Mallorca orchids and birds

A Pyramidal Orchid. | Neville James-Davies

Neville James-DaviesPalma09/04/2024 11:24

A walk anywhere on Mallorca at this time of year will see me scanning the skies and vegetation for birds, but also the ground for orchids – my favourite plants. Unfortunately this does lead at times to the occasional trip or fall when not watching where one is walking, and I have acquired a collection of bumps and bruises over the years. but it is all part of the fun. Although the orchids generally have set month’s when they flower, a lot depends on the weather in the early spring. I have been back and forth to the UK in years gone by and tried to time a visit here to when the orchids should be n flower, only to arrive in the middle of April to find the bulk of the species had already flowered. Similarly, I have been here in the middle of March and due to a mild winter beforehand, again they had flowered early.

Sanderling

One early April I got lucky, and many species were still in flower, and I recall a visit to the woods at Son Real where I was going to see my favourite bird the Hoopoe, when the path leading down to the sea was carpeted with Sawfly, Bug, Tongue, Pyramidal and Bee Orchids – there seemed to be clusters everywhere. I continued along the path stopping to watch a Cirl Bunting and Woodchat Shrike along the way when more and more orchids caught my eye.

Walking on followed the same theme, and whilst I was aware of the calls of Common Crossbills and a Firecrest that was calling close by, my eyes kept getting drawn to ground level to enjoy the orchids. The Firecrest did come into view and I enjoyed some good views as it fed, and a Bonelli’s Warbler came into the same Holm Oaks where a Rabbit broke ground and darted out from beneath the tree, oh, and there were more orchids.

It must have been a really good year as I had never seen so many orchids. I eventually got as far as the beach, no orchids would be found here, but I was after some key birds instead – all of which I got to see – Tawny Pipit, Audouin’s Gull and a Thekla Lark, and on the tide line, a stunning pair of Sanderling, their bellies glistening white against the reflecting sun rays on the surf.

A lone Hermann’s Tortoise walking amongst Annual Daisies and Small-flowered Vipers Bugloss made a pretty little scene to watch, especially as it stopped to nibble at a Marrow-leaved Bindweed flower. I spent a little less time than I would normally here, as I wanted to enjoy the orchid spectacle again on the way back, which inspired me later that day to explore some more areas for other orchid species. And more on this next week.