At Oriole Birding, we take pride in the fact that our Mallorca birding holidays have always been a bit different from the rest, and we continue to pursue this ethos. Our new autumn migration holiday is based from a tranquil countryside hotel on a working ecological estate in the south-east of the island. Aside from the accommodation being absolutely fabulous, the surrounding lanes around where we will be staying are excellent for birding, meaning that the birding starts right on our doorstep, be it on a pre-breakfast wander or a walk after dinner! Being based at such a well-appointed site surrounded by Mallorca countryside, we can really take advantage of the birding opportunities which abound here. Our holiday offers a relaxed pace, excellent birding and a true taste of what this tried and tested birding destination has to offer during the less well-watched peak of autumn migration. We spend our days visiting some of the best birding sites on the island and our evenings enjoying a superb Mallorcan dinner, all this to the sound of calling Stone-Curlews and European Scops Owl around our accommodation! An excellent destination to cut your European birding teeth, the island offers unrivalled opportunities for studying migrant birds, but also has its own list of specialities such as Eleonora’s Falcon, Balearic Warbler, Mediterranean Flycatcher (newly split from Spotted), Balearic & Scopoli’s Shearwaters, Audouin’s Gull, Bonelli’s Eagles, Cinereous and Griffon Vulture, Thekla’s Lark and the Balearic form of Woodchat Shrike.
Very special features of this holiday are the visits we make to the islands of Cabrera and Dragonera; both premier sights in Spain for observing migration. We will spend the day on the beautiful Cabrera (bring your swimming gear!), allowing us to really soak up the atmosphere of this beautiful archipelago, while also putting us in the best position for observing migration. Raptors including Honey-Buzzards can pass in large numbers at this time of year, funnelling south to this remote set of islands, while the islands track record for attracting rarities is unparalleled anywhere else in Spain. We are also present at the best time of year for observing Eleonora’s Falcon on their breeding colonies and stand a good chance of finding our own migrants including migratory raptors, European Bee-eaters, hirundines, pipits, wagtails, flycatchers, shrikes and buntings, whilst enjoying Balearic Warblers.
DAY ONE
We catch a morning flight Stansted to Palma and take the one-hour transfer to the Rural Hotel Aumallia in the south-east of the island. Once everyone has settled in, we can take our first walk around the quiet lanes surrounding the hotel, where we can hope to encounter our first Hoopoes, Wrynecks, Serins, Sardinian Warblers and Balearic Woodchat Shrikes. A dinner will be provided for us each night by the hotel, consisting of delicious traditional Mallorcan cuisine using locally sourced produce. Your evening meals are likely to be accompanied by the sounds of calling Stone Curlew and Scop’s Owl.
DAY TWO
A pre-breakfast walk around the almond, carob and fruit tree orchards surrounding our accommodation might reveal newly arrived migrant species such as Wrynecks, Redstarts or Pied Flycatchers. Resident species such as Cirl Bunting, Wryneck and Hoopoe will entertain, while being situated close to the hills of Es Fangar and San Salvador should reveal a selection of raptors including Booted Eagle, and perhaps the locally breeding Bonelli’s Eagles. Staying at such a wonderful site gives us a huge advantage over those based at the main hotels in Puerto Pollença and Alcudia, with good birding right on our doorstep! In addition, being situated in the south east of the island places us in close proximity for some of the islands premier birding sites. One of these are the saltpans of Salobrar de Campos, the saline lagoons here being one of Mallorca’s best sites for shorebirds. Greater Flamingo can be found in good numbers, along with an assortment of shorebirds such as Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, Spotted, Wood and Green Sandpiper and perhaps a Collared Pratincole or Marsh Sandpiper. Birds of prey frequently include Osprey, Booted Eagle, Eleonora’s Falcon and Red Kite, while Bluethroats might be discovered in the thick suaeda bushes. Surrounding farmland can be good for Short-toed Lark and Montagu’s Harrier, and also attract migrants. Nearby is the Cap de Ses Salines, the islands most southerly point. During the autumn this is the final departure point for migrants before crossing to Africa. A particular feature here is the migration of Honey Buzzards, along with Marsh and Montagu’s Harrier, Black Kite, Hobby and others, and a good day of passage can be impressive. Also on our doorstep is one of the islands only breeding colonies of Alpine Swifts at Castell de Santuari, where we will also look for breeding Firecrest, Blue Rock Thrush and Crag Martins. At nearby S’algar in Portocolom, we will be in the best site on the Mallorca mainland for Balearic Warbler, and will try to get the best views possible of this endemic warbler. Pallid Swifts breed nearby, while later in the afternoon we will perhaps time our stop here with a local fishing boat, coming into Portocolom with a trail of feeding Balearic and Scopoli’s Shearwaters attracted by the days catch. We will then return to Aumallia for dinner.
DAY THREE
Today we will visit the vast expanse of the S’Albufera marshes. The network of pools and waterways are well served by a variety of trails and hides, while the reed bed here is simply colossal! Our trip list is likely to soar, with bustling heronries hosting Little and Cattle Egrets, Night Herons and Glossy ibis, and the lagoons hosting Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Common Tern, Red Crested Pochard, Great White Egrets, Purple and Squacco Herons, Cetti’s and Great Reed Warblers and Marsh Harriers. Parties of Yellow Wagtails often pause here, and might include one of the more interesting races, and migrant shorebirds abound. Common Greenshank, Common and Wood Sandpipers, Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plovers occur, and we will also search for another one of the specialities, Western Swamphen. Rarer still are the few Red-knobbed Coots that occur here, and our other target bird is the skulking Moustached Warbler. S’Albufera is the jewel in Mallorca’s birding crown and one visit really only scratches the surface. There are also several excellent sites around the edge of the main reserve, such as the Depuradora ponds where Marbled Duck can often be seen along with passing marsh terns and waders might be found, and the whole area is good for migrants generally. Returning to our hotel after a superbly varied day, a cold beer by the pool accompanied by the calls of Stone Curlew will be the perfect ending.
DAY FOUR
Today we will drive west to the small seaside village of Sant Elm, our gateway to the spectacular island of Sa Dragonera. The pines surrounding the village could produce the balearic subspecies of Common Crossbill, as well as Firecrest, Black Redstart and Sardinian Warbler. From here we will catch our boat and make the short crossing to Sa Dragonera, likely noting Yellow-legged and Audouin’s Gulls, along with Scopoli’s Shearwater and Balearic Shearwater. This is a new destination for Oriole Birding, recently introduced into our autumn birding holidays, and should be a very exciting one! Eleonora’s Falcons Are the stars here, breeding in large numbers, and should offer spectacular views. Osprey can often be seen fishing in the small island harbour, while Audouin’s Gulls are frequent. Balearic Warbler, endemic to the Balearic Islands, can be found here in high densities, while another Balearic speciality is the near-endemic Moltoni’s Warbler which may be lingering, though it is late in the year for these. The islands isolated location off the far western tip of Mallorca make it an ideal place to observe migration, and the right weather conditions can result in falls of large numbers of Wheatears, Willow Warblers, Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers, along with species such as Turtle Dove, Melodious, Wood and Bonelli’s Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Nightingale and Golden Oriole. The island has an excellent track record for attracting rarities, further adding to the excitement! Crag Martin, Blue Rock Thrush and Peregrine Falcon all breed here. Returning back to Aumallia, we may opt to take a walk around the hotel to enjoy the resident species and check for newly arrived migrants, or perhaps just chill by the pool before another delicious dinner!
DAY FIVE
This morning we will be making our way into the spectacular World Heritage Site of the Tramuntana mountains. Once here we will wind our way through breath-taking limestone peaks and valleys, we will stop for a walk through one of our favourite passages, at Mortitx. A spectacular valley with the Vinyes Mortitx winery at the heart of it, this location is particularly special for giving us the opportunity to see the rare Bonelli’s Eagle, recently reintroduced to the island. This is also an excellent site for both Black and Griffon Vultures, and we can expect to get good views, along with Blue Rock Thrush and Crag Martin. Bee-eaters may be noted passing overhead or perhaps hawking for insects over the grapevines, while flycatchers can be everywhere if a fall has taken place, and a variety of warblers might be found in the surrounding vegetation. Fence lines are checked for shrikes and chats and an eye as always kept on the sky for passing raptors and hirundines. We have previously found the rare Collared Flycatcher in this location so anything is possible! In the afternoon, we will head out again to the nearby smaller S’Albufereta marsh. This can be a good place to see Greater Flamingo and Red-crested Pochard, while Purple Heron or Great White Egret might be noted along with a fishing Osprey and a selection of wildfowl and waders. Zitting Cisticola are common in the surrounding grasses, while Firecrest are frequent in the pines. Audouin’s Gull is also quite easy to see along this stretch of beach, while the nearby Can Cuarassa track holds one of the few colonies of Spotless Starlings in Mallorca and can also be good for migrant species.
DAY SIX
After a relaxed breakfast back the hotel, today’s excursions will be flexible. We may choose return to the saltpans of Salobrar de Campos again; the area being so rich that it is often worth revisiting! At the main pans, shorebirds are a focus, while the large flocks of Greater Flamingo’s will be eye-catching as ever! We will also have the opportunity to catch up with any missed species or new arrivals on the island. The Cap de Ses Salines; the southernmost tip of Mallorca, could be worth a visit to see if we can coincide with any migrating Honey Buzzards, while it can be a magnet for all migrant species, and also hosts good numbers of Turtle Doves and Balearic Woodchat Shrikes.
DAY SEVEN
Today we have an exciting day in store as we organize the boat trip and and day trip to the island of Cabrera, off the southern tip of Mallorca. This island is famously one of the best sites in Spain to observe bird migration and is certainly one of the most stunning locations in the whole of Mallorca. Arriving into Colonia de San Jordi, we board a fast boat which takes about 45 minutes to reach Cabrera. Our journey across will see us encounter both Balearic and Scopoli’s Shearwaters, Osprey and the Mediterranean subspecies of Shag should be noted at sea. Cabrera is like the Scilly Isles are to the UK! Being a remote island off the south coast of Mallorca, the island acts as a refuge for species making their way north into Europe. Many other rare and scarce birds have been found on the island over the years (we saw a Collared Flycatcher here on the 2018 spring tour), while the arrivals of commoner species which make landfall here can be spectacular if the weather conditions are in our favour. Species such as Willow Warbler, Common Redstart, Pied and Balearic Flycatchers, Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail all occurring in good numbers, while there is also a good chance of Turtle Dove, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Balearic Woodchat Shrike and perhaps a Western Bonelli’s or Melodious Warbler, Eurasian Wryneck or something more unusual. Eleonora’s Falcons again breed here in important densities and we will hopefully get some good views. Balearic Warbler also breed here at high densities.
DAY EIGHT
Today we will have half a day or so to birdwatch in the south of the island before making our way towards Palma Airport, where we will catch our evening flight back to the UK.
WHATS INCLUDED
Return flights from UK/Palma, seven nights accommodation, meals from dinner on day one to breakfast on day eight, minibus transport, services of guides and reserve entrance fees.
NOT INCLUDED
Transport to/from UK airport and any overnight stay that might be required, travel insurance, drinks and any items of a purely personal nature.
ACCOMMODATION
A luxurious countryside en suite hotel for seven nights.
PASSPORT, VISA & HEALTH
Visas are not required by UK nationals. Passports must be
- less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’)
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
Standard health and inoculation requirements apply for UK nationals, visit www.masta-travel-health.com to check these and if necessary, download a free health brief to take to a travel appointment at your local travel clinic.
