Ibiza 13th-19 April 2008

Every year I normally spend a few days in Ibiza. This is a work trip and spare time is severely limited but I always manage to get a few hours birding in. This year I was hoping to track down Marmoras/Balearic warbler, but missed out. However one of Ibiza's birding highlights is the abundant Audouin's gull which can be observed at close quarters.

The other abundant gull on Ibiza is yellow-legged gull.
The picture above shows the islands of Es Vedra and Es Vedranella, breeding site for Eleanora's falcon. April is a bit earlier for this raptor. Well, that's my excuse for not seeing any.
Most people picture Mediterannean islands as barren lumps of rock, which they normally become in the height of the summer holiday season. However in Spring, Ibiza is surprisingly colourful.

This very distant woodchat shrike was the only one of the trip.

Other birds seen included 3 sandwich tern, 2 possible Balearic shearwater, 100+ cory's shearwater in San Antonio bay on 18th April, Mediteranean shag, thekla lark, corn bunting, serin, sardinian warbler, bee-eater, the first swifts of the year including a possible pallid swift and a Hoopoe on the way to the airport on the 19th.