One thing I wasn't quite prepared for about Mallorca was the beauty and majesty of the mountains, particularly the Serra de Tramuntana which run from Formentor at the northern tip down the length of the island in a south-westerly direction. The Cuber reservoir high in these mountains was prominent on my list of priorities to visit as one of the known raptor hotspots on the island. A full day had been allocated in the family itinerary for what's known in our household as a 'Dadventure'.
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| Tawny Pipit is one of the characteristic birds of the Cuber area |
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| The adult Tawny Pipit was joined by a more streaky juvenile |
A Dadventure is loosely defined as a day trip orchestrated by me, based around birding hotspots with periodic visits to cafes or other theoretically family-friendly points of interest thrown in to pacify my fellow travellers. The unwritten rule of a Dadventure is that seeing the target species takes priority and may require amendments to the published itinerary, enjoyment of which is entirely optional for the other members of the family, and very much a secondary consideration. If this sounds harsh, I should point out that on a family holiday the frequency of Dadventures are restricted, and I am subjected to the tyranny of the majority for the rest of the time.
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| The juvenile Tawny Pipit was getting the hang of catching grasshoppers |
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| A view of the reservoir and mountains beyond |
Having played my joker thusly I was determined to make the most of it, so we set off early (by our standards) to start the hour long drive to Cuber. The winding roads produced complaints of car sickness so frequent stops to check out promising viewpoints and allow pauses for breath were made en route. These didn't produce much bird-wise but on reaching Cuber and squeezing into the last free parking space (in the second car park just beyond the more northerly one by the entrance track to the reservoir), I stepped out of the car to be greeted by my first ever Black Vulture, circling high above with a couple of Griffon Vulture for company.
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| My first views of Black Vulture were distant but conclusive - a huge, dark shape, wings slightly bowed and evenly broad with a saw-toothed rear edge |
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| Griffon Vulture by comparison shows an all pale head, and wing coverts which are paler than the dark flight feathers |
When Graham Hearl's guide book was published in 1999, Griffon Vulture was a rarity on Mallorca, with one wandering bird being referred to in the text. In 2008 a flock of around 100 birds arrived, breeding followed in 2012 and a healthy population now appears well established. The larger Black Vulture was, however, my main target, and we saw several, all high and distant, over the course of the next few hours spent walking the shore of the reservoir. Another potential target, Spectacled Warbler, was heard but not seen just beyond the dam.
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| The Cleopatra butterfly always lands with wings closed, looking very much like our more familiar Brimstone, but in flight... |
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| ...the difference becomes obvious - couldn't manage an in-focus shot unfortunately! |
Shortly after leaving the car an unfamiliar Wagtail-like call betrayed the presence of two Tawny Pipit close to the path, an adult accompanied by a juvenile which was constantly begging for food. The rest of my own family carried on in search of shelter from the searing heat while I sat and cooked, happily photographing the pipits, and watching the youngster get the hang of catching grasshoppers. Eleonora's Falcon reportedly visit the reservoir to bathe around midday, so our packed lunch taken at the western end of the reservoir had been timed to coincide with this. Again I was disappointed on this front as no Eleonora's appeared. In consolation, however, we enjoyed good scope views of more vultures, a Booted Eagle and a Red Kite.
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| A paler (presumed female) Cleopatra |
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| Striped Grayling |
Cuber also offered the chance to see a couple of new butterflies - the subtle Striped Grayling which was frequently disturbed from the tracks, and the brilliant Cleopatra which was eking out nectar from the few available wildflowers. Picking out males of the latter was easy enough due to the bright orange patches visible on the forewing in flight, but as this feature is not apparent on females, I was initially unsure as to whether these might be the very similar, more familiar Brimstone. Checking the field guide resolved this confusion as Brimstone is apparently absent from the Balearics! 'Continental' Swallowtail, Common Blue and Painted Lady were also present around the shores of the reservoir.
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| Swallowtail |
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| Puig Major: the highest point on Mallorca - a few hundred feet higher than Ben Nevis - is marred somewhat by this Spanish military installation which also makes it inaccessible to climbers - but not to vultures which could often be seen around the giant golf ball |
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