic on the popular coast road extended this a bit but I located a reasonably close parking place and headed into this mother of all swamps with high expectations.

Purple Swamphen (or Gallinule) at S'Albufera from Sa Roca hide

Striking plumage colours were revealed by the evening light

To get to the reserve information centre from the road requires a 1 km walk along a straight track, the latter part of which rises onto a boardwalk alongside which the vocalisations from various herons could be heard and occasional glimpses snatched of the sources of these exotic sounds. Most were Little Egret but among them were Cattle Egret, Night Heron and Squacco Heron - and all this before getting to the information centre to seek a permit! When I got there it was closed anyway so, following the advice of the Hearl guide book about not waiting for the erratic opening hours to pan out, I didn't hang around before exploring further.

Adult Black-winged Stilt from Sa Roca hide

Juvenile Black-winged Stilt from Sa Roca hide

The first hide I entered was presumably a new one as it didn't appear in my old guide book, or indeed on any of the reserve maps, but was reached via a short track just south of the information centre. It can be seen on Google maps as the most easterly hide in the vicinity of the visitor centre, overlooking the main lagoon to the south. It was something of a showcase hide - a well-appointed structure with, most important of all, stacks of birds just outside.

Adult Black-crowned Night Heron from the Observation Deck immediately north of the information centre, looking back east down the canal - a ditch of diversity holding at least four breeding species of heron 

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron from the information centre

Among the numerous Little and Cattle Egret seen from this hide were good numbers of Little Ringed Plover and, more exotically, Black-winged Stilt and Glossy Ibis. Most eye-catching of all though were several Purple Swamphen - a species which is flourishing at S'Albufera following a successful reintroduction scheme in the 1990s.

Adult Squacco Heron from Observation Tower on Cami d'Enmig

Juvenile Squacco Heron from the boardwalk near the information centre

Not being much of an international traveller, like quite a few other birds seen on this trip, my only previous sighting of Purple Swamphen had been in the UK (I twitched the first British one with Marcus Lawson and Jol Mitchell at Minsmere in 2016). The Minsmere bird chose a similar habitat to those at S'Albufera: dry, reed-fringed pools around which it could strut, breaking off stems which it would hold in its long toes and strip with a powerful bill.

Red-knobbed Coot from Es Canal Gran hide

Red-knobbed Coot from Es Canal Gran hide

As I scanned the bird-filled lagoon it suddenly emptied - an Osprey was lumbering past flushing everything in sight. Returning to the visitor centre I walked the short loop to the south marked on the reserve map as the Sa Roca trail which produced a similar selection of birds plus a few Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and an inquisitive Fan-tailed Warbler.

Fan-tailed Warbler from Cami de ses Puntes

Fan-tailed Warbler on Sa Roca trail

The Sa Roca trail rejoined the main track through the centre of the reserve at three stone bridges, which produced another world tick for the trip - Red-knobbed Coot. The best views of this species were obtained from the Es Canal Gran hide with the sun behind me as one performed just outside the window, allowing comparison with the regular Coot which were also present.

Osprey from Sa Roca hide

This shot gives some impression of the havoc caused by the Osprey as it flew low over the lagoon

The guide book suggested that evenings were a good time to see Eleonora's Falcon, one of my main targets for the trip, hunting over the reserve. I had seen my first, another world tick, earlier in the day at Formentor but only at great distance through a scope, so was keen for closer views. Despite making the long slog to the Observation Tower on Cami d'Enmig as recommended, however, I could not locate one though the diversion provided views of yet more herons - Little Bittern and Purple Heron being added to the trip list.

Juvenile Little Bittern from the Observation Tower Hide on Cami d'Enmig - given away by its constant grunting noises

Purple Heron flypast from the Ses Eres Observation Deck on the Cami de ses Puntes

The hot walks between hides made for pleasant birding - Nightingales croaked and occasionally flushed from the path; Sardninian Warblers rattled away from every other bush and presumed Mediterranean Flycatchers provided constant distraction. Butterflies and dragonflies were disappointingly scarce with Speckled Wood and Black-tailed Skimmer being the most evident representatives of both groups.

Plenty of pale-foreheaded, unstreaky presumed 'Mediterranean' Flycatcher at S'Albufera

This one flycatching by the Stone Bridges

The light was fading by now and while it had been an excellent introduction to S'Albufera I had barely scratched the surface - unlike the local mosquitoes which, I realised the following night when awoken with intense burning sensations in the arms and legs, had been burying their proboscises deep into my exposed shins, calves and forearms. I vowed to return later in the holiday - but not without a bucket of insect repellant and some long trousers!

Butterflies were disappointingly few and far between on Mallorca - but every shaded path at S'Albufera seemed to hold a colony of Speckled Wood

Purple Swamphen catching the late evening light from Ses Puntes track