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Menorca, 16-24th May,

More a family holiday than a birdwatching trip but an idea of what one can see with a family to cater for as well. The taxi trip from the airport to Cala'N Porter augured well as raptors were seen flying in the fields alongside the main road. We were staying at Cala'N Porter, a short look around after unpacking produced the following birds

16^th May Cala'N Porter

Hoopoe 3
Red kite 1
Egyptian vulture 1
Black kite 2
Corn bunting (common)
Woodchat shrike 1
Blackbird
House martin 2

18^th May Cavalleria

Audouin's Gull Phil Stidwill (video grab)

This was a great area for birds of prey. A little more time could have been spent here. The birds were generally seen at close quarters.

20^th May Cala'N Porter

Red-footed Falcon   Phil Stidwill (digiscope)

Booted eagle 2
Honey buzzard 1
Red-footed falcon 2 males
Thekla lark (this area seemed like a good spot for larks)
(Scop's owl heard but not seen)

20^th May S'Albufera

Turtle Dove    Phil Stidwill (digiscope)

Little egret 3
Grey heron 2
Booted eagle 4
Yellow-legged gull (with young)
Mallard
Coot
Sardinian warbler
Turtle doves 2
Common stonechat
(Nightingale heard plenty but not seen)
(Cetti's warbler heard but not seen)
Red-footed falcon (female)
Peregrine
Little ringed plover 2
Black-winged stilt
Corn bunting
Common swift
Swallow
Cormorant

21^st May Son Bou, A large marsh next to the beach

Little Stint   Phil Stidwill (digiscope)

Little stint 1
Common kestrel 1       
Blue rock thrush 1
Fan-tailed warbler (zitting cisticola) 1
Cory's shearwater 1 off shore

There is a small river leading away from the beach with plenty of cover for birds and is relatively hard to see warblers

Sardinian warblers
Woodchat shrike 1
Black-crowned night heron 1
Thekla lark
(Scop's owl heard but not seen)

22^nd May Binixiquer

Red kite 1
Booted eagle 2
Swallow

23^rd May Cala'N Porter

Thekla Lark      Phil Stidwill (digiscope)

Woodchat shrike 1
Thekla lark 2
Booted eagle 2
Peregrine falcon 1
Alpine swift 2
Common kestrel 1
Sardinian warbler
Common stonechat      
Common swift
Pallid swift
Linnets
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
House sparrow
Corn bunting
(Scop's owl heard but not seen)

Summary

44 species in all with four heard but not seen:

Quail
Nightingale
Cetti's warbler
Scop's owl

Yellow-legged gulls were also seen inland, they appeared to be breeding in colonies in the fields in the Cavalleria area
Quail were heard in several areas where there was suitable habitat.
Corn buntings seemed fairly common
The finches were also common
Kestrels were seen all over the island
Scop's owl was heard calling from a pine tree but never seen despite trying every evening.
Booted eagle were easy to find as were Marsh harrier and red kite
Cetti's warbler and nightingales were calling at all the sites visited but needed more time to get views
I had good to excellent views of all birds seen on and around the island.
I can also recommend a book The Birds of Menorca by Enric Ramos. My wife found it in a small shop in Fornells Menorca just in time for our journey home.

I could read about what I had missed!

Phil Stidwill, 80 Stuart Road, Pennycomequick, Plymouth, PL1 5LP

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