Friday fun

We interrupt this ruthlessly chronological series of posts catching up on my non-motorised year listing escapades to bring actual news i.e. less than 72 hours old. As the long May Day Bank Holiday weekend approached my ambition was increasing with my stamina, and I resolved to make the long bike ride to Portland on the Saturday.

Then news broke around Friday lunchtime of a pair of Black-winged Stilts at Lodmoor. This would be an excellent addition to the year list but the question was, should I wait until the next day and hope they were still there so I could see them en route to Portland? Or go after work and be more certain of success? It had been a tiring week - how much Zoom can a man take? - and I wasn't planning on ending it with a 35 mile bike ride but, equally, with the lighter evenings I calculated I ought to be able to make it there and back before dark. It was a pair of Black-winged Stilts, after all, so I resolved to make the effort.

With mind made up, a goal to aim for and all the steep hills being downhill on the way there, I made good time, leaving home at 1715 and arriving shortly after 1830 - slow by pro-cycling standards obviously, but quick by mine, and I almost triggered the 'lower your speed' sign on the way down into Weymouth.

On arrival at the north end of Lodmoor I almost cycled past the small group of familiar faces watching the bird, so well camouflaged were they, but their massive lenses gave them away and they kindly pointed out the Stilts and proudly showed me their Stilt-porn photos of the copulating pair. I didn't witness any such funny business but the Stilts did a tour of the pools and gave pretty good, if distant, views. I snatched some record shots and headed off, conscious of the long way home and the slow puncture I noticed on the way down, but didn't have time to stop for, and which had thus far held its own.

The sprint down to Lodmoor had made me a bit peckish, and being an elite athlete now, I was mindful of the need to treat my body with respect. So as I began the long climb out of Weymouth, supper at the excellent Preston chippy seemed the obvious choice. Duly fortified with grease, I headed up with gusto until indigestion enforced a steadier pace. 

With the pressure off, I could enjoy the little things on the ride home, like the newish stretch of tarmac east of Osmington Mills - smooth as a baby's bum, it was like a personal gift from Dorset Council to my own posterior and the bike positively purred along. Even when it came to an abrupt end with a pothole in Poxwell the occupants of a roadside Rookery cheered me on. And the sunset over Tadnoll and Winfrith Heath -  part of Egdon Heath in Thomas Hardy's novels - was redolent of one of his works, or would have been but for the field of Alpacas and caravans against the backdrop of the decommissioned nuclear reactor, none of which I guess were around in his day. As dusk fell I eschewed the main road from Wool to Wareham for the safer and more southerly scenic route along National Cycle Route 2. Mist was forming at waist height in the Frome Valley and a Skylark sang into the last of the light.

As the refreshing effects of chip fat wore off, I hit 'the wall' and progress slowed still further. Then the slow puncture became a fast one when I was two miles from home. I had forgotten to bring my little tube of nitrous oxide for rapid tyre reflation which is probably for the best as I would have been tempted to inhale it rather than use it on the bike. And it was too late and too dark to bother changing the inner tube so after pumping it up a couple of times, diminishing returns eventually kicked in and I pushed the bike for the last half a mile. But although I had limped home, the gamble had paid off: the Stilts were gone the next morning, and I could add another top drawer species to the list of birds seen travelling under my own steam. 

At the start of 2021, I calculated that I could get to 170 by the end of the year. The Stilts brought the list to this number by the end of April, so it seems I had underestimated both the potential and myself in terms of how far I would be willing to go to add to the total.

Mallorca day 12: one last visit to the swamp

Our penultimate full day on Mallorca had been ear-marked for a day at the Hidropark Alcudia, a hideous dystopia of water slides, junk food and verrucas which apparently counts as a fun day out for my fellow family members. Typically, it was the coolest day of the holiday and a stiff breeze was blowing in from the sea, making us shiver as we queued up for various forms of chlorine-fuelled entertainment. After a wholesome lunch of gristle, fat and chips, the strain was beginning to show, and I was granted time off for good behaviour to go and have another look at nearby S'Albufera marsh.

Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover - juvenile

Black-winged Stilt - juvenile

I checked out a different route on this occasion, heading north from the stone bridges near the visitor centre following the Itinerari des Colombars. The walk was long and straight and the heat was rising, but I knew there were pools at the end which might be worth checking out so I persevered. I had been surprised by the lack of Kentish Plovers on my earlier visits, but Colombars seemed to be where they were all hiding: as I headed left off the main track on to a boardwalk to the hide, an unseen Kentish Plover peeped and flushed almost from under the boardwalk itself. From the hide an adult and youngster strutted at close range, with Stilts, Glossy Ibises and Marbled Ducks in the background.

Black-winged Stilt

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Black-winged Stilt

Mallorca day 9-10: back to the swamp

Day 9 on Mallorca was another rest day. I did little more than trundle to the beach at Port de Pollenca to photograph the desmarestii sub-species of Shag which is found in the Med, and was amused to find a few revellers from the night before enjoying the early morning light on the beach. Returning via the town's La Gola nature reserve, a few more Mediterranean Flycatcher were the main highlight. My son and I did manage a brief trip to the S'Albufureta - S'Albufera's little sibling - where an Osprey, more Stilts and my first Woodchat Shrike of the trip provided some interest, but otherwise day 9 saw me subject to the tyranny of time by the swimming pool.

Marbled Duck at S'Albufera

Marbled Duck is considered globally vulnerable due to habitat loss and hunting

Six birds were present in total

Two of the flock loafing on the water's edge

I find these rest days quite stressful so resolved to get up early the next morning while everyone else was still in bed and revisit S'Albufera. The mosquito bites from my first visit had changed by this point from angry red burning wheals to angry red itchy rashes, so this time I went better prepared. Long-trousers and boots got their first outing of the holiday, but covering my arms presented a dilemma as I had only taken one long-sleeved shirt with me: a dark blue number with tan trim which my sons would describe as a 'party shirt'.

Juvenile Black-winged Stilt, S'Albufera

Over 50 Stilts were on this one pool at S'Albufera

This youngster was attempting log-balancing

Adult female Black-winged Stilt

It was not your typical birder's outfit, and I did get some funny looks from other visitors as the morning progressed, the heat rose, and the inappropriateness of my attire became more apparent. I consoled myself with the thought that these T-shirt-and-shorts folks would be itching by the time they got home, while I would smugly be bite-free, protected not just by my disco gear but by the lashings of citron-scented insect repellant procured at vast expense from a local chemist.

This young Goldfinch landed on the street in Port de Pollenca

The Mediterranean desmarestii sub-species of Shag, Port de Pollanca

Med Flycatcher at La Gola, Port de Pollenca

Med Flycatcher, Port de Pollanca

Anyway, enough catwalk talk, there was birding to be done and it started well: the fine selection of herons from my first visit were still present, with Night, Squacco and Purple Heron in a variety of plumages. Before the sun had risen convincingly, a small flock of Greater Flamingo rose briefly above the skyline, just long enough to grab a few pictures.

Glossy Ibis - commonplace at S'Albufera

Juvenile Night Heron, S'Albufera

Purple Swamphen, S'Albufera

Immature Squacco Heron, S'Albufera

All very nice, but not yet what I was hoping for. S'Albufera is a good site for the Marbled Duck, a globally threatened species classified as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN and I had yet to see one anywhere in the world. Fellow Dorset resident Marcus Lawson had provided some potential site details including a lagoon on the edge of the reserve, but this had dried out in the summer heat unfortunately. The deepest water at this time of year would be on the main reserve and sure enough, as I entered a hide on the Sa Roca trail, first one, then two, and eventually half a dozen of these attractive waterfowl gathered in front of the hide. A good morning then, even though Moustached Warbler continued to elude me.

Greater Flamingo at S'Albufera

The flock held 13 birds in total

Adult Red-knobbed Coot at S'Albufera

Juvenile Red-knobbed Coot at S'Albufera

It was a productive return to the swamp, but one of the best moments of the day was yet to come: as I made my way home via the Port de Pollenca ring road, two large soaring white birds with black wing tips caught my eye. My instinctive reactive was 'White Stork' but on pulling over for a better view it became clear they were in fact Egyptian Vultures - a bird I had hoped to see on the trip but had been advised could be very difficult!

Egyptian Vulture, Port de Pollenca

Egyptian Vulture, Port de Pollenca

Egyptian Vulture, Port de Pollenca

Woodchat Shrike on the back roads to S'Albufureta

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