Birds and reptiles

A while ago, a few weeks in fact I was going out with some friends to a area in the mountains of Mallorca, Castell d’ Alarò. Also we visited Lluc, further north on the island. Originally the plan was to go to Formentor, this is even further north on the island, to see the migration of the predatory birds. However the weather that day was far from optimal in that area. The fog was so thick it was hard to see more than a few meters. Hence we traveled further south in search of better weather. Not much sightings of predatory birds but a great trip none the less.

View from up in the mountains close to the monastery in Lluc. I highly religious place this and quite annoying with the groups of praying people scaring away the birds. And the BELLS….. will someone please make them stop?

The top of the mountain they have placed this large cross and found it necessary to guard it with barbed wire. It is not a nice sight in the middle of the mountain and I don’t think it belongs there at all, but it gave a nice and fitting political picture. You can put your own meaning into this picture, whatever you like, but most people who know me knows what I think of this.

Well back to the animals. A lot of the birds we saw were common birds, but it is nice to see them and I always have fun taking photos of animals large and small. The unpredictability is one of the things that make it frustrating and exciting all in one.  

Fringilla coelebs female

These are common birds both in Spain and Norway however migratory at least in Norway. "Coelebs" means bachelor and it got its name because often the males stay put throughout the year and only the females leave. Or the males often arrive after migrating some weeks before the females.

Fringilla coelebs male

We saw several species of swifts and swallows: Apus apus, apus melba, apus pallidus and Delichon urbica

There might have been more, but these we are certain we saw. They are none the less frustratingly fast and difficult to photograph. Hence I have not got a specific photo of the species. I have instead a compilation of photos mostly depicting the landscape and a single bird in the shot, an Apus apus or the common swift.

Muscicapa striata

This is one of my favorite photos from the trip. I think they are a pair working together on the next generation. And what a nice perspective they were posing in, one further away from the other. Most of the time photos I am happy with is 99% luck.

Tarentola mauritanica

  

I was looking down a cliff when I heard some rustling in the leaves quite close to where I was standing. It turned out to be these to geckoes fighting. The darker, larger one has the hind leg of the smaller one in its jaw. Their fight made them completely oblivious to our presence.  

Regulus ignicapilla

This one is similar but not equal to the goldcrest (Regulus regulus) In Norwegian it is called “fuglekonge” or bird king (it is also the smallest bird in Norway…Irony, we have it). This is the fire crest, or in Norwegian “rødtoppfuglekonge”. The white line around the eye is the easiest difference to spot.