Majorca....and a must read red flag warning!!!

[Dave Williams]

Majorca or Mallorca? They are the same place but the locals, and indeed the Catalans in general, call it Mallorca, the rest of Spain call it Majorca. It is of course one of the Balearic Islands off south eastern Spain and is a major holiday destination for Europeans, particularly for Germans and to a slightly lesser extent the British. I had visited twice before, once, about 45 years ago for a traditional family beach holiday in the south, then some 25 years later Claire and I had a walking holiday on the mountainous north coast. This time the idea was some early spring sunshine , and some bird photography for myself. We accepted an invitation to share a villa with a couple of friends, half price on the accommodation and the car would make it a very affordable two week break and a decision to go for it was made 14 months before we actually travelled there. Our friends have been many times before but hadn't been able to travel abroad since 2019 due to both Covid and then health serious issues which are now hopefully behind them. They were really looking forward to this trip. Claire and I have been lucky enough to have been on many trips abroad during this period, including a highly successful birding trip at the same time of year but to Lesvos in 2023. The weather there had not been the best but at that time Majorca had been suffering heavy rainfall and I did wonder if we had made a mistake choosing Majorca for this year instead. Our friends assured us the weather is always good at that time of year, it would be fine. As we neared the departure date of the 20th of April the forecast was still looking extremely iffy so I was expecting the worst possible scenario however, after leaving home at 1.30am to drive to Liverpool airport via picking our friends up who live on the Wirral peninsula we arrived at Palma airport at 9.00am to brilliant sunshine which wasn't on the forecast I'd been looking at.

What could go wrong now? Nothing, well at least we thought not!

Our original villa booking had been cancelled when the booking agents decided to fold their business. A shame because it was a fantastic looking place but we'd managed to find something suitable to replace it, a two bedroomed villa out in the countryside about 5km from Pollensa and away from the hustle and bustle of the town itself. At £700 per week it was a decent deal when shared between two couples. I had taken advantage of the 10% discount I get for booking a car through Booking.com, an agency I thoroughly recommend. They have a free cancellation policy and I used it to the full to securing the best possible deal and halving the original price by cancelling 5 agreements and replacing them with a cheaper alternative. I ended up getting a Hyundai Tucson "or similar" for a mere £179 for 15 days hire. Brilliant. I had discussed driving with my friend Steve who is a bit of a petrol head, in fact he is a petrol head! He recorded the two Grand Prix that were to happen while we were away and spent two weeks avoiding the results. Me? I spent most of my working career driving so it has no attraction whatsoever for me, it's just something you have to do to get from A to B. Driving on the wrong side of the road to the usual doesn't present me with a problem either although there is every chance in a strange car I'm likely to switch on the wipers instead of the indicators or fail to discover how to release the hand brake. If you want to drive everywhere that's fine by me Steve. We'll add you on to the included insurance when we get there. He was looking forward to it!

Our transfer from the airport to the Centauro pick up centre went smoothly and we were called to the counter to collect our car almost immediately. Brilliant service!

That's when the disaster struck. Everything was in order with my booking but when Steve handed over his licence to get added as an additional driver it was pointed out his licence was out of date and therefore he could not be accepted. His first reaction was disbelief, followed by anger, followed by shock when he realised the bigger implications. He'd been driving at home for over 12 months without insurance as a result and that could have been a far worse disaster than not being able to drive in Majorca.

Here in the UK, the traditional paper driving licence that is issued when you pass your driving test is valid until the day you reach 70. You then have to re-apply and in return get a photo driving licence which has to be renewed every 3 years. Under 70 and the photo licence, if you have one and everyone who passes their test has to have one now, needs to be renewed every 10 years.  Steve has yet to reach 70 but unlike myself had swopped to a photo licence when required by a company he worked for as it's also a good form of ID if required. Indeed when I was stopped for speeding ( in a typical honey trap spot leaving a village restricted area in Morocco doing a mere 3kmph over the limit) the traffic cop looked at my paper licence in disbelief and asked what it was! 

That was it then. I'd be driving the car which was as promised, a brand new Hyundai Tucson with just 1000km on the clock. At least we'd saved the £90 to add a driver but that was a small consideration compared to the implications of just one driver.

 

So before I continue with my short trip report I urge you to check your licence. It's amazing how many people have failed to realise their licence is out of date, indeed when Steve got home he was telling his neighbour the story and when they checked, their licence was out of date too. If you read my Costa Rica report you might remember we had bumped in to a Brit there who had had to take taxis everywhere as his licence had expired.

 

So if you don't read anything else, this has at least served as a warning!!

 

TBC

 

[Galana]

What fun!

I have looked at mine and all is in order BUT I must say I am baffled that such simple information is hard to glean.

There is a bunch of 'numbers' 1 - 7 on the front but NO details of what they mean. Same on the reverse.

OK so 1 is my surname and  2 is my Christian names, 3 4a, 4c 'infrastructure' Huh? and 4b what I am told is my licence expiry date. BUT why the heck can they not SAY so?

 

Anyway I have a fool proof App that has worked now for sixty years more or less. I got it in 1963 in St Andrews Auckland and is brilliant. Never misses a renewal date or anniversary.

Costs little to run once set up.

 

Looking forward to the rrest of your report.

[Dave Williams]

@GalanaI'm told you get sent a reminder by the DVLA but I haven't as yet needed one. Maybe you have to sign up for it ? Anyway, I have all my reminders set on my computer calendar, some are set to remind me every year until cancelled and an alert can be set before you get there. I still manage to forget our wedding anniversary on a regular basis though

[Dave Williams]

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/almost-a-million-drivers-at-risk-of-receiving-1000-fine-could-you-be-one-of/

 

Amazing statistics... you are certainly not alone Steve. 2% of UK drivers forgot, that's around 900,000 people.

 

[Dave Williams]

Anyway, there we were in the parking lot of Centauro rental cars and me sat behind the wheel of a totally unfamiliar car. At home I drive a 14 year old Skoda Superb which when new had all the latest I presume. The other car is a  fully automatic Toyota Yaris which has so much gadgetry the battery has a tendency to run flat if left at an airport car park for any length of time over a couple of weeks.

The Hyundai doesn't have a traditional handbrake but a lever to release the brake which only works if you put your foot on the footbrake. New to me but Steve seemed to think I should know that and was also raising eyebrows when the windscreen wipers came on instead of the indicators. Anyway we got to our destination with no trouble at all and after a light lunch at a beach cafe/bar which cost 40 euros pp for burger and chips and a soft drink we went in search of our villa which was to our satisfaction.

 

A secure gated car park

Looked nice

 

A decent sized pool and far reaching views across largely unspoilt countryside.

An outdoor BBQ and seating area

and an indoor kitchen and lounge/diner.

Everything was fine even if the weather was soon to change for the worse. We managed to eat on our terrace every night bar one even if it did mean wearing several layers. Everyone except Steve's wife Kerry stayed out of the pool and she only managed a few brief dips due to the threat of Polar bears and hypothermia but never mind it was nice and warm on the sunbeds so for our first morning Steve and I were up early at my suggestion and by 7.30 am we had arrived at our destination, the Parc Natural S'Albufera De Mallorca,the biggest bird reserve on the island. The girls were happily tucked up in bed getting over the long day we'd had travelling.

TBC

[Dave Williams]

It wasn't too long a drive to the reserve although on the first day Steve decided to direct me the long way around to avoid going through town I guess, not that town was busy at well before 8.00am however on the first day we were met at the park gate by a security guard who told us the park was shut until 9.00am unless we had a permit for early entry which was available free of charge from the visitor centre inside the park...which opened at 9.00am! No matter, just 30 minutes to kill so we wandered down to the near beach to see if there was anything of interest there. There wasn't but it was lovely to get some sea air and brilliant sunshine compared to the rotten weather we'd been having at home.

Once in the park it's a long walk to the visitor centre and the nearest bird hides, about a mile in fact, so some exercise was going to be guaranteed in the coming weeks!

 

With the exception of just one venture outside the boxed area on the map which proved to be unrewarding I still managed to walk an average of around 5km per visit.

The park itself was usually quiet first thing but by lunchtime was getting busy with casual visitors with little interest in the wildlife but using the tracks as a country walk or a cycle ride. The hides are in good order but the point of view for photography not ideal as you are looking down on any nearby subjects.

The best birds , for me anyway, were Greater Flamingo

Greater Flamingo by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Pied Avocet

Pied Avocet.   Majorca.  2024 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Red-crested Pochard

Red-crested Pochard by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and three species I have only seen once before, on the Spanish mainland.

Marbled Duck

Marbled Duck by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Red-knobbed Coot 

Red-knobbed Coot by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and Purple Gallinule, which it turned out are egg predators when the occasion arises. I missed the opportunity to see it for myself as I had gone walkabout but Steve captured some excellent photos of what we both thought was a vegetarian species!

Purple Gallinule by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

There were other species about, of note were the constant singing of Common Nightingales and Cetti's Warbler but getting a decent shot was nigh impossible for me as the Cetti's  rarely showed well for more than seconds and the Nightingales were either in deep cover or high up in the trees. Numerically Common Shellducks and Black-winged Stilts seemed near the top of the list and I think altogether we probably spotted about 40 species there. Not a lot considering the size of the park and if I'm honest I got bored visiting the same place and watching the same birds virtually every day. The hoped for migration didn't happen. Waders dropping in were a rarity because we had such torrential rain on occasion the water levels had risen considerably flooding potential feeding grounds and endangering birds nests too.

Black-winged Stilt by Dave Williams, on Flickr

One one occasion, and the day Claire decided to come for a walk with us in the afternoon, the rain was so heavy and the wind so strong the hide became a refuge and all the viewing stations closed as everyone was getting soaked even sat on the back row away from the windows.

 

It was a different experience sitting in the dark anyway!

What had been this view from the hide on our first day

more often looked like this 

 

Dull and poor light for photography.

TBC

[Dave Williams]

On that first day my enthusiasm was still high and we didn't return to the villa until around 1.00pm having on the return journey bought some bread, ham, cheese etc to have for lunch. Steve's enthusiasm for avian photography was insatiable and straight after lunch he was out and about the local area searching for opportunities which were in short supply despite plenty of birds being around. Two Wrynecks taunted us with their calling to each other but we, or at least I, never did see them although I personally didn't look very hard. As soon as the sunlight started to soften we were off to another reserve which is just 10 minutes or so away sandwiched between Pollensa Port and Alcudia, the Parc Natural Albufereta. 

This park only has one single hide and the main species numerically were more Greater Flamingos but the star attraction were Stone Curlews, a particularly shy bird which are incredibly difficult to get close to as they spot you coming a mile off! In this reserve though they spend time on one island, albeit about 60-70m away and the furthest from in front of the hide where they gather in numbers and call each other in. I think the idea is to attract a mate and it's a sort of social meeting ground. Watching their behaviour is interesting , they are quite amusing in fact but getting a decent shot at that distance isn't the easiest even with a 1.6 crop sensor body and a 500mm lens with a 1.4TC attached.

Stone Curlew by Dave Williams, on Flickr

On just one occasion a bird landed on a nearer island briefly and at least that gave the opportunity for a better detailed shot.

Stone Curlew   Majorca  2024 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

For an additional amusement, trying to catch one flying in became the order of the day but they were always distant too and the equipment needed was different so it was challenging to say the least.

Stone Curlew by Dave Williams, on Flickr

My best moments came when a Yellow-legged Gull arrived back at the island meeting ground where it had a nest and decided to break up the party sending the Stone Curlews scattering in different directions.

Stone Curlew by Dave Williams, on Flickr

We never did get to see an actual mating, maybe being largely nocturnal they wait until darkness falls!

Stone Curlew by Dave Williams, on FlickrOther than that, a Kentish Plover pair had their nest right next to the hide and over a couple of weeks we witnessed the eggs hatch and the chicks starting to forage before running back to mother for cover when ever anything big threatened to land nearby which didn't happen often.

Kentish Plover by Dave Williams, on Flickr

At least Steve got to take some photos of a Whiskered Tern, a first for him, which frequented the lagoon for several days running.

Whiskered Tern by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I was getting bored with the repetition of it all. Up , out, same place, back for lunch, out again to the same place for the evening session.

The weather was effecting the photography but it was having a greater impact for Claire who was left sitting in the villa reading a book.

The highlight of our day was the evening gathering for drinks and a BBQ which was good company and lots of laughs. At least going for more supplies to the local supermarkets broke the monotony post lunch but not everyone seems to like that either.

TBC

Edited May 27 by Dave Williams

[Galana]

I am so enjoying this. Many similarities that I can relate to. One NP I visited had the 'office' well inside the boundary and as we drove in to get the permit we naturally stopped at 'sightings'. We got arrested for 'looking at things without a permit!'. Full tale recounted elsewhere here.

I can also relate to the hire car rental problems such as wiper and indicators being the 'wrong way' round. One car a KIA did not even have a handbrake, you tapped the pedal to release it. This took some doiing as , despite being from IOM I still only have TWO feet. So tapping the brake release whilst releasng the clutch and pressing the throttle pedal all in conjunction was a skill that eluded me. I once ended up running over the Lady Gs foot whilst she guided me away from an obstruction that had run into the road.

Keep it coming Dave. I am inside out of the rain and despite this being our sixth day in this 'luxury cottage'  I can't yet fathom how to get the TV to work and all the windows are set so low one could not see out even if there was anything to see. (Which there is Not! The sole capture on my trailcam has been of myself settng the thing up each night.)

[Dave Williams]

Oh dear, sorry to hear that things ain't going too well Fred. The sun has come out here this afternoon after what has been a typical miserable Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Oh well at least they won't need to run the heater in the car in the traffic jams going home!

I hope it bucks up for you, and for me too for that matter. A week on a wet island off the Scottish coast followed by a stay in a caravan by the edge of the sea might test me again yet!

Meanwhile I'll try and knock up a quick addition before I go outside for some evening photography in the garden. We have welcomed a new visitor this week.

 Red Fox by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

Birdwatching on Majorca isn't the biggest attraction for your average tourist by any means. Other than the usual beach holidays I think the biggest reason people visit is for cycling and the centre for cycling seems to be the north east corner where we were staying. The roads are full of lycra clad cyclists and they can be quite an obstacle to pass in built up areas. Fair do's they have as much right to the roads as everyone else but they do seem to be an arrogant lot on the whole, ignoring common rules like stopping at zebra crossings or if in a large group stopping at a roundabout once the leading riders have taken to it. They just keep on coming. The cycling industry is estimated to be worth £150m p.a. to the island so they are of course welcomed by those who stand to gain.

On day 6 of our trip I suggested we might try somewhere different and a suggestion was made.The girls were glad of an opportunity to escape the usual routine because after the first couple of days the weather had become very iffy. Too cold, and too dull to sit on a sun bed and read so yes, let's all go for a day out even if it is to a birdwatching spot.

Alas it wasn't to be. Saturday was race day. The big 312km around the island race. The entry was 8000, full capacity and no more allowed. We set off too late to escape the road closure and sat for 25 minutes watching them pass a particular point we were stuck at but even then we were soon to find we were encircled with no escape because of road closures. We gave up and returned back to base.

We had had one evening during the previous week when we'd been able to go to the local beach and photograph Audouin's Gulls which was enjoyable and the girls had had a walk along the promenade to explore whilst we were doing so.

Audouin's Gull   Majorca 2024 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

It was probably my favourite shoot of the trip. Lovely weather, sandy beach, blue sea and my top of the wish list bird to see for the trip.  What's not to like?

Audouin's Gull   Majorca 2024 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I didn't quite get the shots I was hoping for even though I took hundreds.

Audouin's Gull   Majorca 2024 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

However, Steve didn't seem too keen to repeat the event so we didn't go again. A shame because there was something for the girls to do there too.

Rather than the usual evening hide I dropped him off there quite early and took the girls to Cala Sant Vicenç, a nearby beauty spot and tourist destination.

The weather wasn't exactly conducive but we had a  wander around town and an ice cream to pass the time of day.

 

During tha first week we had another reason to worry too. Steve had cut his forehead before coming away and had ignored the warning signs of headaches and swelling to the point that Kerry 'googled' the symptoms and declared he definitely needed anti biotics. off we went to the chemist but we were told we needed a doctor's prescription. A doctors clinic was found and Claire and I sat in the car watching the rain fall in old town Pollensa while they went to the surgery.

 

We had nothing better to do in the weather so sitting there wasn't a problem. To our amazement they were in and out of the surgery in minutes complete with the needed paperwork for the chemist having seen a doctor.

How come if I want an urgent appointment I have to ring the surgery at 8.00am and wait around 25 minutes to get through if I want to see anyone, not necessarily a doctor. Oh no, you have to be screened by a practice nurse first. Then you might get an appointment. If it's not considered urgent by the receptionist an appointment can take up to three weeks to get.

What's gone wrong with our once world renowned National Health Service? How come Majorca can cope with a huge influx of millions of tourists each year without problems it seems.

Anyway, it didn't rain everyday and I decided to have a game of pool. Not swimming pool perhaps but not far off it!

 

The cover had a leak so the cloth was often wet at first which slowed the balls down and made for frustration at times to say nothing of the unusual sight of spray coming off the table! A three way nightly tournament ended up with me loosing the final, beaten by Kerry . At least I wasn't last and we had a laugh along the way.

Other than that, we visited just two other spots for birding both of which were largely unrewarding. The highlight of one was a Blue Rock Thrush.

Blue Rock Thrush by Dave Williams, on Flickr

the other, Son Real, I visited twice, once with Claire on a dull afternoon having dropped Steve and Kerry at the usual evening reserve, the second time on our way back to the airport for the flight home when I got to capture one of the target birds , Common Crossbill, which I was pleased to see. 

Common Crossbill by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and a bonus was a wild Tortoise, one of three species found on the island.

Hermann's Tortoise by Dave Williams, on Flickr

That just about summed up our holiday really. We were lucky in that the weather improved dramatically for the last three days and we did have some glorious sunshine but it was too little too late to be able to say the trip had gone to plan.

The failed driving licence renewal had been pivotal. Steve relied on me to go everywhere and although I tried to please everyone as much as possible, towards the end I realised how fed up Claire was getting and that there was more than two bird photographers to consider and her needs had to be considered too. We'd hardly seen anything of Majorca, too much of it I'd sat looking at the same patch of water holding the same birds. 

At least we managed one evening when Claire and I went for a stroll around the old town of Pollensa and sat and had a Mojito and just watched the people go by.Made a lovely change and something we should have done more often if truth be known. That however isn't everyones choice.

 

We agreed that if we were to do the trip again, two small cars were a better option than one big one even if it did add to the expense. The freedom to do our own thing when we want to and  to keep everyone happy most important.

However, on this occasion two cars booked would have added to the problems. We'd have lost the deposit on one and been forced to change the other for a bigger car at the going rate demanded. They'd have had us over a barrel no doubt.

So the moral of this story is make sure you check the validity of your driving licence if you intend hiring a car and while you are at it, makes sure that your passport has at least a clear 6 months before you leave home. Apparently many travellers are being turned away at the airport for not having sufficient validity left on theirs.

Bet you all go and check now if you are not 100% sure so it was at least worth the effort of writing this report if someone is saved !

cheers

Dave

 

Edited May 27 by Dave Williams

[Galana]

It's not all doom and gloom here with us either. All bad things come to an end and we are on the Ferry to Barra tomorrow where we will have dinner with Martin. Four days with Corncrakes in the garden follow.

This is about your trip and all seems to be OK. Don't mention 'bikes'. Half our island seem to be Cavendish wannabes. The other half want to go even faster and many end up in hospital or worse. If you want a ride in a helicopter and/or find a Doctor quickly just get on a Honda Fireblade or some such.

As for hire cars. Surely Claire drives.

Anyway I enjoy your short tale of Balearic fun and sun.

Inspiration for others.

 

I hope your resolve holds up for Rosemarkle. See you there if it does.

[pedro maia]

17 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Birdwatching on Majorca isn't the biggest attraction for your average tourist by any means. Other than the usual beach holidays I think the biggest reason people visit is for cycling and the centre for cycling seems to be the north east corner where we were staying. The roads are full of lycra clad cyclists and they can be quite an obstacle to pass in built up areas. Fair do's they have as much right to the roads as everyone else but they do seem to be an arrogant lot on the whole, ignoring common rules like stopping at zebra crossings or if in a large group stopping at a roundabout once the leading riders have taken to it. They just keep on coming. The cycling industry is estimated to be worth £150m p.a. to the island so they are of course welcomed by those who stand to gain.

 

 

 

Dave, they do that because that´s the rule in Spain, check this explanation of the rule (I don´t have a clue on why I know that):

 

[Dave Williams]

4 hours ago, pedro maia said:

 

Dave, they do that because that´s the rule in Spain, check this explanation of the rule (I don´t have a clue on why I know that):

 

I understand that Pedro, it's when the lead cyclist enters the roundabout when there is a vehicle already on it that has to stop to let them all pass through.

[Dave Williams]

16 hours ago, Galana said:

It's not all doom and gloom here with us either. All bad things come to an end and we are on the Ferry to Barra tomorrow where we will have dinner with Martin. Four days with Corncrakes in the garden follow.

This is about your trip and all seems to be OK. Don't mention 'bikes'. Half our island seem to be Cavendish wannabes. The other half want to go even faster and many end up in hospital or worse. If you want a ride in a helicopter and/or find a Doctor quickly just get on a Honda Fireblade or some such.

As for hire cars. Surely Claire drives.

Anyway I enjoy your short tale of Balearic fun and sun.

Inspiration for others.

 

I hope your resolve holds up for Rosemarkle. See you there if it does.

 

Claire drives but didn't have a licence with her and even if she did it wouldn't have helped the situation as she would then have to play taxi too unless we hired a second car then I would still be playing taxi .

Don't look for me at Rosemarkie Fred, I'm in Fortrose!!

[Galana]

16 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I'm in Fortrose!!

I knew it was up there somewhere. Memory not what is was John.