After spending the morning at the Cuber reservoir, the itinerary for today's
Dadventure (4th August) dictated that we should head west into the mountains to the town of Soller, then south towards Bunyola before heading back in a north-easterly direction to Orient and south again towards Alaro. Before reaching the latter, however, we took the road up to the Castell d'Alaro as recommended in Graham Hearl's 'Birdwatching Guide to Mallorca'.
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| Booted Eagle, Castell d'Alaro |
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| The 'landing lights' at the join of neck and forewing can just be seen in these photos - characteristic of Booted Eagle |
Sitting 815m above sea level, the castle is perched on a plug of rock offering expansive views to most points of the compass. The castle remains date from the 15th century but it previously served as one of the last strongholds of the Moorish occupiers of the island. The reviews of the landscape and birdlife sounded good but we didn't really know what to expect.
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| A more distant pale morph Booted Eagle at Castell d'Aloro |
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| Screenshot of a typical satnav image of the route to Castell d'Aloro! |
The Hearl guide suggested that this was one of the best sites in Mallorca for Booted Eagle - but I couldn't have imagined how good: as we parked by the Es Verger restaurant, about an hour's walk from the top, a dark phase Booted Eagle stooped down from the ramparts and gave a regal flypast, almost at eye level. The restaurant is about as far up as one can sensibly drive without a 4x4 and while the 'road' goes higher, driving it is not for the faint-hearted as it narrows and deteriorates into barely a donkey track.
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| Castell d'Alaro from below |
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| Castell d'Alaro sits atop this superb Crag Martin habitat |
It was another hot day so the walk to the top was demanding - but worth every bead of sweat shed to get there. Possibly one of the most spectacular locations I have ever visited, the ruins at the summit were like something from a Lord of the Rings film - except the real Eagles were far more convincing than Peter Jackson's CGI raptors! The crags below also held, appropriately, Crag Martin, and we found ourselves in the unusual position of being able to look down on them as they flicked around on powerful thermals.
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| Crag Martin |
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| A wider crop of the same Crag Martin against the landscape below the castle |
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| We saw Crag Martin at several sites but this was the only place I saw one perched |
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| A more fitting location than Chesterfield's football stadium, where I saw one in 2015! |
I would say whatever your reasons for visiting Mallorca, a visit to Castell d'Aloro (pronounced to rhyme with Alomo, apparently) should be considered an essential part of the itinerary.
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| The last few steps to the top |
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| The family check out the view |
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| Stunning views on three sides from the summit of Castell d'Alaro |
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