We were in Mallorca as my parents had just got married. It was a sort of celebration. A week in a private villa, with our little family, and no other worries, in north eastern Mallorca near Pollenca. Amazing!
We had just arrived at the villa where we were staying. There was nothing about yet but the best was yet to come. We started unpacking and went into the villa. When we came out, there was a flock of goldfinches flying around in the garden.
The next day, we were sat outside and there were a lot of birds of prey around. It was mainly red kites up and around the mountainside. It was a joy to look at. They kept on circling up and around, gaining altitude as they collected air currents.
The next day, there was another kite drifting over. We could not identify it from a distance so we rushed inside to grab the binoculars and field guide before it left. When we came outside again, he was closer. We lifted the binoculars and scrolled through the guide until we came across the black kite. We decided it was actually a black kite which was a first for me.
A few days later, there was something else drifting overhead. It was quite big actually, but we did not know what it was. We grabbed the binoculars and field guide again and quickly looked up! After we had observed it, we had a look in the guide. Turns out, it was a booted eagle, another first for me!
I felt really pleased to see all these new raptors. It was a joy to watch and that day was ended with a kestrel. Lovely. I had no expectations of seeing all of these birds and from the garden! Just amazing.
This is just an early taste though. There is still a lot more to come…
The Bovey Birder 